The Prodigal Son...

You all know the story about the prodigal son, or at least the basics. Lenny returns to Miami this week to visit with his family he's not seen in 8 or so years. We also visit with his Nona, Angelina's namesake, who has moved here from Italy. She doesn't speak English, nor do we speak Italian, but Lenny surprised himself on how much he was able to understand and speak. I was impressed.

I've been in a perpetual state of fear since we got here. His father and stepmother's house is beautiful, but it's tile throughout and has four levels. Lots of steps. Angelina loves to climb them and thinks she can walk down them like we do, one step right after the other. Enough to give me heart failure. As a parent I don't think you realize just how childproof your house has become until you visit other people who don't have small children running around. Only one thing has been broken so far, thank goodness.

Zia, Ralph and Laura (not pronounced the usual way, but in a wonderful lilting way... Lau... ra) were just as great as I knew they'd be. They were all very good to me, and Angie, from a distance last year, and even better in person. Laura is a lovely young lady of 16 (17 next month note to self: don't forget). Pretty, involved in sports and you can tell she's Ralph's heart. People like this make me almost wish we had more family around us in Phoenix. Just good good people. Nona was also sweet, but I felt badly that I couldn't really talk to her.

Nono, Lenny's father, gave all three of us haircuts. My heart almost stopped when I saw a 2" curl drop to the cloth around my shoulders. It looks nice. I shall not panic. Ok, maybe a little, but I won't dwell on it. Ok... maybe a little... but it's only hair... I think I was ok, for the most part, until he took the clippers to the back of my neck. I should have known I'm worry, so it's not his fault at all. Welcome to my neurosis.

Anywhoo... we took Angie down to the beach today. I took at least sixty pictures I'd guesstimate. She loved it! We took her shoes and socks off and she wandered around, yelling at the seagulls, digging her toes into the sand, throwing the sand around with her hands, tasting it, just to be sure it didn't taste good and crying when the surf came up to bathe her toes in cold, frothy water. Lenny took some videos. We had a really nice time. I got some awesome pictures. I'd post some, but I don't have the right cable to hook the camera up to my laptop.

All in all, we're having a nice time in Florida. The weather has been overcast and rainy, which for most anyone else would be a bummer, but for us is a nice change from hot and sunny. We miss the rain.