Weight of the World (Dar Williams)

Remember our Love in the Time of CoronaVirus journal?  It was Rob's brilliant idea (mid-March 2020, only a few weeks into the pandemic) to start and pass a blank notebook back and forth among family members, to share our thoughts, drawings, poems, songs, etc. during this challenging time.  What a tangible gift this has been to ourselves, and each other.  The book, and the act of rotation, has served to remind us that Family. Is. Everything... and the MossFam6 is indeed a strong and powerful force to Do Good in the world... 💞

It became obvious a few days ago that the journal had gone MIA; indeed, no one had written in it since mid-April (the culprits were discovered, and we are back in busy-ness).  Then again, four months ago, the pandemic seemed to be less threatening, since most people took advantage of the free vaccines and there were fewer COVID outbreaks, and certainly of less severity.  

Unfortunately, there is a segment of the population who have *refused* to get vaccinated which, because of the new Delta variant, has now fostered additional illness, as well as death.  Are you f*cking kidding me?!?  The first poem below says it all.

It is indeed Feel Good Friday and, as is tradition, five items below of beauty, interest, and humor to brighten/enlighten your day/weekend/week.  Enjoy! 

~ Op-Ed: As a doctor in a COVID unit, I’m running out of compassion for the unvaccinated. Get the shot:  In a letter to the unvaccinated, Dr. Anita Sircar writes: If you believe you can ride out the pandemic without getting vaccinated, “you could not be more wrong. This virus will find you.” 

~  How Walking (Just Walking!) Changed My Life:  When I was in college, my roommate, Kristi, convinced me to go to the gym with her. I remember feeling intimidated. I was slight, pale and Goth-leaning with oxblood lipstick and zero muscle tone. I was certain everyone could tell I was an imposter in borrowed Lycra.


~ Lorde’s Work Here Is Done. Now, She Vibes.:  She was a teen phenom who followed her hit “Royals” with a critically acclaimed album. But now 24, the New Zealand musician isn’t chasing hits. She’s following the sun.


~ Modern Mrs Darcy:  Modern Mrs Darcy, which derives its name from a Jane Austen book, is a lifestyle blog for nerds who appreciate Anne’s modus operandi of approaching old, familiar ideas from new and fresh angles. While Modern Mrs. Darcy isn’t strictly a book blog, Anne writes frequently about books and reading. (thanks to Michele for the heads-up!)


~ MUST HAVE (2): A Friend With An “Oh Sh*t Kit” (scroll about halfway down): In my circle, I am that friend, the one who comes prepared. But I'm an amateur compared to my friend, S. She’s got Hermione Granger-level wizardry happening in her bag, which she calls her “oh sh*t kit.”

SONG:  Weight of the World by Dar Williams

BOOK:  Miracle in the Mundane: Poems, Prompts, and Inspiration to Unlock Your Creativity and Unfiltered Joy by Tyler Knott Gregson

POEM(S):  Delta by Rachel Mallalieu

You remember what it was like

in the early days—

when restaurants sent food

and churches dropped off

care packages

Everyone said thank you

& sometimes clapped

and even when the waves

of patients crashed

into your emergency room,

you were able to breathe

Now, you’re so weary,

that when it begins again,

you can hardly muster

energy to care as

your vaccine antibodies

engage in combat with

the squadron of medications

you consume in order to control

your autoimmune disease &

you hope the antibodies win

because you’re placing

breathing tubes

into eager airways again &

when your friends

don’t get vaccinated,

you take it personally & you

know this isn’t about you,

but you’re spent, nothing’s

left & you don’t think

you can watch

people die alone again

while you hold their iPhones as

they gasp goodbye

You stop kissing your children

for a little while & you also

update your will

But on your days off,

you take long hikes and

walk the ridge

where butterflies flit

among the milkweed blossoms

You kneel beside a monarch

& pray that your vaccine holds

as you rest in the shadow

of its stained glass wings

[Rachel Mallalieu: “I am an emergency physician who’s been on the front lines of the Covid battle for 18 months. I also developed an autoimmune illness this year, which makes every Covid encounter feel even more dangerous. As spring gave way to summer, it felt like we had turned a corner. I went weeks without seeing cases in my ER. My teen children were vaccinated, and my younger kids went to camp. Suddenly, my ER has multiple Covid patients every shift again. They’re younger, sicker, and some are dying. It is exhausting to be in this battle; we finally have the weapon with which to fight, and some refuse that weapon. These days, I just try to do right by my patients and take care of myself and my family when I’m off.”]

Moss-Gathering by Theodore Roethke 

To loosen with all ten fingers held wide and limber

And lift up a patch, dark-green, the kind for lining cemetery baskets,

Thick and cushiony, like an old-fashioned doormat, 

The crumbling small hollow sticks on the underside mixed with roots, 

And wintergreen berries and leaves still stuck to the top, —

That was moss-gathering. 

But something always went out of me when I dug loose those carpets 

Of green, or plunged to my elbows in the spongy yellowish moss of the marshes:

And afterwards I always felt mean, jogging back over the logging road, 

As if I had broken the natural order of things in that swampland;

Disturbed some rhythm, old and of vast importance,

By pulling off flesh from the living planet;

As if I had committed, against the whole scheme of life, a desecration. 

[Susan's note:  with that title, how could I resist?!?]

QUOTE:  "Here's the thing: If you wait for ‘normal’ to return, if you endlessly torture yourself with the fact that reality refuses to match your expectations, if you complain nonstop about all the surreal shifts and vagaries of the culture, if you halt all deep, inquiry-based practices - spiritual, physical, otherwise - until the mask mandate drops or the virus is cured or all QAnon/anti-vaxxers slither back into the muck and the world somehow rights itself in a way you agree with, well, you will likely be miserable for quite a long time.  We must move. Invoke more life. Seek more truth, ever more skillfully. Smile and sigh through the cotton/Lycra covering part of your face and just. Get. On. With. It. Because the other option is just fatalism and doom and endless whining. And no one wants that." ~ Mark Morford

March Again (Jimmy Fallon and John Legend)

We interrupt this regularly-scheduled Feel Good Friday to talk about an important milestone, which was highlighted on TV last night:  Jimmy Kimmel Live’s One Year Lockdown Coronaversary Spectacular:  We’re marking the one year anniversary of our worldwide nightmare with a special Coronaversary show and looking back on how much things have changed. Los Angeles is reportedly close to issuing guidelines for certain businesses to reopen, Hallmark has put out a new line of greeting cards to commemorate the year that was, stimulus checks will be in the pockets of Americans as early as this weekend, a group of former Presidents teamed up to make a PSA about getting vaccinated, President Biden addressed the nation in his first primetime speech since taking office, a message from the heroic men and women that have been delivering us food through the pandemic, we give out the first-ever Zoomy Award, and a special edition of “This Corona Year in Unnecessary Censorship.”

President Joe Biden did indeed give his first Presidential Address, marking 50 days in office.  He looked very tired (the Highest Office in the Land certainly has a way of aging people, doesn't it?), but I was heartened by his lovely message.  It just felt so good to finally be hearing the truth, and given hope, and offered some light.  Crazy to think it's been a year.  If all goes according to plan, by May 1, everyone in the country will be *eligible* to receive a vaccination.  Here's where Florida stands (as of today, March 12, 2021):

~ Florida residents (including seasonal residents) ages 65 and older — Florida will lower the age to 60+ on March 15

~ Residents and staff at long-term care facilities

~ Frontline healthcare workers who have direct patient contact

~ Sworn law enforcement officers 50 and older

~ Firefighters ages 50 and older

~ Pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade school employees 50 years of age or older.

~ Florida residents (including seasonal) with notes from their doctor specifying their need to vaccinate and who have preregistered.

Looking back to a year ago (I am reminded of people telling stories of where they remember themselves to be when President Kennedy was assassinated, or when the Challenger exploded), I was headed to St. Augustine FL with my friend Reba to see Dar Williams in concert.  There were enough rumblings about coronavirus such that we called the venue (Cafe Eleven) that morning to make sure the show was still on (because we were driving 4+ hours to attend).  It was, and we did (a very special evening) and, when we got back to our motel room, Reba got on her phone and started reading to me all the life-changing updates:  Broadway CLOSED, Major League Sports CLOSED, Disney Parks CLOSED.  WTF?

On the way back to South Florida the next day (Friday, March 13, 2020), the litany of news stories, closures, recommendations continued.  I dropped Reba off, and went straight home to Shelter in Place for a few weeks, not having a clue as to how far-reaching this virus was.  Here is a link to revisit my nine blog posts in the month of March.

So many things have changed since then, in the last year, the last 12 months, the last 365 days, most tragically more than 532,000,000 (yes, over a half-million) people dead from COVID.  Most people in the US (dare I say the smart ones) wear masks on a regular basis, maintain a physical distance of six feet, and realize that gathering with others is best done outdoors (and we're very lucky to have that option here in South Florida).

The panic of the first few weeks/months subsided and now there is no problem getting toilet paper and hand sanitizer.  Many of us have had both vaccinations, although we still take the precautions listed in the previous paragraph.  I still have all of our groceries delivered via Instacart (joined a year ago):  Costco, Sprouts, Aldi (boycotting Publix, which I will blog about next week).  Also, Whole Foods via Amazon has been a great delivery resource as well, with many vegan options.

Still reading, walking, cooking like crazy (I could probably find a better word!), trying to stay safe, sane, and well.  Still having family gatherings a few times a month (now that our kids are back to work, it's like herding cats to find a day/time that clicks for everyone).  Still passing around our Family Journal (Rob's idea from way back when).  Still enjoying livestreamed concerts (although it's nowhere near the same as live music), as well as livestreamed author events (Anne Lamott, Ross Gay, Patricia Lockwood, among others).  Still enjoying nature, as well as my heated condo pool (ahhh!).  Zoom (whether book club or "visits" with friends) has become a regular part of the rotation, as well as a few two-hour phone conversations a week.

At this point, we are waiting for the next round of $1,400 per person stimulus checks to arrive (hopefully this weekend); we are grateful to be in a fairly-stable financial situation, and we also know this money will save lives, jobs, and housing for others.  Our personal mantras these days are:  First World Problems, All That Is Not Ladder Falls Away, and there but for the grace of god.  And, to quote Hamilton, "that would be enough"... 💞

How are YOU?

NR:  Walking with Ghosts by Gabriel Byrne

SONG:  March Again (Beauty and The Beast parody) by Jimmy Fallon and John Legend

BOOK:  When the World Went Quiet by Tia Martina, Kelly Ulrich (Illustrator)

POEM:  In the Time of Pandemic by Kitty O'Meara

And the people stayed home.

And they read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and learned new ways of being, and were still.

And they listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. 

Some met their shadows. And the people began to think differently.

And the people healed.

And, in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways, the earth began to heal.

And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as they had been healed.

QUOTE:  “If we do our part, if we do this together, by July the 4th there’s a good chance you, your families, and friends will be able to get together in your backyard or in your neighborhood and have a cookout and a barbecue and celebrate Independence Day.” ~ President Joe Biden

Solstice Carole (Wyrd Sisters)

From the New York Times Weekend Briefing:

Today is the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, the longest, darkest night of a long, dark year.

This winter’s darkness is as literal as it is metaphorical, with the catastrophic toll of Covid-19, and fear and dread for what is to come. But as our faith and politics reporter writes, it also serves as a reminder that for millenniums, “humans have turned to rituals and stories to remind one another of hope and deeper truths.”

There is some solace for the darkness: On Monday night, Jupiter and Saturn will almost kiss in the night sky, appearing as one bright planet. The last time they came this visibly close to each other was in the year 1226. Go out and look southwest in the hour after sunset.

For those looking for greater meaning, “this is the end of an era and the beginning of a new one,” said the astrologer Chani Nicholas.

Do you have a Solstice ritual?  I know my friend M does.  Maybe I'll start one this year.  I certainly have candles, herbs/sage, and the Internet to find blessings and words of wisdom.  As good a time as any to chase away the darkness and to conjure light in these troubled times, right?

NR:  Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse

SONG:  Solstice Carole by Wyrd Sisters

BOOK:  The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper, Carson Ellis (Illustrator) 

POEM:  A Winter Solstice Prayer by Edward Hays

The dark shadow of space leans over us

We are mindful that the darkness of greed, exploitation, and hatred

also lengthens its shadow over our small planet Earth.

As our ancestors feared death and evil and all the dark powers of winter,

we fear that the darkness of war, discrimination, and selfishness

may doom us and our planet to an eternal winter.

May we find hope in the lights we have kindled on this sacred night,

hope in one another and in all who form the web-work of peace and justice

that spans the world.

In the heart of every person on this Earth

burns the spark of luminous goodness;

in no heart is there total darkness.

May we who have celebrated this winter solstice,

by our lives and service, by our prayers and love,

call forth from one another the light and the love

that is hidden in every heart.

Amen.

QUOTE:  "Both the Winter and the Summer Solstices are expressions of love. They show us the opposition of light and dark, expansion and contraction, that characterize our experiences in the Earth school so that we can recognize our options as we move through our lives." ~ Gary Zukav

Slouching Towards Bethlehem (Joni Mitchell)

[thanks to Judi for this amazing graphic!]

We interrupt this previously-scheduled post (as if you didn't know already, unless you live under a rock!) to share that President Donald Trump and his wife Melania have tested positive for the coronavirus.  All I care to say at this point is that, tempting as it is, I am not wishing him death; I do, however, hope he feels a serious impact from the virus:  physically, emotionally, politically.  Can you say Karma?

Also, thanks to Sarah for this a few hours ago:

@johnmlester

Replying to 

@AngrierWHStaff

Looks like RBG successfully argued her first hearing with the lord

1:33 AM · Oct 2, 2020·Twitter for Android

I watched the first of the Presidential debates Tuesday night, and I'm still, a few days later, more than a bit shaken.  

MSNBC had a wonderful hour prior during which, before a segment with Hillary Clinton (as the only person who had debated Trump previously, four years ago), Rachel Maddow talked about Hillary having a crystal ball four years ago, and showed clips from the various encounters.  Frightening.  Validating.

I love the trifecta of Maddow, Joy Reid, and Niccole Wallace, both pre- and post-political events.  They warned that Biden needed to stick to his message and *not take the bait* from Trump but, unfortunately, that is exactly what happened.  The debate was described by CNN anchor Jake Tapper as "a hot mess inside a dumpster fire inside a train wreck" and by CNN correspondent Dana Bash more succinctly as "a shitshow."  I was very disappointed, which segued to pissed, that Biden allowed himself to succumb to Trump's tactics, admittedly difficult amidst the constant interruptions, falsehoods, and attacks.  Biden could have done without his own comments of racist, liar, clown, worst president ever, and shut up (even though we know they're all true).  He lowered his standards, when he could/should have risen above (yes, even when his own sons' reputations were impugned).  The best thing he did, toward the end, is that he began to talk to the camera (the constituency) in a calm collected manner about what he will do to get our country back on track.

The evening left me traumatized and anxious and, after listening to more Rachel and company, I had the proverbial epiphany.  They compared him to an abuser and, having grown up in a household where my father later became exactly that (physically as well as emotionally with my mother and brother; emotionally to myself and my sister), I recognized the signs.  Yelling is a trigger for me; I don't hear words, only volume, and I shut down.  Because Trump is all about power and control (and money), I realized he was abusing Biden, Chris Wallace (the moderator), and the American people by subjecting us to his irrational tirade.

Also, Rachel won the Internet with logorrhea... 😲

To be continued...

P.S. Did you know that today is World Smile Day (celebrated the first Friday in October)? Why do we have a world smile day? The story begins with the creation of the smiley face by Harvey Ball in 1963. As the commercialization of the smiley face was running rampant, Harvey believed the true meaning of the smiley face was being lost. Therefore, he started World Smile Day to have one special day to remind us to smile and give acts of kindness. 

P.P.S  I am so saddened by something I read in my UUCFL (former church) newsletter.  He was a wonderful person as well as sound guy, and my altar is ablaze for his smooth transition:  Tripp Page, a long time member of UUCFL, has entered hospice care in his new home in Hilo, Hawa'ii. Tripp was a big part of the Labyrinth Cafe at UUCFL. He was a dear friend to many... 💔

NR:  The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Jim DeFede  (excellent, so far!)

SONG:  Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joni Mitchell (based on the text of Second Coming, a poem by William Butler Yeats)

BOOK:  An Illustrated Book of Bad Arguments by Ali Almossawi, Alejandro Giraldo (Illustrator)

POEM:  Momentum 2016 by Eileen Myles

for Hillary Clinton

How perfect the American sky out there
Innocent perhaps of our goings on
Let everyone turn around once one day
Let them pull the lever, write your name
Awesome the keenness of your focus, Hill
Regarding debating, regarding knowing
You inspire me to stay still, to act
You probably had breakfast this morning
Oregon was one of your stops
Understanding the northwest is part of your job
Remembering everyday a woman chooses to keep running
Every day you learn more
Meet more people
You daily become our president
May every inch of this journey
And every moment of your female campaign unabashedly
Nail it like the girl I met at breakfast at Marfa Burrito. Her name? Victory!

[My note:  More Americans voted for Hillary Clinton than any other losing presidential candidate in US history.  The Democrat outpaced President-elect Donald Trump by almost 2.9 million votes, with 65,844,954 (48.2%) to his 62,979,879 (46.1%), according to revised and certified final election results from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.]

QUOTE:  “Watching that debate was like hot-boxing a port-a-potty with crystal meth. In Phoenix. In July. It was like being hit on the head with a lead pipe in a room filled with nitrous oxide. It was like watching a two-person performance of ‘12 Angry Men’ where one actor played one part and one was mad enough for the other 11.” ~ Seth Meyers

2020 (Ben Folds)

[thanks to my daughter Sarah for this most perfect meme!]


It's the last day of July, significant in that normally (ha, I don't think that word means what you think it means, Susan!), I would be attending the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival in The Berkshires.  Except that we talked about going to the New Bedford Folk Festival instead... and now both plans are moot... null... kaput.  Anne and Bub, the powers-that-be at FRFF have actually managed to present it online this year, starting at 1:30 p.m. today.  As someone said in the chat of Dar's livestreaming concert last night, "I won't miss the porta-potties and/or the mud", but it will be fun to pop in over the course of the weekend to enjoy the music and community, virtual though it is.  Also, my friend Sheila (who I've known and loved forever, and watched her girls grow into beautiful and kind young women), whose husband Bob volunteers for the parking crew, sent this brilliant and hilarious video... 😄

Had a lovely walk with my friend Dave Wednesday evening, and he gave me some chives from his garden, the better to vegan-cream-cheese-and-bagel with, my dear!  Great phone chat with my sister on the way home, which continued another hour sitting in my car in my condo parking lot.

Yesterday was another perfect beach day with Nancy and SusanP.  Not to jinx it, but we always manage to have perfect weather.  Ack, speaking of... there is some sort of crazy hurricane watch in effect for this weekend, a name whose pronunciation is difficult and counter-intuitive.  What?!?  Anyway, sounds like it won't make it past a Category 1, and we do have a stockpile of supplies, but hoping for the best... and I will update on Monday.

Wonderful livestreaming concert with Dar Williams last night, Histories and Mysteries.  It's archived, if you missed it! 

Taking dinner to my former UUCFL minister and her husband this afternoon.  They were in a tragic car accident earlier this month (Rev. Susan's mom was killed), and I wanted to do something.  For Italians, food is our love language... 💓

NR:  The Second Home by Christina Clancy.  Not very far in, but already enjoying... :-)

So, it is indeed Feel Good Friday.  As is tradition, five items below of beauty, interest, and humor to brighten your day/weekend/week.  Enjoy!

~  ‘The Moms Are Here’: ‘Wall of Moms’ Groups Mobilize Nationwide:  The movement that started with a few dozen moms in Portland now has offshoots in cities across the country. (I loved the idea and the intention but now, two days after this article was published/updated, there seems to be controversy.  Such a shame!)


~ From Bob Dylan to The Beatles: 8 songs horror hero Stephen King couldn’t live without:  There are few more imposing names in the world of horror, both on-screen and off, than the extraordinary writer Stephen King. A huge figure in the world of film, King’s works have always been underpinned by the expert use of music. But what were King’s most cherished songs?


~  GEE, ANTHONY FAUCI!:  A Randy Rainbow Song Parody (thanks to SusanP for the heads-up!).


~  Without Music, Tanglewood Is Empty, Eerie and Beautiful:  The usually tourist-packed Berkshires confronts a season without the music festival that anchors its summers.


~ Danny Schmidt and Carrie Elkin, Online Together, Saturday (tomorrow!), August 1, 2020 - 2pm CDT, Facebook Live:  Once a month, Carrie and I have been trying to do a full show of our own, swapping songs back and forth, and singing harmonies with one another. The shows are totally free to watch (though donations are much appreciated) and usually last about an hour and a half. We try and mix up the sets so they're very different shows each time. We hope you'll come join in the festivities!


SONG:  2020 by Ben Folds

BOOK:  What Time Is It? by John Berger, Selçuk Demirel (Illustrator), Maria Nadotti (Introduction)

POEM:  a homeopathic remedy for longing** by Maya Stein

Return to the edge of the ravaged garden, vines stripped while you slept.
Stand mute at the piles you keep adding onto, the leftovers you keep forgetting, 
the trash can that keeps filling and filling and filling. Pause in the brute light 
of unmet plans, the rusty edge of old wounds, the plaintive vacancy of what you 
didn’t say and didn’t do when you had the chance. Roll these losses in your hands. 
Steep in the tea of the stain that follows you everywhere. Gather regret’s knotty fibers 
to your body and enrobe your bones in the steely wool of dread. And now,
now that you’re nearly buried by your own blight, pitch your heart to the sea. Watch it
bobble and weave in an unseen current, tip and tumble as the wind rakes through.
Remember, there is no right answer to where you are going, except forward.

**I borrowed this title from an Instagram post by photographer and writer Lisa Field.

QUOTE:  "What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us." ~ Henry David Thoreau

Uncle John's Band (The Grateful Dead)

I posted the following to our sf_folk discussion list on Saturday:

Robby Greenberg called me yesterday to share some sorrowful news.  Ford passed away from complications of COVID-19. 

Most of you remember him as the wheelchair-bound young man who transcended his disabilities in pursuit of his passion for music.  At the Labyrinth Cafe, he was always front and center, sometimes shouting out a comment, and fighting his instinct to sing along unless the audience was given permission to do so.  Thank you to Amy Carol Webb for always allowing, and encouraging, him.  I even unexpectedly ran into him at an Avett Brothers concert a few years ago at a Boca outdoor amphitheatre!

At our last Labyrinth Cafe concert in May 2019, I had a long list of acknowledgements, one of which was to Ford for having attended the most concerts in my 14-year run as coordinator, and probably even before that under Robby's tutelage.  I know he used to be one of Robby's clients, and was a regular at River of Grass shows too.
RobbyG, is there something we as the sf_folk community can do to let his parents (Reid and Barbara) know just how special Ford was to us?  A collection, a plaque, something named in his honor?  Please ponder and let us know how we can put into tangible terms our deeply emotional connection with this dear man who had an unbridled love for the songs.

Amy Carol Webb shared this on her Facebook page:

My dear friends and family, if you attended any concert of mine in Broward County over the last decade (at least!) you will remember my friend, Ford. With great sadness, I am sorry to tell you he died last week from COVID-19. Ford always sat in the front row, and sang with full-hearted gusto -- especially, "When the Horses Go Down to the Water." Every time I came to the closing of that song -- "Mama calls us up around the kitchen table, lifts her hands and offers ...... thanks" -- I waited to hear Ford's voice finish the phrase with me with his hands raised high in the air. It was a precious moment we shared every show. Thank you, Ford. I will miss you, and forever hear you singing when I lift my hands, and offer thanks.

RobbyG posted to our River of Grass UU Congregation Joys and Concerns yesterday morning, and I wish I had copied-and-pasted so I could quote her accurately.  Ford had Cerebral Palsy, and was one of her clients (she is an advocate for developmentally disabled adults) as far back as 20 years ago.  When she found out he was a Deadhead, she promptly introduced him to the folk community (and him to us), thus beginning his joyful dedication to our music.

There were many lovely comments on the sf_folk list, in response to my initial post.  He was *always* there and, even though live concerts are on hiatus right now, it is hard to imagine a world without Ford when we are able to resume... 💔

SONG:  Uncle John's Band by The Grateful Dead

BOOK:  Tiny the God by Becky Brooks (thanks to River of Grass UU Congregation for using this lovely story as the cornerstone of yesterday's lovestreaming (TM Amy Carol Webb) service)

POEM:  Like You by Roque Dalton (translated by Jack Hirschman)

Like you I
love love, life, the sweet smell
of things, the sky-blue
landscape of January days.
And my blood boils up
and I laugh through eyes
that have known the buds of tears.
I believe the world is beautiful
and that poetry, like bread, is for everyone.
And that my veins don’t end in me
but in the unanimous blood
of those who struggle for life,
love,
little things,
landscape and bread,
the poetry of everyone.

QUOTE:  "I hereby appoint you a dissident Bodhisattva in charge of overthrowing the sour and crippled mass hallucination that is mistakenly called "reality," and replacing it with an authentic reality built on the principles of insurrectionary beauty, ingenious love, voracious curiosity, ecstatic gratitude, and reverent justice." ~ Rob Brezsny

Dr. Anthony Fauci (Scott Hoying of Pentatonix)

Busy day, first to the UPS Store to return an item to Amazon... then to the library to pick up some books on reserve... then to the Alterations place to leave some items for repair... then to scoop up Nancy to head to Parlour Vegan for items ordered earlier this morning (Sarah and I are splitting a few sandwiches, plus I scored a delish assortment of cookies on the day-old shelf!).

Home to a phone conversation with my brother, and then to cobble together today's blog post while eating a vegan spinach empanada.  Yum!  About to curl up for a few hours with my current book, Rodham, a novel about what would have happened if Hillary hadn't married Bill.  Loving it so far.  Thinking dinner is leftover pizza.  This cooking-every-night deal is getting old... 😃

So, it is indeed Feel Good Friday.  As is tradition, five items below of beauty, interest, and humor to brighten your day/weekend/week.  Enjoy!  


~ We Are Freestyle Love Supreme documentary on Hulu:  Well before the world knew of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musicals Hamilton and In The Heights, Lin-Manuel Miranda was in an improvisational hip-hop group called Freestyle Love Supreme along with director Thomas Kail and performers Christopher Jackson and Anthony Veneziale. Filmmaker Andrew Fried began chronicling the group in the summer of 2005, documenting the early days of Freestyle Love Supreme beatboxing and rapping on the sidewalks—unaware of how their story would unfold. Fourteen years later, Fried captures them reuniting for a series of shows in New York City that led to a triumphant run on Broadway. Both poignant and inspired, We Are Freestyle Love Supreme calls the creative dreams of youth and why this show still means so much to these accomplished performers.


~ Tackle Reopening Choices as a Couple:  The world is reopening, and differing levels of anxiety can strain already tense relationships. Here are some strategies for getting through it together.


~ Make Beads From Your Newspaper:  All it takes is your trusty Times, a little glue and these templates.


~ 2020 First Novel Prize: The Long List:  We are so pleased to announce the long list for the 2020 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. The twenty-seven titles were selected from 119 submissions with U.S. publication dates between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020. The shortlisted titles will be announced this fall.  The First Novel Prize, first awarded in 2006, was created to honor the best debut fiction of the year. The winner receives a $15,000 prize with each shortlisted author receiving $1,000. In these particularly challenging times, we are enormously grateful to a generous donor who has made it possible to increase this year’s prize from the previous amount of $10,000 in order to be more supportive of talented emerging writers. The winner is announced in December at our Annual Benefit and Awards Dinner. (thanks to MaryL for the heads-up on this, via the Miami Readers with Attitude Facebook group... :-) )


~ Beet Bourguignon:  If you google the french dish Bœf B-o-u-r-g-u-i-g-n-o-n (phew) you will see Julia Child’s classic recipe everywhere. Talk about making an impression and leaving a footprint. We were looking it up since we have been experiencing a couple cold winter weeks here in Sweden and couldn’t imagine a dish more suitable for this climate than a warm and hearty stew. The Beef Bourguignon is made on beef and bacon, so not the most appropriate dish for vegetarians. But we reckoned that there must be a way to transform that rich, wine oozing hot pot into something more in our taste. After a few experiments it turns out that we were only one letter away. We turned beef into beet. We also added large chunks of mushrooms to give the stew the right texture and flavor.


SONG:  Dr. Anthony Fauci by Scott Hoying of Pentatonix

BOOK:  A Little SPOT Stays Home: A Story About Viruses And Safe Distancing by Diane Alber

POEM:  [as freedom is a breakfastfood] by e. e. cummings

as freedom is a breakfastfood
or truth can live with right and wrong
or molehills are from mountains made
—long enough and just so long
will being pay the rent of seem
and genius please the talentgang
and water most encourage flame

as hatracks into peachtrees grow
or hopes dance best on bald men’s hair
and every finger is a toe
and any courage is a fear
—long enough and just so long
will the impure think all things pure
and hornets wail by children stung

or as the seeing are the blind
and robins never welcome spring
nor flatfolk prove their world is round
nor dingsters die at break of dong
and common’s rare and millstones float
—long enough and just so long
tomorrow will not be too late

worms are the words but joy’s the voice
down shall go which and up come who
breasts will be breasts thighs will be thighs
deeds cannot dream what dreams can do
—time is a tree(this life one leaf)
but love is the sky and i am for you
just so long and long enough

QUOTE:  “True belonging is the spiritual practice of believing in and belonging to yourself so deeply that you can share your most authentic self with the world and find sacredness in both being a part of something and standing alone in the wilderness. True belonging doesn’t require you to change who you are; it requires you to be who you are.” ~ Brené Brown

I've Been Everywhere - Covid 19 version (Jonathan Byrd)

Considering the circumstances, another good week.  Three nice Zoom calls, two of them in regular rotation, and the third with our book club, which hadn't met since February (our March meeting was obviously cancelled).  We kept thinking things would get better and, now that they aren't, we are pondering our options.  We were already scheduled through June, and will probably discuss those four choices September through December (or January).  It's sad to me that our longstanding tradition of theming the food around the book will be temporarily discontinued but... we can still drink wine, albeit in the privacy of our own homes.  However, none of that matters, as long as we can keep our book discussions going!

Yesterday was a lovely beach day with Nancy at SusanP's home... three hours of sun, sand, surf, spritzers, and scintillating conversation.  I have not been this tan in years.  P.S.  Yes, watershoes are a gamechanger, both on the hot sand as well as at the pebbly shoreline...  :-)

My dear grandbaby Colin will turn 2 this Tuesday, July 21... and we are celebrating Sunday morning, a few days before, with a car parade in Sarah's apartment complex.  Recap to follow on Monday, but let's just all sit a minute to let this impossibility sink in.  Two years old?!?  Crazy!

Cleaning house today (ugh!) but it must be done.  New library book as a dangling carrot.  Speaking of, I met my Book A Week Challenge a few days ago.  Every year I either get close to 52, or just barely hit it.  This year, between retirement and the pandemic, I am 5 1/2 months ahead of goal.  At this rate, I might hit triple digits!  It's not a race, and it's not a gauntlet.  It's a pleasure as well as a coping mechanism, and I am truly enjoying vetting the books I check out from the library, so as to set myself up for success, interspersing fiction with non-, current with older, popular with classic.  Find me on Goodreads if you wish, and check out the sidebar on my home page to see what I'm reading... 💗

As is tradition, five items below of beauty, interest, and humor to brighten your day/weekend/week.  Enjoy!  


~ Broadway Continues to Keep the Lights On:  Theatres across the country may currently be silent, but in every Broadway house, a lamp sits centerstage burning bright. It's called a ghost light, and it's a tradition that goes back to the late 1800s.  CBS Sunday Morning speaks with members of the Broadway community about how we are keeping the lights on during this dark time, onstage, and in our hearts.


~ This Pickle Is a Cake:  Welcome to the viral world of hyper-realistic cake slicing videos.


~ Alex Trebek Is Still in the Game:  In his new memoir, the longtime “Jeopardy!” host delivers clues and facts about himself, and looks back on his life as he struggles with advanced pancreatic cancer.  (Despite the fact my friend Stephen thinks he is "smarmy", I have a long-time crush on AT:  not tall, which is my usual criteria, but smart with mischievous eyes.  Heads-up that I have asked my husband to buy this book for my upcoming birthday... :-) )


~ Greetings from BookCation:  Vacation is wherever your book is


~ Hamilton Act 1 but it's Muppets:  This is a fan-made parody. It is no way affiliated with The Muppets or Hamilton, and I claim no ownership of either. This is purely parody. (cast and tracklist included in link)



SONG:  I've Been Everywhere - Covid 19 version by Jonathan Byrd

BOOK:  Private Investigations: Mystery Writers on the Secrets, Riddles, and Wonders in Their Lives by Victoria Zackheim

POEM:  first, we have to start with nothing by Maya Stein

We have to wake, nakedly, from the place of dreams. We have to stumble from the sheets
and gape, slack-mouthed, at the morning ahead, our feet shoddy on the floorboards.
We have to pitch into an empty kitchen, hands clawing toward a clean mug.
We have to feel shaken from what we’d carried, our bones awkward with the
unburdening that sleep was, everything that had looked so certain, so clear, even
when we knew it wasn’t. We have to squint against the sharpness of this rough canvas
of a day, the questions that scratch impolitely before we are ready to listen. We have to
remember how small we really are, how permeable. We have to linger in this raw reality
before the task of proving ourselves can begin. We have to marry what we wish we could
abandon forever. We have to be willing to save ourselves again and again and again.

QUOTE:  "Let's cultivate our capacity to be astonished... to be thrilled by every subtle mystery that sneaks into our daily rhythm... to make ourselves
fully available for the unexpected riddles that life is always setting in front of us." ~ Rob Brezsny

In a World of My Own (from Alice in Wonderland)

As I was out running errands last Thursday (and by running errands, I mean doing a drive-thru library pick-up of books I had on reserve), I looked in the rearview mirror and realized I resembled The Invisible Man (H. G. Wells' version, not Ralph Ellison's...  😎 )

 I desperately need a haircut (I've actually done some self-snipping a time or two with the problem areas) so, many days, I just throw on a headband that color-coordinates with my outfit and channel my inner Keith Richards.  Who gives a sh*t.  I don't venture out into the world often (except to the aforementioned library), and it's not like any of them know or care what I look like anyway, right?

In the last week, I seem to have made a very conscious decision to not only go down the rabbit hole, but stay there (go ask Alice...  ;-)  Back to feeling blah, weird, roly-poly-ish, and knowing I am not very good company right now, even for phone calls or Zoom or texts.  I honestly don't need cheering up; there is nothing anyone can do to snap me out of this funk.  It's all on me.  Lots of stressors, family and otherwise, that have left me frustrated and helpless.  As is often the case, allowing myself the benefit of the wallow usually works, until I can rise to my better self.  I'll get there, and thanking everyone in advance for their patience and understanding.

What I really need is a massage, which I haven't had since early-March.  I am a member of the Massage Envy wellness program but, because I have been so risk-averse for the last 3+ months, it doesn't make sense to take a chance (even though I totally trust my tried-and-true Karen!).  Despite my tendency to b*tch and shut down on a regular basis, my dear saint of a husband gives me a back rub almost every night.  His picture is next to the phrase "unconditional love" in the dictionary... 💓


SONG:  In a World of My Own from Alice in Wonderland (flip side:  Blink-182's Rabbit Hole)

BOOK:  Through the Rabbit Hole: Explore and Experience the Shamanic Journey and Energy Medicine by Jan Engels-Smith

POEM:  Fog by Alison Luterman

We don’t have snow here
but some mornings the whole world
is white and hushed and soft with fog
and whatever troubles we went to sleep
clutched to our thudding hearts
have loosened overnight and are dissolving
in mist. The regal hills
to the East have been erased
behind a cottony scrim, and people
appear to appear
out of nowhere in the dawn hush.
An old woman in mask and gloves
pushes her shopping cart
full of salvaged empties. A mother hauls
two babies up the street, one in a backpack,
one in a stroller. A man
with dreadlocks and headphones
cruises by on his bike,
no-hands. All of them
whoosh into the frame
and then vanish. Like the future, or the past,
or some other dimension, alive,
but invisible to us.

[Alison Luterman: “I feel a kind of mental fogginess creeping in as we enter week infinity of sheltering-in-place with no certainty about what the future holds—not that we ever had certainty, not really. At times like these it’s helpful for me to remember that there has always been mystery at the heart of life.”]

QUOTE(S):  "I'm a little hibernating animal. Anonymity is one of my favorite things. I mean, that's why I moved to New York when I was like 18, because there, there are just so many people that there's no one and you're just lost. You're completely invisible and I find that very liberating." ~ Ani DiFranco

"Bizarrely, I actually feel safer the older I get, like people will expect less from me, and I can become more and more invisible, yet more and more eccentric." ~ Marian Keyes

"I've always been a very sensitive person, and people tell me that if I'm in a certain mood, and I go into a room, my mood will permeate the room. It's not on purpose - I'd rather be invisible in those moments - but I'm really bad at faking how I feel." ~ Rooney Mara

Too Much (Dave Matthews Band)

[This is not my house, I promise... although in a few more months, if the library continues to feed my addiction, it could be...  ;-) ]


Confession Time:  I have hoarding tendencies.  If my children and friends are reading this, they won't be the least bit surprised.  The rest of you may be horrified.  Life has always seemed to run at warp speed, and I could never catch up or, if I got close, stay caught up.  Traveling husband, active children, full-time job, social justice activism, outings with friends, my passion for music:  14 years of coordinating a folk concert series, house concerts in my living room, crossing county and even state lines for concerts and festivals.  There seemed barely enough time for sleeping, much less organization and filing.  If I was having company, I had a tendency to pile paperwork and To Do items in laundry baskets, which I then shoved into the utility room (out of sight, out of mind), intending to unearth and deal with afterward, but never quite getting around to it.  Oops!

When we moved two years ago from our suburban home to our condo complex, with half the square footage, I realized just how many laundry baskets I owned... ;-)  Downsizing forced me to sort into Keep or Trash, winnowing my stacks considerably and now, finally, my life is much more orderly than before.  Liberating.

Now though, during this pandemic, I seem to have fallen back into my old habits, with food and books .  I have been Instacarting (yes, I turned it into a verb!) entirely too often with Publix, Whole Foods and, more recently Costco, all delivered directly to my doorstep.  My fridge, freezer, and pantry are overflowing, plus I have a few large Rubbermaid containers in my guest room closet set aside for (as if the pandemic isn't bad enough) non-perishable items for hurricane season (June 1 through November 30).  I have now gone a week since my last order, and have vowed that only when we are close to running out of coconut creamer for my coffee will I reach out to Johan or Brittany or Xavier for help.

I also am trigger-happy with the Place Hold button on my Broward County Library app.  If a novel, memoir, or essay collection piques my interest:  click!  The only problem is, I currently have 41 books checked out, with another 15 on reserve.  I do not suffer from Abibliophobia (the fear of running out of reading material).  I am just lured to discover as well as motivated to escape, always wanting the Next Write Thing (apologies to Glennon) at my fingertips (or on my optical horizon, as the case may be).  This is all ridiculous, because I have close to 100 books that I own which I haven't yet read.  But no... look, something shiny/NYT bestseller/Readers-with-Attitude recommendation!  And don't even get me started on the sure-to-be-cancelled Miami Book Fair this coming November.  Sob... 😢

My life now seems to be a mash-up of The Grapes of Wrath meets Farenheit 451... and I am ready for whatever happens, well-fed and well-read!


SONG:  Too Much by Dave Matthews Band

BOOK:  Too much, Not enough: A guide to decreasing anxiety and creating balance through intentional choices by Tara Sanderon

POEM:  Who Hoards Rain Clouds in the Desert? by Rajani Radhakrishnan

Who hoards rain clouds in the desert?

There the universe stores vats of virgin happiness, doling
it out like a grim faced Scrooge, while we wait, bowl in

hand, wanting more. Always wanting more. We are made
of longing and hunger. And everywhere we look, is a giant

supermarket feeding that emptiness. Everything in excess,
marked down, on luscious display, the seed of the first apple

feverishly multiplying on every shelf of every aisle and our
hands reaching constantly to fill the ever growing void. Except

for happiness. For that, there is a line and a quota and a price.
We pretend not to see each other. Who will admit to such

privation? We study the signs from a distance. Perhaps, it
is another sorrow, another wound, another word that brings

you here. Does my skin turn transparent as I stand? Do you know
the scars inside? You will not turn your head. I will not call. How

much longer? Who hoards rain clouds in the desert? No one
warned me to save my smile. To save the light in your eyes.

QUOTE:  “At the end, all that's left of you are your possessions. Perhaps that's why I've never been able to throw anything away. Perhaps that's why I hoarded the world: with the hope that when I died, the sum total of my things would suggest a life larger than the one I lived.” ~ Nicole Krauss

Take Me to Tomorrow (John Denver)

Another "interesting" week.  Trump's approval rating continues to go down although, sadly, Florida's confirmed cases of coronavirus are on the rise, substantially.  We've edged up the last few weeks from 3,000 to 4,000 to 5,000 (daily!), and today registered almost 9,000.  Yikes.  Masks, people.  It's not that hard.  As Leonard Pitts said in his 6/25/20 column, "...listen to the experts. After all, they don't know who you voted for.  And the virus doesn't care."

Two Zoom calls this past Tuesday, in the morning with Nancy and Judi, and the evening with Brian, Robby, Reba, Dave, Nancy, and myself.  A patio visit with Reba Wednesday afternoon, followed by our regular Parlour Vegan trip (at this rate, I am working my way, happily, through their menu...  :-)  Another visit with Nancy to SusanP's place at the beach.  thankyoujesus, the water was calmer, but there was lots of seaweed plus a heat advisory (felt like 105!), which motivated me to order some watershoes for the next time (thanks for the idea, Nance!).  Heavily immersed in the novel American Dirt, which has had its share of controversy but is stunningly written and deeply engrossing.  Leftovers for dinner tonight.  Same old, same old.  So close to finishing the clearing/organization of the guest room closet.  Entertaining or having company would provide the impetus to just get it done, but no guests on the horizon, obviously.  Just the two of us since March 13.  As long as we can get Instacart groceries, a weekly meal (Chinese or Italian), and the occasional Amazon need-du-jour delivered, I'm okay with the limited face-to-face company.

As is tradition, five items below of beauty, interest, and humor to brighten your day/weekend/week.  Enjoy! 


~ Padma Lakshmi Finds a New Voice, Amplifying the Voices of Others:  “Taste the Nation” is her new series on Hulu, with 10 episodes that collectively expand and redefine the meaning of American food.


~ Rhinestone masks and $9 hand sanitizer: A COVID-19 store just opened at Aventura Mall:  Welcome to the COVID-19 pop-up store. May we take your temperature?


~ Who’s in the Running to Be Joe Biden’s Vice President?:  Here are 13 women who have been under consideration by Mr. Biden, and why each might be chosen — and might not be.


~ Although James Corden, Reggie Watts and The Muppets can't be together in a studio, the group comes together on video chat to sing The Beatles classic "With a Little Help from My Friends." Sing along with Kermit, Fozzie, Miss Piggy, Swedish Chef, Animal, Gonzo and so many more.


~ Virtual benefit concert to assist Academy of Music Theatre:  Some of the Pioneer Valley’s most notable musicians will virtually gather to perform songs that celebrate summer and raise funds for Northampton’s oldest performing arts venue.  “Summer Songs: A Virtual Benefit Concert for Northampton’s Academy of Music Theatre” will take place on July 1 at 8 p.m. and be live-streamed through the theater’s Facebook and YouTube pages.  The concert will feature performances from Valley favorites such as Dar Williams, Martin Sexton, Mark Mulcahy, Heather Maloney, Winterpills, and more.


P.S.  Confession Time.  Yes, I consider myself a folkie, not quite going as far back as The Kingston Trio and The Limeliters, but definitely a fan of Peter, Paul, and Mary... then on to Joni, Joan, Crosby Stills and Nash, etc. (speaking of, I highly recommend Laurel Canyon, the two-part documentary on the Epix channel).  Weirdly, I never felt drawn to John Denver, who I considered too pop/syrupy for my taste.  Only just discovered today's post-titled song when I watched Banding Together:  A Concert for the Colorado Music Relief Fund, when Dave Matthews covered it.  Apologies to John Denver for underestimating his songwriting abilities.  Mind blown.


SONG:  Take Me to Tomorrow by John Denver (cover by Dave Matthews Band)

BOOK:  Tomorrow: Adventures in an Uncertain World by Bradley Trevor Greive

POEM:  Weather by Claudia Rankine

On a scrap of paper in the archive is written
I have forgotten my umbrella. Turns out
in a pandemic everyone, not just the philosopher,
is without. We scramble in the drought of information
held back by inside traders. Drop by drop. Face
covering? No, yes. Social distancing? Six feet
under for underlying conditions. Black.
Just us and the blues kneeling on a neck
with the full weight of a man in blue.
Eight minutes and forty-six seconds.
In extremis, I can’t breathe gives way
to asphyxiation, to giving up this world,
and then mama, called to, a call
to protest, fire, glass, say their names, say
their names, white silence equals violence,
the violence of again, a militarized police
force teargassing, bullets ricochet, and civil
unrest taking it, burning it down. Whatever
contracts keep us social compel us now
to disorder the disorder. Peace. We’re out
to repair the future. There’s an umbrella
by the door, not for yesterday but for the weather
that’s here. I say weather but I mean
a form of governing that deals out death
and names it living. I say weather but I mean
a November that won’t be held off. This time
nothing, no one forgotten. We are here for the storm
that’s storming because what’s taken matters.

QUOTE:  “That is the whole thing with the future. You don’t know. At some point you have to accept that you don’t know. You have to stop flicking ahead and just concentrate on the page you are on.” ~ Matt Haig