The temperature here is a pleasant 60° and overcast. By God, I think she's got it! Thank you. That's the degree sign I was obsessing about.

Alternate 0176 on the number pad. Cent sign Alternate 0162. I'm putting them here in case anyone else ever feels the need to use them and is a computer dork like me.

I'm staring at a pile of unmatched socks, many "more holey than righteousness" as my Arkansas mother-in-law used to say. I used to darn socks but no more. Elcie goes through socks because of the way she walks. It puts a lot of pressure on the front of her foot. Plus, she has the longest big toes in relationship to the rest of her foot that I've ever seen. R & R wear them out at the heels.

In my sock darning days, I used embroidery thread in varying shades that never matched the boys' daddy's socks. I did it once out of desperation when I couldn't find my darning thread and my husband got such a kick out if it, I stayed with it. Eliminated a little of the boredom anyhow.

Just put on a big pot of mixed red and pinto beans. Beans and rice tonight with some corn bread if I'm feeling really inspired. Actually it's more like chili but not as thick. Works well because I can easily convert it to Spanish rice (just stir it together and throw it in the oven with melted Mexican cheese on top. Or chili dogs. Or whatever. Being an damn Yankee originally, I prefer navies or great northerns but once in a while I cater to the chili lovers in the house.

Homework all done, girls off to school. Today may be calmer than yesterday. I have one doctor run for Carol and a funeral in the afternoon. I attended the "viewing" yesterday with Tim and hadn't made up my mind about the funeral. I hate them. However, my friend Lisa called and asked my if I was going. I sensed she didn't want to go alone so I said how about if we go together.

Don't know if I ever mentioned that I was a church organist in Arkansas and piano player for the choir which involved a lot of racing back and forth the front of the church. Not the greatest by any means but I could find the pedals and get the notes right. It was a small church and they loved me. The price was right for them too; I was a volunteer. My son Jim was around four when I started and he joined me on the piano bench and turned pages. Also, I jazzed up the music considerably. When I first started attending, everything they sang sounded like dirges. One big funeral, even on Sunday morning. Anyhow, I played for far too many funerals. I liked weddings much better. I've told my whole family and everyone else I know that if they dare have a "viewing" and all the pomp that goes with it, I will personally come back and haunt them. I think they got the idea and now it's out here for everyone to see. My Arkansas mother-in-law had a picture of her deceased sister (in casket) in her photo album. It took every bit of self control I possessed to refrain from saying something I knew I would regret later. She told me her sister had been so ill for so long that she wanted a picture that looked decent. Different strokes and I was polite and non-committal.

I'd better get back to socks. I needed an excuse to show off my ° sign. It's amazing how simple things can be once a friend shows you how.

Oh, on top of everything else, yesterday, I attended the parents' meeting for Camp Green Meadows. Same info as two years ago but Rochelle would have been wounded if I hadn't attended. She considers every flyer from the school a royal command.

Later