Month: February 2013

Gorgeous photo by my friend David Johndrow.

A new book by Candida Moss, Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at Notre Dame, challenges the belief that early Christians were persecuted, a falsification that some Evangelicals apply even to current events: Were Early Christians Really Persecuted?

Ron put in a new water filter yesterday.

$1,282 is the average cost in our area to put in a shower.

Mother Nature spared us the last two storms: rain, not snow. Our neighbors tell us they still have over a foot on the ground in Nashua.

Not so different, which explains so very much: http://blogs.wsj.com/atwork/2013/02/15/more-proof-that-hiring-and-dating-arent-so-different/?mod=e2tw

As Roxane Gay wrote:
“If you get too riled up about this sort of thing, you’re humorless. You’re easily offended. You’re told to “get over it.” You’re told to have a “sense of humor.””

Fluffles bit my left thumb today when I was trying to groom him. Luckily, if it goes bad, I have a previously scheduled appointment with the doc later this week.

My right shoulder is also banged up, possibly from shoveling and moving cartons.

Ed dropped in today to say goodbye before his Florida trip. He was in a surprisingly upbeat mood, says he’s either “high” or “low” these days. Poor guy, we both feel for him, but he’ll be so much better off in Florida.

We caught up with the adjuster at Edgewater. We are covered for the water damage in the living room, and he had a good suggestion for fixing the flashing along the back of the chimney.

I wanted to rip Ron to pieces today. I found a coupon for 1/2 price shredding at Staples and since we were meeting people in Falmouth, I rushed to put together all the receipts and other confidential papers I’ve been accumulating, concerned (incorrectly) that I was making us late.

Ron started yelling at me that one bag contained papers that he wanted to keep, so I dumped it on the table to sort out my receipts. He misinterpreted, thinking the worst of me (again) and assumed that I was pressuring him to deal with these items “right now”.

This infuriated me because for the past couple of days, I’ve been working on organizing his CDs, which have been languishing in the basement for almost 2 years. I’ve dug up some great music and arranged about 500 or so CDs so he can see the titles and artists. He’s mentioned several times how his old girlfriend trashed a lot of CDs, so I thought he’d be happy that someone was trying to repair this mean-spirited attack on something he cares a lot about.

Stupid me. How could I forget that anything a homely woman does is subject to negative spin.

Fed yeast to our bacteria friends in the septic tank today.

I’ve been loading Ron’s boxed CDs in as many places as I can find, including his 5-shelf bookshelf downstairs. Ron repaired the little bookshelf in the second bedroom, and that easily holds 100 CDs. So, I’m estimating that I’ve found a home for about 500.

A lot of the CDs are “orphaned” from their jewel boxes. A lot of work ahead to straighten them all out.

I’ve really been enjoying having music in the house. That was definitely a major missing element.

Saw Candy yesterday. She looked much better but has been in a lot of pain from her stomach difficulties. She was to have an exam today at Cape Cod Hospital. I hope they can figure it out and give her some help.

I had a fasting blood test this morning; incredibly, in and out at Mashpee C-Lab. It helped that I got a late start (7:15).

Ron talked to his lawyer today. He’s optimistic about a settlement in the next couple of months, with semi-monthly payouts after that. Ron is pleased, and the extra income will certainly help.

I really should get some part-time something or other, although I don’t want to work.

For about the past week-week and a half, Ron’s been feeling dizzy when he gets up in the morning. He finally called his doc today and he has an appointment for next week. He also has a dental appointment for a crown.

Good thing I got the reimbursement account paperwork together and mailed! That was the last, and biggest, of three paperwork projects for Ron, the others being filing a claim with his hospital indemnity plan and detailing his out-of-pocket medical expenses from his surgery for reimbursement. Next: tax returns.

Monday the adjuster comes to Edgewater to inspect the water damaged living room wall.

I’ve been working on my various websites. Emme drafted up a new design for preventforeclosurescapecod.org There’s a lot of activity right now, especially around Pilgrim and the anniversary of Fukushima. I also, finally, put together a section for Jobs With Justice and have been helping CCMTA with their mailings.

Started filling out “Five Wishes” today. I’m pretty much done, will ask P&B to witness it.

Made coq au vin and roasted brussell sprouts. Ron loved them!

Joined the Arbor Day Foundation and will receive 10 tiny trees as a membership benefit. Also ordered ten trees to be planted in Judy’s memory in the Gallatin national forest in Montana.

Peter Randall dropped by yesterday to do his quarterly inspection and spraying.

Peter has had interviews this week and last. Fingers crossed….

Judy’s funeral, burial and post-ceremony meal was today. It was deja vu for Peter and Bonnie – included both the church where they got married and the hall where they had their reception. Got to talk with a lot of family members and Ron enjoyed a conversation with the Bills and the Eds about rock and roll.

We stopped off to see Candy in the afternoon. She has an infection, it sounds like clostridium difficile from her description.

I didn’t do much else today except for some late errands (post office, Rx, library) and cleaning up a mailing list for Cape Cod MTA.

I painted the CD rack, set it up in the second bedroom and started emptying Ron’s many boxes. I figure the rack will hold about 250 CDs.

We got a little snow, not as much as predicted, so we shoveled. Ron did most of it this time. I was busy cleaning up after Mr. Fluffles, who left “exhaust” on a door mat that both of us managed to step on. These things are not a lot of fun to clean up, especially in the winter.

From today’s nytimes.com:

Permaculture Nursery

pawpaws, persimmons, Asian pears, gooseberries, strawberries, blueberries and rarities like goumi
Dwarf kiwi vines now climb up mimosa trees, with a lush carpet of shade-loving crops like currants, jostaberries (a cross between black currants and gooseberries), edible hostas, Solomon’s seal and May apples.

Ramps, that wild leek so coveted by foodies that it’s being stripped from eastern forests, thrive beneath the pawpaw trees, and so does giant fuki (Petasites japonicus Giganteus), with its four-foot-wide leaves. And fuki is not just a beautiful leaf that lends a tropical look to the landscape; like rhubarb’s, its stalks are edible.

Friends helped them sheet-mulch, a quick no-till method of planting that involves covering the ground with layers of cardboard and compost, and putting plants right into the soil.