Called Betty while I was waiting for Carolyn. She was in the hospital room with Wes, Katy, Miranda, and New Baby--still nameless--everybody happy and buoyant.

Had a great time with Carolyn and little Claire. They got here a bit before 10 and I showed them around. Carolyn loved the place and Claire loved the kitties. When she discovered them lying in state on Ellen's bed, she rushed over calling, "Meow!" Of course, Sebastian and Tillie wanted no parts of a two-year-old and both dove under the bed with Claire in pursuit. We finally dragged her away from the meows and Carolyn asked if I minded going to a store to get a house-warming gift for Ellen. Would love to, I said, as I wanted to get a card for Wes, Katy, and new Chicago baby. Unfortunately, I promptly forgot about the card once we got to Kohl's; will try to get out today to get one (but I don't think I have their address, either!).

Carolyn chose a cloth placemat set in striking colors of gold, red, and orange; the gold matches the accent wall in Ellen's dining room. When we got home, Claire insisted on going up to Ellen's room, where she had a nice time jumping on the bed. (I knew Ellen wouldn't mind.) Carolyn put the present in a Kohl's box, then wrote a sweet, cousinly note of congratulations on the lid, which Claire helped decorate with lines and squiggles.

For lunch, I had made a green salad, plus chicken salad for sandwiches, which Carolyn and Claire enjoyed; I ate acorn squash and broccoli. After more meow chasing, as well as light-switch clicking on and off, they had to leave to pick up big brother Finn at school. What a very enjoyable visit!

Because I hadn't walked in the morning, I then went to Ralph's Supermarket, for a total of 2.4 miles. (Readers may note I have this strange compulsion to record my mileage. Well, I ain't nothing if not compulsive.) Bought cottage cheese, tomatoes, and an avocado.

It was about 4:00 when I got home and nice and warm, so I put on my suit and went to the pool. Called Pat and Alison to find all was well in Little Egg. I was the only one at the pool for awhile, but then a man came in and we struck up a conversation. He turned out to be a conspiracy fanatic--Stalin was Rothschild's illegitimate son, the World Trade Center and Pentagon were actually blown up by the government, and so on--entertaining for a time, but soon a bore. Left about 6:00 to find Ellen already home. We decided simultaneously we'd like to go out to eat, and she took me to a Thai restaurant where we had delicate pot sticker-like appetizers, delicious satay, and a yummy noodle/veggie/chicken dish. Got home for popcorn and wine, and I slept soundly again. Terrific day, as they all have been!

Note: Don't know why this computer is dictating double spacing between paragraphs--can never fathom the ways of the machines.