HOME SWEET HOME

Mom and Dad are back in their Sweet Haven of Sanity…off the treacherous road and safe and sound at last.  They have seen the Road to Hell and have decided against it.

The ride back to Oregon was torturous and frustrating. The BEAST was the target of tow trucks, some Northern Californian mechanics ready to make a buck,  and of Dad’s anger. You can imagine what it did to Mom’s blood pressure. It took them forever to get home. I felt so bad for them. They deserve a wonderful, trouble-free trip and it just did not happen that way.

I keep picturing them climbing out of the Beast and kissing the ground when they got back to their place.  Now, back at home, Mom spends her time in her garden. Dad reports that he has been in pain everyday with headaches…until his eldest daughter, Teresa, played Florence Nightingale and came up with a very simple remedy that worked and he has not had a headache since. Needless to say, he is quite appreciative and awestruck by Nurse Teresa. Teri says that if that was all it took to impress Dad, she would have given him that concoction years ago…now if she could just cure cancer! I told Dad that since her remedy worked, a solution of water and baking soda…he should just go to the spice cabinet and try a teaspoon out of every bottle…who knows..perhaps the cure is in the Cumin bottle.

Mom and Dad are now preparing for a full-blown Cook Kid onslaught. Teri is flying in to Oregon on the 25th. Tonja and her family will arrive shortly after that. Roger is getting his boat ready to take the guys out to conquer the deep blue sea, or at least a tranqual scenic lake. Marta and her family have made plans. Teri’s sons and daughter have their tickets…and my family is checking out schedules. The Cook Family is going to take over the small town of North Bend all at once over the first weekend in September. I talked to Dad and told him he should run and hide…wink wink. This is gonna be fun. All the kids have not been together since Mom and Dad’s 50th Anniversary. I cannot wait to see all the nieces and nephews…and their babies too. Roger is a Grand-daddy, Teri and Tonja are both Grandmothers..and, of course, Marta and I are still way too young for that title…hee hee.

Well if any of you want to join the fracas…I mean merriment…come on up! We will pitch tents on the North 40 and throw some shrimp on the barbie. What a hoot that would be if you could come!! Dad says he ain’t going to be traveling anymore…so you gotta go his way…The RAY WAY…if you want to see him.

They have been getting calls from some of you and they really enjoy catching up…so keep the calls and cards coming. We truly appreciate all the well wishes and love being sent their way!!!  Been to Oregon lately?