Four or five years ago I gave Margie a pair of small, Japanese dolls. They were the figures of an old man and an old woman. They were holding a broom and a rake in their hands.

Every afternoon I sweep dead leaves and flowers off the driveway beside our house and place them in a trash bag. Whenever I do that I think of that pair of Japanese dolls and the serene looks on their faces. I do so love sweeping the driveway beside the house as I love washing dishes. The former exercises my back muscles, the latter, my abdominal muscles. Both, to me, are centering activities.