The Most Shocking Part of All

“I’m tired lately, I’ve been waking-up feeling like Count Dracula.” --Eric Van Lustbader, THE NINJA, 1980 

My first cousin, Carol Lucero, wrote me a sweet card using recycled paper that used soy-based ink. The card depicted an original pen and ink drawing of an Apache Storage Basket. 

6-21-96 

Dear Michael, 

Hi there! Received your 2 postcards. Sometimes it’s easier for me to handwrite a letter than to remember email. As you know Ryan uses the computer 95% of the time. and me 5% of the time. So, you have a MAC? Don’t hold it against us. We have a PC. You can reach us @ ‘ryan25@hooked.net’. I either need my own address or add my name to his address—but Ryan uses it for work many times, so I dunno... 

Glad to hear you had a great time visiting Yosemite. Did you walk around toward any of the falls? It’s been great. We’ve been gathering photos of May 18th from all sources. We’ve quite a collection so far and we can’t wait to see the professional pix. Our next agenda will be to visit you on an appropriate weekend (Sat/Sun). What’s your summertime schedule? Aren’t you going to Washington DC in July?  

You have a great idea regarding a Family Tree program for the computer. I’ll even look around for one. 

What else...oh yeah! Maybe you’ve noticed but I have finally decided NOT to change my name. I kept changing my mind and trying all variations but alas as I started officially changing my name on documents, I started losing sleep and couldn’t eat. I just couldn’t go through with changing my name. Ryan laughs and doesn’t see it as a problem. He prefers I keep LUCERO and I realized I do, too. So, there is it. it’s strange cuz I send people letters and THANK YOU cards and they still insist on writing me back CAROL FERRIS but not you. I think the last card you addressed Carol Lucero Ferris. Thank You, but from now on it’ll be Carol Lucero. I’m probably driving everybody nuts cuz I couldn't make up my mind. It was much easier deciding I wanted to marry Rayn vs. Changing my name (Ha!). Hopefully, this won't mess up my future family tree (Ha-ha!). 

Well, now that I’ve confused you, I’ll let you go.  

Later,  

Love, 

Carol J Lucero 

Meanwhile, my sis-in-law, Sherri, surprised me this week with a one-page letter from a hotel in San Francisco (the MONTICELLO INN, Union Square). The most shocking part of all was that my brother, John, wrote a few words to me as well.  

June 23, 1996 

Dear Michael, 

We just arrived to our very small, quaint room. It’s good that John and I haven’t been away for a while or we might both need our space! 

We’re very close to shopping and we’ll probably do that tomorrow! It’s nice for us to get away and ‘just do nothing’. 

Brother Mike, 

Now I know what it would be like to have a studio apartment. Yet, very nice and historical. Enjoying your gift, brother. Thank You. Here’s Sherri... 

Well, see you next weekend when you come up. We have B-Day presents for you! Ash is excited. We left our HEART in S.F. 

Love, 

Sherri 

Yes! On March 6, 1996 I purchased four American Airlines tickets directly from AAA for myself, my mother (age 60), and my nieces (Ashley, age 12) and Lauren (age 11). I charged the ticked on my CITIBANK GOLD VISA. Cost was $460 for me; $12 for mom; $360 for Ashley; $360 for Lauren. Total: $1192. I’m as excited as the rest of us. I have a great itinerary planned with some spontaneity thrown in—so, we’ll see what happens.  

 

“Everyone’s frightened of what they don’t understand.” --Eric Van Lustbader, THE NINJA, 1980