Herb is a grandpa—his lovely daughter, Amy, had her first child, a girl, this past August, in New York. He is doing all of the grandpa things like visiting for hours just to hold her and constantly buying little stuffed animals. The Super Course and the Solomon Islands weeks were great! I stayed over on the Bilikiki for another week of diving because there were only two other guests; I had the whole place to myself. It was pure heaven. My family visits in Michigan and Kentucky were the best ever and had another book brainstorming session with each of my family and with an artist friend, Christine Smith, in Athens, Ohio. Our staff at the photo centre is coming along nicely, my mortgages are officially PAID off and I was just granted Caymanian Status. How can life get any better? (Status is one step short of voting rights, but it allows me to live here permanently without having to apply each year for a permit. That eliminates a load of worry.) For those of you who know me personally, you would be pleased to know how much better I am feeling this year, thanks to the wonderful effects of an anti-depressant. Clinical depression was finally diagnosed about two years ago, and I started feeling much, much better by this spring. I hope that it was rarely visible on the outside. I advise any of you who are feeling pessimistic without reason, hopeless without cause, irritable without provocation or any of several saddened states without situational causes to check it out with a professional. Otherwise, the weather here is balmy, Herb and I and Sparky are just fine and we hope that you all can come and visit sometime soon.
Best wishes,
Cathy
