Old people have a tendency to "put things away in a safe place." Then they forget where the "safe place" is -- and also what things they "put away."

Old Fern Judd, a former North Ender now living in Elliot Lake, is going to wonder where his supply of address stickers is. He is going to look into every nook and cranny the next time he writes a letter, to find the sheet of stickers bearing his name and address, so he can put one of them on the upper left-hand corner of the envelope.

He won't find them because I've got 'em.

Old Fern writes his letters on anything he can find and fold so it fits into an envelope.

With great care, he apparently put an address sticker on his latest letter to me and then folded the sheet of stickers, putting it into the envelope along with his letter, which was written on the backs of two medical claim forms.

I shouldn't make fun of Fern's absent-mindedness. I have my own dumb acts to account for.

One day a week during the school year, I help with the teaching of gerontology at McMaster University.

This year, the class started on Sept. 16. On Sept. 9, I got dressed, gathered my school stuff and sat on the porch waiting for the ride to Mac.

When daughter Susan failed to appear on time, I phoned her.

"You're a week early, Dad, go back indoors."

Hey, Fern, you're not alone.

Ted Wilcox is a lifetime Hamiltonian with a passion for sports, community and, most of all, family.