Firsts

You'd think after not posting for a few days, I'd be bursting with news.

I'm not.

For some visual interest, I'm posting a photo taken near the post office I use. If you could look through the fire station in the background, you'd see the post office. This is 3D trompe l'oeil, since it is in Fairfax County -- a county with absolutely no land left with a rural zoning and your first home could be priced in the low $600,000's.

The Spring peepers have been making their racket long enough (for a week or so, could be longer but until then it was still too cold at night to have the windows open) that some of the charm has worn off. That first night it was positively musical.

Oliver caught his first mouse. He was so proud. And he has the good manners to leave it in the middle of Vince's rug, not in the middle of his bed.

Last night at knitting guild I knit my first tubular knitting on two needles. I was trying to show that it's a pouch but you'll have to use your imagination.

Eugenia taught a knit & scoop technique that's really pretty nifty. If I can think of a way to use it on next month's charity project (baby booties, my favorite) I will. With the squares everyone turned in last month, Nora put together 10 baby afghans for the hospital.

Margarite Duras, born this day in 1914 in a small village near Saigon (French Indochina at the time), said, "You have to be very fond of men. Very very fond. You have to be very fond of them to love them. Otherwise they're simply unbearable."

The reason I'm quoting her is she had her first really big literary success (although that's so subjective, isn't it?) with a book she wrote when she was 70. I am always on the lookout for tales of big achievements in the over 40 crowd. Millionaire before age 30? Ffffft. Who cares. No depth. No soul. Show me a writer with a first novel at age 57. Now that's someone I'd like to meet.