One of the grandchildren called outside the usual time to ask how I made the potatoes for Thanksgiving. I was pleased she remembered them. I gave her the instructions and she read them back, which saved us both a second call. Then she stayed on the line while she got the pan out and told me about her week. I had been about to balance the checkbook. It remained unbalanced for another half hour without incident. She sent a picture of the finished dish later. The potatoes were a little crowded, but they looked good. I told her so. My husband wanted to know why we were not having potatoes that evening.

Re: the old family photographs. Date order works until an envelope contains three different years and somebody has written summer on the back. Summer was an annual event. I have set those pictures aside rather than assign dates I cannot support. My sister remembers the dress in one photograph and insists it came before our parents changed the car. That may help. I can see the car's bumper at the edge if I use the magnifier. I had expected to finish one drawer today. Instead the dining table is covered and my husband is eating at the kitchen counter. He says he prefers it there. Very tactful, and not entirely convincing.

Pool at 7:00. The first steps into the water were cold, as usual, but my knees moved more freely once we started. I could turn and step sideways without planning each foot. Fifty minutes passed quickly. The skin on my arms felt tight afterward, so I used the lotion before dressing instead of leaving it for home. My husband had coffee ready when I returned. I sat down to drink it while my hair was still damp at the back. He asked whether the class had been difficult. Not difficult. Useful, and pleasant. There is no need to make every form of exercise sound like a disciplinary hearing.