We have returned from several days' vacation, so there will be lots of updates throughout the day. Special thanks to our correspondent Erika McCarden for covering Relay for Life in our absence, and Bill Westphal for the great pictures of Those Manning Boys.
We spent our vacation in a gathering of tribes in Ft. Collins, Colorado, to celebrate the birthday of our grandmother, Mary Ellen Dixon McClelland Allen (Grandma Ellen). She turned 100 years old on Aug. 14, still lives by herself in her own apartment, and the state of Colorado says she can still drive. We had a great gathering at the Elks Lodge, where she received visitors and cards and letters from the mayor, the governor, and her favorite actress, Betty White. (Supposedly a letter from the White House is on its way). It was a grand time to celebrate a grand lady, but we're glad we're back!
