Ok...I'm thankful to have family close by in Indiana.  Mom wanted to stay in
San Diego after the WW2 but Dad wanted to come back to Indiana and Dad won
out.  They both worked at Consolidated Aircraft turning out B-24s during the
War.  I've been to San Diego once and love the weather but Indiana is home.
A few years ago I took Mom to an airshow featuring the B-24 and B-17.  She
was in her early 80's at the time and had dementia for several years even
then.  She climbed into the B-24 and showed me the work that she used to do
on the assembly line.  She did the "plumbing" as she called it for
mechanical parts of the aircraft.  Mom was one of the original "Rosie the
Riveters"  I doubt that she could remember much about it now.
I have the most wonderful neighbors here.  The women get together once a
month for lunch and we have parties at least twice a year.  My grandson
loves the annual summer neighborhood picnic that's in the only vacant lot
here.  We've only been here 15 years but many others have been here much
longer.  I volunteered to have the neighborhood Christmas party this year
(What was I thinking?)  Actually it will be fun.
Alaska is beautiful, Dennis, a nice place to visit. I particularly remember
seeing a 5 ft tall rhubarb plant in Skagway in June of '93.  Amazing what
all that sunshine in the summer will grow.  I appreciate your down to earth
advice and insights.  BTW I saw a lot of Bald Eagles in Alaska and now
they're appearing in Indiana.  My son lives out in the boonies here and he
sees them regularly.
Gasoline is high here too.  We were in Germany last month and my husband
figured out the price of a gallon of gas there.  He figured the currency
rate for Euros to dollars and the number of liters to a gallon and a gallon
of gas was $6.50.
I'm thankful for the internet.  It makes my life so much easier.  I can get
good advice here, I do my banking, I do shopping, share videos and pictures
and e-mail.
Most of all I'm thankful for good heath for me and my husband.  I may be the
crunch generation but at least I have the health and energy to do what I
need to do......June