As I was writing my Festivus post, I realized that yesterday was the ninth anniversary of Spike's death, and I didn't think of it yesterday.
I feel guilty about that. On the other hand, it's more important to remember Spike's life than his death. It's not like we forgot about him.
We will always love and miss him.
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The winter solstice was yesterday: the beginning of winter, and it snowed. Actually, it started snowing on Friday. Today was the coldest day of the season to date. I don't like winter. I don't think I minded it that much before. But now I worry about falling and breaking a bone--thank you old age.
Let's look at the bright side. It's going to warm up over the next few days. It's almost Christmas. Each day will become lighter. Yesterday, my neighbor's boyfriend cleared the snow off my car.
Think of the positive.
I used to think I was good at time management. Either I lost that skill or I was delusional about it. I know I'm not good at time management now. Just one example, I intended to write this post over a week ago. Instead of seizing the day, I'm just living the day passively, letting it pass me by.
This is nothing new--I should have addressed it by now. There's been a few positive steps. I'm getting up earlier. I'm avoiding my phone: i.e. my New York Times word games first thing in the morning. Instead, I've been journaling.
I know it's not nearly enough, but it's something.
I've heard of this book and the movie, but nothing I heard made much of an impression on me. In the past year or so, I read a comment on a blog about the book. Later I saw it at a book sale, but bypassed it. Last month at another book sale, I bought it.
It took me a while to get into the book, but I enjoyed it. I'm glad I didn't know more about the plot. I didn't know where the story would take me, but I never doubted that Francie would survive and thrive.
Smith writes in incredible detail that gives a complete picture of Francie's life in the Brooklyn slums in the early 20th century. Here are a few examples: Francie and her brother Neeley, as well as the other neighborhood children collect rags, paper, metal, and rubber for a trip to the junkie, who pays them pennies, adding another if a girl submits to a pinch on the cheek. Francie and Neeley put a half of any money they earn into the family's tin can bank nailed to the floor of a dark corner of their closet.
I especially related to Francie because of her love of reading and her desire to become a writer.
We've had several unseasonably cold days since Thanksgiving. Yesterday was unseasonably warm--a welcome change. Temperatures flirted with 60 degrees.
I took Jace to the Wilton branch of the Norwalk River Valley Trail (NRVT)--the east side of Route 7. We walked from the parking lot on Autumn Ridge Road to the current end of the trail on Skunk Lane.
We live about two blocks from part of the NRVT here in Norwalk. We walk part of the trail several times each week. But I wanted to give Jace a special walk for a change. It's been a long time, and it's always good for him to see a new place (or a place he hasn't been for a while) and enjoy new scents.
We both enjoyed our walk.
I'm glad for the rain today because we're still in a drought. I have to admit, however, that it complicates my dog walking schedule. This morning Jace and I got in a 45 minute walk during a break in the rain. I attempted to do that at midday, relying on the weather forecast on my phone. I wore my raincoat and still got soaked. Poor Jace. I didn't put his raincoat on, and felt like the worst mom ever. Even if Jace doesn't seem to like his raincoat, he is much more agreeable to a coat than Spike ever was.
I originally planned to go to the gym today, but decided to go tomorrow and Friday instead. I thought today would be a good opportunity to get some things done around the house. Well, that didn't happen. I mostly vegged. I guess we all need that kind of day sometime.
Two weeks until Christmas.
I ordered a dinner from Balducci's (beef tenderloin, salad, fingerling potatoes, and green beans) for Christmas Eve. Jim is coming over. On Christmas Day, it's just Jeff and me (and Jace of course.) Maybe we'll have leftovers. I decided a few years ago that it was too much to prep two fancy dinners in a row (even though I'm just reheating, not cooking, on Christmas Eve.) Part of me misses the big family Christmases. Another part of me relishes the quieter holidays. Another example of my Gemini nature.
Educated is a memoir about a young woman--Tara--who grew up in a survivalist Mormon family in the Idaho mountains. Tara's father is so extreme, his fellow Mormons discount his beliefs, such as that milk is sinful. He was also convinced the world would end with the beginning of the year 2000. Tara's father mistrusts public education and modern medicine, and does his best to keep his family isolated on the mountain where he grew up.
With assistance from her brother Tyler, Tara teaches herself enough math, grammar, and science to take the ACT. She begins her education at Brigham Young University and later attends Cambridge and Harvard.
In addition to her formal education, which includes a PhD, Tara learns to break away from the toxic members of her family who attempt to gaslight her to achieve her own selfhood.
Westover is a gifted writer: her descriptions are rich and vivid. Her writing helped me understand a life so different from my own. Maybe that's a description of a gifted writer.
The condominium had new smoke detectors and alarms installed on Tuesday. We learned today that the installer cut our wire for our Internet and land line. A technician came yesterday afternoon. He figured out the problem but couldn't resolve it. He returned today with two other workers. They made a temporary repair but apparently the entire floor will need to be rewired. Apparently, we're in the middle of a conflict between our Internet company and its contractor. Oh, joy.
It's not like we were completely cut off from the outside world--our cellphones had intermittent Internet access. We also have a radio, and, of course, could have gone to the library or a cafe for Internet access.
It was weird to be without television and consistent Internet. We've had power outages in the past, but none lasted three days. As I said to Jeff, I guess we're addicted.
I did a lot of reading over the past three days. I had already been in a reading mode over Thanksgiving weekend, so it was easy to continue. Waiting for the technician yesterday, I put up our Christmas decorations, except for the tree.
As for tonight, we're catching up of our recordings: The Daily Show and What We Do in the Shadows.
The Red Queen is Margaret Beaufort, mother to Henry VII. A bride at 12, a mother and widow at 13, Margaret devoted the rest of her life to her son, doing whatever she could to advance his claim to the English throne. In this novel, that included ordering the murders of two innocent boys (the princes in the tower.)
Gregory portrays Margaret as a religious hypocrite: constantly asserting that her ambition is God's will--including the dubious interpretation that since there was no sign, it must be God's will to kill the two princes.
I'd be interested in reading a more scholarly approach to Margaret Beaufort's life.
I've actually read seven of Gregory's Plantagenet and Tudor Novels. I read The White Queen is about Queen Elizabeth Woodville, the mother of Elizabeth of York, several years ago. In a suggested reading order and historical timeline, I should have read The Red Queen before The While Princess. Too late to remedy that now.
I won't seek out Gregory's novels, but I would like to read more about Anne Neville, The Kingmaker's Daughter.
The White Princess is Elizabeth of York daughter of King Edward IV and wife to Henry VII, the first Tudor king.
Gregory's version of Elizabeth is a far cry from the historical Elizabeth. This story begins after Richard III's fall at Bosworth Field. Here, Elizabeth is Richard's lover and is mourning his death, knowing that she will now have to marry her enemy Henry VII.
Elizabeth endures rape and humiliation, as well as intense scrutiny and suspicion from her husband and his formidable mother Margaret Beaufort. Elizabeth and Henry reach a truce and find love with one another for a brief time.
Gregory's book focuses on the threat of various pretenders to the young Tudor dynasty. The most serious was Perkin Warbeck. In this story, Warbeck appears to be the true Prince Richard, the brother of Elizabeth. It makes a more dramatic, romantic tale if Warbeck is one of the Lost Princes of the Tower.
Ultimately, Elizabeth sacrifices her brother for her sons. Her cousin Margaret Poole does something similar. By not protesting the execution of their brothers, Elizabeth and Margaret may keep her sons from harm. It's dangerous to be a York under Tudor rule.
Gregory does a good job (you won't hear me say that often) showing the suspicion, fear, and paranoia of Henry VII's court. The Tudors may have won the throne at Bosworth Field, but they had to fight to keep it.
I'm thankful for yesterday's rain (any rain recently) though it can complicate my walks with Jace.
I'm thankful that I could have Thanksgiving here and not have to travel anywhere.
I'm thankful for the Whole Foods Turkey Breast Dinners. They're good, and reheating is much easier than cooking.
I'm thankful for our Thanksgiving with my brother Jim and our friend Cynthia.
I'm thankful for my health.
I'm thankful for Jeff and Jace.
***
Today was a lazy day. I woke up early. After I walked Jace, I journaled over coffee and played The New York Times games, and read. I had left all the dishes from yesterday, and cleaned them in stages over the day. (I still have some of the crystal to wash.)
Jeff and I grazed, then ate a late lunch of turkey leftovers on toasted cranberry English muffins. More turkey with salad later.
A quiet day I didn't realize I needed.
I started yesterday feeling good about where I was in my pre-Thanksgiving cleaning. Then I drove Jeff to an acupuncture appointment.at 10 that was supposed to have been re-scheduled. The doctor was out of town all week. I guess I never recovered from that. Later I did run some errands, but barely started work in the kitchen.
Today, after I cared for the birds, I finished cleaning the kitchen, started cleaning the second bedroom, and picked up our Thanksgiving meal and a few fruits and veggies. I'm back to feeling good about my progress.
I'm surprised at how many houses are already decorated for Christmas. I even saw a decorated Christmas tree in a window the other night. Maybe it's because Thanksgiving is so late this year. It's still too early for me to decorate for Christmas.
I actually found myself thinking about getting pine cones for a Thanksgiving centerpiece. I blame the New York Times.
Vanderpump Rules, as we know it. is gone. The show will be recast with all new people. I shouldn't be surprised, but I really am. I expected a mini-season at least. I just read that Schwartz & Sandy's is closing, so it's been in my thoughts. Maybe a final VPR post?
Two days until Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving is only a week away. How did that happen?
I've been distracted from my pre-Thanksgiving cleaning by decluttering and cleaning up after Jace's accidents. But I got back to it this week.
I'm proud of myself today. I completed the toughest part of the Thanksgiving cleaning. I dusted the dining area, vacuumed before I rolled up the rug, dry and wet mopped the floors, and laid down another rug. I also cleaned our small hallway (dusted, dry and wet mopped.) Jeff calls it the Egyptian wing because that's where we display our papyri and other souvenirs.
I've ordered Thanksgiving dinner from Whole Foods, planned a simple appetizer. I'm not as organized as I was last year, but I will pull it off.
It's been raining off-and-on all day. I can't remember the last time it rained. A local radio reporter said that the last time we had an appreciable rainfall was late September. (Actually, he gave the exact date, but I don't remember that detail.)
I don't think there's been enough rain to make a difference. But, I'm thankful for any rainfall we can get.
I enjoyed this collection of 14 mystery stories by Sara Paretsky, most featuring her famous detective V.I. Warshawski. It's a nice mix of fairly straightforward stories with more complex ones. I loved reading about ten-year-old V.I. on a quest to save her father from attack. In an another story, reading about the Litvaks was like meeting old friends. I first read about them in Overboard.
Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson even make an appearance. They appear with Amelia Butterworth, an amateur detective created by American author Anna Katharine Green.
Overall, this is a fun read.
I went to Goodwill yesterday, with three liquor store boxes, two small boxes, and an extra-large trash bag filled with things uncluttered. We donated small items that didn't have a lot of meaning to us, books, picture frames, boxes, candles, jewelry, a vase. I don't remember more clearly, even though I packed it all.
It was a real eye-opener to realize that we culled all these things from a cursory look at things displayed in the living room and primary bedroom and cleaning two drawers. I've got quite a job ahead of me.
I've been looking at Baltimore area real estate listings online and asked my friend Annette to check out the neighborhood of a beautiful condo in Essex. Well, Annette went to see the condo and raved about it. She says we'll never find anything better; I should fly down to look at it.
I was tempted, but it was just too much, too soon. But I feel that the time is getting closer.
It hasn't been the best week. Sometime in the early morning on Tuesday, Jace had massive diarrhea. I spent much of the day cleaning up. I got Jace to the vet on Tuesday afternoon. I've been feeding him chicken and rice cooked in chicken broth. The vet prescribed pills too.
It's been cold in the mornings. I've been wearing a hat the last few days, and put Jace's Mets jacket on him. One thing about Jace is that he wears coats and jackets without fighting, unlike Spike.
Many people in the neighborhood have not taken down Halloween decorations. Thanksgiving isn't a big outdoor decorating holiday. I've seen a few turkeys. One house posts Peanuts inspired signs every year. A few people have put up Christmas decorations already: one with a countdown board of days until Santa arrives.
I packed up a few things today to go to Goodwill. This is just the beginning in of decluttering. I'm glad that I got started, but we have a long way to go.
I went out to eat twice last week. On Thursday, I went to lunch with friends, Marti and Elaine at Tengda in Greenwich. The food's delicious and it has parking. The last time we went to a restaurant on Greenwich Avenue, it was hard to park, and the meters only allowed quarters.
On Saturday, Jeff and I went to a new for us brewpub Sly Bandit in Wilton for a late lunch. Enjoyed some good beer with fried pickles and pulled pork flatbread.
Francisco Lindor won the Silver Slugger Award--his fourth. He deserves all the accolades for the season he's had. I still believe he's the MVP.
I bought this book for my brother, but I'm a big fan of Seinfeld too and read it yesterday. It took about an hour-and-a-half.
Most of the book is a glossary of specific Seinfeldian phrases, such as "Aggravation Installment Plan With Interest That Will Compound For Decades" as well as common terms such as "Air Conditioner" as it relates to several Seinfeld episodes.
I was surprised that there were no entrees for "The English Patient" and "Yada, Yada," Then I realized that that the book ended with the fourth season. There were nine seasons in full.
I might not have bought the book if I had realized it only covered four seasons. But, it's still a fun read.
Eleanor was a fascinating woman: Queen of France at one time as the wife of Louis VII, Queen of England at another as the wife of Henry II. At many times she effectively ruled Aquitaine and England. It's amazing how Weir created such a nuanced portrait of Eleanor from such little historical evidence.
Reading this book, I was shocked at how cruel Richard I was. It's not that I completely bought into the legend of Richard the Lionhearted from Robin Hood, but I was still surprised to read of his cruelty and vengeance.
I'm glad I read this book to learn more about these early days of the Plantagenet dynasty.
A few weeks ago, we got a new Internet and TV provider. I had to move some furniture, and in the process, I moved things on top of the furniture, such as photos, paintings, vases. Sometimes I use that kind of opportunity to re-arrange where I place things. This time, I started to think about things I could declutter--get rid of.
We've accumulated many things in 36 years here. We started by looking through things we have on display and things in a few drawers. I was really proud of Jeff for getting rid of some books. Getting rid of things goes against his every instinct.
This is the beginning. Keeping things that hold memories for us, letting go of the meaningless.
This weekend both the Wilton Library and the Westport Library held book sales. Cynthia and I went to both. Having two book sales in one weekend was a first for us.
Here are my purchases:
CDs:
1. Sly and the Family Stone Greatest Hits. I used to have this as an album.
2. Joe Jackson Look Sharp.
Books:
1. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. I picked this up for a great niece.
2. White Fire by Preston & Child. This is one of my favorite Preston & Child books. I bought a hard cover to replace my paperback.
3. Educated by Tara Westover. This is a memoir by a women who grew up with her survivalist parents, but left to learn about the outside world.
4. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Bette Smith. This is a classic coming-of-age story. I passed it by at an earlier book sale, but made sure to get it this time.
5. The Entertainment Weekly Seinfeld Companion by Bruce Fretts. This is just for fun; I'm going to give it to my brother.
6. Go Dog, Go! Another for a great niece.
7. Love & Other Crimes by Sara Paretsky. This collection of 14 short stories includes VI Warshawski as a ten-year-old conducting her first investigation.
8. The Angel of Darkness by Caleb Carr. This is a sequel to The Alienist, which I recently read and liked.
9. Five Points The 19th-Century New York City Neighborhood That Invented Tap Dance, Stole Elections, and Became the World's Most Notorious Slum by Tyler Anbinder. I've read several books that featured that infamous neighborhood, so I'm looking forward to reading a historical approach.
10. The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory. This is the story of Margaret Beaufort, the mother of Henry VII, and arguably the creator of the Tudor dynasty.
11. The White Princess by Philippa Gregory. The White Princess is Elizabeth of York daughter of King Edward IV and his wife Elizabeth Woodville. She married Henry VII and became the first Tudor queen.
A note on books 10 and 11: I don't respect Gregory as an historian, but I will enjoy these stories.
I've got a lot of reading to do.
It's been a long, exhausting election season. I'm appalled at the money spent on ads--we probably could have fed the whole country on the amounts spent on primarily negative ads. After today, the most annoying ads will will focus on the Medicare enrollment period.
I'm avoiding news about the election until later tonight. Lucky for me, I have something else to think about.
Today is Spike's birthday. He was born in 2000 and lived with us from March 2002 until his death in December 2015. Spike was special--not just because he was our first dog, but also because he was such a great dog.
We still love and miss him.
...it's been a week since my last post, and I wanted to post before this, but...
The first half of the week was medically oriented--Jeff had four doctors' appointments, including follow-ups for his falls last week. We had our flu and Covid vaccine shots and also voted.
This is the first year there was early voting in Norwalk. I love it. There's no reason to make everyone vote on the same day and, in some cases, wait in line for hours.
More to follow.
It's hard to believe it's only been a week since the Mets' season ended in Game Six of the NLCS. It feels more like a month.
I needed a few days after the Game Six loss, but then I was preoccupied with Jeff's health issues.
Back to the Mets: Obviously, I wanted them to go further in the playoffs, but they had an incredible run. In May, no one could have expected their season to end in the NLCS.
But that's what the Mets did, led by Francisco Lindor--the definition of a MVP.
It's weird. When your team is out of contention, early in the season, you have a long time to get used to it. When your team is in contention, it's harder and takes longer to get over its loss. I'm reminded of Tennyson---"Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." I paraphrase, it's better to have a team in contention that lost than never to have a team in contention at all."
Already, reports are speculating about the next season for the Mets. Several players are eligible for free agency. I don't know how things will shake out for next season, but I hope the players will appreciate how special this year was and return.
with a day still to go. It feels more like three weeks.
On Wednesday morning, Jeff fell twice around 12:30 and again around 5:30 when getting up from bed to go to the bathroom. After the second fall, we headed to the emergency room. Bottom line: he broke his left pinky, but CT scans and MRI were clear. They kept him overnight, and he was home by Thursday evening
On Wednesday, I appreciated living across the street from the hospital. I went back and forth all day--something I couldn't easily do if we lived farther away. I could walk and feed Jace and get some food for myself, knowing the hospital would call me if necessary, and I could quickly return.
Now, I'm just trying to get back to normal.
What a game!
The Mets scored three in the first inning, courtesy of a Pete Alonso home run, and never looked back. They won 12-6 in this elimination game.
In August I thought the Mets wouldn't make the playoffs. I'm happy to have been proven wrong. After last night's game, I wondered if there was any Mets magic left. I'm happy to say there is.
Last Friday, we switched our Internet and TV providers. It was more complicated than the salespeople described. We had to move some furniture to allow for wiring (the salespeople said the tech only had to program the system.) Luckily, we had a great tech who helped me move furniture and disconnected the cable equipment. Jeff and I have a learning curve with the TV, but we'll save a lot of money. It's well worth it.
On Saturday, I returned to the Merwinsville Hotel with Cynthia for their fall art show and sale. I only bought a few cards, though I was tempted by other things. I was happy to see the restored third floor ballroom and hope it will bring some writing inspiration.
This week's been busy. I feel like I've running the whole time. Jeff and I each had a doctor's appointment. I returned equipment to Cablevision, took a broken speaker and DVD player to be recycled, got quarters from the bank, went shopping for food, dogfood, beer and wine, socks, and a picture frame. Also, I cared for the birds.
Yesterday was the exception: I was chilled and exhausted. I stayed home and concentrated on working through emails I've neglected and managed to sort the laundry. Back to running around today.
My father has been on my mind a lot lately. Today is his birthday; he would have been 100. Hard to believe that he's been gone for 14 years.
I haven't made it to the gym since Sunday (which completed another three-visit week.) I'll see how I feel tomorrow. If all goes well, I can still make three visits this week.
On Saturday, we're visiting a friend for her dog's birthday party. We haven't seen her for several months, and I'm really looking forward to that.
With the exception of Game 2, the Mets have looked horrible in the LCS against the Dodgers. Just one example: tonight the Mets had the bases loaded and nobody out in the 6th inning and didn't score. They ended up losing 2-10. The Dodgers need only one more win to advance to the World Series. Unfortunately, they have no reason to think they won't close out the series tomorrow.
Is there any Mets magic left?
Yes, I know this is a children's book. I actually bought it for my great niece, who won't be ready to read it for some time--she's less than two years old. Also, a woman in my writing class loved Anne of Green Gables and once wrote what she called a fan fiction story about Anne.
A brother and sister, Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, decide to adopt a boy from an orphan asylum to help out on their farm. Anne is sent by mistake. Matthew is immediately taken with her. Marilla is not so sure about keeping her. She considers sending Anne back until Marilla sees a possible future for Anne with the shrewish Mrs .Blewett, whose discharged servant girls told "fearsome tales of her temper and stinginess." So, Anne goes back to her new home of Green Gables.
Anne thrives with the Cuthberts, and soon they can't imagine their lives without her.
What a game!
It was tense at times, but the Mets did it. Our MVP Francisco Lindor hit a go-ahead grand slam in the sixth inning leading the Mets to a decisive win over the Phillies 4-1, the first time the Mets clinched a playoff series at Citi Field.
Only one other Met--my beloved Edgardo Alfonso--has hit a post-season grand slam (if you don't count Robin Ventura's grand slam single.) As Mets radio broadcaster Howie Rose said about Lindor, "He may have just outdone himself."
The Mets had loaded the bases in the first and second innings and came away with nothing, reminding me of a phrase I had heard too often, "The Mets threaten, but do not score." Not his time. As Howie said, "They were famished for the big hit all night, and Francisco Lindor just provided a feast!" I
It's been nine years since the Mets went to the NLCS. And it was another nine years before that when the Mets appeared in the NLCS.
Let's not waste this opportunity. LGM!
Okay, I just added the word "pivotal" to the title to sound more like a headline. Then I added the score to make it more impressive. Because it was impressive--the Mets led throughout the game. The NLCS is in sight. It's hard not to think ahead. But, it's too soon. There's one more game. There could be two. Don't count your chickens and all that.
I want the season to continue.
It's been months since I had a decent gym routine (i.e. double digit visits each month.) I don't know what happened to April to ruin that routine .On the other hand, I know what happened in May. I hurt my finger in mid-May and then was dealing with colitis. I still had my walks with Jace (we usually walk for about two hours daily) and I did some yoga and very light weight work at home. I made it back to the gym one day in July--big deal.
I really went back on September 23. I went three times that week and another three last week. Yay me. I hit the gym today after I took my car to be serviced (and waited for it.) I was proud of myself. I was tired and it would have been easy to blow off the gym, but I went. When I got home, I took Jace for an hour-long walk. I was now fully awake and feeling good. It had been rainy when I took my car in (every time I wait for my car to be serviced, it's been a crappy day) but it was beautiful during our walk. I need to remember how good I feel when I have a good gym routine. That will help me stick to it.
The Phillies pitcher, Zach Wheeler (regrettably an ex-Met--fuck you Wilpons) was masterful through seven innings, seemingly coasting to a win on Kyle Schwarber's lead-off home run against Kodai Senga.
But, the Mets weren't finished. They scored six runs in the eighth inning, leading to an 6-2 win over the Phillies.
LGM!
Bring on the Phillies!
Last night's Mets-Milwaukee Brewers game was exciting, tense, and now that it's over and Mets won--awesome. It was a pitcher's duel through six innings with Jose Quintana and Tobias Myers.
In the seventh, the Brewers struck with back-to-back home runs by Jake Bauers and Sal Frelick off Jose Butto. Butto got one out, and in came Edwin Diaz who secured the next five outs in the seventh and eighth.
The Mets had gone quietly in the eighth. The top of the ninth--the Mets' last chance--began with Francisco Lindor working out a walk. Mark Vientos struck out. Brandon Nimmo singled and Lindor went to third. Then Pete Alonso stepped up to the plate. With a count of 3-1, he hit a homer over the right field fence--becoming the first in MLB history to hit a go-ahead homer in the ninth of an elimination postseason game.
Jose Iglesias grounded out. Jesse Winker was hit by a pitch, stole second, and scored on Starling Marte's single. Tyrone Taylor flied out to end the inning, with a 4-2 Mets advantage.
With three more outs to get, David Peterson took the mound. He gave up a single; recorded a strikeout, and then induced the game and series ending double play for his first career save.
What a game!
I started off the game feeling a little tense. I had hoped Lindor would score in the first inning, but no. Lindor had the Mets' only two hits through eight innings. The back to back homers by the Brewers made my stomach churn. I was worried that it was Alonso at the plate--he hadn't exactly set the baseball world on fire lately. I actually berated myself for my negative thinking. I had already seen so many comebacks by the Mets--I couldn't give up on them yet.
Thanks Pete for coming through. Thanks to all of the Mets for an exciting second half of the regular season and a memorable wild card series win.
LGM! Onto to Philadelphia--the first time these teams faced each other in the playoffs.
I've had this book for two years--not sure why I took so long to read it; it was very good.
Dr. Laszlo Kreizler is the Alienist of the title. A Note helpfully explains:
Prior to the 20th Century, persons suffering from mental illness were thought to be "alienated" from the rest of society as well as their own true natures. Those experts who studied mental pathologies were therefore known as "alienists"
John Schuyler Moore, a New York Times crime reporter joins his friend Kreizler at the gruesome murder scene of a boy prostitute. Kreizler and Moore lead a shadowy investigation into the boy's murder. Theodore Roosevelt, the new police commissioner is an ally, but cannot formally approve an investigation headed by an alienist. Alientist theories threaten the power and standing of the rich, the corrupt police force, and the Catholic and Episcopal Churches.
I loved reading about how the team conducted their investigation despite opposition and interference from the elite, their limited technology, and prejudice against new techniques such as fingerprinting. Interactions between the fictional characters with historical figures were done well. (They reminded me of Dreamland and Ragtime.)
I'll look for the mini-series and the sequel.
I wrote a few posts about finding good lines in unexpected places--meaning B movies.
This post is about finding relevant writing advice in unexpected places. A few weeks ago, I was reading through a list of tips/advice about random topics--I think it was from cracked.com, but I can't find it.
Here's the gist of what I remember:
Don't completely stop a good routine. If you've been working out and want to skip a day, do two sit-ups. If you write everyday and want to skip a day, write two sentences.
I thought this was a great idea. Unfortunately, I haven't acted on it yet.
The following is a comment more than a piece of advice from the series, Wednesday:
"I've always hated the expression 'write what you know'. It's a hall pass for the imagination-impaired."
I have to agree with Wednesday on this. "Write what you know." may be good advice for a new writer, but it's too restricting. Taken literally, I can't write about a man, a mother, a divorcee, an actress, or anyone older than me. Let me use my imagination.
Jeff's birthday was Wednesday. He wasn't feeling well, so we didn't go out for lunch or dinner. Jace and I walked to Blue Cactus Grill and picked up a sandwich for lunch. I had made spaghetti sauce last week so heated that, added ground pork, and served it over angel hair pasta for dinner. I also made a salad and picked up a South African wine. Jeff ended up going to bed early--around 8 PM without dessert. You know Jeff must have been feeling really bad for him to bypass chocolate ganache cake.
The next day we went to Sedona Tap House for lunch. We had unexpectedly frugal glasses of sparkling wine--a $2.special. Beers were half-off and we got a free appetizer. Works for me. Jeff and I had cake after a light dinner.
Last week I read an article Be Worried About the Mets Fan in your Life by Will Leitch. I can relate. I was devastated by the Mets loss to Atlanta on Tuesday 1-5. Then the next two games were rescheduled to a double-header on Monday with the Wild Card Series starting Tuesday. Ugh!
It was hard to have to wait until Friday to see the Mets. Then they lost their two games against Milwaukee. Double ugh. I'm worried. If the Mets don't make it into the playoffs, at some point, I will be able to celebrate their comeback season. But in the near term, it will be a grave disappointment.
Fall officially started yesterday. It was appropriately chilly in the morning and I appropriately used this Welcome Fall glass.
I was mad last night because we couldn't watch the Mets--they were on Apple TV. I hate that we're already paying for SNY and can't see all the games. Well, the Mets lost 2-12; maybe it wasn't such a bad thing to miss that.
Today, I'm happy to report that the Mets beat the Phillies 6-3, and we got to watch it. At a minimum, the Mets won't lose the four-game series. Let's see them win it tomorrow.
LGM!
I am thankful for the following:
Jeff saw a new acupuncturist who is part of his neurology group. She ordered X-rays for his back (which he had today) and more physical therapy--schedule to be determined.
Beautiful weather. Jace and I went to three "destination" walks this week (i.e. not around our neighborhood) Taylor Farm, the Norwalk River Valley Trail, and Winslow Park.
Jeff and I celebrated our 36th anniversary.
Even though I didn't feel well yesterday and worried about a colitis setback, I feel good today.
I'm getting excited about our move out of Connecticut. We still have a lot of work to do before that happens, but I feel that we're on our way.
The Mets are playing great baseball. Tonight they beat the Phillies 10-6.They had a 2-run lead at the end of the first. Every time the Phillies scored, the Mets responded. The Mets are currently in the second wild-card position. They have the toughest remaining schedule of all the contenders, but as I said, they're playing great baseball. I believe again.
Today is Jeff's and my 36th wedding anniversary. We didn't consider going away because we already spent a week in New Jersey and one in Baltimore this summer.
Today, I cared for the NCNC birds, ran some errands and picked up anniversary gifts for Jeff. As of Sunday, I didn't have a clue for his gift. Then it downed on me--photos. Okay, some wives would give their husband boudoir photos, but not me. I gave Jeff Jace photos.
I think this is the best photo I've taken of Jace.
This looks better after I cropped it.
On weekends, I often think about the things I will do when the week starts again on Monday. Honestly, a large part of this is procrastination, but there's also a feeling of optimism--next week will be the time I get it together--writing, working out, cleaning--whatever.
Even though I had just told Jace, I have to start getting up earlier, I stayed in bed for an extra half hour this morning. Then I remembered Jeff has an appointment with a new acupuncturist--part of his neurologist's practice. Also, I went into the kitchen and remembered that while I had loaded the dishwasher, I had left pans, the cutting board, and knives to clean. I hate to do the night's dinner dishes the next morning. Oh well. It took me most of the day to catch up Between chores and errands, I still haven't put away all the laundry on the drying rack since Friday. One errand was to take Jace to Taylor Farm; it wasn't necessary, but I felt he deserved it.
Tomorrow is our wedding anniversary. I will care for the birds at New Canaan Nature Center as I usually do on Tuesday, but we won't worry about cleaning and chores tomorrow. I do need to pick up a few things for Jeff's gift, and I'll pick up a dessert to have at home.
As I'm writing this, the Mets have beat the Nationals 2-1 in 10 innings. The Braves are losing badly (0-9) to the Dodgers in the ninth, so the Mets will be in line for the third wild card. I'm glad the Mets have a better start to the week than I did.
I think I got this book recommendation from Modern Mrs. Darcy. I have a scribbled list of books to read on pages from a old journal. My notes said it was about World War II in Russia.
Well, I had to re-read the cover to remember that after the first 100 or so pages.
In a piece called "In Her Own Words" at the back of the book, Hannah said, "The Russian half of the story came to me as a gift." Also, "The bigger problem was the contemporary story."
I agree. I'll put it bluntly. I didn't give a shit about Meredith or Nina in the contemporary story. Their issues revolved around the men in their lives.
Anya's story was powerful.
Hannah should have written a novella.
In a few hours, Jeff, Jace, and I are hitting the road to visit some friends in Baltimore. We'll also see my cousin in Annapolis. Looking forward to this trip; it's been in the planning stages for a long time. I can't remember the last time we went away twice in one summer.
One of the fun things about re-watching great movies is noticing new things and appreciating things you've seen before.
The actors who play the Hubbard Brothers--Charles Dingle and Carl Benton Reid are wonderful--it's Reid's film debut. I've mentioned Dan Duryea before--he is memorable as Leo. Teresa Wright is luminous as Alexandra. Who can forget Herbert Marshall as he crawls upstairs to get the heart medicine he needs after his wife Regina (Bette Davis) tells him of her contempt for him and how she wishes for his death?
Patricia Collinge has the best scene in the film as she explains to Alexandra that she doesn't really have headaches, but that she drinks; how everyone knew but her that her husband married her for her family's cotton.
Four paragraphs before I even address Bette's performance. She's brilliant as she maneuvers among her brothers, taunts her husband, realizes she's lost her daughter.
This is a good film with great performances--a classic.
Margie is a coming-of-age film about a teenaged girl living in the 1920s, navigating high school classes, the debate club, girlfriends and boyfriends, dealing with the embarrassment of having a suffragette grandmother and a mortician father, not to mention recurring bloomer problems.
I've seen this movie many times and have always enjoyed it. It's funny and charming. But, watching it yesterday, I felt uneasy about the main romance between Margie and her French teacher, Mr. Fontayne.
Fontayne is always showing up where Margie is: her debate, the ice skating rink. On prom night, he shows up at her house to return her homework. Fontayne tells Margie's grandmother he'd rather take Margie to the prom than anyone else. He later dances with Margie and tells her the same. In the last scene of the movie, we see them as an older, married couple.
It's implied that Fontayne is less than eight years older than Margie, but that doesn't account for the main problem in their relationship--that he is her teacher. Odd, I never thought about that before.
Jace came to live with us two years ago.
It wasn't always easy. Jace used to pull on the leash, was very aggressive to other dogs on walks, and did not know how to behave at outdoor restaurants. He's mellowed out, and is much better in all areas.
Here are some recent photos from Rowayton Dog Park. He does love to howl.
VI Warshawski is suffering from PTSD after witnessing a father murder his trans child. At the request of her "goddaughter" Bernie, VI travels to Lawrence, Kansas to watch Bernie's housemate break the three-thousand point lifetime scoring mark in NCAA basketball.
In the after-game celebration, Bernie's other housemate Sabrina disappears.VI reluctantly agrees to look for her and finds Sabrina suffering from a drug overdose in an abandoned house outside of town used for fraternity drug parties.
Instead of thanking VI for saving Sabrina, the police interrogate her and a FBI agent claims VI could have been facing a murder charge if Sabrina had died.
When VI returns to the house the next day and discovers a dead woman, the law enforcement harassment intensifies.
I enjoyed this book. But I can't help wondering why the Lawrence DA and FBI agent were so aggressive in targeting and attempting to frame VI. I get that she was convenient, having found the woman who OD'd and the murdered woman, and was from out-of-town, but didn't they realize who they were dealing with? After all, they did investigate her background.
I guess it's a case of Paretsky's rich powerful villains being too arrogant to realized a woman can beat them at their own game. And she did.
In keeping with my attempt to be positive, and borrowing from the Frugal Girl, I'm going to list things that make me thankful.
After a long night of surveillance, private detective VI Warshawski takes her two golden retrievers for a run along the Lake Michigan shore. There they find a badly injured teenage girl hidden among the rocks. "Jane Doe" later disappears from the hospital before VI can discover who she is. Later Jane's hospital roommate and a janitor who overheard Jane's conversation with a mysterious stranger are murdered.
Luckily for Jane, VI is on the case and unravels the web of murder, corruption, hate crime, elder abuse, and blackmail, not to mention family turmoil and adultery.
To be clear, a positive outlook is my goal, not necessarily my current state of mind.
I am still dealing with my gastric problems, but they aren't too disruptive. I didn't have any bad days last week, compared to the previous week when I had two. I'm also not as tired recently. I'm finally able to do some more work around the house. I still have many things to do, but I'm making progress. It may be slow, but it's still progress.
I went to the library twice to pick up Angel of Vengeance which was published last Tuesday. The librarian confirmed that I was number one on the hold list, but the book isn't available yet. Apparently, the library got a huge shipment of books that need to be unpacked. I offered to unpack the books myself, but that didn't go over too well.
In the spirit of a positive outlook, at least I picked up two V.I. Warshawski books by Sara Paretsky: Overboard and Pay Dirt. I've already finished Overboard. Hopefully, Angel of Vengeance will be available by the time I finish Pay Dirt.
Another positive outlook, the Mets beat the Orioles in tonight's series opener 4-3. They blew a 3-0 lead, but Francisco Alvarez saved the game with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 9th--the first walk off of his career. LGM!
I've been meaning to write a version of a post for the past few days. But I've been in a prolonged writing slump. I've written only two posts this month. I haven't journaled since we were in Sea Isle City--about six weeks ago. Needless to say, I haven't done any serious writing. At least, I've been thinking more about writing, but that is obviously not enough.
Jeff and I have been dealing with various health issues and doctors' appointments over the last week-and-a-half including my colonoscopy on Monday morning. There were two days last week when I felt so bad, I could barely walk Jace and throw some meals together. I hope the colonoscopy resolves what's been wrong with me.
I don't think the Mets are going to make the playoffs. Today they lost a series to the Oakland As. At the beginning of the month, they lost a series to the Angels. The Mets are currently two games behind Atlanta for the last playoff spot. They have a three-game series against the Marlins--who are lousy against every team except the Mets. Then they play the Orioles, Padres, and Diamondbacks. It doesn't look good. New York Mets, please prove me wrong.
I found a Vanderpump Rules marathon on tv today--the season that ended with Scandoval. I watched around doing the laundry, walking Jace, taking Jeff to the doctor's. It reminded me that I never wrote a post about the latest VPR season. Maybe that will help me break out of this writer's block.
I've been discouraged with myself lately. For the last week or so, I've been trying to give myself grace. I haven't felt 100 percent in two months. It's been a bad weather summer (and we've gotten off easier than other parts of the country.) But I feel that the grace period has lasted long enough. I've got to turn things around. At least I finally got to the gastro specialist today.
The Mets won a make-up game against the Cardinals. It was a nice comeback after the Mets lost two consecutive games to the Angels. There may be a wild card in the future.
I'm remaining immersed in the Preston & Child world. I'm skimming through the three books of the Leng Quartet again. Yesterday I read summaries of all the Pendergast books. I've read all the books, but some of the details are sketchy. A week to go before the latest book comes out.
Again: hot, humid, poor air quality.
After I needed an hour to recover on a midday walk with Jace, I made some changes in our routine. I've been driving him to a park for morning walks: Mathews Park to Oyster Shell Park, or Taylor Farm. I need to get up earlier to make this more efficient and cooler. I've shortened our other walks. Even though Jace is always game to go further, it's not good for him.
I'm always psyched to see our doggy friends on walks like Dylan, Ruby, Holly, and Poppy. I was happy to see the beagles, Julie and Jerrys at Oyster Shell Park yesterday. Today we passed Poppy on Maple Avenue--that made my day.
We've been watching a lot of Olympic events. It's been kind of haphazard, but fun: gymnastics and swimming, track starting today. I even saw some shotput today. I've also been re-reading some Preston & Child books. I finished the latest today. The new book will be published August 13th. I hope I am first on the waiting list. I'll have to go to the library that day. In the meantime, I'll do some re-re-reading.
Today I met my friend Chris at the Sono Arts Festival. It's so small--a shell of its former self. We lucked out with a break in the weather, and it was nice to hang with Chris.
After I finished Jane Eyre and Reel Art..., I grabbed a novel about Anne Boleyn, but never seemed to have the opportunity to read.
Then I remembered that Preston & Child's latest book--Angel of Vengeance--will be published in August. This will the fourth book in the Leng Quartet (following The Cabinet of Curiosities, Bloodless, and The Cabinet of Dr. Leng.)
To better appreciate the new book, I decided to reread the first three. I finished The Cabinet of Curiosities this morning. I've already read it twice, so it went quickly. Next, on to Bloodless.
On Friday I attended a writer's workshop--Visually Compelling Storytelling with Ann Lineberger--at the Norwalk Library.
The workshop was okay, but I really liked getting back to an in-person event at the library. Before Covid, I was going to history programs with light lunches on topics such as the wives of Henry VIII and Romanov empresses in Russia. My writing classes also began in-person before switching to Zoom.
Before the workshop, I picked up the last two Preston & Child Pendergast books--Bloodless and The Cabinet of Dr. Leng--to re-read before I read the latest book, Angel of Vengeance--to be published August 13.
It was also nice to see two people from my writing classes in attendance. One man is planning to self-publish a book. He wore silver--gray nail polish, and I kept thinking of Tom Sandoval. (Ugh.) The other person was Anne. We talked for a few minutes after class and plan to get together for coffee.
This is the quintessential coffee table book--it's large with beautiful photographs and illustrations--and a great Mark Twain Library sale purchase from last fall.
I've leafed through the book several times, and then read the book over several months. I finished it one early morning last week when I couldn't get back to sleep.
It's a fun book--I'm sure I'll be leafing through it again soon.
I'm glad I read this book, but I didn't particularly like it. Of course, it doesn't help that I knew about the mad wife in the attic well before I read the book.
I didn't care for the 19th century language. Another annoying thing was that sometimes two people would talk in the same paragraph. Even worse, sometimes Jane's thoughts were set off in quotation marks. I don't know if it was the author's or the editor's choice, but it got confusing.
More importantly, I couldn't stand Rochester--he was horrible. He masqueraded as an old fortune-teller to test and manipulate Jane and his houseguests. He tried to gaslight Jane about the strange visitor to her bedroom. He proposes and plans a wedding to Jane that is interrupted by the news of his marriage. Worst of all, he imprisons his wife in a windowless, attic room with only an occasionally drunk caretaker. The guy was rich--why didn't he place her in a secluded manor house or at least a nice farm?
I also thought Jane's escape from Thornfield Hall with only a few coins was ridiculous. It made it hard to sympathize with her.
Charlotte Bronte was a descriptive writer. I loved this--it could have described the moon I saw the other night, except for the rain.
I lingered; the moon shut herself wholly within her chamber, and drew close her curtain of dense cloud; the night grew dark; rain came driving fast on the gale.
Here Jane described the danger of marriage to her cousin St. John:
There would be recesses in my mind which would only be mine, to which he never came; and sentiments growing there fresh and sheltered, which his austerity could never blight, nor his measured warrior-march trample down; but as his wife--at his side always, and always restrained, and always checked--forced to keep the fire of my nature continually low, to compel it to burn inwardly and never utter a cry, though the imprisoned flame consumed vital after vital--this would be unendurable.
I won't seek other books by Bronte.
It's the All-Star break for Major League Baseball. The Mets have had quite the season already. In my first Mets post, I wrote they were looking good after a dismal start. Then they were dismal for the next month-and-a-half: On May 29, the Mets were 11 games under .500.
As they return to action on Friday, the Mets are 49-46 and in contention for the Wild Card. They are getting contributions across the board, they're having fun, and they have a theme song.
I won't say the sky's the limit, but I'm feeling good.
I haven't had a frustration dream in about five months until last night. I went to Bill's home--a sprawling building. There was a couple there; Bill gave the woman and me a small basket with an upside-down plastic bottle. I leave to go home to walk my dog, and deliberately leave the basket behind.
Unfortunately, I can't leave because I can't find my car. In a parking lot, I see several cars are flooded. I also see three bars that I didn't see as I arrived. I see several people, but no one is willing to help me. Instead, one woman told me I shouldn't visit Bill by myself. Others ask me for donations. One man had a small gold pin because he made a substantial donation to Bill (now called Tom Sale.)
I check my watch, and it's later than I thought. I think about calling Jeff, but get distracted. I wake before I find the car.
Before the dream, I found myself lying awake thinking about all the chores I need to do--especially long term chores e.g. purging old paperwork and de-cluttering. I guess those thoughts triggered this dream.
I was looking at the map of New Jersey and was surprised at just how many shore towns there are in Jersey and how many I had never even heard of. I spent a lot of time in Seaside Heights and some in Ocean City and Wildwood.
As I mentioned, I really liked Seaside Park; I felt comfortable there. It's low-key and small--only .81 square miles--and narrow. Our condo was three blocks from the ocean on one side and one block from the bay on another. It made our walks so nice, especially in the mornings.
One thing I noticed was that a number of houses have names. As I've mentioned before, I hate named houses. In my walks, I saw Shore Thing, Beach Baby, Heavenly Afterglow, Shore Edition, Bay Angel, and Valente Villa. Valente Villa isn't too bad. I like the alliteration, but it had two signs--one right above the other and was a bit much. Sea-Renity was the house name that bugged me the most--too cutesy. It was not in Seaside Park, but somewhere on the road between Point Pleasant and Lavallette. I also saw Sunshine Daydream in either Avalon or Stone Harbor; I liked the homage to the Grateful Dead song Sugar Magnolia.
Sea Isle City is over three times the size of Seaside Park at 2.75 square miles and much busier. While I didn't see all its neighborhoods, I didn't notice any of the small bungalows that predominated in Seaside Heights before Hurricane Sandy and can still be found in Seaside Park. I saw a few modest houses, but primarily duplexes and McMansions.
Sea Isle did not have a similar number of named houses. Many had signs with family names. The home where we were staying had a sign, Happy Chappy's. I also saw Cead Mile Failte or a hundred thousand welcomes.
However, Sea Isle City is big on flags as are some other Jersey Shore towns. In Sea Isle, the American, Phillies, and college flags, especially Penn State, flags predominate. I was happy to see one or two University of Delaware flags.
I'll have to visit more of the shore to see what the other towns feature.
Note: I continue in my general writing malaise. I actually started this post on Sunday. Each day, I planned to finish, but I never seemed to get around to it. I realize I've been procrastinating about writing about our Sea Isle City visit. Everything was overshadowed by Jace's massive case of diarrhea across the hallway and two bedrooms. This happened sometime late night Thursday or early morning Friday. I spent hours cleaning up literal shit. This was in addition to be feeling generally lousy all day Thursday. We were afraid to leave Jace alone in the house after that.
Things started out well on Wednesday. We left Seaside Park and drove about an hour-and-a-quarter to Sea Isle City and the home of my cousin Elena and her husband Tom. They were there when we arrived, which was a surprise. Tom and a friend left after lunch; Elena stayed overnight, and she, Jeff, and I went out to dinner.
I did get to the beach Friday afternoon. One day, we went for a drive, and I did a little shopping. I did a lot of reading and relaxed as best I could with the dark diarrhea cloud over me.
More to follow.
Today I visited the studio of Mari Gyorgyey, who is part of Firing Circuits Artists' Studio in Norwalk. Mari was my instructor for a mixed media/collage course I took in 2020 in the days of social distancing. Here's the class she's teaching now. I would love to take a book-making class, but it's not a good use of money right now.
Mari showed us some of the things she was working on, especially some books. We also visited two other artists who discussed their techniques.
The main idea I took from today is that art is fun. I'm supposed to play, try things.
Maybe after I finish unpacking.
This book is the last of my purchases from the latest Westport Library Book Sale.
I had seen and liked the HBO mini-series and decided to pick up the book.
The Plot Against America is an alternate history of the United States in the 1940s. Here, the aviator hero Charles Lindbergh defeated FDR and won the US Presidency in 1940, with the slogan, "Vote for Lindbergh or Vote for War." Lindbergh publicly blamed the Jews for pushing the country into war.
"We cannot blame them for looking out for what they believe to be their own interests, but we also must look out for ours. We cannot allow the natural passions and prejudices of other peoples to lead our country to destruction."
Lindbergh later signed a treaty with Hitler that the US would not interfere with German expansion in Europe.
The book's narrator is seven-year-old Philip. He lives with his parents and brother in the Jewish Weequahic neighborhood in Newark. Philip says they were a happy family in 1940. Everything changed when the Republicans nominated Lindbergh.
I loved seeing how the political world impacted Philip's in his eyes. It was a great choice of narrator.
I grew up in Audubon, New Jersey, a town close to the Delaware River. My aunt and uncle had a bungalow in Ortley Beach, New Jersey, where we spent many vacations. My cousin Barb lives there now. The bungalow had been totally destroyed in Hurricane Sandy and remodeled. It's strange to see how drastically the street has changed. Of course, it's stranger for my cousins who spent so many summers there.
Barb's sister, brother, and other family members arrived Saturday. Jeff and I, on Sunday. We had been told a 4 PM check-in, but I missed the owner's email that we could arrive early--I was driving and didn't check my phone.
We didn't see much of one branch of the family. They didn't want Jace at their rental--even though we agreed to keep him outside. Then my cousin's wife fell on the boardwalk. She suffered a black eye and a swollen, bruised cheekbone, and needed six stitches. Luckily, she didn't have a concussion. She was talking it easy the last two days we were in the area.
We did have great visit with my cousin Cindy and husband Brian--the dog people who joined us for lunch outside despite a strong wind (that knocked over my iced tea as well as many other things.) Cindy was my closest cousin growing up. We laughed over old stories and memories.
We found some dog-friendly places. First, we stopped at Last Wave Brewing Company in Point Pleasant on our drive down. We each enjoyed two half-pours (they didn't offer flights.). Then we drove down Route 35 South instead of going back to the Garden State Parkway. We went to two dog-friendly restaurants in town: Bum Rogers Crabhouse and Island Beach Fish Company.
We stayed at a condo in Seaside Park, just south of Seaside Heights and its famous boardwalk. Our condo was in a great location, right off the main drag, but in a quiet area. We had an off-street parking spot, and it was only three steps to enter the condo.
I loved the neighborhood. We were close to the bay, and Jace and enjoyed exploring. One day, a duck was walking ahead of us. The next day we trailed a pair of ducks. A new experience for us.
I really liked Seaside Park. While it has its share of beach McMansions, it retains some of the old-style bungalows that were the norm when I was growing up. I'd like to return.
Had a frustrating medical morning involving tests and a hearing aid evaluation. I naively thought I could just drop off specimens for lab work, but got stuck waiting for about 15 minutes which made me late for the evaluation. I was told I should have made an appointment. In hindsight, I should have rescheduled the evaluation, but I had already rescheduled it twice. I felt obligated to go when they said it was okay. Today, I got a short version of the evaluation and have to go back again anyway. Sigh.
It's hot. At least it's not 100 degrees, just the 90s. Mornings are okay, with temperatures in the 70s. Midday and evening walks have been tough. The last two days we've driven to Mathews Park and walked from there on the NRVT to Oyster Shell Park. I can't imagine walking up hospital hill in this weather. Besides the high temperature, the air quality has been bad.
I'm packing a lot of things for our New Jersey vacation. We'll be away for a week, and we're driving. I prefer to be prepared. Once we made our final decision of where to stay, I was psyched. We'll be in two different towns. In one town, we'll be visiting with family. In another, it will be the three of us.
Looking forward to a vacation; it's been a long time.
Last year I was discussing the book Killers of the Flower Moon with a friend. She mentioned that it was written by a white man and not from the Osage Indian point of view. I thought of that conversation when I saw this book at a recent book sale and bought it.
Mary grew up in poverty on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in South Dakota. But she says that she and her siblings did not suffer from being poor because they weren't aware of it. It was only when she was sent to a Catholic mission school that she suffered from efforts to make her more "white." Rules were strict; food was bad; punishment was harsh. After she left school Mary spent her time as the other teens on the reservation did, drinking, doing drugs, driving recklessly, and fighting.
As she described it,
"The little settlements we lived in...were places without hope where bodies and souls were being destroyed bit by bit. Schools left many of us almost illiterate. We were not taught any skills. The land was leased to white ranchers. Jobs were almost nonexistent on the reservation, and outside the res whites did not hire Indians if they could help it."
Mary found meaning when she learned about the American Indian Movement (AIM.) She later joined the group and participated in the 1972 occupation of the Washington, DC office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs as well as the 1973 Wounded Knee Occupation. In fact, Mary gave birth to her first child at Wounded Knee during a firefight. After Wounded Knee, she married AIM's spiritual leader Leonard Crow Dog.
I have to admit I had a bad feeling about that marriage. Mary wasn't interested in Leonard originally. He seemed to pressure her into marriage. Mary was still a teenager with a newborn and took on caring for stepchildren, and all the visitors that flocked to Leonard as a medicine man and civil rights leader. Mary wrote that she loved him but they later divorced.
Mary was only six months older than I. For women living at the same time and in the same country, the gulf between us is unfathomable (thanks to Katie Maloney of Vanderpump Rules for re-acquainting me with that word.) I feel naive for not realizing how extreme prejudice against the Indians continued into my lifetime.
I'm glad I read this book.
I was surprised by how slim this volume was, but it's not the full story of Douglass's life. He describes very little of his actual escape from slavery in order to shield those who may have helped him and to keep slaveowners from knowing possible escape routes. The book stops just as Douglass is beginning to work in the anti-slavery movement. Apparently, Douglass wrote two additional autobiographies (I found this by doing a little online research.)
Douglass is an excellent writer, all the more impressive because he had to teach himself to read and write over a process of several years. He had a well-deserved reputation for eloquence
Here's his description of how slavery corrupted the wife of one of his masters:
When I went there, she was a pious, warm, and tender-hearted woman. There was no sorrow or suffering for which she had not a tear. She had bread for the hungry, clothes for the naked, and comfort for every mourner that came within her reach. Slavery soon proved its ability to divest her of these heavenly qualities. Under its influence, the tender heart became stone, and the lamb-like disposition gave way to one of tiger-like fierceness.
I'd love to read more about his work with women's movement.
