Can you Believe an Update?

Elcie, Rochelle, Rebecca, & Destiny



Rebecca @13-1/2



Rochelle @ 14

These pics were taken the day before Easter when the girls came over to help Destiny and her younger friend color eggs. I have more from yesterday's picnic which I'll add in a separate post.

So, what's new from me? We're still here, Ray stays about the same although the trips to the hospital are not as frequent. He putters about in the yard now that spring has arrived with a vengeance. Our temps yesterday and today have hit 90 (F).

We're planting flowers and veggies. I have tomatoes, leeks, bell pepper (capsicum), strawberries, and one lonesome okra. It was my experience when I lived in Arkansas that okra would overwhelm everything except the zucchini so I'm starting slowly. I don't want more okra than I can possibly give away. I'm not going to let a zucchini anywhere near this yard. We have some flowers already planted and two packages of zinnias yet to be put in the ground next week. We didn't have a lot of luck last year with our flowers but zinnias are sturdy and I have hopes. They're my favorite flower.

Friend Janet and I took the girls to see the new Monsters/Aliens film last week. We all enjoyed it. I usually wait for videos but with 3D, large screen made more sense.

Jim is safely home from Iraq but somehow injured his right arm while he was there (non-combat - it's a mystery). They think he may have permanent nerve damage. They can do something for the pain but he may lose partial use of the arm (heavy lifting, etc.) We'd expected him home a couple of weeks ago but they're keeping him at Ft. Dix, NJ and sending him back and forth to Walter Reed Army Hospital to consult with the experts. At least he's safe and we connect by phone. I know Melissa is anxious to have him home as am I.

Tim is employed at a veterinary clinic in Fresno as a receptionist. He's good with people and is fond of animals so it should be a good fit. Part time for now but that may change. Considering the unemployment in this part of CA hovers around 20%, any work is better than none. His hours are flexible so he can keep up with his classes.

Our Easter dinner was just the two of us but the girls showed up the next day to help us with the leftovers (after the movies). I did ham, sweet potatoes, potato salad, cole slaw, and a key lime pie (my first attempt).

Elcie will be having surgery later this week so will appreciate your thoughts. She's a trouper about it but shame she'll be in casts and miss much of the lovely spring weather. Each of her prior surgeries have helped her and trust this one will as well.

Let's see, what else? I went for coffee with friend David this morning at a cafe which is part of one of our local market/delis. I picked up one order each of chile rellenos and chile verde and an order of ceviche for dinner tonight. After all the cooking Dawn and I did for the bbq yesterday (see other post), I didn't feel much like cooking today.

Oh, and we've discovered long lost family. Tim went on a Facebook search and found a cousin. It snowballed from there and the other day I connected not only with my two nieces by marriage (to Tim and Jim's dad) but with my favorite in-law who I've always thought of as a sister. We're all so excited. Jim and Tim are thinking about a trip to Memphis later to connect with all of them and meantime there's the telephone, email, and Facebook.

When I lived in Arkansas (hi Diane, Karen, etc), my Aunt (by marriage), my sil, and I used to call ourselves the "outlaws". My beloved Aunt Clarice died several years ago but sil and I are still going strong. I think she and I are close to the same age - she might be 6 months older but I still picture her as young and so beautiful. We were both still in our mid 30's when I saw her last. Her oldest son and my daughter Carol were the same age.

Next weekend I head for Fresno and the opera. They're doing Gounod's "Faust" with soloists from the New York Metropolitan Opera. I have a good video but there's nothing like seeing it live especially with having a family member (Juan) in the chorus. I'm so looking forward to it. I think I may have mentioned seeing "La Boheme" last winter. In the pictures on my bbq/birthday post, I'm wearing the La Boheme t-shirt.

I'll be back with the other pictures shortly. Hope all of you are doing well. I'm sorry about my vanishing act but I'm back (sort of). Even if I don't post much here, I can be found hanging out at FaceBook and Twitter.

Take care everyone.