Intro:

Auntie Lenora is so fortunate in her friends and family. She is truly loved. Among the many wonderful gifts she received was a calendar of labyrinths in the sand at Bandon, OR, books—one of poetry and gorgeous artwork (The Lost Spells by Robert MacFarlane and Jackie Morris) and a fantasy trilogy (Queens of Renthia by Sarah Beth Durst) She also received a beautiful coffee mug, some gifts from Trader Joe’s, some fabric, and a small homemade cloth ‘bowl’ filled with tiny scraps (it’s really a thread holder for when trimming seams, etc.)! OMG, there is something terribly wrong with Auntie Lenora, because that was probably the biggest excitement of the day! Yes, wee scraps, maybe ½” x 3”. You’ll be the first to see the quilts those are used in;-) And a jar of homemade plum ketchup. Oooooh, yessssss. But the bestest gifts of all were the gifts of friendship and familyship she has with her friends and families, of which you, dear reader, are a member. Thank you.

I recently signed up for a free membership with Medium.com. I am only allowed so many free articles per month, unless I pay. So far, I’m not quite there. I tell you this because I’ve linked one of their articles below, and you, too, may be asked to subscribe for the free issues.

They do have an interesting article, Should We Keep Separating the Art from the Icon? —by Pandora Domeyko. A very interesting article about Salvatore Dali and Coco Channel. By now, I’m sure most of us know that she was a Nazi sympathizer. Was she really, or was she a survivor? But how many of us knew Dali was a Fascist? A true believer in Mussolini, Franco, and Hitler! 

In this day of cancelling people, especially old, dead, white guys, how far do we take it? Do we boycott Channel clothes and perfumes because she believed in the wrong side of history? Do we stop admiring Dali for the same reason? Oh, according to this article, he was something else. Franco, whom he not only admired but supported tortured his sister, killed a brother, and he (Dali) was known to beat his wife. Do I now have to stop admiring his art? All of the things he’s accused of fostering, I’m against.

Do I stop watching a movie I’m enjoying if I discover during intermission (commercial breaks) that Harvey Weinstein had his (allegedly) lecherous fingers involved in the making of said movie? Do I quit reading my books by an author I’ve long admired because he’s been accused (credibly, I’d say, since he at least apologized) of sexual misconduct?

I think the last one is the one that really made me stop and think about it. Really think about it. This particular poet/author is, among other things, a bona fide jerk. I have good friends who know him and I trust their judgement. OK, he’s a jerk. I’ve been known to be slightly off base myself at times. I’ve said things I wish I hadn’t. Sometimes I didn’t realize I’d said something hurtful, but I tried, when I found out and when I could, to apologize. But damn! This guy can write! Especially poetry. Is there a way to cancel him, but not his works?And Dali. Two of his religious paintings are not only two of my favorite religious (Christian) paintings, but probably the only two of his paintings, as well as the only two religious (Christian) paintings, I really like. One is Sacrament of the Last Supper and the other is Christ of Saint John of the Cross.

As for Channel, I’m not overly fond of perfumes, but I did love her LBD (little black dress) and some of her suits when I was younger, slimmer, and working for a living. Not, mind, that I could ever afford one, but I could afford some knockoffs 😉

I no longer dream of meeting said author, but if we both have a piece of work in the same collection, I certainly won’t pull mine in protest. And I will remain pleased and proud that we’re together between the covers. 

Of course, you know what happened to the last perfect person who walked on our planet. They crucified him. So, I guess I’m not going to totally cancel any of the above, or any of the old white male supremacists, etc., either. But neither am I going to venerate them. It’s not my place to forgive or not forgive Thomas Jefferson for the treatment of his slaves and children. I don’t have to like it, because he knew damn well what he was doing and why. He was a selfish sumbitch. However, his philosophies helped form one of the, if not the, greatest nations ever! I love his art (our country), just not him. 

I will never think of Robert E. Lee as anything but a bone fide Traitor to our country. Only those he personally wronged (and there were many) can forgive him, and they’re all dead, now. 

I will continue to read Sherman Alexie, but I will no longer rush out to buy his latest book as soon as it’s available. I’ll take my time. He did admit, and apologize, for his transgressions once brought to the public’s attention, for that he gets credit.

All those mentioned above, and the uncountable others not mentioned, and all those who have committed crimes, I firmly believe they should be tried, and if found guilty, sentenced appropriately. But I think the idea of cancelling is as much personal as social—maybe more so. If I may paraphrase an old saying from the days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, “Love the art, not the artist.” I may not support the artist but I will admire the art. I think we all need to think about it before we cast that first stone. 

Entertainment:

Peacock: Still enjoying Columbo! I’m just about through season 10. 😉

Books (for complete reviews and more reviews, please go to Rainy Day Reads:

Pretty Little Fliers —by Erin Johnson, Ms. Johnson has created a fun universe where it appears everyone has magic of one sort or another—except our heroine. She had magic, at one time, and then ran into a spell that deleted it. At one time, our heroine had a life, a job as a lawyer, the ability to shift, an affianced—then she met someone who didn’t like her and wham! zam! not anymore ma’am! So, she gets to live in the slums as a fraudulent pet psychic, gets involved in a murder, falls for the hunka hunka cop who is sweet, but borderline clueless, and I’m not gonna tell you anymore!

His Holiness the Dalai Lama —by Comcast NBC Universal (a transcript), I’ve read other books by/about HH the Dalai Lama that I thought were better; that said, I think this is a good intro into his life, and how he ended up where he is today. It’s also a good intro to Tibetan Buddhism.

A Tale of Two Reapers —by Jack Wallen. Every year I give me a new book from me. That way I know I’ll get at least one new book I will enjoy. This year’s Christmas present from me to me was A Tale of Two Reapers. I could not have picked a better book to curl up with on the sofa and read, cover to cover. I love a good urban fantasy that makes me laugh out loud several times through the book. On most pages, actually.

Outro:

New Year’s Eve is just a few days away, and then it will be 2021. It just has to be better than 2020, and yet, there were many bright spots in 2020. Be sure you look for yours, and when you find them, hold them tight, and do your best to forget the pain of the year. I’ve made new friends (via zoom groups), had two books published, found many things to laugh about. I choose to remember the laughter over the tears when possible. So please, have a Happy New Year!!! Next week, will be a word or three about Auntie Lenora’s New Year’s Resolution.

Auntie Lenora 

and 

Sammy Brave Dog

Chinese Goose, “On the count of three, everybody sing.”