Monthly Archives: March 2005

“We’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto …”

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Or California. And definitely not in Santa Cruz.

We talked to Nicole last night. She sounded blue, and as usual, tired. Putting the phone to Haylee’s ears so Nicole could talk to her dog brought on tears. Life for Nicole in Air Force tech school is physically hard, and intellectually unstimulating. Once she gets to her assignment at Minot AFB in North Dakota (!) she’ll be able to mix more with peers, but right now, life with 18 year olds is getting old.

A bright spot on her horizon is that Mary is driving Nicole’s car to Texas over spring break, and then flying home. Nicole is tired of walking. Last weekend she even rented a car to get some things done.

Tech training is over mid May, and we’re hoping she’ll be home for a couple of weeks before heading to ND. Her orders haven’t come through yet, so it could be delayed; it seems you just never really know with the military. And that includes not knowing what she’ll be doing once she does get there. There still is a chance of deployment to Iraq but Nicole thinks she is assigned to the group that will remain stateside. Our fingers are crossed.

Boy, was I a rich little girl…

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In grandparents, that is. Dad sent me these photos to show me how cute I was (it’s true, isn’t it?) But what I loved about them was the grandparents pictured with me. Great-Grandpa Driver, Great-Grandma Gorden, and my beloved Grandma Loretta. I have such yummy memories. Going to Grandpa’s wonderful stone house, the smell of his shop, feeding candy to “Pete”, reading his books, looking at his collections. I thought Grandma Gordon’s house was the best, especially the outhouse and having to pump water outside. I especially loved it when she took her long braids out and combed her hair. Grandma Loretta memories are plentiful; making (and eating) her Pot Pie, admiring her flowers and sitting on the bird house up in her backyard tree. How wonderfully, stubbornly independent she was. And how she spoiled “my” dog, Brandy. Send me some more memories, dad … okay?

ps. My mom was pretty cute too, wasn’t she?

Laura on the teeter totter with Grandma Loretta and Mom

Laura swinging with Grandma Gordon

Getting a ride from Grandpa Driver