Yonder . . .

A Most Private Person

My brother died yesterday. He had been in declining health due to cancer for some time and had refused to pursue treatment. He was such a private person that I really don't want to say more, except that this is one of those those moments when, uncomfortable as it is to say about someone you love, death was a mercy.

He was blessed with a close friend who did all she could for him, difficult though that became. I am so thankful for her love and caring. -- and for his son, who came from California to Alabama to be with him at the end.

Into the light, Skip...

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries

After viewing the all the seasons of Midsomer Murders (twice-- don't judge,) we found ourselves in need of similar light, comforting entertainment. Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, set in Australia in the Twenties, is filling the bill nicely.

I'd read and blogged about some of the books featuring the redoubtable Phryne and am pleased to find that the television series is as delightful as the books. Actually, more so because of the sets and the clothes -- oh, especially the clothes.

And the hats! I've never been a hat person, except for the utilitarian straw hat I wear in the garden. But these face framing cloches are gorgeous.

Of course, it helps to have the stylish bob, the cheekbones, and the perfectly made up face -- not something that's going to happen for me. Still, I can admire the look.

The series is very much an adult Nancy Drew -- Phryne doesn't have a sporty roadster but she does have an elegant Hispano-Suiza. And, like Nancy, she has several sidekicks she can call on to aid her is solving mysteries-- but unlike Nancy, Phryne doesn't have a steady boyfriend. Nope, Phryne has a series of exotic lovers.

And like Nancy, Phryne is fearless and capable -- she carries a gold revolver, she flies a plane, she speaks French (having been an ambulance driver in France during WWI and later an artist's model in Paris,) and Mandarin Chinese. 

We're not far into the series yet -- undoubtedly more talents will be revealed.

Highly recommended for escape viewing.

Frozen Motion

Well, almost frozen. There was a bit of melting going on.

Selling the Broom

A re-post -- Christmas prep has a stranglehold on me just now.

Some years ago, John was talking with a local store owner -- a man who also owned a great deal of property in the little community around the store. The store had belonged to his daddy before him, the man said, and it was due to his daddy's good business sense that the family was so well off.

And he did it all by selling a broom.

It was during the Depression, when it was common practice for a farmer to buy on credit and settle up, as best he could, when the crops were sold. Folks would come in to the store and make their few purchases -- salt, baking powder, coffee, maybe some wheat flour -- and the storekeeper would total them up and put the total in his books.

And there was always a charge for a broom.

This was the scam. The enterprising storekeeper kept a broom leaning up against the counter. He always added it into the total. Usually the shopper just signed the tab or made his mark without noticing the extra sum on the ticket. On the rare occasion that it was noticed, the shopkeeper merely said, "Oh, sorry, I thought you wanted that," and scratched off the charge.

"I don't know how many time Daddy must of sold that broom," the son told John, chuckling at the memory. "But I'll tell you one thing -- when he died, we found a shoebox stuffed full of deeds."

Because, of course, when the farmer's crop failed, as they sometime did, the next step was to offer his farm as security against the ever-growing debt he had to the village store-keeper.

I wonder how many brooms it took to bankrupt a farmer.

And I wonder how the son could think it was a funny story.

Gone Awry

Deck the Halls

Can't believe I didn't get a picture of the young uns decorating the tree . . . It's almost done -- Tomorrow I'll add the icicles and snowflakes and candy canes then get a pic of the finished creation.

Josie thought all this carrying on was lots of fun.

And the Skies Began to Clear

Saturday morning the snow was still falling and we had around ten inches. By afternoon, however, the sun burned through the mists and we had a peek of blue skies. By four, we could see the Blue Ridge in the distance. Beautiful, all of it!

No Accumulation . . .

No accumulation is what They said. It was snowing when I woke up yesterday and still snowing at noon. A good day to work on the to do list.

I'm going ahead and schedule this post in case we lose power.

We did lose power for a few hours . . . and I took some more pictures around four.

No accumulation. (Snort.)

 As of this morning, still snowing lightly. Thank goodness Claui and Justin are home and don't have to go out to work for the next few days.