Ordinary Time thoughts

• I'm finished with my move now; the process itself was a disaster.   I seriously underestimated how much stuff there was to move (even though I thought the house was almost empty!).  And procrastination took its toll, too - so I ended up on the last day having to call the junk haulers and ended up tossing a bunch of stuff - including about a thousand books by my estimate.   Interestingly, I'm not sorry about the books (yet); they were all the books I'd ever bought, plus many others not mine.   I was just so tired by that time, though, that trying to pack them up seemed impossible.  I didn't have the time anyway.
• More to the point:  I have two Kindles.  And what good, really, is a paperback copy of Slaughterhouse-Five from 1973 with its cover half torn off?   But I did lose one nice cane chair and a few things from the china cabinet I probably should have saved.  And I saved some of the really oldest books - a leather-bound copy of Leaves of Grass for instance, and a few others like this.   And a few newer ones, too.
• Somehow, though, I still have massive numbers of boxes filled with - well, what?  Ancestral junk and stuff from earlier eras, mostly.   I have to go through it all.  I don't really love having things; in fact, every other time I've moved in my life it's been a snap, since I've never really owned much stuff - and mostly had a pretty light grip on whatever I did own.  It was easy to leave things behind.  
• Now, I'm trying to give the china and photos and toys and papers and stuff to all the nieces and nephews.  I do have a few nice pieces of old furniture, too, and will happily give that away as well.  Can't wait to be pared down to nothing again.
• 
  My tuxedo cat did die, just two nights ago.  He was 16-1/2, though, and that's a good life - and he hadn't been feeling well for awhile now anyway.  It's amazing that he lived that long, in fact, because he had a lot of problems:  a wild, crazy heart murmur for one.  His heart always sounded like it was jumping out of his chest, and beat in such a wacky pattern (if there was a pattern at all!) - but it was a really big heart.  He slept with me every night, and was sort of dog-like in following me around and staying with me.  I loved him and miss him - but fortunately I do have these other two critters right here, for comfort.
• I live sort of far out in the country now - but, amazingly, literally right across the street from an Episcopal Church.  A church that rings its bells at 9 a.m., noon, and 5p.m. daily, in fact - whereupon I say the Angelus.  Interestingly, this parish has been described to me as "charismatic" - so the Angelus thing is pretty bizarre.   I don't think they're doing it on purpose - but who knows?  I'll have to ask.
• Not to worry, either, since there are about 5 other Episcopal churches within an 8-mile radius or so; that's the way it is here in the northeast.  So if I'm not good with "charismatic" I can no doubt find something else.  But it's an interesting thought that I can tumble out of bed on Sunday morning and be at Divine Service in about a minute.
• My little cat just sits in the window and watches bird TV all day.  And every morning I go for a two-mile walk along old country roads with my dog.   It's all quite splendid.
• There's even a little marsh down the street, with all kinds of interesting flowers and grasses.  I'm quite happy here, actually - and ecstatic to be out of the other place.  I enjoy being a renter, and am thrilled at having a much smaller place.
• The osprey chicks are getting really big.
•  I have quite a bit more to say, I know - but somehow can't get it out right now.  So, till another time, then....