Writing Successes: At this point, the blog. I did blog yesterday, but it didn't post until JUST NOW. You might read both entries here, if you haven't.

Music Playing: The Best of the Moody Blues - yap. Finally got it back.

Exerpt from "And You Think You've Got It Bad" by Barbara Fairchild Gramm

Soap Recipe - Sun or cold soap is made by adding one pound of cleansed gerase, spoiled lard or butter, to each gallon lye strong enough to float an egg. Set the vessel in the sun and stir thoroughly each day until it is good. There is no romance or poetry in making soap, only patient hard work.

Here I was thinking that making soap out of spoiled butter was so romantic! That using cleansed grease and lye was poetry itself! Silly me. I don't suppose anyone suddenly found a good reason why so many folks died from the flu? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Yesterday I left off when my sister arrived on the scene. This was, and still is kind of, a problem for me. When she was very small, I worried that dad might "get up to his tricks" someday. Then I met my stepmother and her daughter. Make no mistake, my sister is her daughter. Have I mentioned that my stepmother is a Leo? I mean, you took one look at the pair of them together and you heard a snarl and a big paw aiming for your head. *raar!* *thwack!* I realized there was nothing to worry about.

But now they're divorced, and Kelleye goes over to his house and stays the weekend or a week or whatever. Goes camping. Whatever. Well, my stepmother sat her down and had a little chat. Leaving out all the details, she basically warned her that once upon a time, my dad had behaved inappropriately, and should she notice the same she was to tell immediately. Kelleye assured her this had not occured at any time and she still visits him often.

What an interesting thing to do. It never occured to me to have this discussion with my boys, and my dad's taken them camping for several days at a time. But you know, he was never interested in boys, so I suppose it's not the same.

I told my stepmother that if Kelleye did have questions she wanted to ask, she could call anytime. I mean, she is my sister. But I really have no idea what I'd say. I haven't told my kids. Of course, they aren't sixteen either. They're still little enough to believe that their grandpa is perfect and wonderful, and I don't really need to mess with that view.

And now I've told three days worth of stories just about having called my stepmother. Know what? I still didn't talk about WHY I called in the first place. This'll probably be the most fun.

Tune in again for another installment of "Past Lives" with Deoris. LOLLOL