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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Karin" data-source="post: 96746" data-attributes="member: 57167">Okay I'm back! <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite8" alt=":D" title="Big Grin    :D" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":D" />I had the most amazing vacation in California. It was only my second visit in the USA (the first one went to Dallas 9 years ago) but I loved it. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />Hollywood is something else, definitely the land of make believe and the capital of the world cinema. I've seen so many places with my own eyes now that I had only seen on TV before. It feels sort of surreal seeing something that looks so familiar and yet you've never been there before.Also had a great time visiting with extended family and a friend. California is such a beautiful state and the people are in generally really nice. Sometimes strangers would compliment me on my clothes and I'd look at them all surprised that they were talking to me!Definitely not something we would do here in Sweden. But it's nice to hear of course. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />The weather was fab too. Really warm and sunny like summer weather. Although I hate to think about what's going on in California right now with the wild fires. The fires didn't start until after I had left LA. But it's burning on some of the places I drove by. It makes me really sad. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite3" alt=":(" title="Frown    :(" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":(" />Anyway back to my story. Thank you for the feedback [USER=312]@Ms Southworth[/USER] , [USER=66]@superman fan[/USER] , [USER=72]@Pammy P[/USER] , [USER=36]@Miss Texas 1967[/USER] , [USER=56]@Mrs Bobby James Ewing[/USER] , [USER=963]@Lizzy Ewing[/USER] and [USER=24]@Presea[/USER] . I appreciate all of your comments! :bh:Ms Southworth, it's just my opinion that everyone has the right to have a vacation at least once a year. I mean how much fun would life be if it was just work, work, work 52 weeks of the year?Well yeah of course Charlie is her mother's daughter. I think in some ways all children are like their parents...I'm glad you enjoyed Sue Ellen and Miss Ellie's conversation. Agreed about learning to drive a car. Knowing how to drive does offer you such a freedom. I'll never forget the first time I went for a drive all by myself. It was so exciting.Oh yeah sparks always fly in some way when JR/SE are in a scene together... <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /> :lolo: somehow you don't have to wait too long for that one!JR and John Ross will brush this subject soonish...But no John Ross won't get his driver's license any time soon. I'm not sure if he's aware of it yet. But he still have to take "Driver's Ed" to get it and he can't do that until school starts...Miss Texas 1967, I agree that Charlie need to let go of her anger from the past. But considering the fact that she and Ray has never worked things out and Ray still doesn't know that Randy is Charlie's boyfriend the past is still a factor here. It's gotten to the point where Charlie wants  Ray to know about her and Randy but Jenna and Charlie made a decision many years ago to keep it a secret from Ray and that's somehow wrecked Charlie's relationship with Ray and also caused problems and strain between Jenna and Ray.Yet I can see where Charlie was coming from and as a teenager I totally sided with her. These days I can see Ray's POV too. But even now as an adult I still think Ray was totally unfair when he shipped Charlie off to that boarding school in Europe. It's one thing if Charlie had wanted to study abroad for a year. It could have been a good experience for her. But to be thrown out made her feel like her mom chose her step-dad over her and caused her a lot of unnecessary pain. So it was not good parenting IMHO. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite3" alt=":(" title="Frown    :(" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":(" />Also no I don't think Jenna and Ray had a good reason to separate Charlie and Randy. Sure she was very young at 15 and surely nobody wants their child to be a teenage parent. But there are 15 year old kids who are having sex and if they want to do it there's nothing their parents can do that will stop them from doing it. If it wasn't Randy it would just have been someone else. If she's ready she's ready and that's her decision. So the responsible parent thing to do IMHO would have been for Jenna to have the safe sex talk with Charlie and show her that she was there if she wanted to talk and confide in her about what she was feeling and going through. Not to try to forbid Charlie from seeing her boyfriend. Also if pushed teenagers tend to do exactly the opposite of what their parents tells them to do just to spite them. So IMHO they handled it all wrong and Ray who had been Charlie's step-dad for less than a year really had no business talking about something so sensitive and embarrassing with Charlie as sex. It really should have been Jenna's job.I get that Ray wanted to step up and prove himself as a parent. But surely there must have been some other way for him to do that then to butt into her love life.I agree that Jenna did the best she could raising Charlie when she was a single mom. Yet when she married Ray she did let down her daughter. She should have refused to send her to boarding school against her will. It was not fair.Sanda, I'm glad you thought the update was cute. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />I loved all of Sue Ellen  and JR's parenting moments on the show. Despite everything I think they were actually good parents to John Ross.Lizzy Ewing, that's cool. You are definitely not alone in having Sue Ellen as your favorite character on this board. She's loved by many more posters here. Right [USER=6]@Sue Ellen's Nipple Tassles[/USER] ? <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" />Presea, thanks I'm glad that you like the way Richard reacted to Pam's news. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />Also maybe Don Dorkwood will surprise you and actually return Sue Ellen's call?Not that we want them to solve anything as the divorce can't happen fast enough...Oh yeah we certainly haven't seen the last time John Ross gets grounded in this story! <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" />The kid is a bit of a rebel or as JR would say it "A chip off the old block". Also I agree that John Ross trying to score with a 22 year old is not a good thing!Yet I'm not sure JR would agree with us if he knew...Also Charlie may be an adult now, yet she's a young adult straight out of college, so she still has some growing up to do. It will happen soon when she starts working and gets a taste of the real world. She'll learn soon that life after college is not what she thought it would be!At Disneyland! <img src="https://smileyshack.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/smileyslaughinganimal_duck_lol_100-100.gif?w=125&h=150"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":rolling:" title="Rolling    :rolling:" data-shortname=":rolling:" />Yep I had a great time in Sunny California. Vacations when you get to travel are the best. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />But yeah it's nice to be missed. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" />Aww that's so sweet. It's nice to know I belong somewhere... :ch:Anyway enough chit chat, I guess you are all waiting for an update, right? :wink@Oh and since I've left you hanging for almost a month you'll get a double treat tonight. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />Tuesday afternoon at Wades’ house, Charlie was sitting in the kitchen, having a cup of tea when Martha came into the room. “Oh hello Charlie.”Charlie turned around saying, “Oh hi Aunt Martha. Want some tea?”“Yes please,” Martha said and sat down at the table while Charlie got up to get another cup. Martha looked around before she asked, “Where is your mother?”“Oh she took Lucas grocery shopping.” Charlie put down the cup in front of Martha and sat back down.“Really?” Martha was surprised. “I did not think little Lucas liked shopping?”“Well she bribed him with a toy car. You’ll see he does anything to get those and the grocery store is right next to a Toys R us!”Martha laughed, “He is a cute boy.”Charlie smiled too, “Yeah. You never had any kids Aunt Martha?” Martha looked sad, “No, it never was right. I didn’t get married until recently and well… it didn’t work out so well.”Martha made a face and Charlie said, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”“No Charlie it is okay. I want us to get to know each other. After all you are all I have left of my brother.” Charlie bit her lip, “You miss him?”Martha nodded, “Yes. Despite what happen to him later in life, growing up he was a great big brother. He always looked out for Anna and me.” Martha smiled. “I remember my first visit alone to Roma. He followed me, making sure I was alright!”“He did?”Martha nodded, “Yes. You see when I was 14 I convinced my mother that I and a friend would be allowed to go alone to Rome to do some shopping. She was a little hesitant but gave me her blessing. My father said nothing but Renaldo…He was so worried about little old me that he followed us around all day to make sure we didn’t get into trouble.”Charlie smiled, “When did you find out he’d done that?”“Not until years later. Your father was good at hiding himself.” Martha got a sad look in her eyes. “If only he could have hidden away that last time.”“Well I’m glad I got a chance to meet him before…” Charlie looked down and her voice trailed off when she thought about her father's murder. It still hurt to know that because of what had happened she had never truly gotten to know her dad and some days it made her feel like a part of her was missing.Sensing the younger woman's pain Martha leant over and took Charlie’s hand saying, “I am too! He was so proud of you and he was so sad that he wasted all that time when you were little.”Charlie looked confused, “But… I didn’t think you had any contact with him…”“We didn’t for years and years. But before he came back to see you, he and I had made peace and for that I am glad.”“Was that why you blamed my mom when he died?”Martha sighed, “Oh Charlie, I was just so upset I could not see straight. You and your mother were never to blame for the actions of my brother. He made bad choices in life, and so do I!” Martha looked pensive before she went on. “I guess we are more alike than I want to admit.”“Oh come on Aunt Martha. It’s not your fault your husband’s a wife beater. Besides I’m sure he didn’t seem so at first.”“Oh no, when I met Lorenzo he took me off my feet!” Martha smiled wistfully. “He was rich, good looking and very well mannered. Our first year of marriage was very good. We travel everywhere, go to parties… I guess it really suited a jet set girl like me…but then…” Martha shrugged her shoulders. “He showed his true face!”“How?” Charlie asked. “I mean what did he do?” “He got too involved in the family business and things went downhill from there…” Martha explained. “He got abusive too…and things span out of control. After everything he’s done …I can never go back to him now.” “Well don’t worry Aunt Martha you’re with us now and you’re safe and we’re gonna make sure you don’t have to have anything to do with that creep again!”“Thanks dear, I really wish it was that easy, ” Martha smiled sadly at Charlie who leant forward and gave her aunt a hug. In doing so she completely missed the troubled expression on her aunt's face.</blockquote>

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