Hi Peggy,  I am so lagging these days but in answer to all your questions I believe in all of the above except the vampires. I think they exist in a form of mental illness much like serial killers etc. and that some people would get their ya yas out killing this way but they do not live forever or sleep all day......I hope........otherwise I am a marked man.......oh well........I used to cover hickies with band aids so fang marks should work the same way. I was saddened to hear of another soul passing over but was pleased that God allowed a familys goodbye.
Love. Pauly

Good evening everyone,
It seems there are many fast times right now for many, graduations,
people making decisions and movement on many fronts.  When we are bored, we do things lolol.
I took a walk Sunday evening and on the way saw my neighbors across the street sitting and enjoying the cooler weather.  Our neighborhood is as diverse as the world right now, young families with their children mixed in with the older retiree's and yet those oldies that still are working.  One facet of the neighborhood though is that each year, someone on the block takes charge and goes around and gets all the names and phone numbers of each house and who lives in it.  We are not close but keep tabs on each other and events that might harm anyone.
After walking for a time I mosied over to sit on the porch with them and talk of the world's events and some comical happenings of the past with us all.
Ken started in by asking how Gene was and I told him that he was walking with Shadow and would be showing up soon.  Ken said 'oh no, that dog.'  I laughed and said yeah it is him. 
He then laughed and started telling of two years ago when he was out washing off his driveway and watering his tree with his hose.  He said he saw Gene come out the front door and did not realize Shadow was with him til he looked up again and saw this black and white tiger coming for him as if he were a piece of meat.  He commented on Gene shouting for Shadow to come back but nothing could deter him from attacking.
Through the din of hollaring, Shadow showed up and started to eat the water from the hose that ken had in his hand.  The more ken directed it at him to scare him, the more Shadow forced his way closer growling the entire time.  Eventually Gene got there and screamed for him to toss the hose down, because that was what had pissed him off.  Ken tossed the hose in front of him and backed off as Shadow continued to attack the hose and eat gallons of water, thinking he could make it stop.
Needless to say  once Ken turned the water off, the water logged shadow paid attention to Gene then and slopped his way back to his territory to Ken's relief.  Gene apologized for the scare and said I am sorry, but this crazy dog hates hoses, sprinkler heads, mower tires, tires on the trash,
and anything else that does not obey him.  To that they both roared and Ken relaxed and said well okay, I did not know if his 15 lbs. was tall enough to grab me by the throat, but I will tell you he is one damned determined dog.
I laughed then and said yeah Shadow does not know he is not a lion.
We all had a good talk about being old, or watching our grandkids to ensure their making it, and commented on the lovely cool evening, knowing that the heat is not far off again.  We talked, we shared fears, we shared laughter and best of all, we shared life.
I think at times I do not take enough time to do just that, but hopefully one day I will find that porch again, to relive the essence of being a neighbor. 
Its truly the small things in life that matter.  I purchased a new printer this past week, one Spencer recommended.  While I was off being bingo queen last night, Tess took charge of my room without being asked and hooked it up for me.  I was going to dig into that project this morning but was elated that it was done for me.  Dan informed us he was to graduate from fifth grade this evening, (lots of notice here lolol), so we went to watch his certificate gains tonight.  I found myself so very grateful to be here to watch this young man grow and accomplish, against all odds. 
I am in a melancholy mood tonight I guess, for there are so many simple things I am grateful for.  There is nothing that surrounds me that is not filled with kindness or love.  Gene seems to be doing well and yet still scares me when he pushes it too far.  My son Steve seems to be directing his creative life forward and laughs more often than before,
and if one were to sit beside me 90% of the time there would be many smiles to see and feel. 
My short hair is growing again so that some days it even looks okay.
Shadow is snoring on his 'dad's ' pillow and life is good.  As each year marks another period of growth, I have to say that despite all the bad things about having my daughter and grandson living here, it pleases me to be able to watch them grow as they each have for the past 11 + years.  Tess is a great help to me and Dan is by far one of the finest grandson's I could have in my home.  Tess has done a wonderful job of raising him and making him responsible.
We have out bad times, our times when all of us are fed up with the way life is, but the bottom line is that we all do what we can to survive and still love each other.  One of these days though I know the right man will come into her life, and she will find reason to have her own status and life to live without us as it should be.  Until then though, I treasure each moment we are here.  I don't think I would feel as safe going off to England to be with my second family if it were not for her making sure that her Dad behaved on some level, or did not find himself alone or without help if he needed it.
It is like my shows.  When I decided to try them again after a 10 year break, I was scared inside that I would not be able to do them, let alone find those I needed to do it well.  But troopers that they are, my entire family was the first to stand tall and fall into parts even when they seemed weird to them. 
Life is finding the opposites of what you feel.  Finding the good inside the bad, the abrasive inside the smoothe, the reason for not going off the edge time and again and at times just accepting what life gives to you.
Yes it is bad that at times I have to babysit each day, but then again, it is not Dan's fault that he feels safe in our home either.  When I raised my two, they always had their friends here to play, because I was the one that insisted on knowing where my kids were 24/7.  When they grew older it was harder to find where they were, but I at least looked day and night even if it was fruitless.  As a parent all we can do is try to do the best we know how, even if our memories of our childhood taught us that we would be the last to know in many cases. 
It is hard to give them the lessons you have had, let alone wish a friendship and still be a parent.  Dichotomy of all of our lessons tied into one creation.  To talk when they are deaf, to cry in silence with them,
to show by example even when it tore your heart out to be that example.
We just do what we can, when we can, and pray that it all works out in the sand.
Rest will come soon for me tonight, and life will go on, and the next class of fifth graders will wrestle their parents to be there and see their achievements.  I received my reward tonight by watching my family walk through the small steps down the aisle of the humble Daniel Foos
and saw the red cheeks from pride and yet embarassment.  At least I have become somewhat humble now, and did not get up and whistle and yell like I did with my own kids when they did something well.  lolol.
I hugged this small man tonight and told him I was so very proud of him as was his grandfather and his friend Spencer.  I told him that we all said
'well done.'
Have a good evening all, much love coming your way.

Sincerely,

Peggy

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