Around OakMeadows

 I finished reading through the Bible. It has taken a long time but I was in no hurry. Tomorrow I start with Genesis again. I think from here on out I will read books alternately from the Old and New Testaments. Since the Old Testament has so many more chapters than the New, I will read through the New Testament more than once while reading the Old. That is fine because I am in no hurry.

My 12 year old cat, Bandit, is missing.  JMM let him out at 4am this morning and he has not shown up since. This is most unlike him. He comes in for breakfast at 6am when I get up and then curls up on the bed for his morning sleep. (Never mind, he came home after dark. I think he was closed up in my neighbor's garage.)

We went to see The Martian.  Once again Matt Damon needs rescuing.  This time he is left behind on Mars during an emergency evacuation. The crew think that he is dead. How he survives until he can
be rescued and how he is rescued makes for an exciting (if predictably) movie.  A bag of popcorn is
fine but no super sized drink because you won't want to miss anything by taking a bathroom break.

I finally finished Few Eggs and No Oranges by Vere Hodgson. At 590 pages, it has taken a while.  I'll have a review up tomorrow. Paul Theroux's Deep South is going much better now that he is finally writing about his travels in the Deep South.

The quilt is going incredibly slowly. But I just can't make my fingers go anywhere near as quickly as they used to.  There really isn't any hurry though. No babies on the horizon (that I know about anyway.)

I had my annual physical and while I am generally fine, there are some problems that need to be dealt with. 1. I have developed an umbilical hernia probably from when I had a cold and was coughing constantly for a month last spring.  Anyway, it will be a day surgery to fix it.  2. My blood pressure is up and I need to lose weight--no surprise there. 3. Mammogram due. 4. Waiting for blood work results on lipid/cholesterol levels.  Aging requires maintenance!!

I don't know if I have ever mentioned that my husband and I do much of our cooking together.  I make the menu and grocery list.  He does all the chopping of vegetables.  I set everything up in preparation for cooking. He cleans up while I am cooking.  We also work together in getting everything into the Slow Cooker which I use about once a week.  I have a neuromuscular condition that makes it difficult to stand for very long so I really need the help, but more than that it's more fun and more companionable.

My Father died in 1972 and my Mother died in 1975.  With part of my inheritance, I bought a lovely grandfather clock in 1976.  We have always referred to it as our Bicentennial clock.  The clock is now almost 40 years old and while we have had it cleaned and serviced several times, it has kept perfect time for all these years. Until a month ago, when it stopped.  The company which I bought it from in 1976 is still in business and sent a repairman out to look at it. The main gizmo is worn out and a couple of minor gizmos a badly worn. Many dollars to repair, replace, rebuild. But to me the clock is a special piece of history and worth every penny.  I should have it back, good as new before Thanksgiving.

Well