It's been some time since my last post and some real happenings around here. The leaves are beginning to turn but the weather has stayed like summer. I guess it's Indian summer. Pete called on Saturday and said winter and snow have arrived in Idaho so cold weather here in Missouri can't be far behind.

Shirley had her other shoulder 'fixed' a couple of weeks ago. Although she says it hasn't been quite so painful as the right should which she had repaired a year ago. She has and is still going through a lot of misery. Her arm is still in a sling and she has very little use of it. She won't start therapy until after her next doctor's visit which is not for several weeks so she's looking at some time before full use of that arm.

I went over to Scott AFB with Margaret and Norman one day last week to buy groceries at the commissary. They make this trip about once a month to take advantage of the prices there. The commissary is a huge place with lots of aisles and lots of people and long checkouts lines. Norman is not known for his patient nature. It seemed to me that Margaret wasn't hurrying at all which I didn't think was wise. Norm wandered around, chose a few things to put in Margaret's cart, and did not appear to be the least bit impatient. I figured we would hear about our lollygagging around and taking our time and wasting his time all the way home. This did not happen. He was in a wonderful mood. We stopped and had lunch. I've known Norm for over 50 years and maybe I'm the one who had him figured all wrong. He's going to have his 80th birthday on Halloween Eve but has not aged much since I've known him.

This was guys weekend at the lake house. Scott brought Brayden by here on Thursday evening for us to keep for the weekend. Jalen didn't want to come, much to our disappointment. He stayed in Louisville with his other grandmother. The guys headed for the lake. At one point I think there were 10 of them there.

I've got to quit calling them 'the boys' since they are now almost middle-aged men. Several of them arrived on Thursday night and things were fine. When they got up on Friday morning, they had no water!! There are three houses on the well but neither of our two sharing neighbors was there. With 10 guys there and no running water, it could have been catastropic! One of the other neighbors gave them the name of a company to call and they were there in no time. The well needed a new pump and, though it was quite expensive, they had it fixed within a few hours. This was quite a relief to the guys AND to me.

The guys' weekend entertainment consisted of playing cards, playing video games, watching television, sleeping, and eating and drinking all weekend. A few of them fished. Most of what they ate was either deep fried or barbequed. Their vegetables consisted of onion rings and potato skins. Except for eggs at breakfast time, I think meat was mostly what they ate for their main courses. The onion rings and potato skins were appetizers. I think Scott was in charge of breakfast and Maddog was the deep fryer. I could be wrong. I don't want to slight anyone.

Sleeping arrangements were more or less haphazard as I understand. There were 10 or 11 guys one night and they slept where ever, first come first served. I understand that Derrington slept on the swimdock one night. The guys figured that if he rolled off that the cold water would wake him up. I understand that they either didn't know he was there or else didn't worry about him. They all survived. Goldman dropped Scott here at Rose and Shirley's on Sunday to pick up Brayden and the Saturn. Scott did not look like he felt too well. He looked a bit worse for the wear and tear. We haven't heard from him since he and Brayden left late yesterday afternoon.

Rose, Shirley, and I got to keep Brayden for the weekend. We had a great time. Rose had a class on Thursday evening so Shirley and I entertained him. Or, should I say, he entertained us. Brayden and I bonded Friday evening and all day Saturday while Rose and Shirley attended a workshop. He and I did lots of walking in the subdivision and made friends with four different dogs. I've been trying to exercise an hour to two hours daily, and he certainly kept me moving. We walked all over this subdivision several times and I rode the exercise bicycle miles while he journeyed on the treadmill. Rose and I took Brayden to Build-a-Bear store Saturday evening. She and I decided it's just a front to sucker Great Aunts and Grandmothers in. It worked! There some some items Brayden wanted that we couldn't say NO to. We came home with a fashionably dressed dog, a dog house, and a birth certificate for "Greensleeves."

John and Jana brought Ellie to us to watch on Sunday so they could attend the Rams game (to watch the Rams win). She is a darling little girl and extremely well behaved. She is one while Brayden who is four, and he did his best to show off for her. He did refuse to kiss her though because he says he doesn't "kiss cousins". They are several times removed cousins but he couldn't understand that. He still wouldn't kiss cousins. We three old ladies read book after book to the two of them.

Aunt Rose has a light day today so is getting a bit of rest after a hectic but enjoyable weekend. It's very quiet around here this morning.

Our other contributors are behind on their updates. Let's hear from you.

Rose and Shirley are going to Chicago next Friday for their monthly trip. Chris, Shelly, and I will probably go to the lake for the weekend. Goldman has said he will dog sit if we do go We'll return on Sunday and Chris will drop me at the hospital next Monday morning for my regular IVIG treatment and Rose will pick me up Tuesday on their return from Chicago.

Scott and his boys are going to Florida next Saturday for a short while. He's letting them miss school for a few days for the trip. He doesn't have reservations yet, but Brayden doesn't want to go to the beach or to the ocean because he's heard there are sharks and crabs. I'm not sure where he gets his information.

The neurologist still hasn't called about drilling the holes in my head. He told me he'd let me know in a couple weeks and it was two weeks last Friday. I keep the phone very near and very charged. I'll update when I get further information.