Meet Betty. Sister of Alice (not shown). A nice exchange with a neighbor of my brother’s revealed the names. “And who’s the dog?” “Pixie.” Good name for a pitbull mix I decided, if a little ironic. I later realized that the daughter on the garage swing went unmentioned.
Digital collage from the archives
If there’s a way to reverse the chair’s strap buckle, I’ll reverse it. If the leg brace Velcro needs to go one way, I’ll wind the strap and discover I’ve got it the wrong way ‘round. Same for the arm brace. The brown shoulder tape goes on top of the white tape, not the reverse as it turns out. And I used the wrong scissors, making the task nearly impossible.
Feeling incompetent is nothing compared to being disabled, I should note.
The tall person kitchen: I need a ladder (not a footstool) to get the rice cooker or Dutch oven down. Hard to hang up the colander with the collapsing handle to the over-the-sink pot holder. I don’t use the Revere Ware with their flopping metal loop handles for that reason. I’m at least four inches shy of making them work.
At least it only took me a day to master the sleek coffee-maker-and-grinder-in-one. It sounds like a jet engine at times. Some phases it spits water. Others, coffee. Could’ve been intimidating.
It’s uncomfortable to be out of my element but I’m aware that my brother would kill to have a chance to fumble around in someone else’s kitchen.
These comparisons remind me of what I have in terms of my own strength and skills. They instill gratitude and act as a balm against frustration.
Am I more tired than last June’s visit? Maybe. Noticing that I don’t feel quite as useful as well. No need to comment on those comparisons, which may or may not be true.
Besides, there’s a major win to share. Check out my brother’s left-handed rendering of fishing rod and reel, boot, and trout. From memory. It’s beautiful. Stunning, really. And I helped — by ordering the sketchbook and pencils, and maybe by channeling the spirit of our mother-the-art-teacher.
I just deleted my reactive comment to Nancy’s shared YouTube Video from yesterday. I stand by aspects of what I said — that it isn’t a sign of media illiteracy to pay attention to Marc Elias, that noting GOP fuckery hasn’t, in my case anyway, diminished engagement or my capacity to find joy elsewhere. But it was reactive, so it’s gone.
Before I move on to joy, you should know two things. One, I absolutely appreciate the sharing of links and resources here. I learn so much from you guys. Two, Nancy is one of my most generous blog friends and my reaction to the video was not at all about her.
Maybe I should add one more thing. As I’ve gotten older I’ve become more sensitive to noise and a podcaster or newscaster with a voice I can’t stand is problematic (although in ECM’s case it was a secondary problem). I found her voice shrill and scolding.
Robert Hubbell’s newsletter today repeats many of the things Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin said and expands on the “we’ve got this” point. He has a real knack for making me feel more hopeful, which is why it’s important that I read him every morning. Today’s post is here.
Moving on. Even though Trump’s repellent responses to panelists at the National Association of Black Journalists event has taken over the news cycle (was that the point?), I have to go back to Harris’s rally in Atlanta. The energy was off the charts!
Warnock: A Florida man called into Georgia and said I need 11,780 votes. I want you to think about that. Georgia, Donald Trump tried to steal your vote. Kamala Harris is trying to earn your vote. pic.twitter.com/zf3nxII92k
I love how Warnock uses the language of liberation here. You can feel the energy of the crowd. It’s glorious! And after years of seeing trump-paid-Black-attendees cynically staged behind trump’s lectern, it’s refreshing to see to real Black supporters.
Happy hump day to everyone who is sick and tired of Donald Trump sh*t talking America.
Good pairing of “weird” with dangerous by Shapiro.
The Daily Show has done some really good satire around trump’s bizarre attacks on Harris (she doesn’t like Jewish people?). They’re worth tracking down.
In personal news. See those boxes? Mostly hidden by the couch over by the cellar stairs?
They are filled with Ken’s things from the office. THIS IS HIS LAST DAY OF WORK!
We went downtown on Saturday to get everything. Did I already say?
I’ll make salmon for dinner but a special dessert is in order. What should I make? It might end up being Cook’s Illustrated’s delicious peanut butter cookies because I have all the ingredients in the house and I know how much he likes them. Maybe not the festive flare of a fruit tart, but yummy and I wouldn’t have to go to the store.
And he’s negative! Only the test could tell because he’s actually more stuffed up now than when he was sick with Covid. Seasonal allergies have hit.
This “Covid suite” aka “wreck-of-a-bedroom” will get turned back into a peaceful place today. No screens. Will run fans and air purifiers all day.
The TV was one we got for my sister. K assembled that rocker from a Shaker kit (wove the seat and back and stained and waxed the wood). That was before we got married and it’s nice to remember. Usually the rocker is hidden away for lack of a good place and if that’s a metaphor for our marriage, I don’t want to think about it.
In other news, we hired a crew to paint the house. If you knew what a DIY-household this is, your jaw would hit the floor.
We get to luxuriate in having things done for us — long overdo maintenance, at that — and to enjoy a task that gets started and finished in the same week (never mind the same season or decade). It’s also a chance to notice, not for the first time, that abrasive noise is like clutter — it bothers you less when it’s yours.
I’ll work here this morning.
A movie recommendation to end. I love stories about second chances and “I Used to Be Famous” fits the bill. Very sweet.
Kushner snuck in. Do you see his malevolent B&W eye near the left margin?
