Hi Patti, Read the article ... ...then come back to see whether you repeat your current advice. I received your message, and thank you for your offer, which it seems to me wise to accept. I've been looking for the boxes in which my socks came, to see whether they'd offer specifications that I could send, to see whether they matched ... but it's doubtful whether you'd still have yours. Anyway ... I found them and they didn't offer much help. I've known that I should reply and will soon. ole joyful

I haven't been out much this week - staying home and getting the establishment more or less back in shape. An art show has take over the village church today, and when I saw one of the old guys walking down the street away from the church, I'd forgotten that we were to meet at a seniors' apartment building this week, till I got to the church, then as I was going to the meeting place, passed him, there was traffic (four-lane street), I went down a short way and turned around, came back to pick him up. He was nowhere to be seen ... I almost went into a store there ... then saw someone walking down a side street, drove down there, picked him up and we went to the Old Farts' Coffee Hour. I wrote a story about the church magazine's situation, our discussion group, and my getting to know the other members in a much more in-depth situation than we usually find, maybe it would be a good idea to suggest it for other churches, to send to the magazine. I'd checked it with the minister of that church and went to pick it up today: she had minimal suggestions as to editorial revisions. Had a good visit with another cancer survivor that I've known for a dozen years, both members of an investment group: he'd had radiation and chemo at the same time, not a pleasant experience, and one doc had suggested that he might have only a few months to live ... but he's still here, and going strong. Fewer visits to bathroom, so feel that I'm on a much longer leash. At one grocery store today a staff person had picked up a stray bag of milk, and another said that he was careful about picking up stray items near the bathroom when the door was closed ... and a man came out just then to reclaim his bag. I thanked them for having that available bathroom, as I had made good use of it several times in recent months, sometimes when given quite short notice from an interior authority of an essential change in my plans. Weather's been rainy and chilly, but warmer, and the landlord cultivated both gardens yesterday, initial pass. He took out a full tractor trailer load of sod, yesterday afternoon: I was embarrassed, for I hadn't removed some of the stakes. So I guess that spring has finally sprung. "Spring is sprung ... the grass is riz ... I wonder where ... the flowers is?". Actually, forsythia and daffodils are out ... and some grape hyacinths down behind the shed. Can't resist this: one of the items passed around at the Old Farts' was a colour "pic" of a rather rough landscape, with a smiling civilian with an automatic rifle in a saddle atop a moose carrying large antlers ... titled, "Canadian Border Patrol ... watching for illegal Americans". Hope you're all having a good day - good wishes for the rest of the week. ole joyfuelled ... who, sitting at table right next to the stove, forgot to turn the burner off under the stew pot last night ... and had some scraping to do as a result

Happy 89.5 Ed. And I hope we are ALL around to wish you a happy 90th. edited to add: yes you can freeze the cake. I wrap fairly large pieces (uncut) in plastic wrap or a ziploc getting as much air out as possible. Then wrap again in foil. Label and freeze. Depending on how much you have left, you could freeze multiple packages to enjoy later, just don’t wait too long or it will be dry.

Another use for duct tape to keep my mouth closed, I've been figuring, but it looks as though the tape has flown off unannounced. I got in via icon today - and was able to make this post without restriction. It's been just over a year since the accident made my old car unrepairable, I live 11 km./7 mi. from village and 20 - 30 km./ 12.5 - 19 mi. from the city, so have been doing some hitchhiking. Had a vehicle available part time from late Oct. till end of Jan. I've had quite good luck hitchhiking, some folks have driven me out of their way to help, and almost always refuse compensation for gas. Fairly frequently when coming home with bags of groceries. A few have passed me, then turned around and come back to pick me up - surprising! I've been surprised that quite a few women have picked me up, including younger ones and several alone in the car. Some neighbours bring me a few items of groceries, e.g bags of about a gal. of milk, from time to time. A few are willing to drive me on my errands, when convenient, and some accept compensation. ole joyful