I have giggled just now over a joke that only a certain friend would find funny. I won't bore you with it. It would lose its fun to be looked at askance by one who knows not the history that makes the joke fun. But my point is that friends are good. If you have one, hold on with joy and delight. If you do not then my sympathies are great.

The kidlets and I have just returned from the last in an 8-week session of swimming lessons. Adequate training, lots of fun for them--despite the chicken pox, travelling and runny noses that kept them from attending half the lessons. They asked me if they needed to wear coats and boots or were flip-flops and t-shirts ok. I tried to answer them seriously as the snow was flying around my head while I went to warm up the car.