On the day after my birthday on April 21, which our family celebrated at our cabin in the Sierra, my daughter Barbara volunteered to wash the windows. Nice birthday present, but … My husband Leo brought the ladder a rather old specimen and after Barbara had climbed about six steps the whole thing crashed, Barb flew through air and landed on Leo’s leg, the ladder between them. Result: Barb wasn’t hurt at all, the window wasn’t washed at all, but Leo’s leg was broken right below his left knee. I stood next to the mess, speechless. We called the ambulance and Leo was shipped to the nearest ER at San Andreas. The doctor’s verdict: Tibia plateau broken. Too old for operation. Somehow we brought him home and Leo spent several month healing, at first in bed all the time, then wheel chair, then walker, cane, and finally he is walking again. A week after this happened, I came down with shingles, a rather painful affair which I don’t wish on anybody. We are both still not back to normal.