Friends Across the Sea

When I signed on to my computer this afternoon I saw an email address that I didn't recognize and I came within a hair of deleting it unopened. I am so glad that I didn't! The message was from a former reader of my old aol blog who was wondering where I am now. Since I've acquired very few "followers" here and my days have become incredibly hectic I haven't done much writing and I've missed the outlet. Thanks "Friend Across the Sea",

There is a large farmers market/flea market a few miles from here called Denios. Ernie has been pressuring me to take him there for several years now. Because he has so much difficulty walking I have always "promised" but somehow never got around to it. Well, today was the day! I got up drank coffee and then got a map to "the place". We stopped off at a new restaurant for breakfast and were on our way. The place is huge. I trusted my instincts and detoured slightly from the map and took the "Denios Loop" road, which took us right past the open air market section. I found parking directly across the road from the entrace. We parked, walked across the way and into the hub of Denios. I've not seen so much produce since I was a wee child and would go with my grandmother to a place in Salt Lake. The main purpose of this trip was to obtain a delicacy for Ernie - garden peas, still in the pod.

Peppers, tomatoes, asparagus, yellow cauliflower (?), fruit of all persausions, cactus, other things I have never seen before, but NOT ONE SINGLE GARDEN PEA. Ernie made it through one length of the market stalls, then found a shady place to sit whild I strolled through the other three or four. I found two places that had "dried" peas (we bought a bag on the way out), but no fresh garden peas. The Language of the day everywhere was Spanish. If I hung out there long enough I could probably learn how to converse a little Espanol. Now I'm restricted to taco, tamale, burrito, etc. After delivering the sad new to above mentioned spouse, I decided to stroll off a little though the "flea market" section. The side of Denios that we were on was rather pathetic and very seedy. I think that had we driven around and entered in from the front, the stalls would have been cleaner and had more "stuff" to look at. I did succeed in making my right hip hurt like the devil, which ruins my good mood no end.

I see the back surgeon at the end of the month, it will be 8 month post surgery. Two months post surgery I was singing his praises. No longer. While the pain level is still less than before surgery, it still hurts enough to walk and stand that I find myself avoiding it whenever possible. Whatever he says there is no more back surgery in store for this lady. Not only was it a more painful experience than I had anticipated, I have pushed the envelope of time off to the limit on the job. Sooo, for the next couple of years I'll pop a pain pill when I want to get about and be thankful that I can.

I love life! Grandkids (Angela, Daniel, friends Daniel and Ivan) were here for four days last week, as well as the two children of a friend of Sarah's, sort of an adopted-daughter. Stacy's two are the same ages as Angela and Ivan and the four hit it off well. So well that the extra two spent one night and two days here. The pool got lots of use, pizza consumed and just about every other edible that wasn't "good for you" or in a container too hard to rip open. We "crafted" twice and the kids glued and painted wooden models and decorated small flower pots and filled them with artificial flowers. Angela had made a "list" of things to do here and "crafting" was on the list. So what's $80.00 when it comes to the kids?

Sarah is asking for a companion to go on a little shopping expedition. Since I've had a chance to sit awhile I'm raring to go. Peace.