My mom got to go listen to President Jimmy Carter teach Sunday school in Plains. From her account, it sounds like it was a very special experience. Circumstances ended up putting her on the front row with the Pulitzer Prize winner just a couple feet in front of her at times and the first lady a couple rows behind her. Mom reports that they were both just as gracious and warm as their reputations would indicate.

Mom reports:

"The Sunday School lesson was on 'Leaving Jerusalem' in the 11th chapter of Mark.�He told the story as though he were teaching school with lots of pauses to ask questions�maybe to see if you were paying attention.�You could have heard a pin drop. I tell you I paid attention when an ex-president was talking to me.�� He had on a suit (actually a sport coat) which Nookie [Bad's sort-of aunt] said looked as if it had come from Wal-Mart but I had already thought the same thing.�He wore a bolo instead of a tie and the nicest thing of all was a pair of black ostrich boots.�His shirt just looked like something you had washed and dried, not ironed.�� Roselyn had on a peach colored silk suit with matching shoes. She looks very frail.�He looks very good.

"The minister has been there over 20 years and his sermon was titled, 'What Good Are You.' He told of a lady he had visited week after week for a year saying to him, 'You can't preach and you don't visit, what good are you?'�I smiled to myself thinking I might use that question some day. [note from Badsnake: I think I might have mentioned before that Mom was seriously disgusted with the lack of support from her Presbyterian minister when she was caring for her mother] When he was finished, he said to meet outside and the Carters would pose for pictures with us�doing the groups first.�When Roselyn came up to us, she asked where we were from and said, 'It is so nice of you to come.'�Her southern manners are still very much intact. I wonder how many ex-presidents ever lived such a simple life. They made you feel good about humanity."

Isn't that just the coolest? So far, Mom is undaunted by the existence of SARS and still plans to go to China shortly. The company guiding her group through China will avoid areas where SARS outbreaks have occurred.

Got home from work, ate some Oz pizza and then took Angel for a walk. I thought I had worn her out somewhat, but she got really excited a little while ago and insisted I put down the laptop and pay attention to her. She also gave one of her bones a good talking-to. Barking at her toys is one of her more endearing and yet annoying qualities. Now she's snoozing again.

Has anyone else ever noticed how Miss Manners' left eye looks much higher than her right in her column photo?

I just finished a great book called "The Boy Next Door," which is an epistolary novel, all done in e-mails. The writer, Meggin Cabot, does an outstanding job, and her writing reminds me of Weet's.

I'm getting almost daily (brief) e-mails from Air Force Guy. I went care package shopping yesterday and was feeling a little guilty this morning for dropping money on soldiers after telling Deb we need to economize now to be able to afford my therapy. I feel like sending stuff and writing letters to these guys might be therapeutic in itself, though. It certainly helps me keep the human element of war in mind.