rock towers

I got a letter from one of the children I sponsor today. Ntenya is 14, lives with her grandparents and has lost both her mother and father. Sometimes in the excitement of the process of getting ready to leave, I forget why we are going and who we are going to see. It was hard to lose my parents when I was nearly 50, imagine what it would be like at 10 or 12, and to see everyone around you losing their parents too, maybe even having to nurse them through the end. We can't even imagine what they have been through.

On another less somber note, my flowers are starting to bloom and I think I am going to miss the best part of the spring show. Ranunculus are beautiful, I don't know why I never planted them before. I also planted cucumbers, tomatoes and squash this past weekend, and some zinnia seeds in six packs. I hope we don't have any cold snaps to set them back....

I am going to build a rock tower (idea compliments of my old school friend Claudia) to mark the occasion of this trip. Anybody remember Ebenezer stones?

I took a drive with my Weimaraner Athena tonight to get the car washed (there she is taking a nap - her favorite evening activity, her after-dinner-pre-bedtime cookie nap). She loves going anywhere with me and is happiest when she can see me or my sister anywhere near her. A closed door is a challenge.

We take so much for granted. Life is good.