Last night, Steve Kopp had his annual Christmas Party. He lives up the street. Mom and Dad usually went, and Steve was telling us last night that Dad would show up in the afternoon sometime and offer to help fix stuff for the party! I had no idea. Steve said he'd help him chop up stuff or do whatever. Who knew! Steve said Dad really liked coming to the party. I love when people tell me stuff like this.

Yesterday, John had Mass at St. Vincents. I couldn't help but get weepy. I knew Mom and Dad would be so proud of him. They'd love it that he had Mass there. They were so proud of John. It meant everything to them that their son was a priest. At the end of Mass, John thanked Susan and I for our support and for moving into Mom and Dad's house. That made me weepy, too. That was totally unexpected.

The more I live in the house, the more I like being there. I liked being where they were. You need a pencil? Open the drawer and there are all of Dad's little mechanical pencils still there. I'm using Mom's "foaming face wash" in the shower and some of her Bath and Body lotion. We've been eating things from the freezer they had. I still think of Dad at night when I take Greta for a walk. I think of him walking and praying his rosary. Sometimes they don't seem so far away.

I finally threw out Mom's rollers this weekend. I kept a couple. I got rid of Dad's old crossword dictionary, too. It was dirty from newsprint and he had used it so much it had come apart. I got him a new one in 2005, I think, and he had never used it! Same exact one that he had. Oh, well. I kept that one. Maybe I'll get into crosswords some day.

I'm a little worried about the birds. I had not fed them for a while and I put out food Friday night and they have not returned. Mom's birds were sort of like that, though. They would disappear for days and then come back. I put out this huge thistle sak that I think Joe and Judy got her one year. She had not used it. She liked the regular finch feeders, but I like the the saks.
I hope they come.

Love you Mom and Dad.

Suse