Wednesday, March 4, 2026

     I am not going to my good friend Patricia Merrifield’s memorial mass on Saturday morning.  Too many people, too long of a drive, no, no, no. I don’t want her dead. And yet, I text the tall man to come with me to the memorial. He says yes. Brings tears to my eyes. I thought I would be the first to die among my writing friends.

     Cool cloudy morning. The heater on for a short time to take off the chill. I have a short list of tasks.  The top item is to complete my income tax forms and mail them in. I suspect this will stay on my list for a long time. Each year I put it off until the last day. Perhaps I can change that pattern.

     Parts of my house continue to be invisible to me.  Cupboards and drawers filled and unopened for years. My linen shelves are packed with unused stuff. Maybe I can make a map of ignored parts of my home.

     We watch the last two episodes of LINCOLN LAWYER, Great ending. Now we will concentrate on TEHRAN unless we find something better. I am reading the third volume of Amy Stewart’s mystery series, MISS KOPP’S MIDNIGHT CONFESSIONS.   I watch the MS NOW news a couple of times a day to witness the bombs and scared people in the Middle East. It is helpful to watch various reporters and experts talk about the causes and conditions of this war.