Way Behind!

O.K. I still need to post pictures of Rome, Florence, Vernazza, Ville Franche Sur Mer, Nice, Monacco, Gap, more of Annecy, as well as many photos of friends. But it is hard to compete with the computer needs of a 17 year old, also FLICKR has been giving me impossible problems when I try to upload and our AOL account is no peach either. Add a weedy, water needy garden, visiting relatives, and day to day life to the mix, and well, that's what I have been up to. I have LOVED the company of visiting relatives (it is always a delight to 'show off' Seattle), bemoan my inability to catch up with the needs of my yard/garden, and grit my teeth and growl when I face technology glitches.
So, people have asked, "Is Anna Rae different?" and I must say "Yes, and No." She still is unapproachable in the first 2 hours of the morning, she still leaves lots of 'stuff' on the floor in her bedroom where it doesn't belong, she still talks ALOT, she has HUGE computer time needs, she watches MTV and TV in general, WAY too much, she lives here but she spends alot of time away from the house. She has been doing a lot of childcare for families; actually raking in quite a bit of income in these last weeks of summer. So how is she diffferent... well more than one person has described her as "Worldly." I do agree with that adjective yet I cringe a little too because when I was growing up if my parents described a teenager as "worldly" their eyebrows would go up as they talked meaning that the
teenager being discussed had morals that were 'suspect'. That is NOT the case with Anna Rae. Her worldliness is a genuine, first hand knowledge that there are cultures with customs, beliefs, and economic realities that should be more understood and respected by Americans. For example, when friends and relatives start talking about the high price of gas (currently $2.63/gal.) she informs us that gas has been well over $5.00 a gallon since December in Europe (she did the math to convert Euros to Dollars and Liters to Gallons). If possible, she is more confident; a quality that she has always had in abundance. She is driving here, there, and everywhere in West Seattle and Burien; oftentimes toting along the kids in her charge. Although she did not drive at all in France, I am more comfortable with her driving skills now than I was a year ago. She is taking an advanced class in French conversation at Highline Community College and while it is not for credit, I am happy she is doing something to keep up her language skills.
So that is a little slice of our life right now. Does anyone read this? I am thinking of giving up on posting pictures unless I get a comment or two. That is not asking much, folks.