Sunday, September 4, 2016

Dear Kids,
         The McGettigans are here visiting, and last night we went to the Frontier Days Rodeo. It’s just down the street from us, in the Francis park. It started with skydivers, and that alone was worth our ticket price. A tiny plane circled high overhead, and when the two men dropped out, it didn’t seem like they could land anywhere near the park, but they circled in closer and closer. One of them had smoke trailing, and another one the American flag, while the pa system blasted out "I’m Proud to be an American." They both landed in the arena, one of them exactly in the center. That was the best! Then there was bareback riding, breakaway, saddle bronc, steer wrestling, all the usual rodeo events. The wind blew hard and it got cold, and I left early and walked home. (There’s a lot to be said for living close enough to the rodeo grounds that you can walk home!) McGettigans are talking about moving here to Francis. That would be my dream! We already have four families of kids living nearby, and the McGettigans too?! I can’t imagine how wonderful life would be.
          Guess who’s going to Hawaii! Not Dad and me, but Dad and Allen! It sounded bizarre when Allen first brought it up, but then we thought it all through, and they could have a great time together, plus do all the things I can’t do: an all-night flight, tour busses (the fumes are deadly for me), evening luas, staying in high-rises, museums, Pearl Harbor (well, I could do that, but it wouldn’t be my first choice of sites); there are so many things they could enjoy doing together. Allen’s going to work out the details when he gets home from the Grand Canyon, where he’s off hiking now.
          We’ve been building our back deck, and it’s going really well, but I’m going to have my hand surgery on Tuesday, so I’ll be grounded from projects for three or four weeks after that. The deck won’t be finished, but it will be something fun to come back to when my hand heals. It won’t even hurt me to use a hammer! Life will be even better than now!
          I love you all! Mom