1. The chapters of the book The Mosquito that I'm reading now are focusing much more on the years following the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. It's emphasizing the United States' expansion westward, its war with Mexico, an imperialist undertaking, and the forced relocation of indigenous people in the southeast to west of the Mississippi -- you might know this cruel injustice as the Trail of Tears.
The mosquito and its lethal role in transmitting disease continues to occupy the focus of this book, but these recent chapters have had me thinking about the human drive for power, territorial expansion, heartless economic development, and the long-term impact of these wars, displacements, forced labor, and imperial ambitions. I'm perplexed by Napoleon's ambitions, the cruelty of Andrew Jackson's policies, the United States' seizing and annexing of parts of Mexico by force, and other acts of aggression and acquisition that have shaped so much of the world's history. This has been on my mind even more than the mosquitos.
None of this history is new to me, but often the facts of it sit in the back of my mind and The Mosquito has catapulted this history to the front.
Next up will be the Civil War.
2. Christy joined Debbie and me for a simple and delicious salmon dinner. I enjoyed the fish and the carrot salad and brown rice that accompanied it. Christy, Debbie, and I continued discussions from last night's family dinner by talking more about books and addressing the ongoing thorny question of how we can best live our lives.
3. Off the top of my head, I can't list everything fun that Debbie and I have done since she returned to Kellogg in March. We've attended lectures, symphony performances, a string quartet concert, gone to the MAC in Spokane, enjoyed tasty meals at home, done some rearranging of our household, and more.
Over dinner tonight, Debbie brought out her calendar and talked about flying to Chicago this Friday, going to our niece's party to celebrate her daughter's first birthday, spending time in Cincinnati with Patrick and Meagan, and heading east to New York for at least a couple of months.
I am 100% in support of Debbie doing all she'll be doing this summer. Not only that, I get along just fine on my own and I'll continue to seek out invigorating things to do this summer
It's all good.
I MEAN THAT!
At the same time, I'll sure enjoy Debbie's return when we will resume going on cultural safaris, having great discussions about books, music, and a host of other subjects, and exploring what else we can do in North Idaho and Eastern Washington to expand our horizons and feed our inner lives.
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