I have lived in the Swirling Epicenter for more than fifteen years,now.  It still doesn't feel much like home to me.  But most of my kids and their kids live there so I am pretty much anchored there for life.  I mention this today because I am writing to you from the Valley of the Sun, many long ardous miles from the Swirling Epicenter.  We left mid morning so fortunately half of the drive was after dark, saving us from endless views of empty prairie, desert, mesas, and the many authentic indian trading posts along the way.  On Monday we will attend the funeral we came here for and MamaCharlie will say her final earth bound goodbye to her Mom, we believe we will all be united again some where over the rainbow so it isn't a FINAL goodbye...more of a "see ya later" goodbye.  But it is still painful for us all because no matter what you believe, she will be gone from here and we will still miss her.

On Tuesday we move on to San Diego, ancestral home of the clan, for more bad news.  It isn't a fun trip.  It occurred to me that we haven't had a vacation since retiring from the Army.  We've been on several trips, to attend graduation from basic training, twice to celebrate the in-laws' anniversaries (50th and 60th), and this one...which is no vacation.  We've been able to squeeze some recreation into some of those trips, but we haven't been able to just go somewhere fun and sit out in the sun or whatever vacationers do.  Even in the Army, while we did have some memorable vacations over the years, the great majority of our leave time was used up in traveling to new assignments and such.

Does this sound kinda "poor me"?  I suppose it does.  When I began this ramble, the intended destination was to tell how absence makes the heart grow fonder.  I actually kinda miss the Swirling Epicenter right now.  Be it ever so blah...there's no place like home.