Shamelessly Proud Auntie

We welcomed our 60th family member into the collective. Have I mentioned I have 8 siblings with assorted spouses, nieces, nephews, who have in turn married and procreated? Well we are 60 all told currently.

Below is the Christmas card photo of my nephew and newest family member with his big sister.

This is his 3-month photo. Is he a sweetie or what?

For Steadman

Here she is Miss K-Rock clutching "Lola" that Aunt Rosie sent her for her second birthday. She's such a ham.

Thanksgiving in Sonoma

My husband and our two boys made the trek from Southern California to Northern California... 8 hours by car ... to spend Thanksgiving with my brother and his wife's family.

It was sublime.

All the grapes have been harvested. The fields and trees are all full of fall colors. Wonderfully crystal blue skies and 71 degrees. Magnificent! Truly and wonderfully beautiful.

It's the little things...

My brother and his family are coming to visit this weekend. Well not visit exactly. He is coming home for his 20th high school class reunion. We get the benefit of his charming wife and delightful new daughter in the package.

Here they are.

I have three wonderful, awesome, smart, funny sisters...this brother is the honorary 5th sister. Which is convenient because he is also the youngest boy and was the 5th brother too. So there were 9 sibs and he goes both ways. : )

Every once in a while some simple pleasure in my life reminds me that is these little moments of joy that make life worth living. Today it is a visit from my brother and his family.

KATRINA & CHRIS

I've just finished reading the latest news about Katrina on a number of news publications on line. As usual I'm crying. The time line was of particular interest to me to see where and when warnings were given and who knew what when. Sadly, with the infrastructure and disaster plan that was in place I don't know what more could have been done to warn people. God help us all!!! The decisions to cut our FEMA teams from 3 to 2...FEMA cuts to shore up terrorist defense spending in Homeland Defense. Surely there is some sort of guideline or measurement of what it takes to adequately be prepared for such a disaster here in the United States?

I can only pray that we know better now and will do better in the future. I plan to have my say with my vote and influence as many people as I can.

It occurs to me that if I am this devastated...if other readers and watchers out there whose blogs I've read and whose pictures I've viewed are this devastated...can you even imagine how the people who LIVED through it feel? I cannot. It is simply more than my five senses can absorb or my heart can process.

As with 9/11 I sit here in sunny Southern California almost paralyzed with not knowing beyond a donation what to do. Outwardly my little world is so minimally changed. Beyond the aggravation of spending more for a gallon of gasoline, my life looks the same. But I don't feel the same inside.

So I give what I can, pray often, and my thoughts are never far from other mothers, sisters, daughters, aunts, friends...women just like me who are separated from loved ones, without a job, a car or a home. So, I light another candle and say another prayer.

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HAPPY 38TH BIRTHDAY CHRISSY BOY!

YOU ARE THE BEST BROTHER

A SISTER

COULD EVER HOPE TO HAVE!