Rich put up the icicle lights and strings of others. Our house is the best on the block. And on the inside, our girlfriend-in-law sent a living wreath which I'm putting on the table. (It's still got the Thanksgiving tablecloth, which must stop.) We're clearing the kitchen to put the tree in the front window (and not putting on the ultra-breakable ornaments or any tinsel, not this year.) This included taking about 20 sports bottles out of the pantry and putting them in the Goodwill bag. I'll mop it tomorrow, without the cats or dog in the house.

I tutored Sam. The child is beginning to recognize more of the easy sight words, and is distinctly interested in reading. But I've discovered that asking "what's 6 and 3?" gets the answer "63?" so there's plenty of room to work in. After school, we went to a nearby library so we could weave some more. This drew an interested audience.
Then Sam's care provider announced that the new social worker is going against the court order. Wait a minute. Can they DO that? I don't know whether I'm more appalled as Sam's CASA or as a Sacramento County taxpayer. It's a bad idea for Sam, and it also is costing more money. You would think, with foster care so out of control in the county, that the social worker would be happy to get one case settled, but Noooo. I called Sam's attorney when I got home, but she's out of the office till Monday.

I heard, on the radio, the host say he'd be at the concert at the Cathedral. Drat. We missed the Festival of Lessons and Carols this year. Sulk. You'd think, since they always have our name on the donor list, that they'd have let us know when it was. I didn't even see it in the Catholic Herald. Oh, well.

91 minutes I talked to Bernadette in my Oct. 13 call. I think I was calling to make her feel better, but I guess there was some thumb-sucking on my part too, whaddaya think?

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Krauthammer on Clinton's Portable Pulpit: " The Kosovars must not be "focused on hatred and past wrongs and getting even," said the man who gave the world James Carville."

And Drudge commented on 11/30 (I've been carrying these links around for awhile, yes!):

"We think it's a great challenge to marry our conceptions of social justice and equal opportunity with our commitment to
globalization," Bill Clinton declared at summit in Florence, Italy a few weeks ago, where his wife picked up a "global law"
award. 

"A way that requires governments to empower people with tools and conditions necessary for individuals, families,
communities and nations."

Sorry, Mr. Clinton. Here, people empower governments.

We thought you knew.