Maye some of you missed this, first time around, and might find it useful. And ... would you call this go-round ... "regifting"?? ole joyful

Hi Nanny - vintage '98, I've sometimes started that idea by saying that one can't just snap one's fingers and hold one's cupped hand in the air, expecting to have a "peach" appear in it, as if by magic. And no more can we expect peace to appear, more or less by magic, out of thin air, effortlessly, either. Peace is costly ... not cheap. And it's a long-term creation: doesn't happen overnight. You'e welcome to use that picture-message in any way that you choose ... and I hope that it may stick in the minds of some of the folks who hear it and bear some fruit. It's warm around here, these days ... some of the young ladies were going around bare-legged last week (mostly in the vicinity of the community centre, where they do a lot of hockey and other physical exercises). I was thinking that I was not at all envious of them, clad like that, when it was chilly outside. ole joyful

Hi sock-it-to-'em, You don't even need to put me on your list - if you come here and ask, and I feel that I have anything useful to offer (or just want to have some fun with it) ... no doubt you'll hear from me, anyway ... unless I don't show up for a while. I'll be happy to be on your list: my email address is on my profile - all that you need do is go there. You're the first person in about five years that has made that request, if I recall correctly. I've even offered my phone number to a few, and on a rare occasion, especially if someone seems rather hard up, or deeply distressed, have offered that if someone gives me their phone number, I'll call them. Will you be on my list? Tell me about your training, skills, interests, contacts, vacation destinations, hobbies, experience in maintaining various home, auto, computer, leisure, etc. issues. You've probably become fairly familiar with a number of my training, skills, interests, etc. so that you may have an idea of what kinds of concerns about which you might feel it relevant to contact me. Plus - your email address, if it isn't on your profile. Good wishes for a really fine New Year. ole joyful P.. My friend gave me 5 pair of white sport socks for Christmas ... but no one gave me any underpants: will have to buy some for myself, I guess (if I want to stop the binding-around-the-knees by the half-dozen or so lazy-elastic ones). o j

I haven't been out much this week - staying home and getting the establishment more or less back in shape. An art show has take over the village church today, and when I saw one of the old guys walking down the street away from the church, I'd forgotten that we were to meet at a seniors' apartment building this week, till I got to the church, then as I was going to the meeting place, passed him, there was traffic (four-lane street), I went down a short way and turned around, came back to pick him up. He was nowhere to be seen ... I almost went into a store there ... then saw someone walking down a side street, drove down there, picked him up and we went to the Old Farts' Coffee Hour. I wrote a story about the church magazine's situation, our discussion group, and my getting to know the other members in a much more in-depth situation than we usually find, maybe it would be a good idea to suggest it for other churches, to send to the magazine. I'd checked it with the minister of that church and went to pick it up today: she had minimal suggestions as to editorial revisions. Had a good visit with another cancer survivor that I've known for a dozen years, both members of an investment group: he'd had radiation and chemo at the same time, not a pleasant experience, and one doc had suggested that he might have only a few months to live ... but he's still here, and going strong. Fewer visits to bathroom, so feel that I'm on a much longer leash. At one grocery store today a staff person had picked up a stray bag of milk, and another said that he was careful about picking up stray items near the bathroom when the door was closed ... and a man came out just then to reclaim his bag. I thanked them for having that available bathroom, as I had made good use of it several times in recent months, sometimes when given quite short notice from an interior authority of an essential change in my plans. Weather's been rainy and chilly, but warmer, and the landlord cultivated both gardens yesterday, initial pass. He took out a full tractor trailer load of sod, yesterday afternoon: I was embarrassed, for I hadn't removed some of the stakes. So I guess that spring has finally sprung. "Spring is sprung ... the grass is riz ... I wonder where ... the flowers is?". Actually, forsythia and daffodils are out ... and some grape hyacinths down behind the shed. Can't resist this: one of the items passed around at the Old Farts' was a colour "pic" of a rather rough landscape, with a smiling civilian with an automatic rifle in a saddle atop a moose carrying large antlers ... titled, "Canadian Border Patrol ... watching for illegal Americans". Hope you're all having a good day - good wishes for the rest of the week. ole joyfuelled ... who, sitting at table right next to the stove, forgot to turn the burner off under the stew pot last night ... and had some scraping to do as a result