Happy Birthday, Terri!

Today is Terri's birthday. I talked with her this evening, and she sounded happy--so I guess it's a happy birthday! Moms have a different experience than their children when each birthday comes around: wonder at the growth and development of their child and recollections of the day of that child's birth. It's awesome to remember the tiny creature and to see the wonderful person she has become.

Today is a red letter day for another reason too: Ken ordered a new Kindle! After checking out ebook readers for the last couple of years, we agreed that the new Kindle 3 would be a good choice. We still think that ebook readers will continue to develop in the next few years--so maybe at some point we'll want to upgrade. Meanwhile I'm waiting to see how Ken likes the Kindle before deciding whether or not to get one for myself.

We danced to Jerry Story this afternoon. As usual we had lots of fun and learned a lot. We also had some confused moments, but that's par for the course.

After the dance we walked over to Retama Village next door to the RV park. Some people had reported that the new model home was definitely worth a view, and we always enjoy touring model homes, even though we're not planning to buy any time soon. The new model features a large, inviting courtyard, with lots of room for outdoor living. Although it's not clear from the floor plan, the courtyard is completely enclosed, so it provides a light and airy private space.

This morning we did our laundry, a more protracted task than usual because several others were trying to use the facilities at the same time. Mark Brown came over to discuss our repair issues. We have a laundry list of things for him to look at. None is very urgent, but we definitely need to get some things done soon. For example, one of the steps leading to the bedroom needs to be replaced.

I talked with Aunt Iris again this evening. She's feeling much better and has been up and around. She visited her elderly friend, Evelyn, who is not doing so well in the nursing home. Iris says that Evelyn suffered severe liver damage from Lipitor. Her doctor had not carefully monitored her bloodwork--so that's a lesson in taking a proactive stance in your own medical care and checking out possible side effects of the drugs you take.