This will probably be brief because I am not feeling particularly chipper today.
I’m heading back to see my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man today, and his family is still there.
I have no idea what I will find when I get there.
I’m planning to just make him his coffee and breakfast and then get him out of there — to Geller Park. We haven’t been there in a few months and he really likes it there. So we’ll see.
Oddly enough, this is the exact bench where we usually sit! It has a great view of the Vietnam War Memorial up on the hill.
Obviously, I have no say or control over anything that is going on now. I’m hired to be his companion. That’s it. (And that is actually quite huge.)
But what is also bothering me is that his private nurse is siding with the family and she’s kind of in denial about what the family is putting him through.
And he knows that, too. He now says to me: “You are the only one. You are all I have.”
It is truly heartbreaking, gang.
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Anyway.
I actually did not get any writing done at all yesterday.
When I got back from my doctor’s appointment, I watched a little bit of that “James, Brother of Jesus” DVD that arrived Wednesday–
And while I was watching it, Valerie in Brooklyn called!
We really needed to catch up, so I was on the phone with her up until it was time for dinner.
So I didn’t even do yoga yesterday.
It was sort of an intense day for me, emotionally.
And now, on we go.
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Well! This just came through and cheered me!
Wayne, just texted me. He is in Maryland, at a Cracker Barrel, having breakfast!! (He’s visiting family and they’re doing what they do best — going out and shooting guns!)
Okay.
Enjoy your Friday, gang, wherever you are in the world. Make the very most of it. There is still a lot of joy to be found, just by being aware of right now.
Thanks for visiting.
I love you guys. See ya!
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Driving to town music!!
If you’ve read my post from yesterday, then I probably don’t even have to explain.
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers perform “So You Want to Be A Rock & Roll Star,” live. 1985. Enjoy, gang.
I knew that the trip between here and Coshocton was beautiful, gang, because I’ve driven that route a number of times since I moved out here, but I had forgotten just HOW beautiful it was.
Wow. Incredible.
And the doctor visit went great. He is the best doctor I have ever been to — meaning so totally suited to me.
He’s funny, talkative, straight-forward — and the main thing he told me right off the bat was that he practices Alternative Medicine and his goal is to keep me off medications.
Yay.
It just went great.
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And here’s this, in case you didn’t see it yet–
Keanu married Alexandra!! (Yes, that Cleveland gal!!!) Yippee ki yi yay!!
Okay. Now I wanna try to get some writing done. See ya!
Wherein I drive to a really beautiful small town, 30 miles from here, called Coshocton. And I have my very first doctor’s appointment in 24 years….
Not the doctor’s office…just a random shot of Coshocton
And even though it is another really stunning day here and the drive will be gorgeous, I will be very, very happy when the appointment is over.
I’m going to smile and be cheerful and cooperative, though, and not act like a Big-Pharma-Medical-Mafia-hating Conspiracy Theorist…
Me. Faking it.
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So, this morning has been interesting. Guess who I heard from for the first time in 17 months??
The woman who is the actual owner of 5 of my cats. The ones that I call the “foster cats”.
It was really good to hear from her, primarily because I had feared the worst — that maybe she had passed away. I won’t go into why I thought that.
But she and her husband are getting their lives together now and will soon have an apartment of their own.
It would mean that all of their stuff would finally be out of my barn. And it of course would also mean that 5 of the cats will be out of my home.
Of course it breaks my heart, because now I love all of them, but it would also be a relief. Obviously. I have way too many cats.
We’ll see, though. Just because I heard from her, doesn’t mean I will hear from her again.
Me, most days.
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Yesterday was a rough one, gang.
I was with my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man, and if you’ve read yesterday’s post, you know that he has family at the house this week, pretending to “winterize” his house, when really they are trying to fix it up to get it easier to get the house on the real estate market basically the minute he dies.
It is astounding to me that they don’t see that he totally knows what they’re doing. They don’t see what they’re putting him through, emotionally.
The only thing that’s “wrong” with him is short term memory loss. He can still perceive things. It was so hard for me to not show the family how angry I was with how they’re going about all this.
When I got there, there was total chaos all around the outside of the house, but he was inside, dressed, and sitting in his chair in the living room. He smiled and quietly said to me, “Get me away from them.”
So off we went to Peony Bistro for sashimi and sake, then we went to the Nature Preserve and just sat in the car for an hour. And he told me everything that he fears is getting ready to happen. And most of his fears, I felt, were kind of right on the money…
I won’t go into all of it, but thankfully, my Supervisor from the Agency called me when I got home yesterday, so that I could “update her” while getting everything off my chest (and eventually calm down). She was so supportive.
Yes, he is losing his interest in living. But that doesn’t mean take his house right out from under him. (His house and property are worth a fortune.)
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Okay.
This arrived in the mail yesterday!
In the recent zoom call with his private Patreon group, James Tabor spent some time going over this film from 2002.
It aired on the History Channel (2002), and it was directed by Simcha Jacobovici, who is a close friend and colleague of James Tabor’s, and whose work I really enjoy.
Even though a lot of things have come to light about this ossuary since 2002 (great things!), I am still looking forward to watching it.
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But meanwhile, I am re-watching THIS and just loving it:
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers – Pack Up the Plantation Live! 1985 (1 hr 37 mins):
And I’m also listening to the soundtrack of it in my car. (Yes, I am no longer listening to “songs I played a lot 6 years ago” but that does not mean I graduated past 1985…)
When Tom Petty sang live he was incredible. He usually gave a whole different emotional spin to his songs than what came across on the studio recordings. And the songs still sound so immediate and personal — and like he hasn’t been dead for almost 8 years already.
This track, where he (and the audience) sing “Breakdown” is really well known, but I especially love all the stuff he says/sings at the end!
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And I listened to this while getting dinner ready last night and I thought it was fantastic. I especially loved the part about “Now.” (At about the 6-minute mark) (Ignore the title, that’s just click-bait.)
🌟 Get Ready for WILD Blessings – The Universe Is About to Amaze You 👑 Abraham Hicks 2025 (15 mins):
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And here’s this!!
For no reason. Just because!!
Nick Cave.
This will absolutely NOT be my attitude in the doctor’s office today!!
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Phil is planning to go live tonight at 9PM, but check here later to confirm!
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And that is it for now. I need to get some stuff done before heading out to Coshocton.
And then once I’m back from Coshocton, I hope to get some writing done!!
Enjoy your Thursday, wherever you are in the world.
Thanks for visiting.
I love you guys. See ya!
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Yes, as you saw yesterday, my breakfast-listening music is not too different from what I’m listening to in the car right now!!
Breakfast-listening music!!
From 2015. A collection of Live Radio Broadcasts from the 1970s. And I’m mainly listening to the 3rd CD right now, because it has a lot of live duets with Bob Dylan.
Since it is essentially Fall now, I decided it was time to move on from The Monkees and go back to Tom Petty.
When he played live, he covered a lot of songs that had been hits by other artists. Here he sings with Bob Dylan — a favorite song of mine by John Hiatt & Ry Cooder, “Across the Borderline.” Enjoy, gang.
“Across the Borderline”
There’s a place where I’ve been told Every street is paved with gold And it’s just across the borderline And when it’s time to take your turn Here’s a lesson that you must learn You could lose more than you’ll ever hope to find
[Chorus] When you reach the broken promised land And every dream slips through your hands Then you’ll know that it’s too late to change your mind ‘Cause you’ve paid the price to come so far Just to wind up where you are And you’rе still just across the borderline
Up and down thе Rio Grande A thousand footprints in the sand Reveal a secret no one can define The river flows on like a breath In between our life and death Tell me, who’s the next to cross the borderline?
[Chorus] And when you reach the broken promised land Every dream slips through your hands And you’ll know it’s too late to change your mind ‘Cause you pay the price to come so far Just to wind up where you are And you’re still just across the borderline Now you’re still just across the borderline
Nick Cave was back with his Red Hand Files yesterday! And what a great one it was, too. Brief, but he explained everything he’s been up to during his break from the Files, and he said the Red Hand Files is now officially 7 years old (!!) — and also, he answered a question about love & freedom, saying in part:
“I thought on your question, Mies, ‘Did love mean freedom to me?’ I reflected on the things that matter most to me on this earth – my family, friends, those within my sphere of influence, my music, my writing, my spiritual life, and the health of the world in general, all these elements that, together, constitute a life lived lovingly. Mies, these things seem far from freedom. Instead, they are forms of containment that place demands upon us, sometimes greatly so. The pursuit of love involves feelings of duty and responsibility, as well as sacrifice, hard work, resilience, patience, forgiveness, and understanding. These are the structural bonds within which supreme love can flourish…“
Since being put on Medicare when I turned 65, I now have to have “a doctor.” And since next Thursday, a nurse from the insurance company is coming to my house to give me my “annual check-up” (insurance-speak for “we might not want to insure you if you don’t let us come over”), I have to have the doctor in place by then.
I am not a fan of traditional medicine, as all of you probably know by now. And I have not been to a doctor in 24 years. But back when I was on Welfare — during the fake lockdowns — they put me on Medicaid and assigned me a doctor “near me”. (30 miles away.)
When I was finally able to get off Welfare, I looked into the doctor they had assigned me and I actually liked his credentials! He has a degree from the University of Pikeville, in Kentucky (!!), where most of my ancestors are from. And more importantly — the University of Pikeville teaches Osteopathic Medicine (and is connected to a Presbyterian Church). (FYI: “Osteopathic medicine is a distinct branch of healthcare that emphasizes the body’s inherent ability to heal itself. “)
So I made a note of the doctor’s name and phone number, etc., and decided that if I was ever forced to have a doctor, he would be it.
University of Pikeville, in Kentucky.
And now that I’m forced to have a doctor, when insurance/medical-type people ask me who my doctor is, I always say him but I haven’t actually ever met him.
But tomorrow afternoon, I will be meeting him. Officially. And he will become “my doctor.” So that everything can go smoothly when the insurance-nurse comes next week. And then they can go back to leaving me alone for another year.
(If you know me AT ALL, you know that I’m just super thrilled about all of this — having to give ANY of my free time to doctors and insurance companies. However, on we go.)
Already waiting for me…
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On a related note…
If you know me at all, then you also know that I am 100% totally into natural healing. And I always have been, even though for the first 40 years of my life, I also went through the motions of “going to doctors”. Then I basically gave up and said, I need a different path…
In my current novel-in-progress, The Curse of Our Profound Disorder, there is a character based in certain key ways on a Lakota Sioux Medicine Man, Jack Red Eagle, that I knew briefly back in the mid-1980s.
At that time, he had left the Reservation in Oklahoma and was living in a cabin in the woods outside of Nacogdoches, TX. And he was a practicing Medicine Man. He was in his early 60s and looking for someone to train to take over his practice. He wanted to retire. He thought I had what it took to be a Medicine Woman.
We corresponded briefly, I went to Texas, it turned out I was really good at it, and it freaked me the fuck out because I was only 24 years old… (plus I was a singer-songwriter in NYC. I couldn’t see myself moving to a cabin in the woods in East Texas to heal people when I hadn’t even learned yet how to heal myself).
Anyway. So I have a character in my novel, created around Jack Red Eagle. And I created that character 26 years ago, when I first started writing (almost all of) this novel.
As I’ve been revising the novel, and moving forward with it, I had toyed with the idea of changing the character’s name to Jake instead of Jack — but I kept coming back to the very strong feeling that the character’s name needed to be Jack (my character is Jack Kicking Eagle, and he’s in his 30s). And as I first read over the novel, after not having read it in 26 years, I was sort of overwhelmed by how spiritual the character was.
Anyway. I have to focus now on the ending of the novel. And so I do a lot of sitting and staring. And yesterday, I kept getting the feeling that I should dig out those old letters from Jack Red Eagle and read over them. I hadn’t read them in 40 years.
So I finally went and dug them out of storage. And WOW. They blew me away. Not just the unbelievable similarities between what the real Jack believed and what my character believes (like, verbatim, after not having read those letters in 40 years), I was also overwhelmed by what a high opinion Jack Red Eagle had had in my mental/spiritual abilities to heal, way back then.
In fact, he had told me that he was certain I had Native American blood in me (because of certain things I was just sort of eerily familiar with), and this was a few years before I met my birth father and discovered I was indeed descended, in part, from the Black Foot Indian Nation in Montana.
I googled Jack Red Eagle yesterday, and found out he had died back in 1992. And he is buried here, in a very, very old cemetery in Nacogdoches:
And then, of course, through all of this, I kept feeling like he was communicating with me (in spirit) and once I found out he was actually dead, then I knew he was.
And then I “found” a photo of him that I didn’t know I had.
And then I found a frame that it fit into and so I framed it and put it on my bedroom wall! (It’s over by my ministerial ordination certifications.)
Anyway. Wow. Suddenly, he was back in my life and I got the profound feeling that it was HIS essence that had been telling me that the character in the novel had to stay as Jack and not be changed to Jake.
And once I saw — after reading over the original letters yesterday — that my character already had all of the real Jack’s beliefs, etc., I was kind of overjoyed about all of it.
Anyway. Long story short:
Jack Red Eagle, back in my life after 40 years!
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Okay, I gotta scoot!!!
I gotta head to town and see my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man. And he has family in town today, “winterizing” the house — and this is making my Japanese man very unhappy. He feels like they just want him to die so they can sell the house…
I’m guessing it will be an emotionally tricky day. I’m hoping to just whisk him off to Peony Bistro, and get sashimi and sake. We’ll see how that goes.
Meanwhile. Have a wonder-filled Wednesday, wherever you are in the world!!
Thanks for visting.
I love you guys. See ya!
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Breakfast-listening music!!
Yes, you guessed it!! Too fucking FUN!! (I have it on a bootleg CD, with better sound quality).
Bob Dylan’s classic, Everybody Must Get Stoned, by Tom Petty live NYC! Enjoy, gang.
If you live anywhere near Newark, Ohio and want to participate, this candlelight vigil is tonight–
If you are not familiar with this area, be prepared — it is small but loaded with restaurants, theaters, offices and it is really hard to find a place to park, even in the best of circumstances.
The Square in downtown Newark, OH
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And here’s this!
As soon as I posted to the blog yesterday, naturally Nick Cave’s Official Instagram account released the announcement about July 31, 2026!
And it is this!!
“I am thrilled beyond words to return to my beloved Brighton with The Bad Seeds to play Preston Park. It’s a homecoming! It’s going to be big, bad and beautiful. An epic show!!!”Nick Cave
[I think “big, bad, and beautiful” and “epic” are all euphemisms for pandemonium, but we shall see! — Ed.]
Nick Cave and Rowland S. Howard at school in Melbourne, 1975 — already contemplating the pandemonium in Brighton, 2026…
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And here’s this–
Keith at home at Nellcote, in the South of France, 1971 (he is about 27 years old):
And just in case you have any interest in this whatsoever —
This is the very photo that first made me fall in love with Keith Richards when I was just turning 12!! I first saw it while alone in my room, naturally!
Photo by Norman Seeff, Los Angeles 1972, Exile on Main St promo.
My room was in this house (in Columbus, OH) , and as luck would have it, the window to my room is on the upper left and now — lo! these many decades later! — totally hidden by the tree:
And here’s this, just because it sums up my whole entire life — The Beach Boys, from 1963, “In My Room” (!!):
“$1 dinar notes are out and articles are being published. Let’s see how the rest of this day plays out…. But things are moving and now IRAQ 🇮🇶 is finally taking major steps! This is an excellent start on a Monday!”
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And now we can go back to the title of this post — “A really, really, really, unusual world”.
And it refers, of course, to my room.
I decided to dust the bookshelves in my room this morning, because they haven’t been dusted since Spring, and — lo! and behold! — what did I find but these 2 textbooks that I totally forgot I had!
They were not my textbooks, but given to me by a friend back in 2020. They had been his textbooks and, since I have that Ministry Degree, he thought I would appreciate them.
And I did! And I appreciate them anew this morning!! Wow.
2 textbooks about the Reformation! The one on the left is HUGE. And that slim volume, The Western World, focuses solely on Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Saint Theresa of Avila.
I’m guessing that at this point in my life, I am simply meant to learn all I can about the Protestant Reformation without even leaving my room. Who knew?
And I have to add, yet again, that this series of lectures I’m currently taking (about the Protestant Reformation) continues to basically blow my mind every single day. And not always in a good way — considering the amount of executions, violence, etc.
And here’s this.
From yesterday.
I posted these 2 photos to my Instagram page. I posted the first one because I thought it was kind of amusing that I am once again really falling behind in my current reading. On my night table:
And then, after I came home from having lunch with my girlfriend, yet another highly anticipated book was waiting for me on my kitchen porch!!
Now on my night table…
And yesterday morning, before I even left for lunch, I ordered THIS book because a friend in France had recently read it and it sounded really great! So that, too, is on its way! (I ordered it in English translation, though.)
And sort of in a similar vein —
I also ordered one of these yesterday!!
To keep by my bed. Because it has a CASSETTE PLAYER!!!!
And honestly, gang, I have been noticing that it was so much easier for me to study Chinese and French in the old days because I used cassettes. I don’t know — the in-depth quality of the lessons was just so much better than what I have access to on my language-learning phone apps.
And since I still have ALL those various cassettes (and the accompanying textbooks), but no handy cassette player– wow! This little boombox from Jensen was so affordable! (Plus, I will be able to easily play CDs in my room, now, too!)
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So, basically, between studying and now READING all about the Protestant Reformation. And STILL studying French. And re-studying Mandarin, Chinese. And finishing my novel-in-progress, The Curse of Our Profound Disorder. And working on our play, “The Guide to being Fabulous,” readying it for Off-Broadway, along with the NEXT unbelievably awesome project with Sandra that I still can’t post about ….
I am now and forever, as I always have been for decades and decades, going to be in my room.
And with that, I want to get started on the writing for today, since I have the day off!!
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Have a terrific Tuesday, wherever you are in the world!!
Thanks for visiting!
I love you guys. See ya!
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Okay!!
Another song from my “songs I was listening to 6 years ago playlist” and yes, as it turns out, it’s another great song from my wee bonny teenage girlhood!!!!
When this song was a (smash) hit, I was going through probably the nadir of my existence. 1974 was one of the worst years of my life. And this song is so upbeat and so full of kindness and so hopeful. I just loved it. (Apparently, I loved it again when I was 59!!)
Billy Swan, “I Can Help”, 1974! Enjoy, gang!!
“I Can Help”
If you got a problem Don’t care what it is If you need a hand I can assure you this
I can help I got two strong arms I can help It would sure do me good to do you good Let me help
It’s a fact that people get lonely Ain’t nothing new But a woman like you Baby should never have the blues
Let me help I got two for me Let me help It would sure do me good to do you good Let me help
When I go to sleep at night You’re always a part of my dream Holding me tight and Telling me everything I wanna hear
Don’t forget me baby All you gotta do is call You know how I feel about ya If I can do anything at all Let me help
If your child needs a daddy I can help It would sure do me good to do you good Let me help
When I go to sleep at night You’re always a part of my dream Holding me tight and Telling me everything I wanna hear
Don’t forget me, baby All you gotta do is call You know how I feel about you If I can do anything at all Let me help
If your child needs a daddy I can help It would sure do me good to do you good Let me help
Yes!! The Agency texted me TWICE already this morning, wanting me to pick up some urgent shifts today and tomorrow — however!!
LUNCH is on my horizon for today!! With my Q-following girlfriend, as we belatedly celebrate her birthday at 3 Tigers Brewing Co in Granville! And I’m not missing that for anything.
And then, of course, tomorrow, I need the whole day to work on getting the novel ever closer to its ending. (And I still have no clue how this novel ends, gang. The pages just keep coming out of me, with me having no clue beforehand what is getting ready to hit the page.)
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Still no word from Nick Cave’s Official Instagram page about what the announcement about July 31, 2026 is going to be!
Everyone’s sort of just waiting…
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And here’s this!!
2 remarkably different looks sported by another one of my treasured heroes who is long gone now–
Lou Reed:
And here’s this, in case you never heard it before– a demo of my song, “Lou”, from 1984. (This version, recorded by me and Peitor Angell, when we were hanging around his apartment, back in the very OLD days, when he lived on Broadway in Manhattan.)
(When I then played this demo for my incredible friend Bob Cato at Columbia Records, he said, “Why on Earth are you singing like that?? What am I supposed to do with this??”)
(Although, an earlier demo, of just me and my guitar in my room on E.12th Street, was given directly to Lou by my good friend Joe Queenan.)
"Lou"
Come watch the rain Wipe out the ballgame and Strike-out the names Of players who’d gamble With needles and dreams In a game that’s as ruthless as whiskey on speed
Who’ll call the game On account of the rules being Too tough to save Any losers who’d forfeit In a halo of fear? Well, shame takes a holiday, Let’s have a beer
CHORUS: Fight, and maybe you’ll find A reason to smile At the end of the line Why don’t you fight? Maybe you’ll win And you’ll have some stories to tell For trying
Strike up a tune For those who surrendered And ducked out too soon; Vice in the shadow Was no easy crime Let’s make it a double For auld lang sine
You carve your name In seasons of anger of laughter and fame To warn of the dangers In packaging pain For lives that get tossed On account of the rain
Back in the late 1990s, I was reading a collection of letters written by Edgar Allan Poe. And in the foreword, it said that he was living on the Upper West Side in Manhattan — around W.84th and Broadway — when these specific letters were written.
I lived at W.98th and West End Avenue at the time, so I used to stroll around W.84th, trying to imagine which old brownstone he might have lived in!!
Well, who knew????
There weren’t even any apartment buildings up there back when he lived there!!
Here’s this!
I definitely would have noticed an old farmhouse in the nieghborhood, if it had still been there…
The “old” neighborhood…
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And I think that might be it for now. I’m gonna get myself ready to head to town for lunch.
BTW, it is another really gorgeous day. I am really looking forward to just hanging out and relaxing (and laughing) with my girlfriend.
Okay. Enjoy your Monday, wherever you are in the world!
Thanks for visiting.
I love you guys. See ya!
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Yes!
Another one from the playlist from 6 years ago!!
Okay, this one just astounded me, gang.
When I was in my teens, my adopted mom LOVED Neil Diamond. So we always played his records together.
I remember this song (and album) extremely well. What a great album it was. It came out when I was still living at home, age 16, in 1976.
Beautiful Noise (seriously, a great album, produced by Robbie Robertson):
When the song below came on the playlist yesterday — when I was driving to my shift — it was one of those feelings, gang. It sent a chill right through me.
I realized that this song totally captured what it was like when I moved to NYC and had, what I refer to as, “my life” there. And how it feels now to remember it all. I almost cried right there in the car. Wow.
Anyway. “If You Know What I Mean”, 1976. From Beautiful Noise. Enjoy, gang.
“If You Know What I Mean”
When the night returns just like a friend When the evening comes to set me free When the quiet hours That wait beyond the day Make peaceful sounds in me
Took a drag from my last cigarette Took a drink from a glass of old wine I closed my eyes and I could make it real And feel it one more time
Can you hear it, babe Can you hear it, babe From another time, from another place Do you remember it, babe
And the radio played like a carnival tune As we lay in our bed in the other room When we gave it away For the sake of a dream in a penny arcade If you know what I mean If you know what I mean, babe
And here’s to the songs we used to sing And here’s to the times we used to know It’s hard to hold them in our arms again But hard to let them go Do you hear it, babe Do you hear it, babe
It was another time It was another place Do you remember it, babe
And the radio played like a carnival tune As we lay in our bed in the other room When we gave it away For the sake of a dream in a penny arcade If you know what I mean If you know what I mean If you know what I mean If you know what I mean
If you know what I mean, babe If you know what I mean
I think I have an idea of the script they might be working from, an overview maybe? — they are pushing utter chaos. From all corners. And multiplied by the National Guard already in place in — what? — 19 States?
I’m not touching it. But it’s looking pretty good. IMO.
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Meanwhile.
Here’s more from the Stones in the RCA recording studio in Los Angeles in 1965 (photos by Gered Mankowitz)–
I love how (the late-great) Ian Stewart is looking right at the camera:
And just FYI, Keith was barely 22 years old in 1965!!
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Before I forget–
Ever since I upgraded to the iPhone 16e, my eyes have really been killing me. Even though the phone goes to “night” during the night, I can’t do the “night” setting all day long. It also hurts my eyes. And I have the brightness turned down as low as I reasonably can while still being able to see the screen…
I have a blue-light filter on my laptop, but I can’t find one on the iPhone 16e.
So I bought a pair of those “reader” glasses that filter out blue light and, WOW, gang! Immediately, my eyes felt so much better.
Not while looking at the phone — my eyes didn’t bother me while I was looking at the phone, it was when I was done looking at the phone and trying to live the rest of my life. My eyes were really going downhill fast.
These blue light blockers instantaneously made a difference in how everything looks when I’m done looking at the phone. I am so glad I decided to try them.
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I know, I know, I know, I know, I know.
I said I wasn’t going to keep posting photos of Nick Cave from now until January 17th, when the next tour starts…
But here’s this!
Just so beautiful. And not just the hair…
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And as for everything else…
I got a couple of loads of laundry underway here. And I also have to do some quick vacuuming.
Then it’s all about The Curse of our Profound Disorder until I have to leave for my shift with the retired Minister and his lovely wife later this afternoon!
Then 3 more days off this coming week!
Yes, I have no clue how I can afford to live on 4 shifts a week for the remainder of the month, but I guess we’re gonna find out!!
I really, really, really need to get the novel done, so that I can send it off and then focus on the upcoming projects with Sandra.
And as soon as I can tell you more about all this, I will!
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And I think that’s it.
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!!
Yes, I have now moved to the playlist of “songs I was listening to 6 years ago”. As if 5 years ago wasn’t enough of a mindfuck… (Who on Earth thought up this idea to create playlists of songs I had in heavy rotation so many years ago??)
Well, first off, it’s heavy on the Tom Petty. And Nick Cave. And Lyle Lovett.
But I leave you with this!
Another treasure from my wee bonny girlhood, that apparently I was once again re-visiting heavily when I was 59.
“Father and Son” by Cat Stevens, from his 1970 album, Tea for the Tillerman.
I really, really loved this song when I was about 12, alone in my room. I’m guessing you can readily grasp why. But it’s interesting that all these years later, when it came on the playlist while I was driving to town yesterday — I realized I can still relate, but now from the other side.
Okay. Enjoy, gang,
“Father and Son”
[Father] It’s not time to make a change Just relax, take it easy You’re still young, that’s your fault There’s so much you have to know Find a girl, settle down If you want you can marry Look at me I am old, but I’m happy I was once like you are now And I know that it’s not easy To be calm When you’ve found something going on But take your time, think a lot Why, think of everything you’ve got For you will still be here tomorrow But your dreams may not
[Son] How can I try to explain? When I do, he turns away again It’s always been the same Same old story From the moment I could talk I was ordered to listen Now there’s a way And I know that I have to go away I know, I have to go
[Father & (Son)] It’s not time to make a change (Away, away, away) Just sit down, take it slowly You’re still young, that’s your fault (I know) There’s so much you have to go through (I have to make this decision) Find a girl, settle down (Alone) If you want you can marry Look at me (No) I am old, but I’m happy
[ Son & (Father)] All the times that I’ve cried (Stay, stay, stay) Keeping all the things I knew inside It’s hard But it’s harder to ignore it (Why must you go) If they were right, I’d agree (And make this decision) But it’s them they know, not me (Alone) Now there’s a way And I know that I have to go away I know, I have to go
I am of course very aware of all that is going on out in the rest of the world. If you have followed this blog for any amount of time, you already know what side I’m on and what I am likely to believe right now.
I think it is an astounding plan and I am quietly amazed by how well it’s going. That’s all I really want to post about it, though.
Other than that, things really are quiet around here. But that’s an okay thing.
I’m heading out soon to see my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man. I am trying to get the very most out of every moment with him these days, gang, because he is definitely expressing — in no uncertain terms — that he has had a really wonderful life and he is “ready to go upstairs”. And since his recent 95th birthday, his energy is definitely changing,
His private nurse is trying hard to come up with ways to change his outlook; to re-engage him. But she thinks like a nurse, and I think like a minister. Obviously, I will feel a true emptiness whenever it is that he ends up crossing over. I have enjoyed every single moment of knowing him.
However, I feel it is my duty to him to support his flow, his journey, to simply be beside him in the moments he has left here. Not to fight against his spirit. So my concentration these days is just in being there with him and sharing in all the joy he remembers from a life that has been very well lived.
But it is intense, gang — that moment when I walk in his kitchen door now. One of these days, and obviously we don’t know when, but one of these days everything will be over.
Meanwhile…
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Here’s this.
A fun photo of Keith and Charlie, taken in the RCA recording studio in Los Angeles, in 1965. Photo by Gered Mankowitz.
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And I guess I’m not going to post a photo of Nick Cave every single day between now and January 17th, when the Bad Seeds’ tour of Australia gets underway, so we can just part with this, for now:
Nick and Conway. Doing what we all loved doing back then!
I’m guessing there will be photos on Sept. 23rd. We shall see!
Meanwhile, Autumn is really right around the corner now. Summer is done.
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I’m going to try to get a tiny bit of editing work done on The Curse of Our Profound Disorder before I head to town this morning, so I’m gonna scoot.
Enjoy your Saturday, 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 song is the ONLY song on the playlist from “songs I was listening to 5 years ago” that was actually a new song 5 years ago!
The absolutely only song! And the playlist lasts one hour.
I really loved the Ghosteen album when it came out. So much. But as time goes on, I just find that it gets sadder and sadder for me, and it is so hard to listen to.
When this song came on, it surprised me that it was on the list. And the intensity of the song was just sort of spellbinding.
Anyway. I leave you with a song that was actually a new song, 5 years ago!
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, “Waiting for You”, 2019. From Ghosteen. Enjoy, gang.
“Waiting for You”
All through the night we drove And the wind caught her hair And we parked on the beach In the cool evening air Well, sometimes it’s better not to say anything at all
Your body is an anchor Never asked to be free Just want to stay in the business Of making you happy Well, I’m just waiting for you Waiting for you Waiting for you Waiting for you Waiting for you Waiting for you
A priest runs through the chapel All the calendars are turning A Jesus freak on the street Says He is returning Well, sometimes a little bit of faith Can go a long, long way
Your soul is my anchor I never asked to be freed Well, sleep now, sleep now Take as long as you need Cause I’m just waiting for you Waiting for you Waiting for you Waiting for you Waiting for you Waiting for you To return To return To return
I’ll be seeing my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man today. And it’s our day to get sashimi and sake. And maybe stop at the Nature Preserve again on the way home, because it is such a beautiful day.
Although, sometimes we just sit in the car with the windows open and look at all the nature, because he is sometimes too tired to get out of the car and be in all the nature.
Still, there is plenty of nature to look at!
Spring Valley Nature Preserve, Granville
And then it’s also my day to run some quick errands in town on my way home, but it should still be an easy, lovely day. We shall see!!
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Phil did indeed do his live last night.
The conclusions he comes to about Charlie Kirk essentially match what Mike King said yesterday morning.
First off, Nick Cave‘s official Instagram site announced this morning that on September 15th there will be an announcement about something that will happen on July 31, 2026! Yay! What could be more exciting??
And here’s this!
The final set list of Nick Cave’s Solo Tour of Europe 2025! Practically the best encore ever!! (I don’t actually know what would be the “Best Encore Ever”, I’m just sayin’ this one is really great!)
And a few photos from the final night of the tour — in Luxembourg:
I am getting ready to be CRAZY busy. Again. And so I must take every moment I can for what’s left of September to FINISH The Curse of Our Profound Disorder, and then get it off to the publisher, poste haste– and to Wayne!! So that the novel can finally be done (first draft, at least) and I can, once again, clear my desk for some Sandra-related projects that will likely take over my life.
Yay!
We shall see, gang. I will let you in on more details as talks progress.
Meanwhile, we’re really happy over here.
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And I guess that’s it for now. I gotta scoot.
Enjoy your Friday, wherever you are in the world!
Thanks for visiting.
I love you guys. See ya!
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I leave you with this!
I’m not sure when I’m gonna stop playing that playlist from 5 years ago…
What a weird time warp it creates: “Here! Listen to some songs you loved listening to 5 years ago, that were already really old songs 5 years ago!”
And it turns out, I still love them so now I can’t quit playing them!!
Ironically, here’s this for today!!
Tom Petty, “Time to Move On”, 1994. From his wildly successful solo album, Wildflowers. Enjoy, gang.
“Time To Move On”
It’s time to move on, time to get going What lies ahead, I have no way of knowing But under my feet, baby, grass is growing It’s time to move on, it’s time to get going
Broken skyline, movin’ through the airport She’s an honest defector Conscientious objector Now her own protector
Broken skyline, which way to love land Which way to something better Which way to forgiveness Which way do I go
It’s time to move on, time to get going What lies ahead, I have no way of knowing But under my feet, baby, grass is growing It’s time to move on, it’s time to get going
Sometime later, getting the words wrong Wasting the meaning and losing the rhyme Nauseous adrenaline Like breakin’ up a dogfight Like a deer in the headlights Frozen in real time I’m losing my mind
It’s time to move on, time to get going What lies ahead, I have no way of knowing But under my feet, baby, grass is growing It’s time to move on, it’s time to get going
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