2010 . . . or not

Is it "two thousand ten" or "twenty ten"? During the last century, we said "nineteen ten". As a sometimes traditionalist, I vote for "twenty ten". Not a big issue I'll grant but not everything is.

This picture from Christmas morning summarizes how I often feel about the world. We are in turbulent, confusing and yes dark times. While some people insist things are getting better, it is important to ask and keep asking, "cui bono (who benefits)? Fact: the media outlets are owned by less than 10 major corporations. Fact: there are 5 financial lobbyists for every congressional member. What is the likelihood we are hearing the truth about those in power? What is the likelihood our elected representatives have the interests of the middle class taxpayer in mind?

An interesting free e-book I'm reading on these topics is "Survival+" by Charles Hugh Smith. The book can be found at http://www.oftwominds.com/blog.html. The title is somewhat misleading since he isn't focusing on survival as it is popularly discussed. This book does a nice job of tracing how we arrived at this point in history. Unlike other books I've read, this one seeks to take a systemic view of the world and our society.

Some of my readers may not want to hear about this. I appreciate and understand. Captain Smith not especially concerned about icebergs in Titanic's path either. But I care about people hearing truth that can help them at least make sense of a world going crazier by the day. Like the Titanic, this country and the planet are not unsinkable.

Jayne went all-out this year to bring Christmas cheer to our modest home. She found a Martha Stewart article on making icicle lights - here's result. She also put up icicle lights on the house eave anda lighted wreath. All of this was accomplished without help from us!








The crowning glory was the Christmas tree. She spent quite a bit of time developing the perfect decorations. She even made gingerbread cookies to enhance the decorations. The dog thought they were good too - he picked off some low hanging cookies before Jayne noticed! Hobbes, our budgerigar also decided to get into the decorating act. He looks very at home.

























Twilight view from our rental place on Tory Hill. Nothing like a crisp, winter sunset in Maine. Even though we've been here almost 1-1/2 years, we still continue enjoying the beauty every day.








Although from a few months ago, here's a pic of Jayne and Leigh backstage during a production of "The Producers". Jayne had a wonderful time as an usherette in this hilarious Mel Brooks production. She will soon be auditioning for a role in "Guys and Dolls". We're really hoping she gets a part in this show.










Our house building project is now sleeping for the winter. But that hasn't stopped us from working on other aspects of our new life. We purchased a nearly new refrigerator on Craig's List from a couple near Boston. The situation was complicated by our van being in the shop when we found the fridge. Since we didn't want to miss out on a good deal, we drove down with the car to check it out and make a down payment. They thought we were a little nuts to make a second trip to pick it up. But when you can save $600 on a nice fridge, it's worth it. We also enjoyed traveling to Massachusetts since we have pretty much stayed around home since moving here.

Speaking of vehicles, we have been struggling lately with many repairs. This isn't surprising since the van has 245,000 miles and the Accord has 220,000 miles. In the last month we put a new gas tank, complete exhaust system and front ball joint on the Accord and water pump & brake pads on the van.

In the case of the Accord gas tank, the original reason for the repair was a bad anti-pollution valve. To get at the valve, the gas tank had to be removed. When the mechanic took it down, a tank seam sprung a leak. Since it was Friday and I was going to Vermont on Monday, I needed it fixed right away. He got it done and I picked it up on Sunday. I got about 2 miles down the road and it started running rough and losing power. I pulled over to the side of the road, got out and looked the car over. I found gas leaking from under the front of the car!

I got back in and turned around for the repair shop. I got about half way back and the car quit for good. I got out again and found gas pouring out. Ahhhh! I called Cheryl who called AAA and the fire department. By the time everybody got there, the gas had nearly quit leaking. With all the people who showed up, you'd think it was a major disaster. Kind of a disappointment for them I guess since things are pretty sleepy in Buxton. The tow truck hauled the car over to repair shop and the fire department soaked up the spilled gas.

I called the mechanic Sunday night and told him what happened. His guess was a couple of hoses got swapped during the tank replacement. Since I was leaving at 7 the next morning, he came into the shop early and had it ready for me at 7. What great service!

Here's hoping everybody is still on track with their 2010 New Year's resolutions:~)