The 3 mugs I ordered came today and are so cute!

Also, we have to give home gardening one more shot. Especially after I read that their hybrid willows are supposed to grow even faster than the poplars! In just two years they can be well over 10’. I’m just worried about the wildlife. I want privacy much more so than to watch the wildlife, as cute as they are, that I’m really tempted to poison them if they continue to not let us plant anything other than olies and bougies which take forever to grow.

Mary did hear back from José and I take it he was thrilled to hear from her. She had me send him my joke file and says she’s still grieving it out with the jail and ordering more stamps that she says she’ll send. I know she’ll send them when she can. I could always use them, too! At least she got the books her family ordered. One’s a math book to help her obtain her GED. She says she doesn’t get much more of it than the basics. As I told her, I hated math with a passion. Math and history bored me to tears. So did English, though not as bad as math and history. Of the standard subjects, I did the best in science.

I also mailed letters from her to José like I have been, and noticed that 4 of the 5 envelopes to him were stamped on the back. Obviously, someone there is hoping to ensure that it ends up being returned to her, but maybe they’ll make it to him anyway. I also hope his mug made it into her.

Anyway, I really appreciate the way she appreciates any help I’ve given her, which I am always much obliged to give. It’s just that so many people would take it for granted, but not her. And I’m also touched to know that she trusts me as much as she says she does. I trust her too. I feel that when she’s out, anything I might lend her will always get returned to me in the end. And I feel I could confide in her about personal, confidential things.

I’ve been lazing off on my story lately big time, but oh well. I’ll get to it when I get to it.

Tom ordered a $135 digital camera that’s supposed to be better than the one we’ve got. It’s faster and it does movies, too. The one we’ve got has been blurring up a lot lately and I have to keep playing with the switches to focus it.

Tom’s been filling out all kinds of applications so we can collect unemployment, but he hasn’t contacted any lawyers yet. He’s waiting to square away the unemployment issue first. He says he thinks we’ll get it, but if not, he’ll file an appeal.