It was never pretty even when it was new. It was the pink of Canada mints and mother of pearl white, the pedestal, all white, the top a series of concentric squiggles of pink twirls. I paid 50 cents for it at a yard sale 30 years ago. For a cake plate…

'm singing a lot these days - out loud, off-key. But who cares? I'm singing love songs: ``You Are My Special Angel,'' ``Getting to Know You'' and ``You'll Never Know Just How Much I Love You.''

Who'd have thought?

I've been in love before. I'm familiar…

There is a boy and he has thick, dark red hair with lots of cowlicks. And he has freckles on his face and hazel eyes. And there is gentleness about him, and something else, too, a kind of joy that makes you smile and wish you had a boy his age at home. I asked him last week, “How old are you?” and he said, “I’m nine…