Tag Archives: Nick Cave

Another snowy morning in the Hinterlands!

Sorry I’m late!!

I did not get out of bed until 5AM today! And so I am getting a slow start here.

Before I forget–

If you want to download any of my erotic eBooks for FREE on Smashwords during their Christmas sale, I posted individual links to all 4 of those titles over on my substack page.

Here is the link to that page.

The sale continues until January 1st, 2026. All titles are for adults only. “Thank you for your attention to this matter. –DJT”

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Yes, it’s snowing again here but I don’t really care. I have to make a quick trip to the Dollar Store, but otherwise, I’m planning to stay in today and work on that 12th Street project that I’ve been putting together for about a week or so.

And other than that, I’m going to try to just sort of “re-charge.” I am once again exhausted.

But I had a great time with Johnny at Tequilaville yesterday! And it turns out we have TWO things in common!! Not only does he like to go camping, he also likes to shoot guns! And he offered to either come with me to the Buckeye Shooting range (which would require me to un-pause my membership there, but I don’t mind). Or just do target practice on his property! Yay!

But since I don’t own my own 22mm Glock, we might end up at the shooting range. I guess we shall see!

So my upcoming retirement is panning out splendidly: go camping; shoot handguns; write novels. (Oh, and I guess have a play produced Off Broadway…)

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And on a sort of humorous note… Johnny told me to be careful about retirement because I might end up with nothing to do all day… (I think I fell out of the booth over that comment).

But to be fair!! He doesn’t know me yet. We’ve only just met. I told him that I had “a lot of writing to do”.

The current tally:

  • 3 novels-in-progress (a 4th waiting to get started)
  • 2 memoirs to complete; 1 memoir trying to get started, a 4th memoir waiting to get started after the 3rd one finally gets started
  • And now this 12th Street project
  • Take “The Guide to Being fabulous” to Off Broadway
  • Potentially develop another TV project
  • Promote The Curse of Our Profound Disorder, once that gets published
Me, retired

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Okay!

I think this is so cool!! I love this novel, gang.

From Variety yesterday:

Johnny Depp Sets First English-Language Adaptation of Mikhail Bulgakov’s Classic ‘The Master and Margarita’

“Johnny Depp is set to produce and possibly star in the first-ever English-language film adaptation of Mikhail Bulgakov’s Russian literature classic The Master and Margarita.

The project, which currently does not have a director attached, is being produced by Depp’s own IN.2 Film shingle in tandem with “Jeanne du Barry” executive producer Svetlana Dali and Grace Loh….” [full article here]

And Johnny (Non-Smoke) is currently at the Red Sea Film Festival. This was taken from some footage on Instagram:

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And since Johnny doesn’t appear to be a smoker anymore…

We will let Keith (from yesteryear — he doesn’t smoke anymore, either) pick up the slack!!

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And Nick Cave seems to have taken 14 seconds off to do nothing and perhaps celebrate the holiday season…

So here’s a re-post of a photo from yesteryear, instead!

Nick Cave, on a smoke break somewhere, waiting on Christmas

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Here’s this!

From James Tabor — a podcast with Professors Helen Bond and Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones (UK). Discussing James Tabor’s new book, The Lost Mary: Rediscovering the Mother of Jesus.

A Ride on the Biblical Time Machine— All Aboard! (47 mins):

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Well, my shift yesterday, with my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man, went splendidly.

We primarily discussed WWII, Hitler, Roosevelt — oh, and why oh why, if Roosevelt was such a great guy, was he allied with Stalin??? Hmmmm….

Okay, we won’t go into all THAT right now!

And after carefully perusing the weather maps — we have decided that TOMORROW we will return to the restaurant at the golf course that has those incredible views!! AND which is now decorated for Christmas!! Yay!!

So that will happen tomorrow in very cold temperatures and light rain but no ice or snow…

(But now decorated for Christmas)

So that should be fun!! (He always gets to have ONE vodka martini when we’re at the golf course!!)

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And I think that’s it for now!!

Enjoy your Thursday, wherever you are in the world!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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I leave you with this!!

Not only is this possibly the best version of this song, EVER!

But while I’m playing it endlessly (on repeat) in the car, I picture Ronnie Spector and Keith Richards snuggled in bed together in, like, 1963 (??!!) (He wrote about her very lovingly in his autobiography LIFE.)

What a great vision that is, gang — to have rolling all over your head while you’re driving 95 mph down the empty freeway in the Hinterlands!!

Keith Richards, Ronnie Spector, Brian Jones, the other Ronettes, and Andrew Oldham, 1963

“Sleigh Ride,” The Ronettes. From the fabulous Christmas collection, “A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector”, 1963. Enjoy, gang!!

Another cold & rainy morning in the Hinterlands!

I’ll start with the sad update first.

Yesterday, the Mavericks announced that on Monday night, December 8th, Raul Malo passed away from the cancer he was battling.

There had been a huge benefit/celebration of his career in Nashville over the weekend, that Raul’s wife had posted tons of footage from all weekend, so it was kind of a shock that he died on Monday. But she did also post some footage on Instagram of his bandmates serenading him in his hospital bed over the weekend, too, and the shots of Raul looked really startling. It was very clear he was not going to make it, but how poetic that he survived through the celebratory weekend and then died the following day.

Here are some segments of what the band posted yesterday:

And here is the first Mavericks song that I absolutely fell in love with! I used to play this song over and over and over. From their 1994 album of the same name, “What A Cryin’ Shame”:

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In happier news —

Nick Cave has been nominated for a Golden Globe for his song in the Netflix Train Dreams movie!

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And —

Another photo of Johnny Smoke in Tokyo by Ross Halfin:

And I have to add, gang, that in all the TONS of photos and videos of Johnny in Tokyo lately, I never saw him with a cigarette! Not once.

If he doesn’t start smoking again soon, I’ll have to change his name…

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And also!!

A couple of great shots of Keith.

From 1975, as the Stones were preparing for their fucking AMAZING “Tour of America 75”!!

And in 1988 — no longer an addict, married to Patti:

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And here is something that is more personal.

Most of my family, on my birth dad’s side, came from Pikeville, KY.

[Part of my dad’s family in Pikeville, before he was born — my Aunt Bobbie Jean, my Uncle Earl, my Grandad, and a neighbor. Late 1930s.]

And as luck would have it!! A large portion of my new novel, The Curse of Our Profound Disorder, takes place in Pikeville, KY. Although I simply call it Pike County in the book.

Wayne and I went to Pikeville on our honeymoon, in May 1993. So he and I are both very fond of Pikeville.

Anyway. From Instagram. A random shot of Pikeville in 1974!

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Okay, so I survived another “10-hr. Tuesday” yesterday. It was nowhere near as intense as last Tuesday’s shift had been, so that was good.

Another nice thing is that, once the really long shift is over, I’m super excited when I finally get back home and unload all the groceries and put everything away!! I can finally collapse. Yay!

And now I can finally collapse with all the Christmas decorations up!! Double yay!!

And today, directly after my shift with my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man, I will indeed be meeting my new, not-95-year-old, friend Johnny at Tequilaville!! Yay!!

Oops!! No, not this Tequilaville!!

I am really looking forward to it. I don’t care at all that it’s rainy and cold out there, either.

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And now I gotta scoot!!

Enjoy your 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 is another one of those poetic things.

The Mavericks also posted that Raul died exactly 36 years after their first professional gig:

I want to take a moment to share Raul Malo’s incredible voice once again.

“O What A Thrill”. 1994. By the great Country songwriter, Jesse Winchester. Enjoy, gang. So beautiful.

"O What A Thrill"

Oh girl any moment
I may kiss your lips
Oh it's been awhile
Since I felt like this
Oh girl please don't refuse me
Oh I'm so scared you will

Oh what a thrill
Oh what a thrill
Stars in the sky
Stars stand still
Oh what a thrill

Woman words fail to me
Your skin is sweet and warm
I want to console you
And hold you in my arms
Oh once you were my baby
You're my baby still

Oh what a thrill
Oh what a thrill
Stars in the sky
Stars stand still
Oh what a thrill

Oh what a thrill...

c - 1989 Jesse Winchester

What an incredible feeling

Last evening, I was in my family room watching a movie on TV when I heard something at my front door.

My front door doesn’t open. My kitchen door is my main entrance to the house.

I got up and looked out the front door window and saw that a package had been delivered! Yay!

So I went to the kitchen and went outside, walked around to the front porch to get my package, and WOW, gang! It was the first time I’d seen the front of my house, after dark, since all the Christmas stuff had gone up inside.

It looked so pretty through the windows. I could see the Christmas tree, all lit up in the dining room, and my family room looked like somebody actually lived in there! Not just the Christmas stuff, but the TV was on, a cat was curled up on the couch, and there were all my bookshelves filled with books, and photos and art stuff on the walls.

You could see all the way into the kitchen, where there are more Christmas light, more art on the walls, little lamps lit.

And I think what made it all seem really welcoming is that I have incandescent bulbs everywhere. (Except for the Christmas lights, which are LED.) And incandescent light gives such a warm yellow glow to everything.

I have lived alone now for 10 years — this includes 3 different houses. And I’d sort of gotten the impression that I don’t have a “home” anymore. That I live in a house and I do the best I can to make it comfortable, etc.

So seeing into my own house like that last night — all the little lamps on, the TV on, Christmas in full bloom in there, etc. I realized that somehow I have managed to make this now-125-year-old house a home.

It really just felt incredible. I don’t even know how I did that.

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Oh–

This was the movie I was watching (I haven’t finished it yet). Johnny had recommended it. Oddly enough, I had never heard of it before, but I’m really enjoying it.

“Secondhand Lions” 2003.

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Alas!

If you get Sky TV (and all you loyal readers of this lofty blog know so well by now that, here in the humble US Hinterlands, I DON’T!!), you might have watched this documentary, in anticipation of the TV adaptation of Nick Cave’s novel, The Death of Bunny Munro, which launched last night!!! (Thanks to Roger Gaess for sending me these links!)

The GuardianNick Cave’s Veiled World: the starry tale of how sometimes the devil doesn’t have the best tunes

The IndependentNick Cave’s Veiled World documentary is a captivating look at the musician’s songwriting genius

Sky’s film assembles some of the Australian musician’s closest friends and collaborators for an in-depth look at the dark, mysterious worlds he conjures, and the eclectic characters dwelling in them…”

And on a similar theme–

Here’s this!

I walked into my kitchen after my shift yesterday, sat down at my kitchen table, got on Instagram, and WOW!! Fucking gorgeous!

Nick Cave, smoking. In every sense of the word.

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And also —

More from Johnny Smoke in Tokyo at Comic Con–

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And that might be it for today, gang.

I need to wash my hair, do yoga, think about life, reply to Johnny’s text about when we can get together again (before Christmas Eve!!), yay, and then head out to see the retired Minister and his lovely wife and cat!

I’m guessing we’re going to watch another Christmas movie today, so that should be easy!! (I hope! But, honestly, you never know what you’re going to find when you show up at a client’s house.)

Meanwhile, enjoy your 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!

My very early morning listening-music!!

I never get tired of it, gang. Never.

“The Ship Song.” 1990, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds from one of my favorite albums — The Good Son. Enjoy, gang!!

“The Ship Song”

Come sail your ships around me
And burn your bridges down
We make a little history, baby
Every time you come around

Come loose your dogs upon me
And let your hair hang down
You are a little mystery to me
Every time you come around

We talk about it all night long
We define our moral ground
But when I crawl into your arms
Everything comes tumbling down

Come sail your ships around me
And burn your bridges down
We make a little history, baby
Every time you come around

Your face has fallen sad now
For you know the time is nigh
When I must remove your wings
And you, you must try to fly

Come sail your ships around me
And burn your bridges down
We make a little history, baby
Every time you come around

Come loose your dogs upon me
And let your hair hang down
You are a little mystery to me
Every time you come around

c – 1990 Nick Cave

A grey but lovely Saturday in the Hinterlands!

Oddly, enough, gang, the kittens are seriously LOVING the Christmas decorations!

They love hanging out around the Christmas tree, especially. I do still have to keep them from climbing it, but besides that, they love just laying around it and they also love hanging out in the family room by a specific display, where there are a lot of Christmas lights.

It is so cute.

Plus, the house just has that great Christmas vibe now, so I am really, really grateful that I somehow managed to get the energy to do all that.

AND — my new friend Johnny will be coming over here on Christmas Eve!

So that will be perfect.

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Oh.

And we were talking on the phone last evening and he mentioned that he has cats — indoors and a couple outside — and he asked me if I had any cats…

ME: “Yes, a few. I have one outside and some inside.”

I left out that part that when you’re in my house, at any given moment, 723 cats are watching you from their many hiding places… I mean, why go there right now?? Right? Let’s just enjoy Christmas!!

“Don’t look behind the curtain!!”

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Anyway!

Here’s this!

I know that Johnny Smoke was at the Tokyo Comic Con, but I don’t know if these photos are from that event. I only know the photographer is Ross Halfin:

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And don’t forget!!!!

Out now!! Live God!!

The fantastic new live album from Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds!! From their recent Wild God Tour:

And also don’t forget! The Wild God Tour comes to Australia and New Zealand in just a matter of weeks!!! Buy tickets HERE!

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Oh, and how about this?? Holy shit!

Nonstop Dean Martin Christmas music!! Complete with a lovely burning yule log and Christmas decor!! (I don’t actually need this because my house is already nonstop Dean Martin Christmas music… well, no burning yule log, though.)

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Oh, and I have to say, yet again!! — Thank you to everyone who is buying the Kindle edition of my novel The Guitar Hero Goes Home.

This novel is 5 years old already and suddenly it is now continuously selling. Thank you so much, gang. That makes me really happy!

And from the one & only (lovely) review of the book on Amazon UK, way back in 2021:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Erotic Tour de Force

THE GUITAR HERO GOES HOME, when coupled with NEPTUNE AND SURF and FREAK PARADE, reaffirms Marilyn Jaye Lewis's standing as a preeminent writer of erotic fiction in the English language. Her depth and range, both on a literary and emotional level, is masterful. -- Roger Gaess, journalist and author of WHATEVER COMES MY WAY

Thanks again!!

And if you want to read a timely free excerpt from the novel on my substack page–

A Christmas excerpt from The Guitar Hero Goes Home, approx. 3 pages.”

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And on a similar note…

I’m still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that The Curse of Our Profound Disorder has sold, gang.

And I am very, very curious to see what kind of cover art they’re going to come up with for that book.

I’m also curious how on Earth they’re going to come up with a one-paragraph synopsis for it, too. (For the back cover.)

Most of all what’s on my mind right now is that I haven’t even taken a true moment to just sit back and celebrate it. In the old days, Wayne and I would always go out to dinner when one of my novel’s sold. Now it’s sort of just me. But I’ll think of something.

Me, in 1973, thinking of something…

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And on that note, I better scoot. I gotta head out soon to my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man’s house and get his breakfast and coffee underway!

It’s been too cold and icy to take him out for our sashimi & sake this week but next on the agenda is taking him back to the club house at the Golf Course for not just the splendid views, but for the Christmas decorations!! As soon as the ice is completely gone, we’ll do that.

Meanwhile, enjoy your Saturday, wherever you are in the world!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Okay, I don’t know what’s up with that great Oldies FM Radio Station that I keep my retro boombox tuned to, but YET AGAIN —

I was finally getting up out of bed this morning, to get another cup of coffee, get the bed made, get dressed, start the day…

I switched on the radio, and lo! & behold!

ANOTHER Tom Petty classic was just getting started! It’s just so weird how often that happens!

Anyway! His first true mega hit.

“Refugee”, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, 1979, from their breakthrough album, Damn the Torpedoes. Enjoy, gang.

“Refugee”

We got somethin’, we both know it, we don’t talk too much about it
Ain’t no real big secret, all the same, somehow we get around it
Listen, it don’t really matter to me baby
You believe what you want to believe, you see

You don’t have to live like a refugee
(Don’t have to live like a refugee)

Somewhere, somehow, somebody must have kicked you around some
Tell me why you want to lay there, revel in your abandon
Honey, it don’t make no difference to me, baby
Everybody’s had to fight to be free, you see

You don’t have to live like a refugee
(Don’t have to live like a refugee)
No baby you don’t have to live like a refugee
(Don’t have to live like a refugee)

Baby we ain’t the first
I’m sure a lot of other lovers been burned
Right now this seems real to you, but it’s
One of those things you gotta feel to be true

Somewhere, somehow, somebody must have kicked you around some
Who knows maybe you were kidnapped, tied up
Taken away and held for ransom
Honey, it don’t really matter to me, baby
Everybody’s had to fight to be free, you see

Don’t have to live like a refugee
(Don’t have to live like a refugee)
No you don’t have to live like a refugee
(Don’t have to live like a refugee)
You don’t have to live like a refugee
(Don’t have to live like a refugee)

c – 1979 Tom Petty, Mike Campbell

A fantastic Friday underway in the snowy Hinterlands!

Lots of good stuff happening here.

In case you forgot (I almost did, since the snow came and shifted my focus away from the high winds we had) — a man from a small Amish roofing company stopped by this morning to give me an estimate on that piece of my gutter that’s dangling off the side of my roof.

And they’re also going to fix a couple other (small) things that were damaged by the winds. And it is only going to cost me a couple hundred dollars for the whole thing — labor + materials. Yay!! What a relief.

Won’t require quite this many Amish men, but they do bring their own lunches…

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And this is out today!!

You can also get the digital version, at your preferred music-listening site!!

And here’s this! From the new album.

“Joy (Live God Version)” by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds:

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I thought this was extremely interesting, gang. (One of those “Hmmmm….” moments.)

From Variety just now:

Netflix to Buy Warner Bros. and HBO Max in $82.7 Billion Deal

“What’s up with that?”

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Back to Nick Cave!!

From Ross A Waterman on Instagram–

More Nick Cave in 1996!

I love the glorious tummy!!! Yay!
I love everything about this photo

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And here’s this!

Another stunning photo of Keith. I don’t know where, when, or who took the photo:

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From James Tabor. (And I believe his new course on Christianity before Paul, goes on sale Monday at Myth Vision. I’ll keep you posted.)

My Slide Show on A Quest for the Historical Mary (39 mins):

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And of course, some of the more important stuff!

I finally got the Christmas tree up, and got the house decorated yesterday. But I decided not to tempt fate too much, and I didn’t put any ornaments on the tree, only lights. I also didn’t put out most of the decorations that I usually put out — I only put out stuff that’s not too easy to bat around the house and destroy.

The kittens did indeed attempt to climb the tree many times yesterday evening, but when I came downstairs at 4:15AM this morning, absolutely everything was exactly as I’d left it when I went upstairs last night!!

So — yay!! Christmas has arrived at my house. Finally.

AND–

Wow, gang. What an incredible time I had at my breakfast yesterday with my new friend, Johnny. Truly one of the nicest men I have ever met.

I don’t want to invade his privacy here on the blog, so I can’t go into too many details here (yet — I have to wait until he says, “sure, go ahead and invade my privacy!”).

But we had breakfast & chatted for 2 hours (fantastic food at the Big Apple Cafe), and our table was directly next to an enormous black & white photo of lower Manhattan in the 1980s. (!!)

[Quite a good omen, don’t you think??]

He is considerably older than me and retired, so as soon as I retire also (right around the corner, gang), we are planning to do a bunch of fun stuff together. Locally, mostly — but also not-so-locally.

For instance, here — a road trip to West Virginia:

Greenbrier resort

Anyway. I really wish I could tell you more right now, but I just can’t. I can only say that he is really kind and sort of shy and just so nice. I will keep you posted!! (But, yes!! of course, I did go on & on about him on the phone with Valerie last night. She was alone in her house up in Haverstraw! But I told him at breakfast that I was going to do that….)

Anyway, since he is a lot older than me, his taste in music is right up my alley!! Yesterday afternoon, he sent me this!

I absolutely loved this song as a little girl, gang. It’s from the Broadway musical ,”The King & I.” But I never heard this version by Bing Crosby, until Johnny sent this to me yesterday afternoon. It just made my whole heart smile.

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Other than that, I am just feeling really happy about so many things right now. My writing, my finances, the future, and Christmas!!

I hope things are going just as well for all of you, wherever you are in the world!!

I’m gonna get ready to head to town now and see my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man. (Okay, I will say that Johnny is not 95! He’s a couple years younger than my birth dad was, which means he is from the whole Vietnam, rock & roll, surf’s up era!!)

Okay. Have a great day out there.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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I leave you with this!!

From that playlist that, thankfully, I recovered! (The playlist from when I was always driving down to see my dad before he died.)

The stunning Voces8 version of “Underneath the Stars”. 2013. Enjoy, gang!

“Underneath the Stars”

Underneath the stars I’ll meet you
Underneath the stars I’ll greet you
And there beneath the stars I’ll leave you
Before you go of your own free will

Go gently

Underneath the stars you met me
Underneath the stars you left me
I wonder if the stars regret me
At least you’ll go of your own free will

Go gently

Here beneath the stars I’m landing
I’m here beneath the stars not ending
Why on earth am I pretending?
I’m here again, the stars befriending
They come and go of their own free will

Go gently
Go gently

Underneath the stars you met me
And underneath the stars you left me
I wonder if the stars regret me
I’m sure they’d like me if they only met me
They come and go of their own free will

Go gently
Go gently
Go gently

c – 2003 Kate Rusby

Yes! At long last!

Today is the day!

I finally get to see Wendy and Kara again, and have lunch at Snapshots with them, again.

We text one another all the time, but the last time I actually saw either of them, I was wearing a brand new flowered sundress, had my first pedicure of the summer, and was wearing long dangling hippy-chick earrings…

Today, I’ll be wearing a parka, black jeans, a red Christmas sweater and little gold and pearl earrings in the shape of little snowmen…

Ridiculous how long it’s been. But I am definitely in the Christmas spirit now, and I can’t wait to give each of them their Christmas presents!!

And driving back into my neighborhood from my shift last night, it was of course dark so I was able to see all of my neighbors’ Christmas light displays and it really got me in the mood to get my house decorated….

I’m still aiming for Thursday to be the day. We shall see!

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Here’s this!!

It’s a screenshot from some great footage of Keith onstage with the Stones. This screenshot doesn’t do it justice, but here it is anyway!!

And this is the song they were playing!!!! (I fucking never get tired of this song, gang — Lo! these 50 years later…) “It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll (But I Like It)”

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And here’s this!

Another great one from Phyllis Stein’s Instagram page. The NY Dolls in NYC in 1971. I have never seen a photo of David Johansen with his hair this long before!!

Photo is by Lee Black Childers:

And speaking of David Johansen…

Last evening, during my shift with the retired Minister and his lovely wife and cat, we watched the movie “Scrooged” from 1988. Starring Bill Murray and a ton of other folks, and shot in that era of NYC that I really loved (the 80s).

AND, David Johansen plays the Ghost of Christmas Past — a totally insane NYC taxi driver. I absolutely love him in that role. It was so much fun to watch it again (and, well, get paid to sit there and watch it, to be brutally honest!) A 2-minute clip:

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And if you’re going to be attending the Wild God Tour of Australia & New Zealand next month, the Nick Cave official site released this news yesterday about adding a supporting act — Aldous Harding:

You can buy tickets HERE.

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Other than that, I’m in the middle of doing laundry right now. And then I get to make an exciting phone call to my insurance agent about that loose gutter that’s dangling down from the edge of the roof because of those crazy high winds we’ve had. I’m hoping he can recommend someone local and affordable to come fix it ASAP, before it totally blows off and sails away…

Oh! But some good news — it is not supposed to snow today after all. It is really cold, but sunny!! And NOT windy for a change!! Yay!!

And since Snapshots isn’t too far from where I do all my grocery shopping, I’ve decided to run errands after our lunch today and that way, after my 10-hr shift tomorrow, I can just come straight home. Yay!!

So it’s looking like this could be a really nice day, all the way around.

I guess that’s it for now, gang.

I want to get those presents wrapped, then finish up the laundry. And try to do yoga before I head to town. And maybe even — I don’t know — try to get some writing done before this day is over?? We’ll find out.

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Enjoy your Monday, wherever you are in the world!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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I leave you with this!

Yesterday I practically had a heart attack. I got into the car to drive to my shift and discovered that the playlist I play almost all the time, had suddenly disappeared from my phone.

This was the playlist I began building when I first started to go visit my dad when he was dying. It was a 3-hr trip each way, so my playlist was long. And it isn’t that I can’t find all those old songs again, but what a colossal amount of work!! And those memories of seeing my dad before he died would kind of disappear… I was so heartbroken.

Anyway, miraculously, it was back on my phone when I double-checked it this morning!!

So while I was lying there, back in bed after breakfast, doing that thing I do, with a cup of coffee near at hand (that thing I do is mostly convincing myself to get out of bed again and start the day…), I listened to some of the songs on the playlist and got sort of wistful, but while also feeling oddly complete about my life.

So I share one of those songs here! I’ve known this song for over 50 years, but now it always makes me think really, really fondly of my dad.

CSN&Y, “Teach your Children”. 1970. Enjoy, gang.

“Teach Your Children”

You, who are on the road
Must have a code
That you can live by
And so become yourself
Because the past is just a goodbye

Teach your children well
Their father’s hell
Did slowly go by
And feed them on your dreams
The one they pick’s
The one you’ll know by

Don’t you ever ask them, “Why?”
If they told you, you would cry
So, just look at them and sigh
And know they love you

And you of tender years (Can you hear and do you care)
Can’t know the fears (And can you see)
That your elders grew by (We must be free)
And so please help (To teach your children)
Them with your youth (What you believe in)
They seek the truth (Make a world)
Before they can die (That we can live in)

Teach your parents well
Their children’s hell
Will slowly go by
And feed them on your dreams
The one they pick’s
The one you’ll know by

Don’t you ever ask them, “Why?”
If they told you, you would cry
So, just look at them and sigh
And know they love you

c – 1970 Graham Nash

Why not have some more WEATHER??

Jesus, gang.

Another dreary cold day with HIGH winds — and a little sleet!! Who the heck is in charge of the weather these days?

Whoever you are, could you quit with the high winds already??? It’s been something, like, 5 days in a row now. (“Thank you for your attention to this matter.” DJT)

If I didn’t have to go back to town later today and then drive home after dark tonight, I wouldn’t mind so much.

And I don’t really care that much that it’s supposed to snow tomorrow, when I’ll be out having an early Christmas lunch with Wendy and Kara. It’s those high winds I can’t handle.

Anyway.

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Okay.

Sad news yesterday.

The playwright, Tom Stoppard, passed away at age 88.

He wrote one of my favorite plays of all time —  “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead” (1966). From my POV as a writer, I thought he achieved something completely spectacular with that play. It’s really funny but it also totally fucks with your head — especially if you are reasonably familiar with “Hamlet”.

“The play expands upon the exploits of two minor characters from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the courtiers Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and the main setting is Denmark…”

RIP Tom Stoppard

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And today marks another sad occasion.

The magnificent Shane MacGowan has been gone TWO YEARS now, as of today. I can’t fucking believe it, gang.

From The Pogues’ Instagram page this morning:

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Well, as long as we’re at it–

From Phyllis Stein’s Instagram page — another great photo of Willy (Mink) DeVille, from 2000.

I had no idea he ever had a horse farm in Mississippi!

Here’s another song of his that I used to love listening to on my Sony Walkman while walking alone around NYC at night in the early 80s! “Just to Walk that Little Girl Home”, 1979.

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And here’s this —

Another gorgeous photo of a Native American. I have no idea from which tribal nation, or when the photo was taken–

(Oh, and, NO, I have not heard anything more yet from Wayne on the manuscript for The Curse of Our Profound Disorder. Nothing since his comments about Jack Kicking Eagle. I’m not tapping my toe and glancing at my watch or anything, because I know he’s busy…. but come on!!!!) (And the publisher has at least been in touch but she hasn’t finished reading it yet, either…)

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Okay– back to Instagram…

And a veritable bonanza of Nick Cave photos on Instagram this morning!!

Mostly from photographer Ross A Waterman:

And Nick in furry ears!!

And Nick in Berlin, in 1987. I don’t know who photographed it:

I could look at this photo all day. Unfortunately, I have to do a bunch of other stuff…

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And an update on how Christmas is progressing here in Crazeysburg!

This morning, I put the Christmas flannel sheets on my bed!!

Jesus, gang. I just can’t emphasize enough how overwhelmed I feel about the potential of getting all the Christmas stuff out with all these frisky young cats in the house now.

But, on Thursday, I am having breakfast with a friend here (oddly enough, NOT in Granville, but only about 2 seconds away from Granville…):

Don’t let this empty parking lot fool you. There is usually not a single solitary place to park!!

And then I think I will spend the rest of Thursday getting the Christmas stuff out.

I’m at least trying to psyche myself up for that outcome, anyway. We shall see!

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Other than that, I have 28 more caregiving shifts until 2026!

(I don’t think I’m going to do a daily countdown, but I guess you never know.)

Meanwhile, I have to go wash my hair now, then do some yoga, then feed my lovely self and then head on out in the sleet and cold and wind… to go look after the retired Minister and his lovely wife and cat.

Enjoy your 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.

The classic “A Rainy Night in Soho” by The Pogues, 1986. As always, just beautiful. Enjoy, gang.

“A Rainy Night In Soho”

I’ve been loving you a long time
Down all the years, down all the days
And I’ve cried for all your troubles
Smiled at your funny little ways

We watched our friends grow up together
And we saw them as they fell
Some of them fell into Heaven
Some of them fell into Hell

I took shelter from a shower
And I stepped into your arms
On a rainy night in Soho
The wind was whistling all its charms

I sang you all my sorrows
You told me all your joys
Whatever happened to that old song?
To all those little girls and boys

Sometimes I wake up in the morning
The ginger lady by my bed
Covered in a cloak of silence
I hear you talking in my head

I’m not singing for the future
I’m not dreaming of the past
I’m not talking of the first time
I never think about the last

Now this song is nearly over
We may never find out what it means
Still there’s a light I hold before me
And you’re the measure of my dreams, the measure of my dreams

Sometimes I wake up in the morning
The ginger lady by my bed
Covered in a cloak of silence
I hear you talking in my head

I’m not singing for the future
I’m not dreaming of the past
I’m not talking of the first time
I never think about the last

Now this song is nearly over
We may never find out what it means
Still there’s a light I hold before me
And you’re the measure of my dreams, the measure of my dreams

c – 1986 Shane MacGowan

Me, again!!

I know you’re probably really tired of hearing me tell you how tired I am, but I am so fucking tired today, gang. Jesus.

Now it’s like I can’t even handle 3 shifts in a row. And I can’t.

I can barely handle one shift in a row…

Because now that I’ve finally decided that I want to fully retire in January — well, now I want to retire today. And so every shift, that’s all I think about: I want to retire today.

Anyway. Onward.

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Okay!

I have today off!!

And the only thing I really need to do today is go to the Dollar Store and buy some cat food.

Other than that, I am going to stay home and just putter around. Vacuum, probably. The laundry is already half done. And that’s it, as far as chores. The rest of the day is wide open for whatever I want to do.

Write, probably.

Or, more succinctly: Figure out what I want to write. Probably.

I’m also trying to get myself psyched up for Thursday.

Thursday is of course Thanksgiving. I don’t have to work, but I’m not celebrating Thanksgiving since there’s no one nearby to celebrate it with. So I’ve decided to take the whole day and get all the Christmas stuff up.

Normally, I like doing that but last year the foster cats wreaked havoc on the Christmas tree. And this year, I now have kittens to add to the mix. They are almost 8 months old already but they are still frisky and curious as hell about everything new that pops onto their domain.

So I’m worried that they’re going to actually break stuff that I’m really fond of. But I don’t want to not decorate…

So we shall see.

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Other than that —

Here’s this!

I believe the “A Bunch of Stuff” exhibit has opened now in Tokyo — or, at least it is getting ready to open. I’m not sure which.

From Johnny Smoke’s Instagram page:

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And here’s this–

Jimmy Cliff has passed away, gang. He died today in Jamaica, at age 81.

From RollingStonesBrasil on Instagram — Keith, with Ronnie Wood and Jimmy Cliff:

And here’s this — Keith, Ronnie and Charlie Watts, in LA in 1978. Their version of Jimmy Cliff’s “The Harder They Come”.

And here’s this again. Probably my favorite Jimmy Cliff song! “Vietnam”. 1969.

RIP Jimmy.

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Here’s this!

It was in my phone stash. I found it yesterday while trying to find a photo of something else!!

Nick Cave, July 2022. Smiling!!

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And here’s this!

Also from Instagram. I thought it was so funny. I texted it to Wayne…

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And I think that is it!!

I’m gonna finish the laundry. Vacuum. Collapse — again. And then figure out what I’m gonna do today.

Enjoy your Monday, wherever you are in the world!!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

*********

I leave you with this!

As I was trying to force myself to get back out of bed this morning and start the laundry, get another cup of coffee, get out of my nightgown and put on some actual clothes, etc. I switched on the oldies FM radio station on my retro boombox next to my bed, and one of my all-time favorite Tom Petty – Stevie Nicks songs was just starting!

I took it as an auspicious sign to get this day started, too.

“Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around”. 1981. Enjoy, gang.

“Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around”

Baby, you come knocking on my front door
Same old line you used to use before
I said yeah, well, what am I supposed to do
I didn’t know what I was getting into

So you’ve had a little trouble in town
Now you’re keeping some demons down
Stop draggin’ my
Stop draggin’ my
Stop draggin’ my heart around

It’s hard to think about what you’ve wanted
It’s hard to think about what you’ve lost
This doesn’t have to be the big get even
This doesn’t have to be anything at all

(I know you really want to tell me good-bye)
(I know you really want to be your own girl)

Baby, you could never look me in the eye
Yeah, you buckle with the weight of the words
Stop draggin’ my
Stop draggin’ my
Stop draggin’ my heart around

There’s people running ’round loose in the world
Ain’t got nothin’ better to do
Make a meal of some bright-eyed kid
You need someone looking after you

(I know you really want to tell me goodbye)
(I know you really want to be your own girl)

Baby, you could never look me in the eye
Yeah, you buckle with the weight of the words
Stop draggin’ my
Stop draggin’ my
Stop draggin’ my heart around

Stop draggin’ my heart around
Stop draggin’ my heart around
Stop draggin’ my heart around
Stop draggin’ my heart around

c-1981 Tom Petty, Mike Campbell

“She’s always taking such lovely drives…”

Well, strike 2, I guess.

In much the same way that I recently took a lovely drive to go to a mall and see a movie — and then turned around and came home…

I went to that new church this morning — and, wow, another really lovely drive along backroads. It is a really gorgeous fall morning here. But when I got to the (tiny) church, the parking lot was completely full, along with every single parking spot on the street for several blocks!

And it looked like it was going to be standing room only inside that tiny church.

So I turned around and came home.

I’m guessing it’s because it’s that “New Friends Celebration” service, and they are also honoring local first responders today, too. So I guess every one came from far & wide.

I was disappointed, but I tried to focus, once again, on how beautiful the drive was. And it was only 10 minutes, each way.

***********

Okay.

Here’s this!

Keith with a puppy! (From that long ago era when men wore scarves instead of ties around their necks. And it looks like that could be Charlie behind Keith, with the cigarette.)

And Keith with sunglasses — and a cigarette!

***********

And Cave Things sent out a reminder that the Black Friday sale is still going on! Until December 5th, 5PM GMT.

Up to 70% off!! On items including, but not limited to, GOD PENCILS!!

$7.00 + shipping, They’re not just for Sundays anymore!!

Nick Cave’s God Pencils

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Okay, well. I guess I’ll do some yoga now, since I now have plenty of time before my shift.

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

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

***********

I leave you with this!! Again!

You know, I really was disappointed in turning around this morning and just going back home. And I was also disappointed because I could tell that it wasn’t going to be a church I was going to feel comfortable in.

This is the kind of church I feel comfortable in — my old church back in downtown Columbus, where I was baptized:

United Church of Christ, East Broad Street

I loved this church and the minister there was fantastic! But he has since retired and the church is an hour away from where I live now.

Anyway. I was disappointed this morning. But as soon as the GPS guy in my car stopped talking, THIS SONG came on my playlist!!

I can’t tell you what this song does to me, gang. It just calms my soul right now. So that helped.

“Lime Tree Arbor”, 1997. From Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds’ The Boatman’s Call. Enjoy, gang.

Okay, well. Good morning!!

I have to say, gang, that I have tried many times to get that virtual Nick Cave art exhibit to work, but I can only make it through the opening images and then I can’t go down the long hallway.

It is so frustrating to not have the kind of skills I need to do this thing!! But I will keep trying…

(If anyone has any helpful advice, please leave me a comment! “Thank you for your attention to this matter. – DJT”)

Meanwhile…

Before I forget, beginning December 8th, all my eBooks on Smashwords will be free to download again in their Annual Holiday Sale. Warning: These are erotic titles and intended for adults only.

There are 4 titles there: Freak Parade, and The Muse Revisited Vols. I, II, & III. All of them are pretty old, but they still seem to fly off the shelves during the free download sale. So I thank you in advance! And I will remind you again as the date gets closer.

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And as a reminder — on LULU, I have a total of 12 titles. These are, for the most part, my newest books and eBooks.

You must scroll down and select “Show Explicit Content” to see these titles. All of them, except for Twilight of the Immortal, are absolutely for adults only.

(Although, all over the Internet, it says that Freak Parade is suitable for ages 7 and up — on what planet it’s suitable for a 7-year-old, I absolutely don’t know…)

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Okay!

I forgot to post this yesterday! So I post it now, along with a new one.

Keith, of course!!

From Stonesdata, Keith in 1972:

And this — during recording sessinos (sometimes called “sessions”) for Beggars Banquet, 1968. What a great album:

And here’s this, from Beggars Banquet:

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I started watching this film on the Wonder Project channel last night. It’s an old one — from 1997. But I am really loving it:

You can also watch it on Tubi, Netflix, etc.

Soul Food”:

“The story centers on the trials of an extended Black American family, held together by longstanding family traditions which begin to fade as serious problems take center stage.”

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I also started watching Season 2 of “Man on the Inside” (Netflix) last night. I laughed out loud a couple of times, which is saying a lot for me, since with most new TV shows, I just don’t appreciate the writing styles at all anymore.

But this show is targeting an older audience, so a lot of the things they get right:

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Okay, so today, I will be with my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man and we will be going out for sashimi and sake! (And fortune cookies!)

We haven’t been there in about 2 weeks. They will wonder what happened to us!!

I will try to make the most of each of my shifts with him, because I really think I am going to simply retire from everything when the New Year comes around, gang. Even though the Agency knows I only want to work 25 hrs a week right now, they have texted me no less than 4 times in the last 24 hours, asking me if it is at all possible for me to pick up an extra shift…

I can see me “retiring” except for the 3 shifts with my Japanese man, and the texts from the Agency probably would just continue…

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

Well, I think that’s gonna be it for today. I gotta get moving here and head to town.

Enjoy your Friday, wherever you are in the world!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys See ya!

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

I have my retro boombox tuned to an Oldies FM radio station, and when I turned it on this morning, they were playing songs that were on the Top 100 in November 1975. (Yes, a mere 50 years ago…)

Not only did I know every word to every song they played (even the dreaded disco songs!), but in November 1975, I was still stuck in the mental hospital. So all the songs I heard this morning took me right back there.

Not the most joyful time in my life. But I did have a radio by my bed in there and I listened to it every night.

I leave you with this. This was playing while I made my bed this morning, and I knew every single solitary fucking word to it, even though I hadn’t heard the song in ages.

The Eagles. “Lyin’ Eyes”, 1975. From their massively popular album, One of These Nights. Enjoy, gang. (And let’s just be grateful that time passes.)

“Lyin’ Eyes”

City girls just seem to find out early
How to open doors with just a smile
A rich old man and she won’t have to worry
She’ll dress up all in lace and go in style

Late at night a big old house gets lonely
I guess every form of refuge has its price
And it breaks her heart to think her love is only
Given to a man with hands as cold as ice

So she tells him she must go out for the evening
To comfort an old friend who’s feelin’ down
But he knows where she’s goin’ as she’s leavin’
She is headed for the cheatin’ side of town

You can’t hide your lyin’ eyes
And your smile is a thin disguise
I thought by now you’d realize
There ain’t no way to hide your lying eyes

On the other side of town a boy is waiting
With fiery eyes and dreams no one could steal
She drives on through the night anticipating
‘Cause he makes her feel the way she used to feel

She rushes to his arms, they fall together
She whispers that it’s only for awhile
She swears that soon she’ll be comin’ back forever
She pulls away and leaves him with a smile

You can’t hide your lyin’ eyes
And your smile is a thin disguise
I thought by now you’d realize
There ain’t no way to hide your lyin’ eyes

She gets up and pours herself a strong one
And stares out at the stars up in the sky
Another night, it’s gonna be a long one
She draws the shade and hangs her head to cry

She wonders how it ever got this crazy
She thinks about a boy she knew in school
Did she get tired or did she just get lazy?
She’s so far gone she feels just like a fool

My, oh my, you sure know how to arrange things
You set it up so well, so carefully
Ain’t it funny how your new life didn’t change things
You’re still the same old girl you used to be

You can’t hide your lying eyes
And your smile is a thin disguise
I thought by now you’d realize
There ain’t no way to hide your lyin’ eyes
There ain’t no way to hide your lyin’ eyes
Honey, you can’t hide your lyin’ eyes

c- 1975 – Glenn Lewis Frey, Donald Hugh Henley