Family news

Lolo is very worried about the dogs at the farm. We have two boys working there who are supposed to feed them, but haven't been giving the dogs enough food. (I suspect that is because the boys, i.e. young men, are eating most of the rice they cook so none is left over for the dogs...the dogs are supposed to supplement the diet with rats/rabbits etc for protein)...they are so thin he has our cook making lots of extra rice to mix with dogfood and sending it there when he visits. But it's a busy time right now: Preparing the farm for the next planting, and (here) using the farmers wives to help pack the holiday gift rice bags and handicrafts, along with keeping all the various orders straight.

So for the last three days, we have sent the food with staff, and Lolo hasn't been to the farm. This morning he got angry and insisted that one of his drivers come and take him there right away. But when the driver came, Joy had errands and so he drove us around to various banks, to pick up a fifty pound sack of dog food (it usually lasts a month, but not with two nursing dogs and sending food to the farm) and to the mall, for Ruby to pick up new teenage books while Joy and I ordered McDonalds stuff for everyone. Lolo was a bit mad at the delay, but forgave everyone when he saw the Big Mac and ice cream sundae.

So now it is finally quiet: Lolo left for the farm, and I am in our airconditioned bedroom to rest and relax.

When we try to talk to Lolo, it sounds like we are fighting: His hearing is very bad, and I have to shout. I am starting to use a pencil and paper to write everything now. He is not senile: The hearing loss is from taking streptomycin for his TB over fifty years ago, but in the past ten year has gone from 50 db to 120 db loss...sigh.