Hello again :)

Yes, I'm still alive & well.

Meantime... The good word is the last surgery went reasonably well. Tom is recovering steadily, making good progress, and looking forward to the end of all this nonsense, as you can imagine! I was gone to Richmond to stay with him while he was in the hospital and I am still very busy, so I'll just leave you with my usual meditation for this time of year::

People are unreasonable, illogical, self-centered
... love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish,
ulterior motives
... do good anyway.

If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies
... be sucessful anyway.

The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow
... do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness will make you vulnerable
... be honest and frank anyway.

People love underdogs but follow only top dogs
... follow some underdog anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight
... build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if
you try to help
... help people anyway.

If you give the world the best you have,
you may get kicked in the teeth
... but give the world the best you have
... ANYWAY.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

~ and ~

Lord make me an instrument of thy peace ...
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;
O Divine Master, grant that I may not
so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

St. Francis of Assisi