ON the previous post, I included some pictures--as I just figured out how to post them again!

We have had and are having a wonderful visit in the month of five of our October birthdays: Bob's on the 7th, Jackson's on the 13th, mine on the 14th, Day's on the 15th, and Jocelyn's on Halloween. 

Will and Bonnie and Elena had a long weekend in Georgia.  Carlene took us all out to dinner the first night and Elena loved and was loved by her Nana and her Uncle Bob and Aunt Jocelyn!  You can see her soaking up Southern accents, stories and sayings for future reference, too.  I love the pictures Bonnie took of the youngest and oldest hands in our family--Elena's at 13, Carlene's at 100!

Jocelyn and I went to a Mexican-Asian fusion patio restaurant to celebrate her birthday a little early.  The food was so good and the staff welcomed Luci with chicken and water.  

Yesterday Luci stayed with her new Georgia pet sitter, Annette, a jeweler.  Annette lives in her half of a tiny duplex in Athens set way back from the road under huge trees.  She's about to have her final chemo therapy, then planning a trip to Cozumel with her friends. 

Yesterday we had breakfast at Starbucks where we saw a woman who works at Presbyterian Village.  She got out of her car to see Carlene and introduce us to her daughter.  "I told her not to tell her brothers and sisters about this," she joked. "With five kids, I can't afford Starbucks, but she told me she had a dream last night of going to Starbucks, so I'm treating her before school starts."  We noticed that the mom hadn't gotten herself a drink, just one for her girl! After they left, Day went inside and bought her a Starbucks gift card from the three of us which we're delivering today.  

Then we three went to a store to poke around and Carlene bought me a jacket and Day a blouse--then to Amici's for white pizza.  We're having an awesome time all around! 

Photos

Carlene in her happy rocker in her happy apartment

Day and Nana at Amici's Italian Restaurant yesterday

 

A Revelation

 Y'all, I have landed in a place where nobody's going to a No Kings Day march, that's for sure.  (BTW, I was happy to see several of you at them yesterday--if only on this computer screen.)

You get two choices on the radio here--I kid you not.  SIX are extremely conservative religious stations, one is the radio version of Fox News.   I'd been listening all day yesterday to excellent podcasts (more on some of those another day) and when I got in the car for my coke run, phone not yet attached, some preacher was saying, "America is great because America is good--thanks to our pulpits all across the nation...."But within a minute he was ranting about how bad we are.  "We are number one in the world in abortions--ripping babies out of their mama's wombs and harvesting their parts before throwing the babies in the garbage."

These charlatans literally make things up to scare their gullible audiences. In five minutes of listening to that (sermon? rally speech?), I queued up enough NPR podcasts to get me another 450 miles before I sleep again: Krista Tippet, This American Life, The Moth, Hidden Brain, 1A, and so many others. 

At breakfast Fox News was blaring. George Santos was the guest, talking about how his three months in prison were so terrible that he couldn't even get a Bible.  (Poor George, I'm sure that's what he wanted most!) But since he's been there he's turned back to God and he's at peace--and "Jesus is King, he's your f-----ing savior."  

"What about paying back the people?" one of the Fox News hosts asked him, and he said, "I don't have to pay anything back thanks to the grace of President Trump who believes in second chances." (What about the people you ripped off, Georgie? someone should have asked.) 

Profanity has taken on a whole new meaning for me this morning. It's not using certain choice words, it's lie upon lie upon lie. 

After telling the two people at the desk what a beautiful remodel they'd done here, I told them I had one big complaint--Fox News. 

The young woman strongly agreed (I first thought we were on the same page), but then went on to say, "I get my news on Tik Tok cause in all the others they just say anything they want."  

The man said they only played it on weekends.

The people who clean the rooms, make the meals and check guests in are kind people.  But clearly they are not deep thinkers.  I just got a taste of the ridiculous propaganda they hear on their dials and in their churches.  No wonder they are terrified of those of us who do the outrageous things they are told we do.  

The news I'm hearing sounds like church, and the churches sound like MAGA rallies.  In one clip, a teary Trump was giving what almost sounded like a sermon in praise of Charlie Kirk, tears in his voice! The Presidential Medal of Honor he bestowed had a cross engraved on the back--which the preacher proudly announced was the first time a religious symbol had ever been engraved on one of those medals. 

I've increased my monthly contribution to NPR--and hope that everyone fortunate enough to have it will do the same, even more so now that Federal funding has stopped.  If it ever goes away we will be immeasurably impoverished. 

I could write a few more pages on this, but you get the picture!  I'm going to take a shower, don my Rock and Roll shirt, and rock and roll on down the road--cause if I scratch my head any longer it's gonna start bleeding.  

  

Day 2

I drove all the way from Houston to Ocean Springs--normally one of my favorite stops.  But arriving on a weekend at 3 in the afternoon was less than ideal.  We popped into one shop, then drove down the coastline from OS to Biloxi, Gulfport to Pass Christian.  I had promised Luci a long walk on the beach, but there were signs everywhere, NO DOGS ON THE BEACH.

With an insane rule like that I figure we're solidly in Trump country!

Having driven over 700 miles, we decided to spend the night here in Gulfport and sleep late in the morning!

Trip Notes Day One

We're back in the saddle again, Luci and I.  These are our kinds of days!

Today we went out of our way a little to visit my favorite store in Smithville--Mosaic Arts, one of the few stores that sells David Marsh furniture and other artsy items with that vibe.  Then we went next door to Panama Rose, a store with lots of venders and pretty things.  We were met with a hug by the musician Sara Hickman and bought a couple of gifts in her shop upstairs, The Twig.  She must adhere to Jon Batiste's oft-spoken line: "I love you even if I don't know you." 

The sky was blue with blankets and mounds of white clouds,  and I actually turned around to take a picture--something I haven't done in way too long.  The photos were unremarkable, but the taking of them--that and the big sky expanded my heart! 

We got as far as the other side of Houston where we found a pet-friendly place to spend the night--and I'm about to begin that part of the adventure so we can get an early start on Day 2. 

When I got in the Lyft from Honda for an oil change to take me to Cecelia's for a massage, the driver was playing loud music, and I sang along.  Each song carried special memories: Georgia on My Mind, Ray Charles; At Last, Etta James; and Ain't No Sunshine When You're Gone. 

The ride was too short to hear more, so I told my driver (who smiled but never spoke) that I'd like to sit in his car for one more song.  

Lunch at Tlahco's, then a pedicure, then--in spite of all their excellent attentions, my feet told me it was time to go home for the night.  Sometimes we just have to listen to our feet or backs or shoulders, whatever's yammering, and call it a day.

Yesterday I went to the lawyer's to pick up my will.  I told her I was about to embark on a 3000 mile road trip and she asked, "Is your family okay with that?"

Unaccustomed to my family okaying what I do or don't do, I took a deep breath, realizing that she thought I might be too--you know (old)--for such a drive, just me an my tiny dog for company.  

But I'm in a happy mood and didn't let it sting.  As Veronica told me today, "You've got this!  I can't wait to hear about all the people you're going to meet."

And so with that send-off and blessing, Luci and I are all set to head east tomorrow, hoping to get through Houston traffic before rush hour.  

Birthday Post

This 23-year-old pretty lady is now a beautiful centenarian--and she's my mama.  I'm the baby in the picture, born on October 14, 1948.

She and my daddy were crazy in love.  I got his blue eyes and crooked little finger.  He called me Sugar and sang to me, "You are my sunshine...."

I was the center of their world, until I had to learn to share that position with my baby brother--when I was three years old.  From the looks of it, he didn't entirely love being held by me.

Mimi, my adorable grandmother, was 23 when Carlene was born--and she had three sons and two daughters.  All of the sons have died, but Dot is a healthy, happy 94.  Mimi, who was orphaned at 3, adopted at 7, lived to be almost 98 years old. 

What I realize about my female heritage is that no one ever admits to being old.  Never!  Mimi considered herself "middle aged" in her nineties. 

Here is Mimi when she was about the age I am now.

And here is Carlene when she was about the age I am now.

And here I am turning 77 with friends on Saturday--cropped from a photo of four because one of us didn't want the photo posted. Janet (in the striped dress)  made all four of our dresses , all by the same pattern, different fabrics--and we all wore them to the party! 

By almost anybody's standards, my mama has a daughter who is--you know--old.  But I'm going to follow in the tradition of Carlene and Dot and Mimi (as Day resolves to do, too) and never mention that obvious fact.  Aging is not a disease; it has its challenges, but it's a great privilege to live a long life! 

Today marks 54 years since my beautiful  blue-eyed Day was born just after midnight on my birthday!  She's having a wonderful year, having moved from school staff (mentor to teachers) to the classroom again, also coaching girl's football!  She's designed an art studio for her back yard and construction is starting soon!

Next week Day and I are meeting in Athens for Day to belatedly celebrate Nana's 100th birthday.  I'm spending today packing my car for my first solo (plus Luci)  road trip in years. 

My birthday this year was wonderful.  Will and Bonnie and Elena hosted me last night for a Will-made delicious Asian meal and my birthday cake was a plate of cupcakes from Bird Bakery. 

Then he and Elena sang duets--my idea of a perfect party! 

Yesterday was what I call and Artist Date Day (borrowed from Julia Cameron's book, The Artist's Way)

After going to the dentist, and realizing that my feet were up for it, I poked around in thrift shops for book making elements.  I bought a denim blouse to wear for a while, but its ultimate destination is a book cover.  Also a necklace to cut up for book closures and some rag paper. Then took myself out to lunch where I watched the first class in this year's Gel Printing Summit.

By 3:00, my feet were saying it's time to go home--where I did all but the stitching on a new animal-print-covered buttonhole stitch book!

One of the things I've learned in the past few years--what with the cloud hanging over us until Trump gets on one of Elon's spaceships and goes far far away (an image I'm stealing from Jane Goodall's interview)--is that we have to grab what brings us joy, whatever it is, and go for it!  Maybe we can't do it as long as we could in years past, but we can eke out whatever time we can find to play and get paint on our fingers.

My go-to-bed activities including snuggling with Luci and watching some good murder mysteries on Acorn--my favorite being The Crow Girl.  But mostly watching classes and making lists of things to do the next day.

I hope you're all finding time for some solo artist dates to distract you from the horrors of the Trump people (Jan thinks Karoline Leavitt is an AI construction, not a real person)  and to keep the magic of yourself alive until this is all over. 

I find myself humming, "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood" when things happen that delight me.  

My day started with an extraordinary email from a longtime friend I rarely see, and it literally made me tear up with gratitude and happiness.

Then I cut out and laminated (paper to paper) two beautiful book covers that are now drying in my messy house.

I went over to Sunset Ridge to CVS and saw a crowd of people outside the Boss Bagel shop I've never gotten around to trying.  Half of them, inside and outside, had dogs and kids; some were alone reading books and papers.  I haven't actually eaten there yet, but according to a few people enjoying them, they just might be the best bagels in town. 

So then I came home and made a spinach quiche, and it's so delicious I wish I were having a dinner party.  I'm having my second piece while watching "Famous Last Words" on Netflix, a wonderful interview with Jane Goodall filmed before her death.

Jan said, "This is who flags should fly half-mast to!" She was a remarkable human being and conservationist and lover of animals.  For her ninetieth birthday, she got what she asked for--a party of ninety dogs!