TheBanyanTree: Blast from the past

[Indiglow]

Hello, dear friends,
  Has been a long time, I know - but since the move to the tree, I've been singularly unsuccessful posting ... but Laura/Wolfie assures me this addy works.  Thank you, beautiful lady!
  It has been a time of great challenges along with the joys... sigh - such is life, I guess.
  Bob and I bought a home in Oregon - a "retirement" home - if he can/will ever retire...  the original thought was to share with our daughter, Deborah, and her family - beautiful grandson Robby, and husband Erik - following 19 years in an abusive marriage from which she'd had enough.  This year, in September, Emmelynne was born - to complete the Ducret-Shiley family.
  Somewhere in the midst of the chaos, older dughter, Laura, and family (husband and 3 small children) ended up in Oregon also.  Closest to my heart was the youngest - "The Ant" - who has been diagnosed with Asperger's.  In June, he was still in diapers.  By August, he was toilet trained.  He had never drunk from other than a bottle or sippy cup - but was able to drink from a cup, glass, straw, handily by the time I left OR.  He was eating with a fork or spoon... for the first time in a row...  What a change for a little boy with so many needs!!!!!!!
  When I was there, I sported numerous bruises from his affectionate patting and stroking.  He loved me so, because I gave him the micro-attention he so desperately needed.
  Under the circumstances, who knows what prompts one to go astray???  I can easily understand how daughter Laura felt trapped in Las Vegas, with nowhere to go.  But in OR, she had a home, she had family around (her sister, her half brother, their spouses, me) to help her with the entrapment.  At first, when I got there, she was happy, healthy, strong, doing laundry, doing dishes, going to work, and just an awesome woman.  And then we began to see scratches on her face (she of the beautiful complexion) and that she was sleeping through her days off... no "face" time for her kids - while Deborah (younger daughter) and I tried to give them (the kids) the attention they needed.
  Younger daughter Deborah, could not stand the uncertainty, and forced her sister Laura to take a home drug test.  She popped positive for numerous things - cocaine, meth-amphetamines, marijuana, etc. - she threw the "pee test" at Deborah and cursed her.  Deborah took Laura to work that day   (the one place she'd been religiously faithful with time etc.) - but she never came home.  
  Okay, I'm just too tired tonight to share any more.  Will continue in the future.
Jana