Weather in the Tries: Looks like our really cold cold will be gone by the time you read this and daytime highs will be in the 50s with a certain amount of god’s tears. Nighttime lows will still be playing footsie with freezing. But it’s better than what some of the early pioneers up with met—and died.
“In the time of your life, Live—”
When I was in high school, I was both filled with teen angst, and a drama queen. I aspired to become the modern (of the day) Sara Bernhardt. I wanted to act on stage, not the silver screen. My heroes of the day (since I had finally realized I would not grow up to be Hugh Glass, Mountain man, reincarnated) were playwrights. Especially Tennessee Williams and William Saroyan. Oh, yeah. I’d still like to write a play as good as one of theirs. sigh.
My favorite Saroyan play was “In the Time of Your Life.” I loved the play, especially the preface. I think it is worth sharing since Putin, with pupkisses from his GOPuppies, has opened at least three Portals to Hell this past week. I guess you can figure out what I think of Putin and the news. I just hope there is still a Ukraine next week. I think if Putin’s Kill List is realized it will be, if not the end of Putin, the beginning of his end. I am surprised and delighted at how the rest of the world is reacting to the situation. Even some of his ‘friends’ are saying “no”—China and Kazakhstan to name a couple. The play, In The Time of Your Life, was written in 1939, before we entered WWII. Quote below is from Goodreads Quotes. Emphasis is mine.
“In the time of your life, live—so that in that good time there shall be no ugliness or death for yourself or for any life your life touches. Seek goodness everywhere, and when it is found, bring it out of its hiding place and let it be free and unashamed.
Place in matter and in flesh the least of the values, for these are the things that hold death and must pass away. Discover in all things that which shines and is beyond corruption. Encourage virtue in whatever heart it may have been driven into secrecy and sorrow by the shame and terror of the world. Ignore the obvious, for it is unworthy of the clear eye and the kindly heart.
Be the inferior of no man, or of any men be superior. Remember that every man is a variation of yourself. No man’s guilt is not yours, nor is any man’s innocence a thing apart. Despise evil and ungodliness, but not men of ungodliness or evil. These, understand. Have no shame in being kindly and gentlebut if the time comes in the time of your life to kill, kill and have no regret.
In the time of your life, live—so that in that wondrous time you shall not add to the misery and sorrow of the world, but shall smile to the infinite delight and mystery of it.”
Plant Sunflowers. Keep some seeds in your pocket so when you die, and are buried, they will grow.
Nicholas Kristof has an interesting substack article that is, I think, free. (At least I got it and subscribed. They didn’t ask for money.) I’ve liked Mr. Kristof’s writing for years, and am glad to have found his substack site. You might like this one: How Do We Make Putin Fail? You’ll love the conversation between the Ukraine woman and the Russian soldier. Honest. Trust me. If you are paywalled, a judicious email to moi can possibly handle the problem.
Weather in the Tries: Aaaaarrrggghhhh!!!! (That be my bestest pirate talk.) Our lows are heading back into 20s and even down to the teens. Our highs will range from 33 to 45. But, we should have sun probably half the time. And probably more winds. No rain or snow on the long range forecast, unless it’s sporadic.
What’s for Dinner?:
I subscribe to Mother Jones, and the other day there was a story about eating invasive squirrels and other invasive critters. There’s a name for that: Invasivorism, and it is a growing ethical-dining trend.
Paul Wedgwood, one of Scotland’s leading chefs discovered that the grey squirrel not only tastes good, but killing/eating them is also good for the environment. Chefs in Paul Wedgwood, one of Scotland’s leading chefs discovered that the grey squirrel not only tastes good but killing/eating them is also good for the environment. Chefs in Texas are encouraging people to eat more feral hog, and Michelin-starred chef José Andrés is serving up invasive lionfish.
I found all this a little odd, a whole article devoted to eating invasive whatevers. I remember a few years back (alright, several years back, probably close to, well, a long time ago) the Portland Oregonian newspaper devoted one of their Wednesday Food Sections to various ways to cook and serve Starlings. The colonists brought them over because they missed them. With no natural predators, it didn’t take them long to take over the country. And now some people consider them nuisance birds. All I remember from the paper is it would take more trouble to kill, pluck, and clean the little buggers than they were worth. That may have to be re-looked at, considering the price of meat these days.
The good news is, I found a use for Starlings! When I owned my home in Marysville WA, I noticed when the guy came on his riding lawnmower to mow my lawn, he was no sooner out of my yard than my yard was black with Starlings. Apparently the riding lawnmower had the right amount of vibration for all the Crane Fly larva to come to the surface, and the Starlings came, ate their fill, and left.
Now, in reading the recipe for Squirrel rack, confit jersey royal potatoes, carrot puree, wild garlic, (go here for recipe—you’ll have to scroll for it), I notice one needs, among other things, 500ml goose fat. Now, to be honest, I think I’d rather have a recipe for roast goose than I would one for Starling or Squirrel, but truth be told, I’m a city gal, and I like my meat to come already packaged by the butcher. I sincerely think if I had to kill and clean and butcher anything, I’d become a vegetarian.
I do like to cook sometimes, and I love to read at all times, and I’ve read The Cooking Gene by Michael Twitty at least twice. He has a recipe for ‘Kitchen Pepper’ which is wonderful. Use it in place of regular pepper. Now, the first time I try something totally new, I follow the recipe, the next time the recipe becomes a guide, not a law, so to speak. Basically, for kitchen pepper use equal amounts of black and white pepper, pepper flakes, cinnamon, mace, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, whatever else you like and looks and smells good. I’ve put in garam masala, chipotle, cardamom—basically anything that can be used in a savory dish. You control the heat and the sweet. He says to keep it in a cool dark place. I keep it in a covered bowl on my stove and use it daily. It goes on eggs, meat, vegetables, and even popped corn 😉
Photo of the week:
Sorry I couldn’t get the rings to stand up right without my wrinkly old fingers in them. Hard to take a photo one handed. As you can see, the bear’s paw got hit (by a hammer, I think) and saved my finger. The black stone in the oval is hematite. The gold ring is an elephant (Ganesh?) if you look at it the way it is, if you turn it 90 degrees so the crown is on the left side, it’s a peacock. That’s the ring the returning GI gave my cousin for the home-cooked meal she made him.
Books: Remember, if I finish a book, I review it at Rainy Day Reads I try to keep the reviews current. There are times when I’m a couple of days late.
Read another historical fiction that isn’t published yet, so can’t tell you more, but it’s along the lines of the Outlander Books by Dianna Gabaldon, with no fantasy involved. A super good read. I had a hard time putting it down.
Also read The Raven Spell by Luanne G. Smith and have pre-ordered the sequel. Smith also wrote The Vine Witch, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Finished Firefly: A Japanese Historical Fiction Novel (sic) (Warrior Woman of the Samurai Book 1)— by India Millar. Am already reading book 2. And just finished The Gentleman Lion and Other Stories —by Martin Jones. This is a delightful collection of short stories, all by the same person. I believe I am safe calling them literary rather than genre fiction, though there are aspects of different genres in different stories.
“You don’t need a silver fork to eat good food.” — Paul Prudhomme.
“The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you’ve got to have a what-the-hell attitude.” —Julia Child.
“I like the Japanese knives, I like French knives. Whatever’s sharp.” — Wolfgang Puck.
Wowser! My good friends—we made it through another week! Yaaaayyyj!!! The Brave Dog has kept me safe from those dried leaves that are wont to attack us when the wind blows. I’ve read more books than I probably should have. I really should be writing my own, but I’m getting there. Go forth, have a marvelous week, stay safe, stay warm, and stay healthy. Sending virtual hugs and pupkisses.
Weather in the Tries: Wowser!! It looks like out freezing nights will be a thing of the past this coming week and our highs will be in the hi 50s to low 60s. Boy Howdy! Aren’t you glad I didn’t see my shadow on my day, Groundhog Day??? Well, I know some of you are 😉
Gratitudes: I have a lot of things for which I am grateful. I’m going to share a few with you. You may share yours with me, if you’d like to.
The first, and maybe most important, I have Friends. Lots of friends. Most of whom I’ve met and gotten to know well, some are Facebook Friends, and many are poetry Friends.
Some of my friends are Book Friends, we meet monthly to discuss the book we read (we choose books for the year in Dec and all read the same one.) When the weather is clement (is that the opposite of inclement?) we meet in person. Usually have a potluck at someone’s house and meet outside. We used to meet in a restaurant, but Covid came… In November, we met at Carl’s. He has a small ranch, and horses, and a large yard. It was sunny, but cold. I didn’t know how cold until the other day, when we met by zoom and he held up my ring and asked if it belonged to anyone.
I knew I’d lost the ring, but thought it was inside the house. I had no idea it had fallen off at his place, and was trampled down into the grass. I just knew I’d lost it. I am so very grateful he found it before Crow Cousin did, and I got it back. If the diamonds are on top, it’s an elephant. If the diamonds are to the left, it’s a peacock. It is 24K gold and was made in China before WWII. A GI coming home gave it to my cousin in pay of the home cooked meal she made him. It normally fits tight, but I must have gotten so cold it slid off my finger. I wear fingerless gloves, and am so used to the ring I often don’t ‘see’ it. I am truly grateful to have it back.
I also wear a silver ring, of a bear’s paw. I’ve had it for many years, and silver is soft, and you can see it’s been hit a time or two. Fortunately, it saved my finger. It was given to me by a friend many years ago. We were very good friends, and she married and moved, and we’ve lost track of each other. I would love to rekindle that friendship. I miss her. But am so grateful for the years of friendship we had.
To celebrate my birthday, a good friend took me to Boiada’s for dinner. Boiada’s is an Authentic Brazilian Steakhouse with a salad bar to die for. The meat is skewered and brought to the table where they slice a piece to order. Oh. My. Gawd! We ate, and ate, and then ate some more. Fortunately, there was no rush. You can sit at the table and take all night eating if you want to. If you live near the Tri Cities, it’s a treat and a half. If you don’t live nearby, see if you have a Brazilian Grill or Steakhouse close to you. It’s worth it. I definitely believe that was the best dining-out experience I’ve ever had! And the company at dinner was superb, even better than the food and the food was spectacular! Thank you, Good Friend. I even wore a dress! And shoes (not my usual hiking boots!!)
More years ago than I can figure out, I decided it was time I learned to like myself, because I was probably going to be alone most, if not all, of my life. I read books on meeting me (and if you’ve never done it yourself, take my word for it—it’s scary as hell, but worth the time and trouble!). Two things, of many, I learned was that when the little voice in my brain started telling me I was no good, I had to stop it, and tell myself I was good. And one of the ways I worked on that was to start a Gratitude Journal. I worked on it for a long time, every night I would write whatever I was grateful for, until I found myself going to bed at night and smiling at all my gratitudes—from the flower by my door to the smile from someone at work, from the sunset to my kids’ laughter, from completing a job to getting praise from a persnickety boss. Everytime I think a negative thought, I try to counter it with at least 3 positive thoughts about the situation or person.
I’m one of the richest people I know. Not in money, but in friends, and I am so grateful for all of you!
Photo of the week:
Pelican on Patrol. Note the hump on his nose? I believe that means he’s looking for a mate.
Books: Remember, if I finish a book, I review it at Rainy Day Reads
Not His Dragon: Romantic Comedy (Not This Series Book 1) —by Annie Nicholas. Yes, you read that correctly, I actually read a romantic comedy and laughed until I hurt. It’s great fun and might still be free on Kindle. I hope to have the review posted in the next couple of days.
I read a couple other books, neither of which has been published. One I was asked to read and to write a cover blurb for. The other I volunteered to read and proof it. I am also reading a third book, as a writer, to let the author know if there is anything that needs “fixing” and of course, I’ll write a blurb for it, too. What a shame these books aren’t yet published, and I can’t tell you about them. Two are wonderful historical novels and the other is the debut edition of a quarterly anthology of poetry.
“The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof.” ― Richard Bach,
“This is a test to see if your mission in this life is complete, if you are alive, it isn’t.” ― Richard Bach,
“Don’t be dismayed at good-byes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends.” ― Richard Bach,
And here we come to another Monday. Another day to impress the Boss you really are worth more than your paycheck. If you have a job, you probably have a boss, and that’s something! I no longer have a job. Or a boss. Oh. Wait. I do have a boss. A most demanding one, too! He doesn’t give me a paycheck, ever, but he does give me unlimited pupkisses 😉
HELP!!! Someone sent me a video some time ago, I saved it, but now it’s gone and I can’t find it. It showed a boy and a girl—she in a mini skirt, he in jeans, from the waist down, dancing very close to each other, and hands caressing butts, then the camera panned back and it’s a girl. Only. One leg in a jean leg, the other in a skirt. She starts to laugh, then a baby is shown laughing. I love that video. If any of you have it, or know where I can find it, please share.
There must be some truth, albeit not scientific, about Groundhogs and shadows. I went outside several times on Groundhog Day and did not see my shadow once! For which I am grateful and happy. I don’t know why, but on that day, seeing my shadow is a frightening experience! Anyhow, I didn’t, and I’m pleased to say the weather this week will have highs in the upper 40s to mid 50s. And at night the lows will be right at freezing. Yessiree Bobcat, I do believe Spring is about to arrive 😉
Do You/They Really Want Censorship?
Yeah, I’m on a rant. I’ve long thought Banned Books were the best reads out there, and I’ve read several. In fact, I was pretty sure in my tiny conspiracy-laden mind, that the publishers were behind the bannings to up consumership.
I thought the same on Banned Movies. Or R/X rated movies. There was a movie out in 1961 or thereabouts that was rated something—R or X, I disremember. Anyhow, I was too young to go. Boys my age were old enough to carry a rifle in a rice paddy and shoot and be shot, but we weren’t allowed to go to the movie. My girlfriend wanted to see it, and she was old enough. She bought the tickets. I don’t remember much about the movie, other than it took place in a bayou, during a hurricane and I think one of the protagonists was white the other black, and they made love as the ‘cane came ashore. The theme song was something like, “Poor white trash, not a nickel in his jeans…” to the tune of Mammy’s little baby loves shortnin bread.” The movie ended and the lights came up faster than Superman could have left. The audience was, except for us, Gray Haired couples, spread out. And were they embarrassed being “caught.” It was not intended to be funny, but that was one if the funniest movies I’ve ever seen. (As I’ve said before Google can be your friend. The movie title is (wait for it…Poor White Trash) and you can see/hear the opening theme and credits here.)
As a mother and grandmother, I do appreciate the ratings on movies. They let me decide whether to censor, allow, allow with restrictions, etc.
When I was in high school Daddy asked me to please not read Lolita until I was older. I still haven’t read it. And Mother asked me to please not finish reading Onionhead, as my uncle had looked through the book and thought the language was too raw for me and my genteel, virgin ears; and, he said, he had never heard that kind of language when he was aboard ship in the Navy. I’ve never finished it. (But he musta been with a group of bible thumpers!) Did you notice the books were not banned, I was asked. It was such a shock to be asked to not read something, I acquiesced. I’ve never had a book banned to me. Oh, I’m sure there was nothing in that book worse than the f-bomb, and I’d already read Man With The Golden Arm.
And now, the good folks south of the Mason & Dixon Line, and a few north of same, are wanting to get Critical Race Theory out of their kiddie’s school. For what it’s worth, that is a class taught in Law Schools, and it’s elective. It is NOT taught in elementary schools, or high schools, or even to undergrads in college. CRT has become the latest dog whistle to get books found objectionable by a small group of White Supremacists banned from schools on a number of rationales.
For heaven’s sake, the great collective, They, have been trying to ban Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian out of our local schools for years. I read it. I think it should be required reading. White folk don’t like it because a. it’s true and b. it was written by an indigenous person about life on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Alexie is Spokane and Coeur d’Alene. And he is for sure smarter than the average bear, and he’s one heckuva writer. I also think Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson should not just be required reading to graduate from high school, but I think a whole semester should be spent reading and discussing it! (Now you know why I’m not on any school board.)
Any book that doesn’t paint the desired picture of the White Eyes the way in which they see themselves, must go. No matter how true it is. No matter what can be learned. And especially if it wasn’t written by them.
Toni Morrison, another person of color who dared write books telling it like it was, is, and could be, must also be banned. I read her Beloved. I didn’t like it. It was well written, but it was fiction (allegedly) and I want my fiction to have happy ever after (HEA) endings. One of the reasons I read it? Recommended by Oprah’s Book Club. THEN I read where Oprah will never, ever, recommend a book with HEA endings. Should the books be banned? Heck no. They’re well written and have good messages in them.
Would I have wanted my kids to read books by/about other kids of color, other kids of different cultures, other kids of Trans &c. Damn straight I would. I’d read them, too, and we could talk about them.
I understand the White Supremacist parents wanting to keep all those hurtful books away from their poor white children, but I’m reminded of something a good friend told me once. “Parents, do not handicap your children by making life easy for them.” His words may have been slightly different, but that’s basically what he said.
What’s going to happen when those babied kids grow up and leave the protected nest and have no usable skills to survive in the outside world? Oh, I’m sure than can get into a good Southern College, but can they stay there, as functionally and culturally illiterate as they will be? Then what happens when they realize the better jobs are far away, and they can’t get in at the top of the heap because they are still culturally and functionally illiterate? And Human Resources the world around, will have their applications flagged because they’ll know about the schools attended. How will they do when they get hired and not only work cheek to jowl with people of different color and different, fuller, cultures? When those people get promoted into management slots and they find themselves working not just with, but for, those people of color.
No, I fear the people in Texas, in Tennessee, in those other states who Ban Books without good reason (and comfort is NOT a good reason), are handicapping their children for survival in the world of the Two-Legged Honey Badger. And you know what? Honey Badger don’t care.
My recommendation? Go buy the banned books and read them with your kids. If you feel uncomfortable reading them with your kids, do some soul searching and figure out why. Remember the song about racism in South Pacific? You’ve got to be taught, very carefully taught. Unteach yourself. And your kids. Give them the tools to survive in a Honey Badger world. The whole idea of school is to teach, not coddle. How are they going to learn to survive the Honey Badgers if they aren’t taught?
Photo of the week:
This is not a Honey Badger. This is a Yellow Bellied Marmot who lives at Palouse Falls.
Books: Remember, if I finish a book, I review it at Rainy Day Reads
If you enjoy poetry, read Allegro To Life —by Earl Vincent de Berge. This is the beginning of my review (see Rainy Day Reads above)
This musical tribute of poetry is a symphony of words in three movements, Songs from My Life, Poems From Guatemala, and Desert Songs. De Berge starts us off with Poetry Begins,
“The art of poetry begins in the seam where the grammar of communication flowers.”
But, if Mysteries tweak your beak, try The Penitent Priest —by J. R. and Susan Mathis. However, Trigger Warning: It’s a one-sit read. You can read my review at the link above. If you liked the Father Dowling series, or Brother Cadfael, you’ll enjoy this book. Think I’ll have to get the rest of them.
“Censorship is the child of fear and the father of ignorance.” —Laurie Halse Anderson, Speak
“If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.” —Haruki Murakami, Norwegian Wood
“What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist.” —Salman Rushdie
The Brave Dog and I are still reading Banned Books and enjoying them. It appears we’ll have an unlimited supply of good reading in the years to come. We love reading dangerous ideas! Don’t you?
Weather in the Tries: The nights are still gonna be snuggly cold, the days look like they will all be in the 40s with Wednesday being only 38. Most days will be partly sunny with Monday and Saturday being Sunny. Unless, of course, everything changes. It’s been known to happen.
Some funny things happened on the way to this blog…
Public Service Announcement: A friend wrote me that she couldn’t find the Bookstore tab on my blog, and she assured me she was reading it on her computer. I asked her to send a screen shot if possible, and I forwarded it my Computer Guru. She said my friend was reading it in mail, and to either click on the hotlink/title of the blog (which isn’t underlined), or to type coffeebreakescapes.com in the browser bar. So, if any of you are having problems finding tabs I tell you exist, but they don’t exist in your copy, now you know (possibly) why. There are all sorts of good things in the tabs. Check out the Spoken Word as well as the Bookstore.
…now back to our regularly scheduled programming.
As you may have guessed, Auntie Lenora signs up for way too many electronic letters/notifications. Want a free Kindle book? Auntie Lenora gets two or three lists a day. Want some good bargains on books? Auntie Lenora gets two or three of those announcements a day. Want audio books but not at the full price? Auntie Lenora gets one a day. We won’t go into the news feeds Auntie Lenora gets, and doesn’t read all of, but it’s there if she wants to read them. She does read them, just not all of them.
So, the other day Auntie Lenora was reading one of the book lists that came through, and was caught by “Karma takes too long. I’d rather beat the shit out of you right now.” Unfortunately she wrote down the author, and was still chuckling and inadvertently erased it, so she cannot give proper attribution. But it was a Fantasy novel, of that she is fairly sure. Now, when Auntie Lenora was in the WAC, she had a nickname, The Fist. Because someone at some point taught her how to make a proper fist so when she hit someone a) she would not break her thumb and b) the receiver would know they’d be hit! She must have been pretty scary because any time someone bothered her, she’d make a fist and shake it at them, and they would cease and desist. Of course, mostly they were doubled up on the floor laughing, but since that hurt Auntie Lenora’s delicate feelings…
Auntie Lenora subscribes to Fast Forward, a newsletter out of the Boston Globe. The young lady who writes it, Teresa M. Hanafin has a sense of humor that strikes a chord in Auntie Lenora. This is a quote from Friday, January 28 paper.
“In New York City, the unvaccinated who contract COVID-19 are 36 times more likely to end up in the hospital than those with a brain.” By now, I’m sure you know Auntie Lenora’s take on getting vaccinated. She is a firm believer that the only ones who should not be jabbed are those whose doctor says not to for health reasons. Like my girlfriend’s daughter who has a medical condition that could kill her if she gets the vaccination. Actually, it could kill her if she doesn’t, but they are doing everything in their power to see that doesn’t happen.
Auntie Lenora has turned into a pacifist in her dotage, and though she does occasionally think of beating the crap out of someone, for the precise reason mentioned above, she doesn’t. But she can dream. And write about warrior women who also don’t have time for Karma to show up.
Auntie Lenora purchases a lot of stuff from Uncle Jeff. You’d think he’d cut her some slack and give her a family discount, but no, he doesn’t. A lot of people dislike him because he saw an opening in the market and filled it. She’s just happy he filled it with, among other things, jobs and that each of her children work for him and make living wages. During Covid (she almost typed Corvid, but this is not a time of Crows. Fortunately, she caught it before publishing) when joining the madding crowds is not a good idea, she has bought much of what she needs from Uncle Jeff’s Emporium, aka, Amazon. Anyhow, the other day, she saw something online she really, really wanted. It was at Etsy. It was a kit for sashiko. She felt the lust build, and she ordered it. A few minutes later, she received confirmation her order had been received and was being processed and she could expect on or about 31 March. Yes, you read the date correctly. Auntie Lenora forgot that Etsy is a worldwide marketplace. She should have been suspicious when she saw the note that it was free shipping in the US. Did it say TO the US? It may have. Anyhow, Auntie Lenora has learned a few things during the decades in which she has been breathing, and she found a few sashiko patterns, etc. where else? Uncle Jeff’s Emporium.
And there you have it. Three funnies that brought outright laughs and chuckles to Auntie Lenora as she was sitting at her computer to write her blog.
Photo of the Week:
Moonlight Tryst
I took this several years ago, probably in the winter because it was colder than a Well-Digger’s bottom!
Books: Remember, if I finish a book, I review it at Rainy Day Reads
Finished three books this week. Waking the Merrow —by Heather Rigney. This is book one of a trilogy. I now have all three books. This is Fantasy at its best as far as Auntie Lenora is concerned. It brings in Celtic Mythology and an element of horror. You thought you knew merpeople? The sweet mermaids that sit on rocks and sing to passing sailors. Oh, you ain’t met a mermaid until you meet the merrow of Narragansett Bay. And the only way you want to meet them is in a book! Honest. Trust Auntie Lenora on that one.
Also finished Murder at the Mission, A Frontier Killing, its Legacy of Lies, and the Taking of the American West —by Blaine Harden. Where Waking the Merrow got 5 stars, this one got only 3. I so wanted to like it, but I could only give it 3 because I did finish it.
Allegro To Life —by Earl Vincent de Berge is a 5 star book of poetry. I sent one of my reviews to my publisher and they now send me books to read and review. It’s wonderful to get free books to read/review AND get paid 😉
“Sin makes its own hell, and goodness its own heaven.” Mary Baker Eddy
“Don’t waste time on revenge. The people who hurt you will eventually face their own karma.” —Author Unknown
“You are free to choose, but you are not free from the consequence of your choice.” —Author Unknown
Sammy the Brave Dog says he’s had his fill of cold. He does not like wearing a sweater outside, and especially not inside. He does have a fur coat, but it isn’t very thick. Auntie Lenora just grumbles in whatever language no one else will understand. She hopes. They both wish you a marvelous week.
Weather in the Tries: Looks like we’re going to be in for more freezing fog for the next week or so. That makes it really feel cold outside as the humidity climbs to 100%. I live in the desert. You know, where we average 5”-8” of rain a year. At least our highs will be in the balmy (by comparison) upper 30s.
Meet Up with Old Friends:
When I first moved to the Tries 17 years ago, I met some really great gals and was invited into their book group. The group did not read the same book each time, instead we reported on whatever books we’d read since the last meeting, and if the book was ours, and we didn’t mind lending it, we’d bring it in case anyone else wanted to read it.
One thing led to another, as happens, and I moved to a different group that met considerably closer to where I lived, and then I moved to Albuquerque. I maintained friendship with some of the gals, and when I moved back to the Tries, I discovered the gals were still meeting. And then Covid hit, and that was the end of a lot of things as we knew them. I joined a Zoom book group, where we do read the same book, but it was, and is a great group with fun people, and I seriously enjoy it.
Then the original book group decided to Zoom, and I was invited to return to the fold. Yesterday was our meeting. It was great fun to see the original gals—one now in Bend, another now in Woodinville, and a third one now on Camano Island. It was really great to meet up with old friends, only one person couldn’t make it. I missed her.
There are Blessings to Covid. Not many, but Zoom is one of them. If we still met face to face, we’d be minus at least 3. My other book group refuses to use Zoom, so they are missing out on a lot of support and friendship.
When I zoom, I normally use a head set, and I find it much easier to hear than in a group setting. Especially if we meet in a coffee shop or restaurant (like we used to do). In those places I can’t hear as there is too much noise, even with my electronic ears turned to the proper setting.
Speaking of friends, Auntie Lenora is rich with good friends. I was the featured reader at a poetry group on the 12thJanuary, and it was recorded. A goodest friend cut the recording until it was basically me reading, and it is now up on the Spoken Word. It’s a video, at the top 😉 I was using a background, and someone asked me to put my hat on (over the headset) so it’s perched up there, and as I move parts of it disappear and reappear. Damn! But I love Zoom 😉 A cousin from California was there, an old friend from Seattle was there. Had it been in person, it would have been a small group.
Photo of the Week:
Took this shot a few minutes before sunrise on Saturday, 22 Jan 22
Books: Remember, if I finish a book, I review it at Rainy Day Reads
My review of The Forest of Stolen Girls —by June Hur, is posted. Great read. If you like Laura Joh Rawlins’ books, you’ll like this one.
Still slogging my way through Murder at the Mission. My goal is to finish it this week.
Earworm of the Week: Baby tiger grrrooowlls. Dumb me, I figured they’d sound more like a kitten than a grown-up tiger. Fortunately, one of the people in my writer’s group was a reporter and has actually held a baby tiger (you may now color Auntie Lenora JEALOUS!). Thanks to him, I spent a considerable amount of time on YouTube listening to tigers. That was research, folks. Yeah. Research. Writing is solitary but having a group of writers to go over your work is invaluable. Especially when they have varied backgrounds.
One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives. —Euripides
The world is round so that friendship may encircle it. —Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
I’m still working at getting over my jealous. He got to hold a baby tiger! When Auntie Lenora becomes Empress of the Universe, she’ll get to hold as many baby tigers as she wants! And with her friends, she will share. Honest. Trust me. Oh, sorry, Auntie Lenora was just informed by the Brave Dog there will be NO baby tigers anywhere near. Sigh.
Weather in the Tries: We’ve had a week end of fog and freezing fog, but the week looks to be mostly partly sunny to mostly cloudy with highs all the way up to a heat-inducing sunstroke of 44, with the lows going down to 31. Okay at 44 and mostly/partly cloudy, we won’t get sunstroke. I just feel somewhat snarky.
If you pass it, you approve it:
I wrote this a couple years back, and didn’t get it posted. Something in the news came up that I thought was more interesting. So, I discovered this the other day, made a couple of updates, and here you be:
I’m not sure where I picked up the title, I’ve been using it for several years, and somehow, I don’t think I’m quick enough to have come up with it on my own. But it’s true.
If you pass litter on the street, and don’t stop, pick it up, dispose of it—you approve of it.
If you pass a person in need, don’t stop and help, or at least find out if you can—you approve their need.
If you hear a wrong, and don’t speak out and try to make it a right—you approve that wrong.
Now, in this day and age, I admit, I don’t pick up as much litter as I used to. It’s a long way down, and I don’t always have a bag in which to place it or see a garbage can nearby. Also, I’m a bit leery of picking up masks, etc., without proper gloves &c. But if I see a person in need, I do try to at least find out what’s wrong, and help if I can. Sometimes all that’s really wanted is the acknowledgement someone, anyone, even a stranger, cares. Since I’ve aged, it’s often difficult to impossible for me to pick up trash. Why, just the other day, for the second time since I’ve lived here, I looked out and saw what appeared to be a sick or injured pelican. Perhaps dead floating on the river. On getting the binoculars and looking, I could see it was a white garbage bag with orange ties. No way could I get it, unless I had a boat. Or a warm wet suit. I have neither.
And in this age of the internet, when I hear a wrong, I send letters to my senators. I also send one to my representative, but he approves of far more than I do, and has the rationales to make him comfortable with his decisions.
And in this age of the internet, and social media, I think there must be a middle ground. If you hear a wrong, voice YOUR OPINION as an opinion, as to why you think it’s wrong. And listen to the other side, who is equally enamored with their opinion, and think theirs is right. There must be a way to reach common ground, besides war.
In this country, everyone is entitled to their opinion, and they are entitled to voice it. What they are not entitled to is to call their opinion fact, when it can be verifiably wrong. It’s hard for people to change their minds on a topic and telling them they’re wrong just forces them to dig in their heels that much harder. It’s difficult to admit you could be wrong. More difficult to admit you are wrong. And even more difficult to change. But as long as you’re breathing, that hope exists.
Some people don’t like facts. Especially when they differ from their long held personal ideology. Some people can’t accept facts, it causes them cognitive dissonance, which brings any number of ails both physical and mental. And calling them stupid or ignorant will not win them to your side. I have friends who believe one way, and I believe another. In the effort to maintain our years long friendship, we have agreed to disagree, and neither of us tries to convert the other to our way of thinking. Each of us is sure we have the facts, the other doesn’t.
But facts and opinions are different. I have a blog (fact). You’re reading it (fact). I can say just about anything I want (fact). I can’t say anything libelous or claim credit for something someone else wrote (fact). I’m as gorgeous as Sophia Lauren (opinion, laughably so).
Photos of the week:
Taken on Friday at 0800, 31F Looking at Allen Point of Bateman Island and a park across the Columbia in Pasco WASame basic shot an hour later, one degree warmer0945, 32 Degrees, the island, the trees, the far shore have left. Neither the Brave Dog nor his human wanted to be outside any longer than absitively posolutely cessenary!
Books: Remember, if I finish a book, I review it at Rainy Day Reads
Read a couple more novels and am back into Murder at the Mission by Blair Harden. I’m about halfway through the book. If I finish it, I will give it at least 3 stars (That’s a given in my rating system). I can’t really, at this point, give it a high recommendation.
TV:
Who has time to watch tv. Sometimes I turn on the news while at the computer and if anything really exciting comes up, I stop typing and listen/watch.
Movie:
Still haven’t made it to Matrix: Resurrection. Maybe this next week? But, oh Joy of Joys, in the mail the last week came the movie, Departures. One of my all time faves. AND the K-series, Navillera, one of my all time favorite series, AND, OMG YES, there IS MORE: on Friday I got 9 discs, 25 movies, from Studio Ghibli. I may buy a big box of nibblies and spend a week binging! I won’t, but I can if I wanna! 😉 I fear I either didn’t see the fine print, or didn’t read it, but it looks like they may all be in English. I prefer them in Japanese with subtitles. Oh, well, I’ll find out soon enough.
Came across a recap of The Matrix Trilogy. Not quite an hour and I’m watching it as I write this. I think I agree, if you don’t have time to watch the trilogy again, it’s a pretty good recap.
“There is no such thing as ‘away’. When we throw anything away it must go somewhere.”—no attribution given
“Leave nothing but footprints. Litter nothing but time.”—no attribution given
And there it is. Another week, another paycheck. Well, for some of you. Those of us permanently unemployed don’t get weekly paychecks anymore. I get mine monthly. Sammy Brave Dog doesn’t get a paycheck at all. What would a dog do with a paycheck? But he does get lots of loves and fed twice a day. He seems happy.
Weather in the Tries: Friday was our first day in what seemed like forever, to be above freezing. It was freezing when I went to bed Thursday night and 40 when I got up on Friday. Now we have rain on the schedule, and a few more freezing days coming. I really don’t mind the cold, though Sammy does. Poor guy. But we both aren’t fond of the rain. I know we need it, but it always seems colder when it’s damp/wet out. And not too much rain, this is the desert, after all.
And the Good News Is…
…I’m not pregnant! Yaaaaayyyy!!!! Fear leapt and grabbed me about the throat when I saw a blue line AND a pink line on the test strip. The second immaculate conception? Fraternal twins? Then I remembered (thankfully, I still have some memory left and it kicks in every so often) I sneezed on the strip, I didn’t pee on it. Phew!
So, the rest of the news is, I am just about coming off my isolation for covid. Being fully vaxxed and boosted, I’ve not had severe symptoms. In fact, I probably wouldn’t have known, but one of my breakfast buddies called me Tuesday afternoon to tell me he’d tested after he got home (he got a test kit at breakfast) and, he was positive. I checked with a doctor who told me to wait a couple of days before I tested (I isolated those days) and lo and behold, the blue line ONLY meant I was good to go, but I had a pink line, too. The lines do not mean twins (thank whatever gods you choose). Only covid. Well shucks, I survived Basic Training, so I can survive anything—war, pestilence, childbirth, &c, but damn! I’m too old to raise more kids. So today is my last day of isolation, and then as long as I feel okay, I can go about my business, with my good, filtered mask firmly upon my face. Remember we wear masks not so much to protect us, but to protect you!
Other than being a tad more tired than usual, I really feel pretty good. No fever, no aches or pains (I also had my old fartess flu shot a while ago). I am sooooo grateful for all the years the scientists worked on the base of what became our ‘short order’ vaccine, and the National Guard of Washington for sending their medics to jab thousands of people, two different times. And the pharmacist for the 3d jab.
One of the things I remembered while sitting in my car waiting after the first two, was how good Medics are with needles. I can almost always tell if a pharmacist spent time in the military by the way s/he gives shots. They are the best!
Sad news on Friday: Sidney Poitier died at age 94. He was one of my favorite actors. I never saw him in a movie that wasn’t wonderful. The obituary I read compared him to Harry Belafonte, and the author made a statement that Belafonte had more sexual magnetism than Poitier. Oh, no. No, he did not. Belafonte’s was a bit more ‘bad boy’ due to his singing, but Poitier was the boy next door, the quiet man, the thoughtful and intelligent man. the man who made me laugh with his quiet humor. Rest in Peace, Mr. Poitier, you are sorely missed.
Photos of the Week:
I am not pregnant!It snowed all over Big Red!When I took this photo, it was darker than it appears, and I thought those were geese on the ice. Nope, they’re gulls. The ice is melting, but there’s enough there they spend the night on it. The geese ‘raft’ out in the water. The ice is pretty safe, if a cat or coyote tried to get them, they’d get an unwanted bath!
Books: Remember, if I finish a book, I review it at Rainy Day Reads
Finished a marvelous new book of poetry, The Tiger Poet: New & Selected Poems —by Amit Dahiyabadshah. I urge you to buy and read the book, but I know not all of you like poetry, so please go to this link and watch/listen to Amit perform his poem, The Tiger’s Last Will and Testament. It is powerful. He performed it for a tv station in his country (India) to use as a fund raiser to save the tigers. Reading Amit’s book will give you joy, sorrow, and a wonderful trip through parts of India. You may order this book from the big box store, or from the publisher, Jules’ Poetry Playhouse.
I am also reading Murder at the Mission by Blair Harden. It is another book about the killings at the Whitman Mission. It’s an interesting book, and Harden brings a much different perspective to the myth that grew out of it—that most of what we think we know was lies told and perpetrated by the Reverend Henry Harmon Spalding.
Reviewing: I sent my review of Amit’s book to my publisher, in India, and the next thing I know is he wants me to review some of the books in his stable, and sent me one to that end. That makes an old lady feel pretty darn good, ya know? I read the book, short with 43 pages, sent him the review, and he asked if he could send more. And he’s paying me for them!
TV:
Was all set to watch the Rocky Horror Picture Show the other day. I looked forward to it. Have never seen it. Today my Favorite Daughter asked me how I liked it. Dohhh, I totally forgot about it. So, it’s there someplace. Now, why didn’t my memory kick in for that?
Movie:
My neighbor and I were going to see Matrix: Resurrection on Thursday, but you know who mucked those plans up by testing for covid ;-). If it’s still here next week, we’ll try to get into a matinee. There are few if any people in the matinees.
There has been an ad on Facebook for a few days, and today I checked it out. I so love plastic. Y’know, you never pay for anything, just give numbers and… Yes, I have ordered the complete set of Studio Ghibli’s childhood movies. I’ve seen some of them and have totally loved each one of them. Some I’ve seen more than once. Yes, Auntie Lenora has (obviously) entered her second childhood. Or maybe third? Fourth?
“sometimes I wonder if all this is happening because I didn’t forward that email to 10 people.” —from champagnetastehome
“I’m not buying a 2022 planner until I see the trailer!” —from ivf.ninja.mama (LG: I updated the year)
And there you are: my exciting news. I’m NOT pregnant!!! And by the time you read this I’ll be almost through with my complimentary dose of Covid! The snow is almost gone, and Sammy sends pupkisses to everyone who had a hope and a prayer for that.
Weather in the Tries: Trust me. You don’t want to visit right now. Wait until May. Unless, of course, you like single digit temperatures.
Didja notice I didn’t up put a post last week? I figured you wanted a break as much as I did.
I had a marvelous Solstice. Received all sorts of goodies—wine, cookies (they were yummy), some jam, a bookmark, and five books. A friend has a homemade fruitcake for me but said it’s too bitterly cold out for me to fetch. She has it resting in her freezer waiting for me. Wanna know how cold the last week was? It didn’t get above freezing, and the wind chill took the temps down another ten to fifteen degrees.
Did you know that two thousand years ago, in the Mediterranean countries, the Solstice was on what became known as 25 December? Lo and behold! Thank you, History Channel.
There are many different traditions to ring in the New Year. I hope you took advantage of at least one. I had black eyed peas! Had planned on making my version of Hoppin’ John, but due to the ice outside, I didn’t go to the store for more black eyed peas which are not peas at all but are beans. I had some chili mix with black eyed peas in it, and made a mess of beans for New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, and a few more days, too. Fortunately, beans freeze well ;-). Eating black eyed peas on the New Year is supposed to bring wealth and prosperity.
Speaking of wealth and prosperity, my short story, Fly Away Woman has been published by Quill & Parchment. I think I get just as excited when something of mine is deemed good enough by an editor to be published as I did the first time I sold a poem or a story. Rejection letters don’t hurt as much, though. I realize it’s my work being passed on, not me 😉 At least, that’s what I keep telling myself.
Mark your calendar! I am featured reader 12 Jan at Yakima Coffeehouse Poetry. This will be a zoom affair, and if you’d like to attend, please email or PM me a few days prior so I can get your name and email to the keeper of the Zoom Room. I’ll be reading about 15 minutes. It starts at 7 pm PST.
From the Mail Bag:
Okay, it’s not from a bag, it’s from my email. I received an email from ACME Termite Inspection Co. (I used to own a house) And as my eyes are old, and I was in a hurry, and you know how emails get truncated… I read “ACME Termites Welcome in 2022” Nope, that’s not what they said. On the second, and third, look I saw it correctly. (Wonder if the Road Runner is moonlighting???)
Photos of the Week:
Took these a couple days ago. This one is the day before the ones following it. As you can tell, it was snowing. Note the horizontal white line off to the right of the island. Those are not round rocks–thats a squadron of white pelicans. The darks dots in the water are geese, ducks, coots, and or cormorants. If the egret was there, I couldn’t see her against the snow. Oh, a Great Blue Heron may be there, also.
Took this one about 5:30 the next morning. Don’t know if that’s dew that is freezing in the air, some sort of snow, or what. It was very fine, more drifting than falling and glittered like diamond dust.
Same basic view as first one, the fog is rising from the Columbia River. Pasco, the town on the far shore has “returned.” It was taken a few minutes after sun-up.
This is later in the day, and I’m petty sure that’s hoar frost on the trees and shrubs on the island. The Columbia is on the other side, the slack water on this side is frozen. This was taken about 4pm when the sun shined and the thermometer read 16F.
Books: Remember, if I finish a book, I review it at Rainy Day Reads
I read and reviewed 75 books last year, the last being State of Terror by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny. Political Thrillers aren’t my genre of choice, but this was a hard-to-put-down read! I also re-read a book I’d read earlier, The Queen’s Weapons (Book 11 of the Dark Jewels) by Anne Bishop. I think I enjoyed it more the second time through because as I read, parts of it weren’t as “tense” as I’d remembered. The trouble with Anne Bishop’s books is I can’t read them slowly. Too much good stuff going on and I gotta read them and get to the end and be sure everyone I’m emotionally involved with is alright. 😉 If you’re curious, I have 584 books currently listed on my review blog. So, if you’re wondering what to read next, have a look. Complete with typos.
Speaking of books, do you have a published book you’d like to sell? I’ll gladly show it once here, then list it in the Bookstore (see tab above). Contact me for the information I will need.
TV:
Lord love a duck! I actually watched Christmas movies on Hallmark Mysteries and Movies. And read. Trust me, reading was better.
I went online to see if I could buy the K-Series, Navillera, and I could, so I did. I now own two of my favorite K-Dramas. Poetry (a movie) and Navillera (series). I need to get Departures, a delightful movie from Japan. I ordered it once and it came but was only compatible with Euro players. Now, I know someone who can tell me how to fix my player to play the others. But then, I didn’t, so I returned it. I just bought a used copy I found online. Including tax, still less that $15.00. I coulda bought a new one for $55 plus tax.
“Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” —Oprah Winfrey
“What I like to drink most is wine that belongs to others.” —Diogenes
“I never worry about being driven to drink; I just worry about being driven home.” —W.C. Fields
The Brave Dog (and believe me, having to go out into the ice and snow to pay homage to the Grass Gods takes bravery when you’re a small dog with no body fat!) and I wish you all a marvelous New Year. Remember, as Walt Lee said via his Brother Sherman cartoon, “Thou shalt find joy in each new day, even if thou must search until sunset!”
Whatever or Whoever you worship this Solstice Season, do so with gaiety, reverence, joy—whatever is appropriate to you and the deity/deities you worship. I hope it’s a time of Great Joy, even in this time of Covid.
I am still writing, mostly poetry. Had the marvelous opportunity to see & hear a new (to me) poet, thanks to the wonders of Zoom—Arthur Sze. I became enthralled with his work and ordered the book they were selling before the reading was over, The Glass Constellation: New and Collected Poems (from the last 5 decades of his writing) and have seen a marked change in my poems. I hope for the better ;-). And for those of you who know me, here is the shocker of all, I bought a Hardback, with 521 pages of poetry! (Last year’s purchase of Lucille Clifton’s Collection out did it, though. She had 720 pages in that book!)
I have been asked to be the featured reader for the Yakima Coffeehouse Poets in January (I think it’s the 12th). If any of you are interested in attending via Zoom, please let me know. I will be reading from my books and newer poems. I’m hoping I can attend in person, if so, we will also be zooming to the audience who can’t make it. Then, again, it may all be zoom. Hello, Covid, and welcome to my neighborhood.
Speaking of my poetry, I am pleased to tell you that my latest book, The Bride’s Gate and Other Assorted Writings has two offerings that have been nominated for a Pushcart this year—the poem, “Mary Oliver Wants to Die When It’s Raining,” and the short fiction, “Dream Time.” Since the book is a collection, it also has “Russell Fehmer’s War,” a short story I wrote in homage to the old tv show, Soldiers of Fortune staring John Russell and (Fehmer) “Chick” Chandler. That story was nominated a few years ago. I loved that show. I was a freshman in high school when my mother remarried, and we moved to Seattle where I became a 9th grader in Junior high. Now, many thought that being a ninth grader I was top tier, but I thought of it as a demotion. I’d been a freshman in a REAL high school Ah, the vicissitudes of teenage life & angst.
Anyhow, I hurried home after school to watch, and escape into, Soldiers of Fortune. I now own the series, and I must admit, it doesn’t hold up nearly as well as, say, Columbo. Still, I had a teenaged crush on the two actors. 😉
The photo on my card is one I took at sunset. I just thought it was a nice photo. With no religious significance. I don’t even remember when. The poem, Darkness Framed, on the other side of the page, was published in Quill & Parchment in October 2021. Alas, I don’t have a photo to illustrate the poem.
Wishing you all the best for this marvelous Holiday Season, and remember, if YOU don’t want that fruitcake, you can always send it my way. Not, mind you, that I need any more calories, but I’ve never, ever, met a fruitcake I didn’t like.
With Love, Hugs, and a gazillion Pupkisses…
Photo on Card:
Poem on back of Winter Letter:
Darkness Framed
—by Lenora Rain-Lee Good
Darkness hides the fallow meadow, the trees naked of leaves, until the motion detector catches a deer in its lens; what was hidden is now seen in ghostly colors bleached by bright patio lights.
The timer clicks inside and the walls no longer soft purple of twilight now reflect the blinding white of sun-stroked winter’s snow.
No coverings at the glass, the white walls frame the stark landscape of night in muted colors. The deer, alien to my world, and I stare one to the other and wonder if we’d really like to trade places.
Humans of Climate Change —by Kaden Hogan NF Thinking About Thinking —by Margaret Randall NF Reparations Now! —by Ashley M. Jones P The Glass Constellation, New and Collected Poems —Arthur Sze P Relax and Enjoy Your Food —by Craig Good NF Magnified —by Minnie Bruce Pratt P frank: sonnets —by diane seuss P Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents —by Isabel Wilkerson NF Occoquan —by Gary Worth Moody P Taro —by Blue Spruell F
NF = Nonfiction P = Poetry F = Fiction
My 10 most Favoritest (mostly Netflix) Movies & Series:
Hospital Playlist —Korean series It’s Okay to Not Be Okay —Korean series Chocolate —Korean series Itaewon Class —Korean Series Navillera —Korean Series Home to Heaven —Korean Series Sense8 —US Series (Same people who brought us Matrix) Lucifer —US Series My Octopus Teacher —Netflix Documentary Paper and Glue —MSNBC Documentary
