Monthly foray into blogland

As requested by Scot. There's not so much to report, so I'll just blather on about whatever pops up.

First and foremost, it's cold. Windy cold. Biting, depressing cold. This morning, as I was putting gas in my car, I did have the the thought, brief and squashed though it was, that Summer in Georgia would be welcomed. Admittedly, at that moment, 8:23a.m. this morning when the wind chill was about 19. At that moment a cold shower would have been warming.

Went with the sister to her hair appointment. Spent the time entertaining my niece. Dmn, but she is a good kid. Really. We sat there for almost an hour and looked through her books, drew on her etchasketch-like thing, looked at the people, said hello and bye-bye to everyone as the entered and exited the salon. No whining, no straining to go to mommy, no beseeching looks to let her go exploring. Lovely, lovely, lovely. And my sister's hair looks wonderful.

Going to Gulfport this weekend. Quck visit. I'm thinking of going to Beauvoir - Jefferson Davis' home and presidential library. It was completed in 1853 (post-Katrina restoration completed in July 2008). I like antebellum homes. Hope to get some lovely photos. And a nice day near the water. Beauvoir overlooks the Biloxi Bay.

Here's the house at groundbreaking of the restoration (photo found at http://beauvoir.org/photo_gallery/photo_gallery.htm)













This is Beauvoir now (current phone book... (photo found at http://beauvoir.org/index.html)

















The weekend of February 21st I'll be in Dallas. The Dallas Opera is doing La Bohème. I am thrilled as I've not seen La Bohème as a live performance. Not to mention that DFW is now one jacket weight warmer than here.

I am currently reading a heavy book. In all meanings of the word. Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman. It's set in Russia during the battle of Stalingrad. I can only read about 20 pages at a sitting. This is a bad thing. You may ask why. Well, of course I'll tell you; it is bad because Life and Fate is about 870 pages long. It is a book I cannot say I enjoy so much as it is good to be reading. Some passages are heartbreaking and others offer insight into the mind of a Communist party boss, some are action packed, comaraderie filled war scenes, some are beautiful depictions of familial love. I shall read it through to the end and be glad to have done so, even if I am sad at the end and have had my vaguest misanthropic feeling validated.

Here's a photo.


























And another.