Dear Esteemed Students,
 

I hope this message finds you:
 

1. Curled up beside a crackling fire, wrapped in a blanket burrito, sipping cocoa topped with a suspiciously architectural amount of whipped cream.
    
   

2. Laughing so hard at TikTok that you accidentally “like” a video from 2019 and must now consider changing your identity.
    
   

3. Deep in thought, wondering whether crows have secret government jobs.
    
   

4. Politely arguing with your cat or dog about who actually pays the rent.
    
   

5. Trying to calculate how many pieces of bellybutton lint it would take to fill a shoebox, then questioning every life choice that led to that moment.
    
   

First, thank you SO much for your wonderful support of my cousin Ana’s “Hearts Around the World” project for her first-grade class. She told me the students have been squealing with delight every time a new card arrives. You’ve helped create real joy for a classroom of kids (who could really use some joy right now in the US), and that means a lot. Truly — thank you, thank you, thank you.
 

Second, for the first time in years (he says, staring at his shoes), I’ve written a new blog post titled:
 

“My Top 5 English Corrections (From a Guy Who Once Complimented Someone’s ‘Fur’).”
 

Yes. That happened. Yes, I survived. Barely.
 

You can read it here:
 

https://cafetalk.com/column/read/?c=eJxzMknxqYzIK_QMcA319jIPC3cPq9J2tLUFAGFrB4A.&pb=1&lang=en
 

Read it at your peril… or your amusement… or while hiding from your responsibilities. Your choice.
 

Best regards and silliness,
 
 Manning