Nes Gadol Haya Po

As anyone can tell you, "Nes Gadol Haya Po", the words symbolized on a Chanukah dreidel, mean "A Great Miracle Happened Here." And so it has.

Earlier today, maybe around one, K came downstairs from her room and asked me if I wanted to help her -- help her! -- clean the basement. And so we did. The major challenge of my entire retirement, the next 20 or 30 years, and we did it. We didn't finish it, of course, but after we throw out the garbage on Monday and then move all her crap to her new place in a couple of weeks, and move the spare bed down there upstairs, it will no longer be a challenge. At that point, it will be tidying up and organizing, no big deal, an hour here or there for a few weeks. And then, as my father used to ask me to clean my room when I was a kid, it will be pretty enough for a magazine to come and take a picture of.

It's a beautiful thing.

In other news, I guess I've decided to get some new clothes that fit, and lucky for me, Old Navy is having a big sale, and I am wearing size 10 jeans! Which is good, because I was pretty much wearing 14s until now, and they were falling off me when I walked. The worst part of all this is that I have to give up my beloved denim shirts, of which I have several, because they're all mens mediums, and I'm not anymore. :( They're so soft, just the way I like them. My eldest nephew is in visiting from California and I think they might fit him, so at least I know they'll have a good home.

Otherwise, things are nice and slow, just the way I like them.