ancestor madness

Well, let's see if I can do a little of this. It's been hard to get to the computer for the last week. We got a letter from someone in Alaska asking about Charlie's grandmother and relatives, and this has kicked off a mad frenzy of sorting through stuff (unimaginable piles, of which we have only scratched the surface), scanning (we now know how to scan and email -- even Charlie does it -- with the HP 750 that Marty hooked up for us, so I can give Mom instructions when I'm there with a little time next week) photos, documents, etc. and emailing them to this woman. And receiving what she has, putting it together with things here . . . . And then began the online geneaology frenzy, combing Norwegian archives from the mid 19th century. Charlie has been spending lots and lots of time on the computer doing this. We've found some great stuff, but God, is it time consuming!

Anyway, there are a lot of little things I want to say. The letter Mom quoted from yesterday was in the middle of the summer (say, late June or early July) of 1984. I can tell because I was preparing for a trip, but we were in the new house. And I was still planning to camp, which I did some in '84 but decided not to do in '86. Also M & D didn't have a computer yet; we bought it in the fall of '84. Internal evidence.

I'm delighted that Lee liked Pullman, and particularly that he listened to it. I'm not surprised that he liked it. We mocked him so when he was reading The Lord of the Rings. Little did we know.

Which JA is the third? Please mention titles, since I didn't read them in order. I haven't read any of her letters (though it would be a nice way to follow along). Yesterday when I was at Ruth's I looked again at the JA biography I'd borrowed and read. Memorized the author so I could tell you, but now I can't remember. I'll look it up and send it on. I really enjoyed reading it. I think that Stephanie B. has done an extraordinary job of mixing fact with fiction. Don't we wish that there had really been a Lord Trowbridge in her life.

We've discussed this tiller thing before. I still haven't found a tiller that works well to really till up a small garden. I guess if you have it thoroughly tilled by a real tiller (to start it) and get that person back every year to do it again (there really are people who are willing to bring a tiller over and do a small plot), you could weed and cultivate with a mantis. We have M&D's electric mantis here at the moment and, with 300 feet of extension cord, we were able to do light weeding and cultivation with it on ground that was already pretty well broken up. I'll get Charlie to add some opinions about this in an email. He is busy varnishing at the moment (but is probably eager to get back on the computer). Unless you love pulling the cords to start small gas engines, you'd prefer an electric mantis. But you'll have to use it often.

Beets?

I'm probably too late for the rib roast (though I believe it'll last another day). It's a very tricky business. I slice it fairly thick, put some oil/butter in a skillet, heat it up hot, and slap the slices in for about half a minute or so per side. It's doesn't get very hot, but almost anything else ends up wrecking it. Microwaving is out.

I am currently listening to a novel about Henry James by Colm Tóbín. It is wonderfully Jamesian, meticulous, dull, fascinating. It's really, really good. I'm almost done with it. Now I'll have to read a James biography (borrowed one from Ruth and Dave's amazing library) and some of his books that I've missed. I'm happy that I've recently reread The Wings of the Dove, as it is prominently featured in the book. This book makes me want to go back to Rome and Venice.

I've also recently read Doctorow's March, a novel about Sherman's march through Georgia. I liked it a lot. And Woman Warrior (Maxine Hong Kingston) and A Thousand Cranes (forgot the author and already gave the book back). The first Chinese-American, the second Japanese. Both from Ruth, who is reading such things for her sabbatical. I can't remember what else I've read recently. Too bad I don't blog every day; then I'd have some idea of what I've been reading.

Eagerly anticipating warmer weather and golf. Today it's very beautiful but still a bit cold. Broccoli babies ready to transplant into peat pots today, and I'll start some Fresno pepper seeds under the lights. About time to plant some lettuce and the poppy bed. I'm very eager to start playing outside!!

Here's the package of corn we ate last night. It's not the last one in the freezer, but it's obviously the last one we froze last summer. Julia was the bag labeler, and I didn't know she'd done this on bag #60 until just a couple of days ago. Corn day is one of my favorites, and Marty enjoys it too. Charlie finds it boring, and though Julia always participates readily, she's clearly glad to get done with it.