Okay!

I just got back from the post office, where I mailed off my 50-page (!!) home improvement loan application to the USDA RD!!

Now all I gotta do is WAIT.

But, however it plays out, I just feel really great that I got that done. And for your viewing pleasure!! Here’s an idea of what my basement stairs currently look like. (Keep in mind the house is 126 years old and those stairs are ancient!!)

The 2 bottom steps have already broken through. This is why I always put off to the absolute very last possible minute, going down there each fall & winter to change out the furnace filter:

Even if they don’t approve my loan for some reason, I’m still going to somehow get those stairs fixed.

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

Okay!

Wow. Another great day here in the Hinterlands.

And I slept in again because — YES! — I was chatting on the phone last night with my new friend for about 2 and a half hours — even after I’d worked a double. So it was kind of late (for me) when I finally managed to say: “Okay. Sweet Dreams, goodnight.”

But what a great time we always have on the phone!!

And he sent me the BEST photo! But he made me absolutely swear I would not post it anywhere on social media. But, wow, I loved it!!

It’s his Senior picture from when he graduated high school (in Columbus, 1976, I think.). He looks like such an angel. Omg. It’s too cute.

When you see him nowadays, “angel” probably wouldn’t be the first word that would pop into your head. He’s been around a little since that photo was taken. But in his soul, he is so kind, and considerate, and sweet, and he loves to laugh.

But he’s also a walking testament to the 2nd Amendment (concealed carry), so you probably wouldn’t want to “go ahead and make his day”…

And tomorrow we have our second lunch date, and I can’t wait.

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

Okay.

So I heard from Sandra. She and her husband took an impromptu vacation over the weekend. So the files I need for the play updates probably won’t get here until later today. Which means — yes! — I get to work on the novel today. Yay! Finally.

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

Okay!

Here’s another photo I fucking loved! For different reasons. From Instagram yesterday.

And we still have to wait 2 more days until Nick Cave and Colin Greenwood take the stage in Norway! For 3 consecutive sold out shows.

***********

If you follow Phil, he is planning to be live tonight at 8PM eastern. Check here later to confirm. (I sure hope he does because so much amazing stuff is going on out there right now and I would love it if he could finally confirm it! We’ll see.)

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

I think that’s actually it for now.

Enjoy your Monday, wherever you are in the world.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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

I leave you with this!

I’ve posted it here before, but here it is again, for your listening pleasure!

Dennis Edwards, w/Seidah Garrett, “Don’t Look Any Further”, 1984. Enjoy, gang!!!!

“Don’t Look Any Further”
(feat. Siedah Garrett)

Someone to count on in a world ever changing
Here I am, stop where you standing
What you need is a lover, a man to take over
Oh, girl, don’t look any further
Strange when you think of the chances
That we’ve both been in a state of mind
Too cool to be careless, looking for the right thing
Oh baby, don’t look any further

(Tonight) Tonight we’re gonna taste a little paradise
(Rocking all night long) Rocking all night long
(Daylight) Daylight, I’ll still be looking in your ebony eyes
And we’ll go on and on and on (Go on and on and on)

Day o umba day o mambu ji ay o yeah
Don’t look any further (Don’t you look no further)
Day o umba day o nam bu ji ay o yeah
Don’t look any further

Someone to count on (Someone to count on)
In a world ever changing (Mmm-hmm…)
Here I am, stop where you standing, baby
What you need is a lover (You need a lover)
To love you all over (Love you all over)
Oh baby, don’t you look any further, further

Don’t look any further
Don’t look any further

(Tonight) Tonight we’re gonna taste a little paradise
(Rock you all night long) Won’t you rock me all night long
(Daylight) Daylight, I’ll still be looking in your ebony eyes
And we’ll go on and on and on and on

Day o umba day o mambu ji ay o
Don’t look any further, don’t you look no further
Day o umba day o na jam bay um bay o yeah
Don’t look any further
Day o umba day o mambu ji ay o
Don’t look any further, don’t you look no further(further)
Day o umba day o na jam bay um bay o
Don’t look any further, further
Day o umba day o mambu ji ay o
Don’t look any further, don’t you look no further
Day o umba day o na jam bay um bay o yaeh
Don’t look any further

c- 1984 Dennis Lambert, Francine Vicki Golde, Duane S. Hitchings

Really kind of unbelievable, how beautiful the morning is around here. (Oh, and if you’re curious, and if you know the lyrics to the song “Oh What a Beautiful Morning” — the corn is indeed as high as an elephant’s eye here in Crazeysburg!) (Our town is pretty much surrounded by cornfields.)

Okay.

A beautiful day.

And I have the whole day off — and Sandra still hasn’t sent me the files I need to get back to work on the play. That’s frustrating, of course, but also — it means I don’t have anything else that I actually have to DO!!

Yay!

**********

On a sadder note–

The legendary accordionist, Flaco Jiménez, has passed away. He played with many, many Country and Tejano musicians over the decades and had his own solo career, too, but I will always remember him best as part of the equally legendary Texas Tornados!

Wow, what a great band they were!! Wayne and I saw them play live in a small club in NYC, over 30 years ago. What a great memory. And then we played their CDs in the car constantly, on our road trip across the country on our honeymoon.

Here’s one of my favorite songs of theirs that heavily features Flaco– “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone?” 1991. RIP, Flaco.

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

On a similar note–

On this day in 1997, one of my all-time favorite writers and inspirations also passed away.

Realizing that this morning, caused me to sort of drop everything and dig out all his old paperbacks that have followed me through every apartment and every house for the last 40 years.

So here’s this! I bought this paperback (new) in NYC, back in 1983! I remember reading this on the subway, and in my hellhole apartment on E. 12th Street, like it was yesterday:

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

Okay.

I loved this! From Charlie Ward’s newsletter this morning:

“A groundbreaking new study has revealed that the human brain emits a faint glow—known as ultra-weak photon emission (UPE)—that may be closely tied to our mental state, and possibly even to deeper bioenergetic phenomena like vibration and frequency.

Researchers from Algoma University and Tufts University placed participants in total darkness and used photon detectors and EEG to measure the brain’s natural light. The occipital region, responsible for vision, glowed most during eyes-closed states, with photon activity fluctuating in tandem with neural rhythms, particularly in low-frequency brain waves.

Though invisible to the eye, these light emissions suggest the brain is radiating energy that could reflect its internal processes. This energy pulse—waxing and waning at sub-hertz frequencies—has drawn attention for its possible links to vibrational medicine, frequency-based healing, and even auras, which some traditions describe as subtle light fields around living beings….”

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

Another great video from James Tabor–

“…the thousands of followers of Jesus who fled across the Jordan from Jerusalem, just north of the Dead Sea, in the year 66 CE, to escape into the Decapolis area south of Pella. James the Just, eldest surviving brother of Jesus had been brutally murdered in 63 CE by Annas, son of Annas, of the Mafia High Priesthood that also had instigated the murder of Jesus. Simon his brother took over the leadership of the movement. This flight is mentioned in Mark 13:14-20 and Revelation 12:13-17, and reported by Eusebius, Church History Ecclesiastical History (Book 3. 5.3) and Epiphanius, Panarion (29.7.7–8 and 30.2.7). They settled in the general region of Beroea near Coele-Syria and in the Decapolis near Pella, and remained there into the 2nd and 3rd centuries, and scattered south as far as Arabia over the next few centuries. Remnants of the group, including Simon and other Desposuynai, or members of the extended Jesus family, returned to Jerusalem around 73 CE and rebuilt the “Synagogue of the Apostles” on Mt Zion, as Bargil Pixner has documented….”

The Ebionites: Heretics or Original Followers of Jesus? (18 mins):

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

And–

As we continue to wait for the return of Nick Cave and Colin Greenwood’s Solo Tour in Norway in 4 days!!

Here’s this!

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

On the Home Improvement front–

All the quotes are in from the various contractors, and now all I need to do is print everything out and then mail it to my local USDA RD office , and then wait and see!!

These specific loans are incredible, gang, because they are only available to people over age 62, with low incomes, who live in certain rural areas. The interest rates on the 20-year loans are close to zero.

My currently 126-year-old home, about 6 years ago, when my beloved maple tree still existed:

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

Okay.

Yes! On the eHarmony front!

It seems like we have our first “song”! (As in “they’re playing our song”!!)

We both realized the song completely captures what’s going on with us and it left us both a little dumbfounded.

“Hello Sunshine”. 2019, Bruce Springsteen. We have both been playing it like crazy since yesterday:

“Hello Sunshine”

Had enough of heartbreak and pain
I had a little sweet spot for the rain
For the rain and skies of grey
Hello sunshine, won’t you stay?

You know I always liked my walking shoes
But you can get a little too fond of the blues
You walk too far, you walk away
Hello sunshine, won’t you stay?

You know I always loved a lonely town
Those empty streets, no one around
You fall in love with lonely, you end up that way
Hello sunshine, won’t you stay?

You know I always liked that empty road
No place to be and miles to go
But miles to go is miles away
Hello sunshine, won’t you stay?

And miles to go is miles away
Hello sunshine, won’t you stay?
Hello sunshine, won’t you stay?
Hello sunshine

c – 2019 Bruce Springsteen

And — YES! — I have permission to post this!!!

I mentioned the “Desperado” tattoo early on, and here it is (and, yes, you can’t really see him too well, but that’s him):

**********

And I’m thinking that’s probably it for now.

I’m going to work on the novel until I hear from Sandra.

Enjoy your Saturday, wherever you are in the world!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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

I leave you with another great one from Flaco Jiménez and the Texas Tornados!!

“Who Were You Thinkin’ Of?”, 1990. Really fun! Enjoy, gang!

“Who Were You Thinkin’ Of?”

Who were you thinkin’ of
When we were makin’ love
Last night?
Was it a good-lookin’ stranger
Or a close friend of mine?

You didn’t wanna quit
When we was into it
Last night
Who were you thinkin’ of
When we were lovin’ last night?

Who were you thinkin’ of
When I was makin’ love
To you?
There was a smile on your face
I ain’t seen in some time

You got more out of it
Than I put into it
Last night
Who were you thinkin’ of
When we were lovin’ last night?

Who were you thinkin’ of
When we were makin’ love
Last night?
There was a smile on your face
I ain’t seen in some time

You didn’t wanna quit
When we was into it
Last night
Who were you thinkin’ of
When we were lovin’ last night?

Who were you thinkin’ of
When we were makin’ love
Last night?
Was it a good-lookin’ stranger
Or a close friend of mine?

You didn’t wanna quit
When we was into it
Last night
Who were you thinkin’ of
When we were lovin’ last night?
Who were you thinkin’ of
When we were lovin’ last night?

c – 1990 C. Pelletier, J. Glaser, P. Gauvin

Can you say “58 degrees Fahrenheit”??!!

Wow, gang. What a great night’s sleep I had here. No AC. Not even any fans. I even had to close some of the windows because it got chilly! Yay!

And this morning — the sun is shining and it will only be a high of 78 degrees. And it’s supposed to stay this way for the next few days.

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

I have a weird schedule this weekend. A double shift today and a double shift on Sunday, but I have all of Saturday OFF. And I will spend that working on updates to our play, “The Guide to Being Fabulous”!!

And the sooner I can get the updates on the play finished and sent back over to Sandra, the sooner I get to have another date with my eHarmony guy! Yay!

I’m not sure when I’m going to stop calling him my eHarmony guy and give him a name. I guess we’ll find out. But for now, gang…

Wow, yesterday was perfect. Even though the minute I arrived at Tequilaville, the sky let loose with a torrential downpour. And for some mysterious reason, every single parking spot in front of the restaurant was already taken — even though it was only noon. It usually doesn’t get busy there until later.

So, yes, I had to park in the side parking lot. And yes, I was wearing a sundress and flipflops, but I also had a little denim jacket on and I had an umbrella, so my feet got really wet, but that was the worst of it.

And my friend was already there, waiting for me, staying dry under the roof overhang. And he had brought me a FLOWER!!! Picked from his property.

Loyal readers of this lofty blog no doubt recall how much I love flowers. So, that right there — greeting me with a flower when he doesn’t even know yet how much I love flowers — made me so happy.

We really had the best time. We were at the restaurant for 2 hours. And then, since it was raining and we couldn’t go to the park, we went to the local mall instead, and sat inside and talked for another hour and a half — and then walked around inside the mall a little bit, holding hands.

Is that too cool???

And everyone was sort of smiling at us — you know: Look at those cute old people. But, honestly — emotionally –it was truly like we were teenagers again. (And teenagers from the 1970s, no less!) It was just so perfect.

And then he had errands to run in town. And I had errands to run in town. So we said our farewells (and kissed (!!) goodbye in the parking lot).

And, YES! We spent last evening talking for 3 more hours on the phone!

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

Okay. Before I forget —

From the Copyright Alliance today:

“On July 21, Copyright Alliance CEO Keith Kupferschmid had an opinion piece published in DC Journal, titled A “Win-Win-Win” Path for AI, as part of our AI and Copyright campaign. In the piece, Kupferschmid dispels a number of false narratives that are being perpetuated by tech fear mongers, including the notion that AI will only win if IP and copyright protections no longer exist…”

“”The United States has a long and storied tradition of strong protections for intellectual property. These protections have led the United States to dominate the world in technological and cultural progress … AI developers insist that licensing is impossible given the enormous volume of copyright works they seek to use, but that claim doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. Most of the big AI companies already license a vast volume of creative works for their consumers, and digital markets for music, books, films, and television programming are robust and mature … Contrary to claims that these AI training deals are impossible to make at scale, a robust free market is already emerging in which hundreds (if not thousands) of licensed deals between AI companies and copyright owners have been reached…”

[full article here]

*********

Also!

Here’s Freddie this morning! The kittens are now 4 months old.

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

Okay.

There’s still another week before Nick Cave and Colin Greenwood resume the Solo Tour of Europe, so here’s THIS while we wait!!

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

Oh, and here’s this!!

George Harrison in London in 1970!

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

All righty!!

The Summer Sale over at Smashwords is officially over now, and I want to say thank you, again, to all of you who downloaded my eBooks that are published over there.

Also, just a head’s up– the cost of printing paperback and hardcover books over at LULU.com has increased, so the prices of all of my print titles published at LULU.com have officially gone up today. Sorry about that, gang!

Prices of eBooks remain the same, though.

[Also, please remember that if you search for any of my books at either site, you have to click that you want to be shown explicit content, otherwise some of the books won’t come up.]

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

And I’m thinking that’s it for now, gang.

Have a fantastic Friday, wherever you are in the world!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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

Okay! Here’s this!!

I’ve posted it before, but here it is again! (Yes, okay, it’s for my new friend. Rumor has it that he sort of likes this song…)

From the fabulous 1970s! Neil Young’s classic, “Heart of Gold”, 1972.

Enjoy, gang.

“Heart Of Gold”

I want to live
I want to give
I’ve been a miner for a heart of gold
It’s these expressions
I never give
That keep me searching for a heart of gold

And I’m getting old
Keep me searching for a heart of gold
And I’m getting old

I’ve been to Hollywood
I’ve been to Redwood
I crossed the ocean for a heart of gold
I’ve been in my mind
It’s such a fine line
That keeps me searching for a heart of gold

And I’m getting old
Keeps me searching for a heart of gold
And I’m getting old

Keep me searching for a heart of gold
You keep me searching and I’m growing old
Keep me searching for a heart of gold
I’ve been a miner for a heart of gold

c- 1972 Neil Young

I tell you, gang, 2 days off in a row and I feel like I never want to work again….

To think that for something like 15 years, all I had to do each day was sit at my desk and write. I miss those days. Those heady deadlines.

However.

Back at it!

My favorite nearly-95-year-old Japanese client and I will be heading out for sushi and sashimi today. And I’m sure we will have great conversations. Laugh a lot. Revisit his amazing past a lot. And have a pretty great day. So, once again, I can’t really complain!

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

Then I’ll head home, have my dinner while watching wonderfully silly reruns of” Frazier”, take my shower, head into the air-conditioned bedroom — and probably talk all evening on the phone with the eHarmony guy!

We chatted for 3 1/2 hours last night!

And it’s not like we ever have a moment of awkward silence or anything. We just talk on and on and on, and it’s been like that since the very first time we talked on the phone!

So here’s hoping, gang.

Tomorrow of course is the big day — we meet in person. We’ll have lunch at the glamorous Tequilaville. And if lunch goes well, we plan to take a walk in the park. Weather permitting.

I know I’m not allowed to write about him, but I’m guessing it’s okay to say that, even while he and I have had completely different types of lives, when we were both teenagers (we’re practically the same age), we lived in Columbus. So we have so many cultural memories in common from back then. And that feels so cool. I am so accustomed to being around people that I literally have nothing in common with from the past.

Okay. So I better stop right there before I start “writing about him”!!

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

Wow, okay!

So yesterday — the Nick Cave and the AI thing was all over Instagram. And almost everyone was just as opinionated as I was, for the most part.

But what I forgot to say in my post yesterday — even though I linked to the Red Hand Files, I didn’t mention that Nick Cave’s post was about having a different perspective now — regarding AI images, at least — after seeing what his friend had done with the “Tupelo” AI video. (You can read it in full here.)

A few people on Instagram were actually really nasty about Nick changing his mind about (perspective on) AI. There are always those few who, no matter what topic Nick is writing about — they just go for his throat.

At that point, I always click the handy “unfollow” button!! (I am so totally NOT impartial when it comes to Nick Cave…)

Anyway!

This was really cool! The original lyrics to “Tupelo”, posted yesterday by RossAWaterman:

And here’s another photo from Arles, when Nick received his literary medal:

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

And on a totally different topic!

I’m still awaiting one final quote regarding the home improvement loan, but I got the carpenter’s quote last night and, if for any reason, I can’t get the loan until next year, his quote was actually affordable so I might pay for it out of my own pocket — fixing the very ancient and very-giving-way-now basement stairs. In an effort to avoid THIS some day soon (wouldn’t be my best look, even if I were wearing a sundress!):

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

Okay.

Just a reminder that tomorrow is the final day of the Smashwords Summer Sale.

You can download 4 of my older eBooks for free. The details & links are on my substack page HERE. (Adults ONLY.)

And another huge thank you to all of you who have already downloaded them!!

And don’t forget that since my books and eBooks are no longer in one handy place on the internet, you can always visit MarilynsRoomBooks. The prices might not be up-to-date all the time, but the links are.

And don’t forget!! If you need a deck of playing cards, my “1954 Powder Blue Pickup ” cards are really, really cool!!! Yay.

***********

All righty!

That’s it for now. I have time for one more cup of coffee before I gotta scoot.

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

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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

Am I allowed to post this?? Hmmm….

“Someone” sent this video to me yesterday and, wow, I just LOVED it!!

Enjoy, gang.