Monday, June 1, 2026

     This is a birthday month, My younger brother in early June and me in late June. I don’t much celebrate, I don’t know why. I send my brother a text message wishing him a happy birthday and I like to receive text messages back.  This year I want to celebrate by watching the new movie THE SHEEP DETECTIVES, when it starts streaming this summer.

     Times were different in the mid 20^th century when, in my early twenties, I was a single parent with three young children and a job. I was able to afford housing, food, babysitter and eventually college mostly on my social worker salary and some infrequent support from their father. Couldn’t happen in today’s economy. I didn’t realize how fragile life was then. I am grateful to Lyndon Johnson’s war on poverty that made it all possible.

     The salad plot is ready to be harvested. These greens grow so fast.  I am not sure I can eat them fast enough.

     In the evening, we watch more episodes of HACKS. We have the last two episodes to go. My roommate prefers hearing the bad political news on her tiny cell phone in small bites. I prefer the big TV screen.

 

Sunday, May 31, 2026

     It is morning again and again.  Morning comes quickly everyday. Sun is out.  I am sitting in my bedroom, the breakfast tray near the chair.  I drink my coffee and eat the cereal and am ready to write.  I sit here wondering what words will come up.

     My roommate is outside with friends preparing a bunch of potted herbs for a fund raising lunch today. I hear the voices but not the words. I wonder if it is time for me to get my hearing checked. When they leave, I will have the house to myself and I have plans. I need to write them down so I don’t forget.

     Yesterday I look up studies of statistical outcomes of Bladder cancer treatments.  I am trying to find if I am going to live or die soon.  As if I can ever figure it out.  The information doesn’t have to be accurate, rather just something I can hold on to, and then let it go. I hear laughter outside.

     After several false starts I find a book that interests me. STRANGERS, A MEMOIR OF MARRIAGE by Belle Burden. Today between tasks I plan to read more of this memoir. Last night we watch the last episodes of THE BOROUGHS, a truly entertaining series. And I want to say something about our horrendous politics but I am not sure what. While the sun is out, life looks good.

 

Saturday, May 30, 2026

     In the late afternoon my roommate and I go to the classy grocery store. I pick up Ad Astra bread and she slowly goes through the store picking up things she wants to eat. I find a chair to wait, noticing the many people in the store, shoppers and staff.  A really fabulous store. And over whelming with people and carts. Back home we are both tired.

     The salad garden is ready for harvest. I am intimidated by these green growing things.  Which ones are eatable. My roommate planted some flowers in the salad garden.  I feel kind of inept asking for help with the first harvest.

     I worry about our community’s immigration status. How can I help is my question. The danger seems to be unpredictable. I wonder if it is dangerous to even write about it. Such chilling times. Even in private it is scary to share too much information. I am grateful for the groups of people who are working on this problem,

     We watch another episode of AFTER THE FLOOD, but it is too intense now so we switch to watching a couple of episodes of HACKS, also intense but with a lot of laughs. I am continuing to read SWING LOW, a memoir by Miriam Toews.