But my family's antics cheered me so I thought I'd share them with you.

My mom, she's going to be 64 this year, told me the other day the enjoyment she experienced from eating a Blow Pop. You remember what they are right? The sucker with the bubble gum inside?

She works in collections at a credit card company in Sioux Falls. If you've ever had that kind of job, you know sometimes it can be rather boring with people hanging up, no answers and the like.

So anyway mom told me about unwrapping that green apple flavored sucker and putting it in her mouth. She rolled it around in her mouth sucking on it for a long time -- all the way to the bubble gum inside. And then she proceeded to chew that.

"Do you know how long it's been since I've eaten a sucker? Or chewed bubble gum?" Mom asked me on the telephone.

I believe she was in shock to have enjoyed this treat that was popular in my childhood though I doubt in hers.

I laughed with her and asked if she blew bubbles too. She did not afraid that would attract too much attention.

Thanks Mom for reminding me it's the small things that make life enjoyable.

The other night I called my youngest brother Andrew, he's gonna be 24. He's in like his fifth year at Augustana College in Sioux Falls.

The poor guy has no car cause his is broken and no job so he can't get it fixed. So he has to walk anywhere he wants to go.

And he has no pots and pans so he eats a lot of pizza, sandwiches and cereal, but he still has a positive spirit. (That's why I called him.)

So he's telling me about this German paper he's trying to write, throwing in some German language so I have no idea what he's saying, which lightens the mood even more.

He tells me he's having a tough time with the paper because his German's not so good. Then he goes on to explain what the paper is about. I'm sorry, Andrew, but I have no idea what you were talking about.

But then Andrew tells me about his piano lessons. He's been taking them off and on since he was a little guy. Now, he has keys to the music room usually reserved for music majors.

Andrew loves music and theater and I could hear the excitement in his voice as he told me that now he gets to play on the baby grand pianos and the like.

And, he says, his playing is terrible but striking the chords on those elegant pianos makes all the years of lessons worthwhile and the wrong notes sound better.

Thanks Andrew for reminding me that hard work pays off.