Joann and Steve came over today. That was a very pleasant surprise. I sent them a card and told Joann that I wasn't really crazy; that when I sent her the letter from Portland talking about how much I missed Maw-Maw Virgie, Aunt Margie, and everyone who's still living down there, and how I'd like to re-establish ties with the family in Blacksburg, I never intended for so many months to get by me without ever going down there. I explained how our new run had pretty much stopped us from doing much of anything.

Anyway, they were up this way and stopped by. While there is still some odd tension and discomfort between Joann and I (which I still do not understand), the visit was friendly enough. Especially after Mama finally got her wig on and joined the conversation. Joann's comfort level goes way up once Mama is involved. But when it's just me and Joann, she's really uncomfortable.

I really, deeply regret that I've lost touch with the family in South Carolina. I never intended to wind up as some kind of outsider with no real ties to any of them. But I have to admit that, whether I like it or not, with Aunt Margie gone, I don't have any real ties to them. Joann, Chip and Chuck are all Montgomerys. Aunt Margie was a Blackwell. I'm a Lovelace. So I don't know. Maybe that's the problem. I do hope to resolve it one of these days.