"I Have Measured Out My Life With Coffee Spoons; . . ." T. S. Eliot

For the past 10 days I certainly have done so!

We got home from Florida on Wednesday, and I have been running (either physically or mentally or both!) ever since.

I grew up in a family that keeps the coffee going fresh all day long; and though they aren't quite that bad anymore, it's still common to have your
morning coffee, your afternoon coffee, and sometimes an evening coffee as well. And my sister Maxine, with whom Eler Beth and I stayed while in St. Augustine, carried on that tradition. She uses Maxwell House Lite, and it was the most delicious coffee I've had in ages, better than any expensive brand I've tried lately. Maybe it's her water that makes it so good; whatever it was I drank a lot of it!

I have pictures to show and interesting tidbits to write about, but I'll be back to do that later when I have more time and brain matter to put to it. I will say this -- Eler Beth is an excellent traveling companion. She was a joy on the way down because everything about the trip, everything she saw, was something new and amazing to her, and I wish I could still feel that exuberance and pure joy she felt. I did remember a lot of things about traveling to Florida to visit Maxine when I was a kid, and that was fun having those memories pop into my mind. Above, Eler Beth, with her boogie board, and Maxine heading out to the
beach the last afternoon we were there; Right, taking her board out into the waves; Below, having a blast!

Andrew, on the way down, was just eager to get there. He has called every day since we deposited him in Palm Bay, and he has been having a great time. The friend he is visiting is going to be moving up here next year (if all goes well), so this may be the only chance he has to visit her and her family in Florida, and I think they've made the most of it. Eler Beth was my only companion on the way back home, and she kept me awake and entertained.

Two weekends ago I was so full of grief for our young friends that I forgot my big news. Thomas went out that Friday and bought me a Hyundai Santa Fe! He had looked at one a couple weeks before that he felt was too high, and the dealer wouldn't come down. The one he bought was two years newer and $4,000 cheaper than that one, and it and I have bonded. I drove it to Florida, and it did great. It has great pick up, and the gas mileage wasn't bad. My Honda Accord will now pass to Andrew.

And speaking of our young friends, J and her mother are doing pretty well. They have a big support group of family and friends who are keeping them busy. Andrew talks to J practically every day by phone. The two sisters are doing better, but it is still difficult. The retired couple who have acted as their guardians for so long actually do have temporary guardianship of them, which is what the mother wanted. Andrew talks to or texts one or the other of them about every day too. Their lives are slowly getting back into a routine now.

Thomas cared for all the animals while we were gone, and he did a great job. No one died or disappeared, lol. And I know Eler Beth has already written about Nadia and the new-male-that-doesn't-yet-have-a-name mating. So we expect eggs to be laid within the next two weeks.


We had ordered a fancy hutch for Clark, and it came while we were gone. On Thursday Eler Beth wanted to put it together; I wanted her to wait for Thomas to help her. She convinced me to let her at least get it out of the box to look at and see how hard it was going to be. I told her she could and I went to take a nap. Then she woke me up and begged to be allowed to go ahead and at least start on it. I gave in, and told her to do it in the driveway so she wouldn't lose anything in the grass.

The next thing I knew she was waking me up, telling me she'd put it together. And she had! All by herself! The next day she prepped the ground where we had decided to set it, I helped her lay down some bitty brooder wire and cover it with earth, then we positioned the hutch and wire so that nothing could dig in and 'possum can't dig out. She seems to be very happy with her new home.

I guess that's it for now. Sometime next week I'll be back in a regular routine, and I'll be around to see what everyone has been up to.