Well, Jon and I have finally hit our 2'd childhood with a vengence ! We figured a heart attack and failing eyesight wasn't enough so we decided to go completely bonkers and get a couple of quads....there it's out!! We went to a quad place after church a couple of weeks ago, "just to take a look" and came out strapped to more horse power than I ever intended to get on top of in my entire lifetime. It is sort of a blur how it all came about. We walked into this store that smelled of new rubber and gasoline. It was teaming with hoards of men and boys strolling around with drool on their chins , stroking fenders and sitting on leather saddle seats with dazed hipnotic expressions on their faces. I turned to look at Jon and...Oh my goodness...he was drooling too.
At the same moment we were approached by a high pressure salesman ( who didn't look a day over 16) who made us ( Jon) an offer we(Jon) couldn't refuse ....and wa la we are the proud owners of a Scrambler 500 and a Sawtooth 200. Jon's has the big number. 200 was enough for me. We live right across the street from the Estrella Sierra Mountain Preserve with thousands of acres of trails, and mines ,and washes ( and rattlesnakes, and gila monsters, and scorpions) just waiting to be explored. I must admit. It is fun. We got them street liscenced so we can just drive them out of the garage and into the mountains. Today we found a canyon and a trail that we think might go to an old mine. We went up pretty high and when we turned around we could see the whole village below us. I would like to go up there and camp some time. It was so quiet and pretty. I guess it turned out to be a good idea after all. I now feel like a real AZ. cowgirl only my stead guzzles gas instead of oats and there are no horse apples in our driveway!!

During the week that Ken passed away we all did a lot of eating out. It was Mom's 86 th birthday also so that figured in too with everything that was going on. I had to post Tabitha's handeling of the whole boring , eating out thing. When you don't communicate well, can't undersand where the food is coming from, and why is it taking so long? Tabitha proved that there are at least 4 things you can do with a napkin when grown-ups have basically told you to be quiet and sit still.

1) Slip on a shawl ( restaurants are so-o-o-o chilly)

2) Play peek-a-boo

3) Create an umbrella ( in case the sprinklers should go off)

4) Make a burka.

I spoke too soon when I said that mom was doing so good. I think yesterday it finally hit her that Ken was gone and she cried all day and basically wore herself out. Today I took her to lunch and the beauty shop and she kept falling asleep in the car and in the chair in the salone ( don't think I spelled that right. I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea that we were bellied up to some bar somewhere and were passing out from over imbibing...besides I was the designated driver by default and anything stronger than a diet coke was totally out). After she got fluffed and puffed by Christy she perked up a little and when I brought her home and she saw her girlfriends eating supper ( at 3 pm) in the dinningroom she decided to hop into her electric chair ( not to be confused with the one in San Quinton) and joined them. I left at this point and called her at around 7 PM and she sounded much better. She had had a nap and was waiting for Mario, her right hand man, to come and help her with her mail and he is helping her set up a budget to live on now that her money supply has been greatly reduced. It's a good thing he is helping her . If it was me she would be in real trouble. I thought a "budget" was some kind of parakeet. Mario was one of Ken's caregivers and mom likes him so much. I do too. He is so nice and a real help to mom so we asked him to stay on as her helper a couple of times a week and he is. He cleaned out Kens things and has rearranged the furniture for her, he puts her laundry and groceries away and does a lot of other things too. It helps me too. I can't get over there except once a week so what he does is much appreciated.

What else is new...Brian got suspended from work for a week without pay last week because he didn't show up for work and didn't call anyone. They were PO'd to say the least. So he went skateboarding that night and fell and broke his arm....Oh, and he's "in love" with a cute little Italian girl named Ashley. She was born in Sicily and is the only girl with all brothers. I hate to think of what will happen to his other arm if he messes up and offends that family somehow.
I hope he knows the meaning of the word"vendetta". She is only 20 and can't go into bars so that has cramped his drinking style somewhat. He took a picture of her on his cell phone to show me . She is very petite, long black hair, pretty and was holding something up. I squinted at the tiny little screen to see what is was and noticed that it was the middle finger of her right hand . She was flipping the perverbial bird!!( nice picture). Maybe he won't have to watch out for her brothers after all. She looked like she could handle a vendetta all by herself. Jon and I both told him to be vewy, vewy careful!....Like he will listen.

I am having my other cataract operated on Nov. 1. Would appreciate your prayers.I'm hoping for a new crystal clear lens that focuses well with the other one,and a Dr. who is having an incredibly good day and steady hands.(A grade A ,award winning anesthesiologist would be nice too). I hope that's not asking too much. All kidding aside...I do covet your prayers. I am actually looking forward to this surgery because the other one went so well. Afterword, I may be able to go without glasses except for reading. I sure hope so. Now if they could only find a way to get rid of my glaucoma...that would also be nice...maybe someday.Well....I guess that's it for now. I think I better go change the cat box. The perfume I have been smelling while writting this is definitaly not from "Glade".