Natalie Needs a Nightie

The Girls went on a road trip last weekend. Sally, Mabel and I all truckstered down to Aunt Jill's to watch her in the Windmill Follies production of Natalie Needs a Nightie. It was HYSTERICAL! My sister is amazing as an actress. It's so neat to see her up there - I don't see my sister - I see the character. She really does become the character and not just someone standing there delivering lines.

Sally enjoyed it too and was a little concerned when in the play they talk about the chamber maid, Rosebud (Aunt Jill), going to jail for stealing babies. After hearing *that* Sal sat up straighter and said "Aunt Jill can't go jail". I don't think anyone but our table heard it - but it was funny.

Aunt Jill left early - she had to get Uncle Mike from the Home and then go early to the play so Sal and I decided we'd go visit Grandpa. As we were getting ready to go Aunt Jill came tearing back through the lane - she had forgotten something. As she saw me putting Tiny (St Bernard) on the rope she said "you know, just leave him." (Tiny likes to go visiting. "Are you sure?" I questioned.

"Yeah, because Tiny won't go unless a cat goes and Mabel is keeping the cats away." (Mabel tends to howl at the cats - they ignore her and give her that *do you have a death wish* look) I had to laugh. That is by far the most common sense reason to why a dog won't go running off. Leave it to my sister.

And, when we returned home at around 10 pm - there they were - all 3 dogs and cats were out in the barn. I guess Mabel IS good for something.

I *got* to feed Uncle Mike at the play. :-) He can't hold a utensil anymore. He shakes SO bad that all the food falls off. One thing - he's pretty fast at eating. I could hardly spoon it in fast enough. It is like having a kid. He comes complete with his own clothing protector (bib) and water bottle and silverware. I'm not sure Aunt Jill had planned on having a child in her 50s. But he's still Uncle Mike and I still raz him just like I did when he could walk - and he dishes it out too. But it made me thankful for *my* little Special Needs one.

Granpa was glad to see Sally. She had brought her silver medal from basketball and I brought the book that Jack had written. We always try to bring presents. :-)

As usual we had dinner with Gpa and Gma on Sunday before we left (dinner=lunch in the "south") :-) Aunt Jill came along too - she had to do one more performance on Sunday for the Home residents. Dad gave her the business about when she was going to move to Hollywood. The local grocery store owner was in the play too - Keith Wilson. He's the son of a guy who went to school with my brother and OH my the stories that can be told about his silliness - anyway - their last name is Wilson so when my Dad goes up to the store he always yells "Hey Mr Wilson" at the meat counter (their office). He told Keith a joke that Keith used in his monologue before the play started. My Dad just beams when he tells jokes. :-)

The sad part of the journey was when Dad said he wasn't sure he was going to play golf this year. My Dad will be 82 this year and I realize things will be changing - but it's still sad. He said the biggest reason was because Squirty had died. Squirty was always at the golf course and would ALWAYS play - no matter what, and now with him not there Dad doesn't have someone to play with ALL the time. And "golf's no fun by yourself". Now mind you neither him or Squirt could hear worth a tinkers damn so it's not like they chatted up a storm as they played, but Dad just isn't sure he wants to play anymore.