First, I'd like to thank Jana for that lovely post and super pictures from Kansas. Jana came through just like she had promised she would. I believe this blog enables all of us, family and friends, to keep up with each other. I'll update now on what I hope will happen tomorrow. Cameron, my helper-companion, should be here around noon, and we'll try a few days together at the lake. Rose has a client until noon and wants to show him how to dress my wound, so we're waiting for her to finish her session so she can do that.

I had dinner at Chris and Shelly's twice over the past week. They are quite busy putting up Christmas decorations. Chris said the old candy canes that Brick used to put up along the driveway have probably rotted, but he's his father's son when it comes to Christmas decorating. Shelly's good help too and very creative, needless to say. One night when I was there for dinner, our dessert was what Chris called 'Pepto-Bismol' pie. It was cherry cream cheese pie and it was about the same color as Pepto-Bismol, but tasted delicious.

Scott, Jalen, and Brayden put up their "man" Christmas tree each year. I'm not sure just what that means but suspect it's about only masculine decorations.

On Sunday Chris took me over to Belleville to see Fat Jack. He's in a rehab facility over there. Jack and I used to work together at Midwest Recovery, and he is the one who sang Amazing Grace at Denny's funeral. On the way there we stopped at Crown Candy Company to get Jack and Chris milkshakes. This place is in the part of downtown St. Louis that is in the process of being restored but the restoration hadn't got to its block. It is still in the ghetto. Jack had introduced Chris to Crown Candy years ago so Chris parked me in the ghetto, left me in the car, but didn't forget my wallet, and off he went to get their treats. No one bothered me. I didn't know whether to be insulted or relieved. I was relieved.