The storms here have been fierce here. Today I saw a 200-year-old oak snapped in half like a twig. We have been lucky, so far. But each time the winds whip up and the rain starts thundering on the roof, we watch anxiously for falling trees or floods from the backyard creek. We are beginning to feel like we�re under siege.

We spent the morning preparing for guests and the afternoon visiting with them. My mother-in-law�s twin sister is in for a visit from the left coast. AJ was quite perplexed at encountering a clone of his grandmother. He hasn�t seen his great aunt since he was a tiny baby. We tried to prepare him by looking through our wedding album for pictures of the two of them together. Still, he eyed his aunt suspiciously, as if she was some usurper of grandmotherliness, even when she made a volunteer donation to his beloved Snoopy bank.

The dishes are done, the leftovers put away and it�s time to stretch out in bed with the paper, which I haven�t yet had a chance to read. Tomorrow, if the rain ever dissipates, we head to Park Ridge to watch my nieces march in the annual Memorial Day parade. This is the kind of parade I remember from my own childhood � miles of boy and girl scout troops, school marching bands, local politicians running out of the procession to glad hand those on the sidelines. AJ still remembers last year�s parade � amazing to me, given that it is about 1/3 of his life ago. �It�s going to be loud,� he said apprehensively as we discussed tomorrow�s events at bedtime. He was referring to the brigade of Shriners on motorcycles that sent him into an apopleptic fit last year. Then I reminded him that the throwing of candy was an integral part of the evening and his face lit up. �I can�t wait!�

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