December 9, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Saltine.

Before the family arrived, we ordered oysters on the half shell, so when the girls and Christina arrived, the oysters were on the table. There were 7 of us at the table and Mary Frances and Kashina do not eat oysters, so the five of us devoured those oysters within five minutes. Ken and Molly consumed the most but Christina and Kate and I were not far behind. As this was my last birthday celebration, I selected Saltine. The food is excellent but I had forgotten the noise in the restaurant. We ate so much food that no one, even Molly wanted dessert. We had a good time at Saltine, which was the last brunch of 2018. On Thursday, the girls and Christina are going to Disneyworld, a gift from Linda for Christina's birthday. They will have a wonderful time but we will miss them. They are our anchor here. They return on the 19th, while we leave on the 21st. Nothing will hold them back from doing all everything provides. What I do not know about will be the crowds. Will there be fewer people because of the proximity to Christmas? I do not know. But I know they will have fun. Kate has one exam tomorrow while Mary Frances is finished. Molly will be taken out of school for a few days. They Arte ready to relax. Now I must finish my Christmas cards and then prepare for Mexico. My anxiety mounts.