A baby is God’s opinion that the world should go on.
[Carl Sandburg]

Michael Alexander was born December 1 at 5:00 p.m. He weighed 5 pounds, 14 ounces. Here he is with his mom and dad, Rachel and Solomon, and his maternal grandparents, Katherine and Michael. My heart is warmed.

No wise man ever wished to be younger.
[Jonathan Swift]

Yesterday, Winston Churchill would have turned 133 years old. My Aunt Esther would have turned 96. I turned 65. Aunt Esther used to send me birthday cards that said “Happy Birthday to you, me and Winnie.” For many years, I didn’t really know who Winnie was but, when I was turning 12, I saw a newspaper that said he was preparing to celebrate his 80th birthday. In school, we were learning the proper form for composing letters and were assigned to write a letter to someone. I wrote a birthday letter to Mr. Churchill. My teacher told me he was a Sir and surprised me by even knowing his address — No. 10 Downing Street, London, England. I mailed it. Several weeks later, I received a note from him. It was handwritten on 10 Downing Street paper. He said:

I am so much obliged to you for your very kind
token of goodwill on my birthday.

Winston S. Churchill

My mother almost fell off of the porch when she got it out of the mailbox. It ranks right up there with my furry buddy and the family Bible on my list of things I’d grab if my house caught on fire.

I’m thinking this is my best birthday yet. I went on Medicare and the supplement costs so much less than I was paying for insurance that I’ve been able to upgrade my aging computer setup. I earn my living on my computer so this is a huge plus. I celebrated with my friend, Ruth, my sister, Louise, and my niece, Katherine. After dinner, they gave me my all-time favorite—a Hall’s chocolate-chocolate cake with chocolate roses. Yes, it is almost as good as sex. They also gave me a purse for my new iPod Touch, sheep for my collection, and a glass Christmas ornament that looks like my furry buddy if I’d let his fur grow to show length. Another friend gave me a lovely book of historic photos of Fort Wayne. Wow. I wonder if Winnie ever had it so good.

When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears.
[Anthony Robbins]

Getting ready might be one of the best parts of Thanksgiving. Imagine the odors floating in from the kitchen while the table is being set for the gathering. Imagine the silence before the chatter, the expectations before the event. My heart is about to burst with gratitude.

Warmest of loving wishes for a happy holiday. Katherine

I believe humans get a lot done,
not because we’re smart,
but because we have thumbs so we can make coffee.
[Flash Rosenberg]

The only business buildings in our residential neighborhood sit a block east of my house—three connected brick, 1920s-vintage structures that sit back from the street with a concrete plaza in front. Until recently, a bill collection agency occupied the corner building. I called them, The Knuckle Busters. They moved out several months ago. After weeks of renovation, a new business opened there last Saturday—The Friendly Fox: coffee, confections and comfort.

This morning at 7:30, I strolled over to The Friendly Fox and enjoyed a cup of hazelnut coffee and an apple scone. What a happy, comfortable, pretty place. The owner said she has awnings and tables so she can set up an outdoor space next spring.

I prefer living in small towns where I can walk to local businesses. Fort Wayne is the second-largest city in Indiana so, during the twenty years I’ve lived here, I’ve often longed to move to a smaller place. During my one-block walk back home this morning, I realized that The Friendly Fox makes my neighborhood feel like a small town. I think I’ll paint my picket fence and stay here awhile longer.

I think housework is the reason most women go to the office.
[Heloise Cruse]

…unless the house is the office. This is my next project (the rest of my house is fairly tidy, but life kind of piles up in my office as though it were a junk drawer). Now that my marathon sock knitting is almost finished, I’m determined to attack this space. These are the before photos. Sometime in the next few days, I’ll fit a cleaning/sorting spree in with my client work, and then take AFTER photos. At the left is a closeup of my roommate who is also under the chair in the top photo. From the look on his face, I don’t think he will volunteer to help clean.