Thursday, October 28, 2010

Happy Birthday Jonas Salk

In the early 50s, people across the nation were terrorized by the threat of polio, a crippling disease that could lead to terrible crippling or worse, a life of confinement in an "iron lung." 40+ years later I became close friends with a Pittsburgh writer who was close friends with Jonas Salk, the doctor who developed an effective polio vaccine.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Just Thinking

Wind and water
sea and sky
love and laughter
you and I

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Sunday Night

It's past midnight, a slow Sunday night. The turistas are long gone and only locals sit at the bar. The owner plays dominoes in the corner with a gringa wearing a faded Hussong's shirt. She chases tequila shots with a cold Bohemia. After three games, she's winning.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

At Last

 My dream home, from the back.

The roof is finished and not a moment too soon. We had our first fall shower this afternoon, followed by a brilliant sunset. The next step is stucco.

I'm working on getting used to a new neighbor, a small harmless snake who is as wary of me as I of him. John has promised to "relocate" him to the pasture area.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

The Voices

Crowded Room by Chester Gould

the voices in my head
      all mine of course

be patient
           work it out
it could be worse
        it should be better
your needs don't matter
            they matter too much
you expect too much
          he expects too little
don't ask
              and for god's sake
don't tell 
             how you feel
it'll work out
           or not

A Long Time Ago

In a land faraway, life was so much simpler. Or was it?

Thursday, October 14, 2010

The Dream

An old damaged print of Gauguin's "Te rerioa" sits on the bookcase across the room. When I look up,  I see her eyes, then the hand that covers her mouth.  She leans forward,  as if to study the situation.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Sometimes

Sometimes the drive is so beautiful, it doesn't matter where I'm going or why. It's just important to keep on moving down the road.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Seeing Is Believing

 
As a child I believed that hummingbirds would die if they stopped moving. Consequently, I never saw them in any state other than flight. 

A couple of days ago I bought a small hummingbird feeder with a suction cup that allows it to be attached to the window over the kitchen sink. Now we draw lots to see who gets to do the dishes.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Dog Tags


“Dog tags found around the neck of a casualty, and only those tags found around the neck, stay with the remains at all times.”  
Captain Richard W. Wooley, US Army


He didn’t die on the battlefield though he would have willingly given his life for his country or, more accurately, for his family and friends. They, of course, would have preferred that he lived his life for them.
 
After the accident they found his dog tags in a dresser drawer, under the discharge papers (general: less than honorable but better than dishonorable). Too wounded to make any kind of decision, the mother took it all: the clothing, dishes, record albums, broken figurines, a tattered copy of The Anarchist’s Cookbook.


At the funeral, they draped his coffin with an American flag which they folded afterwards and presented to his mother. She promised to give it to his oldest daughter, someday. And she will, but not yet. For now, the dog tags lay on the shrine she’s made to honor all her lost loved ones.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Half Way to Heaven





 We're still a ways from an open house party but this was an exciting day. We hope to finish the roof next weekend.