Tag Archives: #MarilynJayeLewis

Such a great day!

January 8, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Yesterday, that is.

Although I am expecting today to be a really great day, too.

Regarding yesterday, though —

I had another great afternoon with my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man. And we did indeed finally get to go out for sashimi and sake. And his clarity, focus, appetite (!!), stamina, were still doing great.

And while at the Peony Bistro, having our sashimi, the son of one of my favorite client’s was there having lunch with two of his own sons. The client was the woman that I adored, who lived in that beautiful split-level home that was filled with so much love, it was palpable. Just the most amazing experience I had ever had with a client.

She passed away unexpectedly a couple of months ago and I was heartbroken. The son and his wife are the owners of that love-filled home my client lived in.

When they saw me in the restaurant, the son and his two sons all came over to me at my table, and the son shook my hand. In his thick German accent, he said, quietly: “It is so nice to see you. I hope you have a very good New Year.”

There was so much emotion in his face, you know? My heart just sort of melted. I tried my best to introduce him to my Japanese client, but my client is easily confused by strangers.

Still, as I was leaving the restaurant, I was really sort of amazed by the world I have over there in Granville. Especially since I don’t — and never have — lived there. But my life intersects with so many people in such a meaningful way (after being in and around it for 8 years now), that it is getting a little breathtaking.

It was Gus Van Sant Sr who convinced me to move permanently to this area of Ohio and not move back to NYC. (He had very fond memories of Granville from his boyhood.) What a blessing that turned out to be for me.

Anyway.

After my shift, I came home and had a really great chat with Sandra about the TV project we’re developing (she had just had a really productive chat with the producer who is waiting on our completed proposal).

This recent photo of Sandra is just a small hint, gang. I can’t go into any details yet on the blog!

But it was exciting.

And during my dinner, my accountant in NYC called me and we also had a great chat.

It was the first time he was able to touch base with me after all that stuff happened regarding my dad’s Estate during the holidays. But, since my accountant specializes in the entertainment industry (he is also a theatrical producer, and a lawyer), we focused instead on the 3 projects I have going on right now with Sandra.

And that ended up also being a very, very good chat.

And today, I am still planning to pitch the “Tell My Bones” screenplay to that director who doesn’t direct TV-streamer movies, but I’m going to pitch it anyway and see if maybe he will at least read the script! I will keep you posted… (I will have to go through the usual gatekeepers out in Los Angeles, but I’m hoping they will at the very least say, “Okay, send the script.”)

Also, yesterday, before we left for sashimi & sake, the Minister from my new church called me!

He and I are having a brief meeting at the church later this morning. I met him briefly on Sunday, but since I want to join the church, he wants to find out more about me.

I am really looking forward to the meeting — but I am hoping I don’t leave that meeting having agreed to teach a Sunday School class or something like that. (Fingers crossed, gang…)

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Okay!

Today is this guy’s heavenly birthday!!

And in honor of his birthday, I am wearing those really cool Elvis earrings that Kara bought me for Christmas!!

Terrible photo of the really cool earrings!

Oh, and that means that I will be wearing “Elvis” earrings during my meeting with my new Minister!! Perhaps that will be auspicious? Yay!

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All right!

Here’s this:

In an interesting connection to James Tabor’s recent video about John the Baptist, Ross K. Nichols Sunday School class from this past Sunday–

“This class examines ancient sources on El Elyon’s enigmatic priest and his ‘eternal’ priesthood, from the Hebrew Bible and Josephus to Hebrews and the Dead Sea Scrolls, to ask what can responsibly be said about Melchizedek based on the surviving sources.”

Melchizedek: El Elyon’s Eternal Priest (1 hr 21 mins):

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And, wow, here’s this!

From Instagram yesterday, just gorgeous, right? I don’t know if it’s AI or not but I still love it:

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And here’s this!

Another gorgeous photo — this photo was used as the back cover for Keith’s autobiography, Life.

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And I liked this photo, too!

From Robert Earl Keen’s Instagram page yesterday:

And here’s this: “The Road Goes On Forever”, 1993:

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And last but absolutely not least!!

From Nick Cave’s Official page — 9 more days, gang!!

Buy tickets here!

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And on the home front today–

It is payday here, and when I checked my bank account at 4AM this morning, it turned out that even though I worked in the afternoons on both Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, I still got holiday pay!! Yay!!

I was totally not expecting that, so that was nice.

And with that, I’m gonna get this day-off underway!!

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

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Let’s leave with this today.

Although I was not listening to Elvis’s version of this hymn this morning, it was the first song I listened to on my retro boombox today.

I’ve always loved this hymn, but I was surprised, this morning, to discover that I relate to this verse these days, now more than ever:

Through many dangers,
Toils and snares,
I have already come;
'Tis grace hath brought
Me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

But since it’s his birthday, here’s Elvis’s beautiful version of “Amazing Grace.” Enjoy, gang!

“It’s just basic math. What is her problem?”

January 7, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

I do like to think that I know how to do math, gang.

And while a 6-hr shift is still a lot better than a 10-hr shift, that 10-hr. Tuesday is not a 5-hr shift now, it’s a 6-hr shift.

I didn’t figure this out until yesterday afternoon, when it felt like the “5-hr shift” was dragging on and on and on…

At one point, I looked at the clock in the client’s kitchen and saw that I still had 3 more hours to go, and I thought: How come this day isn’t going anywhere? I feel like I’ve been here forever.

And then I did the math. And I had been there forever. And that’s when I realized it was a 6-hr shift!

And needless to say, I’m exhausted this morning. But I think that part is psychological.

However, the highlight of yesterday! I stopped in at the Rural King around 10:30AM, and there he was again!! (And, YES! He flirted with me AGAIN. And it was basically the only seriously good thing about my day yesterday.)

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Before I forget– I forgot to post this yesterday. It’s great!

“In this video I relate the remarkable discovery in 2000 of a forgotten Cave west of Jerusalem, at Suba, that has what might be the earliest art work related to the John the Baptist-Jesus movement–right outside John’s village of Ein Kerem.”

James Tabor — Exploring the Lost Cave of John the Baptizer (48 mins):

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Okay.

Today it’s sort of mild out there, grey, not too windy. Snow and ice are gone. And so this is in my very near future!

OOPS! My mistake. That’s what I do everyday, regardless of the weather! This is what I’m doing today!

With my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man. We haven’t been out for sashimi and sake since before all the ice and snow!

You know, I can’t remember if I posted it here, but last week, he had his annual physical. (He sees an osteopath, not an traditional MD.) And he is now on only one mild pharmaceutical, the rest of his “meds” are OTC supplements, and the difference in his clarity, his conversation, his alertness. Wow.

He still has serious short term memory issues, but the difference was just incredible. It was like how he was last year, when I first met him. Before he started to sort of dramatically decline.

Anyway. It’s wonderful. I hope it lasts for a while.

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All right.

I have no idea if all the cool accounts I follow on Instagram are taking these first days of January off, or what. But I still have no cool photos to re-post here!!

However, Cave Things announced this morning, that if you’re a subscriber to the site, you get 30% off of anything in the store!!

So maybe you should go subscribe, if you haven’t already. And then you can get a great deal if you feel so inclined to buy a gift for me!! (Plus, it looks like you get free pencils with your order, too!!)

Perhaps a simple prayer card! Only $6 before the discount! And it’s timely! And sort of auspicious. (I thank you in advance.)

And don’t forget–

Only 10 more days until this!!

And here’s this from yesteryear, just because I love it.

Nick Cave, combing his hair. With a retro boombox by his bed, before they were retro. And, well, other stuff.

And now I seriously gotta scoot because I am gonna be late!!

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

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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I leave you with this!

This came on the Oldies FM radio station on my own retro boombox, as I finally got out of bed this morning! I hadn’t heard it in forever.

As a weeny bonny lass, I loved this song. Today was probably the first time I actually understood what it was about…

“Do It Again” by Steely Dan. 1972. Enjoy, gang.

Wow!

January 6, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Okay, gang.

It was about 6PM last night before I was finally able to just sit down at my desk and re-read the original screenplay for “Tell My Bones: The Helen LaFrance Story.”

I had spent a chunk of the afternoon yesterday just trying to get everything organized — all the original notes, photos, original signed “Life Rights” paperwork, signed by both Helen LaFrance and Wanda Stubblefield. Get a current address on file for Wanda, and make sure she’s still alive (she is). I also had to re-register the script with the WGA because the original registration had expired.

And then separate which notes were from the original screenplay and which were from the theatrical version. (The folders from both versions, when stacked together, weigh about 40 pounds! Not joking. And this doesn’t count an entire briefcase full of stuff that Gus Van Sant Sr gave me regarding Helen.)

When I was finally able to just sit and focus on the script, I was worried about how I was going to feel. There are so many things I love about the theatrical version. But the screenplay version is totally 100% family-friendly and meant for general TV viewing. I was worried that the writing wouldn’t hold up after all this time.

But, wow, gang. Except for a couple of words that need to be capitalized, I would not change a thing.

I sat there for almost 2 hours, just reading. I was so caught up in it. It’s just a beautiful script.

Not that a director won’t want changes (and they might want to pull in aspects of the theatrical version), but I’m totally 100% okay with shopping it as it is. (Back when I first wrote it and sent it around, the feedback was great. And it scored very high at the Austin Film Festival and it won in its category at the Cleveland International Film Festival.)

I had been worried that I would feel too critical of it now, since it’s so “G-rated”, but I absolutely wasn’t. And of course, Helen LaFrance has long-since passed away, but I felt her spirit last night filling my room, wanting her story to finally get told.

It was a really incredible feeling. So I’m excited. And just feeling so blessed.

With Sandra attached, there are producers at both streamers and cable TV channels who will want to read it, but there is also a director I want to pitch it to, first. I will probably do that on Thursday. He’s not known for directing TV movies but I’m going to pitch him anyway.

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Okay!

Well, if you saw my quick post from yesterday afternoon, you’re well aware of how excited I am about the publication of my upcoming novel, too! (The Curse of Our Profound Disorder.)

What a thrill that was to find her official “Welcome” announcement in my Instagram feed!

And I was not kidding about needing some help with filing! And a filing cabinet!!

But for now, I stacked everything in the bottom drawer of the dresser in the guest room. At least everything from the last 5 years is in the same place and the cats can no longer get at it.

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Okay.

And another WOW!

My drive on those backroads to go to the Social Security office yesterday morning — just spectacular. The same roads I took to that mall to ostensibly “see a movie” back in the Fall (I ended up walking out on the movie). There was still some snow out on the fields and the trees and rolling Appalachian foothills, but the SUN was just everywhere. It was so beautiful.

An actual painting of that area from about a hundred years ago

And so now the Social Security stuff is off my plate. (After about 2 years of them taking money out of my retirement check every month.) (And now all they do is take an even larger chunk of money out of my retirement check for Medicare…)

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Well, I don’t know if it’s because I haven’t had time to be on Instagram much or what, but I still found nothing cool to share here today, so I’m back to the private desktop stash!

This might be of interest!

Here in the US, public schools have the Scholastic Book Club.

Back when I was in the 7th Grade (12 years old), you didn’t have to join it or anything, the magazines came to our classrooms and you ordered whatever you wanted through the teacher.

I practically died and went to heaven when I was able to buy THIS poster through Scholastic!!

And when it finally arrived (the packages were delivered to us at school), I was so excited that I went to the Nurse’s office and said I was sick and needed to go home.

Since I never, ever went home sick from school, she called my mom and let me go home right away.

I went directly up to my room and stuck the poster on my wall, then got in bed (pretending to be sick) and I turned on the radio, and stared at that poster for hours!!

I usually post a cropped version of this photo here on the blog, but in the actual photo you can sort of see the poster!! (The photo of me was taken over a year later, though.)

So that is in lieu of my Keith photo for today.

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And it is now 11 days until this! (Buy tickets here.)

And here’s this!

This is from when Bob Dylan saw the Wild God Tour ~~here in Crazeysburg.~~ Oops, of course I meant in Paris.

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And I guess I better get going, gang.

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

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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I leave you with this!!!

This cassette tape is currently in my retro boombox next to my bed. (I can’t believe I saved all these cassette tapes, gang. I must have known this retro boombox was in my future…)

And this morning, when I pressed the PLAY button, this was the song that came bouncing out!!

(I actually sort of knew Fred Schneider when I lived in NYC, gang. Enough to say “Hi, how ya doin’?” whenever I saw him on the street down in Chelsea and he would smile back and wave and say, “Hey!”)

“Dry County” from that terrific album, Cosmic Thing, by the B-52s!! 1989. Enjoy, gang!

“Dry County”

It’s one of those lazy days
I’ve got nothing to do
Let the wind blow round my head
Let a cloud be my bed
When the blues whomp you up on the side of the head
Throw ’em to the floor and kick ’em out the door
When the blues kick you in the head
And you roll out of bed in the morning
Just sit on the porch and swing
Sit on the porch and swing

The heat of the day’s got me in a haze
Those lazy days of summer are here

When the blues whomp you up on the side of the head
Throw ’em to the floor and kick ’em out the door
When the blues kick you in the head
And you roll out of bed in the morning
Just sit on the porch and swing
Sit on the porch and swing

Just let the breezes flow,
Through your mind,
I feel so fine

Here come the girls up the road
What they want to do they can’t do
Cause it’s a… Dry County

Kicking stones and laughing low
Nowhere to go. It’s a dry, dry, such a dry, dry,
Dust devils blowing in your hair but what do you care
When there’s nowhere to go
It’s a dry, dry, county

c – 1989 Julian Strickland, Catherine Pierson, Frederick Schneider, Cynthia Wilson

Happy update!

January 5, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

I just saw this on Instagram and had to re-post it here.

From the publisher of The Curse of Our Profound Disorder:

Okay. Now back to work.

Oh, wait. Here’s this: Stories, novels, plays, TV scripts from the last 5 years.

If anyone would like to stop over and file these, please let me know. Oh, and bring a filing cabinet. Thanks. (Oh, and something to clean cat “sneezies” off the mirror. Thanks.)

Let’s Get this Coffee Started!!

January 5, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

So far, 2026 has been a really good year for me. I am hoping that you feel the same — drastic as things may seem — wherever you are in the world.

Oh, if you aren’t already doing it, Charlie Ward has a daily, very short video early in the mornings, on YouTube. And if you’re into the Q-thing, I would suggest listening to it. It is so great to have Charlie back. (11 mins):

And if you combine what Charlie has really been saying the last few days, with Simon Parkes’ update from the weekend, and this, from il donaldo trumpo yesterday (link below), then you are probably preparing for a really, really good year as the movie goes on. And on. And on.

TOLD YOU TO GET MORE POPCORN!!!😏🍿🍿🍿

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Even though my life is going pretty darn good today, there is an odd lack of cool things on Instagram!

So I gotta go to my stash for everything this morning!

Keith and Jolie Jones (Quincy’s daughter) smoking on the Stones’ airplane in 1972:

Keith and Jolie Jones (still Quincy’s daughter) smoking backstage in 1972:

Keith and Jolie Jones smoking in that OTHER way, backstage in 1972:

And, hey, why not this as a sort of soundtrack to that photo above??? “The Kind of Girl I Could Love”, 1967, The Monkees:

“The Kind Of Girl I Could Love”

Girl, you look mighty good to me
And I know that you’ve got to be
The kind of girl I could love.

You’ve got the sweetest pair of eyes
And your kiss would be paradise
You’re the kind of girl I could love.

You do something to my soul
That no one’s ever done.
If you’re looking for true love
Then let me be the one.

Girl, deep in my soul I’m sure
And my heart has no doubt that you’re
The kind of girl I could love.
The kind of girl I could love.

c -1967 – Michael Nesmith, Roger Atkins

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And here’s this!

Nick Cave smoking (and drinking). Don’t know if he was waiting on Jolie Jones and she didn’t show up, or it could be that it had nothing to do with Jolie at all, but he was the coolest fucker in the place:

And speaking of Nick Cave!!

12 more days until this happens (buy tickets here):

And continuing to speak of Nick Cave–

This morning, he sent out a really thoughtful Red Hand File, as this New Year gets underway. It was all about what and who he’s praying for, basically, everyday. He said in part:

“Setting aside questions of whether there is a god and, if so, whether that god is actually listening, I believe it is at least beneficial to dedicate some time each day to silence, reflecting on those closest to me. This focused devotion becomes a form of worship, an unspoken spiritual bond that enriches my relationships and gives the prayer genuine value and utility beyond mere wishing….”

You can read it in full here.

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And here on the home front (in my room, basically)–

I cannot tell you what a difference it makes in my stress levels, knowing that I no longer have that 10-hr shift to deal with on Tuesdays!! (It goes down to a 5-hr shift, starting tomorrow).

It just feels like everything opened up, psychologically, because of that simple change in my schedule.

And I know you guys will really appreciate being able to log on here on Tuesdays now and find that I’ve posted something a little loftier than: “I’m not posting today. See ya.”

Today, I have to make another one of those really gorgeous drives along the backroads here in the Hinterlands, because I have to stop in at the Social Security office, in order to give them back some of my own money that they gave me a couple years ago only to be told by them later that they gave me too much of my own money and so I need to give it back…

Just FYI: This is why my grandparents hated FDR. I didn’t understand why back then, but I sure do now:

“Socialism” = give us your money, it’s safer with us, and then at some point we’ll give you some of your own money back, maybe

And then I have to run a quick errand at the bank, and, as always, a quick errand at the Dollar Store. And THEN!! I will re-read the original screenplay for “Tell My Bones: The Helen LaFrance Story” and get caught up with Sandra.

Plus, it’s sunny today!

So things are looking good.

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And I have to say, gang, that I cannot wait to get back on track with “Tell My Bones”.

Just looking at all the photos Gus Van Sant Sr gave me of Helen’s paintings, makes my heart spring open all over again. (He was her Business Manager, and I worked in his home office, which was where I first saw her paintings and then Gus arranged for me to go meet Helen in Mayfield, Kentucky, in order to write a movie about her life.)

“Canning Peaches” — one of my favorites; the painting goes on forever outside that window!

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Okay!

I’m gonna get started on all that now, so I will close this!

Enjoy your Monday, wherever you are in the world.

Thanks for visitng.

I love you guys. See ya!

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I leave you with this!

“Wade in the Water”, performed by Ella Jenkins.

A traditional Spiritual that is also part of my screenplay for “Tell My Bones”.

Enjoy, gang!!

A Complete Success!

January 4, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

I really liked the new church. And all the people in it.

Very friendly, with tons of kids — who had a little prayer circle at the front of the congregation, before going off to Sunday school. They were incredibly adorable.

And I chose a pew that was right next to the big stained glass window, and the sun came through it, right onto my pew, right as we started singing the opening hymn, so I’m guessing I’m always going to sit there in that pew, every Sunday. That alone was sort of cosmic.

I sat in the 3rd pew from the front, right next to the window

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Okay.

Before I forget–

If you don’t follow Simon Parkes in the UK, you can’t access his update from yesterday, but it was a really, really good one. You can follow him, and watch his monthly updates, by joining Connecting Consciousness — it’s free.

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Well, I got a lot done this morning, before church, gang!

I typed up all those notes that Sandra needed by tomorrow morning, and was able to get everything off to her a day early!

All I have left to do before our next phone call is re-read the original screenplay for “Tell My Bones: The Helen LaFrance Story” and then send that over to Sandra, as well.

So we’re sort of off and running, gang.

New year, new everything. Oh, and here’s this from yesterday:

New year, same cats!!

And, last evening, I was also able to do Lesson 2 in James Tabor’s new course, “Christianity Before Paul”. (An in depth look at John the Baptist — historical rather than theological — another incredible lecture.)

And I did wash my hair!! I also did yoga.

And I was even able to watch another episode of one of those shows Sandra wanted me to watch (“I Love LA” on HBO).

So it is sort of remarkable that I can get so much done, even though I’m still working all the caregiving jobs, once I entirely shift my focus.

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All righty.

Here’s this–

Keith and that one cigarette he had in 1979:

And a great shot of Johnny Thunders with a cigarette in Athens, Greece, in 1989:

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And–

13 more days, gang!! Before this:

So here’s this — from the private desktop stash!

Nick Cave, not smoking. Not sure why. (Oh, wait! Because he doesn’t smoke anymore…)

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And in a little while here, I head out to see the retired Minister and his lovely wife and cat. And I’m sure they will be happy to learn that I’ve finally found a church I like.

They know about my ministerial training and my Degree from Ohio Christian University, etc. (The Minister’s wife studied at a different seminary in Ohio, so we have talked about it a lot.)

I have to say, gang, that it gets frustrating, having to always separate my ministry world from my professional world, keep it all private, since my professional world is so extensively “for adults only”. And just by looking at me, people assume I’m this really nice, harmless white lady. They’re usually very surprised to even find out that I lived most of my life in NYC — unless they have the great good fortune of hearing how often I use the “F” word!! And let’s not mention that FBI record I had that followed me around at international airports. Or when I was looking at possible prison time in a federal penitentiary and a huge fine, for allegedly making it too easy for children to access porn online…)

This new church — since they are “under new management”, as it were — is looking for people to get involved with things like leading group meetings in Bible studies, etc. They need help doing it all, getting it all started.

I am so trained in that stuff. My knowledge, as you can guess, is extensive. And I’m certified/trained in congregational care, and hospital visitations, and grief counseling, and marriage counseling, and home communion for the elderly.

I’m pretty sure that if I showed up at the Minister’s office and told him all that stuff, he’d jump up from his desk and say, “When can you start??” Because they need help.

But all that other stuff in my world — I really, really need my privacy. And I don’t like to intentionally mislead people about who I am. So I’m guessing I will just show up for Sunday services and go back home.

I was thinking during the service this morning that it must be a lot easier to be Nick Cave. He can show up at a church on Sunday but everybody already knows who he is.

(Yes! It is easier to be Nick Cave in church than to be Marilyn Jaye Lewis!! You heard it here first!!)

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Well, anyway.

I’m still really glad I finally found a church I like that is a 3-minute walk from my house!

And on that happy note, I gotta scoot and get ready for my caregiving shift. But then — I have tomorrow off!

Have a beautiful Sunday, wherever you are in the world.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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I leave you with this on this sunny winter Sunday!

That huge hit from the Broadway show, “Godspell”, 1971!

“Day by Day”. Enjoy, gang.

Girl Dies Happy, Writing in Her Room!

January 3, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

I know, I’m 65 — and a half.

I’m not “a girl”.

But I always, always, ALWAYS feel 12 years old inside.

Anyway.

No, I’m not dead yet. But, wow, writing just makes me so happy, gang.

The phone call with Sandra late yesterday afternoon was just so energizing.

To be back at work with her. And to even have a completely overloaded plate from the word go. But, wow, do we have some incredible projects going on.

It is going to be really hard work, but it is just so fucking exciting.

And even though I could get stuff done a lot more quickly if I could have retired from caregiving, just the thought of finally moving forward again with projects I truly love — it makes everything bearable and it always has.

And I have to add that, yesterday afternoon, I got two emails– one from each of my regional supervisors at the Agency. (Since I live in Muskingum County, but work mostly in the next county over, I have a supervisor in each county).

Each of them said how happy they were that I was not retiring. It was bittersweet for me, but also just very nice to receive those emails. The Agency is extremely good at making me feel appreciated.

And meanwhile, I did go ahead and put in for a week off in the beginning of February. Just to stay home and ~~do nothing~~ write (probably). (And NO! So far, I have NOT gone on the Expedia app to search for flights to NYC… No one in their right mind goes to NYC in fucking February!! It’s FREEZING!!)

NOT ME!!! I never wear hats!! (Or green shoes!!)

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So.

I’m happy, gang.

And, as usual, Sandra asked me to watch two different shows for reference, this time to get a feel for the writing style she is aiming for with the TV project.

One on Netflix, one on HBO. Both of them current, popular shows. Neither of them anything at all like 10-year-old reruns of “Mrs. Brown’s Boys” — but I suffered through them!!

Actually, I tend to stop watching “Mrs. Brown’s Boys” once the holidays are over, so I need something to fill the post-dinner evening void!! And Sandra always turns me on to streamer-TV stuff that, at the very least, captures my complete attention.

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Okay!

Speaking of happy, here’s this!!

Keith at Madison Square Garden in July of 1972:

And here’s this.

Richard Hell. I love how Phyllis Stein captioned it:

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And YES!! It’s right around the corner now. So I might be up to that “stash photo” thing I always do!! I’m not sure yet!

But, in 14 days, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds begin their Wild God Tour of Australia and New Zealand!! (Buy tickets HERE!)

And while we wait — here’s this! AGAIN!!

Nick Cave just waiting. And being fucking beautiful in the process.

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And on an extremely different note — (and, no, I haven’t forgotten that somehow I have to also fit in taking that great new course with James Tabor!!):

A new interview with James Tabor about his new book, Lost Mary: Rediscovering the Mother of Jesus.

2,000 Crucifixions: The Christmas Story You’ve NEVER Heard (1 hr 34 mins):

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And on that note, I gotta scoot. I’m back with my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man today. (And, yes! Someone had indeed shoveled a little path on his back porch, but it was still too cold and icy to take him out for sashimi & sake yesterday. And since it’s been 16 degrees Fahrenheit since yesterday, I’m guessing we’re staying in again today!)

And tomorrow — I will try to post to the blog early, before I head out for my first Sunday morning at the new church(!!), but I’m not 100% certain I will be able to do that. We shall see! I have a ton of stuff I need to type up and get over to Sandra by Monday morning.

Okay.

Enjoy your Saturday, wherever you are in the world!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Let’s part with this today!

I feel reasonably certain they will NOT be singing this song in Australia — well, maybe privately, alone in their hotel rooms at night.

But here’s this anyway! (I love this song!!) I do not know when it was originally recorded — what it was a B-Side of or why it was rare…

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds. “Opium Tea”. 2005. B-Sides & Rarities. Enjoy, gang!

“Opium Tea”

Here I sleep the morning through
Till the wail of the call to prayer awakes me
And there ain’t nothing at all to do but rise and follow
The day wherever it takes me

I stand at the window and I look at the sea
And I am what I am, and what will be will be
I stand at the window and I look at the sea
And I make me a pot of opium tea

Down at the port I watch the boats come in
Watch the boats come in can do something to you
And the kids gather around with an outstretched hand
And I toss them a diram or two

Well, I wonder if my children are thinking of me
‘Cause I am what I am, and what will be will be
I wonder if my kids are thinking of me
And I smile and I sip my opium tea

At night the sea lashes the rust red ramparts
And the shapes of hooded men who pass me
And the moan of the wind laughs and laughs and laughs
The strange luck that fate has cast me

Well, the cats on the rampart sing merrily
That he is what he is and what will be will be
Yeah, the cats on the rampart sing merrily
And I sit and I drink of my opium tea

I’m a prisoner here, I can never go home
There is nothing here to win or lose
There are no choices needed to be made at all
Not even the choice of having to choose

Well, I’m a prisoner here, yes, but I’m also free
‘Cause I am what I am and what will be will be
I’m a prisoner here, yeah, but I’m also free
And I smile and I sip my opium tea

c – 2005(?) – Nick Cave, Conway Savage

Today It Begins!

January 2, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

I spent a good chunk of yesterday taking down all the Christmas stuff, packing it up and putting it back in the storage closet.

So the holidays are officially complete around here! (And even though those few days between Christmas and New Year’s ended up being really challenging for me emotionally — see the end of yesterday’s post — it still was one of the happiest Christmases I’d had in a long, long time.)

At the end of the day yesterday, I chatted with Sandra for about an hour and we decided that today, after my shift, we BEGIN!!

Meaning — we begin working on all 3 of the huge projects we have on our plates right now. “The Guide to Being Fabulous” going to Off-Broadway; getting the original TV-screenplay version of “Tell My Bones: The Helen LaFrance Story” packaged for streamer TV; and then tackling the enormously time-consuming task of packaging the proposal for our new TV project for a producer who is waiting for it in Atlanta.

(The screenplay version of “The Guide to Being Fabulous” that we have already written Act One of and submitted to a producer at HBO (which could be Netflix now?), is on the back burner because we have, you know, way too much fucking stuff to do! Plus, we don’t want to move forward with the movie version until the play actually opens Off-Broadway.)

Anyway.

All 3 projects star Sandra, so the chances that all 3 projects will move forward at the very same time are actually sort of high, gang. So Sandra very compassionately and tactfully told me yesterday that even though I have decided not to cut back any of my caregiving shifts, so that I don’t stress about money, I need to switch my focus from now on and put my writing first and the emotional attachments to my caregiving clients second.

She is correct. So today I begin that, too. Which means I no longer have the luxury of coming home emotionally burnt out after a job because I need to be able to focus on the writing after my shifts.

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I’ve also decided to switch up my Saturday evenings now to include washing and doing my hair! Because I am really hoping that I am going to like this new church that is 3 minutes from my house and that I will be attending it every Sunday morning from now on! (Not that Jesus cares what my hair looks like but I do!!)

Here’s hoping I like it, gang. I will be going there for the first time this coming Sunday morning and I am really looking forward to it.

What the church will look like once all the neighborhood cats discover that I’m going there…

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And I have not lost sight of the fact that I have a NEW NOVEL coming out this year!! Yay! And I will need to participate in PR stuff for that, which will involve travelling.

Plus, I have that memoir that I really, really, really want to get started on, too. And that 12th Street Project I started on recently.

So I’m doing that thing where I turn over Time Management to the Universe and just let everything flow….

And maybe some coffee.

I’ll keep you posted!

Me, flowing that energy without it dramatically enhancing the power of my tits in any way whatsoever!!

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Okay, here’s this!

WAYNE! Getting the punch ready for the New Year’s Day brunch yesterday at the Union Club in NYC!

If you’re new to the blog — for many, many, MANY years, Wayne was a professional actor in NYC. Mostly live theater. A ton of Shakespeare, downtown. And, yes, I did spend many, many years hearing him say around the apartment: “Sire, hear me butt speak!!” Followed, perhaps, by the passing of the occasional gas…

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All righty!!

Ronnie Wood is offering 20% off all his art, site wide!!

Visit HERE!

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Okay, today I head back to my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man’s house.

We were planning on going out for sashimi & sake today. It is very cold but very sunny with no wind at all!

However, if his back porch is covered with snow and ice from Wednesday night, I don’t think we will be able to go out today. (He has a wooden leg, a cane, and, well, he’s 95.)

I’m hoping that some sort of miracle took place yesterday and that someone shoveled his back porch, and that we can still go out. We shall soon see. (His neighbors are really nice, so it could have happened.)

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Other than that —

After my shift today, I come straight home to another phone call with Sandra, as we begin the undertaking of the beautiful insanity.

Enjoy your Friday, wherever you are in the world, gang.

Thanks for visiting!

I love you guys. See ya!

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Let’s leave with this today.

Yesterday was the anniversary of Hank Williams’ death. (Someone on Instagram even posted a photo of his open casket back in 1953, which I’d never seen before, but it was creepy so I’m not reposting it.)

“Hank Williams’ official cause of death was a heart attack, but it was heavily influenced by his chronic pain from spina bifida occulta, severe alcoholism, and drug use, including morphine and chloral hydrate, which combined to create a deadly mix, leading to his collapse in a car on New Year’s Day, 1953, at age 29. “

I have always loved Hank Williams’ music. So let’s depart with this. I know I posted it recently, but here it is again!

The original demo from “Long Gone Train,” a song I wrote about Hanks Williams in 1992. Just me and my guitar in my room back then. Enjoy, gang.

LONG GONE TRAIN
(for Hank Williams)

There are men who were doomed to the legend
Of their own despair
Who linger like an echoed moaning
On a cold black air
They were lean high-rollers in the shadow
Of a ball and chain
Who were beckoned to their call to glory
From a long gone train.

Men who had railed at the virtue of their own reward
Who smothered in the lonesome comfort 
Of a long black Ford
And the Sheriff who was called to the scene
In a driving rain
Sent the body home on the rails
Of a long gone train.

CHORUS:
Cold as the steal rail line that delivered him to fame
Beaten by the hustler’s dream that had robbed his name
Driven by the fury in a heart that was real as rain
It all disappears in the slow procession
Of a long gone train.

They were men who concealed their condition
From the broad daylight
Who would rage it wild and reckless
At the cruel limelight
And while the sane bystanders at the apron of the stage complained
How they wept at the mournful passing
Of a long gone train.

REPEAT CHORUS

There are men who will rail at the virtue of their own reward
Who will smother in the lonesome comfort of a long black Ford
And the Sheriff who is called to the scene in a driving rain
Will send the body home on the rails
Of a long gone train.

REPEAT CHORUS

© 1992 Marilyn Jaye Lewis
FIRST OF MAY SONGS, BMI

What A Difference a Day Makes!

January 1, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Happy 2026 everybody!!

I am having the best New Year’s Day, so far.

I slept in until 5AM. Got up to find more powdery snow all over the world outside my windows. Yet the black skies were completely clear — brilliant stars for as far as my wee bonny eye could see.

The cats got special yummies for breakfast — many thanks to Johnny, for buying them a type of yummy cat food for Christmas (beef with gravy) that I rarely let them eat!! They were sort of in cat ecstasy this morning.

Oh, and when I opened the kitchen door to let Kon Tiki in for her breakfast, she wasn’t there but in trotted a totally different cat! We all sort of stopped and stared at her, but since she was in, I fed her beef with gravy, too! And then let her right back out…

And then I decided to take my own breakfast upstairs with me, got back in bed in the dark, and as fate would have it — I felt like listening to an Abraham Hicks video while I had my breakfast in bed, and lo! & behold!, this one was in the top of my list!

Ignore the title — it’s click bait. But it has to do with allowing the Universe to manage Time for you, so that you can get everything done without stressing!! One of the top things that’s been on my mind, regarding continuing to work the caregiving jobs, and trying to get all the writing projects done (15 mins):

And then, after that, when the sun finally came up, here was the view from my bed:

And this — across from my bed!! I always bring the spider plants indoors for the winter, and this one is just doing crazy-good!

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Okay.

Probably the best New Year’s Eve photo I saw yesterday.

Warren Ellis, apparently channeling the NY Dolls circa, like, 1973!

And here’s the song that goes with the post — from my wee bonny 13-year-old girlhood!! “Personality Crisis” by the NY Dolls (performing live on The Midnight Special — a TV show I watched religiously back then, much to the chagrin of every adult in my extended family!! And probably my Rabbi, too, if he’d known I was watching it…):

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Okay.

Let’s tone it down a little!

Keith by the fire!!

And the Stones in LA, in 1965:

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I thought you might like this.

The one and only time I saw Mink DeVille perform live, it was in the mid-1980s, at the incredible Lone Star Cafe.

The Lone Star is long gone now, but it was a great club. And it was on E.13th and 5th Ave, just around the corner from where I lived on E. 12th Street. (And for the record, gang, Mink DeVille performing live blew me away!! God, he was good.)

The NYC clubs back then were just so cool, gang. You could usually get so close to the performers. And all that energy was just aimed right at you.

I saw Johnny Cash at The (new) Ritz in midtown, and I was in tears through most of the show — he was so close; he was right there, you know? I could not believe it.

Ditto with Dwight Yoakam, although the first time I saw him was at the old Ritz, downtown, and it was truly one of the most amazing live shows I ever saw. He burst onstage in all those spotlights, wearing that sparkly, rhinestone Nudie suit, and singing “Guitars, Cadillacs & Hillbilly Music”. It was like a version of heaven I could never have even imagined.

And the first time I saw Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, it was also at the old Ritz (on E.11th Street — again, right around the corner from where I lived). It was kind of staggering. The audience was probably the most frightening audience I had ever gotten stuck in. It was full of what we called Neo-Nazis, back then. Really violent white guys. But when Nick came on the stage, I could not believe how fucking tall he was!! And his energy was just insane — it exploded. It is a moment that is absolutely seared into my memory forever.

Anyway.

There were some incredible clubs all over NYC back then.

(Oh and Susie Cave had a really fun video on Instagram of Nick Cave’s New Year’s Eve celebration last night, but I can’t re-post Instagram videos here. But there was nary a Neo-Nazi in sight!!)

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Okay.

Speaking of things being seared into my brain forever–

I forgot to mention that, very early Tuesday morning, when I was heading to my (final) 10-hr shift, I stopped in at the Rural King to buy cat food. It was maybe 8AM (?) and what to my wondering eyes should appear???

You remember that guy who sometimes works the check-out that I privately call “Wild Thing” because — yes!!– he makes my heart sing!?!? And I am old enough to be his grandmother but he flirts with me anyway??

There he was — all that long dark hair, and all skinny and tall and looking like absolutely nothing but trouble. And there was, like, one other customer in the check-out lane. And then it was my turn!! And, yes, he flirted with me again!! And I felt about 14… in the best way, that is.

I just love that guy.

(And I love this version of that song! I think it’s better than the original.)

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Okay.

I’ll close this New Year’s post with this.

I am in an absolutely incredibly good space, gang. But the past several days were just hit or miss for me. It was very rough.

I have posted here about how, when my (adoptive) dad died a year and a half ago, he and I were in a really good place. Just the best it had ever been in our entire relationship. But from, like, 1975 up until that final year (2023-24), my relationship with my dad was usually extremely rocky. He could be really nice, and then, when you’d least expect it, he could be unbelievably mean.

But during that last year, he told me a lot of stuff about his private life during my teen years that I had known nothing about. And it caused me to privately forgive him for absolutely everything that he had ever done to me in the difficult decades that had followed that.

And then, a few months ago, when the Trustee of my dad’s Estate finally gave me access to all of my dad’s financial stuff, his Will, etc. (there were hundreds and hundreds of pages), it became apparent that he had left me a small fortune that I’d known nothing about. By way of a Family Trust fund.

However, last week, right after Christmas, when the Estate was completely probated and closed and the checks were sent out —

Well, long story very, very short — it turned out my dad had changed his Will and I had not yet seen that final version. And he left the entire Family Trust — 100% of it — to his step kids instead. And taken me completely out of it.

There were residuary funds that I got, instead. I am not complaining. I will be okay, and he also took very good care of me that final year he was alive.

But seeing, in print, what he had done with that Trust, gang — it devastated me. It was just so like the old him to do something like that. And I didn’t want to un-forgive him. How could I do that?? I don’t know how to un-forgive.

My adoptive mother did a similar thing to me — I was heir to $30 million dollars, that upon her death, she ended up giving, in its entirety, to one of my cousins instead. Although, during the final years of her life, my mother gave me many advances on my inheritance, which helped me enormously when all of my publishers, except for one, went out of business during the financial crash of 2008.

However. It’s that process, you know? Going to the expense and time to actually change your Will in order to exclude someone before it’s too late and you’re dead. What the fuck is that, right?

Anyway.

I had been in such a good place with my dad when he died, and I didn’t want to lose that feeling. Especially since I am preparing to write that memoir of my father-figures in the 1970s. I don’t want to go into that memoir with a headspace of trying to manage so much heartbreaking cruelty and alienation.

And even though I can no longer comfortably retire at this point, well miraculously — I mean that literally — after a lot of prayer and Source/God alignment, I awoke this morning in the best mental and psychological place. And I am right back to feeling just really grateful for everything my dad did for me during that last year of his life.

I actually just feel like a stronger person than I’ve been in a long time, and I am really looking forward to all the writing projects ahead of me in 2026.

So let’s get started with that, okay??

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Have a terrific 2026, wherever you are in the world.

Thanks for visiting!

I love you guys. See ya!

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I think I’ll leave you with this!

Dennis sent it over to me this morning, as part of his Happy New Year text!

I had not seen this video of this song before. I really loved it.

Norman Greenbaum – “Spirit In The Sky” (1970). Enjoy, gang!!

Here it comes!

December 31, 2025 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

The end of a rather intense year!

And I am very eager to see what unfolds in 2026 and, while I don’t want Time to gallop away from me any faster than it already does, I don’t mind saying farewell to 2025!

ME (waving): “Bye, see ya!”

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Here’s this!

The other day was the anniversary of Rowland S. Howard’s death. He passed in 2009:

And here’s this, because I’m in that kind of mood today. “Autoluminescent,” Rowland S. Howard, from his album Teenage Snuff Film, 1999:

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And Phyllis Stein does it again!

She posted yet another great photo of Willy (Mink) DeVille!

And here’s this! “Cadillac Walk” from the album Cabretta, 1977:

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And I loved this photo–

Marc Bolan, in 1971:

And why not this?? From the above-mentioned album, the legendary “Bang A Gong (Get It On)”:

(And knowing me, gang, can you imagine me in my bedroom at age 11, hearing this amazing song for the first time??? Yes, I was only 11 when songs like “Brown Sugar,” “Maggie May,” “Walk On the Wild Side”, and “Bang A Gong,” among hundreds of other amazing songs, were on the fucking radio in my room!)

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Okay!! Anyway.

You are lucky ducks today!

James Tabor posted an edited version of the lecture from Sunday on Theophilus of Antioch to his YouTube channel.

Why You Probably Have Never Heard of Bishop Theophilus of Antioch! (47 mins):

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And another interesting read from Dr. Eli’s blog if you’re into it. This one is a 7-minute read:

Galatians within First-Century Judaism: Rethink Apostle Paul’s argument for Gentile Inclusion without Proselyte Conversion.

“In this article, we reread Paul’s letter to the Galatians—one of the earliest New Testament writings—from within the diverse landscape of first-century Judaism, avoiding later Christian supersessionist (replacement theology) assumptions. The letter addresses a crisis in the Galatian communities, where certain Jewish Christ-accepting evangelists were persuading Gentile believers that full membership in the people of God required adopting Torah observance in the manner of proselytes, including markers such as circumcision and kashrut. Paul vigorously opposes this view, arguing that Gentiles are incorporated into the Abrahamic promise through faith in the Jewish Messiah alone, without needing to become proselytes….”

[full article here]

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All right.

And it is with a heavy heart that I have come to the following decision!

I had a long conversation with Sandra on Monday about the best way to approach everything we need to focus on in 2026 and while it is going to take a TON of concentration and time to move forward with all 3 projects at the same time…

I also had a talk with my accountant on Monday and, even though, technically, I could retire if I really, really want to, I really will have to live frugally. More frugally than I had anticipated.

And while it’s doable, I’m worried that that’s going to cause me more stress than simply trying to juggle everything the way I always do. And it could put a serious damper on trips to NYC whenever I feel so inclined to go.

So, for now, I’m going to keep on working part-time, and just try to focus on everything at the same time — until I’m actually getting a significant paycheck again from something besides being a caregiver.

However!

Although I make no money from it at all, I still want to say thank you AGAIN, for all the downloads of my FREE erotic eBooks in the Smashwords Christmas Sale!

Today is the final day of the sale, and you guys have been just amazing. I think there have been more downloads during this sale than there have been in a couple years. So thank you, again, for all of the interest in all these really, really old books and stories!

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In other good news…

Loyal readers of this lofty blog no doubt recall that I have had trouble finding a church out here in the Hinterlands that I actually want to attend.

Some of you know that there is a (200-year-old!!) Methodist Church literally 3 minutes from my house. You can see it from my window. And the woman who works at the local Dollar Store has invited me a few times over the years to stop in at the Wednesday night suppers.

But for some reason, I have always felt hesitant about going there. I didn’t really know why. My Ministry Degree is in an evangelical denomination, so Methodist is a cake walk compared to that. Still, for some reason, I had an aversion to going in. Although the little church is quite lovely:

Well, also on Monday, I was in the Dollar Store, as usual, and for some reason, I asked the woman about the Methodist church and she was very excited and said it’s no longer Methodist. It’s just a Christian Church. They have a brand new minister, and she was just very enthusiastic about all of it.

So I decided to finally check it out! After living 3 minutes away from it for almost 8 years…

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Okay, I think that’s it for now. It’s snowing out there and I have to head to town to see my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man!

Have a happy and healthy New Year’s Eve, wherever you are in the world, gang!

Thanks for visiting! (And, yes, for some reason I have gotten more visitors to the blog in 2025 than I’ve had in about 10 years… not joking about that!)

Anyway. Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Let’s leave 2025 with this!!

I know I’ve posted it here just recently, but here it is again, gang.

From my wee bonny girlhood, and the sort of “theme song” from my upcoming memoir, Joy; The Shortest Season.

“Joy” by Apollo 100. Enjoy, gang.