Not only great, but it turned my hair brown!!

July 20, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Yes! My first cup o’ joe on my first morning of freedom! So great!

And the stress was so non-existent around here, finally, that it turned my silver hair back to the lovely shade of brown it once was!!

Honestly, gang, it feels so interesting. This freedom thing.

And it is such an incredible morning, here! When I awoke at 6AM (again, second morning in a row — I’m trying really hard to sleep in later and stay up later), it was only 55 degrees Fahrenheit outside! Wow.

When I stepped out onto the kitchen porch to feed Rasha and Kon Tiki, the sun was up and the flowers out there were loving the cooler temperature. They looked so vibrant and full of life.

Anyway. It is just sort of a perfect morning.

I don’t remember the last time I didn’t feel the pressure to “do” something. And what’s weird is that I actually have a ton of things I want to do. But it’s all writing-related. At my desk. Or reading-related, downstairs on the couch.

I do not have to get into the car and drive the 30 miles to town and back until Wednesday — when I meet Kara for dinner to celebrate my birthday!!! Yay!

I actually have stuff on my calendar now that goes clear to November (possibly even to March, depending on a phone chat I’m having tomorrow). So it’s not like I don’t have things to do, but the difference between constant caregiving and just thinking about my own life now and the things that make me happy…

*************

Okay.

And here’s something that always makes me happy — a midnight text from Wayne, that also had a link to a song on YouTube!

Here’s the song!

“Save It For Later,” covered by Pete Townsend and The Deep End:

****************

I thought this was very interesting.

From Ross K. Nichols’ Sunday School yesterday–

“We all know who killed Goliath, right? Well, I thought I did until I realized that the biblical writers who told the story were not on the same page.”

The Goliath Story Has a Giant Problem (43 mins):

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And in keeping with my new approach to my own life, here are these!

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And during his break before the upcoming SOLD OUT Brighton bash, Warren Ellis posted some photos that I really thought were great. I think they were from the Australian tour earlier this year (?). Here’s 2 of them:

Colin Greenwood:

Warren himself:

And since the Bad Seeds are indeed on a break until July 31st, we go to the private desktop stash for that photo I love of Nick Cave from yesteryear — smoking and waiting!! Near the water!!

************

And, oddly, that’s really all my “here’s this’s” for today.

But in honor of the fact that I now not only have time to get to work on that memoir of my life in the 1970s, but I am also finally in an emotionally calmer place wherein I can actually deal with my memories of my life in the 1970s…

Here’s this from the desktop stash!! Best father-figure ever!! (IMHO)

Keith, smoking…

And with that, I’m gonna finish up the laundry and maybe take a walk before it gets too hot out there.

And then–

Have a lovely Monday, gang, wherever you are in the world!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

***********

Let’s close with this!

From all the way back in 1957, but I mean it more than ever today!! Feel free to join me on this new path in life–

“Come Go With Me” !! The Del-Vikings. Enjoy, gang.

Around here, we take what we can get!!

July 19, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Yes! It is currently only 68 degrees Fahrenheit!! Yay!

And even though the weather app on my phone claims that the air quality is “worse than yesterday” it doesn’t actually feel like that outside!

My hydrangeas are finally blooming around my kitchen porch!

The morning glories are blooming around my back door!

I can at least see the foothills at the end of the road — even if it looks a little “foggy”, I can actually see them.

So I’m in a really happy place.

Plus, I slept in until 6AM, since I came in a little later than usual last night (and had a bit of a difficult final shift with my favorite retired Chaplain , so I was exhausted emotionally). But it felt great to sleep in. And to wake up feeling like certain chapters are simply over now…

And this afternoon, my shift with the retired Minister and his lovely wife and cat is my actual FINAL shift—

And I am already feeling like I have my life back, gang.

And at around 6PM this evening, I will be free.

I have not felt really free (in terms of having the time to just devote to my writing projects) since before the scamdemic hit, 6 years ago. Wherein I basically lost everything except “The Guide to being Fabulous” — the play with Sandra Caldwell.

Anyway!

The sun was up when I was having breakfast, which never happens around here. And since it was Sunday, I decided to watch the EWTN Mass. Even though I’m not Catholic, there are certain things about the Mass that I enjoy thinking about.

It was too early for this morning’s Mass, so I watched yesterday’s, and I really liked Father Ricardo Pineda’s sermon and remarks. He starts at about 4 minutes in:

***********

Okay, there was a great blog post on Stage 32 on Friday (that I read yesterday) — very timely for me, and maybe it will be for you, too, if you have a new book coming out:

6 Free Marketing Resources Every Author Needs to Know by Jonathan Jordan :

“No matter what, book marketing is hard, but at least these tools will help you make some serious headway without having to spend a ton of money upfront.”

I found the post concise and just really helpful.

***************

And I also found Andrew Lloyd Weber’s remarks about Broadway extremely interesting.

He made the comments on Instagram on Tuesday, but I only got around to reading them this morning in the Broadway World weekly roundup:

Andrew Lloyd Webber Says Broadway Is In ‘Dire Danger’ After CATS Closing

He said, in part:

"The truth is that, for any show, it makes practically no financial sense to come to Broadway with things as they are. Creators, writers and directors have been forced to take minimal royalties from new shows, often surviving on a fixed weekly fee rather than a royalty. It makes it impossible for young creatives to make a living from theatre alone. Investors count themselves fortunate indeed if they see a portion of their money back. Of course, the established big hits are still profitable. But Broadway can’t survive because of three old shows."

He ends the statement by begging executives to come up with a solution to fix its current financial issues.

"As someone who is still as in love with Broadway as I was when I was a teenager, I beg the theatre owners, unions and producers to come together urgently to address what is a crisis coming to a head. Broadway is in dire danger of rivalling Hollywood’s empty soundstages with increasingly dark theatres."

All of the above has a lot to do with why Sandra and I are shelving the TV project, and also why we’ve changed venues for the Staged Reading of “The Guide to being Fabulous” but I can’t go into any of those details here.

*************

Okay.

Here’s this–

A shot of the Strand Bookstore in NYC:

But upon closer inspection, we see why I really love the Strand Bookstore in NYC! (It was just up the street from my paradise-apartment on E.12th Street!!)

Blurry, but that street sign says “E.12th Street”.

****************

What is weirder than this — the fact that I can recognize Iggy Pop’s back in a nanosecond??

From Phyllis Stein! Iggy in Miami:

And Phyllis also posted another great one of Johnny Thunders — a screen shot off YouTube:

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And it looks like we missed ANOTHER one, gang! Jeepers! SO many birthdays in July!! (Including, you know, “hint hint“: the initials are MJL.)

Someone else I totally loved throughout my wee bonny teenaged girlhood and on up into my lofty adult years (wherein he allegedly died by “suicide”)–

But I never really knew when his birthday was!

Happy Heavenly Birthday, Hunter S. Thompson (it was yesterday):

***********

And, yes! Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds are on a break until Friday, July 31st!! So, you know, here’s this instead–

From that Facebook page that never gives photo credits or the where or when info, but I still loved seeing it yesterday morning:

And after the great big SOLD OUT homecoming bash in Brighton, the tour resumes on August 2nd, in Germany. Buy tickets here!

**************

All right.

That is it for now.

I still have a few hours before I need to head to town, so I’m gonna go water the many flowers, do yoga, think about LIFE (which is returning to me even as I type!!)…

Have a super Sunday, wherever you are in the world, gang!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

*************

Let’s close with this!!

You know, the week coming up will be my week of “vacation”. And it includes my birthday, and my adoptive dad’s Heavenly Birthday. And dinner out with my dear friend, Kara, to celebrate.

And while I have a stack of all my notes for the Caiaphas play on one side of my tiny desk, and all my notes for the M. Christian tribute anthology on the other side of my tiny desk, I really, really think it’s time to FINALLY focus on getting my memoir about my life in the 1970s, Joy: The Shortest Season, underway.

So with that in mind, here’s this!

From 1974!! Yes, the very same year as the nadir of my existence! From the British band, The First Class, a song I just loved!! “Beach Baby”. Play it super loud, dance around a little, sing along and enjoy, gang!!

Like this! Except with lousy air quality!

July 18, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis 4 Comments

Well, the air is a little better today. So far.

And thunderstorms are expected all evening, which should move the rest of the smoke out of the air.

LUCKILY!! I have a long evening shift with one of my favorite clients, the retired Chaplain — my final shift with her before I retire TOMORROW — and this means I get to not only drive home in the dark tonight, but in thunderstorms as well!

So I guess I’m going out with a “bang”… (and tomorrow is my final final shift — and it will be with the retired Minister and his lovely wife and cat.)

And oddly enough…

I got an email notifying me that TODAY is the anniversary of my Ordination and that I should make sure all my credentials are still up to date.

Wow. So I looked at my credentials and sure enough, on July 18th, 2013, I was ordained as a minister and received my Authority from the State of Ohio to solemnize marriages.

So I’ve officially been a minister since 2013. But for some reason, I had thought it was 2015… So, like, how old am I getting around here???

************

Okay. Anyway.

Yesterday was a really good day, except that by late afternoon, I was coughing like crazy from having been out in that smokey air. (I guess that’s why they told people to stay indoors yesterday but, I guess, you know, I don’t consider myself “people”…?)

However, yesterday afternoon, I stopped by that bookshop over at the Historic Arcade (see post from Thursday). And even as I was driving over there, I was having second thoughts because I don’t want to offend a bunch of strangers with my intense novel, etc. But I went over there with a review copy of the book anyway….

And the owner was there, alone in the shop. And he was really nice. And he said that they were open to everything except hate speech stuff. And he was happy to read my novel. And he said (without my saying anything at all about it), “If we like it, we’ll set you up with a book signing when the book comes out in September.”

WOW!

Here’s hoping he likes it.

Then I stopped in at the art gallery to say a quick hello to my friend, Kevin, and I told him about what the book store owner had said, and Kevin said, “Oh yeah, they do book signings all the time over there.”

So that made me feel really hopeful, gang. So we shall see! It would take so much stress off of me.

Historic Arcade. The bookstore is pictured on the left

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All right.

A bunch of “here’s this’s” today, so let’s get started!!

Here’s this!

I realize this wasn’t exactly addressed personally to me, but I still loved getting it in my email yesterday!! (The Stone’s new album officially hit #1 in the UK.)

**************

And while we’re at it!

A bit of Keith and a little Ronnie!

Keith!! In Dallas, in 1975!

From Phyllis Stein– Keith in a BIBA shirt!

And Keith, not smoking or drinking but very close to a glass that contains some sort of beverage–

And Ronnie — not smoking or drinking, but very close to a large sign that promotes Budweiser Beer!

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Oh!

I keep forgetting to tell you some really great news.

The little house across the road from me, that has sat empty the entire time I’ve lived here (over 8 years already), is no longer empty!!

A couple around my age bought it, rehabbed it, and moved in last week and they are so nice!! I’ve already been over to visit them a couple of times. (And that little house is the same age as mine — 125 years old. So cool to think about who might have lived in our houses back when they were first built, right?)

This little house is finally a home again!

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Okay!

Here’s Dwight!! Cowboy hat, long legs, etc. (Photo by Emily Joyce Photography)

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And here’s Jack Kerouac and a cat!

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And I loved this!

I loved David Cassidy!! (This is happening in London.)

Oh, okay — let’s go ahead and listen to this!! David singing with The Partridge Family, “I Think I Love You” from 1970!!! (Yes, I was 10 and still in Cleveland.) Don’t be shy, gang!! Sing along!!

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And here’s Keanu in Rome!!

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And because it’s summer, here’s this!

The Cars, in color!!

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And I thought this was interesting. Livestreaming July 31st, 9:30pm Eastern time. I am definitely going to check it out:

****************

And here’s this announcement from Nick Cave Official yesterday:

“Impressed Recordings release Too Dark To See, the first-ever anthology of Conway Savage’s music, today.

The 24-track collection brings together songs from across Conway’s career, including many rarities and is pressed on limited edition heavyweight double lilac vinyl, with the first pressing limited to 200 individually numbered copies.” You can ORDER IT HERE.

(BTW — in case you don’t know, the late Conway Savage was once a phenomenal Bad Seed.)

And this will be handy if you’ll be at the SOLD OUT Brighton show!

Gates open: 13:00
SET TIMES
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 is the best time to arrive, with busier queues expected later in the afternoon.

Alongside the music, Preston Park will feature over 50 food stalls, 15+ bars, DJs, exclusive Brighton merchandise, an Arcade Treasure Hunt, chill-out areas, the Bad Seeds Fish & Chips van and more.

And here’s Warren Ellis!! Brighton-bound!!

Here’s an intense photo of Nick Cave from the Stuttgart show–

Another great photo from the show in Vienne–

And a couple from the show last night in Carhaix, France!!

And now I guess Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are on a little break until the Brighton Show on July 31st.

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And I guess that is it for this happy Saturday!! Whew!

Enjoy yourselves, wherever you are in the world, gang!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

********

Let’s close with this!

From the Oldies FM Radio Station on the retro boombox next to my bed this morning!!

(And where were YOU the first time you saw this video on MTV??? I was sitting on the side of my bed on E.12th Street in NYC, staring at the TV and wondering: is that Johnny Depp??)

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, “Into the Great Wide Open”, 1991. Enjoy, gang!!

Enjoy that horrible air quality today!

July 17, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

But at least it won’t be as hot around here as it was the last few days.

Okay, no post today, gang, I gotta head out early.

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

See ya tomorrow! 🙋‍♀️😊

Oh no! Look what we missed!

July 16, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Even though I’ve been a fan of Joe Satriani’s for 40 years….

I never knew when his birthday was.

It turns out that not only was it yesterday (see yesterday’s post wherein we didn’t wish him a happy birthday), but more importantly, he also turned 70 yesterday!! Wow!

Happy belated 70th Joe Satriani!!

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And speaking of yesterday’s birthdays–

Phyllis Stein wished Johnny Thunders a really lovely Happy Heavenly Birthday!

And she also posted a great photo of the New York Dolls at the Waldorf Astoria in NYC in 1973! (Photo by Richard Drew)

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Here’s Bill Burroughs not smoking in a bar in Paris in 1962!!!

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Yesterday, I discovered that over at that really beautiful, newly restored Historic Arcade in Newark (where my friends have that beautiful Art Gallery)–

Historic Arcade — oh, and note that bookshop at the left there. That’s the bookshop that said I could drop off a review copy of my new novel.

It turns out, that on Thursday evenings, from 5:30 – 7:30, they have live acoustic music in the Arcade! Since I’ll be on “vacation” starting next week, I’m planning to go over and check it out!

************

I just wanted to add that I continue to hear from writers & publishers regarding the upcoming M. Christian tribute anthology and the amount of love people had for that guy is really just a joyful thing, gang. I am so glad that I am involved in this project.

*************

This was very interesting– about Flock cameras.

From yesterday, 1 hr.

Tucker Carlson:

Whistleblower Reveals the Largest Mass Surveillance Operation in History and the Coming Slave State

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And I guess we can now focus on Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds!!

You know, even though it seems like every show they’ve done since this current tour started has been incredible, the shows seem to somehow be more & more amazing every night.

First, a couple more from the show in Nimes–

From George Vjestica:

And Nick Cave–

And Nick with a couple of Bad Seeds–

And the rest are from the show last night in Vienne, France.

First, the seste list! (Often spelled “set” but since they are now in France, we decided to spell it differently!!)

Some of the Bad Seeds!

And Nick Cave!!

And tomorrow, they play Carhaix, France. You can buy tickets HERE. And then that will be it until the SOLD OUT extravaganza in Brighton!

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And while we’re at it, here’s this!

While the movie, “The Bad Seed”, came out in theaters in 1956, before I was born, there was always a big buzz whenever it showed on TV in the 1960s.

I was a very young girl when I first saw it on television and it scared the bejeezus out of me. It was SO CREEPY!! (The little girl turned out to be a psychopathic serial killer…) Here’s a 4-minute clip:

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And I guess that is it for today!

I will not be posting here tomorrow because I have my final early client tomorrow. (And then only 2 more clients after that, and then Sunday is my final day before retiring.)

Today, I’m going to try to focus on just making myself happy — probably here at my desk. But I also want to take a walk before it gets too hot out, and do yoga. Anything to take my mind off how difficult it is to tell each of my clients goodbye. But, wow, do I feel loved, gang. And I know that I’m going to be missed. But I also know that I have to focus on my own life again before time gets completely away from me.

Have a good Thursday, wherever you are in the world.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Let’s close with this.

I woke up singing it to the cats this morning.

I loved these guys so much, in all their various styles.

The Bee Gees. “Too Much Heaven.” 1978. Enjoy, gang.

“Too Much Heaven”

Nobody gets too much heaven no more
It’s much harder to come by
I’m waiting in line
Nobody gets too much love anymore
It’s as high as a mountain
And harder to climb

Oh you and me girl
Got a lot of love in store
And it flows through you
And it flows through me
And I love you so much more
Than my life..

I can see beyond forever
Ev’rything we are will never die
Loving’s such a beautiful thing
Oh you make my world a summer day
Are you just a dream to fade away

Nobody gets too much heaven no more
It’s much harder to come by
I’m waiting in line
Nobody gets too much love anymore
It’s as high as a mountain
And harder to climb

You and me girl got a highway to the sky
We can turn away from the night and day
And the tears we had to cry
You’re my life..

I can see a new tomorrow
Ev’rything we are will never die
Loving’s such a beautiful thing
When you are to me, the light above
Made for all to see our precious love

Nobody gets too much heaven no more
It’s much harder to come by
I’m waiting in line
Nobody gets too much love anymore
It’s as high as a mountain
And harder to climb

Love is such a beautiful thing
You make my world a summer day
Are you just a dream to fade away

Nobody gets too much heaven no more
It’s much harder to come by
I’m waiting in line
Nobody gets too much love anymore
It’s as wide as a river and harder to cross

Nobody gets too much heaven no more
It’s much harder to come by
I’m waiting in line
Nobody gets too much love anymore
It’s as high as a mountain
And harder to climb

c – 1978 Barry, Maurice, and Robin Gibb

Another one of those happy days!

July 15, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Yes, today is my best friend Valerie in Brooklyn’s birthday!!

Yes, exactly one week before mine — and I have known her for 43 years now. That’s a whole lot of “happy happy” memories, gang.

They are of course having an awful heatwave in NYC, and she’s still recovering from her hand surgery, but I hope she has a terrific day!! And a fantastic year!!

Valerie, middle, the bottom row. The old gang at Val’s place in Brooklyn, about 40 years ago.

And guess what else??

It is Johnny Thunders heavenly birthday today!

And while we’re at, here’s this, from Phyllis Stein!

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Okay, this came in this morning, in case you weren’t aware of it!

If you purchase the new Rolling Stones’ record, Foreign Tongues, on iTunes, you get a Bonus Track! “Bad Luck Hideaway”!

Purchase HERE.

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This short documentary video is free to stream online–

“Code For the People: The Human Story of the Open Web“

“The open web is arguably the world’s most vital invisible utility – and it is under siege.

“We have traded a free internet for a collection of walled gardens. Today, a handful of digital landlords use algorithms to dictate our reality, while closed AI threatens to change the ways we connect. We are at a breaking point: we can either let gatekeepers continue to consolidate their power, or we can reclaim the open source spirit that built the web in the first place.

“From acclaimed director Bao Nguyen (BTS: The Return, Be Water, The Greatest Night in Pop), Code for the People is a documentary short exploring the past, present, and contested future of the open web….”

WATCH IT HERE, Free (19 mins)

****************

And here’s this grant update from LGBTQ+ Heritage Alliance–

2026 National Grant Program
for LGBTQ+ Historic Places

The LGBTQ+ Heritage Alliance facilitates the first nationwide grant program dedicated to documenting, recognizing, and interpreting historic places connected to LGBTQ+ culture and heritage in the United States.

Building on a successful pilot round, the program continues to promote a fuller understanding of the contributions of LGBTQ+ people in American history with a focus on historic preservation projects.

Learn about the program and how to APPLY here!

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A bit of happy news of my own —

I received the first official submission for the M. Christian tribute anthology last night — 2 pieces of flash fiction from the wonderful poet/author Thad Rutkowski (writing under a pen name). And I am just delighted with them!!

It really brought such a smile to my face, gang. And BTW — Thad has a new poetry collection out from Finishing Line Press: Tracks in Snow. You can purchase it here.

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The Franz Kafka Museum in Prague has new hours!!

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And here are a couple of Tours of UK/ Europe that are ending!!

Joe Satriani!

Steve Vai!

*************

Here’s Ric Ocasek in the studio in 1980! Who’s he with?? Let’s take a look!!

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Another great one of Willy DeVille from Phyllis Stein!!

Willy in Montreux in July 1982!

And let’s hear this gem again, just because I love it so fucking much!! “Just to Walk that Little Girl Home”! From Savoir Faire, 1979:

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This was posted on Sean Stone’s page yesterday and it actually helped me get through a REALLY difficult afternoon —

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And if that isn’t enough– a bunch more Bad Seeds stuff!

In no particular order!!

A long shot of the Madrid show from George Vjestica:

The Bad Seeds in Nimes!

Nick Cave in Nimes!!

Tonight they play Vienne, France. You can still buy tickets HERE!

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And yesterday was the anniversary of the death of Nick Cave’s son, Arthur. Nick sent out a very beautiful tribute in his Red Hand Files. He said, in part:

“…I am acknowledging that although this day marks the 11th anniversary of the worst day of our lives, it is also a beautiful day, with the sun shining, a child playing, a man enjoying a cigarette, a world quietly waking and moving forward…”

You can read it in full HERE.

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And I believe that is it for now!!

I will be with the retired Minister and his lovely wife and cat this afternoon, but we are seriously “counting down” around here, gang: FOUR more caregiving shifts are left.

I am getting my energy back and my excitement for LIFE.

Meanwhile, have a wonder-filled Wednesday, wherever you are in the world!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

************

Let’s close with this!

Yes, just when the heat, humidity, and constant DRIVING is making you lose your fucking mind—

THIS fantastic song comes on your playlist and suddenly the whole world is beautiful again.

“Besame Mucho, ” by Andrea Bocelli. Enjoy, gang. Play it loud and have a blessed day.

A Happy Tuesday All Around!

July 14, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Well, first off!

The cats around here are seriously hyper today — could this have something to do with it??

From the Cainer Horoscope newsletter this morning:

The sky opens up in a big way this week. Between July 15th and 21st, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and Jupiter all move into alignment together.

We're more open to new ideas, more drawn to people and experiences outside our usual circle, and more willing to follow our own instincts instead of someone else's script.

Ambitions come into sharper focus, old talents get a chance to resurface, and you'll find that a little boldness goes a long way.

The invitation this week is simple: stay curious, aim a little higher than usual, and give yourself room to think and live differently.

Interesting, though, right?? We’ll see how this plays out!

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Gorgeous weather again here today, although it’s gonna get HOT by this afternoon.

Which is good, because I only have a ton of fucking errands to run after I see my clients later…. but, you know, at least I’m still alive and it isn’t raining.

*************

Okay!

Well, since I got a lot of work done yesterday at my desk — and also took a walk, did yoga, etc. — I don’t have a whole lot to post about today.

Although the good news is that, so far, my best friend Valerie in Brooklyn’s hand surgery went very well yesterday! So all of these delays are almost all behind us, and soon we will launch the new artists & writers podcast !! Yay!!

************

A short one from James Tabor this morning — taken from the intro to his online course, “Quest for the Historical Paul.”

Does Paul Misread His Two Favorite Bible Verses? (3 mins):

**************

This one was from a few days ago, but in case you missed it–

The Rolling Stones: Foreign Tongues | Zane Lowe Interview (1 hr):

****************

And oddly enough, the only “here’s this’s” I have for today are about the Bad Seeds.

So, here’s this!!

To kill time between the show the other night in Madrid, Spain, and the upcoming show tonight in Nimes, France, Jim Scavulos took in some ruins!

However, Warren Ellis used that time to dash quickly to Cleveland — a trip of approximately 4,350 miles, and which takes about 17 hours each way — just to say hello! Yay! (I was going to dash over to say a quick “hello” back, but Cleveland is a good 2 hours from here and I hadn’t had my coffee yet.)

Anyway.

He also delivered a warning that not all rock icons are willing to make publicly; “Don’t Smoke In Bed”!!

*************

An interesting photo of Nick Cave in Montreux, with a fan (?):

And onstage in Madrid!

As we already discussed, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds play Nimes, France, tonight. You can buy tickets here!!

***********

And aside from all that…

I did get word from another local bookstore yesterday that I could drop off a review copy of my new novel, The Curse of Our Profound Disorder, anytime this week! I will probably get there on Friday.

That particular store does a ton of promoting for local writers, so maybe it could lead to an instore signing of some sort. We shall see.

Other than that —

Have a terrific Tuesday, wherever you are in the world!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

**************

Okay. Let’s close with this today.

From Warren Ellis’s sage advice while in bed earlier…

Nina Simone’s heart-wrenching, “Don’t Smoke In Bed”. 1958. From her debut album, Little Girl Blue. Enjoy, gang.

“Don’t Smoke In Bed”

I left a note on his dresser
And my old wedding ring
With these few goodbye words
How can I sing
Goodbye old sleepy head
I’m packing you in like I said

Take care of everything
I’m leaving my wedding ring
Don’t look for me
I’ll get ahead
Remember darling
Don’t smoke in bed

Don’t look for me
I’ll get ahead
Remember darling
Don’t smoke in bed

c – 1958 – Willard Robison

Okay, here it is!

July 13, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Here is the official Call for Submissions, if you are interested, or if you know a writer or publisher who might be interested.

*****************

July 13, 2026

Dear Writer or Publisher,

This is an invitation to contribute to a tribute anthology to honor, celebrate, and remember the life and works of our beloved friend and colleague, M. Christian.

Publisher: Angel Ackerman, Parisian Phoenix Publishing, Easton, PA.

Editors: Marilyn Jaye Lewis; Ralph Greco, Jr.

The Work: Your contribution can be a new work of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art – or a reprint. The primary requirement is that it be a work that connects you in some way with M. Christian – did he inspire something you wrote or created? Did you write something together? Did he publish something you wrote? Did you publish something he wrote?

This is a celebration of the world surrounding M. Christian as we knew it. Along with your short bio, you are asked to submit a statement about how your contribution is connected to Chris.

Length: A maximum word count of 5K is suggested, but we are open to considering whatever you feel moved to send in.

Compensation: As of now, this is a labor of love on the parts of the Publisher and the Editors. Discounts will be offered on contributor copies.

Deadline: October 1, 2026

Please send all submissions to:

marilynjayelewis@protonmail.com

Disclaimers:

Since much of what we will be publishing in this tribute anthology will be adult-themed, we ask that you be of legal age in your territory to contribute.

We ask that you refrain from themes of pedophilia or bestiality.

If you are contributing a reprint, please ensure you have all legal rights to the work.

Please feel free to forward this invitation to any writers who you feel would likely be interested in contributing work to honor M. Christian.

Thank you for any interest you have in joining this project! I look forward to hearing from you.

Marilyn Jaye Lewis

Just a really beautiful day

July 13, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

So, not only do I have the entire day to sit at my desk and focus on the M. Christian tribute anthology stuff, but it is truly a gorgeous day here, weather-wise.

So sunny. Not humid at all. And only about 72 degrees Fahrenheit.

And I just now took a lovely walk to the post office.

My first husband, Chong, had sent me a Certified letter. And while I was guessing it was something for my upcoming birthday, when I opened the letter — right there in the lobby of the post office — I was not expecting to SMILE so fucking much!!

Not only was it money (yay) — and a lot more money than I would have expected — but he had also put together a little greeting on a piece of paper and folded the money inside it (a homemade “birthday card”):

I just smiled and smiled and smiled.

I even took the long way home, because I didn’t want to stop being out in the beautiful weather and smiling.

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Okay.

I don’t have a lot to post about today.

However, this happened!

When the Rolling Stones had their first gig at the Marquee Club, it officially started the “group” — meaning, it was the first time they publicly went by the name “Rollin’ Stones”.

The anniversary of the gig was yesterday– a lot of sites posted tributes. Here’s a couple:

And here’s Keith at Joshua Tree in 1968. Photo by Michael Cooper:

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Here’s this from Phyllis Stein!

A really great one of David Jo and Johnny Thunders in 1974!!

And speaking of 1974 — what a year that was. Truly the nadir of my entire existence. So many horrific things happened to me that year, that I don’t know how I would have survived it without rock & roll records to listen to and pictures to look at in rock magazines, while hiding up in my room… Jesus.

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Ooh! Speaking of Jesus–

Ross K. Nichols recommended that those of us in his private Yachad Group get the following book, so I did, and it is really interesting — what the Old Testament would have been like in the time that Jesus would have been reading it:

Jesus’ Bible: A Concise History of the Hebrew Scriptures by Christopher Dost

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And speaking of Ross K. Nichols, this was also very interesting–

From his Sunday School class yesterday.

“No human figure dominates the pages of the Hebrew Bible more than David — the sweet Psalmist and celebrated shepherd king of Israel. But one biblical writer dared to tell what another desperately tried to hide.

In this class, Ross Nichols compares Samuel, Chronicles, and the Psalms to explore how David’s story was preserved, reshaped, and, in one unforgettable case, quietly covered over.”

The Truth About David They Tried to Hide (45 mins):

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And here are a couple more things from the Bad Seeds’ show in Madrid the other night– (again, there have been tons of great videos, but not a whole lot of just plain photos):

The set list!! (Which actually looks sort of intensely tight — no encore. But look at that chunk moving toward the end, especially: “The Mercy Seat,” followed by “Papa Won’t Leave You Henry,” “Red Right Hand,” “The Weeping Song,” “Jubilee Street” — then just sort of rip your heart out and stomp all over it with “Hollywood”. Then “Into My Arms,” then goodnight! That must have just been fucking INTENSE!!)

Okay. Anyway.

And here’s this — The Bad Seeds onstage in Madrid:

Tomorrow through Thursday, they play 3 different venues in France. Buy tickets HERE.

And then they’re taking a long-ish break to ~~come to Crazeysburg and celebrate my birthday next week~~ — Oops, I meant, to I guess relax?? I don’t know.

But at the end of July, is the great big bunch of stuff to celebrate the homecoming show in Brighton, but the show itself is SOLD OUT!

Then, things resume on August 2nd and continue at a heady pace for the rest of the month.

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And that is it for today!!

I’m gonna finish up the laundry and then go out and water all my many flowers… And then get to work on the official Call for Submissions for the M. Christian antho and send it out.

I hope you have a magnificent Monday, wherever you are in the world!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Let’s close with this.

In keeping with the above-mentioned Sunday School class about King David–

I have always loved this version of Leonard Cohen’s masterpiece, “Hallelujah,” by k.d. lang.

From her album Hymns of the 49th Parallel, 2004. Enjoy, gang.

“Hallelujah”

I heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
You don’t really care for music, do ya?
Well it goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Well your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew ya
Well she tied you to her kitchen chair
She broke your throne and cut your hair
And from your lips she drew Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Baby I’ve been here before
I’ve seen this room and I’ve walked the floor
used to live alone before I knew ya
But I’ve seen your flag on the marble arch
Our love is not a victory march
It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Maybe there’s a God above
But all I’ve ever learned from love
Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew ya
It’s not a cry that you hear at night
It’s not someone who’s seen the light
It’s a cold and broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah…

c – 1984 Leonard Cohen/ 2004 k.d.lang

We have all the earmarks of a perfect day here! Sort of!

July 12, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Except for all that stuff at the beach and everybody looking like they’re on vacation.

We don’t have any of that.

However.

It is sunny and sort of mild-ish. And the fantastic AC is still working splednidly — this is sometimes spelled “splendidly” but it means the very same thing — so I will take what I can get. Yay!

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Wow, so first let me say that I am really, really happy with the enthusiastic responses we’re getting from other writers about contributing to the M. Christian tribute anthology.

And these are writers I have not worked with in such a long time. I know M. Christian would be so happy about all of this. So I am going to do my absolute best to make this a true homage to him.

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I need to share this with you.

Loyal readers of this lofty blog no doubt recall that my dearest friend on Earth. Paul Martin, passed away from AIDS back in 1999. We had been best friends since high school. We met in the Theater Dept., where he designed and built all the sets for our school plays.

As an adult, Paul designed and built sets for professional theaters and then got into doing the same in the movie industry.

One studio he worked for was called Carolco. He specifically moved to North Carolina to work for them.

Well, yesterday, Metrograph sent out their weekend newsletter and there was a wonderful essay about Carolco!!

When Carolco Was King

“DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN MULTIPLEX movies—we’re talking glossy, obscenely budgeted, star-studded mainstream entertainments primed for blockbuster status—were not only fun, but quite possibly kind of renegade and daring at the same time? For at least a solid decade, a heavy-hitting salvo of the period’s most pop-culture defining smashes, like Ted Kotcheff’s First Blood (1982), James Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), and Paul Verhoeven’s Total Recall (1990) and Basic Instinct (1992), were all coming from one studio: Carolco Pictures. They were an indie Icarus who out-stratosphered the Tinseltown majors…”

Wow, such memories, gang. Not just because the movies were so much fun back then, but Paul always had the best stories about working on all the various movie sets. For me, movies just aren’t the same anymore.

” [Carolco] made hugely successful films with respectable casts, defied the system, and managed to have a good time during that period. They raised their profile in an era when the majors were perceived to be the voice of American films, and really broke the studio stranglehold on things.”

Me, long ago, at Paul’s beach house on Wrightsville Beach, NC. Photo by Paul..

And while we’re at it– Paul’s favorite movie! He absolutely LOVED working on this film. (It was filmed on the Carolco lot in North Carolina, but it was produced by New Line.)

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All right.

Well, here’s this!

More great ones from Phyllis Stein!!

Johnny Thunders!! By that well known Punk photographer, No Info!!

And, wow, gang, did I used to LOVE this magazine!! Rock Scene. It usually featured photos that you couldn’t really find in the other rock magazines back then. There was a local drugstore within walking distance from me when I was 13 that sold Rock Scene. It was the only place I could find it.

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And moving on to the Bad Seeds in Madrid…

Once again, there were TONS of videos posted from the show and it looked like another great one. But I couldn’t find many photos that really jumped out at me.

But here’s this!

Before the show, George Vjestica takes in the Art!!

Warren Ellis took in (wore) local sculptures, and warned that Madrid last night was going to be hot, but he does not say whether he meant the city itself would be hot, or the Bad Seeds’ show would be hot, or maybe stuff going on in his hotel bed later? Perhaps all 3?? We just simply do not have enough info to know for sure:

And here’s Nick Cave! (He seems a little hot, so maybe that was it…)

Okay!! Next, the Bad Seeds play 3 different venues in France between July 14th thru the 17th, you can BUY TICKETS HERE!!

Don’t forget, the huge homecoming show in Brighton is SOLD OUT. However, you can still go there and do this!!

“Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds will take over Resident, Brighton’s legendary independent record shop, as part of a series of activities in the city around their huge homecoming show in Preston Park on 31st July.

The shop will host a merchandise pop up with an array of existing and new items on offer, including a limited edition vinyl release (details to follow next week), discounts across album catalogue, giveaways, and a special post box where fans can send physical letters to Nick Cave’s The Red Hand Files.

The merchandise pop up will include a range specially designed for the Brighton show – only available at Resident and the Preston Park event, plus an exclusive tote bag made in collaboration with Resident, as well as classic Bad Seed and Cave Things items.”

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And I guess that is it for today.

Have a swingin’ Sunday, wherever you are in the world, gang.

Thanks for visiting!

I love you guys. See ya!

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Let’s close with this!!

Wayne texted this to me yesterday. It was very interesting, indeed.

I am really kinda stunned that not only did I not see this show, I did not even hear about it. Granted, I was (briefly) away at college at the time, but I majored in TV-watching and I of course LOVED the Stones…

Anyway! Go, Keith!! (And thanks, Wayne!) (BTW, this is AI)

Keith Richards heard Carson’s joke from backstage — grabbed a guitar — Carson apologized on live TV (15 mins). Enjoy!