And Now News From Malan Anthony

I'm in Los Angeles - Studio City living in the Hollywood Hills. It's absolutely beautiful here and I am so glad that I came. The weather is spectacular. I just got back from a 1/2 hour walk with coffee to see more of my neighborhood.

I live in Laurelvale Canyon, the neighborhood that Frank Zappa lived and died in. I'm up in the hills so I'm surrounded by nature, but in 10 minutes I can drive down and be on the Sunset Strip and in the middle of everything whenever I want. I haven't gone out much yet, I've been focusing on getting my house set up, working and going to AA meetings.

I'm working from home, no 9-5 for me doing freelance design and marketing a few products online. Right now I have some nice automated income on the search engines that pays for my rent and bills so I'm not getting rich but I'm not going broke either. I'm doing a few websites for clothing lines that are starting soon that will pay nicely and give me something cool to work on.

I spend most days either at AA, floating around the internet, at the beach or out at Italian resturaunts. My girlfriend is Italian and from New York and loves Italian food so we're there ALOT. :)

Okay, Here Is News From Sean

Hi Granny,

Getting back to you while I have a minute at work. Things have been going well. Casey and I are still lining in SLC. We are going down to Moab in a few weeks to camp in Arches National Park. She has never seen Delicate Arch so we are going to hike around the desert for a few days. I am still playing a lot of golf and have some tournaments for the next few weekends. The one time that I was in North Carolina, I went golfing and the courses there are amazing.

New From Ruth and Michael Malan

Life is really hectic and it shouldn't be. We returned this week from spending nearly a week in Colorado visiting and vacationing. Lisa's oldest daughter, Katherine, graduated from high school on Saturday so we went for that. We brought a couple of her other younger children home with us so Ron and Lisa could take Katherine on a trip. We have a nine-year-old and a three-year-old with us. Also we have Gina's daughter here so I can work and they can be entertained. Lisa will be here on Saturday. Two of her other children are with Laura. It is fun to see them and spend some time with them since we don't see them very often.

Lisa's oldest son is on a mission in Fiji. He has been there for a year now and really loves it.

Laura graduated with honors from Utah State University this month in education. She will be teaching third grade at an elementary school close to her home. Gina also works at that school. We were really proud of her for going back to school after having four children.

Also we reached a new milestone this month. May 5 our first great-grandson was born. He is really cute, of course. Josh and Haley are cute parents to little Cason.

We still live in the same house on Oxford Drive in Kaysville. We have been here for so long that we will probably be here for the rest of our lives. At least it is paid for.

Michael has been suffering with his back so the trip wasn't great for that. He is doing OK though. He has lost a lot of weight since being diagnosed with diabetes. Wish I could lost weight. You are blessed not to have the fat gene. I struggle with weight all of the time and one of our daughters also does.

Donna's house still hasn't sold. The real estate market here in Utah is supposed to be better than any place else but it still hasn't sold. Maybe this summer. It is getting very expensive to leave empty. Michael has to pay the condo fees and the electricity too.

And here is a short note to tell you about Michael's back. He has had several doctors but they don't seem to help. Apparently it is a birth defect. It was OK when he was young because his muscles were young too and held everything in place. When we looked at the MRI we could see how the nerves wrap around the spinal column. We were told that no surgeon would touch him because there is a 50 percent chance it would paralyze him. Some of the disks have deteriorated too so he just puts up with it and takes over the counter pain medications. For a while he got some prescription drugs but they didn't do any better than the cheap ones. He doesn't use them every day though.

There is a Hadley reunion coming up next month. We hardly ever go. We went to a cousin reunion a few years ago -- I should say I went with some of my children. Michael really doesn't like reunions so I have to drag him to them. He is like his dad that way. He would rather just stay home. He looks more like his dad now too. I said that to Lisa the other day and she said, "but he is cuter." That is a funny thing to say about an older man, but he is her father.

I am not on staff with the paper just a correspondent so I get to write at home. I go up to the Ogden office about once a month to meetings.

Right now I am going to check on three granddaughters who are up in the kitchen. Emily, age 9 and cousin Sadie age 8 are playing a version of Monopoly and Rebekah age 3 is bothering them -- oops here is Rebekah now asking for lunch. I told her I would be there in a minute and she said, "I'll be waiting up there," and "Grandma you're funny."

At the Shrink's

It is most disconcerting when one is at the shrink's when said shrink yawns.

Here's News From Julie in June

Life is mostly quiet here. Jessie and Christoph are moving into a house this weekend so the kids are here. They are having a movie down in the school yard tonight so i guess we will go. Work is getting better. I am learning my job better and not feeling so intimidated by all the scientists around me. It's good also to be doing something besides sitting in front of a computer and talking on the phone all day. Getting a lot more exercise. School is out so Reilly won't be coming here after school anymore. She will be at the boys and girls club all day. Ethan had his graduation from Preschool last week. We also went to the zoo last week to celebrate his and Marty's birthday. Haley came but Sean was in a golf tournament so didn't come. Everyone is fine. Had to get some real glasses yesterday. hard to admit my eyes are getting old. Hopefully will be better than my reading glasses. Just need them for close work but do a lot of that at work so I hope it helps. Wish I could come visit. Sometime I will. Hope you and Don are okay. Don't drive each other too crazy. The Oreos and milk sound like a great escape. Think I'll go get some. Will try to keep in better touch. Dad called last week, he sounded really good. Not sure if he can work ....hard to know how he would deal with not being able to draw. better go find those kids.

Yeah, I Recycle, That's What Co-dependents Do!

From www.thebratfactor.com

I have a lovely habit: At night in my prayers I touch
everyone I have seen that day. I shape my heart like
theirs and theirs like mine. Saint Teresa of Avila

I read that the Buddhist's have a practice called "metta."
In a traditional setting, "metta": is done like a meditation.
Using these four statements:

May you feel protected and safe.
May you feel contented and pleased.
May your physical body provide you with strength.
May your life unfold smoothly with ease.

In the practice of "metta" we start by praying for the four
things above for the self first and then for a person we
respect, like a teacher or minister; then a person we love;
then a person we're neutral about; and then a person we might
be challenged by. I am adding one more "person" to do this
for, (sorry Buddha for changing your teaching) add your brat
even though she doesn't have a physical body.