STILL ON VACATION!

WELL, I AM SORT OF BACK, AT LEAST I AM HOME, BUT I AM STILL ON VACATION AS I AM NOT GOING TO KEEP THE BOYS FOR AWHILE. MARTIN WILL USE THE HIATUS TIME TO FINISH THE HOUSE. IT IS AMAZING HOW MANY DISRUPTIONS YOU CAN HAVE AND NOT EVEN KNOW IT. IT WILL SOON BE A YEAR AND WE ARE STILL NOT QUITE THROUGH. IT TOOK FOREVER TO GET OUR INSURANCE CLAIM SETTLED, THEN BOBBIE JO WAS SO ILL, AND THEN WE GOT STARTED, BUT MARTIN WON'T GET HELP, (I DON'T WANT TO PUSH), HE FEELS THAT HE CAN DO IT BY HIMSELF. SO, I ASKED HIM TO GET GOING SO THAT I CAN FEEL COMPLETE. HE IS GOING TO FINISH AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, MY NERVES ARE BECOMING FRAYED MORE AND MORE EACH TIME I HAVE TO WALK THROUGH A LIVING ROOM PILED HIGH WITH FURNITURE, AND A DINING ROOM FILLED WITH BUILDING MATERIALS. OKAY, I AM GOING TO STOP WHINING, I AM BETTER THAN THIS!
WE HAD A LOT OF FUN WHILE WE WERE GONE. WE WENT TO LOUISIANA, SPENT A DAY AND A HALF THERE AND THEN DROVE TO CANTON TEXAS WHERE THERE IS A HUGE, (AND I DO MEAN HUGE) FLEA MARKET THE FIRST OF EACH MONTH. IT IS SO BIG THAT MARTIN AND I SPLURGED AND RENTED SCOOTERS, (OLD PEOPLE CARTS) TO DRIVE AROUND. GOOD THING TOO, IT WAS SO HOT AND PROBABLY 15 ACRES OF FLEA MARKET TO COVER. WE FOUND SOME WONDERFUL GOODIES TOO. FIRST, WE FOUND THE PERFECT MANTLE CLOCK TO GO ON THE NEW FIREPLACE MANTLE. DOING SOME RESEARCH, I FOUND THAT IT IS A WESTMINSTER CHIME CLOCK MADE BY, UH, WELL, I FORGOT HIS NAME, BUT IT IS A REALLY NICE ANTIQUE CLOCK. IT WAS ONLY 50.00! THEN, WE BOUGHT A LARGE TEXAS STAR TO GO ON THE PATIO WALL OUTSIDE BETWEEN THE IRON ROCKING CHAIRS. AFTER THAT, WE FOUND A GREAT PATIO BISTRO SET, MADE OF WOOD, SO NICE, WITH LOTS OF FANNY ROOM AND BAR HEIGHT. SPEEDING PAST ANOTHER BOOTH, MARTIN SAW A GRANDFATHER CLOCK THAT TURNED OUT TO BE JUST THE HOUSING OF A GRANDFATHER CLOCK. IT WAS ONLY 20.00, AND NOW MARTIN IS GOING TO GET THE MOVEMENT TO MAKE IT INTO A GRANDFATHER CLOCK. (GOSH, DOESN'T HE HAVE ENOUGH TO DO?) SOMEHOW, HE BALANCED THAT HUGE THING ON HIS SCOOTER, HOLDING ON TO IT, AND RACED BACK TO WHERE WE COULD STORE IT UNTIL WE FINISHED SHOPPING. EVERYONE WAS STARING AND POINTING AS HE SPED BY, AND ALL I COULD DO IS JUST LAUGH. I TOOK A PICTURE OF HIM AND HIS CLOCK, IT IS SOMETHING I WILL ALWAYS TREASURE, AS IT IS THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF MARTIN INGENUITY! FINALLY, WE FOUND A CAST IRON LONG HORN BELL THAT LOOKS LIKE THE HEAD OF A LONG HORN STEER AND HAD A BELL RINGER, SORT OF LIKE A DINNER BELL ON THE COW RANGE! THAT WILL BE OUR NEW BACK DOOR BELL. WE HAD BAKED POTATOES ON A PATIO TABLE IN THE MIDDLE OF EVERYTHING, AND REALLY HAD AN ANNIVERSARY TO REMEMBER. OH! I FORGOT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING! MARTIN BOUGHT ME A COOKIE JAR! AFTER HE CRABBED AT ME TO STOP BUYING THEM, HE GOES AND BUYS ONE FOR ME HIMSELF! IT IS A GINGERBREAD BOY. SOMETIMES THAT MAN IS ALL BARK AND NO BITE. WE FINALLY DECIDED THAT WE HAD HAD ALL THE FUN WE COULD STAND, AND DROVE HOME THROUGH THE TEXAS COUNTRYSIDE. IT WAS WONDERFUL, THE CHURCHES, THE HOUSES, THE CATTLE AND STORES. WE ATE CHEETOES AND DRANK SODA, TOLD JOKES AND SHARED MEMORIES. WHILE WE WERE TRAVELING, I DEVELOPED A SORE THROAT AND MISSED CHURCH TODAY. I GUESS I AM VERY TIRED OF DRIVING, BUT WE DID HAVE SO MUCH FUN. SO, STARTING MONDAY MORNING, WE ARE GOING TO EXPIDITE THE HOUSE REPAIRS SO THAT WE CAN HAVE OUR HOME BACK IN ONE PIECE AGAIN. I CAN'T WAIT. I AM TRYING TO BE PATIENT, BUT IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME. WE HAD THOUGHT TO GO TO EL PASO TO SEE AARON AND THE FAMILY,AND THEN ON TO OAKLAND TO SEE OUR OTHER FAMILY, BUT I REALLY AM NOT UP TO ANOTHER LONG DRIVE RIGHT NOW. SO, I AM GOING TO STAY HERE WITH MY HONEY, DO "GOFER"THINGS FOR HIM, COOK NICE MEALS FOR US, AND PLAY WITH ROCKY AND LUCKY. I REALIZE THAT I HAVE GOTTEN AWAY FROM OUR LOVE STORY FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW, AND I WILL TRY TO GET BACK TO IT. IT IS JUST THAT IN THE LAST 10 YEARS, SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED AND YET SO MUCH IS THE SAME. SUFFICE IT TO SAY FOR NOW, THAT WE HAVE CELEBRATED 37 YEARS TOGETHER, THOSE TWO YOUNG KIDS WHO MARRIED SO QUICKLY AND STRUGGLED SO VERY MUCH-I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR THE STRUGGLES, THE JOYS,THE AFFLUENCE AND THE BLESSINGS. I FEEL THAT I WILL HAVE GOOD NEWS SOON, I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WILL BE. (YOU KNOW THAT FEELING WHEN SOMETHING REALLY SPECIAL IS GOING TO HAPPEN?) ANYWAY, UNTIL TOMORROW, LOVE, NANASEE