Written Saturday, November 28th, 2015

Hi Mom and Nancy,

Yesterday I was pretty easy but I got some important things done. After meeting with my friend Sylvia for coffee, I went down to the Chase bank where they know me, withdrew most of that HFOG money, and divided it up among my husband, my kids, and charity. I bought tickets on-line for next weekend at John and Kathy's. During the evening Dale Sr. started the fire for the turkeys and pork roasts that he will smoke tomorrow, and I took notes on the process so that I can help more with it in the future.

I was sorry to hear from Sylvia that Saturnino, the young man whom she helped so much during his high school years, has gone back to live with his grandmother. While with Sylvia he lost weight, graduated from high school, got a job, and had to take part in household chores. She had even taken classes to become a foster parent, because she thought he might end up moving in with her (he did, for three years, with the grandmother's blessing). What's good is that Sylvia feels, as do I, that the important thing is that she helped him when he really needed it and taught him many valuable skills.

Also, while with her, he got to re-connect with his father, whom he had not seen since he was a small boy. Sylvia took Saturnino with her when she went on her summer road trip to visit her Ohio relatives, and they made a side-trip to visit Saturnino's father, who was originally from Guatemala. (The mother took the kids and left, and then left the kids with the grandmother.)

Sylvia always connects with one of whatever group of students she is working with that year. She needs a strong teenager to help with the chores at her apartment building (where she spends most of each Saturday, fixing things and doing maintenance). So it's a first job for the kid, and she often tutors them and helps them with homework as well. Win-win situation.

Sylvia is still extremely obese, it's sad to see how that condition hurts her in her life. She lost thirty pounds after the lap-band operation. She has already had two operations (pelvic band, and back) which I don't think she would have needed if she were slimmer. 

At the bank, I withdrew most of the HFOG money. My plan with this money was to divide it by five. My fifth of it would go to charity every year (the first year I chose Doctors Without Borders and Oxfam) and 4/5ths of it I'd invest in a second account with Peter Smith, with the dividends from that account divided among my husband and children.
 
But the second year we got the money, almost all of it went to taxes, as I'd forgotten to set aside an amount for the taxes due on the increase of income.

This year almost all of them have a need for extra money.  (I will save the receipts for the cashier's checks because I know there will be a gift penalty.) Dale Jr. is buying a second house with more room for the kids, and will keep the first house for a while while he does some repairs on it in order to sell it. Lyssa and Mike are planning to buy five acres of land, going in on it with his parents. And Brian and Marie have had such a year (taking care of her ill family and extra work involved in the new bakery Marie is setting up in her friends' restaurant) that he has not been able to work as much at the welding place.

I feel it's only right for me to give away my share of the HFOG money because I'm so opposed to "fracking". At first I said I would refuse it, but Nancy pointed out that that would only mean more money for our Louisiana cousins. And Brian pointed out, "it's our money, eventually, too!"

I have not given away all of my share yet because I don't have funds on hand to pay property taxes or to buy all of the airline tickets I need this month. But I've kept track of how much of the HFOG money I've spent, and I will give that much to charity from my own account before too long.

After my visit to the bank, I went to the nearest Starbucks and bought the ones for this coming weekend, on-line.

Dale was starting to get the big cement-block smoker ready. First he used a flat-bottom shovel to clean out all of the old, cold coals from the last time the big smoker was used, which was in early March for Lyssa and Mike's Arizona wedding reception.

 
I made notes and took some photos, as I would like to be able to do part of the long process as it's so tiring for him. He poured in a large bag of chunk charcoal (actual pieces of small logs, not all processed like most charcoal you see) and started it on fire by aiming a propane weed-burner at it for several minutes. All evening he would add a log to it now and then, and he also put the grate right on top of the fire to burn off all of the "gunk" on it.

I need to straighten up the house. Since neatening it up a couple of Sundays ago, I have kept it neater than I used to, but the dining room table has sewing mess and framing-picture mess still on it, and the floor needs sweeping.




Love, Lennie