Of course, you know John is now home, although they got delayed due to having to get license tabs for his car. They got in yesterday afternoon, and promptly collapsed from fatigue and hot weather! He spent the early afternoon with me so we could get caught up on the news. I'm so glad he's home. It was a hard time for him in many ways. He has a different look in his eyes now. There is no child left in him - he's completely grown up.:(

    In other news, Megan has a volunteer job at Wonderland Developmental Center, (both Heather and Zoe went there!) a Birth to 3 center that provides services to children with various health and developmental issues. Megan works there one day a week. We hope that this will help her develop some great skills to help with a paying job down the road. We are currently going through the application process (again!!) for her to receive SSI, with the idea that she can be more self-sufficient. She and her friend Amanda are thinking about getting an apartment together, which would be really great. Megan is being helped by a wonderful lady named Dorothy Spencer, from Community Trades, a county agency. Dorothy has been a huge help dealing with state and federal agencies.

    Zoe is so excited to be in Heather's wedding! She has even stopped biting her fingernails "so she can be pretty". No, this did not come from me... I think violinists can't have nails short enough! I suspect her other Grandma has been picking at her. Sigh... Zoe is also planning to take a trip with her friend Aileen Hwang and family - to New York! Zoe and Aileen will be taking care of 5 month old Alex during this trip to visit Hwang relatives in New York City. This is going to be a fun immersion into Chinese culture - and if things go well, Zoe has been invited to accompany the Hwangs to China next year. We'll see...

    Last weekend Molly covered a neighbor's urban trapping business while he was out of town. He traps trouble-making wildlife in the city and relocates the animals where they can live where and how they were supposed to. Last Saturday, Molly, Megan and I transported the cutest raccoon from a Shoreline neighborhood to his new home in Carkeek Park. We felt just like the animal guys on TV! We have cute pictures, too.

    Well, gotta go to school. Don't get me started on that! I have an ASL test tonight. I'll try to keep you posted a little better in the future. My heart is in the right place - I just need about ten more hours in every day to get it all done!

    Love, Liz

Lotsa good news!

    Top of the list is that John-Robin's ship will dock at its home base of San Diego tomorrow, the 25th..... and his Dad, Paul, brother, Christopher, and Chris Webb will be there to greet him. They left yesterday morning at about 6, and called Liz last evening to say they were in a campground in Sacramento. That big truck must have wings on it somewhere! They are headed for a campground near the Navy base, and should be there tonight. I wish we could all be there with them tomorrow to welcome John home. They all (including John) will be home in Seattle on the 29th.

    Heard from Thomas that he has been chosen to be Head Coach for the 2005 USA Deaflympics Track & Field team, which will compete in Melbourne, Australia, in January of 2005. He has assisted before, but this will be his first time as Head Coach. We are very proud, Thomas.

    Heather and Thomas are expected to arrive in Seattle on August 2nd. Their wedding will be at Hollywood Schoolhouse on August 10. That promises to be a lovely, unusual (to us) ceremony, as it will be performed in sign language. For those of us who do not know sign, there will be interpreters. There will be music. Heather chose this venue for its wood floors, so that the hearing impaired could "hear" it through their feet.

    Besides the taped tunes, Jeremy and Jack have put together a live group to play a variety of music. Jeremy says they will probably be pretty loud in that wooden-floored place. Hildy has been shopping for ear plugs in bulk for those of us who might want them. She says Home Depot showed her two different sized packages; either 3 to a pack or 200. You name it, she's thought of it!

    A final piece of advice. Come hungry. The menu is special! But, no doggie bags, please.

    At Suzie's invitation, John and I spent a couple of hours at her home this morning, looking through some old albums and a lot of framed pictures to find any that we want to copy for our genealogy project. It was a very productive time. We found some pictures I have never seen before, including portraits of my Gierhofer grandparents, which must have been taken shortly before he died in 1918. These are the people that John is focusing on right now in his research, so that was right on.

    Last Sunday, we had breakfast with Dave at the Blue Star. They make a Brazilian Omelet that is memorable! Vern and I always have ours with fresh fruit. Down there, that means fresh. We had pineapple, strawberries, dark grapes, cantaloupe, and lovely, pale green honeydew melon.

    Well, that's enough good news to make us all happy.

Dorothea, Senior Editor

    Sunday, the 13th, was a double day of celebration for the Lightfoot family. Dan and Hildy celebrated their 29th wedding anniversary. It just cannot be that long ago they joined their lives together in a lovely, happy ceremony at Blessed Sacrament Church. I remember when we went there on the day before for the practice, it was raining, but on the wedding day, it was sunny and beautiful, as was everything else about that wedding.

    July 13th is also Jack's birthday. I hear he chose to have his birthday dinner with his Mom and Dad and brother, Jeremy, at a Thai restaurant. Many happy returns, Jack!

    We will be observing two more birthdays in July, both on the 31st. Heather, our first grandchild, and Russell, who is Dave's eldest share that day. Heather now lives in Maryland, and Russ has just moved to Gunnerson, Colorado, where he will be going to college this fall. Meantime, I hear he is making good use of some spare time to make some incredible bike rides up, down, and around the scenic mountains near Aspen.

    Now the news we have been waiting for..... Sailor boy John will be reaching San Diego about July 25, will be home on the 29th, and will be leaving again on August 11. Now we can count down the days. It surely seems like a lot longer than the middle of January since he shipped out on what was his third trip into the Arabian Sea. Last note from John told us he did some casino gambling in Australia. He also mentioned the Australian young ladies seem to like our young sailor boys..... as well they should!

    Ryan and his big, furry, black doggie, Lucy, spent one afternoon with us. I wish I had half the energy Lucy has. Ryan was a busy boy keeping her from climbing into our laps. Those two surely show affection for each other. Ryan seems to have recovered completely from his recent surgery.

    John and Nan spent a wonderful, long weekend at the cabin on Idaho's Lake Coeur d'Alene, with her aunt and uncle, Eleanor and Paul. Her cousins, Kathy and Bruce, both from Utah, and Kathy's friend, Martina, made up the group. They had a wonderful time, with beautiful weather at that place that holds such a warm spot in their hearts. Mine, too. Vern and I were privileged to spend some time there when Nan's darling Grandpa was there. Whenever I see a hummingbird, I remember the ones that came to his feeders on the deck overlooking the lake.....

    Now to my own special news. Margaret Medley, who has been my friend since we were sophomores at Roosevelt High School, came to visit us today. Margaret is the "Miggs" who appears in so many of my stories. The lady who stays with her, Pat, brought her over and we had a great old time remembering so many things from our long acquaintance. I feel so good knowing she is not alone in her house. Pat seems more friend than caretaker. They brought Missy, Margaret's dog, along. Had to laugh. We never have dogs here, and then two within three days. Our kitty is not sure about the new smells and avoids the living room. Poor kitty. First the Fourth of July with its noise, and now, this!

    Dave braved wind and water to see if he could still do sail-boarding. He can. However, he was ready to quit when the wind got so strong it was bashing him down into the water with too much regularity. Dave still has his love of being "on the edge".

    If you want to be in my column, please keep me up to date. Besides, I am a nosy old gal, anyway.

    Dixie/Dorothea, Senior Editor

    Wow! Seattle surely put on a couple of gorgeous fireworks displays last night! Vern’s “change the channel” finger got a good workout as he flipped from 4 to 5 and back (again and again) to see if the “other one” was even better. His instincts were working. We saw many brand new shapes and colors. We watched an inspiring finale on 4, then switched to 5 in time to hear Kate Smith’s rendition of God Bless America with fireworks orchestrated to match! Nobody ever has sung that song as well as she did, and the display was super wonderful. After that, we switched to 7 and watched another dazzling show featuring the Boston Pops Orchestra and fireworks over the Charles River.
    Earlier, in the afternoon, we drove to Golden Gardens to watch kites being flown. Half of Seattle must have been at Golden Gardens. Lots of picnickers and sunbathers. Stopped at Little Coney's for “take-out” hamburgers and fries, brought them home, and had our own picnic in the comfort (and shade) of our own patio....complete with baskets of double impatiens, fuchsias, and brilliant geraniums! Nice.
    Heard from Russ. He and his friend, Paul, from Alamosa have been enjoying the beautiful outdoors, together. Russ helped Paul get a job with the hotel.
    Ryan called from Anne's beach place. Dave took Ryan and Lucy dog down to spend the holiday weekend. Should be great. Lovely weather.
    Liz gave Paul a new, digital camera for Father’s Day. It does everything but talk. Knowing Paul, there will be some unique candid shots. in our future. Take warning!
    He gave us copy of the video about Fremont, “Under the Bridge”. There are some wonderful bits of Florence being interviewed that I shall treasure. I miss her every day of my life.
    John and Nan went down to Yelm to help Carolyn celebrate her 69th birthday. I hope the modem they are taking down will put her back on my e-mail circuit. I’ve been missing her newsy notes about her farm pets and activities.
    When John was here last Thursday morning, he helped me down the middle front stairway so I could see a patch of what Mom used to call "German sweetpeas" that are in full, pink bloom. She must have planted them there many years ago. She loved those things. There was always a patch of them wherever we lived...... Good memories.
    Stay happy!
    Mom/Senior Editor