Well, I guess two entries this month will make it a 100% increase over last month. I was hoping to do better, but hope alone does not get the photos sorted or the words written. I’m just back from another quick weekend trip to Chicago to see my mom. She continues to recover from her stroke; we’ll just to have to wait and see how much more progress can be made. Mr. Karen came along this trip, stopping in at Mom’s for a quick visit before continuing on without me to see his folks. My nephew who lives there had the day off from both his jobs, so I got to spend some time with him, which was nice. We took Mom out to run a couple of errands, then talked her into letting us do her grocery shopping while she took it easy at home. I did have to get her to translate some of the items on her list before we headed out (spaghetti fillers?), but at least 90% of it was completely understandable, which is really good for someone who’s had a stroke so recently. The reason we wanted her to rest is that Sunday both the great granddaughters were baptised. Mom was feeling strong enough to go to the service and the reception afterward. It was the first big family gathering we’d had since summer of 2011, so the first since my sister-in-law passed earlier this year. It was so good to see my brother smiling with his daughters and granddaughters. I wish I’d taken more pictures, but between making sure Mom was situated and catching up with relatives I haven’t seen in a while, I got distracted. Ah well, I’ll have these words and my memories, and in this age of Facebook, perhaps I’ll see other people’s captures of moments I didn’t get documented. I do know I’m the only one who got Mom’s not quite Basement Cat to sit for a portrait.