Thought for the day (Sunday, 23 Oct 2005):

"The mind is its own place, and in itself
Can make a heav'n of hell, a hell of heav'n.

--John Milton, Paradise Lost, 1667

Follow up:

Brought to eye/mind today:a magpie flitting from roof to fence to roof again.

Thank you, Lord, for...being able to get the windows shut, because it's winter again.

Today's Log:

• Using silicone spray got the two upstairs windows to close all the way. It took about an hour of scraping old paint, spraying, opening and closing, and (toward the end) cussing. It would have helped on the last one if I'd had both latches in the same--and the bottom one in the correct--position. Remember: up is open, down is closed.
• Didn't paint again today. Caught myself sighing a lot while I was making dinner. I made spaghetti and used shiitake mushrooms in the sauce. This is the first time I've worked with them. The older ones have a sweetish smell; I don't think I'll be serving them uncooked. Funny how organic forms smell sweeter when they're decaying.
• Watched Finding Neverland and was moved by it -- almost started crying when the Mom (Sylvia Llewelyn Davies, played by Kate Winslet) stepped into Neverland. Johnny Depp did a fine job, playing playwright J.M. Barrie. I think I'm a sucker for a Scottish accent.