Morning musings

 It's 6:23 in the morning.  I have viewed all the Facebook videos I can stand and we are going to have rain today.  Friend Dickman went into Beaumont yesterday probably for dehydration but maybe more.  He was really not himself during our Tuesday coffee meeting yesterday and with considerable urging, he called his daughter and she took him in.  He is not taking proper care of himself, not drinking enough water or similar stuff. All of the colleagues were rattled and concerned and the meeting broke up shortly there after. 

Have been watching Mare of Easttown and it has improved completely. If you have HBO Max, catch this one.  Nearing the end of the series, we do not know who the culprit is and all the characters are flawed. We have to wait till next week for the outcome.  Judy is frustrated because by this time in most mysteries, she has the answer.

Dentist, kids and a call to my Uncle Len are on the schedule today.  Went to Costco recently for some staples and saw some of the shorts I really liked.  But, do I really need them? Yeah, yeah I liked the color and the fit is great but will they complete my life? Probably not.  Went to Woodward Corners Market yesterday and for the first time saw a sign proclaiming that those who were fully vaccinated could go without a mask. Most were still masked.  These lifted restrictions will take some time for people to accept.  I am weary of the face covering because they get soggy and restrict air during more strenuous activity like climbing stairs.  Here at the compound they have lifted the elevator restrictions, public restroom restrictions and the gathering restrictions.  We still have to wear masks in the public areas.  Many are not complying.  

Was enlightened at my last viewing of Finding Your Roots, with comedians, Roy Woods Jr., and Lewis Black.  Woods story told the tale of many African Americans with their roots inextricably liked to the bondage of Slavery, his families struggles and successes and his 4th great grandfather Samuel having his beginnings in Africa.  It was shown in documents.  Further, Gates said imagine that your were owned like a chicken or a cow or a pig.  That concept shook me completely.  All of this is completely outside my personal or familial history and I am still trying to reconcile it in my mind.  These words are still ringing in my mind. 

Our garden area gifted to us by friend Bill is now planted, mulched and getting watered.  All the plants are growing and flourishing, standing up straight to greet the sun.  Growing a couple of tomatoes varieties, red pimento peppers, zucchini and cucumbers.  Hopefully the squirrels will leave us some.  These are pictures of Judy's balcony garden for 2021.  All are in bloom.

all for now

stay safe and get a shot if you haven't 

Cesar

Did you ever try to be quiet making all the correct moves to avoid clanging of the pots and silverware only to misplace one item and boom, the clatter begins. My lack of subtlety usually betrays my clumsiness as hard as I try.  

That was my experience today when I pulled the towel from the ring and it hit a brush on the rack and clang it went into the empty basket below with a loud clunk.  

These picture are from yesterday, the first being the lovely sunrise blending azure and pink over the trees from our balcony. We face north but when looking to the east at the right time catch these colours (I love the English spelling). This my newest dog friend Cesar and his master Randy.  They live near the beginning of my long walk on Catalpa.  He is a mix of a chihuahua and Pomeranian and looks like a raccoon peering from under the car at home.  His master is chatty even early and loves to talk about old Cesar and his ailments as well as the opulent wisteria bushes on his fence.  A really nice guy and a good talker.

The sun is up and I am listening to the morning birds singing their songs. More heat and a few clouds today.  it will be a good food prep day for me, faro, hard boiled eggs and blend of onion/baby zucchini are on the list.  Another long walk with Harry in the morning before the heat.

Went to Trader Joe's for a few items yesterday and all shoppers and staff were still masked.  I asked at the door about and she said I was welcome to remove mine being fully vaccinated, but could continue to wear.  Aside from walking around in the fresh air, I still think people are reticent and nervous about removing face coverings. 

I have to admit that I really like all the newly invented outdoor dining spaces.  Always liked alfresco eating anyway and now there are more options.  Meeting with a friend tomorrow morning for breakfast after about a year since seeing each other. Really looking forward to it.

Friend Bill gifted my with part of his garden plot and we planted tomatoes and peppers yesterday.  Tuane, our terrific maintenance man installed a hose for us and we are all ready for the vegetables the squirrels don't consume. Put down cedar mulch to keep the weeds at bay and planted marigolds for the bugs.  We will tend it and hope for the best.

Well, breakfast is done, dishes are complete and am waiting for Harry to get up and take him for a walk.

Not too fascinating or insightful today

stay safe

all for now

 

Jersey Shore

So Judy went to visit her family last week in Toms River.  A splendid time was had by all with lots of eating and humor.  These people can laugh at each other with abandon, loudly and all be smiling at the end.  They all look different with the boys having little hair on their heads.  Judy and Laura are an odd pair with one at nearly 5 feet and Judy at 5 foot 6.  Here they are in Seaside Heights enjoying the famous Kohr's Orange ice cream.  Judy has been talking about this since the last time she had if over a year ago.  I personally remember the Italian Sausage sandwiches, the aroma, the taste and the feel of the onions and peppers.  She speaks of this ice cream.  My memory of the boardwalk at Seaside was the ocean crashing of course, that smell and all the tattoos and the youngsters in Doors tee shirts.  Jim Morrison had died before they were born but they still held him in high reverence. There were numerous games of skill you could try to win a Chinese stuffed animal or a CD from some band.  

So, it was me and Harry for about 5 days.  Had lots of social engagements with friends for coffee, lunch and a breakfast with Katey on Sunday.  Did lots of walking with Harry with plenty of friendly greetings from our neighbors.  Surprisingly, did not order pizza once.  Made most of the food at home.  Watched the Sopranos till they became caricatures of themselves.  Now kind of bored with it.  Documentary Crime of the Century about Big Pharma and the opioid epidemic was startlingly scary.  I don't think I will every look at a storefront Pain Clinic the same way.  If you want to keep your head firmly in the sand, skip this one.  I've said this before, but Stephen Colbert without Tr*mp lacks the impact.

Friend Bill has granted me part of his garden plot for tomatoes and maybe some peppers.  Judy and I are going out today for the plants.  Supposed to reach near 80 today and the long pants have been put away.  Coffee with the cronies this morning for more stories.

all for now

stay safe. 
 

Traveling thru my days

 

And now on to something more pleasant.  Judy has been visiting  her brothers and sister in New Jersey since Wednesday and they seem to be having a wonderful time eating and reminiscing. 

 

This is a photo of the four all staggered in heights and ages with the boys having few productive follicles.  I have been home with Harry minding the store feeding him, watching Sopranos and Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee and bad news on TV.  

Above is Joyce and her boyfriend Harry.  She came to dinner yesterday and ate like she was going to the electric chair. In some ways she reminds me of my father in law Harry Reno. Skinny but can eat with abandon and not gain an ounce of weight.  She is a lovely 90 year old recovering from major back surgery and bitching about it taking too long wanting to move around and do things as she did in her pre surgery days.  

I am going to soccer games this weekend and will sit in my tattered fold up chair cheering on Marie and Eli's teams in the sunshine.  My god! we have been blessed with wonderful warm days recently.  I am afraid to get used to it.  Friend Bill has prepared a spot in his garden plot for my tomato planting. Looking forward to it and hoping for the best and that the squirrels find another place to dine.   He loves his gardening, nursing his plants like his children.

that's it

stay well

Personal manifesto

It comes to mind that there are people that are choosing to not receive the vaccine for Covid-19.  Some folks are suspicious of the speed at which it was developed or have religious beliefs indicating that God will care for them and its God's will and all that.  African Americans may feel that they have been lied to by the government for hundreds of years and  no point in trusting that their well being is first and foremost in the minds of our leaders.  I hope that everyone gets vaccinated, parents, kids, grandparents and disabled people. 

So there's no cute family photos today.  This entry is more of my manifesto on the state of our nation. I believe that racism is an issue that may never be resolved here.  I really thought that the generation of my grand children could do it but the real constraints of society and the power structures prevent a solution.  I causes me great pain in that I came from the peace and love generation of the sixties with Woodstock and all from that. We were supposed to create a new world based on those principles, but we didn't.

 Systemic racism  in my thinking is the root cause of most of the issues In America.  White Americans have never accepted their African-American brethren as part of our society and our equals.  There is a is a divide that exists between us that crosses generations.  It took me a long time to come to grips with this in my mind.  It has been troubling in that I thought I was not part of the problem, all the while kidding myself that I was a fair and caring person, but realizing that I harbor long buried ill feelings toward people of color that are ingrained in my personality based on prejudices that I learned in my youth.

Caucasian people should be requesting forgiveness for the historic harm caused to black people from slave ships to plantations to the Jim Crow laws.  I don't know what to do to move forward.  I think it has to start with conversations between us.  I don't know what people of color think, how they perceive the world we live in, or how they feel about this profound disconnect we deal with everyday.  

For the first time in my life, I live in a diverse community.  There are black and white residents in this large apartment complex.  We do have one thing in common....wait for it. We're old.  We have seen life, the beautiful and the ugly.  Some are close to the end of their days. Yet we only politely greet each other and smile under our masks, bitch about the Tigers and the Lion, and extoll the weather or complain about it.  This may be the last place for this painful maybe hopeful conversation.

These are deeply personal thoughts that I harbor and they may piss off readers of my blog. I am not sorry.

all for now

stay safe

Trip to Grand Rapids

We had a fun and memorable time in Grand Rapids with Jon, Kelly and the boys this Mother's Day weekend.  Visited Tulip Time in Holland.  It was the first time for all of us to see the beautiful blooms.  We went to Chuck E. Cheese's on Sunday (my favorite entertainment, Ha).  Paxton and Everett had a great time.  Thank god for the Ford Sync and turn by turn GPS.  It made the travel much easier.  

These boys are completely different personalities.  Paxton is articulate, expressive and polite to a fault. Everett is a slam bang two year old liking to rough house and throw things.  He is easy to laugh and easy to cry.

They liked the visit to Holland and the park we walked to at the end of the day.  Paxton made a friend of a little girl and they were playing and inseparable for the whole time.  Their parents moved to the area in December and are still getting acquainted with the area and its offerings.

Everett was displeased in this picture and he and Nanny showed their meanest faces to compare whose was the worst.  On Sunday, the moms got their presents and Kelly was left for some well deserved alone time while the boys and us went to the pizza place for kid games and food. 

We drove home without event and smooth sailing.  All in all a most pleasant trip 

Going to coffee with the cronies this morning for more stories. Sun is shining although brisk.  

all for now

stay safe


 

Billy Kwan

Was reading articles from The Guardian (British newspaper) and came across a piece ranking the films of Sigourney Weaver.  Among the significant list was "The Year of Living Dangerously".  The cast included Mel Gibson, Linda Hunt and Sigourney.  For me, this is the most profoundly sexual film I had ever viewed without having any actual sex portrayed.  It is set in smoldering Indonesia during the Sukarno era and you can feel the humidity and rain and heat.  If you have not seen this one do so, three profound performances.

Getting ready for our trek to GR tomorrow.  Fortunately it s a rather short drive at 2 hours plus,  I rather like the adventure of this.  A place with little familiarity visiting with my kids and grand kids. All the prep work does not bother me.  

The morning is quiet and the flag out front hangs limp with no breezes to move it.  Rained last night and the ground is still wet.  Breakfast and exercises are completed and I am starring at the bowl to be washed.  These stretching and flexibility moves taught by my physical therapist have helped me get in touch with my body and find some modicum of serenity.  I can feel the quiet afterward.  I know, screwy.

We have been watching and evaluating "City on a Hill" on Hulu.  Kevin Bacon plays a big haired, foul mouthed Boston detective with a host of other bad habits and self destructive behaviors.  This is one of those tough guy cop shows with lots of fist fights and bloody noses.  Every character carries many flaws with lots of baggage. Jill Hennessy is good as his emotionally deprived wife.  There are many strong female roles amidst the male f*ckups .  The jury is still out for me.  

My dear Jon & Kelly got me this subscription to Story Worth.  This provides a weekly email with a question to be answered.  Most are regarding life experiences and family.  Its lots of fun and sometimes deeply personal.  This week they ask me about the best meal I ever had. I have a few responses.  My old friend Joe Viviano from Central Transport had me over for lunch one time.  His wife was from Italy and spoke little English.  She served simple pasta with homemade tomato sauce.  It was simple and spectacular.  I am one of those eaters that remembers the taste of the experience.  This is one of those memories.

When I was in the trucking business, at lunch one day we went to the Polish Village Inn.  It is situated in the basement of a building  on Yemens St in Hamtramck.  I had pork chops that melt in your mouth.  Still there. try it.

Maybe the best pizza for me is Louies in Hazel Park.  Also a place in a strip mall in Edison NJ near the former Ford Plant.

Judy's carrot cake has lots of memories for me.  I could eat it without frosting and probably consume the whole thing if given the chance.  Thanks Honey.

Lastly, a dish of my own,  Italian sausage with artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes and mushrooms cooked In chicken stock.  The combination of flavors with the sun dried and the artichokes is unique and memorable.  My kids always licked the pot and we never had left overs. 

all for now

stay safe

Cronies and old Memories

Will have breakfast with the cronies today. Will try to take a picture. Hope all are ok. Getting ready for a trip to Grand Rapids on Saturday to see Jon and family.  Harry is coming as well.  Do not think he will enjoy the trip.  He always whines on the trip out but is quiet on the way back, but he loves the little guys and all the attention they pay to him. 

It is the next day.  Breakfast was good and I ate like I was going to the electric chair as my father in law used to lament.  This is the picture I promised at Alex's restaurant with the sweet waitress that knew Dick from many lunches.  Will do this again. 

I have watched A Handmaids Tale since it started, all three seasons, in fact watching all of them twice. Now getting embroiled in season 4 having seen the first 4 episodes. All the horrors of Gilead have been thoroughly explained in the previous seasons.  Now June and her band of handmaids are hell bent on bringing down her vicious and abusive captors.  It's a more involved exploration into all their personalities with Fred and Serena imprisoned in Canada as a backstory.  This last episode, however, left me flat.  The characters were incomplete and the story had too many holes in it.  This is the first time I have been disappointed.  We will see with the next outing.

It's funny how you remember settings from your past and the circumstances that put you there. When I was ten, my parents had another child, Pamela. Joan and I were shipped off to Flint to stay with my grandparents for about ten days.  The lived on East McClellan street across from Flint Northern H.S. It was a small frame house trimmed in green with a front room, dining room and kitchen.  The front porch was glassed and enclosed and I would spend a lot of time out there watching the cars go by as it was a busy street.  There was a pretty girl about 18 that lived next door. She would come over and sit with us if Grandma had to go out.  She was my first crush. Short in stature and with lovely long hair and a sweet demeanor, I was smitten as young boys ofter are. On the other side was a man named Mr. Gumm. He had plum trees in his back yard and we picked plums.

I need to get jolted back into the present. We have Eli and Marie today, first time in a while. I miss seeing them both.  Judy is going walking with a friend and we are seeing former neighbors in the early afternoon.  Really enjoy my visits with my pal Apollo. If no one else is, he is always thrilled to see me, yelping and spinning around.  He jumps up on my lap always trying to lick my face.

Saw this little guy on my evening walk last night.  Was surprised he posed for the picture.

all for now

stay safe

 

 

I'm Growing (wider)

This is Judy at Marie's game on Sunday, More lovely every day.

Going to the VA with her today for appointments and I will be waiting for a while.  Taking a book with me to read and a notebook to write about what I observe.  Ate one meal of greasy bar food yesterday and I gained 2 pounds and my glucose was not in line.  Only had grapefruit after a 2pm meal.  Feeling rather frustrated.  Haven't eaten yet and don't know what to consume to not worsen the problem.  

In that it is only 6am, all is quiet here with a few. morning birds singing their songs.  They are waking up too.  I love this new Mac computer and was taught  recently the best way to save these blog entries as PDF files.  After living in PC world for all of my working life, this is the final cast off of the trappings of office work with spreadsheets and powerpoint presentations to a place of creativity.  And truly, it is liberating. That was the last harness that tethered me to thoughts of working.  I am through with it. Without my wife's urging, I wouldn't have taken the leap.

I love writing in the quiet of the morning, my tranquil place of solitude. 

It was truly surprising to learn of the impending divorce of Bill and Melinda Gates yesterday.  Professionally they were the most focused couple with lofty goals for humanity.  Apparently though, privately drifting apart. However sad, transitioning to a new life chapter with eyes opened and open hearts, right for them.

The sun has emerged for an unexpected turn and the trip downtown through my old stomping grounds should not be hampered by rain.  The wait was longer than expected.  I was at my station watching vets going for their appointments many in really bad shape and very old.  They all have stories to tell.  Judy got her glasses ordered and new orthotics.  She waited a long time to get these benefits earned from her time in the Navy.

The day has passed and I finally got a good walk in with Harry bringing my daily total to over 11K steps.  Lots of people our walking their pooches before the rain starts. 

That's it for today

Stay safe

 

Shanon is 33 and Mandy

Yesterday was Shannon's 33rd birthday. It was a little different in that we had a birthday breakfast of blueberry pancakes, maple link sausage and scrambled eggs.  It was my first time making pancakes from scratch and they came out great but I need a better pan, thinking of cast iron.  We were fortunate to have the whole gang show up.  It was a treat to have all my kids under one roof for a change and the addition of Paxton and Everett to boot to keep things exciting.  Dick was there for the fun too. He is Shannon's pal from the building.

Because it was a lovely day, we had the cake and singing  

outside in the courtyard with Poppy chasing the boys up and down the hills.  They did fine, I was exhausted. Shannon had a call from her former teacher  

Ray and from Anthony at Lange house.  After the cleanup, Judy went to Marie's soccer game which was great fun. Shan and I went back to our favorite Disney movies and laundry.  With a sore back but a happy soul, I move forward.

Had occasion to view the latest "Finding your Roots" on PBS episode featured Broadway stars Mandy Patinkin and Audra MacDonald.  As always, in informative and entertaining program,  I was startled and shocked along with guest Mandy that he had lost over twenty family members in the camp at Treblinka during the holocaust.  Upon the revelation, he burst into tears and sobs.  He had really thought that his family lost no members in this 

tragedy.   I cried with him.  It has been said that his voice is a gift from God.  I had to write about this because it had so much effect on me.  I am still thinking about it, 

A rainy day again Berkley.  Feet got wet feeding and taking out Apollo,  Watched episode 3 of season 4 of A Handmaids Tale.  Very dark with brutal details.  Aunt Lydia is still wreaking havoc and Serena and Fred are still under arrest in Canada.  Went to Renshaw's for a nice lunch with Janine followed by a nap in my chair.  New host of Jeopardy is Bill Whitaker from 60 Minutes not a bad first night,  but not as jokey as Anderson Cooper. 

all for now

stay safe

Fully apple-ized

This is my lovely wife Judy who has helped me on my journey away from the world of PC's and Windows 10 to the Mac operating system and a different way of computing which I am still in the learning curve of.  I wanted to take this leap because of the constant pitfalls of the Windows based system and its shortcomings, even though the machine costs about twice as much as a Windows machine.

Our internet service was interrupted yesterday for most of the day but was back on when I arose at about 4:30 today.  After playing on my phone for about an hour, I turned on this device and bingo, back in action.  Then it quit and wouldn't operate.  Back to Best Buy for another choice, and then another choice.  Finally she found one that worked and was comfortable in my hand.  Thank God for Judy's fortitude and abilities! 

Went to our favorite spot for lunch yesterday mid afternoon and it was filled with loud outdoor male revelers and despite the good idea that I was planning on, moved to Zeoli's down the street.  The lunch was pleasant and it was quiet.  Don't really like shouting to be heard.  

I have trouble learning new things or ways of operating.  Like a different way to travel some where or stringing together the most efficient way to multiple locations.  Learning this new system has been challenging.  But its getting better.

Went to a little kid soccer game today with a bunch of four year olds running around chasing the ball.  Hopefully all the parents were   laughing as much as us. After the game, we went to a Royal Oak institution, Comet Burger.  Now these morsels should not be the food source of choice for most adults, as they are off the chart for fat and cholesterol; but admittedly pretty tasty and not too expensive.

Well tomorrow is Shannon's 33rd birthday.  We are having a birthday breakfast instead of dinner.  Should have plenty of pictures.

I was really distraught when my PC died.  It was my morning news friend with breakfast and coffee and a way to do early morning messaging with pals all over the country.  Today, I am finally comfortable with my new MacBook companion and look forward to a long relationship. 

all for now

stay safe