Newsworthy Update I

Let's start all this updating with a couple of newsworthy items, which you will note do not include any knitting.

First after only four days in Minneapolis I purchased a car.  Truth be known my eldest purchased, licensed and insured it because in Minnesota one has to relinquish their old driver's license and secure a Minnesota driver's license to purchase a car.  It is not time to give up my BC license and one can hold only one driver's license in North America so these arrangements were made.  His car happens to reside in my garage and I happen to use it a great deal.

I had been looking for months before the purchase was made.  In fact my poor son had taken several test drives for me and frankly didn't seem very keen about the condition of any of the cars we found from private parties.  Eventually my car was purchased from a very small dealership which seemed to have mostly luxury cars for sale.  My car is anything but a luxury car.

I purchased a Chrysler PT Cruiser, now the epitome of out-of-style cars.  I wanted my second car to be dependable yet affordable and more useful than a regular four-door in hauling stuff around.  The parameters set included a car with less than 100,000 miles (161,000 km) at a price less than $8,000.  The more and more I looked it became apparent one could find such a PT Cruiser for less than $5,000, in fact mine was less than $4,000 and had only 83,000 miles on it.   So here's the little beauty that made life so much easier for me in the Twin Cities.

I named her Minnie, she's not new but very reliable.

Paul says I am one of the few people he knows who would get so excited about a 10 year old car.  But then I am the one who went for four months without a car last summer and who clearly remembers the wear and tear that caused on myself, friends and family.  Being able to go where I want, when I choose seems like a great luxury after relying on mass transit.

News item two.  I have known for months that by mid-September I will be the grandmother of two.  My youngest son and his wife are expecting, meaning Miss M will be a big sister.  It was late in April when everyone in the family found out the gender of this new baby.  (BTW Miss M selected the butterfly as well as other balloons for this announcement.)

At the moment of the big reveal.  Everyone was excited.  Thanks Mark for this photo.

Yup, I will be a grandmother for two girls.  It is so gratifying after a lifetime of no sisters or daughters I get to be Grandma Jan to two females!  Here's what I had to say on the topic when I heard about Miss M.  Nothing in that post has changed.  Having one grand daughter is fantastic, two will be just beyond all expectations I ever had about girls in my life.  BTW mom and baby are doing just fine although the recent heat has contributed to some lack of sleep causing fatigue for mom.

So two news items, I have a car and a new grand daughter on the way.  You know knitting is involved with the latter, but not so much with the former.