Thankful for, in this week’s sadness

We went to Grandma Ruth’s for a Labor Day picnic. I don’t see these two grands often; in fact, not since being in the hospital, and incoherent. Francis is the focused kid who rode his bicycle from Pittsburgh to Washington, DC, to collect his passport that I transported. Long story. Caroline is the other young lady in the DC pictures. I think she will round out next summer’s vacation pictures well.

I needed a picture. Here are four in a row, of goofy people lining up for grandma’s obligatory picture.

As plates were passed at the table, I mentioned we needed to be grateful to those who were and are responsible for Labor Day. To my pleasure, grandchildren returned words like mining and car industry. Francis is also grateful for a vintage Vespa scooter he scored and has restored, including vintage paint. Caroline is not happy with the blue.

Compliments of France, for Joe and all the guys who like mopeds.

Like Laura, France is working on his driver’s license. He’s two weeks younger than Laura, actually, and about that far behind her in driver’s education classes. Laura has one in-car session left, and almost all three’s on her last class. Three is the best mark for the twenty odd skill categories tested. France has started none of the testing, yet, and was a little on his mother’s nerves, advocating starting at once. Competition is good.

Caroline will be fourteen in January, and eligible for a moped license. If I knew how I would post a large “grin” emoticon here.

During the evening, Grandma Ruth’s daughter called, from her home in Sacremento. That family is leaving and going north for a while, to evade the smoke and smog. This morning I checked blogs I follow, to find a levee near Ellen Abbot’s home and studio broke. We hadn’t heard Stuff fromEllen’s Head recently, and I’d checked up on her by email. All was well then, and yesterday she and Marc were rescued by air boats.

The president’s termination of DACA is another unspeakable this week.  The Rep from Iowa, Steve King, announces ending DACA will restore the rule of law. What’s wrong with these people? Nearly eighty percent of American voters support DACA. I hope it shows at the polls. Vote this November. Vote next November. Vote in your primaries. You are in charge of selecting the people you vote into office. Always vote.