All good

Napoleon update. Before I went to Springfield, Caleb asked me to bring him something from my trip, so I'd been carrying a postcard from Lincoln's Home. When I gave it to him, he told me that his grandfather told him about touring the house when he was a little boy, and that his grandfather was "a Lincoln fanatic." It was the first I'd heard about Caleb's grandfather, and was glad the card brought back happy memories (though I'm still not reading Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, even if it is one of Caleb's favorite books).

While he and I were talking, a woman walked up with a 24-can case of Friskies cat food. Napoleon's favorite! Napoleon acted as though he knew what it was. He hopped into the plastic bag and started pawing at the cardboard. Now he could not possibly smell the gravy through the cardboard box and the metal can ... could he? At any rate, the woman knew her act of kindness was enthusiastically received by both human and feline.

Caleb has a lead on another place for the little family to live. His wife still needs a wheelchair off and on throughout the day -- with her weakened heart, when she feels tired she must stay off her feet -- so sleeping in their tent by the river is an impossibility. The furnished room where they are makes both Randi and Napoleon uncomfortable because they neither trust nor like their landlord. Plus, it's an illegal rental, which means they have no lease and no rights. This worries me.

Anyway, a woman who works for IDOT (Illinois Department of Transportation) walks by Caleb and Napoleon every day and has taken an interest in them. She is investigating a state-sponsored home where Caleb and Randi would have their own furnished room, a shared bathroom and access to a kitchen. He seemed excited about having a lock on his door and extra privacy. I hope it works out. It would be nice if Randi could relax and recuperate in a room where she feels safe and comfortable.