I’ve always thought of myself as a self sufficient person. I belong to the group of humans who try to find a way to resolve problems with the materials at hand…..or I did.
As I was driving on an errand this afternoon, I got to thinking about something I’d read this week. The writer commented that the nearest town was 90 miles away, so they had to do things for themselves. Ten years ago, I could have moved to a house in the wilderness, but now, I believe I’m spoiled.
Let Them Know
If you’ve missed Bogie’s blog, you should go read it. With all the HooHaw in Congress about this case in Florida, she has chosen to make her feeling known about not wanting to be maintained by machines.
Bogie, I totally agree with you. It’s unbearable to think that someone would choose to keep my body alive when I was unable to speak for myself. DO NOT RESUSCITATE! Do NOT let machines do the work for my body. I know it’s hard to pull the plug, so don’t let them hook me up.
I want it on record that I think Congress has overstepped it’s bounds in this case. There was no call for them to step in, and I feel that it’s cruel to maintain her this way.
Spring has Sprung…
The grass has riz…..I wonder where…… Hmmm that’s a blast from the past….and true to form, I can’t remember the last line. I wonder if it was a Burma Shave sign?
I have FINALLY gotten to play in the dirt. I can’t tell you how theraputic that is to a gardener who has been cooped up all winter. I needed to cut back the spent plants and look for the newcomers. I want to take an entire roll of pictures of the garden as it is now, because I want to do a lot of moving this summer. I have several areas that need rejuvenation, and I’m eager to get to work.
Here in the Chicago area, we seem to be lagging behind in temperatures for this time of year. I’m surprised that so many plants are showing their heads, given the chill, and I may need to go spread mulch to make up for the plant matter I just removed. The bricks hold heat and release it at night, but we’ve been short on heat, so I don’t think that’s much help. The walkway is shielded from southwest, west, northwest, north and northeast winds, so that shelter might be part of the reason I’m seeing plants come up.
I’ve also tried Winter Sowing this year, for the first time, and I have ROMAINE seedlings up! YEAH!!!! I’m going to try to start a few cherry and miniature pear tomato plants this year. Wish me luck!
I’m really glad that Spring has come.
What ARE They??
I got to play outside today, for the first time since last Fall. I raked an area where some bulbs will be coming up shortly, and then went to clean the flower gardens along the sidewalk. I cut back ornamental grass and spent plants, and hacked back part of the vinca that’s trying to take over the garden. I have crocus in bloom, and lilies, tulips and daffodils are pushing their way up through the soil. The iris are greening up, and I’ve moved the plants I wintered over to rest at the edge of the sidewalk.
I rested for a moment as I finished loading up the wheelbarrow, and a noise caught my attention. A flock of birds were passing over the house. I watched until they were out of sight and then went looking for the bird books because I don’t have the faintest idea what they were!
More on Books
To save you from having to bounce between links and this entry, I’m posting the books from the two book clubs I mentioned in “Books” yesterday.
These are the six books that Oprah has featured (I think she’s been doing a travelog):
One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Carson McCullers
East of Eden, John Steinbeck
Cry the Beloved Country
Anna Karenina
The Good Earth, Pearl S. Buck
I’ve read “East of Eden,” and “The Good Earth.”
Kathy and Judy who do the 9 to noon show on WGN Radio (WGNradio.com) have featured 16 books and listeners are getting to vote for the books they loved the most. These are the titles:
Like Normal People
The Rich Part of Life
All Over But the Shootin’
The Secret Life of Bees
The Lost Legends of New Jersey
Driving Mr. Albert
The Kite Runner
When the Emperor Was Divine
Wild Nights: Nature Returns to the City
Bel Canto
The Passion of Artemesia
Year of Wonder: A Novel of the Plague
1984
The Devil in the White City
The Giant’s House: A Romance
The Binding Chair: Or, A Visit From the Foot Emancipation Society
The four which are underlined are the four most popular of the 16 books. I’ve read “Bel Canto,” and “1984.”
And these suggestions are from one of my nieces:
The Time Traveler’s Wife – Audrey Nifenegger
The Birth of Venus – Sarah Dunant
A Home at the End of the World -Michael Cunningham
The Other Boleyn Girl – Phillipa Gregory
Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons – Lorna Landvik
A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry
Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
Life of Pi – Yann Martel
Farenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress – Dai Sijie
Of Love and Shadows – Isabelle Allende
Like Water for Chocolate – Laura Esquivel
Of the last group, I’ve read “Farenheit 451,” and I’m familiar with “A Handmaid’s Tale,” which I picked up after I saw the movie.
Any other suggestions??
To Gather or Not To Gather
Usually this time of year I am running around trying to put my house into order, so that we can host my family for Easter Dinner. I try to get to my Spring cleaning early, and we work out how many tables to set up and decorate.
Books
A friend from exercise suggested today that we should start a book club. I’ve never joined a book club, and I resisted the radio and TV groups when they popped up.
Sick Kitty, Part I
We’ve been down this road recently. I told you that Ed, our obstreperous black cat, duked it out about two weeks ago, and came home battered. The Doc gave him the once over and sent us to the pharmacy for antibiotics. Unfortunately, the dingbat of a pharmacist used a FRUIT flavored liquid antibiotic overlaid with the WORST tuna flavor, to make the most wretched concoction I’ve ever smelled. Ed must have thought so, too, because we got less than half the meds down his throat.
Virtuosity
I’m feeling very virtuous tonight!
I am a terrible procrastinator, as you’ll see if you read further down. I’m pleased to announce that I have just about pulled together the information for my 2004 taxes!
I used to hand the material over to my CPA about ten days before the taxes were due, and she NEVER chewed me out. Because she is so kind to me, each year I have tried to gather the information earlier than the previous year.
This year, she and I have agreed to do a swap. I’ll go pick up the corporate taxes before the fifteenth of March, and I’ll hand her our personal taxes. Wow! One WHOLE MONTH before the deadline!
I wonder if WichiDude would say “Virtuosity happens”? Dear Husband would!
Birding
The red-winged blackbirds have returned. My mother is now watching for the robins. As we run errands, we’re checking the ponds for the egrets. It’s MUCH too soon for them to be back, but we’re eager to see them.
I noticed that three of the ponds to the east of us are abnormally high. This is the first year we’ve had muskrats in those ponds, and today I realized that the water is creeping up the sides of their reed lodges. Since we haven’t had an unusual amount of rain in the past month, I wonder if the outflow pipe for the ponds is blocked.