Making Sense of Scents

Last week I opened a new soap: Yardley's lemon verbena. I suddenly thought of Ellen O'Hara, Scarlett's mother in Gone with the Wind. 

                 ...Scarlett thrilled to the never-failing magic of her mother's touch, to the faint fragrance of                         lemon verbena sachet that came from her rustling silk dress. 

There's another line when Scarlett is reluctantly remembering the old days before the war--a whisper and a fragrance that was Ellen. Lemon verbena is described as a light, refreshingly mild, citrus scent. I'm not sure why Margaret Mitchell used lemon verbena, but a light and mild scent seems to go with the quiet presence of Ellen--the empty shell of the woman who married Scarlett's father Gerald O'Hara.

Another scent associated with a fictional character is jasmine: the scent of Josette in Dark Shadows--the television series. Jasmine is described as sensual, rich, sweet, intoxicating, exotic, and intense--appropriate to represent a love lost for hundreds of years. Of course, since Josette is a ghost, the scent of jasmine is used primarily to indicate her presence to the living. 

Lily of the valley is sweet, fresh, floral, feminine, light, and sexy. It's the scent that Tobey Heydon's husband Brose prefers. Tobey seems to regard it as run-of-the-mill. The description sounds appropriate for the heroine of a 1940's-1950's series of books for teenage girls by Rosmund du Jardin.

Scent triggers memories and scents can be an important part of characterization. I need to pay more attention to the use of scents in reading as well as my writing. 

The Second Half of the Week

I'm glad this week is over. When I got up 6:30 Thursday morning, Jeff and Lola were already up. Jeff told me Lola had been shaking. It was more of a shuddering. We had to wait hours before the vet could see Lola. It was scary.

The vet said Lola had a fever and gave her an antibiotic shot. Lola had to take it easy. We missed Dog Park Friday, and we didn't take Lola to the Norwalk Arts Festival on Saturday. Today I took her back to Oyster Shell Park.

Unfortunately, not all of Lola's problems are so easily solved. Jeff was trained to give Lola subcutaneous fluid injections. She was good for the first two injections, but on Friday, tried to fight us. We tried an injection again on Saturday and had the same problem.  Now we have to return to the vet. Lovely

Re-Thinking Morning Habits

It would be too melodramatic to say I am reimagining myself or transforming myself. It's more accurate to say I'm rethinking things. 

Let's start with my mornings. Recently I read that it's bad to have coffee first thing in the morning. I start my day with a glass of lemon water. The health benefits of drinking lemon water may be exaggerated, but a glass of plain or lemon water is better than drinking coffee first thing. Note to self: the lemons need to be fresh. I've been drinking concentrated lemon juice from a bottle.  Add lemons to the grocery list. 

I love lazy, laid-back mornings, lingering over my lemon water, coffee, emails, puzzles, and/or journaling. Sometimes I read or do writing other than journaling. The problem is I think early morning may be the best time for me to write. I often leave it to later in the day or evening. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

So I wonder how much do I have to change my morning routines. I did two weeks of time-tracking, and it will help to review those charts.

As it gets hotter, mornings also become the best time to take Lola on her long walk. Recently we've spent some mornings at Oyster Shell Park. It's a convenient location, not buggy, and there is often a cool breeze off the Norwalk River.  

I like to go to the gym in the morning. I envision a routine most days when I'll walk with Lola and then hit the gym. 

Re-thinking habits is is good, but I need to focus on my writing habits. That's the tough part. 

Midsummer Eve

Tomorrow is Midsummer Day. As I recently learned and wrote, Midsummer Day is the midpoint of the growing season. It is important to me as a special day for Cassandra Mortmain in I Capture the Castle. 

Musical Musings: Blue

The New York Times has this great article on Joni Mitchell's Blue with comments from 25 musicians on the groundbreaking album on its 50th anniversary. It's a fascinating read.

My first Joni album was Court and Spark which came out in 1974. Just Like This Train remains one of my favorite songs. 

I did get Blue later--there are so many wonderful songs on that album. I appreciated them, even if I didn't understand Joni's musical innovations.  

I saw Joni once in concert for her Both Sides Now tour. She included A Case of You from Blue as part of her set. 

Paul Simon was the first singer-songwriter whose work played a big part in my life. Then it was Joni Mitchell. Her lyrics flow throw my mind often. 

I just got out my Blue CD to listen to again.

The Return of the Frustration Dream

I had another recurring dream Saturday night. I don't think I've written about this one before. I am driving and suddenly I can't open my eyes. I don't seem particularly scared--I just think I better stop driving. Nothing really happens after that. I guess I just wake up. 

A similar dream has me in the back seat of the car without a driver.  As an added frustration--sometimes I'm naked. 

I guess these dreams symbolize a loss of control.

Last night's dreams were more practical and boring: cleaning and taking care of things with our condo super before he retires. 

Summer

Today is the Summer Solstice. In the northern hemisphere, summer begins tonight at 11:32 PM. The North Pole is at its maximum tilt towards the sun resulting in the longest period of daylight hours. I'm not crazy about heat in the 90's, but summer has its charms. To mark the day, I played this song, my favorite summer song. 

Today is also Father's Day. Jeff, Lola, and I went to Sedona Tap House for lunch--a nice day. 

From Farmer's Almanac, I learned that today is not Midsummer Day--that is June 24--midpoint of the growing season. 

Book 13: The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch by Philip K. Dick

I won't go as far as saying that I enjoyed this book--it's dark--but it's also fascinating. 

Dick's Earth is ravaged by global warming with daytime temperatures of 180 degrees. People need to wear a special cooling apparatus to venture outside. Conditions are even worse for the Colonials on Mars and other planets. Their grim existence is only bearable with the use of a drug Can-D to stimulate an artificial reality enhanced with props from Perky Pat Layouts. 

Palmer Eldritch offers another option--an alien hallucinogen Chew Z--in which Eldritch seemingly controls the artificial reality. 

The novel also explores religious and evolutionary themes. I am looking forward to reading the other two novels in the collection I got at the Pequot Library sale. 

A Late Spring Saturday

Today is Juneteenth, the first time it's recognized as an official US holiday. It's been celebrated since 1872. I've been trying to remember when I first heard of it. Maybe sometime in the last five years?

We didn't have specific plans for today except to go to the gym. We had a slow start and got to the gym around 11:30. I was a bit sore since my workout on Thursday. I never believed in "no pain, no gain." I was sore in the "I worked muscles I haven't worked in a while" kind of way. Today I worked on back, biceps, and abs and did a half hour on the bike. The bike was tough, and I felt a sense of accomplishment by completing the time.

We watched the Mets win the first half of their doubleheader, but lose the second. In between games, I took Lola to Oyster Shell Park. It was hotter and more humid than I expected. I'll get her out earlier tomorrow. 

It's a day when I wish I had accomplished more, but I'm okay with that. 

DPF

It's a beautiful evening and the first Dog Park Friday (DPF) in three or four weeks. I don't know if we'll ever return to the DPF days of 10 to 15 people. As people are emerging from Covid isolation, maybe we can create a new group.

Unfortunately Indy and Lola discovered a rabbit nest. We saw Indy with a baby rabbit in her mouth. The baby seemed unharmed, we leashed the dogs, and Chris put the bunny closer to where the dogs had found it. Fingers crossed. 

I think we did the right thing. I just read that mother rabbits only return once at night to feed their babies. 

Lola was straining on the leash to go back to where the bunnies were. I know it's instinct, but a few years ago she would have acted much more aggressively. I take some comfort in that. 

Back to the Gym

Jeff and I went to the gym today--my first time since March 16, 2020. For Jeff, who knows? I think the gym re-opened in July, but I wanted to feel more secure before returning. Our gym recently moved to a new location that's larger and lighter. Some of the equipment is new too. It's in the same shopping center as ShopRite so that's convenient. 

I did back, bicep, and ab work before doing a half hour on the elliptical. I was conservative in the weights I used and the intensity on the elliptical. I am already feeling a little stretched--that's good. 

I think we'll go back on Saturday.

A New Look

I needed to add a line or two to my last blog post. For some reason, I started looking at different ways to change the look of the theme. This is what I chose.

Midweek Musings

My last writing class was on Monday. I'm actually glad to get a break, because I need to see if I can work toward a bigger goal. I had wanted to review all my options in May and make a decision. In our last class on Monday, the theme was time, specifically the Dali painting, The Persistence of Memory. 

I wrote a story in the form of a statement after interrogation of a woman who is is Temporal, she can sense changes or manipulations in a timeline. I wondered if it could serve as an introduction to a novel at 406 words. Did it make sense?

My class liked it; I was encouraged to expand it to a novel. Wow. Then the joke: I have a month to write it before the beginning of the summer class. Tuesday, I wrote another 180 words. Well, you have to start somewhere. 

I want to bring in the Dali painting. I had an idea that the Temporals see someone/something melting around them if a time-traveler were nearby. Have to play with this image.

I'm intrigued by the prospect of this novel as a project for myself. Time for some serious writing.

Saturday Night Movie: I Tonya

Jeff and I recently watched I, Tonya. It was more of a why not rather than a must see, but I enjoyed it.    

The acting was very good. I was impressed by Mckenna Grace as Tonya at 8 to 12 years. I checked IMDB, and I've seen her in a few things--most recently The Handmaid's Tale. Margot Robbie first appeared as Tonya at 16. That was not believable: it took me out of the scenes. I wish they had hired another young actor for a scene or two. Sebastian Stan was very good, as was Paul Walter Hauser. As for Allison Janney--she was very good, but I don't think her performance was Oscar-worthy. 

I watched much of Tonya's story in real-time TV coverage. She didn't have much of a say in how she was depicted there. It appears that she was abused for much of her life and had trouble breaking out of that cycle. The media took its turn as well. 

I always had some sympathy for her as an underdog--as an outsider. No one needs yet another fairy princess.

Canine Health Update

Lola saw a canine cardiologist this week; her heart murmur was getting worse. Luckily there were no additional concerns from her echocardiogram. 

Now we can move on to deal with her gall bladder and kidney issues. Jeff is getting trained so he will be able give her subcutaneous fluid injections. 

Meanwhile, Lola is still limping, but her left hind leg is stronger. Today she made a complete loop around Oyster Shell Park, the first time in over a week. Later on a neighborhood walk, she wanted to go farther than I thought she should. I was afraid I might have to carry her home. At least, it's a good sign that she's feeling well enough to keep on walking. 

Despite everything, Lola is a happy dog. She is always smiling, and she is loved. 

TV Time: Mare of Easttown

It's been over a week since the final episode of the limited series Mare of Easttown. I've watched all the episodes at least twice. I also caught parts of two different marathons.

I had a few reasons for watching the show: Kate Winslet, Jean Smart, and the Delco accent. I grew up in South Jersey outside of Philadelphia and am familiar with the area accent, WaWa, hoagies, and cheesesteaks. 

The first episode did a good job of setting up the characters and their relationships and the various plot threads without too much exposition. I especially thought this today as I watched Episode 1 for the third time. 

In my first watch, I thought the show was very bleak. When Erin went to meet "Brendan" in the woods, I expected something horrible to happen, though I didn't predict her murder. For a brief moment, I even wondered if I should just turn the show off: it was that bleak. I'm glad I stuck with it. I couldn't stop thinking about the show. The acting was good across the board; the setting and the relationships were messy and real. 

I read many comments on Primetimer forums and stories about the show. In a way, I'm sorry I did. I read so many theories--maybe it would be have been better to let the show unfold on its own. 

Several theories were based on casting, rank in the cast listing, and listing on the HBO website. Some people had a had time believing that Guy Pearce would take a role just as Mare's love interest. It ended up that he replaced another actor at the last minute as a favor to Kate Winslet. I remember a story about Darryl Hannah. Some were speculating that she was a loser for taking a small role in Grumpy Old Men and Grumpier Old Men. Her answer: it was a good opportunity to work with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. There are many legitimate reasons other than size of the role or of the paycheck to take a particular part.

While I don't want to see a second season of Mare, I want to see more TV like it. 

The Week That Was (with photos)

This wasn't a particularly fun week. 

I had to focus on my colonoscopy. I cleaned our condo--parts of it--though I find cleaning frustrating, When you finish you just have to start over again. I also continued with purging: I took a bag of clothes, accessories, and books to the Goodwill, returned a full bottle of antifreeze to Auto Zone, and recycled a partially filled bottle as well as old electronic equipment: a bunch of things I'm glad to have done. 

Jeff and I went to the opening exhibition of The Norwalk Art Space today. It's housed in an old church that was also a carpet store. I was underwhelmed by the exhibition, but it's nice to have an art museum/performance space within walking distance. 

I've been taking Lola to Oyster Shell Park since she was injured. Because of its setup, we can't get too far from the car. Lola is still limping and moving slowly. She's even slower now because we're in the second day of a heatwave. 

Today I was psyched to see the baby swans that a friend had told me about. I had seen them last week but they were on the other side of the Norwalk River, and I couldn't get a decent photo.

Last night Lola was sitting on the couch between Jeff and me and looked happy, so I took these photos.

What a sweetie!

Mad for Decades: 50 Years of Forgettable Humor from MAD Magazine by "The Usual Gangs of Idiots"

My brother lent me this book: we were both big fans of MAD. I still occasionally break into a MAD song--like "Amoeba" sung to the tune of  "Maria" or "In Flight" sung to the tune of "Tonight" (both from West Side Story.)

Overall, the film and TV parodies didn't hold up. They seem to strain to find funny sounding names for the characters. The "MAD looks at..." and "The Lighter Side of..." features remained funny. I would have liked to see more of the song parodies.

The Fifties

I didn't read many of the parodies because I wasn't familiar with the originals. I did read Superduperman! and Starchie; neither was very good. The other selections were okay.

The Sixties

I liked the Hippie Magazine. I remembered some of the scenarios from "You Know You're Really a Parent When..." My favorite: you run out of glasses and have to start serving martinis in "Yogi Bear" mugs! The TV parodies were better: "The Man from A.U.N.T.I.E." and especially "Hokum's Heroes."  

The Seventies

None of the TV and movie parodies impressed me. "The Lighter Side of" was strong again. I liked "The White House Follies of 1977" featuring songs of the Carter Administration.

The Eighties

"The Mad Dictionary of Cliche Parental Terms", "Mad's They and You", and "Why 999 Shoppers Out of 1,000 Never Collect Those Manufacturers' Rebates" were good. For what it's worth, I found a continuity error in "The Empire Strikes Out". "Grossanne" was poor--a bunch of fat jokes. 

The Nineties

"The Lost Playground of Kids Your Parents Always Told You About But You've Never Seen Yourself" and "The Dysfunctional Family Circus" were highlights.

Book 12: Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster

I was up late last night prepping for a medical procedure today. I wanted something to read to distract me. I became familiar with Jen by her old blog, Jennyslvania. I read excerpts from her books but had never read a complete one until now. 

I didn't like Jen in the beginning of the book--she truly was the condescending, egomaniacal, self-centered, smart-ass described on the cover. But she definitely mellowed by the end. I like reading about writers getting started in their writing careers. Jen's a funny writer and good story-teller. I think the prologue was unnecessary and the book didn't need all of the stories of Jen's over-the-top shopping. 

Overall, a fun read. 

Medical To Do's: Done

Today I had a colonoscopy; it was the last thing on my medical to do list. Okay, I may need a second eye exam and a flu shot later this year, but I've finally gotten around to seeing more doctors and getting tests and inoculations. I won't go as far as saying I'm proud of myself. I should have done most of these things years ago. But, I am relieved to have my to do's checked off. 

Book 11: The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick

I heard of this book through the TV series. Jeff and I watched two seasons (I think.) The book is simpler than than the TV adaptation with fewer characters and settings. Another difference is that the TV show includes a film version rather than a novel version of The Grasshopper Lies Heavy. 

I like reading alternative histories and enjoyed this. I also liked the use of the I Ching by the characters and in The Grasshopper Lies Heavy itself. I'll be thinking about this book for a long time. 

A Mets' Anniversary

Nine years ago, Johan Santana pitched the first--and so far only--no-hitter in Mets history after 50 years and 8,020 games.

I've had no-hitters on my mind lately. I recently wrote a story in which Jacob deGrom pitches the next no-hitter for the team. 

Last night Jake had a perfect game through four plus innings. I went to bed hoping I didn't miss something special. One of the first things I did this morning was check the game results.  Jake gave up two hits over six innings. The Mets won 6-2.