Dear Kids,
          Dad and I drove down to Nora’s on Friday, so Dad could have a haircut, and so I could see their newly-framed basement. It looks really good! Scott Treu and Dad did a great job! And the floor plan is brilliant. Besides a big family room, there’s a mother-in-law apartment for people who want to stay over! What could be better! The rough plumbing has already been done, by James with a jackhammer, and a professional plumber. The HFAC guy has already been there. I was totally impressed. Meanwhile, Tom is still going full steam on his basement. We haven’t been there in the last couple of weeks, but we’ve seen pictures of his sheetrocking. Donna, too, is deep into projects. She’s working on the doors in their master bedroom. On Thursday, we took her some joint compound. Everybody is into such great projects! And me? I’m moving the last of the boxes out of our garage. But it’s very tedious. They’re all boxes of desperation, and I have to look at every single thing in every box and decide what to do with it. Not fun. I’m missing the excitement we had last winter when we, too, were working on our basement. Too bad we don’t have anything exciting this year. I’m looking forward to spring, whenever it comes. I want to go out and dig in the yard again.
          I’m racking my brain for news. Nothing. Conference weekend and Easter are still too far away to worry about. I got a play mouse for Tina and rubbed it with catnip. She likes to toss it around. She still freaks out over my long skinny balloons.
           Christmas is still 10 months away, but I ought to mention now that I’m going to have a $5.00 bill for each child (or grownup) who can recite "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." You can do it individually or in a group. Those of you who are far away can skype it. I got the idea last Christmas when I heard Bentley recite it all, while he was unwrapping a present and reading the directions. (Go, Bentley!) Abi was mouthing it along with him. So, if anybody is bored with winter and can’t find anything interesting to do, you can start in on the Grinch.
         Life is good. We all ought to be "doin’ great and lovin’ it."
         Love, Mom