Dear Kids,
          I’m sitting in the greenhouse, typing my letter. Outside on the utility wire, where my meadowlark used to sit and watch me, there’s a whole line of little birds with light grey bellies. I guess they’re already congregating to get ready for their trip south. It must take them quite a while to round up everybody. Like when we used to go places with our whole family. It was hard getting everybody ready to go, and even harder when it was time to go home, trying to round up everybody. Now it’s simple: Dad and I just get in the car together and go.
          Which we will be doing two weeks from today, when we leave for the family reunion. Sure, we’ll have our camping stuff to get together, and the firewood, too (if there isn’t a ban on campfires) but it will be amazingly simple. So, you young families, don’t lose heart. Someday it will be easy to go places, and your own kids will be struggling with their own kids.
          Oreo is still totally in charge of the cabin (although he can’t go inside) and all the surrounding property. He likes to climb up in the garage attic, and he knocked down a piece of insulation and left it hanging to the floor. I told Dad we needed to pull it all down, because it was full of rodent dropping and nesting materials. When Dad started pulling it down yesterday, he found a petrified rat, still in its nest. I guess Oreo wanted us alerted to the situation. Who knows what else is up there?
          Home Depot is slowly getting going on our cabinets. It has taken them 2 1/2 weeks to measure and sort of draw us a design. Now we have to make some changes, finalize it, and pay them some money, and then maybe the process will really get going. Maybe. You shouldn’t have to tell them that base cabinets need drawers at the top, for utensils and things, should you? Shouldn’t they know that? Or their computers, at least? When I met with the kitchen designer, I was shocked at their out-of-date software. I expected to see a virtual rendering, and even do a virtual walk-though. But their graphics look like something out of the 90's–line drawings that don’t show you very much. I was hoping for more.
          But life is good. We’ll be leaving for church in an hour, and the primary kids are singing pioneer songs in sacrament meeting. I get to play the piano for them. It’s lots of fun. Being this close to pioneer day, I’m naturally going to wear my cowboy boots. I won’t be the only one.
          Lots of love, Mom