what i'm reading now

This book was first published in 1932. Here is a paragraph from the jacket: "While demonstrating that civilization is growing closer to barbarism as it drifts further away from Christian values, Black Mischief illustrates Waugh's limitless ironic imagination. With a little misguided help from some friends, black Emperor Seth attempts to modernize the kingdom of Azania, off the coast of Africa. The result is homemade currency, a "Birth Control Gala" festival, the rightful ruler's demise at his own rather long and tiring coronation ceremonies, and a good deal more mischief from the wit of one of the the finest practitioners of the art of satiric fiction."

quote of the day

Sooner or later we all discover that the important moments in life are not the advertised ones, not the birthdays, the graduations, the weddings, not the great goals achieved. The real milestones are less prepossessing. They come to the door of memory unannounced, stray dogs that amble in, sniff around a bit, and simply never leave.

--Susan B . Anthony.

rachel's latest painting

Each person sees his own story in a painting. What I see in this one is a person's struggle out of depression as he approaches the crossroad that leads to joy or despair.

a welcome sign

After a sultry summer I'm always glad for the brisk air of autumn. A welcome relief. But the leaves have no sooner dropped from the trees when the bone chilling winter winds begin to blow. At first the cold is exhilirating but as time goes by I begin to yearn for the sound of bird song, the warmth of the sun on my back, and the electric green of springtime. This morning I went outside and there in the middle of a brown patch I found a crocus. That's what I've been looking for! The crocuses tell us that the ground is warming up and the daffodils and tulips are not far behind. It's time to get the tiller ready and the hoe sharpened. I'll be digging in the dirt before long.

Daffodils are sprouting next to this crocus.

movie date

Hunter and his best friend, Mia, are on the way to the movies.

Halle and Marley sit behind Mia and Hunter at the Hanna Montana 3D movie

annie

Marley and her friend Halle attend a production of Annie

valentine quote

Nothing takes the taste out of peanut butter quite like unrequited love.

– Charles M. Schulz, cartoonist (1922-2000)

quote of the day

No matter how long he lives, no man ever becomes as wise as the average woman of forty-eight.

-- H.L. Mencken, journalist, satirist (1880-1956)

photo by rachel

My daughter, Rachel, is a photographer as well as a painter.

quote of the day

Why are so many Americans so unhappy...? All manner of plausible causes present themselves, but the master cause may be the most elemental: Homo sapiens, a familial animal like the wolf or hyena rather than solitary like the bear, is genetically unequipped to live without the emotional support of uncles, aunts, first cousins, and second cousins, in addition to siblings, parents, and children..... Periodic gatherings for the ceremonies of birth, marriage, and death; the much more frequent celebration of birthdays, name days, anniversaries, and seasonal feasts; as well as webs of less-formal socializing, all serve to keep the machinery of human families in working order. That is how people live all over the world in village, town, or city -- but not in contemporary Amerca.

--Edward N. Luttwak

gleaned from The Sun

sub species

I have come to the conclusion that the human animal designated as homo sapiens should be divided into two sub species. The humans that were able to send a man to the moon, discover cures for diseases and create technological wonders that make life on this planet more pleasant cannot possibly belong to the same group that fails to learn how to drive on winter roads year after year. There are people who have lived their entire lives in a region whose roads frequently become slick and hazardous in the winter months, yet it never occurs to them to exercise caution during their morning commute. The homo sapien intelligenticus and the home sapien dumbasdirticus are two entirely different animals.

remodel update

I've been busy with the remodel. Not making much progress.

snow

Marley catches snowflakes on her tongue

We had our first significant snowfall yesterday. Dorothy left work early so she wouldn't get stuck away from home.

The grandkids we're playing in the snow in the field next to their house by the fire station when two fire fighters came out and threw snowballs at them. Then they made them a huge snowman. A police car drove up and the officers made a comment about the snowman which resulted in a firefighter throwing a snowball into the patrol car. That's when the snowball war began. It was the firefighters against the police and the kids against both of them. To see photos click here.