The Wellspouse dinner in Manalapan was just great. Vivian and I wish we lived closer to the Java Moon where they meet monthly; it's more than an hour away and I didn't get home until after 11:00. Slept until 8:00 this morning, practically the middle of the afternoon.
There were about twenty people there, including two new members. One of them cares for a (fiftyish) spouse who was diagnosed in March with ALS--a true horror--and the other's husband has dementia caused by strokes.
It's always so comfortable being with this group. You don't get any of the well-meaning, inane comments civilians serve up (see earlier posts) and there's a close, fellow-feeling that makes you feel less alone. I brought a bottle of wine, as did several others, and we had a great time.
Wider: There's an interesting piece on "Lew Rockwell.Com" that compares, of all things, the car bailout with the piano market. It's worth reading at
http://www.lewrockwell.com/tucker/tucker115.html