Just a Visit

Dan called from Portland Oregon yesterday. Boy, what a snow storm they are having. Anyway, Dan said an old familiar phrase I used to say in cold weather. "I am frozen to the gilliards." Well, it is below zero here today in Iowa and I am again frozen to the gilliards. I just have Olivia, 5 years old, so we are going to the store in a little while. I have to shovel out the driveway first. As the old hippies used to say, "Fun City!"

Well, ya know, if all fails, Christian Joy calls me from NYC and makes me laugh. Some of her newest dress creations are going to be in England at a museum. The museum is called the Victoria and Albert. Anyway, the museum picked out two dress creations Joy made and have been worn by the famous Karen O. But they want one now that is an original from Christian Joy designs that has never been worn. So Joy explains it so seriously to me on the phone and I am tryin' to keep a straight face. "Mom, it is a dress made out of all kinds of macaroni and pasta.

Oh, mercy! I have wanted some high top black Converse tennis shoes to wear with long cotton skirts for this winter. Christian Joy called me yesterday and told me she had bought me some and was bringing them with her when they come for Thanksgiving. I said, "Oh, you found some." Chrissy says, "Mom, New Yorkers wear these shoes with everything. You can buy them about anywhere in NYC." Well, I can't wait to get mine. I don't shop. And if I can't find them at the Salvation Army, then in my world no one sells 'em.

Dear Mothers,

Well, my dear David, age 26, gets out of jail tomorrow. He got picked up for driving without his license about three times. He got 10 days in the county jail. He got to go to work, though, because he has to pay for his stay there. It ain't like it's the Ritz Hotel or something.

Dear Mothers,

Talked to Danny yesterday afternoon and he was getting ready to go to Oregon. He was staying with Christiane Joy the day before he left. He says, "Mom, Chrissy told Jason that they can't have any babies until he learns to turn out the lights and she has a compost pile."

Well, I was tellin' Aunt Toot that I needed someone to show me how to get gas at the filling station? So Aunt T. and Jerry was to be in the area to go see Toot's daughter. So they stopped here first to help me learn to get gas for the car?

Dear Mothers,

I just had the family here for dinner. We had a few birthdays to celebrate. Also John and Christine and Romeo are moving back to Missouri. So we wanted to all get together for a last visit. They will be back for Thanksgiving. We had a lot of fun and my mom came, too. We had potato soup and burritos and a salad. Later we had ice cream and cake.

Dear Mothers of the Hearth,

Oh, I had a jolly time last evening. I had John and Christine and Romeo Paul, age 4, over for supper. As I was preparing for supper, the neighbor children came over with a measuring cup asking to borrow a cup of flour. "Something smells good." Cole, age 13, and his sister Abby, 6, visit a bit and look around to see if I have changed anything since they were here last. I told them that was chili they smelled and cornbread and homemade popcorn. I made a pot of coffee, too, and we also had iced tea with fresh mint in it from my garden.

Dear Warriors for Christ,

Wow, ain't life grand! I was prayin' this morning. Oh no, look out! Phillipa from England has been sending out flares all morning, "Somebody HELLLLP!" I was under the tent with one bullet in my gun, wondering if I had enough nerve to write this morning. Or if I should pray for another bullet or what? One thing the devil loves to do to ya is give you images in your mind of failure.

Dear Mothers,

I wanted to write so I don't get kicked off the group. I am so busy I can hardly read the emails, let alone write. I have a new one year old little baby girl. I have her on the opposite days as I have Olivia Rose, age 8 weeks. So now I have a baby each day and Olivia Jean, age 4, during the day and her sister after school -- she is 8 years old.

I hated to say, too, that my mother has cancer. We found this out last week. She is 84 and they won't be operating. This weighs heavy on me as I am the oldest child. I have two brothers that will help, too.

I will write later.