Dorothy, the reason I'm cat-sitting this week is because a friend (who contacted me about sitting over the holidays coming up) had two unexpected deaths in her family. Cousins passed away within a day of each other and I was able to step in so she can go support her mother and family for a couple of days.

Malls are strange depressing places these days. I visited a department store in one recently and it was its usual well-stocked self, but I think if I'd moved beyond Dillard's into the mall I'd have found a lunar landscape of empty storefronts.

As to your cotton shirts, I have plenty of outerwear and long-sleeved shirts, but I'm planning to visit a thrift store soon to look for more 3/4 length sleeved cotton knit shirts in my size. The "fast fashion" aspect of the shirts I found recently is depressing; they are made quickly of light-weight fabric, sewed on sergers and won't have long lives.