Been a little occupied lately. Hanging again with a morning visit at the beach house yesterday – which ended up being most of the day although that wasn’t the plan but time flew and it was so nice and cool by the water. Then last night I pretty much just sat by the firepit, ate dinner, and acted like a tired potato. Today I visited Earth-1 and helped take the cat to the vet and ended up hanging out all afternoon.
Those that know me best, know that I come from a one parent home, but that’s not exactly true. It is true that the man that was my biological father was absent for much of my life, but that’s not to say that I did not have a father growing up. That role would fall to my grandfather (on my mom’s side – sadly I never got to know my grandparents on my father’s side although I’ve heard they were wonderful people). He helped shape me to become the man that I am today.
I remember the little things he’d do for us growing up, food shopping, always getting a little goody or two for me to snack on during the week, he’d always get the no name stuff, working so hard all your life makes you come to respect that money doesn’t come easily. Listening to ’80s Celtics games and baseball on the radio, him explaining to me things I’d ask about or did not understand. When I was little I guess I had a knack of bumping my head on the corners of the kitchen table, which were sharp right angles. He sanded them down to rounded edges so I wouldn’t hurt myself on them anymore. The times weren’t always fun and games though – if I needed discipline , he’d give it as well. There would be Friday nights when he’d take me down to the mall and we’d get a pizza – the old Papa Gino’s that existed in the Assembly Square Mall way back when. That’s what grandpa’s do.
He helped me with financial aid and times when I needed rides. I can still remember the time he tried to beat the E line subway train on Huntington Avenue by Ruggles by gunning his K-Car across the subway tracks and scared me half to death. He had a daredevil way about him. Looking back know I laugh at it. I miss that. In many ways he helped get me going and starting out on my own. He never helped me with any homework (he had to drop out of school by 6th grade to work and help out his family – that’s what you did back then), but he taught me a lot of other things. And although he never openly showed us love, I knew in my heart of hearts that he did.
One of the saddest days of my life is when I saw him die. He had been suffering from congestive heart failure for a few years toward the end. He probably could have prolonged his life further I bet by not being so stubborn and doing what the doctor told him, but that wasn’t his way. I caught him a few times sneaking a cigarette by the side of the house, he had been a smoker since he was a teenager. Of course back then , he told me he took it up because my grandma at the time had considered it “manly”. My, how the times have changed. His face always lit up when I visited him in the hospital when he saw me, even covered up by all those tubes and oxygen masks.
I can remember telling him “Thank You for everything!” as he looked at me with my tears streaming from my eyes, myself being unable or even unwilling to try to stop them. I can remember him looking up to the ceiling after that, all loaded up with morphine to ease his pain, and it looked like he was seeing something, and then he tensed up, and let out a sigh, kind of, and that was it. He was gone. I think he didn’t really want to go, but he held on just long enough to see that we’d be alright and able to fly on our own now.
Even to this day, I can sense him watching over me, especially in the times when I feel I need him there, by my side, in spirit. That’s what grandpa’s do. That’s what father’s do.
So now today I am who I am thanks to his guiding hand. And I like to think he watches on me from above in all that I’ve accomplished and have yet to.
Job well done, “Dad”.
The story behind the photo: This was taken a few years ago at the Grist Mill in Plymouth. Just happened to be walking by and I saw this girl there with long blonde hair looking into the water. Kinda made me thing of some damsel or Rapunzel letting down her hair or some such fairy tale setting. So I did a quick snap and there it was. I personally think it’s kind of a cool photo.
Spent yesterday afternoon down at the friends beach house. It was nice and cool down there, whereas everywhere else was super hot. Of course, the sun was still hot though – so I appear to have obtained a farmer’s tan on my arms and legs, but that’s what summer’s all about, right? It was so peaceful there, I started nodding off with the sea breeze blowing about me and after gorging on pizzas for lunch. Plan on going back there Monday morning for some coffee!
Next read is Bread Bags and Bullies: Surviving the ’80s. Something a little light-hearted.
Tonight we’re having some pals over for a socially distant get together out on the patio, enjoying some take out and celebrate a birthday with some games. I’m hooking up some dragonfly lights to go around the outside deck for some night time illumination. I also noticed while watering last night that the hydrangeas are starting to bud and bloom – we mostly have a soft blue and white colored form. Looks the hibiscus we have though is gone so I want to go get another one to replace that.
The get-together was a lot of fun. S’mores over the fire pit, fun games – social interaction is pretty important.
How are things going?
I spent part of the afternoon watching the feeder. I noticed a male and female set of house finches enjoying lunch (the male a brilliant red, the female a drab gray), along with a titmouse, some sparrows and a male and female cardinal. I watched a couple of Blue Jays go screaming by, and a male grackle feed two big worms into the mouth of an adult female grackle.
Off to the dentist! Wish me luck – I’ll describe it when I get back.
I’m back. No big deal – in case you were wondering what the process was, I went in, they took my temperature, I had to fill in some form on a computer, there’s air filtration devices in every room and of course they wear the required PPE and have sanitizer. Other than that it’s the same as always. Painless.
I signed up a few days ago to attend a Zoom meeting about backyard birds. It was really good actually. I had already known most of the stuff but I did learn a couple of new things. It’s made me want to get back into birding. We’ve intentionally planted things that attract birds, bees, and butterflies but I think I might want to build a nest box for some species that may want to visit. Then spent the night binge watching old episodes (Season 1 and 2) of Grey’s Anatomy – what’s happened to me?
Did a bunch of lawn maintenance today – trying out the new mower. I’m very pleased with it! Spent a bit of the evening watching the firepit. As we were just hanging, a rather large skunk started toward us in the lawn. Thankfully it kept moving on to the other side and out, just passing by.
“Wildflowers aren’t meant to be cut & tamed. They’re meant to be loved & admired.”
I read and finished another book yesterday afternoon, My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite. Not the kind of read I usually do but this one was pretty good.
More plants and flowers are starting to bloom. I’ve noticed that the dahia tubers we planted weeks ago are now starting to bud (really interested to see what these’ll look like as I think they are specialized species – Black Satin and Diva), and the rose campions out front are also starting to flower now. The salvia and speedwells have also starting showing their wonderful blue and purple colors and are attracting butterflies just like we planned. Even the zucchini and eggplants are staring to fruit! One other thing I’ve been doing is photographing plants that I don’t know on my phone and using Google Lens to identify them – I’ve discovered cats-ear in the lawn (the false dandelion) and some other species to educate myself. Some things that I thought were weeds actually are not and vice versa! (although some of them could be considered like weeds as they grow in lawns, etc). Yesterday we watched 4 bunnies run around and play with each other and later one was taking down clover flowers like no tomorrow. It bit the stems and then it moves into his/her mouth like spaghetti until the last part to be chewed is the flower. Really cute to watch – just as long as it keeps it’s appetite to the lawn is all we ask. Speaking of lawns, was able to get a brand new Toro gas lawn mower that a neighbor wanted to get rid of for a good price – so that worked out swimmingly! I really needed a self-propelled one which this one is so cutting the lawn now should be easier for me.
Been watching current events – Sharing anything in this digital space that isn’t directly related to the changes happening feels inappropriate in some ways.
Thanks NECN for the plug! If you have any comments on this photo, please feel free to share them with me!
Currently Reading: On Lighthouses by Jazmina Barrera. Tonight’s movie watch was Doubt with Meryl Streep. The movie itself was a little strange but has some really good acting. Started off kinda slow but once it got moving I liked it.
Today’s task is to assemble a Sideboard table with storage. More later on the progress and whatever the rest of today brings…
I bit the bullet and went to the barbershop this morning. My hair was getting to be a bit too much even for me. The process itself is pretty painless. They had a signup sheet out front where you give your name and number (to call you when you can come in and probably for contact tracing should the need occur). I didn’t have to wait though since I intentionally went early and it wasn’t busy. You have to wear a mask of course as do the barbers. There can only be so many people in the shop at any one time and every other chair remains empty to provide for the proper spacing. You can only get a cut, no shaves. I was in and out in under 20 minutes. I needed it bad – feel much better now with the short haircut. For the record, I always get a real basic cut – the “all-around No, 2”, as I like to call it.
The story behind the photo: Took a ride down to the southern shores as sunset was nearing because I was itching to get some new material, and we had an invite to the area. As the sun was setting I found this patch among the shells and beach roses of these little vibrant yellow flowers that I had never seen before, anywhere. I don’t know what they are (come to find out, they are some kind of poppy) but I thought the foreground of them along with the setting sun might make a nice photo. I’m rather pleased with the way it turned out.
Last night’s movie watch was the Grease Sing-along, along with some recorded 20/20 and Dateline. Everyone around the neighborhood has been busy working on their homes, ourselves included, whether it be gardening as in our case, or more substantial improvements, by the neighbors. Finally finished reading The Power Broker, the story of Robert Moses of New York. (Here’s a great review by someone on Goodreads that’ll give you an idea of the scope of the thing). How could I have not ever heard of this guy before with all he had been involved in in NYC? It took me seeing Motherless Brooklyn with a character based on him played by Alec Baldwin to bring him to my attention. (I want to re watch the movie now knowing what I know after reading this tome of a book – over 1000 pages and winner of a Pulitzer Prize!)
Grilled some scallops and zucchinis on the grill tonight – delish! – while watching the fire pit burn the log away – very relaxing I must say.
I woke up this morning and discovered this little guy causing a little ruckus up on the deck where it doesn’t belong. Don’t worry – I only photographed him and then he scurried out of their on his own. He did appear to take down one of the Borages we had planted in there though. After that I decided to watch a movie I had recorded last night titled Alita: Battle Angel. This effects were good but the story didn’t make that much sense. They all seem to want to get to this city in the sky but they never explain why. I guess it’s based on a manga which probably has more story and it’s set up for sequels but they’ll probably never get made. Kinda cool how they made her eyes like all anime.
Went down to Home Depot in the afternoon to get some more dirt, firewood, and some pots. The dirt was for another raised bed where we plan to transplant the squash and pumpkin seedlings which are starting to outgrow their little containers.
Tonight’s movie watch was the 1st two episodes of Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story. It’s actually pretty good.
Put together a desk and office chair today – that kept me busy for a little while. My windshield got replaced the other day – looks good. Got a dentist appointment coming up in a couple of weeks – I asked and they have a bunch of procedures in place including temperature checks and contract tracing so that should be interesting. Tonight’s movie watch was Winter’s Bone starring Jennifer Lawrence – not a bad movie but not the most uplifting movie for sure.
The story behind the photo: This is from last summer in a little town known as Spring Lake that rests along the Jersey Shore. It’s a nice little burg of which you can read all about here but anyways as we arrived for a stay this monster storm was coming in, Thankfully it ended up mostly going out to sea but we were able to get this amazing picture of the clouds rolling in.
Well, the windshield repair guy came out this am to fix the windshield. It’s a lot better then it was but there’s still a little crack, the original hit was pretty bad. I suppose I could just go for a new windshield but I don’t know if it’s really worth it. I can live with the little mark the way it is.
Actually I changed my mind, I set up an appointment for them to come back on Monday and just replace the whole windshield.
Today a good part of the day I spent manicuring the front and back lawns with mowing and edging. Took a good part of the afternoon – the warm of the day didn’t bother me – it actually wasn’t all that bad. Also some folks are starting to get some of their photographic items and they sound very pleased with the result, so that makes me pretty happy. Please get the word out!
Bout time they arrested that cop in MN. Ridiculous it took so long, but I suppose that’s part of the systematic problem.
Kinda bummed that on a drive home a rock hit my windshield on the highway and left a nice chip with small cracks coming out of it. Guess I’m going to have to have that looked at. Balls!
I am pleased with the garden results thus far. The Butterfly Bush out front is growing kind of wild though, so I’d like to rein that in a little bit. My purple rosebush is starting to bud, which is nice which sits right next to the butterfly bush. The two sets of columbines are in bloom, one the usual baby blue and white, and also a purple variety which looks really nice. I noticed the clematis has purple and a red which I never saw before. The azaleas out back are in bloom, but the lilacs are starting to fade a little bit. The Fuchsia is in bloom along with the dianthus, dahlias and creeping buttercups. Speaking of dahlias, one of the strange varieties that we planted may be starting to break through the topsoil. Same thing with the butternut squash seedlings. Not sure why some of the lettuce is already flowering and possibly going to seed. Seems a bit too early. There’s a lot more other plants too but I’ll describe their status better as they come closer to fruition.
Too often life is merely a squalid succession of days; whereas in fact it can be a great, living adventure.
Nothing Earth-shattering to report at the moment. I did venture out to local grocery mart this morning, it wasn’t very busy and they have their act together. Wow, I’m pretty boring. I probably should be using the time a bit more constructively, and I will, but at this moment I’m just gliding through the day. I have been devoting some of the spare time to the gardening. I’m pleased to say that all seem to being well, and I think the butternut squashes my be starting to bud. I need to another survey, maybe later in the week, and share their statuses for posterity. The thing with as many plants as we are currently cultivating – it actually takes some time to water them all!
The story behind the photo: This was taken while driving around Newport, RI, just in an exploratory type of drive around – something we used to do quite a bit on the weekends. Anyways, although I don’t remember the exact location I do know it was along a tiny strip of road with a waterway on either side. We decided to pull over and I took the shot. I took notice of the water in the puddle which I thought would look cool, along with the sailboat and further away, the mansion on the hill. Side note: just around the rock in the front to the right was a little cove where I discovered a scrawny white egret searching for food. I took photos of him too. There was also a man in waders clamming around the water – I cropped him out of this shot but do have some of him doing this which I may share at a later date.
Not going to be the typical Memorial Day. Still sailing into the unofficial start of summer ⛵️. Possibly more later. I’ve also made the full shot of this one available now on the store.
I do think it’s rather interesting that some older things are starting to come back, like we’re back in the 50s – drive-ins, carhops, even the milkman deliveries!
Thanks to any and all who have been helping support me so far! I really do appreciate it! It helps allow me to continue to create. I’ve still got to find my way a little bit. Hopefully, in time, everything will all work out.
Tonight’s movie watch was Shutter Island.
