Foibles,Bon Mots, and Thoughts
“My favorite poem is the one that starts, “ Thirty days hath September” because it actually tells you something.” Groucho Marx.
Seven more days and Sheila and I will be celebrating our 49th anniversary. The trip to England with stops in Scotland and Ireland will have to wait a while. The dinners at the fanciest restaurants in Turlock will have to be scuttled. The expensive diamonds and rubies I had planned to purchase for my bride are no longer attainable due to the “Closed” signs on their businesses. And that 56 canary yellow T-Bird I promised Sheila r will have to wait.
September 11, 1971 we were married at Newman Hall in Berkeley. We had our reception at Willow Park in Castro Valley. Seems like yesterday. Happy 49th.
Who would have thought. I believe the United States somehow incurred the wrath of Jim. You do remember him. “You don’t tug on Superman’s cape, you don’t spit into the wind, you don’t pull the mask of the Ol’ Lone Ranger and you Don’t Mess Around With Jim!” We are going into our sixth or is it seventh month or isolation with absolutely no relief in sight. It is getting tiresome and old. This Labor Day weekend we are looking at temperatures here in Turlock to hit 108 degrees. May we have another whack on the bottom sir?
How do I beat the boredom? I have gone through just about all of Merl Reagle’s famous world wide crossword puzzle books. I have spottified about 8 programs to listen to. I have increased my daily walks to between 4 and 5 miles a day. I tidy up my backyard daily and I make sure at 4 P.M. I am able to watch the honorable Judge Marilyn Milliand of The People’s Court. I have to brush the spider webs off of the Saturn Aura daily. The brand new candy apple red Subaru we got for Sheila last year so she could drive in comfort to Elk Grove and Fremont to visit the grandchildren sits idle in our well maintained garage. We can’t visit the grandchildren. All dressed up with no place to go.
I wish I could be like the Sturgis folks who are buying “Screw the pandemic! I’m going to Sturgis” T-shirts. Oh to be so self assured, so entitled,and so uncaring about my fellow man. As fate would have it those that go to Sturgis to drink party and congregate with thousands of like minded folks will be Covid free. Those who abide by the rules, stay home masked up and practice socially distancing will be infected.If this thing ends it will not be soon enough. A pox of those who make it worse.
I was listening to my Bluegrass-Hootenanny spottily album I put together and I have a bunch of Nashville Bluegrass Band songs on it along with Chubby Wise, Osborn Brothers, Old and in the Way, Sam Bush etc.
I sit back in my easy chair at night, put in my ear buds relax and enjoy. For and hour or two their is no pandemic, schools are open, restaurants are busy and everyone is making a decent living. Oh and the Giants are in first place.
The Train Carrying Jimmie Rodgers Home came on by the Nashville Bluegrass Band. Is there a more beautiful sung tribute that this. I wondered who wrote this beautiful homage to the great Jimmie Rodgers. I went on line and foound out it was an accomplished singer songwriter, Greg Brown who is now married to Ms. Iris De Ment. I looked high and low but could not fine any background information on Mr. Brown’s mindset when he wrote these lyrics. If any of you know please let me know.
Sidebar : If you get an opportunity listen to Steve Martin and the Steel Canyon Ranger perform “Atheists Don’t Have No songs.” In these dark times I assure you it will pick you up. Just remember the lower case “he”. Check it out on You Tube.
My sister,Maria Elena, still lovely and lively after all these 75 years drove down from Hayward for a visit. Wewere able to talk mask to mask for the first time in nine months. She wanted to take a nice long walk around Turlock so we did.
The weather was supposed to be stifling but instead was absolutely gorgeous. It was warm and a slightly warm breeze was blowing. We began walking about 10:15 and made it back home at high noon. We covered about three miles and it was one of my best walks I have had.
I told Maria I prefer to walk alone. Today’s walk made be reconsider that. Usually on my walks I pick up my pace while my mind formulates my next letter to the editor about our current state of affairs.
We came upon a little “starter home” on our walk. It ws on about two-three acres of landscaped perfection. The home made the Tara mansion look like a cottage.It had a five foot rock wall around the house and a huge beautiful wrought iron gate in front. Maria had her phone so she typed in the address and we got some of the stats. 14,000 square feet, seven (7) bedrooms and drum roll….. NINE (9) (IX) BATH ROOMS! My good friend Henry David Thoreau would find this a bit ostentatious. This home is the size of Walden Pond.Only in America. Sheila had heard about these folks. They are a couple and live in the home by themselves. My oh my…
Walking and talking with my sister in our six mile hike was a joy. When we were done walking today I felt comfortable not agitated. My mind was at ease and I was not agitated. Lesson learned. I switched into my swim trunks and took a quick dip in the pool to refresh my body.
Thank you Maria for coming down today.
Until October 2:
Read a book, hug a child, pet a dog,stroke a cat, eat a pound of See’s Candy and IKIRU.
Urge everyone you know to exercise their birthright and vote. Millions of Americans gave their lives for your guaranteed right to vote and to have your vote legally submitted legally counted, and the results honestly reported to the American people. Anything else will not do.