Christmas baby

Robert (my former step-son) and his wife have a baby boy - born on Christmas day! I haven't talked to them, but Andy, the grandfather, was thrilled and excited when he called me. The baby has Andrew for a middle name - after his grandfather. So, yesterday, I went to the mall to find a baby present. I was a bit nervous about driving there, although it's only a few miles. My car is still running - barely. I think it doesn't even shift out of 2nd gear now! I drive very slowly and stay on the back roads. I really hope it gets fixed this week, but have my doubts that will happen. Anyway, the only department store open in the mall when I got there (10:30 AM) was Lord and Taylors, which is not a store I usually shop in. It's too pricey for my budget. However, I thought I would just browse. Amazingly, I found bargains in the baby section, so bought two cute little outfits for the new baby. Hope to get them into the mail today. I may even walk over to the post office - about 3 miles round trip - if the day warms up. Yesterday the temperatures were in the high 60s, maybe even reaching 70! What's with this December weather, anyway? It's crazy, although truly not that unusual. I remember several years when New Year's Eve was sweater weather. Today is much colder, but the sun is shining, so hopefully the day will improve.

Last evening, I went to a book club meeting at my former church. I was afraid to drive my car that far after dark, but got a ride from someone who comes practically past my house on her way to the meeting. The book we had read is 'The Christmas Box'. I wouldn't recommend it, frankly. It's very sentimental and rather simplistic. Very short, which pleased some members. Not everyone in the book club wants to be challenged by the choices. Once a year, we vote on the books from a list that everyone in the club can nominate books to. (That sentence is very poorly constructed, but I hope you get the meaning.) As a result, we get a variety of selections, mostly with a religious bent, but also books about the environment or other aspects of science, which I enjoy reading. Anyway, this meeting was particularly enjoyable because the hostess brought a huge assortment of Christmas cookies - all beautifully decorated and delicious tasting. Next month we will be reading Hilary Clinton's "It Takes a Village". That should be interesting to discuss. I'm actually in two book clubs, both in churches. The other club is very small and the members read somewhat unusual books. Being in that club forces me to read things I would NEVER pick up otherwise. One that I can remember we read is "On a winter's night a traveler" by Italio Calvino - a book I would not recommend, as it is very hard to follow the plot, if there even is one. However, for February, we will read Mary Renault's "The King Must Die" - a book I have actually read. I read all of her books when I was in college, so it will be fun to re-read this one and see what I think of it. I must admit that except for the two book club books, I just read junk fiction - i.e., romance and mysteries!