Well, here I am again, rested and fresh, after doing the closing on the house. The next day was spent on a Home Depot power shopping trip, for household stuff, and repairs. Not that I'm complaining. No, not at all. I am still on a very big high, knowing I'll soon be living there.

There's lots of elbow grease cleaning to do, and I'm gathering up what I need to take over there to make the place pleasantly clean. I think of all the changes in my life, and so many moves I've stopped counting them. But this one has a feeling all its own, as if I'm closing some doors, and happily opening others.

Already the place is looking better, as each repair is found and done. It's especially encouraging that my children and a grandson are so willingly helpful. I suppose I could trim trees, and learn how to do indoor painting. But it's a huge relief to me, and probably to some of them, that I don't have to. I did notice some tree limbs are too close to outdoor utility lines. But I think I'l hire a certified tree trimmer for that.

When a washer and dryer are delivered and hooked up, I may wash shirts and jeans, for my willing workers. And after the kitchen is ready for use, my next appreciation for their hard work may be several big pans of homemade brownies for them.

In the meantime, since I've lots of it, I am meeting new neighbors, and one is especially interesting to me. I think he's probably nine, ten or eleven, and we call him Jer. He's the one a day or so ago who rushed up to me, loudly congratulating my moving in. Yesterday, when he saw me again, he waved his energetic little arms, for me to watch him ride his bike. So to be a kind neighbor, I did. After a few loops up and down the street, he parked his bike in the middle of a neighbor's driveway, and hurried over to me. Not thinking about where he parked, well, that's just what kids do, and why they need adults around. But Jer had more serious things to talk about. Carefully, and intent, he explained the differences in various settings on the bike, totally confusing me. When this child grows up some college instructor will be quite impressed with him. I hadn't thought a lot about IQ's, and stuff like that, until we talked more. The day before he had told me he's seen a live fox in the side of my yard, which I wasn't completely convinced about, until I mentioned it to a grandson who lives close by, who validated just what the kid had said.

So the next time I saw him I brought it up again. Then I, even though a grown up, said something so stupid. I said, "It was just a small fox, wasn't it," and "It's not big enough to hurt anybody, is it?" He paused a moment in disbelief, but maybe was trying to decide how to not sound disrespectful, then gave me a slow look straight toward my eyes, and said "We don't know that", then wisely changed what we were talking about. I am keeping up with how this kid turns out. It is comforting to know little guys like him will be leading our country.