Hi A!

It's been a fun week. If fun means sort of insane and everything a bit chaotic.

But at the moment, I'm worried. Things are going well.

Crap.

It's like you always said when things get like this: Oh Holy Crap, something really bad is going to happen.

Fingers crossed, I'll just rest assured somehing is about to go terribly wrong so I can relax a little. I just won't get comfortable.

Like I said, it's been interesting. Dad has helped so many people, and been so generous for so long, now that he's retiring and will be running a negative balance for a while until the house sells, it's his turn to be on the accepting end. It's really sad to me that after everything he's given everyone over the years that people aren't banging down his door to help him out. But he never gave anything to any one expecting anything in return. He's just not wired that way. I guess that's not news to you.

Even after the house is sold, he will have to find another way to be generous with folks. He'll be living on less than a public school teacher makes for the rest of his life (or until his folk singing career kicks in!!). That will include all his medical costs, including any long term or critical care, if he ever gets to that. That will be an adjustment for him. Not that he's a big spender, but he is accoustomed to being generous. So he can be generous with his time, and with his wisdom. But as of now, the First Bank of Norman is closed for business.

It's not a great situation. It's honestly a really sucky situation.

I am helping him to sell off everything in the house that he doesn't want to bring down here. Every cent will help, and it will help him. And he deserves that. Bless his heart Adri. You've left him in a mess.

You had your hands full. And I guess so do I now.

Somehow I suspect that you are sitting some where, wringing you hands over all of this, and shaking your head. And somehow I also suspect you are having to stiffle a giggle, with a little mischevious gleam in your eye, enjoying the absurdity of the situation.

Thanks a whole F***ing lot, A!

And on a slightly brighter note, today Dad called me. He was going through your cookbook collection. He didn't want to divide it up and was in awe of how extensive a collection you accumulated. We talked about it a bit. He's decided to keep them and learn how to cook. Or at least play with the option, sort of like edible chemistry. So, I guess it is a good thing you bought those book shelves at Ikea on the way back from Pittsburgh afterall, huh?

I head off to Istanbul next week. It's all work, no play. I may get out to the bazzare, or Blue Mosque (oh don't gasp, it's truly gorgeous), or maybe the Cistern, where the Romans build a water reservior underground. It's incrediblely scerene.

The building that houses the organisation we're meeting with is actually the Sultan's Harem's palace. I've been there before, and it is so fascinating. And extraordinairily well built, earth quake proofed and everything.

Martin, our groovy consulting partner, will be there too. And he's a delight to hang out with. So I think it will be good. And then to Cleveland. Tom and Sam are both coming in to help shovel the hovel (Yes, I do mean your house), and get things ready for the Norman Matthews fund raiser and estate liquidation sale.

And then we get to bring Dad, and the dogs, down here. I'm really looking forward to having him with us. He is too. And he's looking forward to being retired. Maybe he and James will become the family chefs?
(YEAH RRRRRRIGHT!!)

But still, I'll be glad once he's here.

Before that, I need to do a bunch.

Oh, by the way, I sorted out ALL of your knitting. I found so many half finished and barely started sweaters. It has made me appreciate two things. One, you are a talented knitter, and two, good LORD Woman, you liked to buy you some yarn!! I guess it will keep me busy for years. Too bad I can't take knitting needles on air planes.

Also, it was touching, I found the sweater you had started for Marjorie before she died. The only way I knew it was hers was you left the pattern and the yarn with it, and had writen "Marjorie, July, 1985" on it. And of course, it was the ONE of about half a dozen sweaters you had the pattern and who it was for labelled.

I guess we'll find lots of things like that. Traces of you left behind.

Hopefully, like those of us you left behind, we can find a way to feel you with us, and the warmth and laughter and strength that you always shared.

Damn, I wish you were here to help me with all this. I really miss you Adri.

thank you for everything.

I love you.

Kissy Kissy,

The Wicked Stepdaughter

Hi A! Okay, it's been a while. As I suspect you know, I've been busy as a bee (okay swamped as shit) in the last few weeks. First there has been the whole getting our house ready for Dad and the dogs to move in. We took up the carpets. It was wall to wall and the original from the time the house was built about 15 years ago. To use a term....EEEEEEEEWWWWWW!!!!

We took it down to the ply wood sub floors.

We have dogs, the original owners had dogs, and the folks who rented it from us also has a couple of 'em.

The dust was incredible and we all got sinus crud from it. But I'm glad we did it. It REALLY needed to happen.

Since YOUR dogs aren't well house trained (or rather AREN'T) we decided to seal the floors with a stain and odor blocking primer, and then paint the floors with porch paint. And yes, the color actually is very close to red Georgia clay. I mean, really, why fight it?

It's not quite so red dry, but it actually works out fairly well. It took FOREVER to dry so we actually spent Labor Day watching paint dry. It was pretty funny and we still have to finish it. But now that it's almost done, I'm really glad we decided to do it.

We actually plan to put in hard wood floors, but I figure for now this is the best solution. The only thing is that the dogs nails make it sound like we're popping popcorn all the time. By the time we add 8 more paws it will be quite a racket. And we'll put washable rugs down. No, No tile A. My feet just can't stand it. Wood. But not for a while.

The next weekend James and I flew up to Cleveland to see Dad and help figure some things out with him. I think it went well. We got to see Nik and Jer and Melva and of course Dad. Then we drove down to Cincinnati for the stone setting non-ceremony. It was good to see Mike and Caryn and her crew. We handed off some of the stuff from the house, the afghan you (and I) made Mike and the wooden birds.

Followed by a trip to Grater's, we were all treated by Mike! (Thanks Mike!!)

Then in an incredible feat of endurance, James and I drove down to Athens in the Buick.

I bought the Buick from Dad for $1000, and I must admit it's sort of a land yacht, but drives well. And I know Dad appreciated the cash.

We know you, Adri, are possessing the stereo, but James and I got a kick out of how you'd make the stereo play polka music whenever you wanted us to change the topic of a conversation, or to know you were thinking of us. It was especially funny when we asked if you were possessing the stereo and said if the answer was yes to turn it back on by the time we counted to five. 1...2....3....4....5. (Oom-pa-pa! Oom-pa-pa!) Funny A.

So we're back. The Drive took 17 hours total, and we were snackered the next day. But we did a great job of getting James driving time for his temps. Only another 10 hours to go!! James did a great job driving and I enjoyed getting to spend time with him. I never dreamed I'd hear the words: Mom, let's talk! come out of his mouth like that!! It was great!! Thanks for the stereo bit.

My travel schedule is a bit shifty. A meeting in the Kura was postponed which worked out well. I've got enough other project work to keep me busy. I go to Istanbul for the Black Sea project 26 Sept - 7 Oct. Then I fly into Cleveland. We'll do an estate liquidation sale and get Dad and the dogs moved down here 15 October. I'll write more on that soon, but for the moment, I need to crash.

Realizing how much I've been doing has made me recognize how tired I am.

I will catch up with you soon.

I miss you Adri. I think we all really do. Thanks so much for taking such good care of Dad for all those years. I can't thank you enough and I am so excited he'll be down here with us. Tonight as we watched some silly movie (Hot Shots part Deux) I realized how much like him I am. And we are looking forward to welcoming him into our home and our family. It's a great gift to us. Thanks A!

Miss you, love you,

Kissy Kissy!!