I was at The Book Tree in Kirkland, WA on Saturday 2 August 2025, to read some poetry from Saying Goodbye to Thomas and other poems to officially launch the book, to send it out into bookstores and the hands and hearts of readers.
I spent time figuring out how condense the video my Sister of Choice, Lee, took of m reading. Finally called my Guru, and he said why not just load it to YouTube and put the link in. So, I did. This was in a bookstore, and you’ll hear me read AND the door bell, as the door opens and closes.
Enjoy the reading. Enjoy meeting Thomas if you weren’t one of the most fortunate to have known him in life, meet him in spirit.
The ISBN: 979-8899900471, take it, the title Saying Goodbye to Thomas, my name ah, come on, you know be my now, I’m Lenora Rain-Lee Good–your favorite Auntie Lenora, and go into your favorite brick and mortar bookstore to order your copy (either paper back or hardback). Remember, all proceeds/royalties will be divided equally between ALS Association and Death With Dignity.
Are your parents ageing in place? Are they losing physical abilities? Mental abilities? Has the time come for them to move to whatever city you live in so you can more easily care for them?
Might I suggest you consider changing the game? YOU move to be near them. Yes, I know, they’re retired, and you’ve found a marvelous retirement home just a few miles down the road where they can be with other people their age, they can take up golf (they’ve never expressed an interest in golf, but still, they can do it), they have two busses to take them to doctor’s appointments, etc., did I mention there are lots of people their age to play cards with, visit with, knit with, yadda, yadda, yadda…
Just because they are of an age doesn’t make them instant friends. I can’t think of anything worse than moving in with a bazillion old farts and fartesses. They tend to have two major topics of conversation: 1. their bodily functions and 2. their children who parked them there and never come to visit. Oh, and remember the cliques of grade school? They thrive in retirement homes!
I know you love your parents, and you care about them, and want to see them happy, but pulling them from a town they know, from people they know, and moving them to someplace else is a way for you to assuage your guilt, not to show your love for Mom and Pop.
Can you imagine going to the dining room to eat and find yourself either unable to break into an established clique to eat with someone whose company you might enjoy while eating, only to then find yourself mired in a conversation of bowel movements—color, consistency, or lack thereof, or the complaint brigade whose children never come and seldom call? Or, if you moved them into the place with the golf course, which they don’t use, being stuck at a table of avid golfers. That’s what you want to inflict upon Mom and Pop.
It’s hard moving from a place where you’ve lived for years, made roots, have friends, and go someplace where you know no one. I know. I’ve done it. And I sought out areas with a good mix of ages. As irritating as those short-legged people with high pitched voices can be, they make me smile, and I would NOT want to live anyplace without them. They help keep me young.
What do your parents love doing? Quilting? Writing? Open Mic readings? Going to the museums? Sitting in the park and watching people? Go out to eat at their ethnic restaurants? Plein air art? Watching High School football? Going to the University for mind limbering classes?
Consider looking at apartments downtown, preferable ones with a wide range of tenant age, where they can walk to the grocery store, take advantage of public transportation, walk to parks to watch and listen to kids run and play, lovers walk arm in arm, visit museums, go to outside venues for music, art, etc., where they can make friends of different ages, and stay younger, longer.
There is one other idea that needs to be discussed—that of the Parent of a Certain Age moving to be closer to her children. It does seem to be mothers who wish to be closer to their nuclear family, especially if Mom is widowed or divorced, and grandchildren are young. I’ve known several women who moved to be near their children, and grands, selling homes they loved, leaving friends of years, etc., only to get moved in, and have the chosen child get a better job a thousand miles down the road. One case I know is the chosen child moved clear across the country. Mom followed. Chosen One moved back. Mom followed. I have no idea if Chosen One has moved, again, but those moves were expensive. For all.
So, if you want your folks to move near you, ask what they want. And listen. And be realistic in the amount of time you are willing to spend with them. Have a date night with your partner every week? Set one up with your folks! Take them out, show them their new town, take them to dinner, the theater, whatever they choose. Make that night sacrosanct as your date night. If they don’t want the old folk’s home, don’t forget downtown apartments.
As mentioned a couple posts ago, I had my identity stolen last April—the nightmare that keeps on giving.
Once I had my computer back (note: the thief didn’t steal the actual computer, he hijacked my iCloud files) from the thief, I took it to a trusted computer store, and had it ‘scrubbed’ for any trojans, viruses, etc. that the thief may have planted. It came home all squeaky clean—and missing about four and a half years of my poetry. I thought my files were backed up, but, alas, not to be found. Talk about grief and depression!
The thief also stole my phone number, and many thanks to the crew at our local Verizon store, I got it back the night before my number was to go back into the pool of numbers and beyond retrieving. We had to take my phone back to factory settings to get the thief’s phone number off it. Which meant I’d lose all the apps I’d put on. No biggee, just a pain. Well, one biggee, I’ve not been able to find the solitaire game I had enjoyed. The new ones are subpar in my opinion.
Sooo, last Monday night, I saw an app on my phone I didn’t remember seeing. Called “Files.” Now, I’m just a tad leery of clicking on things since the Great Hijacking. But eventually I had to click on it. And there were my Document files. Would my lost files be there? I wasn’t sure I wanted yet another major loss, and it was with a great deal of trepidation I scrolled down and there they were and are. Depression cured.
When I was spending so much time in Kirkland, with Thomas, I started saving everything to the cloud so I could access files I needed/wanted from my iPad. Then, after I came home, where I had my computer, I forgot about it. Apparently, when I started backing everything up to the cloud, a magic app appeared on my phone, which I never saw (wasn’t looking for it). I couldn’t figure out why the thief would want to delete them, and seriously doubt he did. Not sure where they went, but I’m beyond delighted to have found them.
Box of Books:
I ordered books from the publisher and received 15 pounds of books in a box the other day, direct from the printer. Books ordered from the publisher in ones and twos, such as pre-orders, should be arriving in your mailboxes this week. I am thrilled with the way it looks. The cover photo by Sherry Walker turned out great! Thank you, Ms Walker!!!
I haven’t received my hardback book yet, but I’m sure it, too, is gorgeous. If you haven’t yet ordered your very own copy, please consider ordering from the publisher, your local indie bookstore, or any of the online stores.
Saying Goodbye to Thomas by Lenora Rain-Lee Good ISBN 979-8-89990-036-5 First Edition Finishing Line Press (dot) com
Paperback: $17.99 Hardback: $27.99
Remember, all royalties will be divided equally between the ALS Association and End of Life Washington (and no, it isn’t suicide).
Please consider ordering a copy, and if you’re in the Kirkland area of Washington State, please consider combing by The Book Tree from 5:24 to 8:22 pm on August 2, 2025 for a Special, Remembering Thomas, and the official launch of Saying Goodbye to Thomas. Enjoy a great night of poetry by poets who knew and loved Thomas.
“A poet who reads his verse in public may have other nasty habits.” ~ Robert A. Heinlein
Your friendly, neighborhood poet. And do I have news for you!!! Saying Goodbye to Thomas has been released by the publisher. If you pre-ordered a copy, I thank you, and it should be in your hands maybe next week. If you didn’t pre-order, that’s okay. In fact, perhaps you’ll be glad—there is also a hardback book, if you’d rather not have a paper/softback copy!
This book is available from your favorite bookstore. Admittedly, you’ll probably have to order it, as not every bookstore carries every book, but….
All you need is the title: Saying Goodbye to Thomas, the author: Lenora Rain-Lee Good the publisher: Finishing Line Press the ISBN: 979-8-89990-036-5
paper back: $17.99 hard back: $27.99
I will be holding a book launch at The Book Tree, in Kirkland WA the afternoon/evening of 2 August 2025, starting at 5:15pm. This was Thomas’s favorite indie bookstore. If you’re in Kirkland area, come on by!! There will be other poets there, who knew Thomas, so it will be a Thomas night superb.
Speaking of Indie publishers and bookstores—support them when possible. Buy books from the publisher, buy books from the indie bookstore in your town.
Remember, I make NO money from this book. ALL royalties received will be divided between the ALS Association and Death With Dignity. Incidentally, DWD is not suicide, it is a hastening of certain death, usually slow, painful, and robbed of personal dignity, that will happen within the next six months or less.
Please consider buying a copy.
“In a world largely uncomfortable with death, Lenora Rain-Lee Good writes through the process of embracing grief as it approaches, “It’s so easy to be brave / when not required,” she writes, yet these poems remind us that every day, each moment, requires its own bravery—that even the rehearsals for the great performance of death demand our presence, demand that we connect with one another, insist that we open ourselves to love even thought it will break our hearts–because it is the only way to live.” —Zach Hively, Author, Owl Poems
Weather in the Tries: It’s going to be mostly cloudy this week, with highs in the 50s and lows in the 40s with a couple dips down to high 30s. Some rain, some wind, but warm enough nights that the dog and I haven’t had to turn the electric blanket on for the last 3 or 4 nights. Just hope the rains come at a time other than his two daily walks. He just doesn’t understand why rain should fall from the sky, when it obviously needs to come from a bowl, only. Alas, he is not King of his Universe.
Just Call Me the Late Auntie Lenora, Again I met a gal a while back [how do we define a ‘while back’? — weeks? months? years? take your pick] and we became instant friends. We were of an age, grew up with the same music, same fashions, and we shared the same sense of humor. Instant friends. Not just with Lena, as we called her, but with her kids. I reminded them of their grandma, in a good way.
Anyhow, Lena was dying, and we all knew it. She was very open about that, and I spent time with her and her kids last week. Her kids were great. They broke into shifts, and took care of her in her own home. They had it down, and humor filled that house that was full of Lena’s things, where she could see many, and with which she had happy memories.
Sunday, yesterday, Day of the Semi-Annual Insane Time Change, I got a call to come say goodbye. I got there 30-40 minutes before she slipped into a coma, from which the Hospice Nurse said she probably would not awaken. Lena and I talked before then, laughed before then, and just before she closed her eyes, she asked me to look after her kids (all 50 and older). I said I would. I sat with them for about 6 hours, until I had to go home and take care of my dog who was alone in the apartment, and needed both dinner and a walk. Boy Howdy! He really needed that walk. And some loves. He’s not used to being alone for so long. Housemate Dan was also gone, it seldom happens we’re both gone at the same time.
The kids and I texted through the evening, and about 11 hours after slipping into a coma, Lena awoke in her eternity.
At my age, I say those goodbyes to a lot of friends. I come from a double line of long-lived people. But what no one ever said to me, was that she who lives the longest, says the most goodbyes.
Photo of the Week: This is a Hug blanket, sold by Penzey’s Spices. It’s soft and snuggly, and is a Hug. I have ordered a few of them for people who needed a Hug I couldn’t be there to give them. They are $24.95. They are on sale right now, you can order one for yourself, and one for a friend OR you can order two to be donated to persons in need. These are lightweight, brightly colored, and two blankets for the price of one is a good thing. I did not take the photo.
Weather in the Tries: Well, we’re going to miss that huge cold front that is covering parts of Idaho and east and south. Not that we’ll be in the clear, our lows will range from 23 30, and our highs from 35 to 41. Sun will show for a few days, but the two warmest days will be cloudy. Those clouds do hold in the heat.
Waxing Poetic: I don’t very often wax poetic over a product I’ve bought and use, but this one absolutely amazed me. I figured the possibility of being taken for a ride existed, but that’s not the case.
A bit of backstory. I’ve always loved long hair, but when I let it grow out as long as it is now, I got 24/7 headaches because my hair was so thick and course and heavy. It self-parted in the middle and flared out like Gilda Radner’s, except on her it was cute, on me—not so much. So I got my hair cut short, and kept it short for 25 years.
In many Tribal Cultures, when a loved one dies, people cut their hair. When Thomas died my hair was very short, so I decided to let my hair grow. About a year ago, if that, I began to notice when I combed or brushed it, gobs of hair came out, and my hair was much finer that it was. Well, I let my hair grow, and fall, and grow and fall, and eventually it began to dawn on me that I was headed for male pattern baldness. Now, I’ve always been somewhat jealous of women who have high foreheads, but somehow I didn’t think this was the way I wanted to get one.
So I started looking for shampoos to stop hair loss. Frankly, I don’t care if what I’ve lost grows back, but I do care that the loss ceases and desists! I ended up buying an expensive (for me—I’m normally a Suave kinda gal) shampoo and conditioner. I used it once, and when I combed my hair afterwards, I had about a fourth of the usual amount of hair in my comb. And it’s been going down since. What is this marvelous product you may be wondering? It’s Routine Wellness Anti-Thinning shampoo and conditioner.
Like the stuff I use to help my hair curl, the product that works for me, may not for you, but if you’re facing the same hair loss situation, I think Routine Wellness is worth a try. If it doesn’t work for you, mail it to me.
Fact: by replacing your morning coffee with Green tea, you can lose up to 89% of what little joy you still have left in your life.
There is a Filipino fast-food chain in LA called Jollibee. They were seen serving free food to people affected by the wildfires. Just quietly setting up tables and boxed food for those who need it. HUZZAH! HUZZAH! Jollibee. Jollibee’s motto is “Joy is best when shared.” During a lot of sad, a little bit of joy is certainly welcome, especially food.
Some places to which you may want to contribute. I am not saying you should, or you should donate to these, I’m just saying these are places I know about and have contributed to or will contribute to.
5. Los Angeles Wildfire Book Donation Check them out. They are seeking books MG, YA, etc., for both schools and students who have lost books in the fire. I have several books I’ve never sold, guess where they are going, if they’re wanted.
6. Jollibee Fast Foods—if you live in an area where they are, and can afford it, please consider buying something and maybe pay for a couple extra meals for those affected by the fire.
Photo of the Week:
Holy Moon. Actually, it’s the Wolf Moon, first full moon of the year. Using my phone, it was over-exposed so I thought I’d play with it in Photos, I started messing around with colors, etc., and ended up with this shot, with a flaming halo around Grandmother Moon (hence the Holy).
from the desk of the sad dog; I am so sad for the humans and fur and feathered people who have lost their homes in the big fires. I hope they weren’t too scared and all got out okay. my human said that people died, and she didn’t tell me, but I’m afraid too many pets didn’t know where to go, and all the wildlife. well, I’ll try not to think of it. and if I ask my human, she’ll cry, again, so I won’t ask her. I hope all of you are safe, and all your friends and families are, too.
Quote of the Week: I don’t have a link for this, I it copied out of a Substack article by Faisal Kutty on Zeteo about the fires and the heroism of his LA neighbors. A colleague sent him a message making his guest rooms available to Mr. Kutty and his family, here is part of what the colleague wrote: “We have two empty bedrooms—one with a single bed, but we can add a futon, and the other with a double bed. Food is kosher and hence halall…” (emphasis mine). If I remember correctly, he said kids were welcome. I have apparently gotten so used to the Israeli’s giving the Palestinians nothing but death, and I find it amazing, if not miraculous, to read that a kosher Jew is offering his Muslim colleague love, a place to stay, and food he and his family can eat, really made my day.
You Undoubtedly Noticed: I didn’t post a blog last week! I was with a couple of friends who died, one on Wednesday and the other on Monday. They weren’t close friends, but they were friends.
And then I read an article in (I think) the London Times by a man who was nine years old when his mother was diagnosed with cancer. I don’t remember what happened to Dad, but he wasn’t there. And this young boy became a primary care giver for his mom. She died when he was thirteen. He would take care of her in the morning, before school, and rush home to take care of her after school. He did everything, and when the pain got to be too much, she was taken to a psychiatric hospital, where she spent her last weeks without pain meds, and he would come buy every day on his way home from school to be with her, to help, to care.
He is a politician now, and when the vote comes up for medical assistance in dying in the UK, he will vote against it, because he thinks every child should have the same opportunities he did, to care for his dying parent, like he did. Do watch and listen to them scream in agony. Have you ever heard such selfish drivel? Not once did he think that maybe his mom was in enough pain she would have liked to exit earlier and to spare him the agony of watching her die. Maybe he’s a sadist in disguise.
I don’t know, but I sure think he was being mighty selfish. There was another letter a few days later, by a woman, a priest of her church, I forgot her title. Her letter was a little different, but it came down to suffering is good for the soul and I guess her god likes his humans to suffer now so they won’t suffer later.
The subject of death came up in our Death Café this afternoon. (now is that a co inky dink? or what? /snort/) and I mentioned that in this state we have Death With Dignity for those who want it and qualify. Yes, people have to jump through hoops to partake, and every effort is exerted to be sure it is what the client wants, and 2 prescribers, one a doctor, agree. And they have the right to say, “No.” at any time. One person asked me if Death With Dignity was euthanasia. Another gal said no, euthanasia is what we do for our pets. I thought that was a good response and agreed with her, and gave the patrons of our café two sites to go to for information.
I think about Death With Dignity like I think about Abortion—if you don’t want either one, don’t have it—but don’t force your god’s peccadilloes down other people’s throats. They have enough to deal with, with their gods and his peccadilloes.
So, that’s why I didn’t write a post last week. I was grieving for two new friends I’d made who died before we could even have an argument, and then read those two letters. I was in no mood to write. Anything. Deal with it.
This Week’s Photo: Took this photo two years ago this week, at Sheryl’s home. Thomas loved this tree, and could no longer see it as it was in the back of the house, and we couldn’t get him there, so I took the picture so he could enjoy the vibrant reds second hand.
from the desk of the mighty chihuahua; it’s really cold out, and dark. the sun doesn’t come up until after 7 in the morning, and goes away before I can eat dinner and go for my afternoon walk. my human says another month and the days will start to get longer. I think the sun should be out half the time and the stars the other half. but I’m only a dog, and I don’t get no respect.
Weather in the Tries: We had a moderately cool week. All temps were double digit! However, today, Monday, is on the schedule to be 102, and then a week of mostly low 80s. There will be one dip into high 70s. After our couple of days of nearly unbreathable smoke-filled days, we’ve gone back to Good or Moderate Air Quality.
What an odd week has just gone by. And yet one more reminder I’m still grieving. I was late for an appointment. I’d written down it was at 10:15, which was correct. However, every time I looked at it, I saw 10:45. I always get to those appointments early, and I was there at 10:30, and they marked me as ‘missed’ and I couldn’t be worked in later in the morning. To say I was confused would be to word it mildly.
A couple days later my Grief Group met, and when I told them, they smiled knowingly, and the Facilitator told me about Grief Brain. Apparently, it’s a thing, and Boy Howdy! did I have a case of it. Then I got to thinking, took two aspirin, and realized it’s not yet three months since he died.
Fortunately, there was a great show on the telly Thursday night that took my mind off things for a while. Like many people, I watched what there was to see of the arrest and booking of the OP. And then the county released his mug shot and I had one of the best laughs I’ve had in a while. Not that the arrest and booking of a President is funny—it isn’t, it’s really a sad commentary on us—but the shot is priceless. Reminds me of when my kids were toddlers and if told to do something they didn’t want to do. “NO! I DON’T WANNA AND YOU CAN’T MAKE ME!!!
I DESERVE TO BE PRESIDENT! IT’S THE ONLY WAY I CAN STAY OUT OF JAIL AND I AM YOUR RETRIBUTION! (I’m not at all sure what that means, really. I don’t need retribution for anything. Do you?)
How sad for him. He wants to look threatening and strong and will never surrender (though he did surrender, was arrested, booked, and released on bond!) and he looks like a petulant toddler throwing a temper tantrum. I’m surprised he hasn’t taken the old Don’t Tread on Me! rattlesnake and photoshopped his mug to that.
Since I have a genuine photo of the Hot Line to Jesus, I’ll post it, in case the OP needs it. Or anyone else. I know the photo is genuine, because I took it, I did not swipe it off the web 😉
Actually, the sign was in the mall where I used to walk in the winter. It was in the food court where they were installing a new pizza place, and Jesus was the general manager, and was looking for a few good workers. I apologize for the ugly crossing out of the area code, but it is, or at least was, a working number and I couldn’t figure out how to change any of them to a fictional number.
The book, Saying Goodbye to Thomas is coming along very nicely. There are 28 poems in it. There were 27, but I took a poetry workshop on Saturday, and wrote one more. The book (sans the new poem) is out to several people who asked to read it. I hope to have everyone’s comments back in a couple of weeks so I can wind it up and start sending it out. Sheryl has sent me some very nice photos of Thomas, his niece has given permission to use one her mother, his sister, took several years ago, I have one taken during the toast before the Final Cocktail where he’s happy and smiling. I now have seven shots of Thomas, I hope I can get them arranged on the page like I want. And a possible couple more coming from a friend in Arkansas.
And, I have submitted his novelette to a publisher. Fingers crossed.
The Big Chihuahua is liking this cooler weather a lot. Still warm enough for a Desert Dog, but not so hot he melts. He still dives under the summer quilt on my bed at night, but before long he’s topside. At least until about 4a.m. when he gets cool.
