Monday, July 6, 2026  

     Two crows are back. Black birds with loud voices and intense eyes checking out the neighborhood.  Years ago when we had a permanent puddle at the bottom of the neighbor’s yard, a whole flock of crows would arrive in the morning and stay the day.  And then the water dried up and the crows were gone.

     The best part of the Sunday NYT’s paper is the book review section. I search for gems. I don’t read the full review, just enough to see if I would like the book. The new paperback books are usually available in the library. The hard back books take months before the library decides to order them. I can never read all the books.  I am never satisfied.

     There is frustration in reading the book reviews. Too many books, and I will miss something really important, some message or story that can open up the world for me.

     I am reading Allegra Goodman’s new novel THIS IS NOT ABOUT YOU, a family story about surviving and dying. So far so good. And in the evening, we watch two more episodes of SUGAR, a confusing good story of an alien detective finding lost people. I like strange detectives, such as THE SHEEP DETECTIVES.

 

Sunday, July 5, 2026

     I entertain myself by reading the New York Times weather list of the cities in the United States.  Yep we are there in the bottom.  We will be lucky if we hit 65 degrees today. The rest of the country is hot, hot, hot. Our heat comes at the end of summer usually so we are not all clear of heat disasters yet.

     My eyelid infection is getting better with the prescribed antibiotic cream. I didn’t quite believe the medical provider’s diagnosis last week.  It is hard to give up that I alone know what is going on. I have been arguing with doctors and politicians for years. Arguing with many authorities. It is what I do, mostly silently.

    Wow, that sounds really demented. I don’t think of myself as a contrarian. Mostly I am sneaky, agreeing with the authority people, and then resisting silently. I don’t usually speak up. I am afraid of conflict.

    I have a quiet day.  Listening to the marching bands in the distance, and birds and the traffic. I am reading Ruth Ozeki’s latest book of collected stories, THE TYPING LADY. In the evening, we watch the new netflix documentary CHRIS AND MARTINA, THE FINAL SET, about the tennis stars and their changing friendships. Good film.  My roommate bakes chocolate chip cookies.

 

Saturday, July 4, 2026

     The distant sounds of the parade drums are starting, and then the trumpets.  I am sitting in my room wearing my winter clothes.  Another foggy day. No need to figure out which side of the street will be too hot in the sun this year. My roommate races out the door to get to the parade.  She will be marching with the indivisible crowd. Not the invisible crowd.

     No I will not be sitting on the curb watching the parade. I am excited and happy this morning in spite of the dire political times. The neighborhood is quiet except for a pair of big birds racing around the bottle bush tree. Now louder drums pounding the marching walk.

     Finally last night we watch the movie PROJECT HAIL MARY, and it was even better than I had expected. And funny, we laugh out loud. Also confusing.  My roommate answers my questions, so what is he doing now? Scientific story is lost to me.  I understand he saves the earth from dying because something is eating the sun. But the humor is fabulous.

     My favorite baker arrives with pumpernickel bread and encourages me to watch LIFE, LARRY AND THE PURSUIT OF UNHAPPINESS, with Larry David. But I don’t like Larry David’s sick humor. Because the bread is so good, I watch the show and again we are laughing. I am wrong again.