Greetings Dear Readers,
I've just finished talking to Dee. She and Robin have landed safe and sound in Boulder. Tomorrow, they shall purchase a Civic to use for Robin's back and forth visits from the school and drive on up to the writer's colony. Lira, the woman who runs the writer's colony, has our cabin ready to go. She has even given Robin and Merrie chores to do this summer to help them earn their keep. They shall care for the free range chickens that provide our eggs and meat.
Before they left, Dee gave April part of her going away present, a Vita Mix blender. April had mentioned really liking the one at the vegan cafe she goes to and , to be blunt, it does makes wonderful White Russians, Mudslides, and Pina Coladas. Dee and I hope that this will help her maintain her lifestyle when she's off at school. The other part of the gift is a gift certificate to a grocery store near her school so she can load up on beans and all that healthy junk.
Next week, Merrie and I fly down to join Dee. I will start teach the classes in editing novels on the 15th and our house will be occupied by the housesitter who will call the police on my parents. It's beyond time for this to happen... and I just lacked the inner courage to be the tattletale.
Courage is something that has been on my mind recently, since Dee and I got the phone call from Tim telling us that his arm had been broken in a fight with his wife. Seems she came after him with a cast iron skillet. Courage was standing before a judge and swearing out a restraining order. Courage was trying to find a place for battered men so that his kids did not live in the streets. Courage is calling old friends and admitting that help was needed. Jean is now alleging that Tim battered her but the medical records- broken arm, eardrum rupture, rectal injuries, broken ankle, broken tooth- paint a picture of a man who needed more from his friends than they realized.
Weed is letting Tim live in one of his apartments until Tim can get a job. Since he's an accountant, Tracey and Gordan have put the word out for him to get him some work. Tim hopes that he can start paying rent in a couple of weeks. His pride will not allow him to live off of charity.
I hate to use the word abuse, but the more I think about how my father has responded to my mother's emotional needs, the more that I am tempted to call it abusive. She needs help badly, and thankfully she will get it.
I've kept in touch with Iris and we both feel that Grampa Jim's time on this earth will end very shortly. I tried to urge Liz to bring her son to see him, but she feels that a cross-country flight would be too much for him at such a young age, and I agree. He's going to attend April's graduation, but as Iris said so wearily, that's the last major thing he has to look forward to. Iris and Claire talked for a while and Claire met her grandfather briefly, but that's a story for her to tell.
I'm looking forward to spending less stressed time with my newly discovered half sister this summer, but the topic is still too tender in my mind to say much about.
I just wanted to take a few minutes to fill you in on what's going on with me this month. I still have some old clothes of Merrie's and Robin's to take over to Tim's. I must take a moment to brag on my daughter... after hearing that Tim's daughter was just about her age and size, she got me to go shopping with her and buy her some new clothes. She then told me that she didn't want them... she wanted Grace to have something new to wear.
Until next month,
Mike