Q has been sick for a week and like all of us is ready to be better. My Easterly neighbor Archie twisted his knee in the snow at church. He showed me how he could bear weight on it but it hurt to bend it. My own complaints haven't changed but I can't talk about them until everyone has recovered.

Yesterday we had our annual Christmas breakfast here with just the five of us former social workers. They gave me a red poinsettia and a Dale Chiluly calendar. Pat made marshmallows from scratch and bagged them with a hot chocolate mix. Penny gave ornaments. Sue gave Truffles and chocolate covered pecans.

They all live on the other side of town from me so I assuaged my guilt over the miles they drive by giving them Shell gas cards. Not personal or creative but the best I could do this year. One year I threaded red ribbon in brown burlap sacks to hold presents. Apparently the sack gave off a pungent smell but I didn't notice. Every now and then someone tries to re-gift me that sack. Pat tried this year.

Over the past twenty years we have taken a group picture in front of the wood Christmas tree. Only one person in this crowd has grandchildren. Carol has seven. Otherwise we are are own grandchildren. And we spoil ourselves.