Farewell to Little Mia

Janet--dog lover of all dog lovers--held her precious little Mia in her arms as she died yesterday.  Then she and Bill buried her beside Murdoch in their yard. 

Aunt Jannie found Luci three years ago and she and Bill have always made her feel like part of their family. I'm convinced that Luci remembers it was Janet who rescued her from a scary place and found her a home because she always greets her with a heartfelt whimper of pure love. 

All day I've been grieving for Mia.  Words fail at a time like this, but Janet's words come close: 

We were lucky to love her, and be loved by her, for as long as we did. My belief in the rainbow bridge brings comfort, but not enough.

Tell Me More

 KLRN is for me--as probably for many of you-- my go-to station.  I often wonder what we would do without public television and National Public Radio.  No yelling or pontificating or interrupting, these stations bring voices to the table that are quietly powerful. 

I've just discovered Season 6 of "Tell Me More"--wonderful interviews by the writer, Kelly Corrigan.  I love her interviewing techniques and the ways she makes her subjects feel seen and heard.  

Today I watched her interview with David Brooks, the journalist, former Republican, scholar and writer of the new book, How To Know A Person.

What are the three things every human being needs most? she asks.

Here are his answers:

A sense of dignity, of mattering.

A container, a tribe, trusted people.

Movement--knowing that you are "going somewhere," not just marking time.

My takeaway is that Kelly Corrigan's style of questioning gives the interviewee all three, and her intentional and active listener provides a space to reflect on their mattering, the people they trust, and where they are going. 

Now I'm beginning her interview with a pain scientist, Dr. Rachel Zoffness.  

Check it out if you don't know this show already.  You'll get to know some remarkable and interesting people, and you'll see an extraordinary interviewer at work.  

The warmth of family

We've enjoyed our time together so much that I'm feeling sad today, their last day--so I'll just post a few pics.

Bob and Jocelyn took Elena to spend some of her birthday cash at James Avery last night--and now her bracelet is jingling with charms.  They played cards together and filled up the casita with laughter and silliness.   

I always dread the last day of a visit, but it's been a long-awaited and wonderful visit in spite of the cold. 

Four generations
Carlene born 1925, me 1948, Will and Bonnie 1978, and Elena 2012. 


Carlene liked this chair in my house so much we ordered one for her
for her new apartment at Presbyterian Village in Athens--hoping
for an apartment space to open in the spring. 

The Deep Freeze With Family

Bob, Jocelyn, and Carlene arrived for this Arctic freeze!  

So far, the only person we've seen is sweet Jan.  We're enjoying just staying in by the fire, playing games and talking.  Today is Elena's 12th birthday, but we had to miss the party.  Hopefully we will see them on Wednesday or Thursday for dinner.

I made Spanish Chicken (King Ranch to you Texans) and Jocelyn has made us two delicious Italian meals. 

I hope you're all staying warm and have plenty of water.

Tim Alberta and Russell Moore

You've probably seen Tim Alberta being interviewed on news stations this month.  He's the author of The New York Times bestseller,  The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory/ American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism.  

You've probably also seen Russell Moore, author of Losing Our Religion.  Moore was a Southern Baptist preacher who rose to the highest ranks in the Southern Baptist Convention.  But he was hounded by other members for not supporting Donald Trump.  Finally, he decided that his church home was no longer home.

The two men know each other--as do so many devout Christians who have left the church after being treated badly for not rubber stamping the choice of many evangelical Christians. 

If you've ever wondered why evangelical Christians are so devoted to Donald Trump--despite his being as far from a Jesus figure as you can imagine--these books artfully explain the historical lead up to their obsession with him.  They want--according to the pastor of Dallas First Baptist--(and I paraphrase): "Not a sweet turn-the-other-cheek kind of guy but a real SOB to save our country." 

Both books are excellent, (Alberta devotes an entire chapter to the charismatic Russell Moore).The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory is one of the best of several books on this mystifying marriage of America and Church I've read. 

Fighting a cold

I passed the COVID test with flying negativity, also the flu test administered by my doc's PA.  I'm downing allergy pills, steroids, Mucinex, and Advil, trying to drink enough orange juice and water.  An "upper respiratory infection" or one of many viruses going around was the diagnosis.  Whatever it is, steroids should send it packing by time time Carlene, Bob and Jocelyn fly in on Saturday. 

In other personal news, I'm mainly resting, reading, and watching movies.  The hot water heater needs repair or replacement.  That will happen tomorrow.  

The best movies I've seen on Netflix have been American Symphony and Elvis--though I've also watched a few mediocre films to pass the time.  And I signed up with Paramount Plus to watch the Golden Globe awards.  

The doc said all kinds of viruses and infections are happening, so I hope that everyone reading this is free of all of them.  

American Symphony

I can't recommend this film highly enough--it's now showing on Netflix. 

As you watch, you'll get glimpses of Suleika--who's dealing with a second bout of leukemia.  You'll hear that she's just written a memoir about her cancer, a book called Between Two Kingdoms. 

I've read the book today and it's....

Well, finishing that sentence is going to take me days, so let's just say To Be Continued....

The joys of aging

The very first thing I do every morning---The New York Times word games; Connections, Solitaire and Wordle.  Then Luci and I take a walk.  The rest of the day unspools in various ways, but right now, it's all about finishing some house projects for the new year and for the much anticipated visit of Carlene, Bob and Jocelyn in January.  

I've wrung my hands and cried a few times over what my daddy used to call jackleg handymen.  They cancel at the last minute; they lack the tools, they charge more than they said they would.  So I have discovered an app called Task Rabbit that may be the solution.  In this app, you can request specialists in hanging, painting, moving, lifting heavy things, etc.  Then you can read the reviews and profiles of several men and women in the area who can be hired to do that one thing. 

I have learned this: if you ask the yard man (who may be excellent) if he can paint or hang pictures or do plumbing, he will always say yes!  He can spread paint, yes, but he may not use a drop cloth or tape.  He can install a new shower head, but he may lose a few parts to make it work properly.  

So I'm optimistic.  My Task Rabbit is coming on Friday--and he sounds competent and punctual based on his reviews.  

But back to word games. The word of the day is AGING.  Ironic because I have five close friends who have recently turned eighty--or will before 2024 is over.  When we visit, we often talk about that lurch into the 80s. 

It seems. not so long ago that we were all learning to spell septuagenarian.  Octagenarian is upon us. 

Age goes with us everywhere.  It's a fact.  Will we make it to ninety?  More importantly, will something we think worse than death cut our living short?  Are we--or our spouses and friends--just absent minded or beginning mental decline?  Will we lose people we love?  And how do we go forth after that? 

My friend Bonnie and I agreed that what we do now is live every day to the fullest and partake of anything that brings us joy.  

With war and unrest making news on almost every continent, with immigrants fleeing their homes and coming to America in record numbers, all on top of climate change and the great fear of Trump's possible re-election, we hardly recognize the world we live in.  

We do what we can, but we are determined to live our lives as fully as we can for as long as we can. 

I may be 75; some jobs may take twice as long as they did a decade ago, but--as I told Luci--I can still do hard things. 

She looked at me doubtfully, probably noting that I cannot run or squat or keep up with her when she's pouncing around the yard.  

Look, just watch me, I said.

I rolled and wrapped a defective 8 x 10 wool rug that needed to send back to Wayfair.  By rolling the wrapped rug vertically, one step at a time, I got it to the car and hoisted it in.  All this would have taken a man about five minutes, I know--but it wasn't easy.  I was proud to just get it into the car. 

Then I picked up a heavy box containing a large medicine cabinet.  Same rolling procedure, I got it to the car, lifted the hatch, and pushed it inside--all the while hoping a strong man would walk by and offer to do it for me.  It wasn't easy, but I got it done. 

This morning I've driven to Helotes to meet the new puppy, Marlow.  I've found a mirror at Papi's Mexican import store.  I've taken Luci in for her vaccines.  And now I'm going to do one of my favorite things--get in the bed and finish a good book.

My morning coke run this morning corresponded with a wonderful interview with an indigenous Canadian musician named Jeremy Dutcher, a singer and classical composer a Wolastoquiyik member of Tobique First Nation.  With a gentle voice, he spoke about reviving the music, stories, and language of his people.

This line stood out (and I paraphrase): "I always knew I danced with the rainbow; from the time I was a child, it was undeniable."

Before the coming of the Europeans, he says, his people were inclusive of all people, all tribes. While Jeremy always knew he was gay, he wasn't labeled or marginalized by his tribe.  

I wish it were so in this country of immigrants who did so much to destroy his culture.  

This interview was aired on 1A, and you can find it as a podcast. 

***

I just watched Elvis on Netflix, the best and most gut-wrenching telling of the Presley story I've ever seen.   Tom Hanks plays "Colonel Parker," Elvis' abusive agent; Austin Butler brilliantly portrays Elvis as a young man and also as an aging burned out musician. This film is no doubt destined for awards.

The young Elvis was  a gentle Tennessee boy and man who found his inspiration in church music, especially Black gospel music, and the rhythm and blues musicians he knew on Beale Street in Memphis.  

The pace of his Vegas concerts and the drugs it took to keep him on stage at any cost speak to the greed that robbed him of his family and many of his dreams.

He died thinking no one would remember him, yet he had perhaps more influence on music in America and worldwide than any other.  If his dreams had been allowed to flourish in their own way--instead of usurped by Parker and others--he might still be alive today to finish his story. 

Happy 2024!

As 2023 turns to 2024, I'm not sure what to say, just that I want to connect with everyone and send out wishes for a good new year.

New neighbors are punctuating the change with loud yells at fairly regular intervals, fireworks exploding nearby.  Mostly the sounds from the old house next door are men's voices, one's a little boy.  The women and girls may be inside or watching whatever game the men and boys are playing.  Everyone else on this street is probably sleeping, or--like me-waiting for the noise to subside. We are not a street of celebratory screams.  

Dogs in houses are taking their cues from their people: should we be afraid?  Is all this noise okay?  Are strangers invading our quiet life?  Will this ever end?

So now the neighbors are all screaming as the clock changes to 12:00.  Fireworks are getting louder, closer.  

And now it is 2024.

Best wishes to you all as the new year is now here!