Our usual starter for this form of chit-chat is away, so as an oldtimer I thought I'd take the liberty of doing the job. Here we say a few words about ourselves, just to keep track of one another in a personal way, in order to get to know each other more deeply, for mutual support and just plain old human interest.

For those who have been following the adventure, I talked to both Steve (our usual host here) and Laura on Saturday. Both were doing well as far as PD is concerned, considering their future paths, and making some tough decisions. I gotta say that what Steve has done for a fellow human being is above and beyond the call, and what Laura, also known as Harley, has been through in her life is far beyond what most of us could endure. They are both heroes in my book.

As for moi, I am still tired from all the singing I did as a member of my church's choir over the holidays, although it's very good for my breathing and voice, and I loved every minute of it. My greatest difficulties are staying organized and staying focused. To try and overcome my "executive" dysfunction, I practice all the choir anthems at home, and I get a list of the hymns from the director during the week so I can mark them all in my own hymn book ahead of time, to avoid fumbling with all that during the service. So far, so good, For the first time in my life, this fall, under a new director, I'm starting to be assigned an occasional small solo, so I guess I'm keeping it together all right, as long as my cloud of angels (fellow choir members) keeps helping me with the two dozen or so buttons on my choir robe and with getting my white billowy short gown on over it! (I have young onset PD, dx'ed at 53 but symptomatic for about ten years before that. I'm now 63.)

But enough about me! How every little thing with you all?

Jaye