Our house looks like a tornado hit it.  At least the kitchen, dining room, and utility/back room.  Tillie and her daughter, Mia, are here reorganizing me and helping me get rid of what I don't need.  This would not have been possible a few months ago because Mom would have freaked on me.  Now she is just sitting here calm, cool, and collected.  This new medicine is beautiful.  I just love it.  She is so much better and doesn't cry all day like she did before.  

I have my dishes in the cupboards and drawers, food in the cupboards instead of on the floor in front of the cupboards in the back room.  What a concept!  Hayley was over a couple of years ago and reorganized the spare room and mine, so that is finished!  She is great at that too.  We have found some neat stuff too!  I think we have donated about 6 boxes and about 8 bags of stuff!  I couldn't even imagine I had that much stuff.  Mom just sits nicely through the whole process.  I am very glad about that!  I can't wait to see what it all looks like when it's done.  We also threw out about 5 bags of bad food from the back room because everything was piled high on top of each other and you couldn't use the cupboards either.  I was horrified by how much food we wasted.  I kept buying it because I didn't know what we had.  Now I do!  

One of the problems with Alzheimer's in the early stages is hoarding and that is what Mom did.  We are pack rats to begin with, but it got beyond that.  Our back room where the washer, dryer, and freezer are was ridicules.  We have four tall cupboards along the back wall and you couldn't open them at all.  I mean at all.  I don't think they have been open for at least 3 years, if not more.  You put the food on the floor in front of them, or on top of the pile.  It was pretty bad.  Mom's room is really bad too.  Mine is just messy.  I don't think about doing a load of laundry everyday, that would clear my room up completely.  I do have 3 boxes of books that I am going to take to the used bookstore.  I have a pile of clean clothes that need to be put away and I never make my bed unless I have company that will see my room.  Hayley helped me reorganize the room 2 years ago and I have been able to keep it up.  The spare room is full of boxes of stuff that I don't even know what is in them.  I have to go through them.  I know we have a few boxes of material that is going to the Muglia girls.  There are some nice wools and knits that they can make some nice outfits from.  I also have a lot of craft stuff too.  I do need to find out what I have and what I want to make.  Some I bought for me and Mom to do together, but she can't do them anymore.  I bought some for Christmas that I thought would be fun to do but they hurt my hands so I can't do much of them.  I also have some cross stitch stuff that I like to do.  I have books and packages of that.  I have some stuff in the storage unit and a few things in my room and dining room because I was doing them in the dining room.  I have a few decisions to make.

I have a hard with some stuff because I am losing Mom little by little.  The Mom who is here isn't the same Mom I have had all my life, she is mostly gone now, replaced by this fragile, little old lady.  I only have her stuff left.  I have to let it go though because I won't have the room for it.  I want a normal looking house, not the house we have now.  It is hard to get around in our house because of all the stuff.  I want to be able to get around better, it will be better for the pain too if I don't see the stuff everywhere.

It is sunny today!  I bought Mom some cute little hoodies for summer and t-shirts to go with them.  She will look adorable in them, I think.  We also both got our hair cut and styled.  I am getting Mom's picture taken before her birthday because we have the hoodies and we have the styled hair.  I am sending one to Richard, one to Andrew, one to Tillie, and one for me.  I have to perfect frame for it too, or at least I think I do.

I hope your day is going well.

I forgot to add the link at the end of my post!!!

Here is the link to the online NFA magazine!!!!!

  http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/fma/fibromyalgiaaware_2009winter_v2/ 

Tillie will be arriving anytime now to spend a few days.  She is going to help me organize Mom's room and the spare room needs a little attention too.  Should be fun.  I am hoping that we will be able to find more of Mom's clothes because she puts them in boxes and I can't find them.  Not good, but normal for the disease.  Hoarding is a common symptom of Alzheimer's, unfortunately.  I slept pretty well last night, only woke up 3 times, yeah me! for that one.  I think part of it was because Mom was home and the other part being I was exhausted.  I can get exhausted so easily it is pathetic.  Part of my syndrome.  An annoying part because you never know what will exhaust you.  Look out!  Here it comes!  No, you get no warning like that.  It would be nice, but it doesn't happen.

Other than some cleaning I managed to put the corned beef, asparagus, mushrooms, and red potatoes in the crock pot for dinner.  Emptied the dishwasher, filled it back up and turned it on.  I even cleaned the sink in the bathroom!  Yup, housework day for me.  Now if only I could get some laundry done.  I can't do it until the dishwasher is finished because there would be no hot water for anything then.  Or at least I don't think there would be.  I have never tried it and not willing to experiment due to cost more money to run things again. 

Mom is doing her usual dozing on and off in her chair.  I am going to turn on Murder She Wrote in a few minutes and clear off the dining room table.  It looks like a tornado hit it.  I have bills in piles, papers in piles and other stuff in other piles.  I will need more of the table because of company.  Also, I need to change my table cloth, it still has the Christmas one on it.  He he he.  I bought a new spring one on sale at Joann's, a very dangerous type store because there are so many things I see I want to buy!  It rates up there with the bookstores.  They, too, are very dangerous for me.  Walmart is becoming that way, although we need to go there today because I need some milk and to pick up my prescription for my tummy.  I want to see if they have some spring colored hoodies for Mom.  She is getting her hair cut and her picture taken sometime this spring.  I am going to send one to Richard, one to Andrew, and give one to Tillie.  She hasn't had her picture taken in a few years.

I also get to pay some bills today!  Boy, what fun, my bank account will hate me when I am done.  The only mail I seem to get these days is bills or Hayley's orders.  She has a few more things to come in and then I get to see her!  

I haven't heard anything from cousin's about Mom's party, I wonder who is planning to attend because I have to have enough snacks for them.  I am going to Face book message a few of them to see if they are coming.  I hope so.  All of them should have received their invitations by now.  The only RSVPs I have gotten are from Cathy and Hayley and neither of them can come.  So I am glad they responded and I know not to expect them.

It is raining out again today.  Mom and I don't really like the rain, although we LOVE the flowers the rain gives us, so I guess we will both just put up with it because of the beautiful flowers.  I want to get some silk flowers for our table this spring, it will brighten Mom up because she loves flowers.  I will let her pick out which ones she wants, that should be fun for her.

I hope you are having better weather than I am.  I hope your day is good, so far mine is very good and with the expected cousin on her way, even better!

Mom is back home where she belongs.  I survived the night without her.  I even survived the morning and early part of the afternoon.  It was strange to wake up without her here, especially when I usually have her to help me get dressed.  I managed, very clumsily, to get my clothes on myself except my socks.  I tried to figure out how to do the one leg and when I couldn't reach it because of the arm, I left yesterdays on.  I don't think they smelled though, no one said they did so that was good.  I probably looked pretty funny when I was dressing though.

Kathy couldn't come to town after all.  Her little one (well, one of the little ones) was sick so the family stayed home and didn't venture to our town.  She is going to try for next weekend.  I hope to see her soon, I am having withdrawals.  I need my Kathy.  

It took forever, it seemed, to get to Windsor today.  I have discovered that Saturday is an awful day to go through the tunnel no matter which direction you are going.  It took 2 hours to get home because 45 minutes was in the tunnel.  The tunnel is only about 1 mile long.  Yeah, what fun.  At least Mom was alright in it.  When I got to Tillie's she said Mom was fine last night and didn't ask for me once at all today.  That was good.  So now I know she can handle being away from me for the night.  Whether I can handle it or not is a different story.  We went to Tillie's daughter, Luana's house for dinner.  It was good.  So that makes 3 days in a row I didn't have to cook or heat up anything.  Yeah for me!  Homemade meals too.  Even better.

Tillie is coming over tomorrow until Wednesday, I think she is taking Mom back with her and I will pick her up Thursday.  Mom has a care appointment Wednesday and the occupational therapist will be there on Thursday.  The care appointments will be Wednesday afternoon from now on.  I have to see if my little Calli can switch days because of it.  I hope so, they are pretty flexible.  She has choir on Tuesday but I don't know if it is during or after school.  I don't know about Monday or Friday or Saturday, something has got to work for a while until the care appointment can be changed.  Mom looked so nice with her hair done after her bath.  Teri, the care worker, was very nice and Mom cooperated beautifully, not one tear shed.  I was really happy about that.  She also didn't cry after I left yesterday!  So another win for us.  She hasn't really cried since her new medicine kicked in nor has she had a rough night like she was.  She hasn't asked to go home or where her Mom is or call for me when she is looking right at me.  She seems to have settled in for the moment.  I hope it lasts a while, I can get used to this stage real easy.  I have to help her with more stuff than I used to, but that is okay because she is still here with me and not in a home.  I dread that day.  I think when she gets to the point she doesn't know me at all she will be ready for a home.  At least that is what I think now, who knows what point that really will be.

Today was an alright day, rain made me ache a bit more and I didn't sleep very well last night because of nerves and pain.  I should sleep better tonight because I am not alone in the house.  I did discover I don't like sleeping in the house alone.  Not one bit.  Makes the night awfully long and lonely.  I hope your day was well and don't forget to turn the clocks forward if your area does that!

Tonight is a strange night as I am here on my own in the dining room.  Mom is at Tillie's in Windsor and I will pick her up tomorrow.  Very very very strange.  Not sure I like it.  I miss Mom.  I know she just sits there a lot and doesn't say much, but we do speak with each other and have fun together even if her memory is going.  I have never really spent a lot of time at night in the house on my own.  Once last year when Mom was in the hospital and then Tillie came over and stayed with me and then Mom came home.  So it is the first since then.  I am to pick her up tomorrow evening after my afternoon with Kathy.  I am excited that Kathy is coming to visit her parents and I will get to see her.  It will be a first without Mom for the last few years too.  She doesn't interrupt the visit or anything, she just quietly eats and observes.  She is a good observer, that's what she is.  I have resisted the urge to call and check on her in case she is doing well and that would make her be upset.  Don't want that, that is for sure!  But overall, I will freely admit to being a Momma's girl and always have been and always will be.  At night I like to have someone else in the house with me, I feel safer but I guess that is not to be tonight.  I am heading to bed shortly as it is almost 9 pm.

Pain is a bit higher as the anxiety is a bit high over how Mom will do.  I also have a bit of anxiety over undressing and dressing myself as my shoulder is very sore today.  I will struggle, but I think I can do it.  Maybe I should have spent the night.  I don't know, it's too late now to change anything.  Mom is there and I am here and that is the way it is.  Who would have thought this would cause me anxiety?  I am relaxing, yes, that is it, I am going to get my book and go and read on my bed for a bit before I turn off the light.

I hope your evening is going well.  We shall see how my night turns out!  Perhaps some prayers are in order.  Good night!

It is sunny out again.  Yup, 4th day in a row here, and in March too!  What a nice surprise.  I also am trying to conquer Mt. Laundry with at least one load.  I have no choice as I have run out of socks and undies.  Time to do the laundry.  I will have to do another load too since my outer clothes are out too.  Ugh, hate to do the laundry.  Don't know why I hate it so much, it is easier now that I have baskets.  Much easier getting it up and down the stairs, plus Mom helps, so yeah, what's my problem?  

Mom ate beautifully at breakfast time.  She ate her donut and her muffin.  I was so pleased I could have spit.  Not that I would have as that would have been very bad manners, and well, I don't like bad manners.  But I was very happy and pleased with her.  Our neighbor/friend, Rosemary came to sit with us when she arrived so we had a nice chat and visit with her.  We see her there about once a week.   She lives down the street from me.  Very nice lady, very nice.  I think they are going to come to the cake and ice cream we will have for mom for our friends here in Michigan.  Most of them can't come to Windsor for the party.  I haven't heard from my relatives about the party yet so I don't know how many are coming.  I hope a lot.  It would be nice to see them again.  I haven't seen some of my cousins since Mom's last party 6 years ago.  Wow, 6 years ago, things were bright and sunny.  Well, things here are looking bright and sunny again too.  Still not sure what I am going to do once mom is in a home, but I have lots of time to figure it out.  She is sleeping on her chair again, as usual.  I think I will take a snooze as soon as the clothes go into the dryer which should be anytime now.  I am glad our dryer still works because 2 years ago we had to get a new washer.  From what I have heard, dryers last longer so I am holding on to this one as long as possible!!!!  That is for sure!

Not much happening today, I have one make up lesson, Zach, and then we are off to Windsor for the night.  We are going to Tillie's.  I have to remember her stuff, I forgot last time.  Oops.  Fibro fog!  I have a list of everything we need to bring.

I just paid off my bankruptcy lawyer.  Now all I need to do is copy all of the stuff they need.  I never thought I would need to file bankruptcy, never, not in a million years, but when we lost the store, we lost almost everything.  We are now in the process of rebuilding our lives.  It is hard at times and easy at times.  Kind of backwards in a way, but nevertheless, that is the way it is right now.  I have less stress (believe it or not) since we lost the store, although, it isn't like there isn't any stress, I just have less because I am not trying to save the store.  One of my former employees, near the end, said that she was mad I was trying to save the business, now she wishes we had saved it because she expected (like me) to get a job right away and it took her a year and a 1/2 before she got one.  I, at least, do have disability and a few students that pay.  Most of the students I have are from the store except the new ones.  I am thankful for what I do have and the one thing I do have is time with Mom.  Nobody else has that but me, and I feel bad for my brothers because they are missing out on what's left of Mom.  Soon she won't remember anyone and that's what they will get to see because they are so far away.  She is doing well right now though, so I am sooooo glad about that.  We are going to take a day trip and visit Andrew in London (Ontario, not England) soon, if the weather holds up.  Mom and Andrew will like that.  He is in school right now so his schedule is much tighter than ours.

I hope your day is good, mine is so far!  yeah sun!!!!!!!!!

Calli and Debbie had their lessons today!  Calli forgot her book but I had another book for her to use.  She doesn't really use the books because I play it for her and then she copies it from me.  She does really well with the two hands together, she gets nervous to play both hands together, but she does real well.  I just love her spirit and her eagerness to learn.  Acer wants to learn too, he feels he is old enough now.  He is just 5 and adorable and so fun.  He is so excited about music in general.  He is disappointed with me because I can't find the lap harp, I don't blame him.  I thought I knew where it was and it wasn't there.  I was disappointed.  He likes to play with the violin when he comes over for Calli's lesson.  He figured out within minutes of where to pluck the notes so it will sound the best.  I mean, he's 5!  He knows this stuff right away.  He and his sister are simply amazing kids.  

I am watching 7th Heaven.  I love this show.  I have seen almost every episode I think.  Mom likes it too when she is awake.  Right now she is watching the show but a few minutes ago her eyes were closed.  This is a good episode where Wilson's son, Billy, asks Mary if he can call her Mommy because he's never had a Mommy and he wants one.  Heartbreak moment!!!!!!!!

My friend, Donna is home from the hospital after back surgery.  She seems to be doing alright and improving.  I am glad.  She is in such pain all day.  The doctors say she will eventually be in less pain because of the surgery.  I hope so.  She can now walk with the help of a walker and a person which is better than she had been because she was practically bedridden since November.  I haven't seen her in person since then.  I can't wait to see her again.  I think next week during the day we are going to stop by with the Tim Horton's coffee she hasn't had since November and visit with her in person.  That would be great.  Her granddaughter, Sam, plays the trumpet and she is really good.  She is a junior this year and can't wait to be finished with high school in general.  I remember that feeling real well.  There isn't enough money in the world to have me go back and repeat high school, even with what I know today.  It would not be worth it.  I mentioned today that some schools give partial music scholarships just for playing in the band even if they aren't music majors.  She will probably major in some science, she is really interested and good in the subjects.  I think she is taking about 3 or 4 science classes right now in school.

I met a friend for lunch this afternoon and it was fun.  I haven't seen her in person for a few months.  She is working a lot of hours at her job.  She rarely sees her son these days because she is so busy.  I see her son once a week for his lesson so I probably see him more than she does some days.  Her husband is out of work right now.  I hope he finds a job soon.  

Tomorrow is not going to be a busy day, we will go to our usual Tim Horton's at around noon and then I have to do a load of laundry because I am running out of clothes and we are spending the night in Windsor since Mom has an early Friday morning appointment.  I am not looking forward to that.  I don't sleep well anywhere except home but it is best for Mom so she doesn't miss the appointment.  We actually have 2 appointments on Friday, one at 8:30 and the other at 3:30.  Right around rush hour traffic time.  Mom is the worst when we go through rush hour traffic.  She is definitely the back seat driver even though she can't drive herself.  I just grin and bear it because if I say something it will just hurt her feelings and that would be bad.  Besides, with my luck I say something and that will be the day I will miss something that she doesn't and we will crash.  Not good all around, so I just comment to myself about this.

Well, I better end this as it is very long tonight.  I hope your day was as good as mine and in less pain.  Pain is a bit high right now but I will take a pain pill and it will go back to normal!

It is again a beautiful day outside, right before we get hit with rain.  I am not sure which is worse, rain or snow.  Snow means cold and so does rain, so yeah, it could be both.  We just got back from our daily breakfast.  I take mom to Tim Horton's everyday to get her out of the house, otherwise, she wouldn't leave at all.  I have 3 lessons today, it was supposed to be 4, but Katie cancelled until next week, something about ACT tests and stuff.  Must study, which she needs to do well on and I hope she does.  These ACT tests are difficult.  I know, I took it back when I was in high school trying to get into a college.  I did okay, nothing spectacular on them, and I got in to college.  Not that the degrees I have have done much for me, but I do have them.

Other than lessons, not much going on.  Not sure what we are going to have for dinner.  I just realized that we aren't going to be here Thursday night so maybe I should cook what I have in the fridge so it doesn't go bad.  I am very tired today.  I woke up early for no reason.  No reason what soever.  I even woke up before Mom.  She is awake in her chair today, not really dozing like she usually does, although she looks tired.

I can take my blood thinner medicine again, so I guess my blood is back to normal.  Thank goodness, of course, I do have another test on Monday, but I get a week before it.  I hope the bruise is gone by then because that is the arm I like them to do the test with as the left arm/shoulder are in a lot of pain all the time.  The right arm is normal.

It is an okay day today as far as pain is concerned.  I do hope to do some cleaning up in the dining room, I want to put the spring table cloth on the table and I need to clean it off to do it.  We still have the Christmas one on.  Silly me!  I keep meaning to take it off, I have table cloths for every holiday except St. Patrick's Day (too close to Easter) and Valentine's Day got ignored as far as table cloths go.  I found a neat Christmas craft i would like to start.  Not sure if I will start today or later this weekend.  We shall see.

I hope your day is good and beautiful outside.  Although my friend, Barb, posted on face book that it was raining where she is.  Hope it stops and the sun comes out!!!!!

It is another beautiful sunny day here in Michigan.  (a nice change from the snowy February we had).  March, so far, has been nice as far as the weather is concerned.

I had the monthly lesson for the girls today.  They are doing so well.  All three of them are learning Fur Elise.  I forgot to bring the rest of the song to them.  Oops!  In my defense, I did ask them to face book me a message to remind me to bring it and they forgot.  Yup, all three of them forgot for the entire month, so it isn't just me.

After their lessons, I had two more and that is the end of the marathon of lessons that I love.  Tomorrow is 3 lessons and 2 on Wednesday.  If only I had more.  

My taxes should be done soon.  I can wait for them to be done because you don't pay income tax on disability and I earn so little with lessons that I will have to pay a small amount.  So I have it pretty easy.  

My big bruise on the right arm is getting better.  It doesn't look as scary as it did last week.  Stupid blood test.  Speaking of which, I had the third one this week this morning, and I mean morning.  Ugh, is that what morning looks like?  He he he.  I am not a morning person, not crabby or anything, just not with it.  Fibro fog is bad first thing in the morning around here.  I actually got up before Mom did.  That in itself is unusual.

Mom ate okay today, well, okay for her.  She had both her muffin and her donut with a pint of milk and some lunch (since we were up early I fed her and myself lunch) and some dinner.  She had a couple of tablespoons of pork roast (which I roasted in the crock pot!!) and 3 small carrots and 1 small potato.  She ate everything.  She will have an ensure later tonight before we go to bed.  She drinks about a 1/2 of one with her medicine at night so she ends up with either 1 1/2 or 2 1/2.

Head is normal today, just its usual dull roar, so I am happy about that.  We aren't doing much this evening.  We have to go to Walmarts for some ensure for Mom and medicine for me and her.  I have to turn in a refill and get some sleep stuff for Mom and Tylenol PM for me.  We are out.  

I hope your day is good.  Just a reminder, if you get a chance to look at the online NFA FMaware magazine, here is the link, so go take a look!

 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/fma/fibromyalgiaaware_2009winter_v2/  

It is very nice and warm outside for a change.  I hope it stays.  I am tired of the white stuff falling and sticking to the ground, although we still have some snow despite the warm weather.  It is really sunny out too, how can we get so lucky about that.

My head is pretty bad today, not real happy about that, so it is a good thing that Tillie was unable to come over after all.  She is having a bad day and has tons of homework.  I will see her next week though because she is coming for a week to help organize.  Won't that be fun?  Not!  Yet, it needs to be done so badly.  I wonder how Mom will react.  She flips when we throw things out.  She is sleeping in her chair as usual.  I will take her upstairs shortly when I go to lay down and rest my aching head.

I have six CDs to copy for my students.  I don't give out original CDs because they often come back broken or ruined and then you have to buy the book and the CD all over because generally the CDs aren't sold separately.  It is a drag, let me tell you.  I copied the music into my computer yesterday so all i have to do it burn them on to a CD which I bought today.  I had a coupon for $10 off!  yeah!  So I got 40 CDs for about $20.  Very good price around here.  Don't know what it is like at your place, but it is a good price for us.  I got extras too so I won't have to go and get any in a long while.  

Mom ate pretty well for breakfast for a change.  She ate both her donut and her muffin and even drank some milk!  Yeah for Mom!  If only she ate like that every day.  It must be hard on her because she isn't really hungry anymore.  I have looked up some info and I guess it is normal at this stage of the game.  I don't really like any of the stages so I can't say I have a favorite, but she is okay between 12 and 5 and more confused before noon and after 5.

I talked briefly to Richard yesterday, he had to go and he was supposed to call me back.  Don't worry, I didn't expect him too.  He rarely does.  It would have been nice if he did though, because I want to know how he is doing.  He doesn't offer info you have to ask him.  I guess the kids are fine, I did ask and he said they are doing well and waiting for summer to arrive.  William will be 9 in a couple of weeks.  I have his birthday cards for him from me and Mom.  We got them when I got the cutest Donald duck in the world.  It is so cute.  He is dressed as a bunny and sings and when you lift him by the ears, he hollers!  It is great.  Aggie wants one just like it, she said so yesterday!

I think I am going to lay down for a while now.  I hope you enjoy your day and that it is warm and sunny!!!

I just finished the two lessons for the day!  I am also cooking the corned beef, cabbage, and red potatoes!  It smells so good.  I snitched a couple of pieces (I cut them into small pieces) of corned beef and a piece of potato.  They tasted good already and made me hungry for dinner.  Too bad it is only 2:15 pm!  Not time for dinner!  Tillie is coming tomorrow for dinner.  I think I will make the pork roast, at least at this point I do.  We shall see what I feel like tomorrow!

Lily and Aggie did really well this week.  Lily finished up a piece and has 2 almost done.  Aggie got 2 new songs for the spring concert.  One is from Little Women and the other from Mary Poppins (the Broadway).  I love both songs, they are so cool.  Aggie seemed to like them a lot too.  

Mom is doing alright today.  She ate a muffin for breakfast is about to have an ensure.  It is almost time for her afternoon snack.  She gets them a couple of times a day depending on how much dinner and breakfast she eats.  We don't eat lunch because we aren't really up in time for breakfast, we usually eat between 11 and noon, so that is our breakfast.  She does real well during lessons, she sits in the living room and listens to the students.  I think she enjoys it.  I don't really know if she does or doesn't, except she doesn't cry during them, so that is why I think she likes them.  We have to go out soon to buy a smoke detector for the upstairs, ours is broken.  Must think safety first!!!!!  Always!  I know Mom won't know what to do with it should it go off, but I do know and that is what counts.

I have a bit of a headache today, not a super bad one, but a bit bad, a little bit more than the usual one.  It's been about 6 years since i didn't have a headache.  I don't remember what it was like.  Kinda strange to think about.  A head that doesn't hurt.  What a phenomenon!  I try not to think about what could be, what could have been, and what was, because there is no point and it makes me sad.  It's like with Mom, why dwell on the past when she could do stuff that she can't do know.  It does no good.  

On to better topics.  It is so beautiful out today!!!!!!!!!  Sunshine and 50 degrees!  What a beautiful combination for March 6.  I am happy about it that is for sure.

I talked to Richard (the older brother) today!  Yeah!  I just simply adore my older brother.  I miss him so much.  Actually, I miss both of my brothers, but at least I got to see the younger one at Christmas time.  I hope to fly out this summer to see Richard and his family.  He has two kids who are simply awesome.  We shall see what summer brings.

Well, I hope your day is going good and that the sun is out where you are!!!