Thoughts from the pool

Well, mainly one thought, FAMILY.  I kept thinking about my family. Regular readers know we have a nephew who is the father of our pretend grandchildren.  He also is a Lt. Colonel in the Air Force.  Tres is my brother's only child. 

Tres and his family lived in Davis (just an hour away from us) for 2 years.  Then in June they left Travis Air Force Base and  moved to Incirlik Air Base in Turkey.  Marty and I have missed the family so much.  This week Tres had a meeting in L.A. which is only 2 to 3 hours away from us.  He had time to spend 24 hours with us.  We had a great time talking and doing the family thing, drinking wine.

Tres told us about his new job. He and his people make sure that medical care is there for injured service people.  He makes planes fly, troops are dropped, Seal Teams are carried to scary places. Planes are refueled in the air.  The dead are brought home. Anything the troops need, the Air Force delivers, anything.

I am not real sure where are some of the countries he has airmen.  But I know they are not nice places.  They are what he called combat zones.  I think that is correct, could be areas wine was involved.  He is not a "boss" who sits in his office and reads reports about these places.  He goes in and spends time with his people.  He cares about them, and lets them know it. 

This is one family Tres has, the military.  And there is the civilian family.  We shared family stories, the older cousin the  younger ones thought was bossy.  Yes Lisa Kay, we talked about you.  But with love.  Stories were told of cousins sleeping on cots in the Living Room with the scary portrait on the wall.  They were all terrified of this picture.  I defended the picture, it is a wonderful oil painting of my grandfather.  I have never been able to convince any of them that it is not scary.  These cousins are now 40 or older.

Stories were told about Tres' Pop and Mother.  These are two brilliant successful people who we laugh at when it comes to technology.  They have improved.  I told events that happened when Pop (Henry) was a little boy.  Some sad and some funny.

I told about a dance we all went to with Mother and Papa Jack. (My brother is often quiet and business like) Mother was close to a teetotaler.  But drinking was happening with her children and their spouses.  The next day Mother said, "Henry should drink more often.  He really loosens up."

We talked about Tres's wife and children, our son and his wife, cousins, aunts and uncles.  We covered most of the family.  We sat up until after 1:00 in the morning and were up by 8:30 to continue talking.  So much to catch up on and then he was gone.

I am sitting here with tears in my eyes missing him, worrying about him.  Family is so important, whether they are blood kin, inlaws, or that family you make from your day to day life.  Be sure to tell them all you love them.