The first day of the year began rather somberly with all my telephones turned off in defense of my siser-in-law's threat to call me during the ball drop. I'd spent all Saturday afternoon doing a laundry and the better part of the evening bingeing episodes of "Heroes" (Season Three) and wasn't in a chatty old-person's frame of mind, especially when ( Read more... )

New Year's Day began with a quick trip to the nursing home. I am surprised by how quickly I have grown accustomed to seeing Mom disappear about half-way down the bed. Now that winter is here, there is room to drape my coat and back pack at the foot of the mattress with no danger of touching a sore foot - or nearly anything else belonging to Mom. I ( Read more... )

Here are the people whose passings made me stop my petty pace from day to day and take a moment to jot down a few thoughts ( Read more... )

Christmas time is not easy for the excessively narcissistic; constantly having to spend time in a fantasy world not of my own creation, peopled with relationships that go back to the dawn of my own consciousness. For about two weeks it is a harrowing side-show of ravenous longings. Then, suddenly after the last piece of fruitcake has been devoured ( Read more... )

As usual, at this time of year, I'd like to re-post the links to this year's obituaries:

"AUNT MARY"
http://johnwesley73.livejournal.com/277651.html

NATASHA RICHARDSON
http://johnwesley73.livejournal.com/280823.html

MICHAEL ( Read more... )

I had a dream about Reese Witherspoon early this morning. I immediately shut the alarm in order to get back into it. But, it didn't work, that is to say, I never got back to the dream ( Read more... )