Various things

Today, I went to the pool this morning - not a usual thing. I usually go in the afternoon. But today, Ellen was planning to go to Northampton to take the g-kids to see the movie Kubo, leaving me without a car. So it was this morning or not at all. I've been having trouble with pain in my left shoulder and swimming seemed to aggravate it today. That was not true when I swam a couple of days ago. On the other hand, I just did some mowing, and that didn't seem to bother the shoulder at all. Odd. It was good to get some mowing done. I haven't been able to mow since early last summer because, a) Either I haven't been here or b) I haven't been able to start the mower when I have been here. Cleaning the air filter seems to have done the trick.

             Freshly mowed lawn

Today I have also been reading a very interesting book, The History of White People, by Nell Irvin Painter. It makes the point very persuasively that "race" is a concept in our minds, not a biological reality, and it provides a very detailed history of how the idea of a "white race" has developed and evolved over time, as well as how it came to be seen as "superior." BTW, Painter defines the term "racism," as "the belief that races exist, and that some are better than others." A useful definition. 

Tonight, I have a meeting of the Dummerston Church music committee. Someone will pick me up. 

Yesterday we also went to Northampton and for the first time since returning from our trip west, we saw the apartment where the Feinlands are staying while they wait for their new house to be finished. 

          The Feinlands apartment

It is part of a huge apartment complex - hundreds of them. It is a 3-bedroom apt., but they have set it up as a 5-bedroom one, so each person has a bed. That means that the dining room is a bedroom, and there is also a bed in the living room. A temporary situation. The new house should be ready by Nov. 1st., ahead of schedule. 

We saw the new house in progress: 

The new house in context - it's the middle one

                  Up closer

This will be the actual exterior color