A gravestone and illumination. in A small but passable life.

I finished reading “Steps to an Ecology of Mind” by Gregory Bateson and “The Present Age” by Kierkegaard. Heavy, heavy stuff. But worth the read.

When I took those two books back to the library I found a novel by the guy who wrote “Cloud Atlas”. So far, so good.

The gravestone. I’ve rehabbed hundreds of properties over the years and I’ve found various odds and ends in attics, basements, garages and out buildings. But I’ve never found a gravestone. Until now. I pried up a slab of stone by the side of the house, flipping it over as I moved it. It was half a gravestone. I found another slab about the same size. I flipped it over. It was the other half of the gravestone. Name of Russell. A couple born in the late 1890’s and died a couple of years apart in the 1980’s. Now the question is- how the hell did it get here and why? The property fix-it guy had no clue. Something to research, I guess. Find out if it is missing from somewhere?

Jassy and I went to Lowe’s today. I ended up buying a bronze table lamp and a 60w LED bulb for it. It cost $11.23. The shades that would fit it cost a bit more so I’m using it without a shade, for now. Now I can see to read up here in my garret. Jassy bought three 40w bulbs for the ceiling fan so I’ve got a bright overhead light too. I also bought two bulbs for an old clamp-on reading light I just cut the broken switch out of and direct wired it. The bulbs came apart at the base as soon as I took them out of the package. I will be taking those back for a refund.

Jassy also bought three big bags of mulch and a $5.99 Chinese made spade so I can start on the flower beds in front of the porch. She also bought a small pair of cutters so I can finish clearing out those grapevines in the back yard. And finally, she bought a two foot level so we can start hanging shelves on the walls and level the stove and frig and desk and entertainment center. Nothing in this house is straight or level.

I’m getting my garret room sorted out. The room is a decent size: 11’ X 11‘6” with a little 4‘8” X 3‘9” X 5‘8” tall dormer on the south side. I’m going to try to keep it minimally furnished to savor the space. After living in the van for the last six years and a closet in the apartment for nine years before that (so Jassy could have the one bedroom), I’m thinking that being able to sprawl out will be a nice change. I’ve got Jassy’s old futon mattress on the floor in one corner, my old Army footlocker with the black Formica top I made for it, with my new lamp on it, and all my gear boxed and bagged lining two walls. That’s it.

We’ll have wifi in the house this coming Wednesday. The reasons to leave the premises are getting fewer and fewer.

And the routine? So far it is sleeping until I want to get up. Putting on a pot of coffee. Taking a leak. Letting Liam Dog out for his morning leak. Putting food down for Liam Dog and Fat Cat. Fixing a bowl of cereal. Going out on the front porch with Liam Dog to eat and greet the day. And then? Whatever. Usually cleaning up the kitchen, drinking coffee and reading. Just about the same as it’s always been, with a few additions. I do need to get busy on the yard work though. I’ll just have to whittle away at it. There is a lot that needs to be done. We have to decide what is too much for a rental property though, money wise. I’d love to finish fencing in the back yard. About four yards of topsoil dumped back there wouldn’t be a bad idea. We may need to mow the front yard. As of right now two other houses have taller, wilder looking grass so we’re waiting. We looked at those old fashioned reel mowers at Lowe’s- $100 and made in China. And I’m thinking, a scythe. Try to find one of those though! The back yard has very little grass because of the line of one hundred foot tall (or taller?) walnut trees all down the east property line. And there’s slighter smaller trees down the west property line. It truly is like a clearing in a primeval forest back there.

So yeah, until I can get online somewhere or until Wednesday comes, this entry will be waiting to be posted.