Updates and all that.

Chowder did a lovely job with my cousin's funeral. It's always amazing to see the "man/husband" when he is in his element. At those moments, it's as if you can see the Holy Spirit just whirling around him and bringing God's grace and peace to those around him. I didn't even care at that moment that that morning I had to pick up all of his dirty clothes that he had piled behind the bathroom door.

This afternoon my cousin's ashes will be dispersed by his skydiving team. My brother wants to jump with them (he's qualified) but it's giving my mother a fit.

*****************************************

Humphrey is doing marvelously! I couldn't be more pleased with him and how easily he is learning. His disposition is so wonderful with the kids and with everyone we run into. He can be a bit too rambunctious in the morning when he plays with Porkchop. We're trying to break him of that, but he might just have to outgrow it.

*****************************************

My summer reading is coming along nicely. Here's what I've read so far.

• Room With a View by EM Forster perfect. light and breezy and romantic.
• A Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers 163 pages of the best description of the jump from childhood to adolescence.
  
• The Street by Ann Petry Harlem in the 40's. A heavier read but absolutely amazing.
• House of Mirth by Edith Wharton loved it!
  
• The Twilight Saga books by Stephenie Meyer First book (Twilight) was such a great read, I actually read it again (and enjoyed it just as much) after I read the other two. I wasn't so fond of the second book (New Moon), the third book (Eclipse) was better but I'm still driven crazy by the way the main character allows two boys to play the mind games they do with her and her father just uses her as a housekeeper. I'll read the fourth book when it comes out because if someone doesn't bite that girl, I will. But, I'm more excited about the book she is still writing (Midnight Sun) which is basically Twilight narrated by Edward instead of Bella
• A Passage to India by EM Forster I started this, and it was good (great characters and interesting setting) but I wasn't in the right mindset. I had just read two other books about privileged young women at the turn of the century. I'll return to it later.
• Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote Not impressed. At least it was short (111 pages). Only the second book I can say that the movie was better.
  
• Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen Picking this up today to start.