Much Ado about Nothing

I've not blogged lately because I have nothing to say. Oh, there's the usual calamitous news all over the world--Charlie Hebdo and Boko Haram. I sometimes fear we live in such complacency that it will never happen to us, that we may be in for a rude surprise. And I continue to watch both Texas and national politics, not particularly encouraged by either. The open-carry movement bothers me, as I wrote before, on many levels, and I'm disheartened that it's our new governor's first cause. Texas lags behind other states in education, health care, insurance--I wish he'd turn his attention to one of those vital problems. Apparently our outgoing governor, as one of his last acts, vetoed a bill that would have investigated no-bid contracts, effectively closing that ethical door. Oh well, he's not free and clear of the law yet and has reportedly spent close to a million dollars in defense--do you suppose that was his money or ours? On the national front, the Republicans came out of the gate with all guns blazing--abortion, social security, tax cuts for the middle class, Keystone Pipeline. Nice guys--but I am encouraged the what seems to be new resolve on President Obama's part. Maybe he's thinking of his legacy.
On the home front, Fort Worth is all excited about Stock Show--which means most of us avoid that part of town, the museums, even favorite restaurants that draw stock-show crowds. For me, the brightest aspect is that all my kids will come home for a stock show weekend--it's become a family tradition. I used to go with them, and we'd do the barns and exposition hall and Midway. I've given it all up--I send them on their way and look forward to dinner with them. We usually go to Joe T.'s whenever one or more are gathered in town, but at Jordan's suggestion we'll vary our routine and go to the Star Café. A long, really long thread on Facebook today on the best chicken-fried steak since Massey's is dust--the Star was mentioned several times. Our good friends Betty and Don Boles own it, and we're pretty loyal, think the food is terrific.
On my own little home front, all goes peacefully along. I am writing a thousand words a day and feeling good about it. Plus cleaning closets and started tonight on the disgraceful bookcase in my office--it truly has been a mess beyond belief. One small supply cabinet and three shelves and I was done for the evening.
We had hoped for a day at the ranch today with my niece, nephew and families plus Cindy's family, but Cindy came down with a bad case of flu. Went to church, wrote my thousand words and napped. Now Jacob is here for the night while his parents are at the rodeo--window seats in the Backstage Club no less. I am most impressed--Backstage Club never impressed me because I always sat in a crowded back room where you couldn't see anything. But my rodeo days are over--sort of a been there, done that feeling. Oh, Lord, I hope that's not old age creeping up on me.
Hope you all are having more exciting lives! 'Scuse me, I got to go to bed now.

The flu, cabin fever, Nancy Drew, and the end of the world

Yesterday I said to Christian, "No, of course he doesn't have the flu. He'd feel a lot worse, achy, and his stomach would be involved." Well, that shows what a good diagnostician I am. Jacob has the flu, diagnosed by a nose swab at the doctor's office today--no wonder my brother always says, "Don't tell me if they feel hot; take the temperature." So Jacob and I are stuck with each other at least through tomorrow. He's still coughing, still has fever though lower, and is contagious. (Yes, I've had a flu shot, and I figure if I haven't gotten it by now--it started Friday when he spent the entire night breathing on me--I'm not going to; hope that's not faulty logic.)
Yesterday I had him all day; this morning he was at the doctor's most of the morning, and then Jordan came to let me keep a lunch date. And I had a good nap in the afternoon, so it wasn't hard. Tomorrow she'll come to let me take almost two hours to go to a luncheon at TCU. But Jacob and I are both tiring of each other's company, and we have cabin fever. I have a bunch of errands I'd like to get done, so I keep telling my compulsive self that the world won't end if I don't do them for a few days.
The luncheon tomorrow is one of a series sponsored by Human Rrelations and I'm looking forward to it. It's a Nancy Drew luncheon, with dishes made from recipes in the Nancy Drew Cookbook--who even knew there was such a thing? I only have one granddaughter young enough to be interested--the other two have outgrown Nancy Drew, though I don't think I did until I was twelve or so. Kids are so much more sophisticated today--blame it on social media, cell phones, iPads, and the like. That aside, I'm just interested in the whole Nancy Drew canon and am curious about the luncheon. Should be fun.
I've also gotten some work done while Jacob's been here--a new final scene to the novel I've been working on. Now to proofread it one more time, and then I'll send it off. Nice closure for the end of the year. Not starting a new proejct until January.
So life goes along, and Christmas won't be cancelled or even delayed because I may not do my errands till Friday or Saturday. The world will still revolve. Which reminds me--I was delighted to receive an invitation to a party for Skeptics and Optimists. It says,, "If the sun rises on Dec. 22, we'll party." Dec. 21 is of course the day the Mayan calendar predicts the end of the world. I feel a bit about that as I did about the millenium when it approached--a little apprehensive, not that the world will end, but that something bad could happen.. But I'm an optimist--it probably won't.
Just looked at the labels for this post--the wide array really indicates that I've rambled. Bear with me folks, it's cabin fever...and the season.