Weather
Damp, warm, and gray, like a mariner’s sweater

Item
It’s been a long two weeks, beginning with Thanksgiving weekend and continuing into seven days of our son suffering fevers and, toward the end, walking pneumonia. He’s a healthy kid, so missing a week of school is unheard of. He’s better now, thank God, and we’re getting back to a sensible routine.

Today I’m catching up on writing, reading Les Miserables, and sanding our patchwork deck so it doesn’t look motley until I’m ready to paint it next spring.

Colonial-American Word of the Day
Jobbernole: (n) the head

Go Forth!
Favorite books I read in 2012, at FSG’s Book Keeping readers group

Music
“A Minuet by the Reverend Mr. Bacon”