Thanks to the diligent work of my boys and the kindness of our new neighbors, the Zedalis family, our basement is dry again. I think we sucked over 200 gallons of water out of the basement. We are trying to dry things out well, but our dehumidifier isn’t working. James is going to clean it tonight, but the problem might be that it is just to chilly down there for it to work. Everyone has been so sympathetic to our plight which has helped to drown our sorrows. Waves of sympathy were sent via email, and buckets of empathy poured in from other sources.
Today, instead of floods here in Stormstown, we are having violent winds. The garbage cans and lids had to be rescued from the street and neighbor’s yard. The trampoline blew at least 30 feet across the yard. A battalion of ski hat-clad children descended upon it, dragged it to the deck, and firmly lashed it in place. It is such a blessing to have older children!
For my birthday, I purchased myself a treat, a dippy pen! Since it doesn’t have a feather, I don’t know that I can properly call it a quill pen. It’s glass. I also have an inkwell, a pot of ink, sealing wax, and nice paper. I don’t know how those founding fathers got such beautiful, consistent letters from a dippy pen! I will have to practice and practice. I thought I’d feel like Elizabeth Darcy or Alexander Hamilton, but it’s not quite the same. So, I am now taking a candelabra up to my desk for night time writing to see if it’s more impressive. One night when the power was out we wrote and read by a branch of candles, and it evoked images of an earlier time. So perhaps we will trade the soft glow of the laptop for a more combustible light source.
You should see my Christmas tree. We have two artificial trees, actually. The one in the dining room was decorated by David and looks lovely. The main tree is pre-lit. David strung tinsel on it and gave the whole tree to his siblings for decoration. Well, no one seems to be in the mood to put ornaments on the tree. I said, “Fine. Put on what you want and put the rest in the basement.” I think the seven-foot tree has about 15 ornaments on it, all at Rachel level. Ah, what does it matter? We just like the lights and tinsel anyhow! When I think of all that money I spent on Hallmark ornaments, I shudder.
I finished the first Mr. and Mrs. Darcy mystery last night, Pride and Prescience. It was entertaining, but there was a lot of “magic” in it. The plot was that Caroline Bingley, right after her whirlwind courtship and marriage, goes crazy. It turns out that the madness has a “curse” behind it and a nefarious money-grubber. But, I won’t say more in case you wish to read it yourself. We started Inkspell yesterday, read by Brendan Fraser. It’s great!
To see a picture of one of my favorite Christmas decorations, made from traced hands and feet about seven years ago, go here.
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