a.p. is what i would call a closet artist. i've known her for several years now, and it took me a couple of years to realize how much she creates. she writes with a whit as sharp as a tack. she once created a "treated" "dick and jane" calendar for us as a christmas present. the way she treated the calendar was subtle and well-executed. and it had kim and me in stiches--practically rolling on the floor with laughter. moving through life with a very mild-mannered demeanor, a.p. is passionate about many things, including books, sci-fi, visual art, cars, and... squirrels. during the winter, the live oaks in texas release thier beautiful acorns. live oak acorns are a bit different from acorns you find in the northeast. they are more oblong and sharp. also, because of the dry, warm weather here, they linger on streets and sidewalks longer. and they emit an absolutely delightful sound when crushed with a leather-soled shoe. i would sometimes walk across UT campus changing my course just to step on an uncracked acorn i saw. some people told me that i was depriving the squirrels of their food. i told them i was helping to feed the birds. but that wasn't really it. when i would crush the acorns, i would actually empathize with squirrels. so when i was making something for a.p. i knew it needed to include acorns. i collected these over time, choosing only the smoothest, unblemished ones. i cut holes in the card to accomodate the whole acorns. i wonder whether a.p. will just look at the piece, or whether she will actually step on the acorns to see what they sound like. i hope that she enjoys it either way.