Auntie Lenora’s Excellent Adventure

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Weather in the Tries:

As of Sunday night, it’s wetting and snowing. At 27F out, it’s freezing is what it is! It says snow later tonight, then cloudy, and a 50% chance of snow on Thursday. It will have to be in the morning or evening, because the low is only 29 and the high 40. Tomorrow it will be up to 33, and Tuesday, it will get to 39, with sunshine. Our high for the week will be 40, but ya know what? That’s a lot warmer than 32! The nights will be freezing, but that’s ok, I have a bed, a sheet warmer, and a dog!

Auntie Lenora’s Excellent Adventure:

It seems like forever since I last touched base with you. But it’s only been three weeks or so. Anyhow, I drove to the Dark Side on 7 Nov (where we had more sun than here at home) and spent 3+ weeks with my EBOC (Elder Brother of Choice) Thomas, while his primary care-giver was on a much needed vacation. Thomas is my primary mentor for writing poetry, stories, novels. He’s not afraid to tell me where something is broke, and when I fix it, I have a much better piece of writing. He truly is a gem of great worth.

Mostly, we read each other’s works, talked writing, I cataloged his morgue (collection of his writings that have been published), and drooled over the up-coming T-Day dinner we were promised. His good friend, Carla, said she’d bring us a Greek lemon soup with lamb meatballs. 

But that day dawned with some real excitement. Thomas woke and wanted to get from his recliner where he sleeps, to his wheeled steno chair where he sits to work. He’s done it a thousand times, and saw no reason, even though he’s lost quite a bit of strength, why he couldn’t do it himself and let me sleep. Something happened and as he started the transfer, the chair got away from him and he fell to the floor.

Naturally, I was sleeping on the sofa, 5 feet away, as he fell, he started hollering for me to call 911 so the medics could come and lift him back into his recliner. No way could I lift him. The sudden awakening, the confusion, the adrenaline rush–I jumped out of bed, found my phone, called 911, and unlocked the door so they could get in. I stood by his recliner and when Dispatcher hung up, I fainted. I haven’t done that in years. So, Thomas is on the floor, at the north end of the room, and I am on the floor at the south end of the room. Surely there is some sort of Feng Shui about such a symmetrical arrangement?

Anyhow, Old Auntie Lenora managed to crawl into the nearest chair. The medics came. They lifted Thomas up and put him back in his chair, then came for me. I kept telling them I was fine, they ignored me. They took my blood pressure. Well, they tried to, I didn’t have any (it was 50 over something), they pricked my finger, and I was not low on sugar, in the meantime, I really didn’t feel too good. But I was feeling better. They called the hospital, and the dr. said to bring me in. So, I had a free ride to the ER and didn’t have to wait in the lobby;-) Well, free until the bill comes.

Once I was safely in the hospital, the guys confessed, they were sure I was having a heart attack. I wasn’t. They took a quart or two of bodily fluids through an IV, and the dreaded wee cup found in all hospital restrooms, checked me out, and about 3 hours later, released me to go home. It appears I fainted. Well, dohhh…

Got back to Thomas’s and spent most of my afternoon supine on the sofa. Carla came and fed us. OMG! I simply must get the recipe. I’ve had some sort of Greek lemon soup in years gone by and didn’t care for it, but this was to die for!

Believe me, that was enough excitement for both of us. And Thomas promised not to try that transfer again without help!

When I drove over, the only snow I came across was between Yakima and Cle Elum. Snoqualmie pass was bare, dry, and sunny. In fact, when I got to the end of my trip, I had 6 feet of sunshine on top of my car! When I decided to come home, there was a snowstorm in the pass, and chains were required unless the vehicle was AWD. Alas, Big Red is not AWD, and I don’t have chains. Couldn’t put them on if I did. So, I decided to drive an extra 175 miles and go south to Portland, then east to Hermiston, then north to Kennewick. It was a nice drive, took about 7 hours, but the only snow I saw was on the trees left over from a few days earlier. The day after I got home, the pass was bare and wet. Sigh.

Photos of the Week:

Alas the photo doesn’t do it proper–the sun was on the tree and it just glowed red, like it was on fire
Snow Stars

Books of the Week:

Can you believe I didn’t read a book while I was gone 😉 I did read a bit more of Travels With Charley by Steinbeck, but that’s all.

Movies/TV shows of the week:

We watched at least one movie just about every night. 

PBS: Native America. This is a 4-episode series, and we watched one per night. Very interesting and enjoyable.

Netflix: Lucid Dreaming. A K-Drama (movie) about a man whose son is kidnapped, and he finds him through lucid dreaming. Great fun.

Netflix: Kingdom: Ashin of the North. Another K-Drama (movie) about a young girl who is the only survivor when her village is destroyed and all in it killed, and how she goes after vengeance. Very well done.

Netflix: The Old Guard. 2020 American superhero movie starring Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, and others. We loved this one. Four Immortal’s discover a fifth Immortal who isn’t all that keen on it, fight scenes are well choreographed, the evil dude is superbly evil, and we can hardly wait for the sequel next year. We laughed at the fight scenes. Terrific.

Netflix: Chocolat. Oh, if you haven’t seen this movie, or if it’s been a while, watch it all over again for the first time. It is as delightful as the last time I saw it. Dame Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, and others. It’s a marvelous movie, well worth your time.

Netflix: Slumberland. Primarily a movie for adults to watch with their kids, but we enjoyed it no end. A girl is orphaned at age 11 or so, and becomes the ward of her stuffy uncle whom she’s never met. She wants her Dad back. (Presumably Mom died years ago, she was raised by Dad) and in dreaming, she meets a character her dad told her about and they set out to find a secret map and the pearl that will grant their wishes. Jasan Momoa is marvelous as the Outlaw, Flip.

Netflix: Sand Storm. This is an Israeli drama about a Bedouin family living in a settlement/ghetto in Israel. The sand storm is not an haboob. It is the family. The oldest girl learns to drive from her father, she goes to school, she dreams of taking control of her life and marrying a boy from school, a boy of her choosing. The family have other plans. Father brings a second bride into the mix, mother is not happy, father agrees to marry his daughter to the son of a friend, none of the females are happy. The movie is well worth the time to see it. There is humor, there is pathos, the ending is correct.

Netflix: Mudbound. This movie is a 2017 historical drama that takes place in the Mississippi delta of the deep south, primarily just after WWII. About an African American family and a Euro American family who are tied to the same land. Two veterans, one white, one black, return from the war, each to his own family. They have served with honor; they have grown past the racism of their families. This movie should be seen by all. It is not a feel-good movie, American Noir, I think. If you watch nothing else on this list, watch Mudbound. Then watch Chocolat and feel better.

Amazon Prime: Columbo. YES! Thomas had never seen the old series, so we started with S1, E1, and got as high as E9 before I came home. This series has held up remarkably well. I have no idea how many times I’ve seen the episodes, Not sure I’ve ever seen them in order, and I shall have to continue. 

We enjoyed all the movies. Even Mudbound, though it is dark, it is necessary. Things haven’t changed so much. 

My Winter Gift from me to me came while I was away. I now have the complete Babylon 5 series, the movies, and Crusade all in a boxed set. I had just finished watching Crusade, again, when I decided to see if I could get Bab5. I could, and I did. Yes, I now have two sets of Crusade, a spin-off of 13 episodes. I’m so sorry the powers that be were so short-sighted they cancelled it when they did. It would have been a tremendous series.

Happy Holidays

to you all. I know many of you celebrate different holidays this winter season, and not wanting to offend any of you by mentioning one without all the others, I wish you the warmest and most joyous holidays of your choice/worship. 

Hey! I’m Higher than Tennyson or Neruda or even Bukowski!

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Weather for the Tries: 

Beats me. I’m gonna be gone until December. Check your phone or computer 😉

Hey! I’m Higher than Tennyson or Neruda or even Bukowski!

Well, I’m on top of them, anyhow. See photo below. This is a status a friend of mine wrote about reading the Bride’s Gate. I did ask him what he does with the torn off pages—give to his wife? Fold into paper airplanes and fly out the attic window? Mail them to a friend? He ignored me. But he did give me permission to quote him, and use the photo.

“A bit more news based on my progress with your book? Bride’s Gate has become my favorite tear-off calendar. I jump around like a horny jackrabbit. It is not a book to occupy a vertical position on my bookshelf. Bride’s Gate is placed on its side atop a Pablo Neruda collection, a book of Tennyson’s poetry, partly covering Naked Lunch by Bill Burroughs. That about covers the length of your book. I wondered aloud to the Pittsburgh winds (howl, not how) Lenora likes her company on my bookshelves… I have taken a picture of your literary superiority on the shelf, as you can see. I view Bride’s Gate as a special kind of achievement, suitable for both writers and those who read, and hopefully BOTH. A piu tardí, Giulio (It just means—Later, Giulio”

Giulio is a poet of some renown, and I’m thrilled we’re friends. He has a marvelous book out, The Color of Dirt. 

And, now for the news. You probably noticed this is a more or less truncated post. I’ve been uber busy the last few days as I’m getting ready to head over to the Dark Side until December. I’ve been keeping my weather eye tuned to the Snoqualmie Pass, and think I’ll be just fine going over on Tuesday. (Famous last words?) I am going to visit my Poetry Mentor or if you prefer, my Elder Brother of Choice (EBOC). At any rate, I’m hoping to get some poetry written, and help him with some projects. Which means, I probably won’t get any blog posts written while gone.

Enjoy your vacation. Go play in the snow. Write a poem. Take an extra nap. Visit a friend. Bake some cookies. Lots of cookies. You’ll have the time, now.

PHOTO of the WEEKs

And look where he placed my humble little book on his book shelf;-)

Monday, today, I will finish packing, load the car, finish baking, and snuggle extra with Sammy, who will stay and keep Housemate company.

A “Grave Betrayal of Trust…” or, A (Mild) Rant on a Few of my Least Favorite beings

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Weather in the Tries: 

Looks like the next week or so are going to be cloudy, or partly cloudy, with a couple nights dropping below freezing, though most will be in the med-to upper 40s. The days will be in the low 60s all the way down to 50. Great walking weather. Great reading weather. Great weather to sit around and eat chocolate bon bons while drinking your favorite libation. 

A “Grave Betrayal of Trust…” or, A (Mild) Rant on these, a Few of my Least Favorite beings: (Sure, you can sing that title in the voice of Julie Andrews.) 

I can’t help but wonder if Justice Alito is so dense he doesn’t see the irony in his quote. I think he is.

He was whining about the leak of his draft to overturn Roe v. Wade. He said it was a “grave betrayal of trust by somebody, and it was a shock.” No sh*t, Sherlock! Do you know what else was a “grave betrayal of trust”? The fact that so many Justices lied to the American public and the Senate when they said that Roe v. Wade was “settled law,” was the precedent for the last fifty years, but suddenly they got religion, or revenge, and none of that made any difference. If you don’t want an abortion, you don’t need to have one, unless you were dating Herschel. It was your choice. Your body.

THAT was a “grave betrayal of trust,” and it is no wonder the public has lost so much of the trust in this illegitimate SCOTUS. And yes, I think they are Illegitimate. Not only have they raped the females of this country, but they have also broken one of the oldest and most revered of our laws. They have begun dismantling the wall between Church and State. They have approved the spending of taxpayer money for religious schools. They have approved of prayer in public schools and events.

Forty thousand comedians out of work, and we’ve got Alito et al. Sorry, I didn’t mean to rant, but Alito’s comment was too good to pass up.

Now, on to other irritating things in the news. E. Jean Carroll is suing the O.P. for defamation of character. She was a woman of some power, and liked, and probably got invites to parties he could only salivate over. But he, too, had power. And he saw/sees no reason not to use it. He keeps saying he didn’t rape her, “she’s not my type.” And I keep getting wrapped around the axle because I have heard NO ONE refute that. Rape is not about sex. It is not about type. It is about one thing and one thing only—power. The rapist has it, and the other person doesn’t. I say “other person” for a reason—rape is not just a female issue though most of it is. Rape goes on in prisons, and POW camps, and any time a person of power wants to use it. Look at Ukraine today. We hear about the women who are raped, but we don’t hear about the male prisoners who are raped. 

And just when you thought it was safe to go trick or treating, Home Depot has a very scary new ornament. A nine-and-a-half-foot tall animated immortal werewolf with animatronics. He’s all yours if you can afford him, and control him. I think he’s just what Patricia Briggs and Anne Bishop need for their respective yards. What do you think? Go here to see the cutie pie. Be sure and watch the short video. (Can’t help but wonder if Dick Wolf had something to do with this?????—listen to the howl.)

As you have by now figured out, I’m not a great fan of SCOTUS as a whole. SCOTUS individually, some; as a whole, none. So, when I saw that Ms Barrett is writing her memoir, and over 500 people have signed a petition to Penguin Random House asking they not publish it, my first thought was why not? True, if she’s as honest and forthcoming in her book that she was with the Senate, it could be the breakout fantasy novel of the year. But here’s the thing. I hate censorship. I see no use of it. I see no use of Ms. Barret, either. If her book is published, I won’t buy it. I also won’t check it out of the library. That’s how to censor her book. Do. Not. Buy. It.

And I won’t say anything about Ginni’s husband who is, single handedly and all by himself, trashing any good will Americans who love our country might still hold for our Judicial System. No, I won’t. Ginni’s husband deserves no mention in my pages. For that matter, neither does she.

On censorship, there are two forms I approve of: 1. Parents have the right and the responsibility to censor what their children read. They also have the right and responsibility to tell them why they do not want their children to read certain books until they are older. Or, to use an “adult” book as a teaching moment. Let them read it, then discuss it with them. It’s pretty hard to censor a high school kid’s reading or gaming without a few good reasons. I am so grateful my kids were grown and gone before all the gaming came about. They game now, but they’re no longer my responsibility 😉 and, 

2. National Security and Classified Documents. If you don’t have a need to know, and the ability to keep your mouth shut, you don’t get to see them. And you for sure don’t get to take them home with you at night and store them where they shouldn’t be stored. And even if you do have the power and right to declassify them, there are still prescribed steps to be taken. You can’t just wave your magic Happy Meal Box over them and say, “Abbra cadabra you’ll all declassed now,” and make it so. 

When I worked in the Military and The Boeing Company, I had clearances. When I worked at The Boeing Company, I was on the AWACS program, and that was lots of fun. I was a Technical Illustrator, and my uncle loved to hear what all I was doing, and it was great fun to tell him. Then, one day, I had a classified drawing to work on. When I saw my uncle a tad later and he asked what I’d been working on, I had to stop and think, was that the classified drawing, or was it that one? “Oh,” said I, “same old stuff.” 

Photos of the Week:

Because y’all have been so patient, here are four taken in the last few days. All right outside our apartment.

The Virginia Creeper is creeping. These are ‘new’ and not turned red, yet.
This is the mature, or red ones
The irrigation water, which is what feeds our ponds has been turned off, and the pipes blown for the winter, so there is no movement unless the wind is out there–or raindrops pock the water for rings.
The pond with reflections. Lots of red over on the far right. Not sure if it’s flower or Virginia Creeper.

Books I’ve read and reviewed are at: http://lenoragood.blogspot.com

My bad, I did not get my reviews written, and I have now added The Stroke of Winter by Wendy Web to the list. A great fun ghost story that takes place in a snowy winter. 

Movies/series I’ve watched and reviewed are at: https://rainydaysmovieoftheweek.blogspot.com

Several years ago, Favorite Daughter gave me the complete 13-episode series of Crusade, a spin-off from Babylon 5. I am watching it again, Just watched Disc 1, and I gotta say, Peter Woodward is as easy on the eyes now as he was then. For that matter, his dad was/is pretty easy on the eyes, too. (Just because I’m on a diet doesn’t mean I can’t look at the menu!). I vaguely remember other people in the series. I think there’s a couple of guys besides Daniel Day Kim (also easy on the eyes) and a couple of female characters. Great fun, if you’re a fan of Space Opera. The gal who is a member of the Thieves Guild is marvelous (Carrie Dobro). Oh, I’d forgotten the humor. Lots of chuckles.

News: 

Jerry Lee Lewis died on Friday, 28 Oct 22. I don’t know what he was like as a person, but oh my, he was grand as a singer. He had energy and joy and shared it with any who were interested. (If there’s an afterlife, which I seriously doubt, I hope he got to take his piano with him, and that’s where I want to go.)

Earworms:

Great Balls of Fire and a Whole Lotta Shakin’

and here he is at Wembley. 

Quotes from “the Killer” himself (Jerry Lee Lewis):

“My momma always said, “You and Elvis are pretty good, but y’all ain’t no Chuck Berry.”

“I work to please my audience.”

“You’ve got to walk and talk with God to go to heaven… I have the devil in me! If I didn’t have, I’d be Christian!”

“I’m going to Hell, I’m going there playing the piano.”

And for a Special Halloween Treat from the house of my SOC n BOC* to me to YOU, I introduce Benedict the Sweet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_XPHtTWm2s (*Sister/Brother of Choice). Can you tell they’re both retired engineers?

Sammy sends two barks, three pupkisses, and a whole lotta shakin’ to you all. Have a marvelous Halloween, and remember, you must eat all your candy tonight or the Great Pumpkin will claim it as his!!!

A “Grave Betrayal of Trust…” or, A (Mild) Rant on a Few of my Least Favorite beings

A “Grave Betrayal of Trust…” or, A (Mild) Rant on a Few of my Least Favorite beings

Creams? Cosmetics? Botox?

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Weather in the Tries:

Wowser!! Fall has done fell. Highs will be 60-61 and lows 43 to 38. It got cold enough the other night that I couldn’t sleep. Turned on my sheet warmer and it didn’t come on. Figured out the next day I was pushing the Off button. Sigh. We also had rain a couple times, but nothing is on the schedule, rain wise, this coming week. However, there will be clouds, so who knows? If one leaks, we’ll have a bit of wetness, which the Brave Dog DOES NOT LIKE!

Addendum to the Weather: Hoo Boy! Do we have rain. It was not forecast on my phone, but is now. If you live in the Tries, carry a bumpershoot and or rain gear with you. Sammy is sad.

Creams? Cosmetics? Botox?

It got noticeably colder, both at night and during the day. I was grateful for my leather jacket, and the heavy-duty hoodie my elder brother of choice (EB)C) gave me. It is way too big for me, but it’s warm!  I can wear it inside and or outside. And, I suppose, if I wear it with the hood up, I’ll get funny looks from passers by;-)

Found a really fun site today (remember, I’m writing/posting this on Sunday), Goodbye Crop Top. It’s written by Wendy, in “response to a profound lack of women my age across the media landscape. I was 49 years old at the time and I noticed it was a rare thing to see women over 40 portrayed in a positive way in print, on television or across social media platforms.” She goes on to say that “Goodbye Crop Top is really just a metaphor for what to let go of and what to hold onto.” 

Wendy even has podcasts for women over 50, which is not the new 40. Well, she’s still a heckuva lot younger than Auntie Lenora who is staring at 80 and on the downhill side, picking up momentum as she goes. I think the brakes are gone. But I like Wendy’s attitude. I’ve read some of her posts, and hope you will also give them a read.

I’ve watched/read many of the ads touting this or that to get rid of wrinkles, reverse aging, and anything else they can use to guilt us from enjoying our age. Hey! I’ve earned those wrinkles. They’re my friends. I’ve even named some of them. Get rid of them? That would be like getting rid of friends. Shoot them with a needle full of botulism toxins? Paralyze my face so I can no longer smile, laugh, move my eyebrows to full advantage. Just so I can convince myself I’m not almost 80? Fuggedabout it! So what if I suddenly look 10 years younger? I’m still a Crone. 

I know a lot of women are worried about growing old, especially when the estrogen quits flowing and our bodies change, and we are no longer the sex kittens we used to think we were. We have entered the era of Crone. And I think that’s a great age in which to be. Nobody takes us seriously. But what the heck, did they ever? We can’t get pregnant 😉 (Been there, done that. And don’t want to repeat it!) No matter how hard I try, I’ll never have a body like Cher, so why not just relax and enjoy the one I’ve got? And wear clothes I like and that I’m comfortable in. 

I can even wear purple and red togetherreams. And I do! And I eat pickles and bread. For those of you who have never read Warning by Jenny Joseph, or who have forgotten it, it begins, “When I am an old woman I shall wear purple” I believe it is still under copyright, so please go here to read it all the way through.

So, if you’re worried about looking older, give up your crop top and laugh! The crop top was never your thing, anyhow. I’m sorry, I know I wasn’t supposed to tell you… Stop buying all those potions and do-called beauty and anti-aging things. You’ll have a lot more money and you can spend it on important things—like books!

Books I’ve read and reviewed are at: http://lenoragood.blogspot.com

Finished The Raven Song: A Novel (A Conspiracy of Magic Book 2) —by Luanne G. Smith. I read book one, The Raven Spell some time ago, and loved it, and found this book to be great fun. I also read and thoroughly enjoyed The Vine Witch. The Raven Song is book 2 of a 2-book series. I really think you should read them in order, though, if you read a lot of fantasy, you might be able to read them backwards and not get too lost.

Movies/series I’ve watched and reviewed are at: https://rainydaysmovieoftheweek.blogspot.com

Kagemusha: The Shadow Warrior, 1980 directed by Akira Kurosawa. It’s a War story, and as I knew who one of the players in the war was, I was pretty sure I knew how it would end, but it was as to be expected from Kurosawa: wonderful! My biggest problem was Toshiro Mifune wasn’t in it. No real eye candy. Sigh. It really was a bit of a shock not to see him, as he and Kurosawa made 16 movies together. I think I’ve seen most of them. And I think Mifune could have played Tokugawa wonderfully—he did in Shogun;-) (Actually, in Shogun, he played Toronaga who was based on Tokugawa.)

I will get the reviews of The Raven Song and Kagemusha up in the next few days. As I told the people in my writing group when they wanted to know what happened next, “Patience, Grasshopper.” How many of you know who Grasshopper was?

Sammy doesn’t know, so don’t bother trying to sneak the question to him. He’s too young! And I seldom let him watch TV. Gives him nightmares when he sees the other dogs. And the ad out now where the wolf goes to Grandma’s door and snarls and Red opens the door and gives him a squeaky toy, well, Sammy hid his eyes at the wolf, but the squeaky toy sent him under the bed. I don’t think he had any toys when he was a puppy or was allowed to play. He’s terrified of anything that squeaks, and toys and balls are all given a dirty look and a wide berth.

Wrong Question

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Wrong Question:

I opened a news story and was immediately assailed with a black box in the center that said something similar to: “We notice you’re blocking ads. Do you realize that’s how newspapers generate the most income?” Yes, actually, I do. However, I believe the proper question would have been something along the lines of: “Why are you blocking ads?”

Oh, had they invited a reply, they might have had to hire someone to read them? Or send them to the junk file? I dunno.

I don’t mind ads that sit there and calmly and quietly show themselves. I frequently click on them if they interest me, and sometimes I make a purchase. But when they constantly move, flash, or get larger smaller larger, etc., I click on the little box to block it. I have tried contacting the company that puts the ads out to tell them why, but they insist I use a valid business email address. Obviously, they know they are irritating.

When I learned to drive, one of the vision tests I went through was for peripheral vision. The guy tested me a few times because he couldn’t believe how good mine was. It’s decreased a wee bit, but not all that much. And I find ads that are supposed to catch my eye by blinking and flashing and being annoying do. And if I ignore them, I feel like I’m getting motion sick. What I’d like to see is another ‘button’ to click on those ads that just freezes them. At one time, I could hit the Esc button on my keyboard. I can still do that, but it doesn’t do anything, at least not to the ads.

On a different topic, back to Ian and some sadness. One of my sisters of choice bought us matching tee shirts from Bert’s Bar & Grill in Matlacha, FL. They were printed after Charley and primarily meant for those of us who went thru it. Bert’s had some damage from Charley but was still there. Saw on the news that the only thing showing of the place now are the pilings. The owner looked around and couldn’t see where it flew, or floated,  to. He said the wind went under it and lifted it, but I imagine the wind and surge worked in concert. There was nothing left of the area but rubbish. My SOC says there are no whole buildings left on the island. Many are totally gone, all are damaged.

I asked my Port Charlotte neighbor to walk by my old house and see how it survived. I’m hoping the damage was minimal. I’m really curious about the survival of the cage over the pool. The screening is gone; I hope the framing is okay. The framing was built to withstand 155mph winds.

Photos of the Week:

This is my old house in Port Charlotte, Florida, after Ian. My first thought was their solar panels survived, but I was quickly told it was the tarp, and I thought maybe I should enlarge the picture. It looks like the screen door is still there, so I’m hoping the front porch is still caged. The pool’s cage is all that screening next to the tarp on the grass. I hope the cage itself survived. I may write them and ask. Photo by Ginger Abraham
I won’t swear to it, but I believe the red leaves are Virginia Creeper. It’s a beautiful, albeit invasive and toxic, vine. Once the green leaves have dropped, I’ll pull the creeper down. Right now, though, tis a bit of color to liven the bush. And to make it fun, the Wonderful Wordy Web says it is invasive or non-invasive, that the poison is lethal or non-lethal. It’s impossible to control once it gets a root hold. Along a back fence it will be gorgeous, as long as kidlets and dogs leave it alone.

Books: Books I’ve read and reviewed are at: http://lenoragood.blogspot.com

Alas, no reading. Yeah, I know. Very odd for me, eh?

Movies: Movies/series I’ve watched and reviewed are at: https://rainydaysmovieoftheweek.blogspot.com

This past week, I have been fighting the Father of All Colds, and thought the cold could be put to use in binging my beloved K-Dramas. I finished the first season of The Extraordinary Attorney Woo, and now have to wait until 2024 for season two. No, that is not a typo. So I found a 6-episode series and binged it on Saturday—The Sound of Magic. I loved it. Perfect binge!! I was a little concerned that the Magician would show how the tricks were done, but he didn’t. You see, I may be old, but one of the things I’ve always loved and choose to believe, is magic. I don’t want to know how it’s done. And yes, I still believe in Santa Clause, too. 😉 

Earworms: 

For whatever reason, I just don’t want to listen to music. Probably because my ears are plugged, and my brain cells just aren’t functioning all that rapidly? I dunno.

Public Service Announcement:

For those of you who are calendar challenged: Christmas is coming! December 25. Time to start collecting those presents, and if you know anyone who is or was a caregiver, consider this:

Storms of the Inland Sea: Poems of Alzheimer’s and Dementia Caregiving, Paperback, 198 pages, $18.95 and yes, I have a poem in there. Many thanks to Margaret Stawowy and Jim Cokas for putting this book together and for accepting my poem.  

The Brave Dog (that would be Sammy) and I (that would be Auntie Lenora) wish you all a really truly wonderful week. Sunny weather, unless you’re in drought, then I hope you get Seattle type rain—soft, and soaking into the ground. None of that Florida type rain where it dumps and runs and floods. And remember, when you get up in the morning, to look outside. If you’re looking down at the grass, you know it’s gonna be a good day!!!

One Podcast Two Conversations

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Weather in the Tries: 

Only one day in the 80s this coming week. The rest are in the 70s, and the lows are dropping to 43, with most in mid 40s and two at 50. The sun will be shining every day, though Friday will be partly cloudy. Or partly sunny, depending on how you like it.

One Podcast Two Conversations

I seldom listen to podcasts or books on tape, but come December, when I join the gym and will be doing a lot of walking on the treadmill, I think I’ll learn to like them. At any rate, my Cousin sent an email some time ago, asking me what my thoughts were on language and thinking. Specifically, I believe he asked if I thought our thinking was limited by language. I didn’t really have a clue. Although I know people who speak more than one language think about a lot of things differently that I, a one language person, think. So my simplistic answer was yes, I think our language limits our thinking.

Anyhow, Cousin sent me this podcast, one of the series by Hidden Brain. The first was a little longer than the second. Lera Boroditsky is the a cognitive scientist and studies how the structure of the languages we speak can change the way we see the world.  The second conversation is with linguist and author John McWhorter, who shares how languages evolve, and why we’re sometimes resistant to those changes.

I found both of the conversations fascinating. And the background music was low enough it stayed in the background and was not irritating. Please take the time to listen and hopefully enjoy, these two conversations at: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/14f37f6e-7952-4454-a474-d54cbb7a3d06/episodes/6b1f7f72-c94c-4194-9e46-71bcd1bbc45b/hidden-brain-watch-your-mouth?refMarker=dm_wcp_af_r&ref=dm_sh_JqCQ0csPxsM0HH34oeXdJANab

Books: Books I’ve read and reviewed are at: http://lenoragood.blogspot.com

I read Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie. I was feeling a deep sadness, not sure why, but decided to use it to spend a lazy day and read. I read the book in one day. I’ll try to get the review up in the next day or two, I’m still not sure how I think about it. It’s a tragedy that would due the Bard proud, I think, but I couldn’t put it down. I kept hoping for the HEA, but it didn’t come. I do hope there is a sequel, that closes some of the open doors, but not sure I can buy and read it. If you’re the king of person who can feel better reading about other people’s problems that are worse than yours, you’ll love it. That ain’t me, Babe, no, no, no, that ain’t me. Babe. (HEA Happy Ever After)

Movies: Movies/series I’ve watched and reviewed are at: https://rainydaysmovieoftheweek.blogspot.com

Love and Honor came yesterday, and I just watched it again. I am so happy to now have the entire samurai trilogy. Alas, I haven’t watched any more episodes of The Extraordinary Attorney Woo. I hope to get back to it this week. But, in my defense, I have worked on a couple of poems and have started a short story. I’m trying to keep it under 1000 words, but I may have to up it to something like 2500.

So there it is, my week. Incredible sadness for no known reason, and incredible joy at my new movie. The joy always wins so this nothing to worry about. How can I stay sad when I’ve got this adorable dog to keep me smiling? 

Sammy wishes you a great week, and one without those terrible awful Zombie leaves that charge over the parking lot and sidewalks looking for dog brains to eat. Ewwww. Who’d want to eat dog brains? And I wish you a fantastically wonderful week where you accomplish everything you want to accomplish, go to bed every night with a smile on your face, and wake every morning with the same.

Any day you wake and are looking down at the grass is a good day!

From Charlie to Ian

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Weather in the Tries: Looks like our week will be another gorgeous day in Paradise. Sunny most days, highs in the low 80s and upper 70s. Nighttime lows high 40s to low 50s. Air quality should be good most days, and no serious winds. BTW, back in 1962, we had a hurricane come up the northern coast of California, Oregon, Washington. and British Columbia. It wasn’t called a hurricane then (who would expect one in the Pacific NW and in October to boot). On the Pacific side, she was a typhoon named Freda and she slammed us on Columbus Day, 12 October 1962. 

As you probably know, I usually write this a day or two ahead, then schedule it Sunday night for Monday morning. I started this on Wednesday and finished it in the days following. 

From Charlie to Ian:

In 2004 I moved from the southern Oregon coast (Myrtle Point) to Port Charlotte, Florida. I think I moved in May. In August, Hurricane Charlie danced through town. And it was not a particularly dainty dance, as he was a high Category 4. The anemometers gave up at winds of 155 mph.  Two more steady or sustained mph and it would have been a Category 5. Charlie was a skinny dude, about 35 miles wide by man oh man, he danced so fast we hardly knew he was there before he was gone. Okay I exaggerate a smidge more than a tad. Those of us who went through it, knew when Charlie came through. He was loud, he was ill-mannered, and did not clean up after breaking as much as possible. But he was fast. He travelled at 13mph, if my memory holds. He did a lot of damage, but not nearly as much as he coulda done at, say 3mph.

Welcome to Florida, he seemed to say. I remained there for one year fifty-one weeks. Yeah, one week shy of two years found me on the road heading back to the great Pacific Northwest!

Last week, I heard that Tropical Storm Ian was becoming a hurricane, heading up the Caribbean. Then the dreaded words, “It’s heading up the west coast of Florida to Tampa Bay.” No, said I to myself. The waters in Charlotte Harbor are warm and will sing its siren song. Ian will cut across Sanibel and go right up the Harbor, devastating as much as possible. I’m so sorry, I was right. He went up the coast, hit Naples, Sanibel Island, Fort Myers, Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte. Ian was angry about something. He was about 500 miles across, Charlie would have fit in Ian’s eye with room to spare. And by the time he made landfall, he had slowed from 10mph to 8mph, and was thought to go even slower, to 3mph. I don’t know if he slowed that much once his eye was all on land or not.

I still have friends in Port Charlotte. My Twin let me know she was okay as she and my brother-in-law were north up in Cape May. Today (Wednesday) she let me know she’d talked to a couple of our mutual friends and they’re okay, but that Port Charlotte is a mess.  Unfortunately, I haven’t heard from a couple of friends who live in Port Charlotte and hunkered down for the ‘cane.

When Charlie came, we didn’t have time to evacuate or head to shelter, we were pretty much forced into hunkering down. And those shelters that were open weren’t allowing pets. Leave my cat? Alone? While she gets carried off to Oz? Uh, no, I don’t think so. I put all her stuff—food, water, box, blanket, in my bathroom (inside room, no windows) and then my housemate and I stood at the back window/sliding doors (in the lee of the wind) and watched our world blow away. 

The scariest part was when the porta potty that was outside at the neighbor’s house (being built) was picked up and blew up the street, I was concerned that it might come through my living room window, but it went to the empty lot across the street and was gently set upside down among the palms and trash pines. 

The worst that happened to my house was the cage in back was destroyed. (Cages are the screened in areas usually over pools). And a bunch of junk was dumped into my pool, mostly tree limbs. I was very fortunate. We got the junk out of the pool, and out to the road where it was picked up in a couple days. Power was out, but the streets were clear. Verizon brought in a truck and anyone without power could bring their phone down and get it charged free, regardless who their carrier was. We helped each other. FEMA came through within a couple weeks. The National Guard checked on us daily, brought us bottled water and packaged food. (No Meals Ready to Eat), the Red Cross came when the Guard left. We helped each other. We got to know our neighbors, if we didn’t already know them. (One of the really neat things of living in Florida was the garbage was picked up twice a week. And people would put things they didn’t want with a sign that it was free, and if no one took it, the garbage folks did.)

Packed away in Shed 54 is a piece of Styrofoam insulation from a mobile home over a mile away. I don’t know which home, but the nearest park was over a mile away.

Insurance was reasonably priced, and I believe most people had it (if they had a mortgage, they had insurance!) when I was there. Now so many companies are bankrupt, or just no longer underwriting home insurance for hurricanes and flooding. People can’t afford it when they get it, and if one has a mortgage, the mortgage holder will get it, at a premium price. Not sure how to fix that. One of the things I think should be looked at is the barrier islands on all coasts. When they are left alone, they usually have lots of vegetation, and they act as a buffer to the mainland. As the vegetation is cut down, and homes and roads are built, they no longer serve as a buffer, just very pricey real estate.

Ian was considerably larger, slower, meaner, nastier. I’m willing to bet the streets are in worse shape, and it’s harder to check on people than in 2004. I hope neighbors are helping neighbors. People are being told to stay out of the water because you don’t know what’s in it—sewage, alligators,… And I wish my friends would check in on Facebook. In the meantime, I continue to hope they are not among seriously wounded—or the dead.

Sunday morning update: my friends checked in. She couldn’t get Facebook on her phone, but they now have power. Their house is ok, and they are ok. She’s the last little chick to check in. Mama Hen (aka Auntie Lenora) will rest easier now.

Photos of the Week:

https://www.boston.com/weather/weather/2022/09/29/hurricane-ian-photos-videos-florida/ these are still shots, the below are videos.

https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/video/first-view-of-hurricane-ian-port-charlotte-damage-from-above

https://www.foxweather.com/watch/play-5ef963f42001269

Maps show the impacts of Hurricane Ian this is a free article, and well worth the look through. https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2022/09/24/ian-storm-tracker-map/?itid=hp-top-table-main-t-2

Books: Books I’ve read and reviewed are at: http://lenoragood.blogspot.com

Belated Mornings poems by John Macker. This is a chapbook of 38 pages filled with humor, pathos, and, well, mornings. 

Movies: Movies/series I’ve watched and reviewed are at: https://rainydaysmovieoftheweek.blogspot.com

I found Love and Honor, the third of the Samurai trilogy (Twilight Samurai, Hidden Blade) online at a streaming site, LookMovie, watched it free and with no commercial breaks. Well worth the search. Then went back in to see if I could find my own copy at something less than the $95.00 at Amazon. I did. I found a used copy for under $30.00, and it should be here later this week. I will soon have all three of the movies (reviews posted above) to enjoy when I want.

In the meantime, I’m enjoying The Extraordinary Attorney Woo. A Netflix series from South Korea. This is the third k drama series on Netflix I’ve seen where the protagonist has Autism and lives in the real world and is treated like a real person. And all have been very enjoyable. The other two are: It’s OK Not to be OK, and Move to Heaven. All are full of humor, and also I think, goodness. They are not soaps in our use of the word. Speaking of, have you ever wondered where the term “Soap Opera” came from? The early radio melo-dramas were  broadcast during the day for the little housewife in her domain and sponsored primarily by various soap products.

And there you have it.  I was too busy last week watching Ian to check out earworms. I did find a couple of quotes that are pretty good, and I am listening to The HU.

Quotes by or about Jim Cantore:

“Remember to set out cookies and milk for Jim Cantore on Hurricane Eve, or he’ll leave you with no electricity for a week.”

“People asked when is a good time to worry? The answer is when Jim Cantore shows up.”

Those of you who aren’t from Hurricane Country probably don’t understand why Jim Cantore is such a god of bad weather. He works for The Weather Channel (for over 30 years) and always goes where the worst of the ‘cane will his. I ‘googled’ Where is Jim Cantore? the day before Ian was scheduled to hit Florida. The answer came up in a couple of seconds—Punta Gorda!

Have a great week wherever you are, do what you enjoy, learn a new song, and dance with Crow. And remember, People are to love, things are to use.

Healthing

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Weather in the Tries: Mostly sunny days, one day up to 86, the lowest to 75. Nights will be high 40s to low 50s. More sunny days than cloudy ones. Now, I ask you, can it get any better?

Healthing.

As many of you know, I have neuropathy in my feet and legs. Primarily in my feets. Finally found a wonder drug that helps, and I seldom have a problem any more. With the neuropathy. But, for the past few years when walking I would more often that really appreciated, have my right leg feel like it was being filled with molten lava. The leg first felt tight, like it was swelling (it wasn’t) and then the lava came. Made for shorter walks.  I’d make it home, grab a book, get more or less horizontal with my foot up, and I’d be fine. Usually about that fast.

The podiatrist said it was a nerve issue and if it got too bad, he’d send me to a neurologist or orthopedic surgeon and whichever I chose would probably send me to physical therapy first then talk about surgery. On my spine? Uh, I don’t think so. So, I thought about it, and had an appointment with my regular doctor, and told her what the other doctor said, and she said she’d send me to PT. I think I appreciate it. I tell Housemate I am dying. He says no, I am healthing. What does he know? My quads feel like they’ve been made out of jello. Lime jello at that, and everybody knows I hate lime jello. My knees feel like they’re made of lemon-lime jello. Barely a half step better than lime jello.

The PT has me doing exercises. I’m doing them. Most of them. Being an almost octogenarian and trying to do exercises is not as easy as it used to be! However, they must be doing some good, as yesterday when I got the mail, there was a package in our box for a neighbor on the 2d floor of a different building. Sammy and I took it upstairs. Sammy had NO problem with the stairs (he’s considerably younger than I am, and has four legs), and I had far less problem than usual! But when I got down on the floor a bit ago to do one of the exercises, I could not get up. Blessings upon Housemate! He got behind me and lifted me. This healthing is somewhat painful, and a lot of hard work but if I can get built up to walking long distances in a year, I’ll consider it worth the while. But it is asking a heck of a lot from an old lady.

(And, yes, I know where to find sympathy—in the dictionary between sh*t and syphilis!)

Photos of the Week:

Like I had energy to walk the dog AND take pictures? OK, here’s a couple from days gone by. The yellow flower is a Prickly Pear I took on the side of a road back in 2007 when Kay and I toured the country, and the other is fog on the Columbia River.

Books: Books I’ve read and reviewed are at: http://lenoragood.blogspot.com

Finished Brotherhood of the Wheel by R. S. Belcher and The Color of Dirt by Giulio Magrini. Hope to have all reviews posted in next couple of days.

Movies: Movies/series I’ve watched and reviewed are at: https://rainydaysmovieoftheweek.blogspot.com

Watched four movies this week. Ashes of Time Redux, Lars and the Real Girl, Twilight Samurai, and The Hidden Blade. If anyone knows where I can buy (for a reasonable amount) a copy of Love and Honor, the third in the Samurai movies by Yoji Yamada, please let me know.

My good friend Dixie recommended a K-Drama series she thought I might like, The Extraordinary Attorney Woo. She has a photographic memory and knows how to use it. She has some other issues, to. She is the first autistic person appointed to the Bar and, admittedly, I know very little about autism, so don’t know if she’s playing it “correctly” or not but I’m enjoying it tremendously. Thank you, GF Dixie 😉

I think LA Law was the first time they actually had an actor with Down’s Syndrome play a character with DS, and his girlfriend also had DS, and I believe she, too, had DS in real life. I don’t think the star of Attorney Woo is autistic, but she’s doing a good job, I think, of portraying it. What I like is the fact that this is the third K-Drama I’ve seen where one of the main characters is somewhere on the spectrum, and they are a part of the ‘real world’ and not portrayed as undesirable, or unwanted, or victims needing rescue.

And that’s it for this week. No Earworm, no Quotes.

However, I truly wish to tell you about a new way to eat ice cream. Put ice cream in the bowl. Add chocolate sauce. Still with me? Okay, next grab your jar of Chili Crisp (Housemate and I like Fly By Jing), stir with a fork, and take a fork full of the crisp and dribble on the chocolate sauce. Oh, yummmmmmm. 

Have a great week. If you can’t stay out of trouble, for heaven’s sake, don’t get caught! And don’t forget to find out where your nearest Middle Eastern bakery is, and give them some of your business. And if you want some cookies that aren’t all that sweet, try the sesame cookies or the date biscuits. Yummmmm. Every country has their own styles, and I think it’s safe to say that every area/city/town has their own way of baking and cooking, too.

Bread and Soup

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Weather in the Tries: We are, I believe, in our cooling times. The weather this past week has been in the 80s and 70s, and coming up is more of the same, but more 70s than 80s. The nights are in the 50s. Sammy is much happier sleeping under the blanket now ;-)just about all of our days will be sunny, or partly so, with 40% chance of wetness falling on Thursday. Or only 40% of the Tries will get wet? Whatever.

Bread and Soup:

Favorite Daughter and I decided to go shopping at Al Basha Market last weekend, it’s our local Middle Eastern/Mediterranean  Grocery, and carries such wonderful foods. Of course the store has the most wonderful of smells as you walk in—spices, coffees, teas, and the freezers are filled with all kinds of bread (none of them American), meats (halal), fish, and who knows what all? The guys who own it work there and are very helpful. I always try to buy at least one thing I’ve never had before, and the other day I came home with a jar of stuffed small egg plants. Yummm.

But, I digress. For whatever reason I got to wondering if we had a local Middle Eastern bakery, so looked it up on my favorite frenemy, Google. There is one in Kennewick, and it is literally right next door! So favorite daughter and I stopped there first just to see what they had. And what they had was marvelous—bread so fresh it was still warm! And all sorts of other goodies. The pistachio baklava is to die for! And I saw date things, and kunefe, which I’ve yet to try. Favorite Daughter liked hers—a lot. I finally tried the Kunefa! It is a marvelous, wonderful cheesy delight. They make theirs with sweet cheese, and a shredded phyllo dough that I understand is slightly different than our phyllo dough. Oh my oh my! Auntie Lenora gained 5 pounds yesterday, yes, it’s that good, stop and have some. The happiest 5 pounds you’ll ever wear.

Mr Al-Hayyawi putting samoon dough on the ‘record’ and his helper removing it

For me, the hit of the show is the samoon, an Iraqi bread. Unfortunately, I could probably live off bread, and having Somer Bakery so close, an easy and way too short walk, may prove to be more of a temptation than I can handle. (Somer means Civilization, and I am for sure positive they will civilize me!) The single breads cost a dollar, or $4.95 for a bag of five. Samoon is a pocket bread, like pita, but nothing like the pita from your friendly grocery store. The bread is thicker, about like a slice of our bread, and has a marvelous taste and texture. So far, I’ve had mine with olive oil and za’atar (thyme, salt, and sesame seed), with the stuffed eggplant, with scrambled eggs, peanut butter, onion jam, butter, and just plain. (I can see my friend who lived in Palestine for several years and was married to a Palestinian for 55 years shuddering and shaking her head in disbelief at how I have desecrated the almost holy bread with things I shouldn’t. Maybe she won’t read that part of the paragraph 😉 (I hope we’ll still be friends.;-) (I also like olive oil and za’atar and chipotle powder on my popcorn. She just knows I’ll pay for that eventually 😉

The oven he uses is a thing of beauty—and magic. It looks kind of like a large record turning on the player at about perfect number of rpm that produce breads instead of music. Well, the bread is a symphony for your tastebuds, so music it makes. Mr. Al-Hayyawi puts the dough on it as it turns, and when it comes around again after passing through the heated part (maybe he has tamed some small dragons? or djinn?), it’s baked and nicely browned. And also puffed up. I swear, I can gain wait just inhaling the perfume of fresh baked bread!  

They also make pies—pizza-like pies. Their pies have several different toppings—ground beef, za’atar, cheese, spinach, and all sorts of wonderful goodnesses. They are wonderful. They also have a more traditional pizza, but why would anyone want that when they could have the Iraqi pie?

The pie menu. I’ve had the Lahm bi ajeen and the Manaeesh Zatar, both are delightful. –photo by Sonja Smith

Since I like to shop local when I can, and put money back into my local economy, and prefer locally owned and operated, when possible, I know I will be putting a fair share in the new Somer Bakery, 5601 W Clearwater Ave, Unit 111, Kennewick WA 99336. They are wheelchair accessible, have free wi-fi, accept plastic, have contactless payments, and even use Apple Pay. Hours during the week are 7.00-7.00.  Weekend hours are a little shorter.

There are tables and chairs, so you may sit and eat, converse with a friend, (and dare I say that everyone in there is a friend waiting to be introduced), read a book, drink coffee or tea. If I was a bona fide food critic, I would give Somer’s 5 out of 5 stars. But since I’m just a wannabe blogger, and I make my own rules, they get 10 out of 5 stars. Don’t ask me how I do that, I just do.

The bread of heaven–samoon

Since I know a lot of my readers don’t live close enough to the Tries to visit, try the next best thing—see if you’re fortunate to have a Middle Eastern Bakery in your town, and if so, check them out. In the meantime, if you’re heading this way to check out the wineries, etc., plan a stop at Somer’s bakery. Everything goes better with good bread. It’s worth the drive. Honest. Trust me. I understand that in many areas of the Middle East, one can take their bread dough to the baker and he will bake it, then you return to pick it up.

Rolls and other yummy breads.

A link crossed my screen the other day from Cooking Professionally, with a recipe for Football Soup. Of course, I had to check it out. I was interested in whether they used brand spanking new footballs, and if so, which brand (or does it matter?), how many and what part, or if they used well-kicked footballs for tenderness. And do we use American footballs or European footballs. Are they cooked and seasoned the same?  Of course, I had to check the recipe, because to be honest, footballs in my soup just doesn’t sound like anything I really want to try, though it is a novel way to dispose of them. Now, though, I’m curious if the people who posted the recipe could be sued for lying? There is no football/soccer ball listed in the ingredients. Just the same, I’ll stick to nail soup or stone soup, thank you very much. 

In the last few days, recipes for Fairy Bread, Cemetery Cake, and Teacher’s Pet Casserole have all come across my screen. Now, I know there are those who claim fairies don’t exist, but obviously they do exist or there wouldn’t be a recipe calling for them. I mean, how could anyone make bread out of Tinker Bell and her siblings? I truly do not understand how anyone can make bread out of Fairies, cake out of Cemeteries, even assuming they just use the flowers, and not the bones, but making a casserole out of pets is too much—well, possibly if one’s pet is an alligator, but then why ruin it in a casserole when ‘gator bites are so delicious? Oh, wait. Maybe said teacher uses the student who is her pet? Oh, no. Surely not. No, it must be the guinea pig? Or???

Photos of the Week: What? You want MORE photos? Oh, alright…

My first ever samoon with some extra virgin olive oil and some zatar. There truly isn’t a better way to eat bread, but there are some different ways, which are very good, but olive oil and zatar are truly hard to beat.

Books: Remember, if I finish a book, I review and post it to http://lenoragood.blogspot.com

I’m still reading reading Brotherhood of the Wheel, by R. S. Belcher. I try to read at least one chapter a night. Sometimes, I don’t make it 😉

Earworms:

Taqsim Arabic oud music

Best of Iraqi oud Nasser Shama I can listen to this all day!

And there it is. This week’s Coffee Break Escape! Cooler nights, cooler days, everyone seems happier. And Housemate Dan and I didn’t turn the a/c on once this summer, using open windows and fans. Even Sammy Brave Dog seems happier.

25,550+ Days!!!

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25,550 Days!!!

Weather in the Tries:

Our temps are all down in the 80s & high 70s. Which is wonderful, but we have smoke, which is not, I can feel it, but will hunt down my masks and filters.

25,550+ Days!!!

2 June 1953. It must have been one of the last days of the school year, I was ten years old, so probably fifth grade? Maybe fourth, I don’t remember, but I do remember the school had a black and white television, and just the size for a moderate blue collar home to have, and they placed it on the stage in the auditorium, and each class came in for an hour or two, to watch whatever portion of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II their room was assigned. It was broadcast live all the way from London to Portland, Oregon. The picture was black and white (I already said that, didn’t I?) and so much snow it looked more like a blizzard in the Arctic than inside of a cathedral. My class was in the auditorium for the actual Coronation. I seriously doubt I was so taken with the history as I was with the television.

As I grew, I began to be a bit more aware of the Royals, and the history I watched as a kid. I never had the complete fascination with the Royal Family as some of my American compatriots have, but I’ve found them interesting from time to time. And now that the Queen has actually died (I thought she’d go one forever), I find it utterly amazing she was on the job for seventy years, 25,550 days. Actually, she was employed in the same job longer than that, I didn’t figure in leap years. She was Queen. Was she ever Mummy or Auntie, Grandmum, was she ever invited girl’s night out, or to a friend’s house for an R-rated movie and a beer? Did she ever see Shirley Valentine? Did she laugh? Did she wish she could leave like her uncle? Like Shirley?

I was in school when she became Queen, and I grew, got married, divorced, put time in the military, remarried, had two kids, divorced, worked a job until I could retire, then started working on my dream of becoming a writer. And all that time, she was Queen. To my knowledge, she never complained about it, she knew her job, and though she may not have asked for it, she knew what it was, and she knew had an obligation to the people, the crown, and I’m sure, to herself.

For 25,550 days she was, at least publicly, unflappable. And while she was Queen, she was steadfast, and always, always, proper. It must have broken her heart when Andrew’s friendship with Jeffery Epstein became known, as it must have also broken her heart when Diana and Fergie both divorced her sons. And Anne, Princess Royal also divorced her husbands. It looks like Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex is still married to his first wife, Sophie Rhys-Jones.

Gads, I barely made it through my job long enough to retire, I don’t know how I would have handled being Queen of some country. Probably not well, and certainly not with the panache Elizabeth II presented the world.

It will be interesting to see how Charles III handles the job. Will he stay until he dies? Will he bring William in as an assistant to the king? It seems like an awful thing to saddle a young person with, I hope Charles spends a few years teaching William what he needs to know. But then, maybe Grandma has been doing that right along.

I have a little empathy for both Charles and William. They were raised to succeed in that job, in a way, they were raised like girls—be sweet, don’t argue, never show you’re more intelligent than a boy, learn to cook, sew, be careful how you dress, play a musical instrument, learn to be a housewife and servant to your husband, yadda, yadda, yadda. 

Photos of the Week:

These are the man-made lakes/ponds where we live. I think one reason I like them so much is they remind me of the bayous and swamplands of the Southlands. Alas, gators couldn’t live here. They’d like the summers, but not, I’m sure, the winters. Just about all the others wildlife could live here. Well, birds, and squirrel sized things, but they’d be considered invasive, but a gal can dream, can’t she?

Books: Remember, if I finish a book, I review and post it to http://lenoragood.blogspot.com 

I have started Brotherhood of the Wheel, by R. S. Belcher. Not very far into it, but so far, it’s pretty good. Got a little gruesome at the beginning, but then I remembered Golgotha did, too, so I kept reading and the next chapter equaled out quite nicely.

Earworms:

And Another One Bites the Dust

We Will Rock You

The Love of My Life

Hey, you knew I couldn’t pass up on Queen music and quotes.

Quotes from Freddie Mercury: (Farrokh Bulsara, iconic singer with a 4-Octave range! And, of course, founder and frontman of Britain’s other beloved Queen.)

“I want to lead the Victorian life, surrounded by exquisite clutter.”

“I’m hopeless with money; I simply spend what I’ve got.”

“You can be anything you want to be, just turn yourself into anything you think that you could ever be.”

And so a week has passed and the world continues to turn. The nights and days are cooling, and once again Paradise and Kennewick become synonymous. Except the smoke is moving in. Some of the masks work really well to keep the smoke out.