I spent about an hour playing the piano today, first practicing my part for a double quartet I'm singing in this Sunday and then working through 55 pages of Ed's All-in-One Adult Piano Course. It was really great. I used to tinker around with the piano all the time when I was a kid but I haven't spent much time on the piano in years and years. It was a great mood elevator. I think I'm going to try to find time for the piano on a regular basis just because it's such a wonderful thing to create music. We had our song practice tonight, too, which was wonderful. I love singing in a four-part harmony group. It lifts my spirit.

I also did the dishes (which is one of Ed's jobs), did some grocery shopping and fixed a nice dinner which included teaching Joey how to make mashed potatoes (which she deemed the best mashed potatoes ever). It was a fairly productive day--much better than I usually do on days when I have no outside obligations.

Joey and I talked about what it would be like to have another child in this family. She so desperately wants a sibling and she said that she really wants one that is adopted. She kind of choked up while we were talking, but not in a whiny way, just in an intense longing way. Ed informed me that the adoption tax credit was increased to $10K which is what the adoption fee would be with the agency we use and that the benefits don't start phasing out until income over $150K. This is good news. Very good news. They basically doubled everything. The way it was before, we wouldn't have gotten any tax credit at all. This is very good.

Saw my little buddy Julia tonight. She was so excited to see me, she just kept pointing to me and telling anyone who would listen "That's Seesah. Seesah. That's Seesah." Delyn looks like she had her baby 3 months ago, not 48 hours ago. Holy cow! Russell was more disheveled than she was.

Tomorrow I have to get up early, take my car to the Nissan dealership for a 60K-mile checkup, have my brakes checked/fixed, get an estimate for the paint damage then get to Joey's classroom by 9:30. I'm done there around 10:30 or 11 and then it's off to shopping time. I need to get some goodies for the Pagan Springtime Ritual on Saturday. (Sounds almost sinister, doesn't it?) At least I don't have to get Joey an Easter dress thanks to the grandparents who sent her a beautiful white dress and little purse. She needs some shoes, though. Payless--here we come!

See ya!

--L