On my Sunday

The window's open behind my back, just a couple of inches, and the wind is blowing the white curtain prettily. Best enjoy it. The cold is on the way in and it's supposed to get down to freezing tomorrow night. Our last freeze date is around the 20th or 21st, and we always get a blast just before that. Glad I've resisted putting out seed, esp. with it being so wonderfully warm lately.

Enjoyed going to church with oldest daughter this morning. We tend to go on Saturday nights, but yesterday some of the older ones went to fly kites and got back too late to get ready. That was fine. The weekends can get busy fast, and it's nice to be lazy instead.

But this morning, she and I went to services at 9:30am---just the two of us---and that was just plain nice. 'Course we regularly visit a mega church, so it pays to be clever about when to get there, so parking isn't the adventure it might be otherwise. I'd only gotten 5 hours of sleep, so after coming home, I took a nap---a four hour one!---and feel much more human now. Well sort of. You know how it is when you sleep too long during the day and your body gets all weird on you? Well, that's the way it was when I got up at 4pm. I don't know how I do it. Not that I'd recommend my sleep routine to anyone. Must be my body is used to a sloppy sleep pattern. Fact is, I run on empty most times, even with a regular night's sleep. At a loss of how to fix it, but with this busy and full household, guess it's just the way it is.

Not sure what the week holds. I've not bought any Easter stuff, and need to attend to that earlier rather than later. Time's gotten away from me. It does that, you know. Must get the taxes loaded into H&R Block online. Husband gave me figures and I'm the one who fills out the stuff. Hope I'll be pleasantly surprise.

Just re-read this post and think I sound a bit draggy. I think I need something out-of-the-ordinary to perk me up, yes? Life has been a bit routine. Well, there's the neighborhood association meeting tomorrow night. Not exciting, but it's with people other than the ones I live with. Sometimes that's all it takes. :)

Baking bread

Made the best bread yesterday---better than any I've ever whipped up. And I've made some bread. :) One son (the one who enjoys baking) got to hunting on the Internet for a bread that would wind up like a big wad. I wanted a pile of bread. And while I know that this description doesn't sound too appetizing, the bread ended up being DEElishus! We had two loaves on the largest of our cookie sheets, and all agreed that it was the best ever. My husband even asked how much better cost-wise it was to make this bread rather than buying sliced loaves at the grocery. The highest of compliments. The only changes I made in the recipe were to use brown sugar in place of the turbinado they used, and I also mixed in margarine instead of oil, just because we were out of the oil. And from the reviews the bread has gotten at the site, substitutions wear well with it. Wonderful all around.

Without further ado, the link is here!

(this photo is from the recipe site, and our two loaves looked, pretty much, like this...flatter than loaf bread, and a bit spread out)

What's winging around in my head

• foolishly answered my cellphone this morning to an unknown number--was a man attempting an obsc*ne phonecall, but must have been new at it. i even said "i beg your pardon?" causing him to repeat the nonsense. wish i'd been better at a retort. it was pitiful, plus his voice reminded me of what alfred e. neuman's would sound like. brother.
  
• thinking the men at the super-duper Summit looked a bit unimpressive in their photos...speaking of Mad Magazine. :)
  
• our country is being led by ignoramuses, I fear (and apparently, we're not alone in that).
• haven't done as well with my news fast as I hoped--very difficult--must try again like with any addiction.
  
• about to dust, run the vacuum and whip parts of the house quickly into shape.
• then some quiet in bed with books.
  
• must get up by 3:30pm, 'cause if i do that, we get to have yeast bread with dinner---I have the timing down to a science.
• a quiet weekend ahead, I hope.
• plan on handing out a few neighborhood assoc. fliers before monday.
• enjoying the sun coming in the windows.
• tickled at robins building nest in carolina jessamine on front porch.
• needing to buy a frugal mess of groceries for the weekend.
• having to constantly keep mind in calm mode--escape into a book necessary, and needing to be applied ASAP.
• must go, time's awasting
  

Friday morning

Daisy the Pug was up just before 6am this morning, and trotted down the steps to our bedroom. Her new routine. So Gary didn't wake up, I quietly got out of bed, being rewarded by her licking my legs. And, while I didn't get enough sleep (which tends to be the norm), getting to sleep at 1am, I was feeling pretty refreshed anyhow. Melatonin is my friend. I sleep hard when I take that, and it makes all the difference. Good stuff.

Anyhow, so glad I continue to tidy the house before going to bed. I'm getting downright compulsive about it. But still, there are series of days sometimes when the housekeeping goes down the drain. I'll leave dishes in the sink, the piles will grow on the flat surfaces and the dust will accumulate. Hate it when that happens, but am always so pleased when it gets back to neat and tidy. Settles my mind. Truly, when the house is dirty, my head gets messed up. When it's straight, I feel content. I'm easy.

So, today is a home day. There's enough food in the house for dinner. Meals are unimaginative, lately, by necessity, but fine nonetheless. That potato soup is finally for tonight's dinner, and I'm glad I have some sour cream to put in it. I mentioned making bread yesterday, but will do that today. Was so preoccupied with the weather yesterday, hearing talk about tornadoes and the like, that I felt a tiny bit rattled. Just rain. There was no need to feel unsettled, as it turns out.

Today will be sunny. Can finally hang out clothes again. Domestic chores are so appealing sometimes. And while a good nap will be necessary later, I'm going to enjoy the morning as it comes.

MLK

This time last year, I got our mail lady's attention while my husband and I were on the front porch and asked her if she was getting off for Martin Luther King Day. I said I remembered in the past that our city had two holidays for MLK. I was wondering if we still did. I just couldn't remember. She gave me a startled look, and I said that I figured she'd know. My meaning was that she'd know because she delivered the mail and would know beforehand if she'd be working. She got offended and said she didn't know what I was talking about. Me? I was clueless that I'd set her on edge.

After she walked away, my husband said he couldn't believe that I'd asked her that. I was still clueless. He said that she probably was offended because I was asking her about MLK Day because she was black. Like she was supposed to know all the black trivia?!?? That hadn't even entered my mind. I was wondering if the mail would run.

I ran her down and apologized, and told her that as far as I knew, there was a second holiday here in honor of MLK. She shrugged and said that she wasn't aware of it.

We live in Memphis. Tomorrow, the third of April, is MLK Memorial Day here---paying tribute to the day he died on April 4th. The libraries are closed, the trash won't be collected, and I believe the City offices will be shut down. Even the public schools are closed.

The thing is, I'm full of righteous indignation. Last year I was right, but she either wasn't aware of the holiday (which I find difficult to believe) or walks around with a chip on her shoulder. I vote for number two. She was offended, and we both ended up getting upset. I'm just a year late. Living in this city, I get so tired of the constant reminders of racism. We're a mess. But to make an innocent remark that's immediately misunderstood just gets my goat. And here it is, a year later and I'm freshly hacked off. My problem, sure, but it just gets so old.

Beginning the day

We're to expect some rainy, windy weather today. It's not fretting me, but the weathermen would prefer that it did. They sure do get excited about using heavy adjectives, you know? Devastating, torrential, catastrophic....you name it, they use it. Everything's a big deal. Well, I don't think so! While I don't doubt that the weather might get dicey, I'd rather not make too much of an issue of it until it gets here.

Just one outing today, and that includes buying clothes soap. Just going to trot down to that friendly Family Dollar this morning and get that. Then home to do school, make chocolate chip cookies and have either potato soup (postponed from yesterday) or split pea. Neither thrilling, but with yeast in the house, and plenty of flour, might make some fresh bread. That'd liven things up, I think.

With me being online less, I've been more inclined to keep the house up. Have a pretty good housecleaning record for the past little bit. Love getting it all spiffed up in the evening, so when I make my tea in the morning, the sink is empty and the living room is straight. Just makes my heart glad. Clutter makes me tetchy, and for a long time, I wasn't aware of what was bothering me. While we never get all things clean---the bedrooms are full UP!---the main living areas make me smile!

Now, time to get off this thing. :)

(painting by stephen darbishire)

Heavy reading

Have been making a short list of books for the kids to read before school lets out. We're into Cyrano de Bergerac now, and since I've always loved plays anyway, it's a treat. Cyrano is so likable. Our Town is next on the list, and it might take some time to get through, but figured we were on a roll with reading plays.

Got 1984 and Brave New World yesterday, at the library, but don't think we'll be reading them as a group. Sometimes a book is more earthy than I intend to inflict on our kids, and these fit that description. I dunno. When I was in high school (private) and in college (not-private), we read stuff I'd not be keen on having in the house. Just because it's popular, doesn't make it necessary. Catcher in the Rye is one, and I'm sure I could make the list longer. Call me over-cautious. I don't care.

The thing is, both the books I've mentioned are frighteningly spot on as far as the thinking of the world is going. (This is amazing to me especially since one was published in the early '30's and the other one in 1950.) They couldn't have known that...but with Brave New World's dealing in reproduction (test tube sorts), well, we're almost there. The buzz is that folks want to select the sex and characteristics of their babies. Yuck. And as far as 1984 goes, yes, people do seem to want to be controlled by the government. The 'tell me what to do and I'll do it' mentality is more and more prevalent. And, if a person's doing what they're told, they're not held responsible for the consequences, are they? Huh!

Must seek out some light reading for the day. This heavy stuff makes me frown. :) I must be a sucker for punishment. Have put myself on a news blackout, but still seem to need the stimulation of hot topics. Brother.

Now, as to my current Internet consumption, as mentioned on Sunday---my time online is down, and I'm trying to focus on what I really want to do/see and not what just splashes in front of me. Much better!