Tuesday, July 31, 2018

July Book Report: The Underground Railroad


When I finally picked up Colson Whitehead’s book, it came with some pretty serious expectations on my part.  I haven’t read all of Whitehead’s works but what I’ve read I’ve enjoyed.  I’ve read and listened to interviews with him and admired his way with words.  So I figured I would like this book.  But as high as my expectations were, they weren’t high enough.


Whitehead’s novel is the story of Cora, a young woman born into slavery on a Georgia plantation.  Whitehead’s descriptions of the slavery that Cora experiences are both harrowing and universal to the institution that existed in this nation for nearly 300 years.  They bear witness to already well-known historical descriptions of America’s peculiar institution and also manage to be fresh, as we witness life from Cora’s point of view.  She is resilient and fragile all at once and when she finally makes her escape, I breathed a sigh of relief.

I shouldn’t have.

Whitehead’s imagined escape route is a literal railroad built underground with well-meaning conductors but nevertheless imbued with all the fear and anxiety of descriptions of the “real” underground railroad.  Cora’s flees into places in Whitehead’s imagination, where escaped slaves only briefly feel the safety that whites get to take for granted.  Cora makes her way through Whitehead’s re-imagined South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Indiana but never quite finds the comfortable freedom for which she has always longed.

As Cora moves toward a more secure freedom, she learns to read and finds both happiness and escape in the words she can decode.  As the reader of her story, I found the same in Whitehead’s words.  He writes splendidly and precisely, with vivid descriptions that will linger in my mind.  Cora’s story is both individually hers and a universal imagination of the power of freedom in the life of an individual denied its most basic protections.  It’s a novel well-worth the emotional energy it required.  


Sunday, July 29, 2018

Peace Lily


Some years ago, when I lived in Nebraska, I had an enormous peace lily plant.  I gave it away when I left the state because it was too large to carry across the country with a dog and a toddler in tow.  A few weeks ago, I was at Ikea when I spotted a small peace lily and thought, “that’s coming home with me.”  And so it did.  It’s already thriving on the front porch and will need repotting before the summer is over.


In the humid early mornings, the leaves and budding flowers have drops of dew on their tips.  


The dewdrops are usually gone by 9 am but while they last they are lovely and remind me to look carefully for the moments of fleeting beauty in the world.

Saturday, July 28, 2018

Adventures in Home Repair


On Friday afternoon, JT and I arrived home within minutes of one another.  As he helped me to unload the groceries, he advised me that there was water leaking out from under the kitchen sink.  I reluctantly opened the cabinet to find that yeah, there was water.  About a half inch of it with more still coming.

Awesome way to start the weekend.

I quickly emptied out the cabinet’s cleaning supplies while JT gathered the old towels we keep on hand for just such an emergency.  The collected cleaning supplies got stored on the front porch.  


Three large towels later, we’d sopped up the water and discovered the source of the leak.  We called our plumber (when you have a house that is more than 80 years old, you have a plumber of choice) and let him know we required his services.  A small bowl underneath the leak filled in less than an hour, so JT set to work in search of a larger item to collect the leaking water.  He hit upon a solution in the attic.  In the meantime, I tightened the water line and though I couldn’t stop it, that slow the leak to a manageable drip.  The bin underneath fills in about 6 hours, not ideal but manageable for the weekend.


My plumber has already phoned me back; he’ll be here on Monday morning.  Since we dodged the bullet of standing water on wood floors, we're gonna call this a win. Updates as warranted.

Thursday, July 26, 2018

Reading Frenzy


During the school year, I get up crazy early and my morning coffee is served with a generous helping of work e-mail.  This helps me get ahead of the curve during the work day and, since I’m at my computer anyway, I often post to my blog in the morning.

During the summer, I don’t read work e-mail until I actually get to work.  Instead, my morning coffee is served on the front porch where I sit and read.  I read 3-4 books a month during the school year but in the summer, I have time to read for hours and I do.  This month, I’m averaging a book every 3-4 days and I realize that though I am writing I don’t seem to post as often, likely because I choose a book and my front porch when I have a spare moment.

Between the coming departure of JT, recent adventures with T, my garden, and the current political disasters, there’s plenty on my mind and many posts are half-started.  But then my book stack calls my name and I fall into its spell.  There are worse vices, I suppose.

Sunday, July 22, 2018

A Tour of My Inner Thoughts


Me:  I should buy a new wallet; one that is nice and will last a long time.

And so, after a lengthy search of more than three years, I find a good price for the sort of wallet that is well-made and will last a long time.  It's a color I love and just the right size.  I’m pleased with my purchase and admire it daily but don't swap it out with my grubby old wallet.


Also Me:  I’m afraid to use my new wallet because it’s so nice and my old worn-out wallet will be fine.

I dream about using my new wallet three nights in a row and then I finally take the plunge and swap the old for the new because it’s exhausting to live with my subconscious and, honestly, I should use the new damned wallet that I spent three years thinking about.



Saturday, July 21, 2018

4 Weeks


4 weeks from tomorrow, T and I will drive north with a car packed full of things, including my once-little boy.  Then we will unload the car and leave the things and my boy behind before we drive the three hours home.  It’s a well-planned journey and it sounds so casual, like it’s a typical weekend errand.  But I can’t even write about it without tears filling my eyes at the prospect, which still feels a little unreal.   I’m excited at the next steps of his life’s journey; I know that he’s ready and excited himself.  But here at the precipice of this momentous change I find myself wondering how it is that 18 years could fly by so quickly.

He’s chosen a school that fits his needs and interests; he’s already made friends with the members of the cross country team with whom he will run miles and miles in the coming years.  He’s excited about his class schedule.  These are all good things; even great things.  I am so aware of the many blessings in my life at this moment.

He’s already been gone for half of the summer; he’s in Spain right now.  When he returns on Monday, we’ll settle back into our usual summer pattern.  In my case, it’s with an awareness that I am closing out this chapter of my life as a parent.  The next few weeks will have some final preparation and, I hope, some quiet moments together for JT and me.  I come to this point expectant, but with no expectations, with a full heart and a daily mantra to remind me to live in the moment, especially as the moments feel so fleeting.

Thursday, July 19, 2018

Zinnias!


Last night, I picked my first zinnia bouquet of the season.


Gardening has taught me more about patience than anything else and this point in the summer, when there is an abundance of fresh produce to enjoy, is always lovely.  The days are sunny and long and it feels as if summer might very well last forever.  This won’t be the case of course; the zinnia season is as fleeting as any other.  But while it lasts, it’s so very charming.

Saturday, July 14, 2018

A Word About Rest Stops


On our trip to the burning region of New York state, T and I stopped at a rest stop in Pennsylvania.  It was a vending machine wonderland and outside the bathrooms at least one man was seated on the lawn drinking a beer before he got back on the road.


Ahem.

The bathroom was a pink tile affair with a half dozen stalls and a long line. It smelled like a rest stop, which is to say, it wasn’t all that fresh.  When our transaction had been completed, I was eager to leave while T stopped to wash her hands.

I commend her commitment to hygiene but in all honesty, washing hands in that place was just a no.  I’m a woman with the immune system of an experienced teacher and can therefore afford to be around germs but I drew the line at that reststop and exited with haste.  When T and her wet hands emerged I suggested that the hand washing in that place was worse than just going without.  She wiped her damp hands on my shirt and agreed with me.

Thanks, honey.

Friday, July 13, 2018

Garden Update


Each year I spend June getting my garden mulched and ready for the long hot summer.  This year, June was filled with graduation, family visits, and celebrations.  By the time I stopped to take a breathe, July had arrived.  JT went off to Miami with A and her family and my plan was to work in the garden and mulch while he was away.  Then a heatwave arrived and my a/c offered its resignation.

I am not a heat tolerant person in the best of circumstances and while I usually permit my willpower to overcome my good sense, on this occasion I yielded to reality.  Rather than head outside to mulch the garden in the heat, I weeded and watered it and decided that this would be the year I wouldn’t put in the long hot hours needed to mulch.  Between my weeding and watering, the garden is holding its own.  Tomato plants have blooms and green tomatoes.  Zinnia flowers have bloomed; more are on their way.



The pear tree has pears.


Some of the peaches haven’t been eaten by squirrels.


July has been sunny and hot.  We could use some rainstorms but I run the sprinkler as needed. There is plenty of green in the yard; enough to encourage each evening’s display of fireflies.



That’s happy!

Monday, July 09, 2018

Ahhhhh, Refrigeration


As locations with 4 seasons go, New Jersey has a reasonably mild climate.  Though we are prone to heat (and humidity) in the summer, it’s not omnipresent.  Many people don’t have central air. and survive quite nicely  My first home in New Jersey was cooled with window units and, for the most part, that was fine.  My current house was built in 1931 and central air conditioning was added in the early 2000s by the previous owner.  It’s easier and nicer than window units and I’ll be the first to admit that entering a refrigerated home on a hot summer day is one of life’s nicer pleasures.

Until it fails.

Last Friday, a heatwave moved on to the East Coast and my air conditioner couldn’t keep up.  I installed a new air filter in the air exchange unit and crossed my fingers.  We are not a heat tolerant people and nothing reveals that like failing a/c.  On Saturday, JT gratefully decamped to cooler climes, on a trip with A and her family.  By Monday, as the heatwave expanded, it was clear that something was very wrong in Sassafras House.  The temperature inside the house approached 90 and the a/c gasped its last breath.

A repairman came and declared my system DOA. Repairs could be attempted but with 17 years on the ticker of a freon-dependent system that had been working at capacity for the last few years, that’s a tricky business.  The system was, among other ailments, leaking freon, a problem easily discovered but not easily solved.  Pouring in pricey freon is costly (not to mention environmentally unsound).  Repairs on freon-based systems are pricey because the  systems are out of date.   So repair seemed risky, like burning piles of money and hoping for an elusive lottery win.  

I consulted with my dad and several a/c contractors and we decided that it was time for a new unit.  I have radiator heat, so the air conditioner here is a two piece system: a compressor and fan outside and an enormous air handler installed in the attic, to move the cold air through the house.  Replacement was an all-day, 3-man-crew-process.  God bless the folks who work on Saturday.  

By then, the inside of my home was a smoldering 87 degrees.  While I waited through the heatwave, I stayed with T, camped at my own house, and used a borrowed window unit for my bedroom, which I chilled to the temperature of a meat locker.  After a lovely weekend with low humidity and mild temperatures, this afternoon promises a return of the heat. I am gratefully back in business with the chill and quiet whir of central air and incredibly grateful for the help that made it happen.  


Sunday, July 08, 2018

Real Life Conversations with T: Pothole Repair edition


The Backstory: Potholes in New Jersey are a perpetual and serious problem.  In the last two years, both T and I have made expensive car repairs thanks to damage wrought by potholes.  There are streets in this state that cannot be driven because the potholes are so bad; some are in my town.  Given the fact that we have state, county, and town governments, the lack of pothole repair is one of the things that most annoys me about New Jersey.  So the Domino’s ad where they advertised that they will repair potholes so you can safely drive your pizza home really struck a chord with me.

Me: Really?  We’ve gotten to the point where pizza delivery is also handling pothole repair?

T: I don’t know why you’re bitching instead of calling and ordering a pizza.  It’s the only hope we’ve got.

She has a point.

Saturday, July 07, 2018

Rescue!


It’s installation day and I’m pretty excited about the return of central air to Sassafras House.  The old unit was removed by 8:30 this morning and the new units are being installed.



Naturally, the heatwave has eased.  But I’ll be ready when the next one rolls in.  That’s happy!

Thursday, July 05, 2018

Like Camping, but with a Sofa and Fridge


My air conditioner offered its resignation as the year’s biggest heatwave rolled in to town.  After some back and forth, a replacement is slated to be installed on Saturday.  I have a window unit in my bedroom so that I can sleep comfortably, and I could certainly hang out with friends.  But I’m off work for the rest of this week and I like to be home.

Originally, I had plans to be one part productive and one part leisurely for this time off.  I planned to garden, read for hours, touch up some trim paint, clean a closet or two, and catch up on the home improvement shows on my DVR.  But even with the windows open and fans blowing, the house is steamy and unpleasant, so I’ve basically converted to camping-at-home mode.  I’ve spent hours on the shaded front porch or back deck with books and electronic devices that can easily be charged by stepping inside.   The walk to get a drink of water or use the bathroom is easy, if sweaty.  My heat-loving cats are happy and sleepy, per their usual habit.

I’ve mostly made salads or cooked on the grill outside, which is the summer mode around here anyway. I’d like to make jam to can for winter gifts but there is no way I will get the kitchen that hot without a/c, so jam-making will wait.  There is plenty of time for jam and outside relaxation is lovely.  It’s nice to have a coffee maker and a fridge to keep the half & half cold.  When the heat is too much I retreat to my meat-locker of a bedroom and cool off.  In the meantime, I enjoy the chirping birds, cicadas, unexpected breezes, and counting my blessings.  

Wednesday, July 04, 2018

Independence Day


Because I study and teach American history, I’ve never had an unvarnished view of our nation.  I know the words of the Declaration of Independence and understand the history behind them.  I know the power of the promise that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  My heart still swells when I hear those words.  I find them so meaningful that I named my son after the man who wrote them.  

Those facts noted, my mind never forgets that from the moment those powerful words were first written down, we’ve fallen short of the promise.  

I am aware that the promise, however incomplete, has served as an inspiration for countless people, for those born here and those who came here to become Americans.  From Frederick Douglas to Harriet Tubman; from Marcus Garvey to Martin Luther King and John Lewis; from Elizabeth Cady Stanton to Susan B. Anthony, from Cesar Chavez to Barack Obama, the inspiration has been the same.  Our history is filled with brave people who sought (and seek) for a nation that could live up to the promise of the words in the Declaration.

Today is the 4th of July, a day when we celebrate our nation.  These days, it’s hard to celebrate our government.  Mr. Trump and the Republican party who run the government are on a path of which I do not approve.  Their venal and ugly racism and sexism is a threat to our shared liberty.  Right now, I am not proud to be an American.

But I am still moved by the words of the Declaration; I believe in them and still see promise in them.  And I am with the millions of Americans who want to work toward our better angels.  We are loud and we aren’t giving up.  To paraphrase Dr. King, I know that the arc of history is long and I know that it bends toward justice.  Today, as with everyday, I’m with justice. 


Monday, July 02, 2018

Front Porch in July


My front porch is patriotic and decked out in red, white, and blue for the month of July.  It's starts with a wreath a friend of mine made.


I’ve been so frustrated and disappointed in my government of late that I considered taking a pass on a patriotic display.  But this is my nation, too.  And I am a patriot.  I’m a patriotic who believes that a nation of immigrants should have open doors for other immigrants and their families.  I’m a patriot who believes that equal justice for all means just that, all of us.  I believe that looking after the vulnerable makes us stronger and better.   I believe that liberty is more than a word, it’s pledge and promise we must maintain for everyone, not just those who are born here.  So I will celebrate the best of my nation with red, white, and blue on my front porch.  



I will relax here and enjoy the tranquility with my book, cold drinks, and iced tea.  And I won’t cede a bit of space to those who won’t bring tolerance and kindness to the celebration of our independence.  



Sunday, July 01, 2018

July 1: Garden Hostas


May brought the rain and June brought the sunlight.  Thanks to both, July’s hostas are looking quite lovely, with stalks and flower blooms to celebrate the summer.  


Most of the hostas are doing well, unmolested by the deer and rabbits.


I especially love this lushness, which is thriving in the heat thus far.  If today’s furnace-like temperatures are any indication, we’ll need some rain to keep pace in July and avoid sunburned edges on these plants.  

But for now everything is lush and lovely.  Summer, I’m charmed.