Life is God's novel. Let him write it.

-- Isaac Bashevis Singer

I was visiting with a civic group last week, and someone asked me about south Augusta, specifically how do I define the geographic boundaries of this particular part of town. Where does it start, where does it end -- that sort of thing.

There's probably some sort of government definition, I said, but personally, I think it depends on one's perspective.

"After all," I said, "if you live in North Augusta, everything on the Georgia side of the river is south Augusta."

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MAIL CALL: Every January I go through my mail drawer at work, making sure I've got my correspondence logged in.

This year it was certainly full, and I wanted to take a moment to thank you all for the postcards, kind notes and even pictures.

My favorite was a letter and photo from John Murray Jr. , which showed young John and his father. It said: "Me and my Army daddy like your stories. My army daddy reads them to me. We like the squirrel stories. Mommy does not think they are funny."

Thank you, John, and thanks to the rest of you, including:

Sue Buck , of North Augusta, and Hilda Hampton , of Augusta, your old-tie photos were neat.

El Hanson , of Evans, that Yankee Stadium article was wonderful.

Patsy Skinner , I don't think I'd eat those tomatoes, either.

Angela Herman , you're welcome. Call if you need me again.

Ditto, Mildred Miller , of Community Ministry of North Augusta.

F & C Smith , of North Augusta, you're right about vacations.

Leonard Syphrit , of Augusta, that stamp might be wrong, but it might be valuable.

Thanks for the rhyme, Joe Henderson , of Augusta.

And thanks for the jokes, Mr. and Mrs. Smith , of Hephzibah; Jim Dover , of Martinez; John Radeck , of Aiken; Ruth Slager , of Waynesboro; Sara Dukes , of Bartow; Dianne Havird , of North Augusta; and Blanche Dempsey , of Lincolnton. You all made people think I was funny.

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SPEAKING OF FUNNY: Kathy Beeson , of Martinez, shares this.

Is it just me, or does anyone else find it amazing that during the mad cow epidemic our government could track a single cow, born in Canada almost three years before, right to the stall where she slept in the state of Washington? And, they tracked her calves to their stalls. But they are unable to locate 11 million illegal immigrants wandering around our country. Maybe we should give each of them a cow.

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TODAY'S JOKE: The Psychic Hotline and Psychic Friends Network have launched hot lines for frogs. Here is the story of one frog and his discussion with his psychic.

A frog telephones the Psychic Hotline and is told, "You are going to meet a beautiful young girl who will want to know everything about you."

"That's great," said the frog. "Will I meet her at a party, or what?"

"No," said the psychic, "next semester in her biology class."