Yep, it’s me…Your habitually late Auntie Lenora. I may be late, but I always love you, I always appreciate you, and I always wish you the bestest week ever from whatever day you start. 😉 (Thomas always started his week on Wednesday because he said he was born on a Wednesday.)

As some of you know, my sister of the heart, Val, lives in Spokane. She and her hubby live in a condo, and her daughter, my niece of the heart, lives in the same complex. They have been evacuated. Twice. And are currently in a hotel a 90-minute drive from their home which, last they heard is still there, but they cannot yet return to. It’s very scary. Since I can’t do anything to physically help, I worry. Hopefully, that takes some of the worry-weight off them.

Oh, and they still have appointments they need to keep, so they have to drive 90 minutes back to Spokane and the office, and 90 minutes back to the motel, through all that smoke, and nightmare. 

This is even less fun that having my identity stolen. And had not my most favoritest Val and favorite daughter, been there for me, I don’t know how I would have made it through that. 

Writing Poetry:

By now, and at my age, one would think I would have run out of tears. I could only hope. The other day, at my Tuesday Poetry Workshop, the poem we read was Blue by Wilson. He only uses the one name, read the bio on the site. Anyhow, we read and discussed Blue, and then were given a prompt, we wrote our own poem. I never know what I’m going to write and was surprised when I started writing in the voice of Tashiko, my old cat. By the time I finished I was trying not to snivel. Then, when it was my turn to read, I got about half through and started to cry. Not just dainty, ladylike trickly tears, but blubbery, sobs, and gushing tears. I miss my old cat.

On a lighter note:

I was writing a different poem the other day about Basic Training, and thought I’d do a little research to see how long Basic is in this day and age. Holy cow, it depends on the branch of service, and a few other things, and can be from 7 to 13 weeks. While reading one of the sites, I came across the best quote of the week, if not the month. Maybe even the year!

“Consequently, the best way 
to prepare for boot camp
 is to be prepared.”
from “Here’s How Long Basic Training Is For Each Military Branch in 2026” by Kevin R.

“If you always do what interests you, 
at least one person is pleased”
— Katharine Hepburn