A couple of days ago I suggested that Eileen and I send flowers to ourselves this year. Usually I try to be sneaky about it but that is harder during Covid restrictions. She smiled and said that she had already ordered flowers for me but it could count for both us. They just came. Note the daisies. At our wedding we gathered wild daisies for the flowers. So we try to give them to each other when we can.

Another cold day in Michigan. I spoke to my son, David, who is living in California today. He said it was 80 degrees there. Life is rough. But I do like Michigan.

It’s hard to explain to people how good my life is right now. But I do enjoy it: reading and practicing. Each day is another gift of life if you don’t mind me being a little smarmy about it. But it is true. I enjoy living with Eileen. And I love reading and thinking.

I guess I don’t have much to say today. Red letter day, eh?

Eileen is handling our finances now. She has been just a little concerned that I might be spending money too fast. This is quite probable because before she asked me about I was paying little attention to how much money I was spending. I was enjoying buying things for people as well as spending money at the local bookstore.

But I am trying not to spend money so quickly. Today I asked her if I could buy some used books. That way I could them cheaper. That would be good. I couldn’t buy them from the local bookstore. That wouldn’t be as good. But I think I’m going to do that. At least as long as Eileen wants me to moderate my spending.

And I am quite spoiled. I know that if I was only able to read books that are already in the house I probably wouldn’t live long enough to run out of books.

But still I’m going to order some books if I can get them cheaply enough.

time passes

I just ordered 6 books used. Total bill: 89.17. I’m too lazy to figure out how much money I saved by buying used but 6 books for 90 bucks is considerably less than if I purchased them new. They are:

1. The Antinomian Controversy, 1636-1638: A Documentary Hall, David D., Ed.
2. Fugitive Poses : Native American Indian Scenes of Absence and Presence Author: Vizenor, Gerald Robert 
3. Art of Tradition: Sacred Music, Dance, and Myth of Michigan’s Anishinaabe, 1946-1955 Author: Gertrude Kurath, Jane Ettawageshik, Michael D. McNally
4. My Emily Dickinson Author: Howe, Susan
5. Singularities (Wesleyan Poetry Series) Author: Howe, Susan
6. The Birth-mark: unsettling the wilderness in American literary history Author: Howe, Susan

I have already read two of the Howe books and am reading library copies of the first three. Of course, I double checked with Eileen before closing the deal and she gave her okay. I am truly spoiled.