My dogs are catching up on their sleep since company left. I've never seen them so tired. In reading back over the last few days of this blog, I realize how often I've complained of being tired. I don't realize how slow the pace is around here until I spend time with younger people who seem to never run down. I know people my age who could keep up with them, but they have always been high energy folks.

My high energy days were between ages 15-37, high school, dating Richard, having kids, raising kids, chauffering kids, working, going to college, I look back on that time and wonder where I found enough pep to do it all. Maybe I am lazy, I heard that often as a child because I wasn't very athletic, or maybe I'm just one of those people who enjoys the slower pace. I stayed in pajamas all day yesterday and didn't feel the least bit guilty. I would do the same today except that I told Mike I would meet him for lunch. We've revived our Friday date tradition, except now we go to lunch rather than dinner. "Afternoon delight" now means taking naps.

Ricky laughed the other night about his strange family tree. I'm glad to know he now jokes about it rather than letting it embarrass him. He said if a comedy writer created his family for a tv series, everybody would think it was an exaggeration of dysfunctional. He and Mary Ann are closer to the trunk than all the off-shoots, he quipped. We do seem to have several spectrums covered from one extreme to another and several points in between. Now if we could just get everybody together without a lot of acrimony, I'll bet the reunion would not be boring.

He also came close to admitting his dissatisfaction with our president. We usually avoid the subject of politics, since he supported Dubya and I opposed him vehemently from the beginning, but that's one of those polar opposites you find in our family. He seems to think a viable 3rd party will form from the disenchanted Republicans and Democrats. The history of third parties is not good. As much as I would like to see that happen, I still remember the devastating effect Ralph Nader's candidacy had on the 2000 election. Even though I liked what he stood for, he siphoned enough supporters away from Gore to give Bush an advantage. What a disaster!

The other surprising thing I learned from Mary Ann is that she would like a smaller, more intimate church family than the mega-church they attend in Tampa. It's so impersonal, she told me, but the programs for children and youth are so good, they will stay there for that. She belongs to a Community Bible Study group that meets most of her needs for personal relationships. I can tell that she and Ricky are mellowing with middle age.

I'm getting inspired to paint again. There were so many local artists' pieces in Bethany's store the other day, I realized that my work could easily be among them. First, though, I need to paint the rocker I promised them for Harlee. It's cool enough on the deck today that I could work comfortably out there.