I'm back!

Hey guys! I'm back from California! Didja miss me?

WAIT! You say. I didn't even know you were IN California.

Well, that's because I don't usually say on my blog when I'm going to be out of town. Just in case some evil person actually cares enough to read MY blog and wants to come steal my stuff when I'm gone. You know, like my very expensive ... very valuable ... uh ... television that we inherited from Tim's grandmother when she died six years ago? The world's largest paper chain? I dunno. Just the thought of an ill-intentioned stranger violating our space is disturbing. And it happened to a friend a couple weeks ago; his laptop was taken out of his house while he took his kids to piano lessons, for goodness' sake! It would have to be someone who fails to realize that we own three exceedingly alert and vicious guard chickens.

So, yes. We were in California. And yes, we did experience an earthquake, despite my reassuring Caroline ahead of time that chances were very slim. But the rest of the trip was a roaringly good time. It felt like the Lord cherishing us the whole way. We stayed a night and a day in L.A. with my brother Paul and his wife Betty, and he made my mom's recipe of macaroni and cheese for us, which is not to be missed. (I got a mouthwatering salad with grilled scallops, since I am still off gluten.)

They were even so generous as to wait a whole 24 hours to watch the LOST season finale with us. Y'all. My brain is still smoldering from that event. So what exactly was the Incident??? (Among other burning questions with which we will torture ourselves for the next eight months.)

We stayed the rest of the weekend in San Diego with my brother Peter and his wife Phoebe. Both of my brothers and their wives are so amazing that they tolerated, smilingly, a family of five crammed into their small apartments, burning through their groceries, dampening piles of bath towels, and rolling around on their furniture. And my children are no shrinking violets at home, but on the road? Let's just say their voices PROJECT. And the youngest one gets cranky after a couple days of not being able to hang with her chickens and check for eggs five times a day.

The weekend had many highlights for me personally, most of which just involved the rare and precious time to hang out with my family members, all four of whom -- have I mentioned this already? -- are wonderful, wonderful persons, even the ones who think it's uproarious to pass gas loudly in front of my delighted husband and kids. That was even more special than watching the seals sun themselves on the La Jolla beach, or strolling through Balboa Park on a Sunday afternoon, or playing on the Santa Monica beach.



To be continued ...