Monday's news

~our church participated in the neighborhood Fall Festival yesterday...stuff and nonsense

The tail-end of a very nice day.  Cleaned up the kitchen better than usual, and felt good inside---my insides.  No depression, but a bit of anxiety for a couple of things.  The norm for me.  I tend to fret and expect too much of myself.  I can have an exquisite time and something will sneak up on me, ruining an otherwise great day.  Have to keep on top of that.

Even got my mom's groceries in and delivered at her house with help from two youngest girls---bed changed, bathroom cleaned, coffee pot ready for the morning, started a load of clothes, tidied up, etc.  Gave her some of the bean and ham soup/cornbread I made for us.  She rarely gets homemade food being a fan of frozen dinners, so that was probably a treat.  Left her in good spirits, chowing down.  Click.  Turn off head.

~ ~ ~

And talked to Gary about asking the fiance-of-son-who-lives-with-her to dessert on Thanksgiving.  They'd already decided to go to their separate parents' houses for turkey.  Figure it's a good idea to offer.  Being that we've not talked to her since before the great blow-up when he moved out in August, it'd be wonderful if the communication could be restored.  Not like inviting a daughter-in-law over, but I want to try.  He gets along with all of us---we've really worked on it, praying lots and lots.  There's an elephant in the room when he's here, you know what I mean, but at least he'll come over.  Not a lot, but still, it's better than nothing.  When he's here, it's like he's always on guard.  Shoot, we're done fussing.  What's done is done.  Just got plow ahead now.  And wait on God's timing.

~ ~ ~

And in other news, got a pile of books at the library sale on Saturday.  I'll just mention a few authors I got: Miss Read, William Faulkner, William Butler Yeats, Susan Minot, EF Delafield, EB White, Mary Emmerling, Gail Godwin, Hal Borland, Thomas Hardy, Baroness Orczy, Markus Zusak's The Book Thief, Carrie Brown, Linda Nichols (a favorite contemporary author), and a Bailey White that'll make you crave cornbread while you're reading it.  The Bailey White is Quite a Year for Plums and the first time I read it, I just laughed and laughed, and honestly, I put the book down, made cornbread, sliced tomatoes and fished some green onions out of the fridge.  A perfect lunch.

If I got anything else I can't remember, but pretty nice haul, yes?  Now must weed out some of my own gluttonous collection.  I really am a pig.

I got the Faulkner partly because of going to Oxford, and totally loved one of his I read last week---it was a copy I'd been toting around since college, but hadn't remembered reading it. It's Intruder in the Dust, and for anyone not from the South, it's the perfect book to tell it like it is.  Exactly my experience.  I don't use the word 'awesome' very often, considering it sort of cliche anymore, but this book is awesome with a capital awe.  Kept nodding my head all through it and the ending is priceless.   Only a Southerner could get it right like Faulkner.

Oh, and borrowed a copy of Marilynne Robinson's newest book Lila, and read it in two days.  Yes.  Lived up to my expectations.  Read her book Gilead right after, if you've not already.

I've got more to say, but will resist.  Enough for now.

Internet stuff

First off I apologize for not being a faithful blog neighbor the past few days.  Gary's been in the thick of cancelling Comc*ast and has been boxing up the gadgets that needed returning.  Did that today.  Then went to T-Mob*ile, who we have our phones with and got a hotspot set up in the house for our Internet connection, to replace the one from Comc*ast.  

Now here's the cool thing about our television connection since the cable was disconnected along with the Internet.  Gary researched online and found out how to build a homemade antenna (though you can get them at Best*Buy). Our reception is better and while you don't get all the cable channels, and besides, who needs them, there's a decent amount of stations coming through.  He said he scanned 19 channels the other night.  He even gets better reception.  I say 'he' because he tends to watch in the evenings, and I only do on Sunday nights.  The kids are sporadic in watching, since we're pretty strict about their tv watching.

So, with canceling Comc*ast, that bill is gone.  And oddly enough, our phone bill is less, partly because we got a deal, and because we've been with T-Mob*ile for 17 years (even before they had that name), and they love us.  Pays to stick with companies sometimes.

But what blows my mind is using an antenna and getting more than local stations, and for free.  I never knew that was even possible, so maybe partly that's my steep learning curve.  And while it looks like we're becoming more archaic, we're happier.  Spending less really is amazing.  One son commented that with our re-doing our housenote and having that less, and doing this stuff, he's afraid the electricity and water is next.  

Not a pretty blogging post, but an informative one.  May you learn from it.  :)

The end of a sweet day...

Gosh I'm yakky today.  That's what sleep will do for a person, I reckon.  More please.

I did enjoy this morning.  Got up at 7:15 and went out to sit with the chickens.  Gary made me a bench and put it in the chicken run.  I'd not been sitting there 5 minutes before Milk hopped in my lap.  Cozy on my bathrobe.  Nora followed after him, both of them snuggled inside my arms.  Can you even imagine the joy this gives me?  Chickens in my lap.  Never gets old.  Milk was all prickly because she's molting.  Had to hold her gently because the molting tends to make them a bit edgy, and I've read that they get sore.

I'd given them all a bowl of wheat flake cereal in milk (Nora has a weakness for bowls of cold milk), and after Milk and Nora had finished, Anastasia and Madelyn ate the leavings.  They hopped up on the bench next to me when they were done.  All of us sitting like we were waiting for a bus. 

Guess I am truly the Chicken Whisperer.  Talk sweetly and softly, move gently and they'll be your pals.  I do love them so.

Must go now.  Am out of words.

'The New American Herbal' by Stephen Orr

Stephen Orr's newest book called The New American Herbal is gorgeous---one of those beautiful Clarkson Potter heavy-weight paperbacks.  And with Orr having a background working for Martha Stewart Living, House & Garden and Domino, you'd expect quality work.  He doesn't disappoint.

I've collected books on herbal cures, plants, and recipes for several years.  Some focus on different topics and they all work together to fill my needs.  Orr goes into depth about identification, uses in recipes and teas, and gives extensive historical information.  I was especially fond of his findings from old herbals.

In speaking of Cumin he quotes Theophratus saying, "One must curse and abuse it while sowing, if the crop is to be fair and abundant."  

And in Orr's words, "Farmers sowed the seed with epithets and incantations to preserve this highly valued plant from the evil eye so it would flourish." Magical.  

For this writer to share those bits of history adds to the beauty of the book.  It's not simply full of facts and his own wonderful photographs, but also with information you'd not automatically expect.

I highly recommend The New American Herbal for anyone who (like me) wants to enrich your own herbalist's library.  I can't praise it enough.

(i received this book free to review from blogging for books)

'52 Little Lessons from Les Miserables' by Bob Welch

Even though I've not finished reading Les Misérables, I thoroughly enjoyed Bob Welch's companion book called 52 Little Lessons from Les Misérables.

He shares the strengths of Hugo's masterpiece, and stresses areas that clearly point to hope, and mercy in the midst of devastating circumstances.

I love the way Welch shares personal stories of his own struggles.  He says we "give up our true riches to the things we unconsciously consider our saviors.  Work as savior, for example.  How easily we live as if getting things done is that which sustains us.  If I could live my life again---I'm fifty-nine as I write this---it is the thing I'd want to change most:  the pace at which I've lived."

And Les Misérables is the perfect book to encourage a person to appreciate the little things---the joys.  It's a book full of pain, but mostly of redemption.  Welch's book helps the reader to see that.  

(i received this book free to review from booklookbloggers)

Hidden blessings

This might be lengthy, so you may need to fetch a snack first.

Lots of things on my mind, first and foremost, I had a good night's sleep---and it's the best one in months and months.  Maybe longer than that.  Years?

Here's the thing.  While I dearly miss our dog, Opal, I don't miss the way she always had to get up at 6am or even earlier, for her breakfast.  That dog was a fool for her meals.  Even as a puppy.  And since our second son still comes by our house for a late dinner on his way to his apartment after he leaves the restaurant (which I love that he does this), it gets us to bed, sometimes at one a.m. So, six o'clock and even 5:30am in the summer for Opal was just plain mean.  Try to get back to sleep after dealing with four dogs and four chickens.  It sort of wakes you up.

So, oldest daughter (who alternates getting up with them) and I decided to just let the dogs wake up whenever, since Opal wasn't here to stir up everybody.  Bliss.  Sadly it's true.  Until we got Romeo 3 years ago, I was the one who'd always get up.  After our daughter found him at work (someone just dropped him off in her employer's shop backyard) and brought him home (yeah, we're suckers), we've taken turns.  She felt since she dumped another dog on us that she should share in the responsibility, and I gladly accepted her morning help.

And now it turns out Romeo, Daisy and Violet enjoy a good lie-in.  Bless their hearts.  And the chickens aren't in a big hurry to leave the coop since it's getting cooler.  Nice this morning to wake up when I was done sleeping and not before.  Makes a HUGE difference in how I feel.  So this is what folks talk about when they say they feel rested.  Huh.  Who knew?

~ ~ ~

Also, talked to Gary about my shaky mental health last night.  Came to the conclusion all on my own that I tend to put my mom's needs first in my head and they should be on down the list.  God first, my family (especially Gary) next, then the kids, then my mom.  I'm tucked in there somewhere, hopefully before my mom.  Hmmm, seems this list needs further work.

But in celebration of ME, I worked on my herbal lessons this morning before the kids got up.  Wrote down some healing recipes in my book I'm creating (I want it to appear sort of magical with drawings and such) and I enjoyed that.  Have set my own schoolwork aside for too long of a time, so I was refreshed.  Have got to pay attention to me or I'll just dry up.

Now. Have fully purged my thoughts.  It's been a good day.  Got in some painting too.  Am renewing the white trim in the bathroom and gradually doing the kitchen cabinets as well.  I tend to give up before beginning sometimes and am taking baby steps instead.  I'll whittle out the painting just like I read Middlemarch and am now reading Les Miserables.  A tiny bit at a time.

Done now.  Take a break.

A day away

~Rowan Oak, Wm. Faulkner's home

Drove down to Oxford, Mississippi (home of the Ole Miss Rebels) with oldest daughter this morning, and even last night before bed, Gary asked if there was a football game going on.  Uh.  Didn't know.  Looked it up online, and yes, a game was scheduled for 6pm today.  Figured we'd go anyway.

Got just outside of Oxford---after driving about an hour and 20 minutes from here, and stopped at a market for something to snack on before driving into town.  The traffic was backed up, but we were only slightly concerned.  The woman who checked us out said it was Homecoming weekend.  And for any Southerners out there, Ole Miss was playing UT (Univ. of TN).  Lots and lots of folks.

I've never seen so many high maintenance Southern women in my life.  And I'm not kidding.  These folks dressed to kill, all Suzanne Sugarbaker-types.  I was amazed.  Oldest daughter and I were way out of our league.

~tiny house on Faulkner property

~lovely bookstore

But we had fun.  Had a heck of a time finding a parking place, but finally got a meter.  Went into a charming 3-level bookstore and walked around the square.  Very lovely town.  And went to Rowan Oak, William Faulkner's home, but didn't tour.  Just didn't work out.  But walking on the grounds of his house was the best part of the trip.  So restful.  The house is very modest, and the website on the house makes it appear upscale.  It's dated 1848, I think, or thereabouts, and needs some slight work, so it was charming.  Not pretentious, but very homely.  

Anyway, we had a nice time that had been tempered by a phone call from middle daughter about an hour into our trip.  She was crying and said that our dog, Opal the German Shepherd, had just died.  She'd not been sick, but had been playing with Romeo out back after we left, and Gary was sitting out there with them and the Pugs.  Opal romped around, got a drink of water, laid down and appeared to have a seizure.  In a couple of minutes she went from playing and then onto her eternal reward.  So strange.  Needless to say we're all a bit gobsmacked.

~Opal

Boring and uneventful would be a nice change, but we had a sweet day, nonetheless. We really did.