Yup, Rob and I are finally legal.  Yesterday, June 13th was our 21st wedding
anniversary.  We didn't really do anything to celebrate, though I bought Rob
a new pair of pants and he got me a pair of way cool earrings that look like
a feather hanging down from a hook.  The earrings are made out of resin, are
feather shaped, and have a dark charcoal feather drawn on them.  I really
love them.

We went out for dinner (all five of us) to the local Andy's restaurant.
Andy's is a fifties style restaurant, cheap but good food.  Rob had the
chicken Cordon Bleu sandwich and I had the shrimp platter.  Both were very
good and were enjoyed by us.  Other than that, we didn't do much.  I think
we did a pre-anniversary celebration last week when we checked into a Howard
Johnson's motel for three nights without the kids.  We didn't do much, swam,
watched cable TV (can't afford cable here) and read to our heart's content.
Very peaceful.  I ate well, and am surprised that I didn't gain any weight
while gone.  So far I've lost about 30 lbs. since April.

We're back now veging in the house, due to the 90+ Fahrenheit temperatures
out here.  I planted a delphinium in the front yard and an old fashioned
yellow rose in the side yard last weekend.  I have to remember to water
them.  Tomorrow, I hope, I'll finally get to get my classes set up.  I was
going to go today but there was a bratling (Amanda) emergency and I had to
take care of the pictures thing.  Senior pictures are not for the timid.
The base sitting fee is $24.  The fee for proofs is over $60, and we don't
know how much the finished pictures are going to run us.  I'm dreading the
start of the year when her senior dues (over $50) are expected.  Then there
is the cap and gown fee, the announcement fee, and so on and so forth.
Rob's and my wedding was cheaper.  We spent less than $200 and even covered
the food for a buffet dinner for the family.  Oh, I forgot, she has to have
a semi formal white dress (Church quality or better) to wear under the
robes.  I wish it were possible to elope to graduate.

Now to the important stuff.  Sonya, our rescue feline, is settling in
nicely.  She not only is very smart, but has a sense of humor.  Last night
we were playing a card game called Skip-bo and she was climbing the cat pole
in the dining room and swinging from one level to another by one paw.  She
also caught the evil tail monster that was chasing her, rolled around and
off the tree, chased Qui Gun Kit, tackled him and licked him to the point
where he was squalling for mercy.  We were rooting her on, on behalf of
beleaguered mothers everywhere.  She won and we cheered.

Qui Gun Kit has decided that Rob is one of the best resting places and
viewing spots around.  He likes to finger box with me.  I nick-named him
Pitter Patter because he likes to lightly run up and down my body, giving me
the feeling of the pitter patter of little kitten feet.  He has awakened me
at strange hours of the night doing this.  Very funny, and usually good
timing as I need to go to the bathroom and he can pitter patter in the tub
while I use the loo.

The other cats are getting so that they are no longer alarmed by the kitten.
They find it amusing when he has a hard time opening the door to the
enclosure and has to bap at it with his paws.  Even Sonya seems to think
he's funny.  She does have a quirky sense of humor though.  Qui has
developed a talent for blitz attacks on Merlin's tail.  Merlin acts like he
is going to have a kitten snack, but Qui doesn't seem fazed by him.  Huey
sometimes plays with Qui, usually by dangling his tail for the little guy to
attack.  Tanada ignores both cat and kit, but QC has been caught protecting
them while they eat.  He took on Speedy when the d-thing wanted to "play"
with Qui Gun.  Poor dog got it from both QC and Sonya.  We let him outside
for a while so that he could get over his embarrassment.

So things are more or less back to normal around here.  How's life in your
part of the world?

Pam S. sending belated purrs and thoughts to those who were caught in the
Southern California earthquake