You can reach Sue at (314) 452-3685 or (314) 726-2032. You can write to her c/o Rose Holt, 905 Barnard College Lane, St. Louis, MO 63130. It is Thursday morning. This has been one busy week, which is the reason we haven't updated for several days. On Sunday Rose and I drove over to the Illinois-Indiana border on Highway 64 to meet Scott and Sherry and Jalen. Jalen came home with us to spend part of the holidays. Brayden stayed at home with his Grandma Jean because he was still a bit under the weather. Sunday evening we all went to Chris and Shelly's for our family gathering, and that was wonderful. Shelly and her Aunt Kathleen had set such a beautiful table that we were actually stunned to look at it. And that was only the beginning of a wonderful evening. The family was great, the food scrumptious, the house decked out for Christmas, the gifts perfect. We got to meet Katie's friend Austin for the first time. He is an anthropology major at Kansas U where Katie is majoring in interior design. Drew finished his first semester at Mizzou with a 3.2 grade point average which made his father and granny very proud. Jalen was the only child at this event, but you sure couldn't tell it. He is one grown-up seven-year-old. On Tuesday morning Shirley had to be at St. Mary's Hospital at 5:30 am for her out-patient surgical procedure. That all went perfectly, and she was home by 11:00 am to recover. She had a rough day Tuesday but was much on the mend on Wednesday. Jalen brought with him a 550 piece Spiderman jigsaw puzzle which Shirley and Rose have spent hours hovering over. Finally, last night at around 11:00 pm they finished it. Jalen is very good at those kind of puzzle but his interest is in his video games. Occasionally he would walk by the table and drop a piece in place to all our astonishment. Yesterday it was back to meet Scott, this time to get both Brayden and Shirley's young friend Jamil. Jamil and Jalen have become fast friends, and were lobbying for a way to get together over this school break. Jamil's dad met Scott for Scott to get Jamil, then Scott, Brayden, and Jamil drove on west to meet us. Our drive home with these three boys was such a joy. Brayden took Jalen's gameboy and would not give it back. He holds it and punches with his thumbs just as the big boys do, staring intently as he 'plays.' We are happy to report that Brayden is well and has only an occasional cough left over from his virus. Last night Jalen, Jamil, Brayden, and I slept in the third floor 'guest suite.' Jalen and Jamil told me I snored and talked in my sleep, both of which they thought were hilarious. Unfortunately, Jamil cannot stay a long time. Dena and Layla will drive over, spend the night, and the three of them will have to go home to Bloomington, IN on Friday. Tonight we go to the Smith's for dinner. These boys will have a high time with Alex and Brett. Perhaps we have had a change of luck. Our wonderful neighbor here on Barnard College Lane, when told of our Pontiac Plight, offered his help in getting the thing sold. He is a no-nonsense sort of guy, efficient, and very kind. We took him up on his offer. Joe mistyped 'Pontiac' the other day in a note he wrote us, spelling it instead 'Pontias.' I've decided 'Pontiass' is a good name for this machine and have called it that ever since.