Leaving in a half an hour for my aunt's in Kirkland (just across the floating bridge from Seattle), where my brothers and at least two, maybe all four of my kissing cousins and their broods will gather (so my sister who's a missionary in southern Mexico will be the only quasisibling missing). We will eat, sing, exchange presents, and I will get my annual (overdue! it's usually a turkey-day occurrence) haircut. I am giving my secret persons (quasinephew Joel and his bride Jennifer) a book of Jimmy Carter's Sunday School lessons, signed by His Majesty himself (and wrapped in the issue of the Yiddish Forward that covered Sept. 11. That will occupy me till maybe too late to make it back to my church's Christmas Eve service, so I'll probably come down here (I'm in the church office) and make hay on the computer in lieu of midnight mass. Tomorrow (Christmas Day) I'll go to the AA Hall for potluck.

Liland