For those of you wondering how G'ma Opal is doing,
I have an update. She is doing fine. We were down
playing cards the other day and she and Kent were
comparing their arthritic feet. Each was trying
to get a one-up on the other.

She has come down on the side of both his mother
and mother-in-law in not liking his beard. I, on
the other hand, have always liked him in a beard.
The grey only makes him that much more distingushed
looking.

I asked G'ma how the mice situation was going. She
said that at the beginning of the month she killed
four or five, but now she has a nice big black snake
that Uncle Jim put under the house and it seems to
be taking care of the population. A black or king
snake is a good solution. You don't have to invest
in cat food and yet your mice are kept under control.
Personally, though, I think she misses dealing with
the mice on a daily basis. She is still setting the
traps.

She mentioned that she had called her son Ken earlier
that day. They talked for a long time. Then she said,
"I don't know how big the bill will be, usually I wait
and call during the week to his business on his 1-800
number." Savvy ole' thing.

Finally, she mentioned that she had made a list of the 10
women that used to ride the senior citizen van to town
and to Poplar Bluff together a few years ago. Out of
the 10 she is the only one left. I think she was feeling
a little lonely. I reminded her that she still has us,
but, she was melancholic all the same.