I had to quit updating before I finished this afternoon. Mark Goldman came by to see if we needed him to do any chores around here and just to visit wisit three old ladies. Goldman teaches at Ritenour Middle School. This week several of the classes are studying the holocaust and the horrors of it. The students do a reenactment of the inhumane treatment and exercises to demonstration the reality of six million Jews murdered during a very short period. This really touches Goldman deeply because of stories he's heard from some of his relatives who survived and stories about those who didn't survive. I have a Nazi flag that Brick brought back from Germany in about 1945. Mark drapes this flag over his desk during the period when he and several others teach this subject. Mark will make a presentation to the Ritenour School Board in February about this work.

While I was in the hospital our friend, Vivian, came to see me. Chris was there, and she remembered him as the one who used to live in Rose's basement. Vivian is a nurse. She came into my room and went right to work. My bed was straightened. I had fresh water. She brought me reading material. She fell right back into her professional role. Goldman says he's met her several times and, since she's a regular reader of the blog, she says she feels like she knows him and Maddog.

Donald called yesterday morning just to check to see how I'm doing. He said it might snow there (Birmingham, AL) last night. It would have been only the second snow they've had since they moved there. I don't know if they did get snow, but I'm sure it wasn't as cold there as it was - and is now - here. Rose, Shirley, Shirley's sister Loretta, and I try to take a winter vacation every year. Donald and Vita are letting us use their guesthouse this year. Though Donald warned us that it won't be prime weather at the end of February, we mostly rest, walk, watch TV, and play cards. We're ready to pack.