Where has this month gone?

I cannot believe it is the end of February already!  Where has this month gone?  Oh yeah, to the doctor appointments!  Now I remember!!!

Last Sunday Ric was here for a day.  He was on a business trip to Mesa, but came down here for the day.  We really enjoyed seeing him.  Niece Claudia and husband Larry drove over from Casa Grande as well.  Of course the weather showed off for them...cold, cloudy and tried to rain!  It is suppose to do the same thing this weekend.  Glad I don't work anymore and have to count on the weekends. 

Speaking of cold, the last deep freeze we had here in Tucson has done in a lot of our plants in the area.  All the beautiful palm trees look dead,dead, dead; the Saguro cactus aren't fairing much better.  The local agriculture people are saying not to do anything with them yet; they may survive and come back, but I have my doubts.  My bouganvilla; and all 4 citrus tree's we planted last spring are dead.  I had them covered, but apparently that didn't do any good.  DARN...and I babied them, feeding them and making sure they had enough water to survive the hot heat of summer.  Oh well...at least I tried. 

We met Gary and Jeannette for breakfast this morning at a place called Franks.  What a dive.  What a great breakfast!  I think this place should be on "Diners, Drive-in's and Dives" on the cooking channel.  Matter of fact, I think I will submit it.  In the morning it is called Franks; in the evening it is Francisco's.  Very small; seats probably 30 inside and maybe 10  outside; nothing fancy about this place, but the food is super!  And inexpensive. And did I say good?  One of the best kept secrets in Tucson...did I mention it was a dive?  But it was clean.  And good...but still a dive.  Now I want a Sonoran Hot Dog!  Darn, the food cycle has started.  There are so make quirky places in this town to eat and most of them are so darn good.  Don't need no fancy smancy places to eat when there are places like Franks, or Sunnyside Up, or El Guero Canelo.  Gotta' quit talking about these places...I'm hungry.

Happy Birthday Melanie

Feb. 14, 1965

The night before:
Okay, I am ready...more than ready.  I have been pregnant for 9 months, it seems like I have been pregnant for longer than that!  My back hurts, my feet have disappeared....I am basically miserable.  I am sitting in my mom's brand new chair when all of a sudden, swoosh...my water breaks.  Oops...

Don is in the USMC stationed at El Toro, about a 90 minute drive from where we were living.  We had planned for me to call his Sgt and say I was going to the hospital and then Don would get the night off and we would go to the movies....after all it was Valentines Day ..  and yes, we were young and we were cheating the USMC system.  HOWEVER, this is for real.  I call the Sgt and tell him that I am in labor and heading for the hospital and that Don should go straight to the hospital.  Don, on the other hand, thinks it is our "plan" and he moseys home.  Once he finds out it is for real he is at the hospital! 

I had a bet with my doctor that I would have a red head little girl on Valentine's Day.  The doc just says, no way...you aren't due until March 8.  Wantta' bet...I am not waiting around that long.  In to delivery I go... I keep asking what time it is... I want to win that darn bet!  Can't even remember what was at stake.  At 3:42 A. M., my red headed little girl was born...on Valentine's day; weighing in at 7 lbs, 14 ozs.  Good thing I didn't wait around until Mar 8!!!  My beautiful baby girl was here.  We named her Melanie Joan.

Melanie 9 mos

Fast forward 46  years.... they have had their ups and downs as all years do.  Melanie and I have been best friends and enemies over the years, but we have always been Mother and Daughter, and I have always loved her with all my heart.  (get the theme here?  heart, valentine's day, etc.)  When she was little she always had a heart shaped cake until she finally told me she didn't want one any more.  I used to bake her red velvet cakes, but some how that changed to just chocolate cakes.  She was growing up.  One of the "heart" cakes

When she was born she was the first grandchild and great grandchild on both sides of the family. 



Four generatation picture.  L-R, my mom Louise Emery Spaid; my grandma Bertha Vassuer Emery, holding Melanie and me.

EVERYONE spoiled her.  My mom and Aunt used to take her to a restaurant called Coffee Dan's once a week for lunch just to show her off!!  Don's mother was always ready to baby sit, sometimes when I didn't even need for her to.  She had aunts and uncles that worshiped her.  Even with all the attention, she was a good baby, toddler and child.  My dad and Melanie had a special relationship...she followed him everywhere and he adored her.  Once when she was about 2 years old (by the way, this child was so smart...walked at 9 months, talked full sentences at 18 months old!) I was living with my parents while Don was in Viet Nam, my dad was outside working in the yard and I was in the house cleaning.  I went out to see what Melanie was up to with Dad; he looked at me and said, "I don't have her, she is in the house with you"...uh, no!  We both started looking for  her and I finally (panicked) went across the street to the fire station to see if they had seen her.  Yup, there she was having a great time with the firemen.  One of the firemen was a class mate of mine and knew where she belonged and he said they were having such a good time with her they weren't ready to bring her home!!!  Dennis Ford was his name and I will never forget that or him.  Melanie 2 yrs old

She charmed her way into so many hearts...once again the theme.

Melanie 8th grade and her 21st birthday

 Then all of a sudden she was married with children...where did the time go????  She has four children and she is a grandmother of 3 adorable little girls, Sophie, Ada and Molly...how did that happen?  What happened to that wonderful little baby I held in my arms and loved so fiercely?  Wooo...time flies. 

So today, in preparation for her birthday tomorrow I baked a red velvet cake.  Didn't do the heart thing, but it just felt like the right thing to do.  Al and I will enjoy her birthday cake and wish her a very happy birthday and love her as fiercely now as I did then.

Happy Birthday Melanie...I love you.

Down again

One More Time....
This morning we were getting ready to leave to meet good friends Gary and Jeannette.  Al was heading out the sliding glass door; I was in the kitchen when I heard a THUD.  Al took another fall!  So, once again I called 911 and the wonderful Golder Ranch Fire Department came up and helped get him up.  Fortunately, this time we didn't have to go to ER.  WHEW!  Needless to say I was a basket case.  Why, I don't know, I should be used to this.  At least I got my fireman fix!! :-)  And we did get to meet Gary and Jeannette at Tohono Chul Tea Room for lunch.  Good friend and good lunch and great weather...great combination.

Our weather has sure been mixed up.  Freezing; warm, windy, calm, hot, etc.  It's February in Tucson, you never know what to expect.

We have had a house guest for a few days.  A friend of daughter Melanie has been staying here while he attends the Gem Show.  A very nice person, Jeff Polk, and we enjoyed getting to know him. 

Other than doctor appointments, physical therapy and nurse visits, not much new from here.

Here is wishing you all a Happy Valentines Day and a HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MELANIE.