Observation about our new Mr. Coffee with a thermal carafe: Brews great coffee and keeps it warm all morning. Unfortunately this allows is only a faint wake-me-up-to-smell-the-coffee aroma.

I boasted to my brother back east about our nice sunny day this morning. When I walked home for lunch it was hailing. Then the sun came out. As I walked back to work it poured. Then the sun came out. I probably deserved that.

Years ago I was involved in a family program with my son. The first thing we had to do in each session was name a good thing and bad thing for the day. I found that it is always easy to come up with the bad thing but something good was a definite challenge. So for today...

Good thing: I’m practicing random acts of kindness and find that it really is a good mood enhancer.
Bad thing: My bones ache.

FRIDAY FIVE

1. How many houses/apartments have you lived in throughout your life?
12 houses / 4 apartments

2. Which was your favorite and why? Where I live right now because it is in a convenient location

3. Do you find moving house more exciting or stressful? Why? Stressful - I moved 14 times while I was growing up, married and lived in one house for 33 years, moved into an apartment. Perhaps the childhood moves were exciting but I tend to remember the stresses of adjusting to new schools and friends to be overwhelming. No wonder I lived in the same house for so many years. Then stress arrived in the household and I had to move to avoid it.

4. What's more important, location or price? Location for now but I am sure price will be a big factor when I try to live on my measly retirement.

5. What features does your dream house have (pool, spa bath, big yard, etc.)? A small cabin so I don't have to do a lot of housework, a nice garden as long as I can afford a gardener, a view of mountains or ocean (both???), simple furnishings, a hideaway place to write in.