Had a nice conversation with my sister yesterday.

After a protracted run of the "Summer Snots," she has become a devotee of the neti pot.

It's the first day of Fall! Yay!

So it's not too early to begin assembling the menu for the family Christmas luncheon.

On the menu so far is the traditional shrimp cocktail, deep-fried soft-shell crab with a crawfish cream sauce, those lovely scalloped potatoes I tried last year, a salad and a dessert.

The salad and dessert are open so far.

Do I ever do good news?

I have a piece. A 57-year-old National Guard vet who's done a turn or two in Afghanistan stayed at the condo in August with his wife and daughter.

It's policy that we give a gift basket for those who stay a week, but we backed off this summer because we reduced prices in view of the well disaster.

Lyman and the mister wheedled each other a bit and we decided to give a basket to this couple.

The guests and the basket arrived at the same time. I suppose they went up the elevator together, because she had time to notice and admire it before it arrived at her door.

Is there anything better than admiring something and have it instantly become yours?

Our resident redhead gave us a turn on Thursday.

She was squinting again, which we learned five years ago is evidence of pain, and vomiting again. And drinking a lot of water. Looked like the egg-binding episode to me.

I took her to Dr. Debbie. An x-ray didn't show an egg, but, she said, a thin-shelled egg won't show up. In an abundance of caution, the doctor dosed her with a vial of calcium and one of fluids for egg-binding and prescribed an antibiotic in case of bacterial infection. Drinking a lot of water can be a sign of infection.

Lucy laid a thin-shelled egg Friday night.