News From The Mailer

Hello AAPA Friends,

The October bundles were mailed a week ago, and should be already in your hands. I'm only now getting the news item out because I have been plagued with computer problems for months, but a trip to local non-profit Free Geek fixed everything, for only $20. I went there thinking it was time to get another one of their refurbished computers, that there was no way this olde and broken down one could be fixed, but the volunteer in the service window just gave me a kind but firm lecture about having not installed one update in 3 years and sold me a new power adapter and I'm back. It made me think about how almost everyone doing anything useful is doing it as a volunteer. In the background, there was a letterpressed poster that I kept looking at. It said "If you can't fix it, you don't own it." The only bad thing that happened there was that I got asked if I qualified for the senior discount. There is a lot of grey hair on this head, but at 43, that is pretty shocking to hear. Yikes.

I had a lot of help with the bundle this month. Laurie Kitzke came over with her hot-off-the-glue-stick journal Hen Prints, and also the ever-faithful friend Ivan D. Snyder, who was bearing many gifts in the form of cuts drawn by Roy Paul Nelson. I hope to use the cuts on upcoming envelopes. Speaking of which, the envelopes were kindly printed by Michael Coughlin, who responded generously to my plea. Thanks to all of these volunteer helpers.

We are having some very beautiful fall weather here in Portland, and some nice times walking my daughter through the leaves to kindergarten. It's a big transition for all of us, having to be out the door, dressed and with a packed lunch, at 7:20 every day (for the next endless years of never sleeping in again) and we are all exhausted, but the walks are the best part of the day.