I guess i'll share that my younger sister died in the Fall. It was due to a lethal dose of alcohol. We were inseparable as kids, only two years apart. She was the entertainer of the family, so funny. We were estranged as adults because i ruined it when i went away to university and cracked under the pressure and was nasty to her. I always hoped we would reconcile, but it is not to be. She was only 53.

When my sister and i were young and she was just learning to spell, she decided she would label our dresser drawers. So she took masking tape and a marker and wrote "pants," "tops," and "shirts." Only she forgot the "r" in "shirts"!

@Soupe du jour:

Yes, i've grown my hair out. It looks nice. A shaved head is not flattering on me. An old friend with curly hair had the undercut you tried. I was so surprised when she showed me, i had no idea.

@*Beth*:

So sorry you are having such trouble getting decent health care. That would upset anyone. Hopefully M. will sort it out for you. All the best wishes for a swift resolution.

@Nammu:

I know funerals are unhappy events but i still find they are helpful in processing grief. I missed my brother's and mom's due to illness and i've always felt like i never got to say a formal goodbye to them. I attended my dad's and felt good that i had observed the ritual. My younger sister just had a small private memorial for her team as she was a manager in the government and they were a tight-knit bunch but since we were estranged for so long i didn't mind.