What an exhausting spring and summer. As most of you know we had the April from Hell. Rod's mom's heart attacks combined with dementia and having to place her in a home. (That took up May and June.) In July we had a visit from our daughter and her three children that overlapped visits from nieces from Thailand and New York with 3 and 2 children respectively. So, a houseful most of the time. We got the MIL settled well enough to take off for Michigan in August but made it faster and shorter than we like. We got home to find an invitation to a 30th anniversary party for some dear friends. In Yakima WA and only 2 weeks away!! We got it all together and made the party. Of course; we had to spend time with our daughter's family as we would not drive all that way and not visit the grandkids in Renton. When we left we headed across at Grant's Pass and down 101 to visit our son for a few days. That was pretty relaxing and helped break up the trip home. We had no WIFI and only intermittent cell service. THEN! We get home and I get online to check up on a Meetup group we belong to. The first thing I see is an announcement for a Memorial Service for a very dear friend. We called a mutual friend to confirm. He had a heart attack in his sleep. This was so unexpected we just sat in shock. There are so many things that he was a regular part of. (There is some back story that made this extra poignant the next day. Two years ago when he found out we would be going through Idaho he asked us to bring him a potato. And we did. He was utterly shocked when we actually presented him with it. That led to a series of potato exchanges including a sweet potato he brought me because I am so "sweet". The morning after I heard of his death I was cleaning my 'fridge and in the vegetable drawer was the last potato we bought for him but never got to give him.) I think we have had enough.
