I leave Wednesday for Nashville

Ooh, really? I'm assuming you probably won't have much free time, but if you do and you want to get together, let me know! I'd love to see you again.

In other news, my child is supposed to be sleeping, but is instead calling, quite loudly, from her room: "Clam Chowder For Lunch!" (I bet at least a few of you can name the book we read for bedtime.)

I can. But she's too young to lose a tooth!

Heh. Way too young, but she's very taken with the idea of being a Big Girl.

Went to my cousin's burial today - very small afair, just the family, my cousin's closest friend, and the minister. I kind of got surprised into volunteering as a pallbearer since there were only five able bodied men present aside from the hearse driver—it was nice to be able to do one last thing for my cousin. And it was a beautiful day for it, a minor miracle in itself since the weekend of the Beale Street Music Festival is normally Monsoon Season for the Mid-South.

I'm a bit worried about my other elderly cousin (the deceased's older brother). At the cemetery he introduced himself to me as if we were strangers and later seemed uncertain whose son I was, but he knows me and just spent most of an afternoon with me two weeks ago. I hope it's just that grief and maybe lack of sleep the last few days have left him confused, and it's not a sign that he's about to take a swift downward turn as well. (His memory certainly seemed clear when we were talking about WWII aircraft at lunch afterwards.)

I'm so sorry Matt, but also touched that you were a pall bearer. I think that's lovely.

Not sure what to say about your other cousin other than the obvious, not remembering you is never a good sign, but it might be grief and perhaps something like a mild infection or another illness. Ugh. Aging ain't for the faint of heart!

Oh, Matt, it's all so hard.

It needs to be made prettier, but:

I have already followed it!

I'm sorry, Matt.

He's 92 and has (well-managed) diabetes, so even with the Sharp Family longevity genes in play the countdown clock is ticking pretty loudly. I hope he follows the family trend of remaining active and of sound mind almost to the very end.

Vet is sending out for a biopsy, it sure isn't anything she's seen before. Chumley has lost almost 2 pounds in two months, so she's concerned, and pprescribed an appetite enhancer (as opposed to a suppressant) and gave him fluids.

That cost just a hair under $400, leaving me with just over $300 in my checking account. I've never run this close to the edge since I just got out of college.

So far, dinner has been an avocado with juice from a home grown lime, some salt, and a little bit of cumin. So good.