Thursday Thirteen

1. Celebrate! I finished (more or less) a project that I began in late February - writing a keepsake magazine of Botetourt County for her 250th birthday next year. Still some editing and file arranging to do, but the writing is done.

2. My brother gives me the impression he'd like me to write more about him on my blog. But I don't see him very often. We talk on the phone once a week or so. He is a busy guy. I'm proud of him.

3. I'm not sure what it says about your life when you have an appointment to get your car inspected and the oil changed, and you're looking forward to it.

4. I belonged to a book club that I really enjoyed, but then it took a strange turn. New members, new locations (mostly in the homes of people with pets, and I can't do houses with pets), and a reading list that is cerebral but not fun. I haven't had time to read much anyway, what with working and taking care of my home, but I do miss my book club. I might have to do something about that in the new year.

5. My father wrote a song that I remember him singing when I was child, but I only remember two lines of it. I asked him to write it down for me but I don't think he can remember it, either. I am thinking about writing my own song using those two lines I remember.

6. We have lost a lot of trees on the farm to the emerald ash borer. This is an invasive pest that was first discovered here in 2015. The ash borers totally destroy the tree. Someone told me Hollins University lost a good number of trees to this, too.

7. We are having trouble coming up with decent dinners. I don't like to cook, which doesn't help, so it seems all we eat are chicken, pork, broccoli, carrots, green beans, peas and occasionally mashed potatoes. I need a cookbook: 365 different dinners for people who hate to cook.

8. Sometimes when the sun is just coming up, as it is right now, it reflects off the side of a distant house, and the structure looks like it is on fire. The glow against the windows is fierce.

9. After a big project, my office is wrecked. I guess a clean-up is on my horizon. I will put all my research in one spot and clear off my desk to make way for my next project. Know what that is? Working on the taxes. No wonder I put it off.

10. New moles itch.

11. What will you be for Halloween? It'll be here before you know it. There was a petition to change the date - people come out with that every now and then. Silly folks. Some traditions should be left alone.

12. The people of today are setting up the new mythologies for the civilizations of the future. That's a rather scary thought, isn't it?

13. Some of our literature will survive - there will always be a Frankenstein or a Dracula. Things that play to the darker side of humanity have staying power. I don't think that says much about us as human beings. We should instead have literature that outlives us that is good, like Annie of Green Gables, but only women of a certain age will even recognize that title. Maybe Harry Potter will be the mythology of goodness that lives on.

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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while and this is my 625th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.