It hasn’t rained for two days, which is suitable for the water table, messing up our plumbing and worrying me. This is happening nationwide as the rain has been heavy for the past few months. We’re just taking it one day at a time.
Maria is off to her Belly Dancing Class in Bennington, Vermont. I’m eager tonight to read the new Dennis Lehane novel, Small Mercies, about Boston’s wrenching desegregation struggles in the 1970s. I worked as an editor at the Boston Globe during that awful time; we all had bulletproof windows installed in the newsroom, and the paper was hated for supporting the desegregation orders from a federal judge.
Lehane’s novel “Small Mercies” takes place in the tumultuous months after a 1974 order to integrate the city’s schools through forced busing. I never saw hatred, racism, and class warfare more severe than in Boston, not even when I went to Mississippi as a reporter.
I like Lehane’s writing very much, and I’m eager to see how he portrays that awful period. I’m putting aside the water troubles and the cost, sitting by a fire with some tea and plunging into the book. The book is a mystery, but it says a lot about the country’s twisted history with race.
Ron DeSantis may need to ban it.
Maria and I have been discussing our plans to sell some books on E-Bay to raise money for the anticipated flood, ground, and septic repair in the Spring when the ground thaws. Maria decided to drop the eBay idea and sell some of the books on her blog. I’d link to the sales. Several people suggested this, suggesting I’m an idiot for not thinking of it.
I’m sure they were right, but this is Maria’s program, and my job is supporting it. She’s wicked smart and knows how to do this. I’m not competent in this way.
It’s a good thing to do, water crisis or not. We read many new books, and they are in big piles and all in excellent shape.
We’ve always given these books away, but it would be wise for us to start saving. We can take out a loan if necessary, as many people do with this trouble. It’s time to get them out of the house. It’s not a crisis, as I like to say; it’s just life. We’ll be fine. Blog readers know us, and many of them are passionate book readers. We have a lot of terrific books and they are all in great shape. It’s nice to think of them going to our readers. The house is getting too cluttered anyway. Maria will figure it out; she doesn’t need peckerheads telling her what to do.
I think this is what character is made of – how we handle difficulty, not how we avoid it.
Lulu and Fanny get their feeder now. They are not into sharing.
Zip showing up for the afternoon meeting, he was out hunting all day. Weather means nothing to him. He is always on time for our meetings; today’s lasted about 15 minutes. I love his stare. He is a photographer’s delight.
Maria’s twine sculpture is getting bigger. She adds to the sculpture every day when she feeds the animals.
The Imperious Hens, out eating birdseed beneath the feeder. I love the color when they all stand together.
This is my daily landscape picture, it is never the same two days in a row.
Lulu knows how to bend me to her will; I can never resist her plea for an alfalfa cookie.
So glad she is putting the books on her blig and poss you will photo them, place them on yours and linking to hers.
I did leave a comment both of your blogs but didn’t see them.
Very best way, to do the selling.
Thanks Dawn Marie, I didn’t see your notes. We are planning to offer these books on sale sometime this weekend for $10 apiece plus a few dollars for book shipping we’re excited about it. This is where I book should go and it will help save up some money for the great septic disaster, thanks for your note I hope you get one of the books you want we’re gonna make them as inexpensive as possible
I’ll be looking forward to reading your thoughts about the Dennis Lehane novel. I grew up in Maine (and live here still), and remember those days well. The name Louise Day Hicks comes to mind. We in the north can sometimes get on our high horse about the South, but the South has no monopoly on racism. In the 1920s KKK membership in Maine was around 50,000.
Thanks Larry, Boston was the most racist city I’ve ever been in. I think it’s a great deal better now. I just got hooked on the Lahane book and I’m 1/ third of the way through. It’s a terrific book. I really can’t put it down. I’ll be up late tonight , it will be one of the first books that we offer on sale for $10 and it’s brand new. I think we’ll launch your thing this weekend.
Maria doesn’t need peckerheads buying her books either. have you ever heard of Libraries? you take out a book and read it and then return it. (on time)…no wasted $…
Alice welcome to the peckerheads we don’t need program.
Sadly, I have no need to explain myself or our decisions to you. It doesn’t seem to me that it’s any of your business, and I did not seek your approval. We are thinking of selling the books for $10 plus book rate shipping that should be a real break for people who love to read, and I have a lot of book lovers on my blog , I hope you’re not one of them. I would hate for one of my books to fall into your angry hands. When I last looked, it was still legal to buy your own books in America. I think that hasn’t changed Best to you.Jon
Absolutely love every photograph of the Zipster!! He is a hoot. Very thankful that you keep sharing these photos with all of us! Becoming pretty convinced he is one extremely wise feline 😊
He’s scary smart..
Lulu’s face, actually her snout, looks like a monkey’s face smiling at us
I thought Small Mercies was one of the top 3 books I read last year. I was stunned by it; so much plot, so much history, such a voice. I hope you enjoy it as much!
I am thanks wonderful mystery and great history
Thank you for the heads up on this book! A friend of mine taught at The Latin School in Boston in the 70’s and talked about the desegregation and problems there.
Excited for the book sale… I buy my books too and keeping a independent local book store in business,
Thanks Teri we’ll start this weekend jon
Jon, your reply to Alice was WELL SAID, As Usual!!
Thanks Kimberly, I appreciate that..It’s not her business, but we have been donating books to the library for years here, and we will continue to do that. People like Alice no longer trouble me, they are in much worse shape than I am, peckerheads is the right term. She makes me proud of me.
Jon, you can dish it out, but you can’t take it…your post was one of those that just begged for a response. I was only quoting you…don’t worry, one of your books will never end up in my non-angry hands. I am a germ-a-phobe…
BTW, how is that “heated cat house” heated, anyway? I will be signing off for good now, just had to let you know that a lot of people (like Robert and myself) have your number…you can fool some of the people some of the time, just not all of the people all of the time… his link aabout the Dark Triad was spot on!…adios…
I loved Small Mercies. I grew up with court-ordered busing in my first year in Oklahoma City–7th grade. One of the saddest aspects was African-Americans were the kids who were bussed, except for the 5th grade, so I stayed in neighborhood schools. The suburban school districts exploded, and many people who grew up together found themselves moved quickly to avoid the bussing. They did redraw the lines in the district and created a little more equal high school population equity, but by then, the majority of the school base had moved out.
Thanks, it was a great story and is a great book as you mentioned.
I love your landscape photos of your farm. They are always so beautiful. You’re lucky to live there!
Love the pic of Lulu. A lot of personality I bet !
Yes farm pics I enjoy so much too.