A View from Mel

Well the last couple weeks have been interesting. We got another call from Chris at MCRD saying he was coming home, he had asthma and they were releasing him! So we waited for more info. Finally we were told he was going to Dallas and we would have to meet him there. No big deal, we had little cash for such a trip, but it was fine, any chance to get our baby boy back!

Then the day he was to leave he called from the Greyhound depot in San Diego to tell us he was going to Abilene! Now Dallas is 8 hours away from us, and Abilene is 1.5! We were very happy for the change. The next day he called us from Pecos wondering how far we are from Big Spring� about 70 miles! The bus was going to be there 2 hours sooner than Abilene! So we went to Big Spring and got our boy home! Wednesday he will have been home 1 full week! He has not changed much other than being neater, more polite and more sure of himself. I can not express how good it feels to have him home!

The first day he was home he went and got his TX id, set up a checking and savings account, neutered Skeeter, and bought some things he needed for his room. We had worked to fix it up with what we had on hand but he had some ideas of his own. It was so nice to see him making decisions for his room; I am hoping he gets some posters and such for it as well!

I can say that on a personal level I am not impressed with Marines. I have great respect for the job they do in war, but I have to say I have little respect personally on a one to one level with the ones I have dealt with. I have never been lied to so much by so few in my life. I see no honor in lying about anything. It is over and that is the best part of the whole deal!

I have to say I LOVE these cooler temps! We are getting rain again, and the little oak I got in the mail I hope is going to take for next spring! I really miss trees!

In the last 2 weeks we lost the lawnmower, MJ is going to putter with it and see if he can get it running again. Then the ac went out (just before a week of fall highs between 105 and 107, the house stayed at about 98 with the fans going) and then the dryer quit. We decided not to fix the ac yet, since fall appears to be here we will save up the money for perhaps a newer until next spring, plus perhaps some insulation. We also decided not to mess with the dryer and freecycled it. Our goal is to wire and plumb the shed and move the laundry stuff out there. For now I have a small clothes line on the end of the porch, and hang towels on the backs of chairs!

The extra space in the kitchen allowed me to move the kitchen table in there, I need a smooth place to roll out dough and tortillas and such. That allowed us to move the dining room table into the breakfast nook, and with no leaves in it is it shorter than the kitchen table, so we have more walk around space in there! That enabled us to move a smaller desk into the living room for MJ�s pc stuff, which let me extend the living room more towards the door, AND allows me to open the front door completely so we get better air flow from it!

Then last night we fell asleep listening to the rain, it was so neat, it is nice having one window opening to the front porch, protected from the rain and yet allowing the sounds into the room.

Well I can�t do laundry today, it is so wet! Plus more rain on the way so they say! However there are floors to sweep, cats to tend, and dishes to do, so I must go get busy!

I hope you all have a blessed and happy week!

Hugs

mel