Suicide Loss, Helen's Daytime Group - Poem: Drinking Tangerine Juice in the Willow Grove Giant Parking Lot

Tony Salvatore of MCES was shocked when his son Paul took his own life many years ago. He recently revised his Suicide Loss Pamphlet, which you can read here.

It's very good. Will send it to some family members and friends of the late Ron Abrams, plus others. My brother David, who had autism, took his own life at age 29.

When I told that to Tony, he said "I'm sorry for your loss" and sent me an academic paper he and others wrote about the high incidence of suicide among autistic folk, esp. men. Scroll down for more info about David Richard Greenwold.

The late Ron Abrams is below. Tony said Ron falls into the largest category of those who have taken their own lives.... white males between certain ages. It's called Elder Suicide.


 Every holiday season Scott affixes this huge cloth poster to his Dining Room Wall.

It's from the Humane Association.

Stopped in to see Helen Kirschner and Friends at the Daytime Meeting. Asked Jonathan who'd worked at Starburst or Starline or Starry Night - forget the name - what the best coffee was. He answered tersely "Medium Roast."

Just finished eating this delicious spaghetti which takes 7 mins to make. Saute mushrooms while boiling whole wheat spag, thin, then add some Classico spaghetti sauce, into a saucepan. When spagh boils, drain it into a tea mug and your tea will have extra.... what? Flavor? Nutrients? Body?

$3 bottle of Tangerine Juice. When Scott came over I told him about it, knowing that even tho he went shopping today he had not seen the machine.

Tunnel vision. 

DRINKING TANGERINE JUICE IN THE
GIANT PARKING LOT

They were polishing the
shiny machine. Juice is
my favorite food. Mom
made juice drinks when
Dad was dying,
thinking the enzymes
would drown out
the tumors.

As I unloaded the groceries
into the back seat, I grabbed
the small plastic bottle
shimmering with radiant
juice.

Why wait? I thought,
taking a few delicious
sips. A woman was driving
by, her seat belt made her
look like a drum majorette,
while a hawk soared through
the sky, keen on finding
an afternoon snack.

The moment I get home
The phone jingles with
merriment. The day
has begun and Santa
is on his way.

Am saving some of these pix for the Compass.

Card from Nancy W from Columbus, Ohio. She hit the nail on the head when she said I don't know how we got old so fast. She's a year behind my 71-year-old behind.

The blue Chanukah card of a dreidl was made for me by Teresa B. Just got it today.

I sent Tony this photo with the following caption, then ended my email by saying Aren't you glad we started corresponding again?

Am gonna tell you the details of my windowsill, much of it in memoriam to those who have passed.

Winnie's philodendron is doing well. She died in hospice at her sister Tony's house in Glenside PA.

My brother David's ceramic bird house. I added a calendar pic of an owl which you cannot see. Mom gave him art lessons and piano lessons.

See the stork and baby stork? Ralph Nelms gave it to me when he was dying of Alzheimer's. I'd written a story about him for the Inquirer after I saw an Upper Moreland library display case of his work. This is at the old library with the turnstiles the kids loved to play on.

Stop that! yelled the librarian.