reading boy

I'm sure I've mentioned in the past the variety of books Big Brother reads. He's currently making his way through the Little House books, again.

We read the Little House books to him years ago, when he used to want a bedtime chapter or four. We read them in order which meant that we didn't read right through them as we didn't have the whole series at the time. It took us a while, but we finally got them all, shopping at our friendly neighborhood used book seller. Then we were given a couple of copies, not only new, but in hardcover as well. And then we realized we'd misplaced one and had purchased a second copy at some point.

He's also been checking out Johnny Dixon mysteries, written by John Bellairs. I checked out the first one of them he read, more for myself, having seen the author's name often enough that I finally had to. Though he often ignores my suggestions, this was a book that appealed to him, possibly because there was a robot on the cover.

He enjoyed that one and has been reading them since. He's also branched into other of John Bellairs' work. He's starting to do that slowly, recognize and seek out authors he's enjoyed. I'm so proud of him.

One comment from the current rereading of the Little House books especially amused me. I don't remember exactly what he said, but while reading one of the first couple in the series, Big Brother mentioned that he was glad our Sundays weren't boring like Laura's.

The Boy will sometimes ask for bedtime reading from a chapter book, and he's long loved A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh books which are basically chapter books. I'm looking forward to all the books we introduced Big Brother to and will soon be reading with The Boy.

I'm currently reading Texas by James A. Michener. I'll say right off that I'm enjoying it and have learned quite a bit. It's not a book I'd be likely to have picked up right now, and it wouldn't have jumped off the library shelf even if I were so lucky as to get to visit the grown up shelves.

This book was in a christmas gift given to Big Brother. Inside the box was a sweat suit kind of affair that he loves to wear and the book. The book gift giving grandparents are aware of Big Brother being a reader, though I can't imagine they'd have considered this book appropriate. I'm not judging the book as inappropriate so much as I'm saying it just seems odd that they'd have given it to him. As I've thought about this, I've wondered if perhaps the book was included due to it's size and weight, roughly eleven hundred pages, and was meant to be ballast and then returned.

So there's a few minutes reading about what we're reading. It's a delightful tale all around, one that you can tell the folks back home.

pile o' it

We've got decent weather again. I owe Big Brother cash for picking up a bunch of sticks in the yard, and I'm supposed to rake soon since I didn't in the fall. I need to get the leaves up so that I can pick up all the dog turds I've missed so far.

I need also to climb up on the roof and replace some shingles that blew off recently. If you live near me, you may remember the hugely windy days we've had recently. I have the ladder, shingles and nails to do the job, but since those windy days, I've been missing one important component.

I'm not climbing the roof without another grown up around, most likely Momma. If she could work around my schedule, I could have the job done, but life isn't that easy, so I work around her. And as soon as we get a decent day that she's home when the sun is out, I can mount the house and fix the roof.

The shower problem is still unfixed, and the entire house has been reduced to taking baths. I've done all I can there, so the next attempt at a fix comes when I'm willing to call Momma's grandfather to the house and show him what I've done. I should have called him in the first place, but he's done so much to help us, that I hate calling him for things I should be able to fix.

The garage is an absolute pile of shit. There's a little bit of keeper shit in there, but there's a lot of random accumulation. Does anyone need any nearly unbroken furniture parts? There's parts of beds, an entertainment center with slightly working doors. Don't mention the assorted engine/transmission parts that are not in the Buick taking up space in our driveway. Also try to overlook the heating/ac unit clogging up the garage.

This weekend is when we spring forward, the sign that always tempts me the most, knowing that spring really is creeping closer.

So with those words of noncouragement I wrap up this post. It isn't especially brainful or humorous, not that I ever touch those, but it is what I offer you for now.