The rains came and went today, so Sid worked, stopped working, and is now working again.  He finished up the gable on the front side of the carport; he's now working on the back side.  Having to cut the siding at those angles takes a lot of time, especially since he's doing all of this by himself.  I think he'll be glad to start school again this semester--that will mean he won't be spending so much time out in the sun.  Of course, if he isn't finished, that also means having to do some work after he gets back from school.  Well, guess you have to do what you have to do!

We received our long, newsy e-mail from Joey today.  He and Beau sure do keep busy out there in Colorado.  They do lots of hiking and camping and eating out and such.  They also like to sit out in the park and listen to the Jazz programs that are available to them.  And, watching baseball games with friends also seems to be something they enjoy.  It's always nice to get that e-mail, keeping us "in touch" with them and their lives.

I also received a call from Jess today.  Channie has a severe ear infection, and the doctor is amazed that she hasn't been crying most of the time.  She is now on medication, and hopefully, that will take care of the problem.  Tomorrow, Jess takes Rett for his regular orthodontic appointment.  Ahhhhh--that brings back memories of when our kids were young--and we were a lot younger, too!

Sid and I went into town today to pick up some shrimp-fried rice and a foot-long ham/cheese sandwich at Subway.  Yes, I know that's an odd combination, but what the hey--we like both of those things and that's what we felt like eating.  So-----that's what we did!

Tomorrow, we head off to Thibodaux to spend the night.  On Thursday, Sid will be attending a meeting for retirees in the St. Charles Parish School Board office related to our insurance.  That parish has changed our insurance so many times since we retired, and it's always done without any discussion with the retirees.  Of course, I have to assume that they believe they're doing the right thing, but it makes it hard for us to keep up with what our benefits actually are.  Hopefully, Sid will find out more on Thursday.

Sandie just wrote and said that Ben went to his meeting today.  He still doesn't have all the info he needs, but they're trying to finalize everything. Please say prayers that he makes the right decision AND that all goes well for him in the military.  Ben is a bright kid (young man), and I'm sure he'll do fine there.

Mom called yesterday--just to chat!  She actually said that she was a little "blue" yesterday and wanted to hear my voice.  Naturally, I had to tease her out of that mood, and I think she felt a little better by the end of our conversation.  I would imagine that it's hard NOT to get a little blue when all you can do it sit in your room and watch a little tv.  And, I use the term "watch" very loosely since Mom can barely see and she definitely cannot hear the tv.  Old age can be a sad time, I suppose.  I just wish I were closer and could visit with her a little more.  She desperately needs company--if for no other reason than to reassure her that she is certainly loved and needed.  Eighty-eight and still going--she's like the Ever-Ready Bunny--she just won't quit!

Mom's sister, my Aunt Nin (Earline), is celebrating her birthday today (maybe tomorrow--she celebrated it on the 22nd for most of my growing up years and then discovered that it MIGHT be on the 23rd).  In any case, Aunt Nin is 85 on this birthday, suffering from Alzheimer's and living in a nursing home.  Her son, Reid, and his family are tending to her as best they can; she doesn't remember his name, but she knows that, as we used to say about Dad, "he belongs to her" in some way.  Hope her day was extra special--'cuz that's how I feel about her.

Since I probably won't be at my computer on the 24th of this month, I want to wish my little brother, Rick, and his wife, Lisa, a very HAPPY ANNIVERSARY.  WOW!  They were married in 1981; that's hard to believe, but it's true.  They will soon be first-time grandparents, too, so I wish them the best with that as well.  Hope you guys have a super day!

That's it for tonight!  Have a wonderful evening and a great tomorrow.  I'll try to get back to my computer tomorrow evening, but it's unlikely that I'll succeed, so....  See ya next time!

HEARTFELT BLESSING:  "In the school of life, difficult people are the faculty.  They teach us our most important spiritual lessons, the lessons that we would be most unlikely to learn on our own."                                                --Mark I. Rosen, PH.D

NOTE:  Do you remember those so-called "hard" teachers when you were in school?  Think about them now--they are the ones from whom you learned the most.  They challenged us; they DARED us to learn; they demanded our best of us.  That's how "difficult people" are in our lives--they help us to grow by providing experiences we need--experiences in compassion, patience, perseverance.  They teach us how to let go--and live our lives in the best possible way.  From them, we learn the most.  (I like to think that I was one of those "hard" teachers and that my students were the beneficiaries of my love for them, my desire to have them do their very best, my DARING them to learn.  I hope that when they think of their "hard" teachers, the ones from whom they learned the most, they think of me.  I know I learned from them, too, and they have helped me become the person I am today.)