I AM HOME!

I AM HOME AGAIN, AND SO VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE. I SUPPOSE THAT I AM GETTING OLD, AS I REALLY WANT TO STAY CLOSE TO HOME THESE DAYS. THERE IS SO MUCH TO TELL YOU, IT WILL TAKE A COUPLE OF DAYS, BUT THEN I LOVE TO WRITE SO I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO IT!
WHEN LAST I WROTE, I HAD BEEN SWARMED BY BEES AND INSULTED BY A HIPPOPOTAMUS. I SPENT SATURDAY NIGHT OUT IN THE COUNTRY AND ENJOYED A WHILE OF WONDERFUL NATURE. OUR HOSTESS TOOK SISSY AND I ON A TOUR OF HER PROPERTY WHICH INCLUDED A LOVELY MEADOW WITH A TUMBLING CREEK RUNNING THROUGH IT. UNFORTUNATLY, IT HAS BEEN SO VERY DRY, AND THE CREEK HAD NO WATER IN IT. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE MEADOW ONCE HOSTED AN INDIAN TRIBE, CHEROKEE I THINK. I CLEARED MY BUSY MIND TO APPRECIATE THE FEELING OF PURE NATURE, AND FOR A MOMENT I THOUGHT I COULD FEEL THE INDIANS AND THEIR LIVES THERE. I WONDER IF IT IS POSSIBLE TO ACTUALLY FEEL THE PAST- EVEN IF IT IS IN YOUR MIND, IT IS A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE. SHE THEN TOOK US TO THE HISTORIC DOWNTOWN AREA OF THE LITTLE TOWN NEARBY, WHICH IS JOHNSON CITY, NAMED AFTER THE FATHER OF PRESIDENT LYNDON B JOHNSON. WE PASSED A BUILDING THAT WAS ONCE THE ONLY HOSPITAL FOR MANY MILES AROUND- IT LOOKED LIKE A VICTORIAN HOUSE- WHEN A FUNNY FEELING CAME OVER ME. I ASKED IF ANYONE HAD EVER MENTIONED THAT THE PLACE WAS HAUNTED, AND WITH SURPRISE, OUR FRIEND TOLD ME THAT YES, IT WAS CONSIDERED HAUNTED. SHE WANTED TO KNOW HOW I KNEW THAT, BUT I TOLD HER I JUST HAD A FEELING. WE RETURNED TO HER HOME, THE TIME SOON CAME TO DEPART FOR EL PASO, AND I SADLY LEFT THAT WONDERFUL PLACE. WE TRAVELED TOWARDS EL PASO ON A BACK ROAD, AND EVERY FEW MILES OR SO, PASSED FRUIT STANDS. THE PRODUCE WAS LOCALLY GROWN AND OFFERED PEACHES, TOMATOES, WATERMELON, CANTALOUPS AND OTHER YUMMIES. FINALLY I ASKED SISSY TO STOP AT THE NEXT ONE THAT WAS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD SO THAT WE WOULD NOT HAVE TO TURN AROUND AFTER WE MADE A PURCHASE. WOULDN'T YOU KNOW IT? EVERY SINGLE FRUIT STAND FROM THERE ON OUT WAS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD! JUST ABOUT THE TIME WE DECIDED TO JUST CROSS TO THE LEFT SIDE, WE FOUND OURSELVES AT THE INTERSTATE LEADING TO EL PASO. SHOOT. I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE HAD SOME OF THOSE WONDERFUL PEACHES. WE DROVE ALL DAY AND STOPPED FOR ONLY SHORT PERIODS TO POTTY. WE ATE OUR FOOD ON THE RUN, AND THE BOYS WATCHED MOVIES ALL THE WAY. WE MADE EXCELLENT TIME AND ARRIVED IN EL PASO ABOUT AN HOUR AFTER AARON AND HIS FAMILY RETURNED FROM THEIR VACATION IN PHOENIX. THE CHILDREN HAD A NOISY AND RAPTUROUS REUNION- THEY JUST PICKED UP WHERE THEY LEFT OFF LAST CHRISTMAS. SQUEALING AND RUNNING UP AND DOWN THE STAIRS, THEY WERE ECSTATIC AT BEING TOGETHER AGAIN. AFTER MY LOVING, SQUEEZING, KISSING, AND HUGGING WELCOME, THE INEVITABLE QUESTION AROSE: "DID YOU BRING A PRESENT FOR ME?" NOW, AS A CHILD, THE VERY BEST PART OF MY GRANDMA COMING TO VISIT WAS THE MOMENT THAT SHE WENT DIGGING THROUGH HER LUGGAGE AND FOUND THE PRESENT SHE COULD BE COUNTED ON TO BRING. HOW FUN FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO DO THE SAME THING! THE GIFTS WERE DISTRIBUTED: A GAME FOR BEN, A BARBIE CAMERA FOR ALEX AND I FORGOT WHAT I BROUGHT FOR THE BABY. 4 YEAR-OLD ALEX RAN TO HER MOTHER AND SQUEALED, "LOOK MAMA, JUST WHAT I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED! A FAKE CAMERA!" TOO FUNNY, RIGHT? I HAD BOUGHT STUFF WITH ELI AND JACOB AT SEAWORLD, AND THEY UNDERSTOOD WHY I DIDN'T HAVE OTHER GIFTS FOR THEM AT THAT TIME. IT WAS LATE, AND WE WERE TIRED, BUT ALL OF US WENT TO BED HAPPY AND GLAD TO BE TOGETHER. THE NEXT DAY WE WENT TO THE ARMY BASE TO SHOP, AND I FOUND MYSELF IN THE CLEARANCE SECTION FOR KIDS CLOTHES. CAN'T PASS UP CLEARANCE, SO I ONCE AGAIN FOUND SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE. (I JUSTIFIED THIS BY NOT HAVING TO PAY FOR A HOTEL WHILE WE WERE IN EL PASO). OKAY, I JUST WANTED TO BUY CUTE THINGS FOR MY GRANDCHILDREN. THE WEATHER WAS FABULOUS, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS OVER 100 DEGREES, IT WAS SO DRY THAT YOU DID NOT REALLY FEEL THE HEAT. THERE WERE NO MOSQUITOES, SO WE COULD SIT OUT AT NIGHT AND WATCH THE CHILDREN PLAY. HEAVEN ON EARTH. BUT, I MISSED MY SWEETIE, AND IF I HAD KNOWN THAT HE WAS SPENDING HIS DAYS AND EVENINGS LAYING IN HIS RECLINER IN HIS UNDERWEAR, EATING ICE CREAM (AND SHARING WITH ROCKY) AND WATCHING TV, I WOULD NOT HAVE FELT SO BAD ABOUT LEAVING HIM. HE WAS VERY PATIENT WHEN HE TOLD ME THAT SOME BOXES FROM EBAY SELLERS ARRIVED, (COOKIE JARS?) AND REMINDED ME TO HAVE A GOOD TIME. WELL, MORE TOMORROW, THANKS FOR BEING THERE FOR ME! LOVE, NANASEE