So here I am sitting in another world watching jackrabbits race across the open field for no apparent reason and then suddenly stop for no apparent reason.  The rabbits always run north and south, never east and west.  And they never run into each other.  It's the strangest phenomenon.  The rabbits run in Mom and Dad's backyard here at Alamo, Texas, where we're celebrating Dad's 75^th birthday.  Mom has planned great food. 
Being down in Texas always reminds me of when I was a little girl on the farm because we always have to do dishes by hand here.  The automatic dishwasher is as sparkling new as the day it was installed.

So here I am sitting in another world waiting for Jenny to join me at the sushi bar.  It's become a weekly habit for us.  We talk about the possibility that it's an addiction.  If it is, we think it's the wasabi that's addicting more so than the salmon sake and seaweed rolls. 
The waitresses here have come to know us -- just as they have in other area restaurants.  One would think I never cook at home, and that is partly true.  Ever since Allan bought us that New Holland Grill, he does the meat.  Nothing can beat it -- and that includes the finest restaurant anywhere! 

So here I am sitting in another world near a large body of water that I always call "the ocean" because it looks and acts like an ocean but it's really Lake Michigan.  My traveling companions are in the trees because Mother Nature has called them and they can't wait until we get to a gas station.
A few minutes ago we were lost, and when I called the Manistique police from my cell phone for directions, they asked where I was.  I replied, "I'm near the ocean, and there are a lot of million dollar homes here at a junction with Million Dollar Road."  The policeman was very kind, but said as politely as possible, "Try to go back to where you came from."
If Father Elstan lived closer, I wouldn't get lost so often.

So here I am sitting in another world watching Late Nite Catechism at the Ordway Theater in St. Paul and this old nun on stage asks the audience as part of her stint, "Who can tell me what is meant by 'Easter duty'?  Please raise your hand if you know the answer."
Instinctively, Yours Truly raises her hand.  Impulsively, the nun calls on me.  I get the prize, a plastic rosary.

So here I am sitting in another world surrounded by four huge pillars that rise from a marble floor to support a huge cathedral dome.  On the huge beam encircling the four pillars, carved in stone, are the four cardinal virtues:  temperance, fortitude, prudence, and justice. 
I'm waiting for Father Bob White to finish having lunch with Archbishop Harry Flynn.  If you read Father Bob's article in this issue of the Gazette, you'll know why he's come to depend on others to drive him here and there.
The four cardinal virtues remind me of the four cardinal points on a compass:  north, south, east, and west.  Pleases don't tell me that my sense of direction is an indication of my sense of virtue. 

So here I am sitting in another world, relaxed in the living room of Nick's townhome in Maple Grove, watching television and marveling at our son's adventure in choosing the new DVD technology instead of VCR cassettes.  I'm watching Lonesome Dove, his choice, and I smile at its country western flavor.
Right outside his patio door I spy his gas grill.  Guess Nick's got some of his papa in him too.

So here I am sitting in another world watching and listening to Barbara Bush at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis.  The former first lady is, among other things, a comedian.  Says she, "You could all be home tonight watching Who Wants To Be A Millionaire."
The audience, which is quite large and mostly women, is invited to submit written questions.  She answers about five of them -- one of them mine.  I know exactly which word in my question caught their attention:
"Barbara," I had written, "what makes you tick?  Is it God or truth or sex or what?"  With perfect stage presence, she allowed the audience its initial chuckle, and then with perfect timing that brought the house down, the white-haired grandmother said, "It's my belief in God.  Also, I put family …. and love … right up there!"

So here I am sitting in another world … no wonder some of you think I'm an alien.
   Love, Sue