Every year when school starts I raise the boys' allowance by a dollar a week. But I also increase their responsibilities. Everett's new job this year is to bake something on Sundays for them to take as a dessert with their school lunches. Today he is making whole-wheat doughnuts.

If you look at the cupboards behind him you will notice they do not have doors. That is because I removed them all, intending to paint them during the winter after the kitchen and cupboards were painted. That was, oh, three or four years ago. I have excuses, of course: the place I hoped to do the painting had farm machinery parked in it instead; I was busy; excuses, plain and simple. All this, just to help you understand why I haven't ripped Scott's head off for not getting us into our new house yet. I can't, because I'm not a damn bit better than he is at getting things done. As a matter of fact, I'm a far sight worse.