You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon will be too late."

I saw this in a fellow teacher's e-mail today and I really like it. It reminds me of my uncle, Fred Westmorland. I had 2 of the best uncles ever - Fred and Thomas Rhodes, and they both made a big difference in my life. Fred had no children, a step-son, Dr. Thurston Dean, and he always seemed to really like girls and to pick on girls - he was quite a tease. After I got to be an adult he was always asking when I was going to make him a cake. I'd been promising him one for a while and kept thinking I'd get one made, and then he suddenly died, when I was about 27. He rose from the supper table one night, was walking to "his chair" in the den and didn't make it there, collapsed and died with a massive heart attack. And I never made him that cake.

It's been a hard week - Mother being in the hospital has relieved me of worrying about supper for her nightly and buying groceries and worrying if she eats breakfast, but she's not easy to deal with at the hospital. The sick bull has been another problem, but I'm returning him for another one day next week,Jimmy Wells is going to send one back with me too. I got my 35-year recognition last night at the teachers' dinner. Jo Beth Batson got her 35th too, and Mary Ann Gaines is retiring after 31 years. I worked very closely with both of those for several years and enjoyed working with them. Mothers' Day is this weekend,which seems a bit sad to me. I've enjoyed Laney so much, and it seems the years have passed too quickly. I think I hurried through so much of her life. <