Thanks for the good words, Doug & Bill. It's been a pleasure getting to know both of you in the past few years. I know you both know what you are speaking about. You, too, Jeri; I think you know I care about you! Today has felt like a rather frustrating day, even though I got some things done. I started w/ a 2nd unsuccessful church visit. The church was fine, but didn't feel like a good fit for me. Then, I met w/ a landscaper who lives down the street. Ironically enough, he moved here from the town I just left & still does much of his work there (1 1/2 hrs away!). He will help me w/ some of what needs doing, but it will be time-consuming & expensive & I still have other calls to make to get everything done. Don't get me wrong--I'm not trying to turn this into house beautiful; I'm just trying to do what needs to be done. It is ghastly hot & humid here, which makes manual work hard to do. Nonetheless, I started organizing my files & have unpacked more than half of my books. That's good progress! I suspect it may be sometime before I feel really comfortable, but each day takes me closer to that goal. And each thing I do makes the house more mine. I seem to have spiders in the house & I'm not talking daddy longlegs. I've been suspecting that they are biting us. When I have the exterminator in for the carpenter ants in the retaining wall in the flower beds, I think I'd better mention that, too, even though I hate poisons. Did I mention the huge oak tree that needs to come down? I have no idea what that may cost, but I have a lead on someone to call & my letter carrier's dad makes furniture & wants the "butt stump!"

best,

Barbara