Friday, June 30, 2006

I was a Storybook Doll collector way back when I was 11 - 12 years old. The collection has been stored since I went away to college. We are trying to clear out some of the stuff from our home of 30 years, and I recently found the dolls. They look to be in pretty good condition - still in their original boxes. I am kind of sentimental about them. I would like to give them to someone who would like to have them. Otherwise I guess I will give them to the local Thrift shop here, whose proceeds go to the Public Schools.

Well, we finally did it. Signed a contract to have central air conditioning in the house. We have what they call an all-electric house - no duct work. So sometime in the middle of July they're going to come in and tear up the walls put in ducts and install the airconditioning. Also have to do some electrical re-wiring. They say it will take about 2 weeks. I'm looking forward to it being over with!

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

I think Lynn is supposed to fly back to Rockville from New Orleans today. Lots of flooding up there. Laurel, MD looks especially bad.

Dad filled a big plastic trash can with acorns he had raked. It was sitting in the back inclosure behind the garage door. The 'Tree Rats' (squirrels) found it and chewed a hole in the top (big enough to get into the can) and have been having a ball. Dad discovered it a couple of days ago and plugged the hole. Today they chewed another hole and are at the nuts again! Dad - Zero, squirrels 1!

Saturday, June 24, 2006

I went to see 'The Da Vinci Code' a couple of days ago. Rather a so-so movie. I guess it followed the book pretty much. Since we had recently viewed Da Vinci's "Ginevra" at the National Gallery in D.C., I was surprised to catch a glimpse of this image in the course of the movie (I think when they were in a dark underground room in London). I thought to myself - This painting has been in the U.S. since the early 1960's. What is going on here.

I really enjoy Zadie Smith Novels. I re-read 'On Beauty' last month and have started re-reading 'White Teeth'. She has a wonderfully humorous way of putting things.
I recently found a website that has the pictures that are discussed in 'On Beauty': http://www.authortrek.com/on_beauty_page.html
It's fun to see the art, while reading the book.

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

I went to see 'Cars' yesterday afternoon. Pretty cute. It's Disney, lots of 'heart'. That and lots of engine-roaring and tire-squealing. Hope none of the older kids try to drive like that.

We put out stuff at the curb yesterday for Big Trash Pickup this morning. Including an old washing machine, an old dishwasher and an old garbage disposal. Also were included some old ladderback chairs of Robins's from the attic and an old Lane coffee table from the garage. About eight o'clock last night, we had a knock at the door. It was a neighbor with a pick-up truck wondering if we'd mind him taking the chairs and table. His son is going away to College and needs furniture. So they took the things. This morning when the Big Trash Truck came, we were watching out of the dining room window. The big claw picked up the washing machine, dishwasher and disposal in one crunch and swung back over the truck and lowered them in and squished them down. Took about 30 seconds. That was our excitement for the day!

Sunday, June 18, 2006

Happy Father's Day. I have completed the pie shell and made the lemon filling, so far. I have to let the filling cool a little before putting it into the pie shell. I'll wait until after supper to do the meringue - sort of like a baked Alaska.

Dad and 'the Social Director' got the old washing machine and the old dishwasher hauled out of the garage and out to the street, waiting for Big Trash pickup on Tuesday. I wonder if the pickup trucks will cruise the neighborhood after dusk?

Greg and Angie were at church this morning. She looks really bad. Can't weigh more than 80 pounds. I assume her colon cancer returned. She was so good after the first go-round.

Well, I started 'The Bookseller of Kabul' today. I have doubts about finishing it. I know how some cultures put down women and it just upsets me so.

Now for the good news. Lynn got Owen to eat some SpaghettiOs!

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Why '512'? I like powers of 2. Comes from being fascinated with computers much of my adult life. 1 2 4 8 16 32 64 128 256 512....

I recently borrowed a couple of books from the Sweet Briar College library, through interlibrary loan.

'The Ascent of F6' being a play by W. H. Auden and Christopher Isherwood. Seems F6 was a mountain (in the play) and one of the main characters died at the summit (giving away the ending). The play was put on by the Mercury Theater, with music composed by Benjamin Britten. Interesting, but old fashioned. I think it was written in the early 1930's.

The other book was 'Degrees of Freedom; the Novels of Iris Murdoch' By A. S. Byatt. This is the first literary criticism book I remember reading. She reviewed 6 or so books by Murdoch. So I read one of the Murdoch books (An Unofficial Rose) and then read the critique by Byatt. No wonder I didn't get some of the Murdoch stuff. Byatt explains them in terms of Sartre! Not my cup of tea!

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Well, we got my car fixed by mid-morning yesterday. Put two new tires on. They put the new tires on the front and moved the one good front tire to the back (back one was also scraped up). It's cool having new tires on the front of my car! We then had time to do our grocery shopping at WalMart. I went to the library in the afternoon and picked up a few books. I'm reading 'Raven's Strike' by Patricia Briggs right now. One of the ones I had bought. It's the sequel to 'Ravens Shadow'. Then on to the library books!

This summer I hope to go through most of the closets and drawers and get rid of a lot of accumulated old stuff. It's been slow going though. Today I'll probably not get much done, since I'm off to the LSO office this morning to help sort and distribute music for the D-Day Memorial concert in Bedford later this month.

Monday, June 12, 2006

Bad Scene! I hit a curb on the way home from church yesterday and blew out a front tire. We have to get it replaced today. Maybe the back tire on that side too. It looks like it took some damage also.

Lynn sent pictures of the gang from Oklahoma yesterday. Saturday she and Erik and Owen spent the day with Brad, Dottie, Maddie and Garrett. They went to the Udvar-Hazy Center (the new Air and Space Museum in northern Virginia).

Sunday, June 11, 2006

It just started to rain here, a couple of minutes ago.

Today, St. Johns starts its summer session. Services at 8:00 am and 10:00 am. I think I'll go casual in my jeans jacket, Docker slacks and 'Rocket Dogs'.

I've got a summer quilt laid out on the table in the basement. While I was cleaning out drawers in the TV bedroom, I found some curtains that were printed with a quilting design. I got some fabric for a backing, and will sew the two pieces together, without padding, to make a quilt. I wonder if this will work...

First Post

Well, here goes! First ever Blog post.
It's early Saturday morning here. Guess we'll go to the Community Market later on. I've got ironing to do and will try to work on a new quilt a little later today.

I went to Target yesterday and bought two lamps that Robin pointed out when we were there together earlier. They look good on the family room tables. They don't take up as much room as the old ones, and since they are off-white, they brighten up the room considerably. And they won't show the dust as easily as the old blue ones!

I stopped at the Lynchburg Public Library yesterday and got a couple of Iris Murdoch books. Started reading 'An Unofficial Rose' last night. I think I'm going to like it. I'm supposed to read 'The Bookseller of Kabul' for the monthly meeting of the reading club at the library. I'm not sure I can get through it. The women in Afganistan are so oppressed.