Hi, all, I had some random thoughts which, again, don't rise to the level of a post all by themselves and I decided to air 'em all out here:
*Why would anyone ever want to swim in a lake where they do baptisms? I mean, if the water in the lake washes away all of a person's sins, why would you ever want to swim around in all that sin?
*I had forgotten how good the novels of John D. MacDonald are. He's best known for the Travis McGee series. I have, at my parents' house, all 21 of the books. I re-read one of them over the course of the weekend. That's one of the nice things about going home again (despite everyone saying you can't). Becoming re-acquainted with old books. It is like seeing old friends again. Friends you've forgotten, faces you can't place, but personalities which start coming back to you and remind you why you liked them in the first place. Tastes change over time so it is especially fine when you still appreciate the yarns you read 20 years ago. If you stumble across one of his novels, I highly recommend the experience.
*There is a farm about a half a mile from our new house. It is a very small farm. They had a sign out on Sunday advertising fresh tomatoes and corn and squash for sale. I bought some small and ugly tomatoes. They had just been picked that morning. We ate them with blue cheese and onion and fresh basil. It was sublime. It made every other tomato, the ones you buy at the super market, taste like nothing at all. It was what all the other tomatoes aspire to be when they grow up. I think we're going to be regulars at this farm stand.
*I have not been to the beach or in the water for two weeks now. I think I'm going to shrivel up if I don't get some salt air on my skin.
*It rained very hard, very briefly, yesterday. I sent the Girl Child out on to my parents' deck in her bathing suit. She danced and cavorted and gamboled out in the rain with a huge grin on her face. That was kind of magical. When did we all lose the capacity to take delight in a good rain storm? How do we get it back?
*In free moments, my mind is occupied by thoughts of death and dying, by how one dies, by how dying seems to involve a loss of dignity, by how the health care system works, by how the system processes you on your way out. I try not to draw lessons from it all. I do know that I don't ever want to be a burden to my wife or children if it came down to it. That thought fills me with horror. And I worry that I'd be too quick to check out, that I wouldn't fight hard enough, because I wouldn't want to be a burden. I wonder if the really fastidious people die faster.
*I have deer in my yard at the new house. I’d like to plant roses. I hope deer do not eat roses. That would make me sad. I want masses and masses of heavily perfumed roses all over the place.
*Did I mention that my backyard at the new house is practically carpeted with wild strawberries? I heart wild strawberries.
Posted by Random Penseur at July 18, 2005 04:09 PM | TrackBackMy parents moved to their present home after I got married. It's in a different state than where I grew up, and I never lived there, not for a day. One of the things, aside from the people in residence, that makes it feel like home to me in spite of that is the books. Floor to ceiling shelves holding all the old familiar books from old familiar days. Including nearly half of my Nancy Drew collection. Every time I go to visit, I pull something old but new again from the shelves. The feel, the smell, the contents. It all takes me home.
Posted by: Jennifer at July 18, 2005 04:16 PMMy parents live in a small town in a valley in southern Saskatchewan, lots of trees (surprisingly), and they get many deer in their yard. It makes it hard to keep a garden sometimes and they will eat the leaves off certain trees I believe.
They unfortunately had to put up 6 ft fences all the way around the yard to keep them out.
Posted by: Oorgo at July 18, 2005 07:01 PMMmmmmmmm, wild strawberries....
Posted by: Tuning Spork at July 18, 2005 09:28 PMHere in Nor. California you can't swing a dead skunk without hitting a deer. They're EVERYWHERE. Some people poach them with .22's. I don't think they eat roses, bvut not sure. They eat everything else, though.
Posted by: Mark at July 18, 2005 09:56 PMAnother great post and one that evokes a few responses.
I lived a sheltered life until I read my first John D. MadDonald book at 14. Everything I needed to learn about life, I learned from Travis McGee (and not in kindergarden). I've re-read some of my favorites over the years and I still enjoy them as much as did the 1st time.
I LOVE farm fresh Jersey tomatoes and corn. It's what makes summer special!
I remember living in a very dry region of So. America one summer and missing the beach terribly. Everytime I saw clouds in the sky I'd put on my bathing suit and wait to do my grateful rain dance. I did it again as an adult when I lived in the Philippines during a couple of monsoons, when the weather preceding the rain was worse than today's. Wonderful relief the rain can be during those times.
The answer to your question on "getting it back" is pretty simple: you just get in your bathers and join Girl Child on the deck.
Posted by: Simon at July 19, 2005 06:04 AMMy mom has recently come across an *excellent* deer repellent, called "Deer Off". Quite the tasty little mix of putrescent egg whites, garlic, and all sorts of capcaicin --sorry about the spelling on that, but it's the essential oils of hot peppers. You get the picture. Anyway, mix some of this with water, sprinkle over your plants, and no deer. Repeat as necessary. Mom missed one plant in her entire garden, and that's the one the deer ate. The rest have been totally untouched. You can find it online, but the guy who makes it lives out here in TN and sells it from his garage, which is where we got it.
Married life is excellent, by the way.
Posted by: Mandalei at July 19, 2005 11:51 AMDancing in the rain is magical, isn't it. I agree with the commenter who suggested you join her!
Speaking of magical, your new home sounds divine. While I grew up in one of the self-proclaimed "Strawberry Capital of the World" areas (SE Louisiana), I don't believe I've ever had wild ones. Eat a few for me, would you? We have tons of deer in my neck of the woods, but they never touch the roses, so I think your dream of perfumed air is a possibility.
I love outdoor flower scents...lilacs in spring, honeysuckle in May/June, Russian Olive trees in June...the smell of pine warmed by the sun all summer. I honestly think the smell of the trees as I left this condo after viewing it was one of the things that sold me...that, plus the view, of course.
(Thanks again for the thoughts on yesterday's wack job...I posted the pertinent part of the Fair Use code without commentary, and haven't heard anything new.)
Posted by: Allison at July 19, 2005 02:35 PMIf you end up having problems with the deer(and you probably will) try planting rosemary. Rosemary is a natural deer repellent, they hate the smell and taste of it and will avoid anything planted around it. It is also a beautiful decorative evergreen. I started out with one small plant about seven years ago and now I have five beautiful 4 foot tall/4 foot wide bushes and I have given away dozens of rooted plants. It grows quickly and can be rooted easily. And of course, fresh rosemary has an incredible fragrance and flavor. I make a rosemary foccacia bread that we have with chili.
Posted by: Peggy at July 20, 2005 08:08 PMIt's funny.. I just got hit with a Meme the other day and was reminiscing about John D. MacDonald. I wanted to be Travis McGee when I grew up, since I started reading them at about 14. I have them all too in my Mom's house- in my old room.
His passing was a sad day for me.
Posted by: Rob at July 21, 2005 09:06 PM