It sure took long enough!!!!!

Sorry to leave you hanging these months. (Like anyone would be pining away for my new posts.) I have been busy, lazy and depressed. My sister's husband died suddenly in November, immediately after getting Dena home from Birmingham where she kept watch (with nieces Cynthia and Laura) over Dena's sister-in-law, still recovering from open heart surgery. Pat is still in the hospital, going on over two months. Dena was home no more than an hour, before I was called to go back to Florida.

My sister is better and growing stronger everyday. Dena's, Pat will be needing your prayer for a long time to come.

There is always a silver lining in dark clouds. The good news that I could not speak of in

November is that Dena's niece, Monica (43 years old) is having an a baby. This follows on the heals, (well probably not that close together) of the pregnancy of her sister, Leigh Ann, (two years younger) giving birth to a beautiful baby boy, Patrick, on May 26th, (1990). Patrick will be a cousin, finally as he is about to be twenty. The cousins will have to figure out some kind of arrangement. Patrick can use the new baby to help pick up "chicks" and maybe the "chicks" can help him change the diapers. :)

Grandma, Clara, is ecstatic. She can put her well-honed skills at QVC and the Shopping Channel to good use to but everything in the world for the new G-baby. Now, in our old age, we can come up with money, it is called a reverse mortgage.

We were all concerned about the Immaculate Conception. It is very hard these days running down "Angels", who visit girls in the night, to get them to pay child support. As we all know, "Angels" do not have a social security numbers and their last known addresses are sketchy at best.

But then, we found that, in fact, Monica's boy friend, Mike, is a very good friend of "said Angel" and is willing to be a stand-up guy take over the responsibilities. Mike is also an itinerant carpenter, but not from the same U.B.C. local.

To his credit, he is a former solider in the United States Marine Corp and a veteran from the "Desert Storm War". He shares responsibilities raising his first son, is hard working and seems to be an all around good guy. Everyone likes him very much.

He displayed a large amount of his 'courage under-fire', as he proposed to Monica in front of the immediate family on Christmas morning, There was a long silence, because we know that our Monica is very particular about men. She took a breath and said "yes". Mike thankfully got off his knees and joined the rest of us as we cheered, cried and laughed, (to break the ice).

When asked about plans to marry, Monica replied "I'm just engaged" (a very big step for her & Mike). I'm sure they will work out some arrangements and we are all anxious to be at that celebration.

I hope you all had a kind and civil Christmas and remembered those less fortunate. It is after-all the cardboard box, not the presents that lasts.

LOve, Pirate