Category Archives: Sammy Brave Dog

I’m Home Again, Home Again

3 Replies

Weather in the Tries:
Lots of wind today, which means the Zombie Leaves will be out to attack the Brave Dog. Will he show them he’s no longer afraid, that he is, after all, the Big Chihuahua??? We shall see.  This week will mostly be in the 50s with lows in the high 30s/ low 40s. With perchance a shower or two now and then. Mostly then, according to my phone.

I’m Home Again, Home Again:
Had a great visit with my Sister & Brother of Choice (SOC & BOC) Lee and Dave at their beautiful house in South Seattle. We went out to eat a couple of times, once to a Portuguese restaurant, Ciudad, that was to die for. We had grilled octopus, grilled chicken, and I should have written everything down, because it was to die for. Especially the octopus! The mural is delightful. If you’re in Seattle, or planning a trip, you might want to check Ciudad out!  

On Sunday, we went to Jude’s, a neighborhood bar and restaurant, for eats n drinks. The guys who own it are master mixers of great cocktails. Lee & Dave had something truly liked, and I went for a Smokey Salve that could easily become habit forming. Rye, mesquite bourbon, crème de cacao, ginger, & bitters. Oh, yeah, so glad Jude’s is not in my neighborhood. Oh yes, I could develop a habit for that.

The specialize in Cajun cooking, and I had their Grits Plate. Made me homesick for the deep south. Their menu all looked good, it was difficult to choose. Everything I looked at looked better than the one before. The blackened catfish was to die for. So, yes, you must go to Jude’s, too.

Watched the first episode of Foundation. If you read the 4-book trilogy by The Good Doctor (Asimov), the series is based on the books. I read them so many years ago, I can’t remember that much about them to know how close/far the tv show is from the books, but I was hooked, for sure.  Now Housemate Dan and I can watch.

We got caught up on gossip, and I left on Monday. I arrived on Thursday pm, left Monday am, so the 3-day rule of company wasn’t too badly stretched. And, on Friday, they drove me to, and fetched me later, my last class of:

Doula Training:
The last class, was a two-parter. We learned how to wash a corpse and shroud a corpse. Sinch we were doing this in a home, we used real live corpses, and the class was divided into two groups. One washed, one shrouded, then we ate and reversed so we all got to see everything. Yes, we did have real live corpses. They were delightful young men, who volunteered, and played dead. Until we got them to laugh. Indeed, their resurrection was a miracle. 

In between the first class and the second, when we all traded, we had a feast of a supper. The two corpses joined us to eat. It was fun meeting them, and those of the class who could come. A lot of our cohort is located on the east coast, or otherwise just too far away to come. 

I am signed up for the A Sacred Passing class on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD). Then I will take the class from End of Life Washington (Death With Dignity) if it’s different. I will need to shadow another doula a few times, which may be a tad fun this winter, as I will be the only one in the Tri-Cities. I’m hoping there is someone no farther than Spokane. That’s a trip I can make in the winter. But getting across the Snoqualmie Pass may be dicey. I had to drive from Seattle to Portland to Kennewick one time. It was not a particularly fun drive at double the distance, double the time.

I need to get all my forms filled out, both to know how, and to have them available for when (if?) needed for my death. If you live in Washington State, I strongly urge you to check out End of Live Washington, and go to their Wonderfile, read and download the forms and instructions you need. If you live in another state, I suggest you find the equivalent in your state. There are even forms you can fill out now, leaving instructions for what happens if you develop dementia, if you are in a same sex relationship your bio family doesn’t like, but you do. Some need to be notarized, many do not. Then, every year, on your birthday, go over them, and make any necessary changes. As End of Life Washington says, “Plan now, die later, do a lot of living in between!

From the Paws of the Brave Dog:
My human came home yesterday and the first thing she did, well, almost the first thing, was to come to the bed and snuggle me for a really long time. It’s so hard to snuggle her when she isn’t here. Housemate Dan is good, but he doesn’t snuggle like she does. She didn’t even read her books or anything. She just snuggled. Oh, happy day, happy day. My human came come. My human is home and I happy danced all the way to the bed. Did you see me happy dance?

Duck, Death and the Tulip:
This is a delightful book about a duck who meets Death, and the friendship that develops. It’s a children’s book, that I bought after seeing the video in one of our classes. The words and drawings are from the pen of Wolf Erlbruch, a German writer and illustrator. It is a marvelous story about a duck who sees Death following him and they become friends, until Duck dies. There is no religious theme to the story. Or the death of Duck. The only think I would have liked to see is one more comma in the title, so it reads Duck, Death, and the Tulip. But the Oxford comma is not in high favor at the moment.

Listen Up, Buttercup!

Leave a reply

Weather in the Tries:
We’re in for a warming trend, and possible rain. Most of this week will be high 40s and up to high 50s. And the lows will be mostly in the low 40s. As I write this (Sunday Morning) It’s 25 degrees outside. And the dog wants me to feed him and take him for a walk. Yeah. Right.

Listen Up, Buttercup!
The tease says Rena just got her first job. She’s 18 months old and gets paid in free diapers and ice cream. Whoa there, Trigger. Is that ageism? I don’t need diapers (yet) but plenty of old farts and fartesses do, and a lot of us would work for free ones, and ice cream. Especially the ice cream. I’d take the diapers now and hold them for when/if I do need them.

Okay, then I read the article. Yeah, it is ageism, but I guess I won’t complain. The little tykes (about 70 of them) work one day a week spreading cheer at Japanese nursing homes,  accompanied with a parent, bringing smiles and joy to the residents.

One of the nursing homes Daddy was in before he came to Portland was an re-purposed one-floor elementary school, and the large wing was for the nursing home residents, but the other wing was a day care, and the residents were encouraged to go to the cafeteria to get their own coffee and meals and interact with the kids. The kids picked a Grandpa/Grandma for the week. The nursing home residents really perked up around the youngsters. And tended to go home sooner than residents of traditional nursing homes. And those who couldn’t go to the kids, had kids coming to them. Daddy almost didn’t want to leave. He had been alone too much, I think, and he just loved those kids. Somehow, I don’t think I’d bring the same joy to the elders as the tykes do.

I also don’t have the least inclination to start/manage/work in/stay in a new nursing home-child care facility, but it sure sounds like a good idea to me. Japan has such a problem with loneliness “that in 2021 the government appointed its first ‘minister of loneliness,’ charged with helping people of all ages connect, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic.” Read the article here, and look at the cute kids and happy people. (The quote is from the article by Janis Mackey Frayer and Arata Yamamoto  and Mithil Aggarwal.)

Two photos from a couple years ago, when I lived on the river. Doesn’t it look cold? you can see the fog rising in the smaller photo, if you look closely.

Death Care:

Moving into the final week. I’ve lost a week. I thought this was Week 7, but it’s Week 8. It’s been a fascinating time, and I’m really looking forward to meeting several of my cohort face to face this coming Friday. There is an in-person class on washing and shrouding the deceased. I doubt I’ll ever do it, but it will be nice to know how, just in case.

Now I get to write a piece about why I decided to become a Death Doula/Midwife. About 5 minutes worth of reading. So, guess what I’m gonna be doing today (Sunday) in between two Zoom Room sessions. 😉

From the Paws of the Brave Dog:

I really didn’t want to walk this morning. It’s too cold, so when Housemate Dan insisted, we went forth. And I delivered the desired response in a hurry, and then we came back. My other human is very pleased that not only did I produce, but I’ve also started tromping and peeing on the Zombie Leaves. That’ll teach ‘em to mess with the Big Chihuahua! Now, I’m going back to bed. It’s nap time!

Chansons Innocents II by e.e. cummings. Read it here, and have a Happy Halloween by whatever name you call it.

Some things of possible interest …

2 Replies

Weather in the Tries:

According to my phone, the next week the highs will be in the 50s dropping into the 40s. Today, Monday will be 71. The lows wll be in the 40s and 30s with one day, next Monday, at 29. Yep, Fall has done fell! Ka-Booom!! Of course, the weather is always subject to change at a moment’s notice. 

Some things of possible interest…

I think I’ve mentioned before that I subscribe to Jerry Coyne’s blogs. He publishes several a day, I tend to read the Hili Dialog when it comes first thing in the morning, and the Caturday Trifecta every CSaturday. Jerry is a cat lover, and a duck lover, and a scientist, and is extremely prolific. This past Caturday part of the Trifecta was a story from Spoon & Tamago, a blog about Japan, and the story Tan Yamanouchi’s New House Speaks to His Cats’ Desires. 

I went to the website and was delighted with the story of Tan Yamanouchi, an architect who designed and built his family home to accommodate their two cats. The photos of the home are great. I had so much fun I started reading other stories, and subscribed to the blog.

Another story that fascinated me is: You’ll Soon Be Able to Stay in One of Japan’s Most Beautifully Designed Prisons .  The architecture of the prison is every bit as interesting as the article. However, I found this paragraph particularly interesting:
Japan incarcerates its citizens at a far lower rate than most developed countries: 37 per 100,000 people compared with 132 in Britain and 629 in America. And the inmate population in Japan has seen a steady decline over the past decade, which helps explain why Nara Prison was shut down in 2017.

I have not done any research on the topic of why we have so many in prison, but my opinion is it is tied to privatizing the prisons and using prisoners/slaves to do the work of the companies who own and operate them. Ah, Capitalism. Ain’t it grand?

Another newsletter I subscribe to is MEDPAGE TODAY. I started reading it during Covid, and though it’s meant for those in the medical field, I can still understand most of the articles, and find several of them fascinating, and always well written. The other day, I found one that I’ve read about now and again over the years, but this one gives us all the good parts.

The ‘PinkTax’ Wake-Up Call for the Healthcare Industry—All genders should have equal access to care. The good news is that (white) women are now earning about $0.82 for every dollar a (white) man makes. That up 4 or 5 cents since I was working for a living. The bad news is Black and Latinx women earn a whole lot less. And yes, medicines and treatments cost women of any color more than men for the same thing. I remember when Washington State removed the sales tax from prescription drugs with the called-out exception of birth control pills. We still had to pay tax to keep from getting pregnant!

It’s a very interesting article. I hope you’ll grab a cuppa and sit for maybe 5 minutes and read it. Frequently the responses are interesting. They are limited to those working in the medical field.

Death Care:

We have finished 5 weeks of our 8. A lot of grief work, and much of that is cross-cultural/race work. Truly fascinating, but I don’t plan on doing a lot of grief care. We have a wonderful system for grief support here in the Tries through Chaplaincy Hospice and their Grief Support Groups. I may be wrong, but I think most of my grief care will come immediately after the death, with some anticipatory grief ahead of it.

One of the videos I watched was Megan Devine on Grief. It’s a 48:12 minute long, and fascinating. She is an excellent speaker. Do a search for her, and look for that video. Or watch a bunch of the shorter ones.

At this point I have no idea how busy I’ll be, if at all. When the class is over, and I know more, I will talk to the kind person who does my Taxes, and a lawyer. Because I plan on doing my work without charge, or minimal if I spend money for my client, do I need to have things like liability insurance? What do I need, what do I not need, do I need to become a business? So many questions, that I’m not quite intelligent enough yet to know what they are and who to ask. 😉

I’ve known for some time that I live in a white bread snowflake town, but didn’t know HOW show white my town is, until I did a little research just to find out. I will try to put the table I made in here. Not sure if I can get it to translate, but                 

Race                   Kenwck     Richland    Benton Cnty    Pasco   FrankCnty

European60.7%87.0%65.0%38.2%60.7%
Hispanic30.9%7.8%25.0%55.1%53.0%
African1.8%1.4%%2.0%2.4%1.9%
Asian2.4%4.7%3.0%2.1%2.0%
Native Amer0.7%0.8%0%—-0.8%
Other3.7%2.62%1.0%0.5% 
Hawaiian—-0.1%2.0%0.5%0.8%
Multi—-7.18%—-—-29.8%
Mixed—-3.2%4.0%1.7%3.9%
Euro alone,Not Hispanic or Latinx  —-  83.0  83.0%  —-47.0%

Pasco is one of the Tri-Cities, however it is in Franklin County

These figures come from Kennewick: https://bestneighborhood.org/race-in-kennewick-wa/ , Richland: https://www.biggestuscities.com/demographics/wa/richland-city Benton County: https://censusreporter.org/profiles/05000US53005-benton-county-wa/ Pasco: https://statisticalatlas.com/place/Washington/Pasco/Race-and-Ethnicity  and Franklin County: https://www.homefacts.com/demographics/Washington/Franklin-County.html

*Pasco is in Franklin County, Kennewick & Richland, and several other small towns are in Benton County/ Kennewick, Richland, and Pasco are 3 cities separated by 3 rivers. (that’s not quite true but darned close. We do have 3 cities and 3 rivers—Yakima, Snake, Columbia.)

Humor:

So, I decided to let my hair grow, but it was thick and needed a trimming and cut to go with the curls and waves. I called a stylist and asked if anyone in the salon enjoyed cutting naturally curly or wavy hair. She said she loved to cut it, so I made an appointment and went in. The first thing, of course, was the shampoo. How I love to have someone wash my hair and give me a head massage at the same time.

Then it was back to the chair where she dried my hair and turned me so I couldn’t see the mirror. Hmmmmmmm… Then she started messing around with something hot and pulling my hair through it. Odd, that. But she clipped and she cut, and gave me more than a trim, and then started messing around with that hot thing again. The end result is here:

I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. I settled for laughter. She was worried I might not like it, but if I’ve learned nothing else in the last 8 decades of my life, is it’s only hair, and it will grow out, and a shampoo in my own shower helps a lot. Of course, wearing headphones didn’t help, they took away my cute winglets. So, the next morning I got up, took a shower, and played with it myself. I don’t have all the curls in back that I had, but I think some more of the extra hold gel will help with that. And a spritz or two of pink and or purple and voila, the next day:

From the Paws of the Big Chihuahua:

It’s Fall. It’s turning cold.  I’m busy. I’m napping. Naps are good. Either nap with me or go away.

Happiness is:

2 Replies

Weather in the Tries:

Trust me when I say that Fall has Fell. Leaves are yellow and all over the ground, but so far, none have resurrected to zombie statehood. Days are much cooler, nights even more so. Love it! Days will be in the high 60s to mid 70s. Nights mostly in the high 40s to mid 50s. Not coat weather yet, but a sweater or light jacket isn’t amiss, especially with the sun goes down.

Happiness is:

I found a photo the other day I don’t remember taking, but it is now one of my wallpapers. It was taken about a year ago when I was with Thomas. Sheryl and I were obviously talking, and one of us said something and she looks like she just said a word she never, ever says, and Thomas looks at her as if to say, You said That??? What a funny disgusted shocked expression on his face. I look it it during the day and can’t help but chuckle. It certainly helps the grief go away. He must have been getting ready for a shave with the towel around him. Sent it to Sheryl, and she can’t remember what we were talking about, either. Anyhow, enjoy.

Not Happiness is:

Sammy Brave Dog was sick for about three days, and I couldn’t get him in to see his regular doctor, and the office suggested if he was really sick, to take him to an urgent care. Huh? Urgent care for animals? Well, I looked them up, and they exist, and are just down the road maybe a mile. He’d been dancing the green apple two step for 3 days, maybe a tad more, so they called his regular doctor and got his chart sent over, and we decided it was a good time to update a few things. They have him a fluid injection, drew blood and tested him for the regular stuff as well as some things like pancreatitis (he free of that), and sent us home with a fecal collection kit. Well, I guess he didn’t like all the poking and prodding, and indignities heaped upon him, because he didn’t do anything until this morning. It was normal. I took the sample in, and he has nothing wrong with him. So, I’m to continue giving him some stuff and not worry about the antibiotics.

The worst thing is, Housemate Dan can no longer give him Costco Chicken with Sammy’s dinner. Both he and Sammy love that, but the Doctor said NO more people food, except for sweet spud or pumpkin. But he can give him sweet spud with his dinner, and Sammy really loves sweet spud. 

Deathcare:

I am quite confused in my poor little mind as to what we learned through A Sacred Passing on Mon & Wed night, v. what we learned during the first four of five Buddhist classes on Death, Love, Wisdom Summit classes. Worth getting up at 0530 to be at the computer by 0600. I’ve got pages of notes I want to transcribe and put in my notebook. Tomorrow (Monday, so I guess it’s today) is the final class, which I think will be heavy on meditation, but that’s okay. So far the classes have been on Making Peace With Death, End of Life Care, Right here With You: Care at the Time of Death, and Grief and Bereavement Support. All good stuff.

Our pond with a few of the none zombie leaves.

From the Paws of the Big Chihuahua:

My tummy wasn’t feeling very good and my human took me to a new doctor. She poked me, but was pretty nice, and ran some tests which was funny because she didn’t run at all. She walked. Anyhow, I no longer get chicken. Housemate Dan and I are both sad about that, BUT I get all the sweet potato or pumpkin I want. Well, the doctor said something about 4 cubic inches a day, but that sounds like a lot to me. And my tummy feels much, much better now.

On A Lighter Note

Leave a reply

People who worship war gods 

should not whine when they become the target.

Weather in the Tries:

Monday 78, Tues/ Wed 50% rain. It will rain 50% of the day, or there is a 50-50 chance of getting it? The rest of the week will be in the 60s, with the lows in the 50s and 50s. Yippers, methinks Fall has done started to fell.     

On A Lighter Note:

I met with my personal trainer on Wednesday, and Boy Howdy! did he put me through the paces. In fact, we couldn’t finish. Okay, I couldn’t finish! I will have a 4-day workout. Monday, I’ll do what Trainer Daniel taught me. Tuesdays and Thursdays, I’ll take a pool class for those of us who have arthritis, and Saturday, if I’m still alive, will be free swimming. I may also swim after the Thursday class, but after the Tuesday class I go to breakfast! Fruit plate & 2 slices burned toast.

Yes, that’s what she writes on the order. Cookie can’t bring him/herself to actually burn it, but s/he gets it very well toasted—crunchy all the way through. Yummm. I usually eat one slice toast and a tad less than half of the fruit. Then I take all leftovers home and have the rest either for dinner or breakfast the next day. Yummmm 2 times over.

Favorite Son came for a visit and a walk on Thursday. We walked something like 2 miles. Had a great visit and stopped at Popular Donuts at the half-way point. I had coffee and ONE donut hole. He had a soda. Then we walked home. I can’t believe I only had one, but that’s all I ordered. Yes, I am patting myself on my back. At least what I can reach of it.

Saturday, I went to the gym to go swimming. BWAHAHAHAHAHA! It’s been about 30 years since I’ve been swimming. Boy Howdy!!! Am I out of shape! I could remember how to make the strokes, but my body couldn’t remember how it should move. I could move my head and arms, but I couldn’t keep my pelvis and shoulders in correct alignment. I did get two laps in. Somehow. (The pool is 25 meters long, Olympic sized) Helpful Housemate Dan says I should try the Butterfly Stroke. 😉

And Sunday Favorite Offspring and Favorite Grandson, Good Friend, and Auntie Lenora, met for lunch at The Tav in Ellensburg for a grand lunch. I was totally bad—ate two small fried mozzarella string cheese, a fistful (thank goodness I have a small fist) of deep fried green beans, a half a hamburger, half my fries. Brought the other half fries and burger home for lunch the next day.

I’ve also found a way to have ice cream and feel virtuous, not guilty! My morning meds are taken with coffee. My endocrinologist blessed it. But my noon and evening meds (vitamins) have been more forgotten than taken because the larger ones are too uncomfortable to swallow. Hmmm, maybe if my throat was cold??? So, I got a spoonful of ice cream put part in my mouth, added the pill, and swallowed. Finished the ice cream with the other pill. Perfecto Mundo!!! Goallllllllll!!!!! So, I get two spoonsful of ice cream a day. And I’m using the teaspoon not the soupspoon! And I’m finally dropping some weight. Isn’t there a song about a spoonful of ice cream helps the medicine go down…??

Deathcare: 

We talked about paperwork. Isn’t that exciting? Actually it kinda was. Wills, Advance Directives that outline wishes for EOL care—comfort, pain, etc. Living Will and Healthcare proxy or agent. And a Funeral Agent! Did you know about a funeral agent? I hadn’t. But a funeral agent is a person legally entrusted by the dying person who is responsible for post death logistics.

The funeral agent will be quipped with your dreams. This varies state by state, so put it in your Will! List your wishes for funeral, clothes you will wear, name you will go by, who will be your preferred speaker. That person may or may not be your partner, your parents, your children. 

Then we talked about a Death Plan. Again, most of us had never heard of one, let alone completed one. It’s recommended we fill out four—plan A, B, C, D. A is best case scenario, B is under limiting circumstances, C for traumatic, accidental, and D is for violent post death only. This Death Plan is to communicate your wishes, what you want and your person is trusted to carry your wishes out.

A death plan should be updated every year or so (like on your birthday?) because your situation will change. Kids will grow and go, divorce happens, other people die, your taste in music, speaker, etc. change.   

From Sunday’s Drive:

Favorite Son drove today, so for once I was a passenger and could take photos from the car.

These are the Horse Heaven Hills. There were a couple good-sized fires as you can see in the bottom picture. Hard to believe since the hills are so brown, but they were named for the lush growth of Bunch Grass and Sagebrush on them. The Cayuse would bring their horses over to the hills to eat, get fat, and a glossy coat. Hence the name, Horse Heaven Hills.

From the Paws of the Big Chihuahua:    

My human went away yesterday, and she says I have to go with her tomorrow to get my shampoo and set. I like the people okay, but I don’t like the water. Can’t they use cornstarch or something that isn’t wet to get me clean? Why do humans like water so much? They stand in it, like an indoor rain, and sing because they’re so happy. And they swim in it, too. Humans are really strange. But, as long as my human loves me, I’ll try to keep her warm at night.:-)

“When you surround an army, leave an outlet free.

Do not press a desperate foe too hard.” 
― sun tzu, The Art of War

Or, if you prefer,

always leave your enemy an honorable way out,

for an enemy cornered has nothing to lose.

A Bit on Politics Written in the Font of Snark

Leave a reply

Weather in the Tries:  We may get rain today, Monday. 50% chance. Our high will be 68, but by Sunday it will be up to 80 with sunshine every day from Tuesday on. Lows will be in the high 40s, low 50s. Perfect sleeping weather.

A Bit on Politics Written in the Font of Snark:

Today is Thursday, 28 Sep 23, and Washington DC is gearing up for a Government Shutdown. I have a possible solution: Don’t pay Congress during the shutdown! Odd, isn’t it, that the Pro-Lifers who want all abortion stopped no matter the reason, won’t put limits on gun ownership, or fund families and single mothers who need assistance so they can feed and clothe their children, let alone afford the burial when one (or more) of their children die from prevented trauma. You know, like malnutrition, starvation, lead poisoning from an AR 15, lack of medical care.

And our Military? Oh, why in the world would they want, let alone need, to be paid? After all, they can eat in the chow halls and sleep in the barracks. But, what about their dependents? Yes, I know, if the Military had wanted them to have dependents, dependents would have been issued at the end of Basic/Boot Training. 

I really hope by the time Monday rolls around, and CBE is published, the shut-down has been avoided. But then I remember I stopped believing in miracles years ago.

And the old farts and fartesses on Social Security? Actually, as I understand it, we continue to be paid as it is mandated by law and financed through a payroll tax. But mothers with young children will be hurt by the Pro-Life Party Shutdown.  

Alright! This is too freaking much! As of today, Friday, FAT BEAR WEEK is in jeopardy! Yes, If Washington gridlock pushes the country into a government shutdown on Saturday, the Fat Bears will be furloughed, as well as the Park Rangers. Fat Bears are considerably more important than a few tantrum-throwing-juvenile-Congressmen! Feed tantrum-throwing-juvenile-Congressmen to the Bears!!! (Make sure those juvies have no communicable diseases first.) Save Fat Bears!!!! What? What did you ask? You don’t know about Fat Bears? Oh, you are merely ignorant, and that’s treatable, unlike stupid which cannot be treated. The stupid diagnosis belongs to tantrum-throwing-juvenile-Congressmen. To include Sen Tuberville!

Saturday night:

Well, goodness gracious sakes alive! There were enough young adults in Congress to pass a short-term funding bill with bi partisan support. Unfortunately, no additional funding for Ukraine. Young adults  don’t understand all that much about freedom and democracy, yet, and think Papa Putin really likes them. But 45 days is better than no days to get them some learning. And Fat Bear Week goes on….!!!

Doula:

I did watch An Honest Death: A Palliative Care Doctor’s Final Days. The Dr. had a terminal prognosis, and asked NHK (Japanese News Service) to film his final days. The movie is less than an hour, and very interesting. There was a part in the middle where there was no sound, but there were subtitles to read. The Dr. and his wife were both end of life doctors, and he was a Buddhist Priest. I didn’t cry near as much in this one as I did in It’s My Party. There is something in the Buddhist philosophy that brings about peaceful deaths, an acceptance, though he did want and received Continuous Deep Sedation –sleep state, usually done when the patient has less than 2 weeks to live and is in severe pain. The person passes away in their sleep.

We discussed what movies we watched over and over and over that were about death. I think my favorite is Departures. A Japanese film. And, yes, I still watch The NeverEnding Story. I cry in both of these movies. And in this series, Navillera. It’s a 12-episode Korean series about a 70-year-old man who retires and wants to learn to dance ballet. (I also cry during some commercials, but that’s another story.) And there are two songs that make me cry—Ed Ames (or anyone else) singing Who Will Answer and Bette Midler singing Wind Beneath My Wings. We all need something that will bring forth tears on demand, preferably under our control. Sometimes a good cry is just what the doctor ordered, but it’s difficult to cry on cue. 

Speaking of the Buddhist thoughts on Death, a friend sent me some information for Death, Love & Wisdom Summit, A Free Online Event October 12-16. You can read about it, and sign up if you’re interested, at https://tinyurl.com/bdf68n4k. The classes will last a total of around 3 hrs a day as I understand it. Maybe more if there are longer meditations.

Photos from the past, some claw and fang of Nature:

Two of my favorite photos from road trips. The Coyote was taken in Yellowstone NP, we’re pretty sure she was a she with cubs up on the hill. She came up the hill from the river to stop by the road to let us go first. We stopped, rolled down the window, and I took this picture. As soon as we drove on, she quickly crossed the road and went up the hill. If you look, you can see blood from her kill that morning on her fur. I gave a framed copy to Patricia Briggs, author of the Mercy Thompson Hauptmann books of weres, vampires, and other assorted shapeshifters.

The alligator was in Florida. I don’t want to get snuggly close to one, but they look so happy, like they just got the joke! And the reason they are so far away is because Sammy Brave Dog, aka The Big Chihuahua, keeps them there. Or at least out of our pond! Isn’t he a good dog?

From the Paws of the Big Chihuahua:

Does my human have any idea how BIG the mouth and teeth are on both of those critters? And she expects me to keep the ‘gator out of our pond??? Well, so far, but if that guy ever comes for a visit, I’m leaving. Keeping the Hippopotamuses out of the parking slots is bad enough. But she thinks I do it, and she’s proud of me, so please don’t tell her otherwise. Okay? I love this fall weather, except for the zombie leaves, but so far they aren’t around much. Maybe the wind is keeping them away? Yes?

Marie Osmond Talks About Dada Sound Poetry, a 2:37 video that is gobs of fun. And perhaps something to think about for opening your front door the last night of October 😉

“Teacher means “to be born before”.” ~quote from An Honest Death.

And, if I can remember how to upload a tape, I will have three new poems in Spoken Word. I have the World’s BESTEST computer Guru for this blog! She is patient, knowledgeable, and a good friend!!

Delightful Trip to the Dark Side

2 Replies

Weather in the Tries: 

Our warmest day will be Tuesday at 75, with our coolest day on Thu of 68. And our lows will be in the 50s with Sat going down to 46. Yes, I’ve put my fleece sheets on the bed, and a real blanket along with one summer quilt. Soon will come the for real quilt I made for Thomas, but it was too heavy for him to use.

Delightful Trip to the Dark Side:

Had a delightful trip over to the Dark Side, where I spent a few days with Sheryl. I wondered how hard it would be to return to where EBOC Thomas lived the last years of his life and died there. He wasn’t there, and Sheryl said he hasn’t been back that she’s aware of, which makes me feel/think that if there is life after life, he’s off on his adventure, which is exactly where he should be. He doesn’t need to come back here to haunt people;-) though it would be nice if he’d show up for drink and a gab fest and tell us all about it.

As my Uncle Carl lay dying, he had a conversation with his long-deceased father. I sat by U. Carl’s bed, heard his said of the conversation, then there would be a pause, then he’d talk some more. When he was through I asked how the conversation went and he informed me it was good. I asked what Grandpa had to say, “Oh, he said, ‘Mbgliscuescf’ and then he said, ‘gblxdtvw’.” Yeah, well, so much for hearing from the other side of that veil.

Thanks for letting me know you don’t get the annoying pop up asking you to subscribe to my blog. Of course, I’d really like it if you did, but it’s okay if you don’t.

Doula: 

female slave. And that’s really what a Death Doula is, a slave to the dying person and his/her friends and family. We are there to help any way they would like that we can do. There are ways we can’t help as mandated by law. There are some cultures who do not want the bones that survived cremation, pounded into small pieces. But the law in this state says that all bones must be mashed and pulverized. 

Week 2 was the end of the ‘introduction’ and this week coming will be diving into the good stuff. The Death part. Part of the homework was to watch a couple of movies. I’ve finished one, “It’s My Party”—a movie to watch if you want to cry. Goes back to the days of AIDS. My first tears came at 4:23—credits were still rolling. Sheesh. Then again at 20:34, 26:07, 1:05:24, and then at 1:26:27 I started in and couldn’t stop until the movie was over. It’s a beautiful movie, with a lot of lough out loud moments and can be found on YouTube. It’s not all tears. But a beautiful love story. I did volunteer work with people living (though at that time, it was really dying, but we were so damn optimistic) with AIDS. I am so grateful that today it is a chronic illness and controllable.

I haven’t watched the other movie, yet, An Honest Death: A Palliative Care Doctor’s Final Days. The Dr. helped a lot of people, and then came down with cancer, and asked for his final days to be photographed. He was also a Buddhist Priest. It’s short and very interesting. I didn’t cry.

Only one photo today. Took it on the Dark Side and it was so overcast none of the flowers on the hydrangea bush had turned their face to the sun. And all the flower bunches only had blooms around the outer ring. Obviously, Fall is arriving.

From the Paws of the Big Chihuahua:  

Mom says she’ll type as I talk because she doesn’t like all the paw and nails clicking on her keyboard. She also doesn’t like me sitting so close to her coffee. The ghost of her old cat, Tashiko, had come to me shortly after I moved in with Mom, and taught me how to move Mom’s coffee cup. “It’s a game she really likes to play,” she said. Of course, I quickly realized Mom doesn’t like that game, but Tash really enjoyed the prank. I know Mom misses Tash, and I wish she’d come back and play with me, but she doesn’t even come to visit anymore. Says it makes Mom cry. And she’s right. But Mom snuggles with me, now, and I’m a dog and everyone knows dogs are better than cats. Right? Right? 

“Grief and Joy are always holding hands.” –Sandy Yannone

Color Me Embarrassed!

2 Replies

Well, this is embarrassing and somewhat frustrating. I lost the post I spent the last few days working on. I am for sure positive I saved it, alas, I don’t have a clue where, and I’ve searched everywhere I can think of to find it.

I know! I’ll blame Sammy. He frequently steals my coffee cup and hides it, perhaps he’s now stealing my documents! 

Oh well, it probably wasn’t that exciting anyhow.

I received my summons for Jury Duty. I was excused the first week. Today marks the second week. The answering machine on their end keeps saying “An application error. Goodbye.” and hangs up. Tried to see if I was listed on the web page, and I’m not, but I’m not sure if those are the numbers of the called or not, so I’ll get up tomorrow (I’m writing this Sunday night) morning and get dressed for jury duty and drive over to verify.

At any rate, I’ll be home by 6pm, when I will log into a zoom room, and begin my class of 8 weeks (Mon & Wed) to become a Death Doula. Or Death Midwife, if you prefer. From what all I can find, I will be the only one in the Tri Cities. I will probably work with the two hospices we have, as well as work on my own. I’m not sure how all that will work out, but I don’t think I want to charge. I figure people and their families who are dying have enough to worry about without one more bill. And I’m comfortable without the extra work of bills/invoices/books/numbers. Especially numbers!

The classes I will be taking are from A Sacred Passing–https://asacredpassing.org. I really like their philosophy, but going back to school at my age? Starting a new life at my age? Well, I guess it’s to happen, eh? If I put it off another year, I’ll be a whole year older and still have to work with the kids in the class 😉 

Took these photos the other day. They are of the main area, the one fountain is granite, and the other, behind it, is a pipe with some kind of holes in the cap. I took the pix in color, but they look much more dramatic in b/w, yes?

Sammy Brave Dog says it’s no fair having Housemate Dan and Mommy talk to each other. When they don’t talk, sometimes he can get a whole extra dinner! Which is why now we coordinate meals for the Big Chihuahua so he doesn’t get bigger in the wrong dimension!

Have a good week, and remember, wherever you go, there you are! ~Jon Kabat-Zinn