Auntie Lily, hi, it’s me, Junior.  I don’t have any idea what Ernestine is talking about, but I’m sure it is a good thing because my mom says Ernestine has a pure heart.  Thank you for being for the animals.  Um, please tell Edith I can’t come to soccer practice on Saturday because I have to go to the dentist.  That’s everything, I think.  Big hearts, Mugsy Jr.

You are so nice, Ms. Jane!  I hope you get a really good cake with your favorite everything on it.  Thank you for being our friend.  Love, MP Jr.

That’s what my mom was saying to Aunt Mugsy, that everybody got confused about what we need. But really what it is she wrote down. We need clean air to breathe. We need water to drink. We need food to eat. We need a nice safe place to sleep. We need warm clothes to wear. We need exercise. And we need a hug. She says everything else is a want. And all the rest of that is just stuff. But I don’t know, Edith, cause Aunt Mugsy goes on like that about life and everything, but Mom doesn’t. So I think something really big is going on.

My mom said it’s always the Twilight Zone in somebody’s brain! I’m really sorry you guys are having trouble, Edith. But my mom said your folks are smart people and they know what’s what so they will be okay. Don’t worry. Then she said, “Mugsy, on the other hand … ” but then she stopped. Which is what she does when she doesn’t want me to know something.

Hey, Edie! Mom said I could stay up and write you because you are on wOw tonight. Mostly she doesn’t want me on wOw because it’s for groan-ups, but she says it’s all right if you are here. But Edith Ann, I’m sorry, but I don’t really understand what you’re talking about. Maybe that’s because you’re in second grade. Text me if you want to have a Wii playdate. Bye. Mugsy Peabody Jr.

Ms. Liz, I am happy that everyone is wishing you a happy birthday because you are such a nice lady and put up with everybody on wOw even when we aren’t very polite. Even though my mom says I’m not supposed to gossip, she says you get to because you’re Liz Smith. Happy birthday! Love, Mugsy Jr.

Ms. Lily, I am very sad about Billy. They said they have to do this because it costs too much money to stop, and my Aunt Mugsy is screaming about this because she says she can’t believe Los Angeles is paying the people who say this real money to be this stupid and mean. My mom says it is a lot more complicated than that, but really Aunt Mugsy is right. Anyway, I just want to say that I do not like it that they say kids need zoos to know about animals. I know about animals from all kinds of ways. I look at the PBS stuff, and there’s the ‘net and a lot of videos at the library. So they shouldn’t say they are doing it for kids, because nobody asked us. We don’t want Billy to hurt and be sad and lonely. Anyway, I asked my mom what will happen when Billy dies and then the elephant park is empty. She said they would go get another elephant from Africa. So I asked her if that was like if somebody got out of jail they would have to go arrest somebody else. She told me to go text Edith Ann or go out and play. She didn’t really answer my question. So I am texting Ms. Lily and wOw instead. I love you Ms. Lily because you think like a grownup but you feel like a kid.

Cause my mom told me I shouldn’t ever notice when people do stuff like that because it isn’t polite.

In me or in others?

Um, Ms. Jane, I just wanted to say I hope you have an amazing new year and that you and Aunt Lily and Aunt Mugsy live a long time and help me learn how to make people giggle like you do. (Edith already does.) Love, Mugsy Peabody Jr.

Frannie, that’s a great idea. Frances and Junior just called and they’ll be here in a couple of hours. Oakland lost 10,000 homes in the fire of the late ’80s, so I know it’s utterly terrifying to be caught up in something like that.

Hi, everyone. Mommy and I are driving up to Aunt Mugsy’s in Oakland because we live so close to Sylmar. Mommy isn’t talking and has the radio up real loud. It was too smokey to breathe so we decided to vacuate. We didn’t watch the tv because the fireman said not to use electricity because of the fires. Anyway Mommy said she didn’t want me to see the fires. Anyway, Ms. Jane and Ms. Lily live somewhere there too, and I don’t know if they’re okay. So please let us know if anybody knows, okay? Maybe they don’t have any electricity so they can’t post. I’m very sad for all the people who have their houses burning down. I asked Mom what happens to the animals. I don’t mean the pets. I mean the other animals. She said she didn’t know. It’s real windy right now so even on the freeway it’s smokey. I’m very sad. Um, that’s all right now. Bye. Mugsy, Jr.

Ms. Whoopi, hello. Aunt Mugsy told me you are having your birthday this week, and I want to say that if anybody should have a happier birthday than you, I can’t think who it is. (Except maybe me! +<8/-} ha ha.) Because you make everybody laugh. And not because you’re dumb or pretend to fall down. It’s real hard to make people laugh with your clothes on. I hope you have lots of more birthdays and all your friends can come to your party. Love, Mugsy Peabody, Jr.

Hello, everybody. I know everyone is all stirred up about the election and everything, and I’m very sad that Sen. Obama’s grandma died this morning, because I wanted her to be here for her big day, but what is very good news, Aunt Mugsy said that today is Ms. Maurine H.’s birthday. I want to say happy birthday to Ms. Maurine, because she is always so kind and smart and knows a lot of stuff and she’s like one of my heros. Can everybody sing happy birthday for her? Um, okay, that’s everything. MP, Jr.

Oh, dear god, pass that cup from our lips! We didn’t need the first Reagan. Why always have the truly stupid people in charge. Would it disturb some vast universal plan just once to say, “You know what? We want the best and the brightest. The ones who have good, compassionate, inclusive hearts. Those folks.”?