now it's february. many of my goals for january didn't pan out, among them family pictures (click on january; some are there, below). my goal there is to organize all the pictures in the bowels of this blog so that, if one were determined to see all ten of my chidren, or brothers and sister, or cousins, one could do it. i have pictures. i just have to make the system good, so that people who know, can find them, but people coming in from outside don't necessarily know who they are.

another goal is to stop flailing around with my writing. we are in a position where we could use the money. and yet i write what i want, a kind of non-selling book, short stories that people don't snap up. the market for short stories is elusive, at least for me, and here i am talking about income again but it's come to that; we're retired, incomes shirinking, kids as dependent as ever, and getting in trouble to boot, and i'm thinking, if only i could spin off a few novels just to keep the cash coming in. but i'm out of the habit of making novels. i haven't been succeeding in that regard. i can, i'm quite sure, but i haven't been.

it's bitter cold here, but about to let up. i think the groundhog might have seen his shadow, which i believe, is good, it means it will ease up a bit. i believe february is one of those months when anything can happen. down in southern illinois i saw three ice storms one february. so i'm a little wary now and not so eager to just sign up for travel.

it's a battle on every front. money, kids in school, medicines, losing weight. the latest is my heart. i'm hoping it keeps ticking, of course. i'm sixty-eight, and there's always that chance that it doesn't. i have some friends who didn't make it as far as i have.

stay calm, stay cool, and write. i still have things to say.