Friday night in the Grove

If you're like me, you'll sit in the car and gaze at the scenery while a guest finishes up on Fresh Air. This time, a NY'r reporter talked about adopting a daughrer from Haiti after the earthquake. She was about 9 mos old and had a herniated belly button from malnutrition. She was one of 24 children by her mother.

I had an unofficial appt at my hair salon, the first time ever w/Malaysian-born Moi whom I liked very much. She enjoyed answering my questions about her country of origin where the standard of living is excellent. She gave me a free bottle of mousse. I thought it was the kind you eat - chocolate mousse - so I'm feeling a little sick today.

my garden

Last year I bought loads of flowers at an end/season sale at Meadowbrook Farm and then plum forgot about em. Here is one of the ground covers I bought. Went crazy over the beautiful yellow flowers when I saw em!



My friends and I always meet at the mall to chat. Here's lovely stately Mandy, orig. from Great Britain.



I hadn't seen my friend Ilene since Julie and Justin were learning to crawl. I'll never forget visiting them and eating meatballs and spaghetti made by her Italian in-laws.



I told Ilyas the Greek that his Manhattan Bagel is among my fave places to eat. I love the crunchy bagels with scallion cream cheese. I know, I know, I'm making both of us hungry. I've already had my evening quota of purple grapes.



Was proofreading a grant proposal I'm submitting to the Leeway Foundation. I've gotta mail it by 2 pm tomro and can't figger out how I'll ever get it done. I census'd all day today and am too tired to think.

There are many levels of thought. Bloggin is easy, no thought required since I rely mostly on photos now. But I've gotta use the highest regions of my brain to compose the grant proposal. Writing a novel was much easier. For that, we go into yet anudder brain region, one which is scattered all across the brain surface since it makes use of everything I've ever lived through, witnessed or read plus the intangibles of the imagination which got a fine powderdust of stirring.

Did you see Norman Mailer's widow on Charlie Rose? Apparently their years together were something of a nightmare b/c of Mailer's irascible personality and habits. He ended up begging her not to leave him. His lust for other women was insatiable even into his eighties, I believe.

Perhaps I'm naive, but I don't see why women are so possessive of their men. I believe monogamy is totally unnatural. Then, again, I'm not married so I really don't know what I'm talking about. Seems cruel though to lock men and women into chastity among themselves.

Just b/c I believe this stuff doesn't mean I believe in doing it.

We'll finish off with a census story. Today I met Mr Filled with Hate and Anger, I wonder what his kid thinks about him.

This character was an Archie Bunker repeat. He made me wait out in the rain while he got ready to answer census questions. When he returned I said, "I was just trying to figger out what kind of trees you planted out front."

"Oh, them is firethorns."

"Oh, those beautiful red shrubs that bloom in the fall?"

"Yes, they have thorns all over them so the kids won't play in my garden."

Then Mr Filled with Hate gave me the information needed and to exact revenge from me he began telling me how he hates HIM. He never said his name out loud but clearly our president is the root of all evil and "he doesn't even know what color he is."

I had to stand there, before he excused me, listening to his vitriol and calling the president a terrible name that means male genitalia and hear WHY he got elected president of the country.

"You know why he got elected?" I piped up pitifully as I moved out of the vestibule toward the door, "cuz he's smarter than you and me combined."

Thank god I got outa there. It felt like I was stuck with tiny arrows all over my body that wouldn't go away for several minutes.

His wife brushed past him to go to work. The vibe between them was incredible. Like two death row inmates doing their time on earth together.

Anything good on tonite? One fellow was watching reruns of Cheyenne with Clint Walker. Tole me old Clint is still alive in his 80s. Dyou think he'd remember me? He was my favorite cowboy, something about those wide shoulders, narrow hips and long legs that brought me running. Remember the theme song? Cheyenne, Cheyenne, where will you be roaming tonight?

Hopefully, I thought, he'd be roaming over to 2929 Glenmore Road, Shaker Heights, 22, Ohio.