Elon Musk gets a moment with the Pope and more

 

Just snapped this photo of Elon Musk and his four children with Pope Francis. 

Here I am up again in the night, 4:38 am.

My laptop is all screwed up. I awoke and began reading from my 3-volume Merriam Webster Dictionary. The topic was something like How to be a better reader/writer. 

On the title page the name Mary Wood Cornog was listed. I wanted to learn all about her so I goggled her but found nothing about her except that she is an artist and a painter.

Had a helluva time finding Google. One more thing I wanna look up: preying mantis. As I was going upstairs to bed last night, a small mantis - light green - was in my living room window. 

What on earth shall I do with it? 

Also what is the specific name of my living room window which juts out.

If you'll excuse me, I will look and then I'll toddle off to bed. 

Hey, you know who I miss?

Judy Diaz. I often do, but in the Webster volume it listed descriptive words. Feline reminded me of Judy, a real cat lover. When Missy was ready to be put down- kidney diz, I think - Judy decided to go with her.

I'll show them! she must have thought. Thing is, I would have loved her either way - dead though preferably alive. 

Example of a BAY WINDOW. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SISTER AMY (or The Ame as I call her)

What? Mommy had another girl?

Fine with me, the eldest who would run home from school to see baby sister in crib.

She would rise up and smile.

Her keppela bore curls. They were something to behold, like in a Burt Parks

Miss America Pageant.

She would have won the Friendship Award.

So many, so many. Betsy Abend, Susan Heller.


On the sea shore in Miami Beach where we traveled in the winter

Mom was pregnant. Yes pregnant again.

Once in love with Amy played on the car radio.

Got my wish and we named her Amy. Amy Greenwold.

With an 'o' don't forget that.

Masha was her Hebrew name.

Did she like being a Jewess?

I endured it, attending Sunday School in a Montessori school.

Soon time for college. Damn the years pass as fast as skittering white clouds in the sky.

College catalogs in the mailbox back in Shaker Heights Ohio, 44122.

Who ever heard of Stockton State College?

She met her husband there. Pomper. Funny name.

Wedding dress perfect for her. In antique shop in New Hope, Pennsylvania.

Married in Huntingdon Valley where it poured all day. We ate in tents. White tents.

Never heard the rain. A catered affair like in films with Audrey Hepburn or Mia Farrow.

Amy and Rich was the refrain, until it got old.

With an enviable personality she never lacked for friends. I remember visiting years ago in Oregon

for Natalie's bat mitzvah in a shul. Guitars strummed and Natalie spoke about the virtues of being a vegetarian.

Harrumph, I thought. But maybe I should try it.

The smell of the sea on the Oregon coast. Of pine trees oozing sap.

Of Iceland Slim we read together.

Read? Of course she's a librarian!

Green foliage hanging from the sky. Dripping from the sky

like in a Faulkner novel.

Lovely and lovable, like her boyfriend David

skin dark as a Motown Brother.

Amy will always be young. And smart. And on the vanguard

of great things to come. Can you hear her tiny finches chirping

birthday wishes? Today, Wednesday, June 29, 2022, the world is hers.

And nothing will stop our sister, our sister Amy.

BIG TREE WITH A FUNGUS WHICH FELL DOWN

Hmmm. Will anyone eat this? 

Not me, said the Fox in the back yard. 

I call all day lillies I see "Daylillies by the side of the road."

If you pick one and stick it in a vase, it will be dead next morning. No prayer services.

Buddha is hidden among the hasta. Not to worry, HE is praying for the entire world. 

Hubcaps.

My house !!!

 

TWILIGHT

 Twilight. I had to be there. Dragged a very heavy kitchen chair, one I found in the far reaches of the neighborhood, with a cushion tied on yet, and sat right down on the walkway that led to my house. My house. My House.

I am old enough now to own a house. Sat and watched what was going on. Nothing really. A woodpecker noisily tap tap tapping on the very end of a telephone pole. How I smiled a wide  smile inside. Cars drove by seeking home. Long black cars like hearses with small drivers at the wheel.

And I had just walked all around the block, first time in weeks, since I injured my painful left leg, no bruises showed but how long can you baby it?

Everything looks beautiful, familiar, filled with colors. Oh, yes, that house, I do remember. Two women sitting on the porch chatting. Wish I could do that, but I haven't a porch. Just this little walkway that I am content with.

Bill Adams, wide Bill Adams, backs his new white Toyota station wagon into his drive. He mowed the lawn today and left the grass trimming lying in the street, dying slowly.

I picked a piece of peppermint mingled in with the hasta and fothergilla and smelled it between my fingers. Soon the golden wasp appeared. That is where beauty was to be found. Imagine! A golden wasp like in a book of fairy tales. Beatriz of course would know exactly what it was. 

And the wonderful smell of mulch put down yesterday by Galbally Landscapers just around the corner. I can still smell it inside as I sip my tea. 

Locked the screen door and came in. Ruefully. Boiled some water in my Bradford Tea Kettle, then eyed the many teas I have and selected a huge green box, magnificent green like the leaves outside, of TETLEY green decaffeinated tea.

Now I sip. Sip and watch outside. Fireflies. On off, on off, on off. They go by and so do headlights of all these huge cars which all look black in the night.

This is where I live. Cowbell Road. Can you hear the lowing of the cows that once lived here? Feel their soft overcoat. Folks do not have cows as pets. Dogs like Kalie across the street, yes, for sure, and that Cayenne who Bill Adams wants to bond with him like Man and Dog.

Would I like Cayenne? Nay. 

The tea tastes good. Fresh. Tea leaves from far away. Bombay? A tea growing peninsula? I do exercises outside in the kitchen chair. Arms up for shoulders. Leg kicks for weak hips. Miss hitting a mosquito by a mile. Finally stand up. Is there water in the bird bath?

Yes, a bird I do not recognize who looks like an all black cardinal or maybe it is a crow, is flapping its feathers in there.

Anything to watch on the telly? Sip and watch and wish you had hard Tavenor's drops with powdered sugar like days of yore.

Coffee Tea or Nuffin

 I am sort of in the habit of drinking coffee or caffeinated tea in the morning, but today I will break the habit. 

Also must present a short story for our Saturday Writing Group. I gave feedback to Barbara of the Balloons, a great writer.

When I woke up today it was time for Mr Rogers. Watched the whole show, paying attention to what he does that makes him so great for both kids and family members. 

Right now, tho I am chilly, I am not wearing a sweater, but Nurse Harriet's gorgeous silk like robe.

Is it possible to wear the robe all day?

Going downstairs now with my aching leg, darn, and will open the front door and put the postcards in the mailbox. 

We need an ANT MAN here. Not only do we have regular ants but we have flying ones, too.

Wanna go back to bed and read my Zen cookbook. And if I do not enjoy it, I can put it down and return it to library. 

Enticing cover. 

When I read the Tassajara Cookbooks by Edward Espe Brown, he had a real facility for words and would often write poems. 

Dunno if he's still alive or not, but twould be great to meet him.

WHO would YOU, Dear Reader, like to meet?

What was that awful noise?

 I can only type above the fox.

Was putting my postcards in my mail box when I heard an awful sound. An animal sound.

Sounded like an animal barfing. I did look up sounds a fox makes but was afraid to listen to it. 

Postcards went out to - think Ruthie think - SLD, EAI, Nurse Harriet, Mary and Tony & the Kitty Kats, Donna Krause.  I mean, these postcards were simply gorgeous, thanks so much, Sarah. And of course I have postcard stamps. 

Cousin Llllloyd, whom we luv luv luv!

When Mailman Dante came this morning I was sitting right here on Red Couch and I yelled outside, Did I get anything good? I could not hear his reply and I sure did not wanna run after him, but I had finished my diurnal writing. 

AND SO TO BED.  

One more thing. Take a look at the tail of that fox. I mean that is really some tail. 

I was putting my postcards in the mailbox when I heard this awful noise.

Sounded like someone was vomitting. 

CNN features pix of Paul McCartney who will turn 80 soon.They had four children—Linda's daughter Heather (legally adopted by Paul), Mary, Stella and James—and remained married until Linda's death from breast cancer at age 56 in 1998.^[405] After Linda died, Paul said, "I got a counsellor because I knew that I would need some help. He was great, particularly in helping me get rid of my guilt [about wishing I'd been] perfect all the time ... a real bugger. But then I thought, hang on a minute. We're just human. That was the beautiful thing about our marriage. We were just a boyfriend and girlfriend having babies."^[406]

Believe it or not, our GIANT DIRECT food has yet to come !!!!

 Do you think THE DEMINGS liked the Dad's Day gift I bought them?

Not to worry. I had plenty to eat today, one of AMY'S BOWLS - Enchilada with loads of delicious cheese.

Remind me to tell you about GALBALLY NURSERY right around the corner. Hey I've been living here since 1990, might as well get the place fixed up.

Am reading a library book I just checked out called HOW TO COOK YOUR LIFE, From the Zen Kitchen to Enlightenment. I do have many of Edward Espe Brown's Tassajara Cookbooks.

But cooking? Hopefully I can get back into it.

Hold on while I get a cold drink of water... or perhaps seltzer water. 

Refreshing !!!

Am gonna do something terrible when Giant Direct comes. Am trying to get rid of a great book I ordered online. Edith Hamilton Mythology. I will see if they want it, but first, I will leaf through it now.