I am at long last trying to get going on this issue. SOooo sorry I�m late. Can�t think of a proper excuse...will just report what�s been happening... since Christmas!

A belated thanks to one and all for the many greetings/presents.... And reports on all your lovely get-togethers. MINE was busy/fun, as no doubt all your�s were as well. Had 16 relatives in on Christmas Eve. On Christmas Day (on my way to my charge, STELLA!) I fell into her garbage can...ahaha... the damn top flipped down and hit my knees, causing me to fall forward. Obviously I survived... lots of bruises, including my ego. Thank heavens no one SAW me. Had a few other small mishaps til the end of the year...locked myself out of house (extra set of keys inside)so had to BREAK A WINDOW... all in all I concluded it was the downside of the upside of my (then) recent good luck. The good luck returned, though I�m always wary, waiting for the other shoe to drop...

January dawned without much disaster, thanks be...though 2 days "before" all the lights/power in my neighborhood shut down for several hours...SPOOKY...I ran into the street to see if the business section a couple blocks south was "out" - it was...then ran and barricaded myself in...thinking the pundits had mispredicted Y2K "maybe" this was it, thought I....several hrs later everything popped up....hallelujah! I spent New Year�s Eve at Niece Fran Oliphant�s new home. Fun, though pretty quiet (compared to my years ago celebrations, that some of you shared & remember?)....

Jan. brought much activity in the book selling biz...heard from LOTS of purchasers...who left their phone numbers, email addresses with Savage Press. Had/have some great contacts, (more, I should say!) in Jan. It was SUCH fun talking to them....Here they are: Jerry Bibeau, Cliff Horn, Connie Chellman Pederson, Jaci Little Peterson - all high school "mates" who I spoke to by phone or heard from via the mails...Also CHARLES READ, Iowa City IA; a workshop cohort. Thanks one and all!