I slept this morning until 9 a.m., but lay in bed until 9:30 when the phone began to ring. Vicki and I chatted with Micah at the table over paozinho, the small Brazilian bread baked fresh daily, and Earl Grey tea.

Gilda, of the music school with which my office shares an entrance from the street, called this morning to say the door handle had been broken off again, so I'd better take a pair of pliers to open the door. We're studying what to do about replacement.

At the office I answered emails, read the accumulated mail, and took care of other details. I finally got my weekly Forthright article done, somewhat different today than usual.

The owner of my office space, sr. Ricardo (and Gilda's father) dropped by to say the architects below me are willing to give me the space next to my office on the second floor. They access it by a circular stairway which will be closed off. I'll remove the wooden partition separating it from me. For that space I'll pay an extra R$100,00 (about US$40), not a bad deal. Sr. Ricardo also mentioned they're going to build a roof with transparent or translucent tiles over the landing between me and the music school. That'll keep the rain from collecting on the landing and infiltrating the architects' space below. The latter are drawing up the project. It'll be a nice addition.

Vicki and Micah were out shopping and offered to pick me up on the way home, so I quit early today (about 5 p.m.) and went home with them. The boys went to the work-out gym when they got back. Leila started back her swimming this afternoon, too.

They'd gone by the post office downtown, and Vicki handed me The Scripture Standard from the UK. My poem "Both Prayers and Pains" was published in the January edition. It's in its 71st year of publication. I was pleased to see it.