It’s still chilly today but the sun is out. Yay!!
And it should stay mostly sunny, at least until my favorite 94-year-old Japanese client and I go to the Peony Bistro for sashimi, and then to the nature preserve by his house!
Then it’s supposed to get cloudy after that, but it won’t matter so much by then.
Yesterday, he said the funniest thing. I couldn’t believe it. I will share the short version here:
Loyal readers of this lofty blog will no doubt recall that he’s not allowed to have vodka in his house because he will drink vodka until he’s absolutely smashed.
His private nurse allows him to have ONE vodka cocktail of his choice if they go out to lunch, but other than that, only red wine is allowed in his house. Mostly because he’s not that crazy about red wine, so a little goes a long way.
Yesterday, we didn’t go out anywhere because it was really cold and gloomy out. So he started in on his desire for vodka, but I reminded him that his nurse says “no” to vodka.
He said he didn’t understand why.
I said, “Because neither one of us wants to come in one morning and find you dead on the floor because you had fallen while you were smashed out of your mind on vodka and all alone. How do you think that would make us feel??”
He grumpily said, “It doesn’t matter.”
Me: “It doesn’t matter?? Well, how would you feel if you walked into the room and found ME dead on the floor because I was smashed out of my mind on vodka and had fallen while I was all alone??”
He: “It wouldn’t matter.”
Me: “It wouldn’t matter if you found me dead???“
He: “No. I would know you had gone to a better place.”
I couldn’t fucking believe him! We both laughed so hard over that.
Okay. Anyway.
A quick kitten update!
They are officially one week old today and their eyes have opened! You can’t tell from this photo, because they’re sleeping — only Mommy’s eyes are open!
Other than that, today would have been my birth father’s 80th birthday. So, happy heavenly birthday to Donald Jennings May. I miss you so much.
In this photo, it’s 1965 and he’s home on leave from the war in Vietnam. He’s visiting his older sister, my Aunt Jo, down in North Carolina.
And that’s it for today.
Enjoy your Saturday, wherever you are in the world!
Oh! Don’t forget– this gets underway on TUESDAY in Boston!! Buy tickets here!
Okay. Thanks for visiting!
I love you guys. See ya!
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What I’m listening to at night right now:
The audio book version of On Union with God by Blessed Albert the Great (1193-1280 AD), translated by Benedictine of Prince Thorpe Priory in 1911. It is read quite masterfully by David Barnes. (1 hr 32 mins.)
Marilyn's Room 
I do appreciate that you’re no longer posting much that’s directly OR indirectly political, Marilyn.
But I’ll continue my long campaign of trying to enlighten (you being someone already observant “below the surface”) and recruit you toward the TRANSPARTISAN cause of deliberative democracy. Not “progressive, woke” elected officials (or judges) NOR “conservative/MAGA” ones. Not “libertarian”. Not ANY third party.
The #of parties is not the key. Several other REACHABLE things are. They are thought-through and proven, though never combined as needed for deep system change (if “deep state” is a suitable term, it deals with that…. Trump certainly IS NOT… just replacing the old deep state with HIS deep state!) And what happens when he’s out?
We’ve already begun to see the unraveling of his really strange, spineless “coalition”, and I hope to God that accelerates, as I believe it will. (When your gold/precious metal reserves may become needed!)
There is nothing thought-through, strategic or even effective-despite-the-hardships-coming in his chaotic, ill-conceived tariffs. (Ask Musk, btw, if that matters to you. He, among tons of similar business people … part of the elite MAGA supporters purportedly hate.)
But keep focused, as I work to, on positives, gratitude, and loving your neighbors, animal and human! Howard Pepper, MDiv, MA Director of Interfaith Outreach Compassionate Citizens Foundation