A little update on all of us

Although I have not been here for a little while, I have not been idle. In fact, nobody at my house has been idle.

Jon has completed the siding on the back of the house, just in time for winter which appears to be arriving today. Nobody would ever know there was once a balcony there. He is amazing.

David has been painting that siding. At the same time, he has also added another foot in height, so that my head (fresh from the blow-drier) is just even with the lower tip of his earlobe. He is busily writing a big paper on ancient Chinese weapons, and I hear he's been checking out my book-list and will be announcing his choices of books to read along with me. He's all done with Herodotus, and we can all applaud him for that!

Audrey and I are reading The Scarlett Letter together. It's fun to share this one with her, she is such a cool chick.
But it is kind of intriguing to me to read Hawthorne's description of what, I guess, is the third generation of puritans in New England.
They are grim and legalistic and judgemental and colorless, so much unlike the picture of the puritans I have built up after so many trips to Plymouth Plantation and our readings from Thomas Watson and Hugh Binning and Sibbes. None of their humble warmth in Hester Prynne's Boston! This generation of "puritans" has only harsh judgement, and no mercy for those who are struggling. So we can take that as a cautionary tale.....to teach our children not just law, but grace and forgiveness, so that the fruit of it can show in their lives.

Michael and I are reading Heart of Darkness , and I am just to the cannibals who are showing restraint in not eating the white people on the boat, despite having for their lunch only a rotting chunk of hippo meat.
Michael also has a halter monitor on, and the tape is driving him nuts.
And he has just this moment announced that his big project for the week will be on ancient China's iron works.

Helen is writing a story in chapters about a girl in ancient China , working on a silk farm. Foreign invaders just arrived, and our heroine is hiding under the bed with her sister. This is only chapter one.
There is a theme of ancient China here this week, as you might have noticed.

Daniel.....HE is a busy guy! He entertained a large crowd at M/S hospital's immense waiting arena today...telling jokes , drawing pictures of mutant insects , falling off his chair, staging battles with animal crackers, and emitting loud belches followed by theatrical apologies.
It's a good thing he's cute!
Ancient China did not hold much interest for him until we started talking about Mongol invasions, then he perked right up.

Princess Margaret is now talking without letup, and drawing on every door, wall, or human face she can find. She's not reading anything much besides My Go To Bed Book and One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. Keeping clothing on her is our greatest challenge.

That's it for books and related stuff here. I have not been out for a run in way too long , as I have been trying to shake off the flu or something. I think I've got the upper hand on it now, and I'm thinking of hitting the road this evening.