The events in a few hours can totally change our priorities. Kimball wanted me to have this chat with you yesterday afternoon. I wasn’t inspired to write and didn’t. Today I’ve got an entirely different list.

About 5:10 p.m. Monday we heard the fire call go out for the Bobby and Frances Budd home. We elected not to go so we wouldn’t get in the way.

Tuesday, I learned from Fire Chief Bob Floyd that the house was a total loss. If you are looking for something to be thankful for, Bobby told the fire chief that was about the time they would have been taking a nap if they had been home.

Leann Irvin asked Angela Kenney to set up a Bobby and Frances Budd Fire Fund at Community Bank of El Dorado Springs. Becky Collins, who works at Mercy Clinic, is kind of in charge of clothing donations. She asked that people hold off on clothing donations right now and instead drop off cash donations at the Clinic.

– I hope you and yours had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Cain, Adrian and Van made the trip from Baton Rouge with no hitches. A significant savings on tickets sent them back to KCI on Saturday. What a blessing in disguise that let them avoid the blizzard on Sunday.

I had forgotten what it was like to have a 13 month old in the house. I’m sure all you grandparents think yours is the prettiest, brightest and all that. Me, too.

We were all sitting at Thanksgiving dinner before Davis, Erica and Ben arrived and Van was in his high chair hammering out some tune only he could hear (except we heard the spoon hitting the wooden tray.) I said, “If we were in a restaurant and somebody else’s kid was doing that, I’d be annoyed. Here, it’s just my grandson having a good time.”

If you really want to see Van get on a high, just start on his favorite that he learned at daycare: “If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands…” He can’t sing it yet, but he can squeal it and clap his hands.

I don’t know where Adrian and Cain find the energy to keep up with him.

Erica wasn’t feeling well infanticipating, but she found the energy to hold Van.

Cain, who Adrian says loves projects, started the first blaze in Kimball’s firepit. Then he used her wheelbarrow to bring limbs to it from all over the yard.

We all met for breakfast Saturday morning including Margaret and Tom who were out of town on Thanksgiving Day. Nice send off for our travelers. KL