Another Beautiful Day in the 'Hood

Well, I guess I had a terrific Sunday afternoon dinner: Green grapes, lemonade, New York Strip steak, salad, lemon pound cake with red plum sauce, and coffee

My neighbor two houses up the Road has a doghouse at the back of his lot. I've never seen the dog lying on the roof, but during my postprandial stride up and down the back deck today, I saw a little bird perch on top of the doghouse.

Delightful Book!

Last night I finished reading The Great Big Doorstep by E.P. O'Donnell. I had read it years ago, but had forgotten most of the details. It's about a Cajun family, from the viewpoint of their pre-teen daughter, a real right-brainer.

This past week was spoiled by clinic appointments, and it looks as if next week will be similar. They want to re-run the tests they did last week, like drawing the rest of my blood.

Yesterday Jed came over from Atlanta, and we went to my Cardiology clinic appointment. Dr. Gupta wanted me to come back next Tuesday for an electrocardiogram, after my appointment with Dr. Gruman. I had tried to schedule the latter the same day as the former, but they said Dr. Gruman had an appointment Thursday afternoon himself. I hope he's okay.

Last night Jed and I watched two really good science-fiction movies, "The Martian," and I forget the title of the other one. Matt Damon was in both, but Matthew McConaughey was the star of the second one. Those were the two best "new" movies I've seen. I had read "The Martian" book, but I think the movie was even better.

In the news today: Harper Lee has died at age 89.

Free Book

I just ordered Dennis Covington's new book from Amazon--a $20+ book plus shipping charge free, because I had enough reward points to cover it.

I remember reading Dennis's Salvation on Sand Mountain. He's a good writer, and it will be interesting to see what he thinks of these times.

This reminds me that the rejuvenated Book Club will meet on (I think) Feb. 29th. Looking forward to it.

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I'm planning a cat quilt.

I'll have to make all the patterns myself, which ought to be fun. Yeah. Anyway, I want all the cats to be black, and all the background to be yellow/autumn tones and white. Haven't decided whether to make it miniature, wall-hanging, or bed-size.

Roll

Roll, Jordan, roll!

Roll, Jordan, roll!

I want to go to Heaven when I die,

To hear old Jordan roll!

 

I don't know why I can't remember geography. I'm sure I've seen this map before, or others like it, but I never realized that the Jordan River connects the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea.

Sic transit gloria mundi

 

The Dowager Countess needs to accept the unpleasant fact that it's not about her any more.

 

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Yesterday I made the most profound soup I've ever happened upon. The whole crock-pot full. Actually a beef/vegetable stew, with lots of garlic, salt, pepper, V8 juice, Worcestershire sauce, Louisiana hot sauce, and some pan gravy from where I had cooked a burger. I meant to freeze most of it.

New Profile Selfies

 

Dovie Satterfield without the red hair.

I like the one without the chin better.

 

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4:30 p.m. - I finally made it out of the house and got my prescriptions and some groceries. Forgot a few important items, like dill pickles.

Dirndl

I dreamed that Mama said, "Let's both make us a dirndl skirt."

I expect it's because I spent yesterday hunting up all the 1-1/2-inch fabric squares that I've cut out over the years. Which was such a waste of effort--the cutting, I mean. There are so much easier ways to make quilt pieces, than drawing and cutting out little individual squares.

Anyway, I looked up dirndl in Wikipedia. The term is complicated, but it turns out that it originally meant a young girl, in German. I dislike ugly words. You almost have to say "dirndl" with your mouth closed.

John Gardner, 1933-1982

I've read his Grendel, Gilgamesh, and The Sunlight Dialogues, and now I'm reading The Life and Times of Chaucer. The photo is from the Wikipedia article about his life.

I am amazed at the extent of his writing, and his genius. But you can't envy someone whose life was haunted by terrible memories and nightmares, as his was.

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Today is my first "pajama day" in a long time. I ran all over the place yesterday, paying bills, mailing stuff, and buying--a loaf of bread! I once said, "I wish I could go into a store and buy a loaf of bread, without spending fifty dollars." Well, yesterday I did it. I had shopped for groceries over the weekend, but forgot that item. I have a dental appointment tomorrow, but today I'm incognito, secluded, and unreachable.

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[Scream!] About five minutes ago, there was a rainbow in my back yard, under the oak trees. About a quarter of a circle. By the time I got the camera, it was nearly gone and didn't photograph very well. It goes across the white house, and you can see a light trail of it down to the ground.