It certainly is a damp (wet) Saturday morning in our neck of the woods. So, rather than climb right in to generate a post Marcia and I sat and lazily enjoyed our morning coffee listening to Gary-Jeff Walker.

I did make use of the time to work through my regimen of eye drops. A pattern of which actually looks quite cool when graphed.

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”Birds born in a cage think flying is an illness.” ~ Alejandro Jodorowski

Ends and Odds – This week it seems that every grocery store was trying to outdo the others pricing their Avocados. The best found is from Fresh Thyme; 3 Hass Avocados for a dollar. Now it’s an Avocado for lunch – I love the things.

Last evening I drove Marcia, Adrianne, and the kids and one of the stops was at Murray Bros Old Time Store (candy Store). The two little ones did exactly like the old saying says, acting; “like a kid in a candy store”. Marcia just kept on going back and forth past each display section using the moment like a memory lane revisited. Me? I started to get the ‘heebie-jeebies’. I should have gone outside for fresh air; instead I ended up along with some old wizened guys in the front of the store. That turned out to be the Lottery Ticket line. I hate lotteries.

Murray Bros

We missed the Winter Olympics opening ceremonies. However, this morning CBS news reported that; 92 countries are competing—including one shirtless oiled up Tongan (a cross-country skier), and a women’s bobsled team from Jamaica. I am old enough to remember being entertained by the strange adverts emblazoned on gaudy signs at each County Fair—have the Olympics turned into the new international County Fair?

Mr. Fowler’s funeral – Mr. Fowler was a soft-spoken black man, stately, and our neighbor. At his funeral last Saturday his love for Jazz music was mentioned time and again as was his ‘wicked’ humor.

The service was held in a small clapboard church in a downtrodden industrial section of town. So what was it that stood at this service for this solid member of the community in this small church? The choir singing hand clapping gospel was excellent, but that wasn’t it. What stood out were the sincerity, power, and strength of his being and thereby that of this congregation.

Beginning with the eulogy and continuing with the statements made by friends and family was what Mr. Fowler in his quiet way promoted to the black youth of his circle of influence, and was a staple throughout his life. Over and again the urgings for young black men to respect their women, “don’t work and you don’t eat”, and love for all, expressed with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. intonations made that little church come to life. Thank you Mr. Fowler, you done good. RIP.

Praying Mantis eyes – OK, one tinier piece about my eyes. My second surgery (Left eye) took place last Tuesday – all went well.

However, this time and for days afterward I felt more tired, at times a little woozy, and each day by 7:00 pm all I could think of was curling up in bed under warm covers.

In the midst of this Marcia and Kirstin had a discussion about a floor redo and Marcia was promoting (heavily) the tiles in our bathroom. “Could I take a photo”, came the order.

I did as directed and when I looked at the result, for a split moment (a flash), in my swirling brain it crossed my mind that a mistake had been made and I had been implanted with the lens of a Praying Mantis. All is now good.

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Finis – Be very aware of this horrid flu going around. Any symptoms, ANY, seek proper medical help. This week Kirstin’s dear neighbor Myra (she and her husband, James, loaned their fire pit to the Celebration of Vince’s life in Austin last Fall) succumbed to the Flu. Last Monday she was fine and Kirstin chatted with her, she caught the flu which precipitated into Pneumonia, and yesterday morning she had passed.

Considering the work done on my eyes and also on Marlene these past days demonstrate that modern medicine is doing some incredible things. What was practiced mere decades ago was a time where care was much like that offered during the Civil War only with sharper tools, sterile environments, and an array of penicillin-like antibiotics It has now moved into the arena of the truly amazing. Be grateful!

Congratulations Paul now that your ‘new’ world has opened up, one where ‘staying busy’ has become a matter of choice. Enjoy!

Make it a great week.

Cheers.

Dirk

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