That's heartbreaking, Michelle. Thank you for making the trip so she can leave her mark on that quilt. And that is such a generous project that will in the end be larger than the parts because of the love that is going into it.

I also cleaned my work cubicle recently, right before Spring Break, getting rid of duplicate copies of proofs of documents (that adds up to quite a stack of paper after a while). Organized, brought home a few things that weren't needed, etc.

I agree with others - Dorothy, congratulations on that house. It does seem a long-time off, but when they day comes you'll be ready and very busy. Enjoy that new space.

Recently around the house I updated several old radios (with good volume and reception but the CD players and ancient cassette players stopped working and none of them have auxiliary in). I listen to audio books in my SUV and last year stopped with the Sony Walkman and switched to using an app in my phone. At local thrift stores have I've found small bluetooth or iPod docking stations that I can use with my Android phone to play books in my office and sewing room. Yesterday I resisted the impulse to buy a Sony player on sale in a local electronics store--it had a cassette player - who needs that?--I have players for my father's folk music collection, they are enough. Today I found a nice iPod Shuttle docking station - I don't have an iPod but I will use the radio and the aux-in for my phone to play my books in the kitchen. I had to spend a few dollars more for a remote and AM antenna (eBay), and I'll leave the current kitchen radio in the sunroom to play NPR talk programs to make the house sound like people are home during the day. After all of this I can probably donate a couple of the old radios to Goodwill.