New Arrivals, Spring Flowers, and the Queen's Birthday!

This Spring two new 'Super Nieces' joined the family!
Most recently our dear niece Heather brought Eliora Lin into the world.
Mother and daughter are both home and doing well, and we are thrilled!

Last month Beatrix Fern made her arrival in the Cockroft household as daughter number three!

Auntie Phyllis was privileged to see her, and we both can't wait to see both her and Eliora when everyone is here in the Old North State in August.
I took the liberty of 'borrowing' pictures from their web sites here.

And Weds marks the birthday of the Queen of mine and Ariels hearts and minds, the ever loverly Felicia!

She is already in party mode, I have a hard time keeping up with her anymore.
I must be getting old, she most certainly is not!

There will of course be pictures posted later this week of the festivities.

In no particular order, Beatrix, Eliora Lin, Queen Felicia and Crown Prince Ariel the Brave, and the Queen involved in her new hobby of Heavy Equipment Operating.
Also Felicia practicing for her week long (with Mother's Day month long) celebratory revelry.

Mothers and sons, and Spring busting out....

The Queen herself relaxing on her front porch on a delightful Mother's Day 2008.






Queen Felicia is our guest photograper for Mother's Day.
Her early present was a new CoolPix Nikon Digital camera.
Many of you were victimized by it during her recent trip to Ohio and Pennslyvania.

Bonnie, chilling on the porch.













This spring is certainly lush and green. No remnants of our severe drought remain.


































Ariel shares a yuck with Csonk the Wonder Dog.
A proud mother and her son at lunch on her M.V.M. (Most Valuable Mom) day out.

"The Secret Society of the Hot Flashers"

Recently, a new group of miscreants has appeared in our neighborhood.
They call themselves
"The Secret Society of the Hot Flashers."
Their membership consists of half crazed menopausal women.
Just think of the "Hell's Grannies" sketch from the old Monty Python's Flying Circus program, and you will get the picture.

The expressed purpose of their group (gang!) is to read uplifting books and comment on same.
Their actual agenda is far more sinister, however.
Copious amounts of wine, chocolate and talk coupled with the group didactic more often than not leads to a reversion to school girl summer camp hijinks.

No one will admit who starts the silliness, of course.
One is as guilty as the other in actuality.
They have a secret handshake, and code names for one another.
"Sister Mary Felicia" is but one example.
I have no idea as to her actual identity, but I suspect she is one of the instigators of mischief.
Other alias include "Sister Mary Jill", "Sister Mary Pamela", "Sister Mary Diana", "Sister Mary Arlena", and the ever mysterious and mynxlike above mentioned Sister Mary Felicia.

The combined great detective minds of we neighborhood men most likely could discover their true identities.
But, being that we are reasonably intelligent, we have decided that we reallly don't want to know.
What we don't know ain't going to hurt us.
We just try to stay out of their way for the most part.

Recent escapades included knocking down a huge political sign from our recent Gubernatiorial Primary race, and taking cheeky photos of one another.

"Well, everyone will just blame it on the neighborhood teenaged boys!" was heard from one of the suspects.

Teenaged boys act like, well teenaged boys.
Mature women, shed of the responsibilities of child rearing and struggling through the tough years of life also act like, well teenaged boys!

As I see it, they are less likely to drive us into further middle aged man madness when they have each other to cavort with.

Viva 'La Crazy, ladies!