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Greetings All

Here at my house we have truly reached the end of an era. My Mitsubishi built, 1976 Dodge Colt (along with it's supporting parts car) has rolled out of my life, and all I'm left with (in addition to the 385,000 miles worth of memories) is a greasy and somewhat dog-eared shop repair manual. As long as I can remember, I have had a soft spot for old machinery, and it was hard to let it go. I suspect that most (if not all) of my children learned the throttle/clutch/brake dance routine in that vehicle. It has been a true and faithful friend that has served us well. But, as Yzma so aptly phrased it, "Well, (s)he ain't getting any deader."

On Christmas day, AJ made his biannual phone call home. After no small degree of hassle (including a $14.40 Express Mail Letter and a rule bending phone call from a "Good Samaritan" church member in Monroe Washington) I arranged to have him call at 1100 am. That seemed to me to be a reasonable time, just before the noon meal. Apparently we had a failure to communicate, as when the phone rang, only Barbara and I were here. Mylinda and Zeke arrived shortly thereafter, and that was the sum of the people with whom AJ got to speak. I suspect he was just a bit disappointed...

At any rate, Sabrina, Braxton, and Cub arrived about 3 pm that afternoon, and Barbara again got to interact with her "favorite" grandchild (favorite in this usage is defined as: The one that is currently visiting.).

I get the feeling that Sabrina (while somewhat inconveniented) is quite pleased with her daughter. She is also enamored with the fact that Cub prefers her (Sabrina) over other relatives. While that attention is flattering, I suspect it might get a little old in the not too distant future.

Zeke and Mylinda stayed with us two nights. Zeke is sporting newly sprouted facial foliage that I found quite esthetically pleasing. I, at one time (before I discovered that beards were uncomfortable), wanted one of that style. Unfortunately, my face wasn't hairy in the right places.

Sabrina managed to pull off a spectacular faux pas. Saturday, December 30, several members of the ward gave a baby shower in her honor, and while she was indeed honored, she forgot about it and failed to attend. The good news is that the shower was given for two people (Sabrina and Katrina [formerly Ellis]) and Katrina managed to make it there on time so there was still a party. The bad news is that I will have to wear a bag over my head at church so people wouldn't recognize me until they have forgotten the incident (and some of those old ladies have long memories...). As of this date (1-10-07) Sabrina still hasn't come out to the house to collect her loot.

I prefer to live in a rural environment. When I moved to Oracle in 1982, I selected a house that was rather isolated. Growth (not unlike cancer) has overtaken me, and six new houses have sprung up to clutter my skyline. Still, we are still rural enough to occasionally get strays like this one wandering into our yard...

And speaking of rural environments, here is a mystery. Something moved the washing machine that sits on the back porch about 14 inches, then chewed holes in both the water supply lines and the drain line. The supply lines yielded not readily interpretable clues, but the punctures in the drain line suggested conical canine teeth spaced about 1.25 inches apart. The beast that immediately comes to mind is the javalina. But what would get them excited enough to move a washing machine (that isn't exactly light) and then chew the hoses remains unknown. Any ideas?

At any rate, on Saturday, I undertook to rectify the situation (and do my weekly wash). The first stop was to check the rabbit house to see if I could locate the drain hose salvaged off our last washer. That shed had become the dumping ground for our resident re-arraigner, such that any point more than three feet from the door was inaccessible. So... I dragged some of the latest additions out, re-stacked much material (including the stuff I had dragged out), and then, after all that effort, was unable to find the desired drain hose. So, I bicycled to San Manuel and purchased the necessary pieces, and (after waiting for BJH [who picked me up there] to purchase 10% of what was left in the dollar store) I was at last able to procure clean clothing.

Inez Gardner (my fathers older sister) died Wednesday December 27, in Mesa, and January 6, I attended her funeral in Woodruff. Aunt Inez was married to Melvin Gardner, the Patriarch who gave the twins their blessing. About six months ago I picked up a fossil for my brother Mark. I didn't make it to Woodruff on that trip, and said fossil has been setting at Nathen's ever since. After the funeral, I finally delivered it to Mark. He wasn't actually home, but I did get to visit with his wife Susan for a few minutes. Barbara was planning on making the trip with me, but became ill just as we were leaving, so I ended up baby sitting grandchildren for her. Some of them work at being cute...

... and others use different means to express their frustrations with not getting their way. My camera didn't quite capture it, but the tee shirt says, "Would this face lie?"

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