Weather in the Tries: Oh my goodness gracious sakes alive! The highs this coming week, according to my phone, are all in the 80s! With the night lows dipping as low as 59, but most at 60. In other words, we have reached perfection!
Something Different: I figured y’all were probably not looking forward to any more one-legged happy dances, besides which I overdid it this last week, and I’m doing my Happy Dance sitting in my chair. You know, waving my arms. Oh, sigh, at my age, one would think I’d know better. I don’t. But I do get my stitches out in a couple hours;-)
I’ve spent the last few days at my computer, wondering what to write about besides my personal happies or woes, and it wasn’t until last night that I saw the most fascinating video on YouTube that it dawned on me. So, yes, a shorter blog, but a longer video. It’s something like 28 minutes long, but I was spell bound the whole time, and hope you are equally fascinated by “the process of making a cello. A high-end Japanese cello crafted by one artisan in six months.”
One of my all-time favorite movies is Departures. It’s a delightful Japanese romcom about a young man who buys an expensive cello and then learns the orchestra in which he plays is being disbanded. He and his wife move back to his hometown and his late mother’s tea shop. He answers an ad for a job for ‘departures’ thinking it’s with a travel agency or travel-related job. He shows up, and is hired on the spot, and it’s for a mortuary, the ad had a typo—it should have read ‘departed’. If you don’t know, Asians have a real phobia of touching/dealing with corpses. (I saw an interview of the ME of a large and populous county in Florida (Dade?). She was Asian (Chinese?) and when asked how her family accepted her profession, she laughed and said they didn’t know. They thought she was a practicing physician. Fortunately, she said, they lived in Canada and didn’t watch American tv.
Back to the movie, if you like cello music, you really ought to look for it. As of this writing, I think YouTube is streaming it as well as Apple TV. Possibly other places. However, if you would like to see how cellos are made, clickhere.
Photos of the Week: Watch the video. Pour a cuppa, settle in, and watch.
from the desk of the ferocious guard dog; I don’t understand you humans. you sit around watching a screen all day, and if you were outside, you could watch birds and squirrels, and if you got your nose closer to the ground you could smell the most delightful messages from other dogs. my human doesn’t even walk right. she needs to get down on all fours and have fun.
Weather in the Tries: We are looking at a week of day temps in the 80s, night temps in the 60s, with Tuesday being the outlier on air quality. All week will be in the yellow except Tuesday will be red—unhealthy. As much smoke as we have now, I’m surprised we’re still in the yellow, moderate level.
Still Dancin’ the Happy: Yeah, my dancing is still one-legged, though I can now walk on the side of my poor, assaulted, wounded foot that is home to said toe. The use of the walker is now more for balance, and if I go to any sort of crowded venue, a protective cage.
And I’m still wearing the oh-so-stylish (NOT) shoe, also more as a visual to warn people I’m injured. The dr. was quite pleased with the foot once the dressing came off. I am now down to one band aid. And the shoe is now a tad too big. But I can wear my socks on both feet 😉
Still haven’t walked the beast. Hope to do that this weekend. I’m fairly confident that if I use the walker, and have something to hold onto, that I can properly pick up offerings to the Grass Gods and dispose them to nearest dumpster. Oops, I mean altar.
The stitches will come out in one week, the pins in four weeks. Then I’m good to go, and the dr. said my road trip won’t be affected. Phew! And once the pins are out, I can take a real shower! I can get my foot wet! Oh, it will be so difficult not to break into a happy dance in the shower, but I shall contain my enthusiasm.
I have a bath stool, but I have to cover my foot, and use the handheld shower. No way am I going to stand with one foot on edge. And if I cover my foot, and hang it outside, a certain amount of water goes out, no matter how careful I am, and then I have to clean it up, and life is, at times, hard, Bunky. So I’m pretending I’m back in the Army, and bathing out of my helmet. Except I use the sink 😉 Believe me, I feel considerably safer.
One of my super good friends bought me a walker, and lemme tell you, it has been a godsend! Now, I am happy to state being allowed to walk on the outside edge of my foot, I only need it for balance. I have to walk on the outside edge, and drive with the outside edge of my foot on the Go pedal. As long as I pay attention to where I put my feet, and stay on the level, I’m doing fine. Now, I’m wondering how long it will take me to walk normal once the pins come out. But it will be great to do a two-footed happy dance when it happens 😉
Photos of a While Back: The bunny was a friend of Thomas. Bunny had a crippled leg, but was pretty brave when Thomas watched him in the back yard.
I think this is a Peony bud with a visitor. I truly appreciate the telephoto lens on my camera. I got my photo, and the Dude Stinger took off in an opposite direction.
Weather in the Tries: Holy Kamala! Monday is the only triple digit day forecast for the week. Gonna be all the way down in the 90s. Oh, can you see me do my one-legged happy dance? Now, where is my parka……
And why, you are asking, is it a one-legged happy dance? Because on Tues last, I had the double hammer toe of my right foot fixed. I can put weight on my heel, and only my heel, and I cannot pass Go or collect any moneys. Shuckins, I can barely make it from my bedroom to my desk, to the kitchen. My walker helps, but if I’m taking dishes with food in them, I have to use my cute little pink steno chair so I have something to set them on. A steno chair makes a fair walker, but probably not as safe as the real McCoy.
I was told if I wear a bra, make it a sport bra, but nothing with an underwire. I had to ask the nurse why? Was I going to have a scar from my toe to my boob? Anyhow, Dr. uses a cauterizer, and though they have a grounding pad under me, they just want to be sure nothing untoward happens. Believe me, that was a relief. But that woulda been some kind of scar!
I spent the first 4 days either on my bed with my foot elevated, or at my desk with my foot elevated. No swelling. And really good drugs that did nada, so after two of the pills, I moved over to over the counter NSAID instead of the oxycodone. Those NSAIDS worked a whole lot better. And 6 was all I required! Last one was Thurs morning.
Housemate Dan has been in charge of the hound during this fun time. Since I can’t put any weight on the toe part of my foot, it’s a tad difficult to pick dog dishes up from and put them down again on the floor, and no way can I go outside and walk him, let alone bend over to pick his offering to the Grass Gods then throw it into the Alter/dumpster. Sammy is very happy that the Grass Gods always accept his offering. Me, too./snort/ 😉
Photo of the week: Wounded foot. Isn’t that exciting? I have YES on my right leg, as well as the dr’s initials, and NO on my left leg. Indelible ink. The ink is still on me. I can’t get my foot wet, and even with a plastic taped to my leg, I can’t stand in the shower to scrub, I have to sit. And scrubbing the ink off is not a high priority. Yet.
from nurse chihuahua; sorry, folks, can’t sit in my chair when my human is in it. and if she’s not in it, I have to be next to her and act as guard dog. it would be easier to take care of my human, if I had longer legs and opposable thumbs.
Weather in the Tries: Oh, baby, it ain’t gonna be cooler for long! Monday and Tuesday in the high 80s, Wed 91, Thursday and on–triple digit. Unless the weather person didn’t read the tea leaves correctly, or some activist opened the cage all the butterflies of Peking were wintering in, or the weather computers and storm models got hacked, or… well, you get the picture. I hope. In the meantime, the Brave Dog and I are enjoying nights cool enough to sleep well.
“A mind, once stretched by an idea can never return to its original dimensions.” Ralph Waldo Emerson: Boy Howdy! Am I ever giving my mind a good stretching—up/down and across this way and then that way. You’d think, after the nine years five months and 23 days I spent in uniform, I’d have learned the age-old military commandment: Never Volunteer! But I didn’t. And the training I’m getting for my volunteer ‘job’ is pretty thorough and pretty mind stretching, for me at least.
I’m learning to become proficient and use a very involved and dynamic database. Of course, someone with all the fat fingers I have can’t be trusted to play around in the live data base, so they have set up a parallel (?) one we can use to learn on. Of course, it’s made to use Chrome or Google, and I use Safari. There are, I gather, some differences. In their favor is the individual classes, online, are quite good, and once I’ve done it, I’m pretty good to re-do it. Even that little bit of muscle memory helps. And all the folks I’ve met so far are very helpful and supportive. Aaah, who says you can’t teach an old lady new tricks? It just takes longer 😉 And oddly, I’m even remembering some of the stuff I learned at The Boeing Company so many years ago from some of the computer geeks 😉
All that to say, this will be short today, as I’ve got homework to do (before the dog eats it).
Photo of the Week: Went out for dinner on Friday night, we ate outside, and yes, we could smell smoke, and you can see it here, but it was still better than being inside where it was loud. How loud you ask? Imagine a metal building with nothing in it to absorb sound except a few adults. Now, add to the mix 300 unsupervised two-year-olds running around yelling and screaming in their high-pitched voices that sound like huge mosquitoes buzzing. It was louder than that. And the air quality was in the moderate range. Still, a gorgeous setting sun.
Weather in the Tries: Got up to 107, again, yesterday. Today it’s only gonna be 100, then the temps will drop to 86 on Thursday and up to 93 by next Monday. IF the prediction holds true. That’s always iffy. Depends on how big the competition between the butterflies of Seoul and Hong Kong. I understand their teams have some of the most ferocious wing beaters going. Beijing’s aren’t too bad, either, but they lost the competition this year to Hong Kon and Seoul. Keep your rain gear handy. Yep, I’ll see your Olympics in France and raise you two teams of Pacific Rim Butterflies!
FMQ Looks Soooo Easy! Boy Howdy, I watch the Quilting Nerd show , I sit straight, make my hands follow hers to learn the motions, then go into my machine, it looks so farking easy, I work at it, then have to quit because I understand the salt of my tears will damage my machine. Besides, it’s too farking hot.
By the way, if you have a quilt you’d like professionally quilted, you might want to check her out. Her studio is here. She does both long arm, and domestic quilting.
Anyhow, I did figure out how to get my presser foot raised a wee bit last Monday, so didn’t have to take it to the sewing machine doctor (unfortunately, they aren’t covered on my health insurance). So I was/am able to practice. When it cools down somewhat.
The “What, Me Complain?” desert dog is still sleeping on the floor most of the night. He’s not complaining, but he says it’s warm enough. But our afternoon nap/snuggle on the bed, he’s right next to me, stretched out and snuggled to my thigh. Although, today, he did evenutally move away a couple inches.
Photos of the Past:
Egret across the slough where I used to live on the Columbia River
Osprey nest out in the Columbia river, just about the middle if I’m remembering correctly.
Cormorant on the shore of the Columbia. Like the Anhinga’s in Florida, they have no oil in their skin to help them stay afloat. After a few dives, they have to come out and sit in the sun (if they can) but hold their wings out to air dry.
from the desk of the hot dog; Sammy says he’ll write when he’s a few degrees cooler as my lap is just too hot to stay put.
TV Series of the Week: Netflix, Korean 16 episodes, My Demon. Lots of eye candy, and a fun story. And God is wonderful. She just damn near stole the show! A fun RomCom.5 stars! Excellent subtitles. Of course, if you’re fluent in Korean (Hangul?) you don’t need the subtitles 😉 The Asian Wiki has some info about the story and cast, here.
Music of the Week: Jesse Cook-rumba-flamenco music think I’m gonna have to save my pennies and buy a couple of his cds. Especially before I leave on my road trip!
MOS (more of same), i.e., hot, hot, hot, sunny, sunny, sunny, more triple-digit days than double-digit days. The really hard part is it doesn’t cool down all that much at night, even the Brave Dog is sleeping on the floor. Unfortunately, there isn’t enough room on the floor for the both of us. The things I sacrifice for my dog.
My first foray into FMQ: Well, technically, it’s my second foray into Full Motion Quilting on a domestic machine. I took a short journey into FMQ about 25 years ago. Not much of a journey. Not even sure I got more than my big toe wet.
FMQ means one drops the feed dogs on their sewing machine, attach a “hopping foot” (on some machines it hops with each stitch, on others it just sits there and looks at the sewist as s/he moves the fabric back, forth, right, left, anywhere in between. It goes where the sewist wants it to go. Well, it goes where the sewist’s direction pushes/pulls the fabric, which, in my case, is not where I want it to go.
Got my new machine all set up, ready to go, and the presser foot brings the hopping foot too far down, compresses the sandwich, and I can’t move the fabric at all. I managed to do was hold the presser foot up the measure of a gnat’s ankle to knee, and I could move the fabric/sandwich. Alas, I could only move it with one hand and couldn’t guide it.
The sewing machine dr. is out of the office until at least Monday. The Toe dr. comes before machine dr., though.
Why I’m seeing a toe doctor: When I lived in Albuquerque, I broke one of my toes, twice. At least I think I broke it twice. I broke it once, and about three days later, I broke it again. I think. I taped it, but the tape drove me nuts, so I pulled it off, and wore one of those flat shoes they gave me when I broke my ankle bone. So, my toe healed, and I forgot about it until about 2 years ago when I realized it wasn’t bending like it should. Thomas was alive, and when I told him, he thought I should immediately go to the dr. Yeah. Right. I had enough on my plate, didn’t need to go see a dr. about my index toe (well, whatever the toe right next to the great toe is called). And I forgot it again.
So last fall, it really began to bother me. I had an appt with the podiatrist for my neuropathy, and he looked at the toe. I have a double hammertoe. One part is growing down, and the very end is growing up. He said it would be an easy fix (Note: Definition of minor surgery, don’t you? Yeah, when they cut on someone else). Great, sez I, in your office? I can watch! He heard the question mark, but not the exclamation mark. “No,” said he, “in a surgery center, we’ll put you to sleep. I have to break the toe in two places, and we have to take x-rays.” Uh, no. I’ll shop around some. I mean, wouldn’t it be easier to move my foot if I could help? And if I faint, how far am I gonna fall?
I know. I’m truly weird—and curious. But, isn’t that why you love me?
So, I’m going to see a different dr. today. One who I hope is more reasonable than the other guy. I decided last fall that summer would be the perfect time for this mutilation to my counting-buddy digits. There will be a steel rod placed under the toe for about 6 weeks, and it’s warm enough I can sleep with my foot uncovered. Always thinking, I am.
He shot the OP! By now, you know the OP has been shot, and is missing, I presume, the top of his right ear. He’s lucky he isn’t missing the top of his head! I wonder if he’ll leave the ear and wear his scar as a battle cry, of if his narcissistic self will have it surgically repaired/replaced before showing it to his adoring followers. Either way, I’m actually glad he survived and didn’t become the Great Martyr for the cult. Wonder if any in the GOP will vote for a ban on assault rifles now?
In the meantime, I think the authorities should refrain from publishing the (alleged) shooter’s ID. If shooters received NO named publicity for their acts, maybe others wouldn’t try to outdo them. We really don’t need to know the name of the shooter. The only thing we use their name for is salacious gossip.
Photos of the Week: Well, I had hoped to show you my first FMQ pieces, alas y’all gonna have to wait until next week. BUT I can show you the finished top to my friend’s wee quilt. I’ll quilt it when I’m comfortable doing the FMQ. I’ll show you that, too. Someday.
Video of the Week:
A very interesting almost-an-hour video that shows and compares old Japanese homes, and new ones. Interesting differences between Japanese culture and European/American culture. But the architecture is what caught my eye.
Oof Da! Can you say: Sun? Can you say: Hot? Yep, that be us. Am listening to the ambient music, Miyamoto Musashi: Embracing Loneliness. Not that I’m lonely, but it’s raining in the video. You know, cool.
As you may imagine: Well, I imagine you can imagine this past week was not the bestest in my world. It took a few days for me to get over SCOTUS’ ruling on Monday. Maybe not over it, but through it. Through most of it.
On the sunny side of the street, I was in a bookstore the other day, and came home with two books. Yeah, I know, you’re so surprised. /snort/ One is a book of poetry by Margaret Atwater. I love her poetry, and haven’t seen a new book of hers in a long time. So I am reading Dearly before I turn the light out at night.
The second book is, The Book of Delights by Ross Gay. A small book, maybe 5” x 8”, filled with delightful 2-3 page essays he wrote over a year finding delights where he could, including memories. It is a delightful book, and just what the doctor ordered!
Should you find yourself wandering in a bookstore, wander over to the poetry/essay section and look through his book. Take the time to read a couple of his essays. Shucks, while you’re there, look at Dearly by Margaret Atwood, even if you don’t like poetry. Particularly if you don’t like poetry! Her poems are mini stories in a different form. Try a couple. Perhaps you will walk out of the store with two books (or more).
Also, I discovered some new-to-me channels on YouTube and I thoroughly enjoy them—woodturning and woodworking channels! Absolutely great ways to get my eyes and ears out of the news that is so damn depressing. My two favorite woodworking channels are Foureyes furniture and Blacktail Studio. The guys are fun, they explain what they are doing, what they did wrong, and how they fixed it. I love how they work, too. Would I ever spend $15K on a table? uh, no, but if I decided to, it would be from one of these two guys. And I must be learning something—on Sunday I decided to watch someone else make a table. I was quite taken with the top and I wanted to see how he made it. He made it cheaply. Where the guys above glue and clamp, this guy used way less glue and nails. Where Chris (?) and Cam (above furniture builders) take the time to get every join perfect, where they use several grits of sandpaper, where they spend time finishing their work, the table I was so taken by was very shoddily made. The joins did not match, the sanding was perfunctory, and the finish was sprayed on. I watch they guys for entertainment, but apparently, I’m also getting an education.
If you are in the market for some new and high quality furniture, I strongly suggest you watch a few episodes of the guys at the links above. Not that I’m recommending them to you (which I am) but to see how they work, and what to look for when you go shopping.
By the way, Cam at Blacktail Studio is the one who came up with the Damascus Denim Desk. Yes, a desk made out of denim. Check it out here. Talk about fabric art!!!
Photo of the Week: Yep, it’s me. I had to get some new headshots for the new book, Saying Goodbye to Thomas, which will be ready for pre-order probably in in Feb/Mar 2025. As you undoubtedly know, there are few things I hate worse than having my picture taken. From my POV, I look like Sophia Loren. From the camera’s POV, I look like me. God, what a let-down for all concerned.
photo by Katrina
from the desk of the hot dog; the one and only bad thing about the heat is sometimes the hard, black surface of the driveway where most of my walking is done, is too hot for my feets. otherwise, all this sun and hot is pure heaven for this desert dog. can you see my tail wag.
Music of the Week: Miyamoto Musashi: Embracing Loneliness. Great ambient music to have on, turned low, and write or study by. There are several pieces online for this music. I think if I could play it on the bedside radio I do not have, I could easily sleep with it. No, it doesn’t make me sleepy (couldn’t work or study if it did) but I think it would make great sleeping music.
Quote of the Week:
“Re-examine all you have been told. Dismiss what insults your soul.” —Walt Whitman
ps: Looking for a nightmare? Give this site a once or twice over: American Autocracy Threat Tracker. Truly scary stuff! But necessary. How sad is that?
Weather in the Tries: Stock up on ice, my friends. While Monday is a nice, low 85F for our high, we begin a low and steady burn to 87, 90, 92, 101, 106, finish the week off with Sunday being 103F. The good news is the pool is open and the sun is shining with no clouds in the sky.
To Baseball or Not Baseball: When I was a kidlet, living in Northwest Portland, Oregon, I loved baseball. I could sit on the front porch in the summer and have the radio on and listen to Bob Blackburn and Rollie Truitt call the games live from the Vaughn Street Park. It was many years later I learned they called the games from ticker tape that came into the radio station downtown. But I could hear the crowds roar from the stadium as well as from the radio.
I listened to the Countdown Podcast by Keith Olbermann for 20 Jun 24, in which gave an interesting tidbit about Willie Mays, and talked about why the World Series has lost so many fans through the years. That got me to thinking about why I no longer care for baseball all that much. I do admit, I’m not a huge sports enthusiast. I used to like American Football, until the dangers of being hit in the head came to light, and somehow, watching these overgrown kids playing a game lost its appeal. And now, they are discovering the same problems with Soccer (the rest of the world’s Football), and women are coming down with it now as much as men.
But back to my real topic, about how I lost my love of baseball. One of Mother’s friends took us to a Beaver’s game at the Vaughn St. Stadium. I was so excited to go. It was hot. We sat in the bleachers in the full sun for a double header. And it was duller than watching paint dry, or grass grow, or a rock at the ocean be ground into sand. There were these guys on the field, wearing their pajamas, and standing around and running and batting now and then. BUT BOB BLACKBURN AND ROLLIE TRUITT WERE NOT CALLING IT. Oh. Emm. Gee. Booooredom. Bob and Rollie called it for the radio, brought it to life, a life I expected, not the life that was before me.
Eventually, I think the Portland Beavers disappeared. I know they moved to a different stadium, I think it was Multnomah Stadium, but by then, I really didn’t care. The next time I heard from Bob Blackburn, he was the radio voice of the Sonics, and though I wasn’t a great fan of basketball, I was a great fan of Bob Blackburn, and I became a fan of the Sonics. I actually did see a professional basketball game back in 1970 when I believe the Sonics played a California team in Portland as an exposition game to help bring professional basketball to Portland. A young hotshot player was in the game, Kareem Abdul Jabar? Wilt Chamberlain? Kobe Bryant? I don’t remember, but he seemed to stand around center court and not do much. We were pretty disappointed in him until the next morning the headline said he made something like 53 baskets! A record at the time. And we realized he was so gosh darn tall, he’d shoot from farther back than most.
Since I no longer have Blackburn or Truitt to make sports come alive for me, I don’t listen or watch much anymore. And yet, if Keith Olbermann talks about sports, I’m spell bound. Those three men could, I’m sure, talk about the paint, grass, and or sand mentioned above, and make it the most interesting story on the radio/television/internet of the day. Oh, is Formula One racing a sport? I love F1 races as long as there is one really good, spectacular crash and THE DRIVER WALKS AWAY FROM IT! I also still watch the Thunder Boats when I catch them on streaming. And golf. I actually enjoy golf. Talk about going from the ridiculous to the sublime;-)
Oh, and I did listen to one World Series in 1969 when the Mets won their first World Series. As I recall I won a dollar off my grandfather on that one.
A note from/about one of my favorite authors, M. K. Tod: She writes historical fiction, and I’ve yet to read one of her books I didn’t enjoy to the max! She sent a note advertising her newest book, which I have but have not yet read, and asked the recipients to take a reader’s survey. Which I did, and was asked both in her email, and at the end of the survey, to share the survey link. She would really like to get men to take the survey, as well as women, so please consider it. The survey takes about 10 minutes, or less. It’s not often you are asked for input, to help writers write what you’d like to read, so here is your chance. Just click the link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LSYVTG7
Photos of the Week: This is a wee quilt I am making a friend.It will be about 16×20 when finished. She picked out and bought the fabric, and wanted it to be Mount Shasta and three of her sister mountains. I call it Purple Skies Over Mt. Shasta and Three of her Sisters. The title is almost larger than the quilt. I hope to have it finished this week. Well, the piecing. Then I have to figure out how to quilt it.
from the desk of the big chihuahua; all week it will be sunny and really warm. I hope my human spends time on the patio, so I can go outside and keep her safe. I take my duty to guard her very seriously. she’s so funny. every time she leaves, she gives me a job to do. then she leaves and locks me in. how am I supposed to keep the hippopotamesses out of the parking slots? or the jiraffs and allegators out of our pond when I can’t open the door to go outside. and what are those things, anyway.
Weather in the Tries: Why yes, thank you, we are having some this coming week.
On a Personal Note: “Hawkeye” Pierce died this past week at the age of 88. Rest in Peace Donald Sutherland, thank you for so many wonderful characters I would have loved to meet and get to know.
Great Stories v. Great Literature: I subscribe to the Substack of Sherman Alexie. Because I pay, I get to see more of his writings than if I subscribed to the free version. I also get to leave comments on his writings, which range from poetry to short stories to memoir. I am in awe of the man’s talent. The other day he wrote something about wanting to write great literature. Of course, I couldn’t let that go without a comment. I told him to continue to write great stories, and if they happen to be great literature, fine. But if not, to my way of thinking great stories are more important than great literature.
Great stories are accessible to anyone who can read. Great Literature is often dry, dull, and boring, the characters are not interesting or fun, just ink on a dead processed tree. Margaret Atwood writes great stories, and great literature, but her literature is first and foremost a damn good story.
My book group read a debut novel by a young author. I gave it the requisite 60 pages (I read once that a book editor will read the first 60 pages and if they like it, continue. If not, the great Letter of Rejection is mailed. Actually, I doubt if they read much past 10 pages today). I didn’t like any of the characters, I didn’t care what happened to them, I just didn’t care. I seldom read past page 60, if it’s not my cuppa tea. Sometimes I put the book down, wait a few months and try again, and then I get all the way through and can’t figure out why I disliked it the first time.
I did, once, read a book almost to the middle, and put it down. Not one likable person in the book. Worse than the Godfather. That book I could hardly put down and the only likeable person were the two women Michael Corleone married. Anyhow, back to the one I closed slightly before the halfway mark, I picked it up a week or two later, and I committed a venal sin. A misdemeanor if you will. I read the last chapter. Although I didn’t like anyone, I kept worrying it, and decided I had to know the end.
Literature is character driven. Fiction is plot driven. Perhaps I never had the right literature books, or the right teacher to teach the class, but I feel about most literature I’ve tried as Oprah does about books with happy endings! She will never recommend a book with a happy ending, I heard her say one day during a tv interview. If it’s fiction, and you want me to read it, it had better have a happy ending, with few exceptions. I get too many sad endings in the news. And in my life.
I have a book by George Steiner, Errata: an examined life. It is a collection of essays. I bought it for the first paragraph, which begins thusly: “Rain, particularly to a child, carries distinct smells and colors. Summer rains in the Tyrol are relentless. They have a morose, flogging insistence and come in deepening shades of dark green. At night, the drumming is one of…”
I love essays. I have several books of essays. They are (except for the John McPhee ones) usually short. And interesting. So, I buy a book based on one paragraph, the hook as it’s called in genre writing, and was enthralled all the way through. I also subscribe to magazines based on similar things. I just subscribed to The Paris Review, based on an article they pulled from a past issue and sent out, about Chinua Achebe. I don’t believe I’ve read anything by him, but after reading the article, I will give him a try. (The article was open to one and all, to read the interview, one must subscribe.)
Just what I need. More processed dead trees coming into our house. I am so jealous of my housemate at times. ALL of his books go to his Kindle. Only fiction and the now and then craft book, come to mine. I want the white space of poetry as it’s shown on the page. And if it’s non-fiction, I want to write marginalia in it, well, sometimes. I want to go back to earlier pages and check something. Yes, I can do that on my kindle, but it’s difficult, and I’m special (okay, I’m probably a bit spacey, too) and I can see the page if it’s paper, but not if its electrons. What can I say? I also like the feel and perfume of paper and ink.
Back to Sherman Alexie, if he does write the great literary novel, it will probably be very well written, and interesting. But I hate the idea that he goes into his office one day, sits down at his computer and purposely writes literature. I want him to write stories. I’ve yet to read one of his stories that wasn’t well worth the time and money. Maybe I’m just lazy, and don’t want to have to figure out what the writer is writing about. Maybe I’m tired after a long day, and I want to escape my reality for a few minutes when I go to bed at night. Maybe I want a poem about a father and son at the ice cream store to be just that, and not have 37 metaphors that need to be decoded. Yeah, he writes kick-ass poetry as well as fiction.
Photos of the Week: Mallard Hen out for an afternoon swim, enjoying the pond to herself
Silver Linden tree at the Library. Several trees, all in bloom. Shedding pollen and perfume like crazy.
from the desk of the big chihuahua; my human says to buckle up savvy pup, because it’s gonna be hot and not so hot this week. she forgets this dog is a desert dog. my forebears came out of the chihuahua desert down south of the border, down Mexico way. will you look at that. the computer put a capped letter in for me.
Earworm of the Week courtesy of YouTube: South of the Border (Down Mexico Way by Patsy Cline
Weather in the Tries: Yikes! I started writing that this week would be cooler, and checked my phone to be sure I wouldn’t tell a lie. Well, part of the week will be cooler. Monday will be 71, Saturday will be 97. Hmmm, maybe I should consider switching to Celsius? It won’t affect the temps, but the number will be lower. A little psychological magic.
Monday will be 22, Saturday will be 37.Whatcha think? Shall I switch to Celsius until Fall?
Willed Body Programs: We have two Willed Body programs here in Washington State—the University of Washington in Seattle and Washington State University in Spokane. I want to donate my body to a Body Farm, there are six of them, but none of them in the Pacific Northwest. They are all in the South and East. The original one is in Tennessee, started by forensic anthropologist Will Bass. I wish we had one in the PNW. Alas, we don’t.
We do have Medical Schools, in Washington State, we have two of which I’m aware. The University of Washington(UW) in Seattle and Washington State University (WSU) in Spokane. Both accept willed bodies provided all the paperwork (oh, yeah, pages and pages) is complete and no next of kin objects.
The UW accepts bodies from anywhere in the state and will cover transportation, and eventual cremation, with the ashes being placed in an unmarked grave (columbarium?) in their plot at Evergreen-Washelli in Seattle when finished with the body. WSU will transport, free of charge for bodies in a more localized area and charge the estate for transportation from farther away. I don’t know how much they charge.
Links to both schools’ Willed Body Programs are above. For me it boils down to: Do I want my ashes to be turned into mud, or to enjoy the seasons mostly in the sun. And can my estate afford the transportation costs?
Both sites have easily read and understood directions. Some things will disqualify—certain contagious diseases (at time of death) as well as horrendous trauma. If you will your body, there is no guarantee at the time of your death that either school will have need of you. Both strongly urge all donors to have a Plan B.
If helping future doctors become good future doctors, this may be something for you to consider. This should be discussed with your family, as it will mean if you want a funeral, it will have to be without a body (I suppose you could use an empty casket. Hmm, would it have to be empty? Surely you can think of things to place in the casket to your weight? Those ugly sweaters Auntie Lenora did not give you (use them for wrapping so things don’t rattle), those computers you need to get rid of (especially the hard drives with incriminating letters?), those slick tires you need to dispose of? Well, you’ll think of something, I’m sure). UW will not return the ashes, WSU will, if requested.
What will your family do with them, anyhow? Why would they want them, unless they’re going to use them for something other than put them in a vase to grace your living room or to use as a door stop? Yes, I know, cremains may be used for several things, but will they really go to go to such lengths?
Anyhow, I will post the links to both in my doula site, in the Resources page.
Photos of the Week: Be careful for what you ask! This guy was lonely. He sent out a call.
And this happened in minutes. He was ignored by everyone.
from the desk of Sammy snuggle pup; my human sits on the bed to put on her socks and shoes. I lie in wait, and as she sits I sneak from behind her and crawl into her lap for pets and snuggles. for some reason, she enjoys it. I’ll have to do this more often, because I enjoy it, too. I also enjoy the warmer weather and sunshine we’re getting. happy dance time in my town.
