4 months

4 months without writing here? Well that's winter for you! All  the while we were snowed in, depressed & eating everything in sight, did I write one word? No! All the time I couldn't get out the door because of compacted snow, did I write? No.All the hours of cold seeping in under the doors, did I write? No. All the nights shivering under quilts because of a puny heating system? No. The well needed replaced; the heat went out; the electric wavered; the wireless service sputtered to a stop; the dog died. No,no,no.
Then came the on & off again cruel spring of Martha's Vineyard. Hope & despair, hope & despair, despair & the tiniest hope. The snow finally melted & I had to go pay my taxes. Despair. Did I write?No.
Then came summer. Who can write when it's summer? Beaches, house guests, failed garden projects, house guests whose baggage included much drama & never enough champagne.
So autumn approaches, her gnarled tree branches showing through a meager canopy of caterpillar chewed lace. Insects who are determined to survive by moving into the house arrive. They have strange colors & shapes. I'm certain they have crossbred with each other on  those hot summer nights to create mutants never shown in nature handbooks. The houseguests' remnants need to be mailed to them & laundry continues undiminished.
But today, sitting on the deck, the dogs quiet for a moment, I can write.
The perfect winter tenants have arrived. My house is brilliantly clean. My cupboards brilliantly organized. My fridge filled with foods I've never tasted.
The perfect time to start to plan my last annual trek to New Orleans.

Now I will write.

You Said, I Heard

You said, "Loose waves are the look."

I heard, "Blue suedes are the look."

Sigh...

You said -I heard

You said TracPhone
I heard Crack Phone

You said-I heard

You said cell health is essential
I heard self help is essential

Aging is so much fun.

Procrastination 101

Inertia is my natural state.
Growing up enduring Catholic Mass taught me the ability to sit absolutely still - unmoving - while not paying attention to whatever was being said. This served me poorly in college. When a professor would begin a lecture I would go "out the window". This also served me poorly in my marriage. When my then hubby began to explain whatever, I would go "out the window".
Now I have perfected this to whenever I tell myself I must do something I can sit absolute still - unmoving - while not paying attention  to whatever is being said.
Out the window.

aged hearing

He said,"Get relief in tablets"
I heard, "Get belief in Catholics"

Just a reminder...

Don't burn bridges. It pollutes the river.

THAT week in August

always always always my absolutely favorite time. This week of Illumination Night, Agricultural Fair, Oak Bluffs Firemen's Fireworks, Presidential Vacation sightings is truly what I live for here.

An end to serious summer.

A beginning of the silly season.

A full house complete with chaos, drama & an unbelievable mess of people, dogs, music & food.

Need I go on?

Having started my day with a remarkable thunderstorm & a quaking dog, I watched it go downhill from there.

On the vineyard 2 retired types shot each other. He died, she's in hospital. News report includes the price of the house they sold in Harvard, MA & that they own a private plane. WTF?

In my hometown a small plane crashes in the front yard of folks I know. News reports the homeowner used to fly planes but withholds name of female passenger on the plane. WTF?

On Staten Island an historic house either burns down or a realtor fell in a 10 ft. well. WTF?

I know Mercury has gone retrograde but this is a bit much. I am feeling a bit fearful of what else the day may hold. Perhaps a good time not to look at any more news spots.

Capitalism cannot function without trust

I am just learning this cut & paste thing because this article seems so important to me. It explains, in words I can understand how doomed we all are without trust. If the underlayment of Democracy is Capitalism then I really think we have reached a crisis of confidence. I hope a new & workable system can emerge from the broken foundations of our present system without an all out destruction & revolution. BUT...http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/11/business/economy/the-spreading-scourge-of-corporate-corruption.html?smid=pl-share

New Orleans Love Song

Here's what I will miss about New Orleans:

The hissing of the electrical wires when it rains-

The rain that smells like gardenias & jasmine mating

The squirrels chasing each other outside my kitchen window

People costuming for no reason at all

People costuming for any reason at all

People costuming

Costuming as a verb, noun,advective

The smells of Monday beans cooking all around the block

The neighbors asking "how ya doing" as I walk by

Strangers asking "how ya doing" as I walk by

Folks who ask "how ya doing" not really needing an answer

Impossibly violent looking sunrises

Purple skies at night

The random trumpet blare on the block

The random drum riff on the block

The random trombone bleat on the block

The random meeting of trombone, trumpet & drums on the block

The random second line

Making a new best friend at the bus stop

The spontaneous party that is the streetcar stop

Beads in trees

Beads in the rain

Beads in the detritus after a fire

Beads

he said -she said - I heard

He said, "You need more intelligence"

I heard, "You need more embellishments"

2011 bah humbug

This pretty much sums it up....on many levels

I know something positive happened during the year but, in retrospect,except for Brooke & Laura's wedding, I am hard pressed to find it.

I'll not dwell on the harsh memories. Really.

Suffice it to say 2011 sucked in so many ways that I am looking forward to 2012 in ways I never imagined.

Yes, I will be another year older but then so will everyone.

Morning with dogs in NOLA

I'm not really sure, but I THINK I saw this guy delivering a door to my neighbors this morning from the back of a government vehicle that looked suspiciously like a coroner's van.

New Orleans can be a little unsettling in the morning light.

he said -she said - I heard

he said: You are a northeastern liberal jihadist

I heard: You are a northeastern liberal Goddess.

I like mine better

he said -she said - I heard

What you said: My asthma is kicking in again.

What I heard: Miasma is kicking in.

whatever -both suck

NOLA dreaming

No one but No one welcomes a storm in the way New Orleans does. Oh, LordieLord let me live & die in a city with this much humor.

Aftermath

When this is the extent of the damage from a hurricane it is easy to forget how devastating water & wind can be.

Although the birds & bees have been dislocated around my environs, I cannot forget- we are more fortunate than VT & upstate NY where flash floods have taken homes & lives.

Although my clematis may never be the same, I will not forget the devastation of Katrina that brought America's most beautiful city to her knees 6 years ago.

Although my lawn & gardens are covered with leaves, twigs & acorns, I cannot forget those washed away in the low-country.

Although my road has become a crunchy rutted mess, I must not forget those whose lives were forever devastated by storms in Haiti.

I should not forget that it is the strength of people that will bring about recovery from adversity.

Always.

The work is there. We must do it.

Always.

astronomical!

Astronomical high tide - what a concept!

Astrological high tide - hmmmm

In case you were wondering

I am sitting here awaiting Hurricane Irene.

Dogs and cats at the ready.

Brought the grill in, I know not to use it.

Left the hottub outside. Wish i could bring it in.

The dryer is still broken. Last weeks guest laundry still in piles.

Hand washed some undies now drying in the kitchen. Classy.

Outdoor plants & chairs also in kitchen.

Batteries are in the flashlights.

Candles at hand.

Extra ice in coolers & freezer.

Phones & other electronics charging. Dog is helping. (see above)

Pile of books also in the kitchen.

TV scaring the shit outta me.

But I'm ready.

& right now I'm bored silly.