Monday Musings

How much I would love to be at the Inaugural celebration today. I thought I would be spending more time in Washington at this stage in my life. AJ was headed for a career in politics. He founded the Morris County Young Democrats and campaigned for every struggling Dem in our area, knocking on a thousand doors in working class towns. He organized all the disenfranchised young geeks and lonely nerds to get himself elected to Senior Class President at his big suburban high school, beating the star quarterback of the football team who drove at Land Rover Defender by four votes (no kidding, this is all true.) But life throws us some curve balls, and the Republicans stole the election from Al Gore. Eight years of Democratic alienation in Washington, but now we're back. Too late for AJ, who joined the Army after 9/11 and got religion when he was deployed to Cuba. Don't know how I would hold up in those crowds with limited comfort facilities. I'm not four hours from DC anymore but eight hours, and I have all these critters to take care of. I'll watch TV and make soap, sew, and catch up on the Sunday Times. We went to B&N yesterday and picked up the January British Country Living. Gosh, I love that magazine. Where else can you learn where to look for cockle shells in the surf, roof thatching, stone wall building and venison pasties (well, I would put chicken in them!)? Everything is country and crafty, with a healthy emphasis on gardening and home decorating. There's a bedstead made from an old door! I still dream about an AGA stove but they cost as much as a tractor, which has to come first. This climate is perfect for them, and they are soooo classy compared to the commercial stoves. Speaking of tractor, Matt is going to look for a Ford 8N that we might be able to afford. It's broken down but he thinks he can get the carburetor worked on. I would have to buy a mower to get those thistles down early this spring, or else I will be overrun and the pasture won't grow. If I don't get mechanized I'm dead. We walk through the barn bent over and banging my head is not fun. Let me get the bottle babies fed. If I'm busy I'm not worrying as much.