Happy 250th, America!

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And that said, of course — it’s still nothing like how the Bicentennial was.

But back then, there were only 3 network TV stations, 2 or 3 UHF TV stations per State. A bunch of radio stations, but we listened to them all the time. National magazines, daily newspapers — we were all reading them.

Everybody, regardless of politics, was on the same page regarding the Bicentennial 4th of July. It was exciting and really FUN.

Now everything is too spread out and watered down and hard to keep track of. Not to mention, no one having their fireworks on the actual 4th…

But here’s this, regardless:

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Okay!

Wow, yesterday wound up being a really nice day. That new client I have on Fridays is just such a treasure. Plus, she has 2 huge white German Shepherd dogs that are just adorable and they want to be wherever you are at all times:

THEM (at all times); “Hi! It’s me!!”

And today, I’m spending 7 hours with the retired Chaplain — and some of her kids and grandkids will be coming over later to celebrate the 4th of July. So it should be another really good shift.

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And since I didn’t post yesterday, I have a TON of “here’s this’s” so let’s get started!!

Here’s this!!

On July 2nd, it was the heavenly birthday of another one of my favorite writers:

Hermann Hesse!

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And yesterday, was Kafka’s heavenly birthday!!

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And yesterday was the anniversary of the death of Brian Jones.

I tell you, it really moves me that so many people still adore Brian Jones. He has tribute sites all over Instagram. He has been dead since July 3rd, 1969. (If you’re too young to know who he was, he was the founder of the Rolling Stones.)

Brian’s gravesite yesterday, in Cheltenham, Wales:

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And here’s this!

From Steve Vai — onstage with a full moon. Photo by his wife!

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And here’s this!

Tom Petty and Prince, onstage honoring the induction of the late George Harrison in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame–

And in case you were doing something else that night back in 2004– it really was incredible —

Prince, Tom Petty, Steve Winwood, & More “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” | Rock Hall 2004 Induction:

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And speaking of great nights–

Here’s this!!

Keith, tuning up backstage at Madison Square Garden in NYC, on July 26th, 1972. That night was Mick Jagger’s 29th (!!) birthday:

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This poem by the late poet Jack Gilbert, was posted on the Poetic Outlaws substack page the other day. I just loved it:

The Lost Hotels of Paris
Jack Gilbert

The Lord gives everything and charges
by taking it back. What a bargain.
Like being young for a while. We are
allowed to visit hearts of women,
to go into their bodies so we feel
no longer alone. We are permitted
romantic love with its bounty and half-life
of two years. It is right to mourn
for the small hotels of Paris that used to be
when we used to be. My mansard looking
down on Notre Dame every morning is gone,
and me listening to the bell at night.
Venice is no more. The best Greek Islands
have drowned in acceleration. But it’s the having
not the keeping that is the treasure.
Ginsberg came to my house one afternoon
and said he was giving up poetry
because it told lies, that language distorts.
I agreed, but asked what we have
that gets it right even that much.
We look up at the stars and they are
not there. We see the memory
of when they were, once upon a time.
And that too is more than enough.

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And here’s this!

Flannery O’Connor at home, sitting under a self-portrait:

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And here’s a re-enactment of something that blew my mind. Truly, gang.

Yesterday, for some reason my attention was drawn to these books on a shelf in my family room:

Bob Dylan’s Chronicles, Volume One, jumped out at me.

I loved that book! But he never wrote Volume Two!!

I know the book has been out a long time now, and I clearly remember reading it when I lived, briefly, in Easton, Pennsylvania. Was the book really published that long ago?

I pulled it off the shelf. I’d forgotten it had that cool vintage photo of Times Square on the cover!! (My old stomping ground in my early days as a folksinger in NYC, when I was married to Chong and we lived one block from Times Square.)

When I opened the book, to see when it was published, I found this written on the title page and I was absolutely astounded.

The book had been a gift to me back in 2004 from Patrick Thomas, a journalist who occasionally wrote for Rolling Stone.

I had totally forgotten this.

Wow, gang. What a thing to discover in one of my favorite books. I hadn’t opened that book in 22 years…

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Okay.

Here’s this!

From Nick Cave Official!! Get ready for Brighton, gang!

Gates will open at 13:00 at Preston Park on 31st July.​

SET TIMES
13:00 Gates
13:30 – 14:15 Warmduscher
14:45 – 15:30 Cate Le Bon
16:00 – 16:45 English Teacher
17:30 – 18:30 The Flaming Lips
19:30 – 22:00 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds​

Please allow plenty of time to enter the site.

13:00 – 15:00 Best time to arrive

15:00 – 17:00 Expect the gates to be busy and short queue times

17:00 – 19:00 Expect gates to be very busy with longer queue times

Outside of the official lineup, there is lots going on at Preston Park from 1pm including; food and drink with over 15 bars and 50 stalls, DJs throughout the day, exclusive Brighton merchandise, an Arcade Treasure Hunt with a range of prizes, chillout zones, a Bad Seeds Fish & Chips van and more.

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And here’s more Bad Seeds stuff!

Blixa looking happy backstage, Nick Cave — not so much!!

Spring forward a thousand years!!

Warren Ellis, looking really peppy!! (The Bad Seeds play Montreux tomorrow!! Buy tickets HERE!!)

I don’t have any photos yet from the show in Poland, because I haven’t had time to scroll through them yet but here’s the set list from the show!!

After Montreux, the Bad Seeds play Germany but it is sold out! But tickets are available for the show in Portugal on July 9th!

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And I believe that is it for today.

Enjoy your holiday if you live state-side!!

Otherwise, enjoy your Saturday, wherever you are in the world.

Thanks for visiting!!

I love you guys. See ya!

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Let’s close with this today!

Ray Charles, “America the Beautiful” 1972. Enjoy, gang.

Holiday Weekend Sort of Begins!

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But obviously not for me, since I will be working the ENTIRE weekend!! Yay!!

(And I just this moment received a text from the Agency: “If you have ANY availability left this weekend, please let us know!!”)

Jeepers.

Anyway.

Yes, today is my only day off heading into the holiday. I had an exhausting week so far, and most of the exhaustion came from the added high heat and humidity everywhere I went.

But I made myself promise today that I won’t do ANY housecleaning. I won’t run ANY errands. I won’t do ANY stressing about anything. I will be getting my notes together for the M. Christian tribute anthology, and then I’ll do some more reading, (oh, and study French!!), but that’s it. I’m just gonna try to get my energy back before everybody needs me again.

And thank you, once again, God, for this amazing Air Conditioning!!

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Okay!

This is what I’m watching right now on Metrograph and I absolutely LOVE IT!!

From writer/director Gregg Araki, the first in his Teen Apocalypse Trilogy, “Totally F**ked Up”, from 1993:

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And in addition to the TON of reading James Tabor gave us for what he jokingly calls “summer school” — a bunch of essays and articles connected to the primary book we are also reading right now, which is very interesting:

— in addition to all that, I am also reading a really sweet children’s novel, Palace Beautiful.

“Three girls discover a hidden journal in their attic detailing a girl’s life during the 1918 flu epidemic, leading them to investigate her mysterious fate.”

That new client I have on Friday mornings, gave me a copy of the book.

She didn’t say, “Oh, look at this book, it was really sweet.”

She literally handed it to me and said, ‘Here, take this home and read it. It’s really good.”

We were in the spare bedroom where she has a huge collection of children’s books for her grandchildren.

None of my clients has ever done that — handed me a children’s book and told me to take it home and read it — so I did! And, honestly, it is very well written and a refreshing break from everything else under the sun that is crammed into my brain these days.

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And this came in from Ronnie Wood yesterday– all his Summer Set lists are on sale!

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And on a sort of similar topic, here’s this!

Keith smoking!! Up close!!

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And another great one from Phyllis Stein– Richard Hell! In NYC in 1977!

Photo by Roberta Bayley

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And Joe Satriani had an art exhibit in DC ! (And he also gave away some guitars!!)

And he had this song accompanying his post. I listened to a mere few seconds of it and, wow, did it bring back memories!! I played this song a lot while I lived on E. 12th Street! “Always With Me, Always With You”, 1987:

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I thought these were very interesting.

My great-great-grandmother was a full-blooded Black Foot Indian from Montana. These are current photos from the Black Foot Reservation. “It’s all about Jesus”…and pizza:

And here’s an idea of what it looked like when my great-great-grandmother lived there:

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And, as expected, the Bad Seeds show in Berlin looked astounding.

First, the size of the audience was jaw-dropping:

Berlin, in no particular order:

From George Vjestica, photo by Colin Greenwood:

These next 2 photos were so strange!!

And Nick Cave Official just announced that right after the upcoming Brighton show, there will also be a film festival, with films curated by Nick Cave. (I would STRONGLY suggest that if you’ve never seen “Irreversible” — Jesus, don’t go see it on a first date!!) (Probably wouldn’t see any of these on a first date, except maybe “Pinocchio”…) Anyway!

And tonight the Bad Seeds play Poland!! I guess if you hurry, you can still BUY TICKETS HERE!

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And that is it.

I am going to get this day-off underway. I seriously HOPE it involves relaxing. We shall soon see!

Enjoy your Thursday, wherever you are in the world.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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And more breakfast-listening music from the “Rockin’ Down the Block” CD collection (1987)!

The Contours, “Do You Love Me”, 1962. Enjoy, gang!!

Welcome, Heat Wave!!

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Yes, it is officially here. It started yesterday — temperatures in the mid-90s Fahrenheit.

I am just so happy with my Central AC, gang. And so are all the many cats! (Except that Rasha, the cat I’m cat-sitting, and Kon Tiki both seem to prefer to be outdoors in all the heat and sunshine.)

And, interestingly enough, very high heat and thunderstorms are expected for the entire 4th of July “250th celebration” weekend. Since they can change the weather on a dime now, I wonder what’s up with that? Methinks we’re probably gonna find out…

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Okay!

I absolutely loved the new optometry place I went to yesterday to get the new glasses. Sort of a complete compound– optometrists & new glasses in one building. Eye surgeons, etc., in the next buildings over.

It was absolutely incredible — the level of care, the skills, the eye-test-machines from the future that I had never seen before.

Nothing at all like the place I went to last summer — which is a sort of chain eye-glass store that is all over the country.

The staff was so nice, and I loved the eye doctor they assigned me. She went over all the instantaneous “charts & graphs” in detail, explaining everything that’s going on with my eyes.

And I love the new glasses I ordered — they are very similar to the pair I had before these current ones I got last summer, which I hate.

It was a great experience from start to finish, because, to get to the eye place, I took that really beautiful country road that goes deeper into Muskingum County — in the opposite direction of the roads I take every day, that go to the next county over.

Just a beautiful drive — farms, trees, hills. And in under 20 minutes, I was at the eyeglass place.

The road I took for about 16 miles

Yesterday morning also brought some other news, though– the Agency called the courthouse yesterday and I cannot be excused from jury duty.

After I texted my Q-following girlfriend about it, she assured me that, out in these parts, 3 months of jury duty is standard, because the population is smaller.

So, once I learned that, I decided that having to be available all summer is better than getting summoned to be available from October through December, which is my favorite time of year.

And I can get to the courthouse by taking that same back road– it will only take about 10 minutes longer than the way I usually take to that whole courthouse area of town, that’s all.

So I’ve decided to just put the best possible spin on the whole jury duty thing all summer: it’ll be a beautiful drive and it’s better than having to serve all through the Fall and into Christmas.

So on we go…

And the other nice thing to look forward to this summer, whether or not I get called to be on a jury —

I am definitely going to be overseeing the editing of the M. Christian tribute anthology for the new publisher. I’m really happy about this. I’ll be sending out a call for submissions in the very near future.

I will probably use the Internet, not a radio… we shall see.

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Okay!

Also!!

I want to thank whoever is suddenly buying the eBook from 2012, After Hours: The Best of Marilyn Jaye Lewis

The stats have suddenly jumped up in the Amazon rankings for erotic literature & fiction. Since the book is 14 years old, any jump in the ranks is nice to see! So, thank you!!

The eBook, edited by Maxim Jakubowski, was originally published by Constable Robison in the UK, but Hachette UK owns the rights to it now. It is a selection of 5 erotic short stories that were published over the course of my career from 1994 to 2010. Thanks everybody!!

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All right, before I forget, tomorrow morning I have a very early shift and won’t be posting to the blog. The same thing will happen the following Wednesday morning (July 8th.)

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And in other news!!

Here’s this! From the Oldies Radio Station on the retro boombox next to my bed yesterday morning!! Such a great song for summer…

“The Boys Of Summer”

Nobody on the road
Nobody on the beach
I feel it in the air
The summer’s out of reach
Empty lake, empty streets
The sun goes down alone
I’m driving by your house
Though I know you’re not home

But I can see you-
Your brown skin shinin’ in the sun
You got your hair combed back and your sunglasses on, baby
And I can tell you my love for you will still be strong
After the boys of summer have gone

I never will forget those nights
I wonder if it was a dream
Remember how you made me crazy?
Remember how I made you scream
Now I don’t understand what happened to our love
But babe, I’m gonna get you back
I’m gonna show you what I’m made of

I can see you-
Your brown skin shinin’ in the sun
I see you walking real slow and you’re smilin’ at everyone
I can tell you my love for you will still be strong
After the boys of summer have gone

Out on the road today, I saw a DEADHEAD sticker on a Cadillac
A little voice inside my head said, “Don’t look back. You can never look back”
I thought I knew what love was
What did I know?
Those days are gone forever
I should just let them go but-

I can see you-
Your brown skin shinin’ in the sun
You got that top pulled down and that radio on, baby
And I can tell you my love for you will still be strong
After the boys of summer have gone

I can see you-
Your brown skin shinin’ in the sun
You got that hair slicked back and those Wayfarers on, baby
I can tell you my love for you will still be strong
After the boys of summer have gone

c- 1984 Don Henley, Mike Campbell

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Here’s this, from Sunday– photo by Michael Putland:

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And all the other “here’s this’s” today are from the Bad Seeds!!

Here’s this! George Vjestica goes shopping!! From yesterday — but the Bad Seeds play Berlin tonight!

And Warren Ellis headed to Berlin with Cookie for schnitzel —

And here’s the set list from the Antwerp show, which was another show, based on all the videos I saw, that appeared to be completely fantastic:

I loved this photo!!! Posted by radiowilly. I think it was from Antwerp, but I’m not certain:

And this was on facebook — again, I think it was Antwerp, but it didn’t specifically say:

And this is definitely from Antwerp! Posted by Jim Sclavunos this morning:

And I absolutely LOVED this!!! Definitely from Antwerp:

As everyone above has already said, the Bad Seeds play Berlin tonight. And then they play Poland on Thursday. Buy tickets here!!

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And speaking of Nick Cave–

WOW, gang.

Nick Cave sent out an amazing Red Hand File yesterday!! I absolutely loved it!! He spoke about his early beliefs about his art and how they changed over time, including:

“…There may be nothing new under the sun, but it is our distinctiveness that matters, our specialness. I deal exclusively in old, well-worn ideas, but there is still no song like a Nick Cave song, or a Morrissey song, or a Prince song, or a Lana Del Ray song, a Wu-Tang song, a Cure song, a Pixies song, a Kate Bush song, a Kneecap song, or the work of infinite other artists who have found their characteristic voice. Perhaps that is the purpose of art, and indeed life – to enchant and reinvigorate the world using those timeless ideas interpreted through our own inimitable strangeness….”

You can read it in full HERE.

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And I think that’s it for today, gang.

I can at least say that I am hanging in there, finding reasons to keep on keeping on. It sometimes feels like it’s a 24/7 task these days — looking for ways to stay focused on flowing joy and staying creative. But so far, I am still here!

So, have a Terrific Tuesday, wherever you are in the world!!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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And let’s close with this!!

More breakfast-listening music from the Rockin’ Down the Block CD collection (1987)!!

The Swingin’ Medallions, “Double Shot (Of My Baby’s Love)” !! 1966!! Enjoy, gang!! We sure did!!

I can dream, can’t I??

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It’s funny to think that, even though I live way out in the middle of fucking nowhere, my “big dream” is to go even deeper into the middle of fucking nowhere and spend the night sleeping under the stars!!

My neighbors just bought a new tent and, for now, they have it set up in their backyard.

I can see it from my kitchen window.

I have a tent, a sleeping bag, a couple of camping chairs, a ton of camping dishes & cookware — all of it stored in my storage closet. Because, apparently, going camping again is just some weird sort of pipe dream I have. But I hope that the 2 little girls who live next door get a lot of use out of that new tent and have the time of their lives this summer… (heck, even if they only stay in the tent while it’s in the backyard!!)

Okay!!

Yesterday brought some really great news.

I can’t go into the details yet on the blog because we have only begun discussing it, but the publisher I am currently working with asked me yesterday if I’d like to undertake the M. Christian tribute anthology — meaning, be the Editor of it.

It was an absolutely unqualified, “YES!” (M. Christian was a long-time and very dear colleague of mine and he passed away in January.)

I will keep you posted with the details.

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Okay!!

Yesterday also brought some really FUCKED UP news.

A couple of weeks back, I got notified by the Muskingum County Courthouse that I was up for jury duty, and to keep myself available from July 1st through September 30th to potentially serve on a jury.

Okay, so, in what world does that kind of commitment make sense??

The Agency sent a letter saying that I needed to be excused from that because I have clients booked all summer long who count on me.

But yesterday, the courthouse sent me a letter back, saying that my request to be excused was denied.

I was unbelievably furious (plus, I have already done jury duty several times in NYC and also in Columbus, Ohio — why am I always being called upon? It absolutely makes me want to stop registering to VOTE (they pull jurors from the voting registry)…but then I can hear my ancestors, who fought in the Revolutionary War and helped to create the glorious US Constitution, shouting: “Are you out of your fucking mind??? You can’t give up your right to VOTE!!”)

Anyway. I am really pissed off. I left word with the Agency that they need to call the courthouse Monday morning and try to fix that.

Not only can I in no way afford jury duty, I was just getting my mind/life back together by finally having a schedule I can work with all summer long.

Someone’s Revolutionary War ancestor, saying: “You can’t give up your right to VOTE!”

And the letter arrived just as I was getting ready to head out to my shift.

And I can’t take a bunch of rage and depression and frustration and hopelessness, into a client’s home. So that was a real challenge– clearing my vibrational air and finding a better emotional place for myself in a sort of nano second.

But I did. And I had a great shift with the retired Chaplain. As usual, she and I talked about some very, very interesting things. She is almost 89 and has had a harrowing life. I always learn so much from her.

Also–

Oddly enough, in yesterday’s mail, right alongside the letter from the Courthouse, was a card from one of my supervisors at the Agency. (Depending on which town a client is in will determine who my supervisor is for that client.)

Anyway. As of now, all 5 of my clients are with the same supervisor, and that supervisor sent me a “Thank You” card, saying how much she appreciated the quality of care I give my clients and how she never has to worry when she sees that my name is assigned to one of the clients on her list.

That made me feel really appreciated, but also really determined to not have to waste my gifts serving on a jury. Again.

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Before I forget, tomorrow morning, I have an appointment to get a new pair of glasses. I absolutely hate the glasses I currently have and I want a new pair. But this could mean that I won’t get a chance to post to the blog tomorrow.

Marilyn does glasses and coffee! I don’t usually dress like that in the kitchen, but the rest of it is, like, totally me.

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Okay!

Here’s this!!

The B52s, perpetually celebrating National Sunglasses Day!!

And while we’re at it!! This was on the Oldies Radio Station on my retro boombox next to my bed the other evening!! Yay!! Yes, I knew every word and sang along quite loudly!! “Love Shack”, by the B52s, 1989:


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And here’s this.

From Phyllis Stein — David Jo, and Keith, smoking (and Delbert McClinton) at Tramps, NYC, 1985!!

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Here’s this!

A lovely photo of Dwight!! He’s currently on tour in the U.S. of A.!

And here’s this — his fantastic duet with Buck Owens, back in 1988. “Streets of Bakersfield.” The first time I heard this song was on the radio in my birth dad’s kitchen, out in Nevada. And my dad then regaled me with the story about how he smoked a joint with Dwight, outside a gig in Los Angeles. (My dad had been a roadie for my Uncle Ralph, who was a Country music singer back then. At that time, my Uncle Ralph had songs on the Country charts and Dwight was just starting out — he’d been the opening act for my Uncle that night.)

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I loved these!!!

Early photos of Ronnie Wood and Rod Stewart! Be still my heart–

And here they are with The Faces:

And here’s this — 1971, The Faces, “Had Me A Real Good Time” !! Classic!! (“I was glad to come, I’ll be sad to go, so while I’m here I’ll have me a real good time!”)

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And here’s this!

From George Vjestica. The Bad Seeds play Antwerp tonight!

And here’s a great photo of Nick Cave! Since he was onstage in Italy, I guess he wanted to point out his Gucci shoes?? Not sure!!

The Bad Seeds play Berlin on Tuesday!! And you can buy tickets here!

And here’s this–

Nick Cave &The Bad Seeds / “Papa Won’t Leave You , Henry” Live Lingen June 16, 2026:

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And that is it for today. And as I said, I might not be posting tomorrow. We’ll see how it goes.

Meanwhile, I’m gonna do a little yoga, then do a little thinking (I’m finally coming to a good-feeling place regarding the almost-in-progress new memoir), then head out to see the retired Minister and his lovely wife and cat.

Enjoy your Sunday, wherever you are in the world, gang!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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More breakfast-listening music from the “Rockin” Down the Block” CD collection (1987)!!

The Vogues!! “Five O’clock World,” 1965!! Enjoy, gang!!

“Five O’Clock World”

Up every morning just to keep a job
I gotta fight my way through the hustling mob
Sounds of the city poundin’ in my brain
While another day goes down the drain
Yeah, yeah, yeah

But it’s a five o’clock world when the whistle blows
No one owns a piece of my time
And there’s a five o’clock me inside my clothes
Thinkin’ that the world looks fine, yeah
Oh my lady, yeah

Tradin’ my time for the pay I get
Livin’ on money that I ain’t made yet
I’ve been goin’ tryin’ to make my way
But I live for the end of the day
Yeah, yeah, yeah

‘Cause it’s a five o’clock world when the whistle blows
No one owns a piece of my time
And there’s a long-haired girl who waits, I know
To ease my troubled mind, yeah
Oh my lady, yeah

In the shelter of her arms everything’s OK
When she talks, then the world goes slippin’ away
And I know the reason I can still go on
When every other reason is gone
Yeah, yeah, yeah

In my five o’clock world, she waits for me
Nothing else matters at all
‘Cause every time my baby smiles at me
I know that’s it’s all worthwhile, yeah
Oh my lady, yeah
Oh my lady, yeah
Oh my lady, yeah

c – 1965 Allen Reynolds

Misleading, but let’s run with it anyway!

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Let’s pretend a lovely summer is underway!!

It’ll be raining all day again today, though, and then here in Ohio, we will be gearing up for our heatwave.

The 4th of July is supposed to be not only rain, but thunderstorms, and for the whole upcoming week, the temperatures will be in the mid-90s Fahrenheit.

Each day now I just feel so blessed to have this Central AC, gang. It’s incredible, to think that This Old House is 125 years old and this is the first time it ever had air conditioning.

And when I think they gave it to me for FREE. Wow.

Okay.

Even though it was raining off & on all evening, we did indeed have our fireworks here last night in Crazeysburg.

They did a beautiful job. Although I didn’t go over to the actual ball park, where they were doing a bunch of festive stuff before the fireworks. I was exhausted from the humidity, and working my shift, doing all the grocery shopping in town, putting everything away when I got home, then making dinner, etc.

And I didn’t want to walk all the way over to the park just to find out it had been postponed because of the rain.

But, anyway. I have a perfectly clear view of the fireworks from my house. Still, it does sort of lose a little something when the fireworks go off before it’s really the 4th of July…

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So, Valerie had great news regarding her hand!

She got the stitches out and the doctor was really happy with her progress. So they’ve scheduled the surgery for her other hand on July 13th. Yay!

So it is almost over, and she will be able to get back to painting and drawing reasonably soon.

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The Rolling Stones released another track from the upcoming album, Foreign Tongues.

I not only like this track a lot, but I like that this is only an audio track. I haven’t been a fan of the Stones’ videos for many years. (Those videos target a much younger audience than me, and I’m guessing it’s working. But I just don’t like watching them.) (I also can’t stand the cover image on the new album. But, you know, they probably figure they won me over 54 years ago, let’s target someone else now.)

Anyway. Here’s “Divine Intervention”:

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So that workshop on Thursday from the Indie Authors Alliance, regarding book promotion for authors —

Wow, was it depressing. Totally stressful. I finally felt some relief when another writer posted in the chat that the workshop was really depressing…

Anyway. It was worth taking it, I learned a lot. But, wow, gang, publishing and everything that went along with it, has changed so drastically since the Internet and self-publishing kind of wiped out the traditional small presses.

In the not-so-long-ago old days, the publisher, even the small presses, did everything for you once the book was ready to come out. They arranged your readings and book signings– they simply told you where to show up and when (even if you had to go out of town, or overseas, for it). They took care of your PR, arranged your interviews — either Internet radio or they’d send you a Q &A to fill out, and then arrange for an interview for you “in print” (online) drawn from the Q & A.

Now, it seems like only the major houses do that stuff. So even if you’re not self-publishing, if you’re with an Indie press, you have to do a ton of stuff on your own just in hopes that your book will even get noticed.

Since my first book came out in 1999, I must have sold, all titles totaled, close to 200,000 print books worldwide — not including eBooks or my self-published books. Which were incredible numbers for a literary erotica writer/editor. But now I am starting back at square one. ( And I tell you, I am so grateful that the publisher I am currently with put together such an outstanding cover. It definitely gets people’s attention.)

But there is SO MUCH online AI scamming that you have to watch out for if you’re releasing a new book. I must delete at least 10 of those fake AI inquiries every single day.

In the event you’re new to the blog– my new novel, The Curse of Our Profound Disorder, is coming from Parisian Phoenix Publishing in September!! You can pre-order it HERE.

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However!! That said–

On Thursday evening, I also listened to a live talk with Eileen McKusick, sponsored by Simon Parkes’ Connecting Consciousness group.

Wow, that was really interesting and very uplifting. Although it had nothing to do with publishing:

“For 30 years, Eileen has been exploring the human biofield – the electromagnetic field that surrounds and animates the body – and how sound can bring it into harmony. Her work bridges the gap between traditional healing arts and contemporary science, offering a grounded, evidence-informed approach to health and human potential.”

Here’s a sample of one of the many things she does:

Nervous System Reset (7 mins):

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Okay.

Since I didn’t post anything yesterday, here’s this from Friday.

More about Johnny Depp’s new art offering– “3AM BLOOM”

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And the rest of the “here’s this’s” are basically all connected to the Bad Seeds tour.

From George Vjestica, heading to the show in Italy, which was last night, and which appeared to be another one of those off-the-charts shows:

Here’s Warren Ellis. He appears to be at the airport? Leaving Greece (in the heatwave) and heading to Italy? Not sure, really — but he is wearing a Harbor Freight hat!!

And here’s this, too — to underscore how hot it was??

I found this photo on Facebook, but I don’t know which show it actually came from:

And here’s the set list from the show in Italy last night:

Here’s Nick Cave in Italy:

Photo by Guiseppe Craca, Rolling Stone Italia

Here’s a shot from the jumbo screen last night — but a number of people posted videos of this — where a very happy young boy was onstage with Nick:

And here’s this!

The Bad Seeds will be in Belgium tomorrow. You can buy tickets here!

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And that is it for today.

And I still have 3 and 1/2 hours before I have to head to town for my shift! I’ll be with the retired Chaplain, so it should be a very thought-provoking evening. She usually has so many interesting things to talk about, and the time flies.

But I also want to add that yesterday morning, that new client of mine — the one who lives on that beautiful property surrounded by all those incredibly tall trees– wow, did we have a nice time. She has had quite a life. So very different from mine, and yet we have so much in common. (She’s only about 6 years older than me.)

Anyway, okay!

Have a great Saturday, wherever you are in the world.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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And since I’m determined to behave as if we’re finally having a wonderful, FUN summer around here–

Here’s this again!!!

Breakfast-listening music!!

From the CD collection, Rockin’ Down the Block (1987) which I always start listening to when it’s summertime —

The Rivingtons, “Papa Oom Mow Mow,” from 1962!! Enjoy, gang.

That time of the month!

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No, not THAT time of the month — I’m 65.9 years old…

It is, instead, that time of the month wherein my illustrious Social Security check arrives (you know, that retirement check that I can’t retire on…)

Anyway!

Today, I pay bills!! Yay.

But speaking of my lofty age–

Yesterday evening, I got a text from my beloved friend Kara:

She wanted to make a date for taking me out for my birthday!! Yay! So nice!!

In the event you are one of the few and the proud who are not glued to my Wikipedia page — I was born on July 22, 1960. So my birthday is coming up in a few weeks.

I’d been a wee bit disappointed to see that I was scheduled to work on my birthday, but since I hadn’t asked for it off, why would they give it to me??

But it’s one of those unique Wednesdays wherein I’ll be working with the retired Minister and his lovely wife and cat — usually they are my Sunday clients. So I decided to tell myself that it will be a nice way to celebrate my birthday, since I like them a whole lot.

However!! Going out to dinner with Kara after my shift is over is actually something I will like a WHOLE lot!!! So I am really looking forward to that. I have not seen Kara in months.

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Today is Day One of the new Rolling Stones podcast, Speaking In Tongues, to promote they’re upcoming new album, Foreign Tongues.

I have it cued up on Amazon, but you can choose your platform HERE.

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If you’re a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors, this afternoon, they are having what should be a very informative livestream: Sell More Books — Book Promotion Workshop

It will be about the current trends in independent book promotion. You have to be a member to log on, but the livestream is free if you’re a member.

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And also sometime today– I should hear from Valerie about the follow-up on her recent hand surgery (she’s getting the stitches removed this morning) and find out when she can schedule the next surgery. So far, she said the first surgery has given her full use of her hand again without any pain!! Yay!

So, here’s hoping she can get the surgery for her other hand scheduled right away. She says she still wants to aim for getting our mini-podcast launched sometime later this summer.

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I don’t know, but with all the above, plus yoga and washing my hair– seems like my day off today is fully booked.

I did stop in at the bookstore in Granville yesterday, but the woman I needed to speak to had the day off. So I still don’t know anything about whether or not I’m gonna do a book launch in town this September or not…

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Okay.

To all my readers in Europe, enduring the horrible heatwave, hang in there!! Stay hydrated and don’t forget to protect your pets from the heat, too.

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Here in the Hinterlands, we are supposed to have our July 4th fireworks celebration tomorrow night. (They don’t want to compete with the huge Red, White & Boom celebration that’s held in Columbus on the actual 4th.)

Our temperatures are actually great right now, but it is supposed to rain tomorrow. So I have no clue if tomorrow we will be celebrating “the 4th” or not.

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Okay.

Here’s this.

Another photo of Sid that I liked:

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And here are a couple of photos of Keith taken by Ken Regan:

Keith and Patti (and ponies):

Keith and Patti and Theodora, in NYC, 1985:

And I don’t know who took this photo, but it is classic Keith:

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And I’m guessing the heatwave in Europe is affecting all these outdoor music festivals. But everyone seems to be surviving.

Here’s a photo of Nick Cave at the Athens show:

Most of the stuff from the Athens show was either videos or really small images. So that’s my only “here’s this” for the Athens show.

Here’s the set list, though:

And tomorrow, they play Italy. You can buy tickets here!

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I think that’s actually it for now.

Gonna get the bills paid and then try to focus on writing something here today.

Have a merciful Thursday, wherever you are in this weather-warfare world.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Let’s close with this.

If you saw my post from yesterday, I mentioned Miss Collins, our music teacher when I was in elementary school in Cleveland in 1970, when I was 10 years old, and how cool she was!( Even though they fired her… she was a wee bit too radical for the tastes of the PTA.)

Anyway.

In addition to “Lola,” by the Kinks, here is another song that she played for us in class that I absolutely loved! (Talk about a teacher who made a lasting impression.)

From 1970, “If You Could Read My Mind,” by Gordon Lightfoot. Enjoy, gang.

“If You Could Read My Mind”

If you could read my mind, love
What a tale my thoughts could tell
Just like an old-time movie
‘Bout a ghost from a wishin’ well
In a castle dark or a fortress strong
With chains upon my feet
You know that ghost is me
And I will never be set free
As long as I’m a ghost that you can’t see

If I could read your mind, love
What a tale your thoughts could tell
Just like a paperback novel
The kind the drugstores sell
When you reach the part where the heartaches come
The hero would be me
But heroes often fail
And you won’t read that book again
Because the ending’s just too hard to take

I’d walk away like a movie star
Who gets burned in a three-way script
Enter number two
A movie queen to play the scene
Of bringing all the good things out in me
But for now love, let’s be real
I never thought I could act this way
And I’ve got to say that I just don’t get it
I don’t know where we went wrong
But the feeling’s gone and I just can’t get it back

If you could read my mind, love
What a tale my thoughts could tell
Just like an old-time movie
‘Bout a ghost from a wishin’ well
In a castle dark or a fortress strong
With chains upon my feet
But stories always end
And if you read between the lines
You’ll know that I’m just tryin’ to understand
The feelings that you lack
I never thought I could feel this way
And I’ve got to say that I just don’t get it
I don’t know where we went wrong
But the feeling’s gone and I just can’t get it back

c – 1970 Gordon Lightfoot

The world of author Marilyn Jaye Lewis