Welcome to the Femmes, Liz. My dogs teach me so much every day. Thanks for putting those lessons together so well for us.

Thanks, I needed a laugh today. He died penniless? Of course, he wasn't going to make a living with that poetry. So glad you rose so far above that earliest influence. Love that your mom kept it.

Mark, that's more my speed, too. If I spent $85 on a T-shirt, I'd expect it to last for life, and that would sure require some washings.

Deb, sadly, I'm not shocked about the refrigerator life expectancy quoted to you. How is it possible that something so expensive isn't built to last. I wish I could feel satisfied with one cup of coffee a day. But good for you for giving yourself the coffee you want now that you're retired!

Susan, I'm glad to know that someone loves coffee even more than I do! How lucky you are to have someone who can fix things for you! I wish either of us could.

Thanks, Barbara. That's an important addition!

Funny, Deb. Only not really funny when you realize that whoever sent out that message should have known!

Mark, the red sauce is typically hotter, though I've had some fairly hot green, and red that's not as hot as I've hoped. I like calling both Christmas, too.

Thanks, Cath. I'm glad I'm not the only one who needs to do some landscaping. I'm all for letting it slide for a while, too.

Toni, I think you're my hero. I couldn't do what you've been doing. In CA, we lived in an RV for a year while our house was being restored after an earthquake, and I still remember how much Joe complained about living that small. Your porch sounds heavenly! Good luck with getting Rick to finish your kitchen.

Deb, that sounds heavenly!

Mark, I get that. I remain hopeful when it comes to new plants, but I've killed so many, too.

What a cutie! Congrats on the new baby, and good for you for choosing a rescue.

Thankfully, I had kinder and more biologically-sensitive schools and teachers. At least in this regard. Don't get me started on the way they'd cut hems down if they thought our skirts were too short.

Elaine, you've nailed us bookworms! I'm more likely to have something in the oven than the microwave, but I've burned food there because I forgot about it while reading.

What a beautiful tribute to someone who touched your life!

Catriona, I agree 100%.

Mark, I think you're being too hard on yourself. Your writings always look good. You are right about autocorrect, though; when autocorrect makes some crazy substitution over and over, I want to believe there's someone in my computer just having fun with me. ;)

LOL, Susan! A man after my own heart!

A kid in my kindergarten class told me when I was five that Santa Claus wasn't real, which my mother confirmed. When Easter rolled around, I just figured if Santa was a sham, the Big Bunny must have been, too. The only good thing I can say about learning these truths so young was that then I could dictate what I preferred to find in my Easter basket.

Deb, I can see how important that would be to you.