I will talk of my time at the International Association of Pastel Societies in Albuquerque a little later. But I must tell you about my arrival home.

I began my return home this morning at 4 a.m. from Albuquerque. I flew into Dallas. My new departure gate in Dallas: A 33. An announcement at A33: a change of gates from A33 to C35. Catch the shuttle, a 15 minute ride on the tram and walk to Concourse C. I arrive at the C35 to hear a new announcement: a change of departure gates: Gate A33. Catch another shuttle from C back to A. Another 15 minute ride and walk, to Concourse A. A new announcement: new departure gate at gate C 35. Another shuttle ride and walk back to gate C. We wait an hour for a plane, finally board and wait on the tarmac for another hour because of weather in Atlanta. I finally am home in Atlanta at 5:00 instead of 1:30. It took me 12 hours to get from Albuquerque to Atlanta.

Of course the first thing I do is inspect my little garden. There have been several inches of rain since I've been gone and I want to see how my tomato plants, holly hocks, verbena, peonies, baby hydrangeas and all the little cuttings Terry Powers, fellow pastel artist, gave me last week are doing. To my surprise, lying at the bottom of my tomato plants: 3 HUGE, bright red tomatoes! How could that be after only only 4 days absence? I know we had torrential rain and thunderstorms, but could it be possible that this could happen??? I went to the vegetable garden...6" zucchinis!!!!! And yellow squash! Already about 4 inches! Could it be possible? Can this torrential rain really have this affect?? But wait. A full grown, mature eggplant? No way. There was nothing 4 days ago. OMG. I'm hearing the silence of my neighbors on the other side of the fence, George and Mike, suspiciously silent as I'm yelling about the vegetables in my garden. Then they're suspiciously encouraging and envious. Wait a minute. That eggplant is big... no way. No way. I inspect all the gorging mature fruit. The tomatoes. They're all lying perfectly intact on the ground, detached from the plant... the yellow squash...perfectly intact, detached from the plant. The zucchini... detached from the plant...

OMG, I have been duped!!! I am an idiot! Mike and George have 'planted' them all. I am an idiot!! But they have a glass of wine waiting for me as we laugh hysterically over their brilliant practical joke. I have been welcomed into their community. I have landed in paradise and have spent the evening sharing drinks and enjoying our little homes in East Point, Georgia.