That is what Levon looked like last night at supper. I love the soft, sweet innocence in that face, the Dennis the Menace hair sticking out the back of his head.
Now here's what he looked like this morning for picture day at school.
A young James Dean wearing a bead necklace. He's even posing. And August is August- his dear good self, absolutely unconcerned about his hair or what he's wearing. Levon insisted he needed to wear the same thing this year as he did last year for pictures. The contrast between the two of them is so stark and yet, they are best buds. They are brothers.
This happened yesterday in the car on the way home with them:
This happened yesterday in the car on the way home with them:
Somehow, the subject of heaven came up. August went into a long explanation for his brother about what heaven is. It went something like, "In the afterlife, after you die, you stand in a long, long line of all the people who died and when you get to the front, one one side is god and heaven and heaven is really nice and you can stay there forever and on the other side is hell and it's all red and black and the devil is there. So either god tells you you can go to heaven or the devil tells you you have to go to hell."
And I was wondering where in the world that child heard that. I mean- he's never been to church. They don't exactly talk about theology in their house and as far as I know, they don't discuss it in school either. But what I said was, "So, August, you know that's just a story, right?"
And he said, "Yes!"
"Do you know why they made it up?" I asked him.
"So people will act good," he said.
Oh. My. God.
"Do you know why they made it up?" I asked him.
"So people will act good," he said.
Oh. My. God.
A nine-year old has it figured out.
Those are some swell kids.
As a lady-who-lunches, I felt compelled to do so again today. Actually, Candie was here to clean so I wanted to get out of the house and had a few errands to run in town. Jessie texted and asked if I'd like to meet her for lunch and of course I did. She sent out a group invite and Lily could go on her break if we ate somewhere close to her Publix and then I talked to Mr. Moon who had just had a successful meeting with the people who are going to rent some units at Moon Plaza for a thrift store. This will be in aid of the hospice organization here and we feel very good about renting to them. Glen had worked on the contract for weeks and they were all meeting to iron out the tiny details and it had gone successfully and we should be signing tomorrow. So I asked him to join us for lunch too and we all met at the Cuban restaurant that we like so much.
We talked and we talked and we talked. We covered a lot of ground. I love that! Jessie told us that Vergil is amazed at how much the property on Black Mountain has changed. Rocks as big as houses that are in different places, revealed like never before. Fewer trees but more light. And so forth. Can you imagine? The landscape of his birth and young life has changed so much. But some of it sounds...okay.
We talked and we talked and we talked. We covered a lot of ground. I love that! Jessie told us that Vergil is amazed at how much the property on Black Mountain has changed. Rocks as big as houses that are in different places, revealed like never before. Fewer trees but more light. And so forth. Can you imagine? The landscape of his birth and young life has changed so much. But some of it sounds...okay.
Sort of a radical rearrangement of the furniture?
Milton is still making its way to Florida. The wind speeds have gone up and come down and gone back up again. If I am reading the National Hurricane Center's advisory correctly it's gone back up to a Category 5 storm and we went over all of that yesterday. Still, they are predicting it to weaken somewhat before it hits land which will probably be sometime late Wednesday or early Thursday. Many, many people are evacuating and there are evacuation orders for a lot of counties and areas. I made the mistake of getting on the interstate today to get to town which is west of here and the traffic was intense with people getting the hell out of Milton's way. At some points people were only able to go about 30 mph, and then it would speed up again, only to slow down again. I saw several cars on the side of the road. No one is ever really prepared to pack up a vehicle with the things they absolutely cannot lose, their families, and their pets, and to flee from a storm. Gas runs low and then goes out at stations on the way. Rooms are almost impossible to get. And what if you just do not have the damn money? What if you're disabled? What if you have no car?
I remember after Katrina when people kept asking, "Why didn't everyone evacuate?"
This seems like a reasonable question but the fact of the matter is, they did not give enough warning in that case and also, there are so many, many people in New Orleans and that area who did not have cars, who lived (and still live) in substandard housing, and most folks thought the levees would hold, I guess.
I remember after Katrina when people kept asking, "Why didn't everyone evacuate?"
This seems like a reasonable question but the fact of the matter is, they did not give enough warning in that case and also, there are so many, many people in New Orleans and that area who did not have cars, who lived (and still live) in substandard housing, and most folks thought the levees would hold, I guess.
I'm just doom-blogging day after day, aren't I? I'm sorry. This is what's on my mind. I want to say thank you so much to all of you who have reached out to check on us, to say, "Be safe," to say, "We are thinking of you." People I have not heard from in years. And I am so grateful to be able to tell them that in this case, we seem to be out of the path of danger but thank-you, thank-you, thank-you.
I believe I have caught up on replying to comments for Sunday and Monday's posts. Having the boys here last night sort of cut back my blogging time. But we really did have a good time with them. They liked their chicken and dumplings and loved their brown cows made with Neapolitan ice cream. Or as I always call it- Choc/Van/Straw. Mr. Moon supervised their showers and by the time their mother got here to pick them up, they were clean and ready for bed. She ate a bowl of chicken and dumplings too, having eaten only a granola bar and a yogurt during her 12-hour shift. Hospitals are severely understaffed these days and it is frustrating as hell. Trying to give the type of care she has been trained to do and wants to do is almost impossible due to the number of patients each nurse is responsible for.
I believe I have caught up on replying to comments for Sunday and Monday's posts. Having the boys here last night sort of cut back my blogging time. But we really did have a good time with them. They liked their chicken and dumplings and loved their brown cows made with Neapolitan ice cream. Or as I always call it- Choc/Van/Straw. Mr. Moon supervised their showers and by the time their mother got here to pick them up, they were clean and ready for bed. She ate a bowl of chicken and dumplings too, having eaten only a granola bar and a yogurt during her 12-hour shift. Hospitals are severely understaffed these days and it is frustrating as hell. Trying to give the type of care she has been trained to do and wants to do is almost impossible due to the number of patients each nurse is responsible for.
But that's a whole other subject.
Here's the seemingly requisite daily picture of Maurice hanging out in a place she never felt safe enough to do while her dear brother Jack was around.
Here's the seemingly requisite daily picture of Maurice hanging out in a place she never felt safe enough to do while her dear brother Jack was around.
So much good stuff in this one, excepting the scary Milton. The guys on picture day slays me! And the nine year old philosopher! I was a sporadic church goer during my young years and it never felt quite right and real to me. But I was much older than August when I got it together in my mind.
ReplyDeleteLunching out and Maurice looking quite relaxed.
August slays me. All my grandkids do really. Damn, but they're so smart.
DeleteMy daughters call that flavor ice cream "Napolian"
ReplyDeleteThat's as good as any other name for it.
DeleteMaurice looks like the Queen of the House these days. I'm sure she's a happier camper. I miss hearing about Jack and seeing his pics. May he RIP. I can relate to your daughters' issues about hospital understaffing. I remember those days quite well. Bless her for doing a nurse's job. It ain't
ReplyDeleteeasy under the best of conditions. Hurricane Milton sounds like it could be catastrophic. I sure hope it loses steam before it hits. It has my permission to take Ron De Sanctimonious for a long ride. Stay safe.
Paranormal John
I miss Jack's cute little white feet. Isn't that funny? The way he sat with them tucked up so carefully and the way he tapped us gently when he wanted our attention. But yes, Maurice's personality is blooming as does her presence in the house.
DeleteNursing is a vastly underrated (and underpaid) profession and it seems to me that nursing staff is a hospital's first place to cut costs which is a dangerous thing for the health and wellbeing of their patients.
If the storm could just deal with DeSantos and Trump both, it would help.
smart boy, that August! I was forced into church going as a child.....and knew even then, it was not for me (nuf said on that!). Smart boys, both. I just marvel at how August so resembles Vergil....and Levon looks just like Jessie...they are lovely boys in all ways.....and Maurice does seem to find the perfect places to perfectly poise her scratchy bitey self! I do think many people do not realize the scope of hardship that *evacuation* from your home involves- as you mentioned. It is HUGE.
ReplyDeleteSusan M
I think that August does resemble Vergil's family more and Levon looks a little more like our side of the family. But you know how much they change over the years.
DeleteThe emotional aspects of evacuating are daunting, too. Seriously.
When I was a young mom I had a friend who had 5 children. Every summer she signed them up for every bible school she could find. She was an indifferent church goer herself but she did it for the break. I thought it was hilarious, but I was not tempted because I had grown up as a Baptist.
ReplyDeleteCarol
That is hilarious. Lily's threatened to do that too. So far, she has not.
DeleteJack comes up with theories about god and religion and heaven too, not sure where they come from, but to be fair, he has a theory for just about everything.
ReplyDeleteJessie is lucky to have you guys to help out while she's working. That would be heaven to finish your shift and pick up clean, fed children, ready for bed. You two do good work.
Stay safe my friend.
Kids seem to just pick things up in the ether.
DeleteI swear- I don't know how single moms do it.
"So people will act good," he said.... I had a good laugh at that!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I did not realise that Mr Moon was a property magnate with his own plaza goddammit! Has he also got his own river - wider than a mile?
Oh well. It's not a big plaza. It's just a little strip mall thing but there IS a Duncan Doughnuts who rent what was formerly a bank there. Duncan is a hugely popular doughnut and coffee place in the US.
DeleteAugust is one smart boy. He's got the score. You must be proud.
ReplyDeleteThe boys are handsome and their school photos will be great.
I hope Milton loses some strength as it comes ashore.
Two hurricanes, one after the other is horrifying. The ocean surge is predicted 10-15 feet and that means epic destruction for those at or below sea level. So sad.
I hear the National Guard is gathering in FL to provide help and support recovery efforts.
Take care. I am thinking of you.
It does look like Milton is weakening and thank heavens. But it's still a very powerful storm. People don't realize what a ten foot surge actually looks like.
DeleteSo many crews are up in NC helping out there. We're going to need a lot of help here in Florida too. Well, actually, we already did.
Yes, evacuating isn't just leaving. It takes a vehicle, $$, and a destination. Not everyone has all those. And it's doubly complex when you have animals.
ReplyDeleteThat cat is an artist, studies color and shape as she lies down showing her best profile.
And evacuating is emotionally very difficult too. It goes against human nature to leave a home and all the belongings in it when a storm is coming.
DeleteMaurice may be an artist. I always thought she was a super model who picked her backdrops and poses.
ahh the lovely Moon family - if the storm gives any of y'all any trouble I will send it straight to hell. As IF I have the power. August is amazing. I trust that you all will be safe, spared yet again - I have to trust that or I would go mad.
ReplyDeleteThe photo of Cat on chair sends me into raptures- the patterns, the colors WOW!
I think we're going to be fine, Linda Sue. Dodging another bullet. Knock wood.
DeleteMaurice chose wisely for that photo shoot.
My news is saying your new hurricane will be a bad 'un. Stay out of its way. As for school pictures, how uniquely individual they will be. I remember how our mom put my two brothers in matching shirts for the day, although they were three years apart.
ReplyDeleteThat's so funny! I wonder why they had to have matching shirts. I think it's pretty amusing that Levon wanted to wear the same shirt two years in a row. Ah. The charm of school pictures.
DeleteThis storm is bad. I fear so much for those in its path.
I don't think that you can help being a "Doom blogger" when your state is in the midst of "the storm of the century" a mere two weeks after having the last "storm of the century". I still shake my head in disbelief that you simply went to bed and slept during the last storm.
ReplyDeleteWell Debby, by the time I went to bed with that last storm, I knew it had missed us by just enough to ensure that we probably weren't going to die. Plus, like I said- I was tired.
DeleteGlad to hear things are ok and may they bloody well stay that way. I do hope Milton calms down before hitting land. Too many vulnerable people in its path.
ReplyDeleteSO many vulnerable people.
DeleteMaurice is as clever at stylin' as Levon is. He looks great for his school photo as does August in his own "I am who I am" way. I have a picture blutacked to my wall that says "I am who I am, your approval is not needed"
ReplyDeleteI agree with your thoughts on evacuation, people should, but so many can't because where would they go? How would they get there? With no cars and/or no money. It's the same with the war-torn countries. "people should leave" they say, (whoever "they" are), but where to and how?
I always say I'm like Popeye- "I yam who I yam and that's all that I yam. Do you know who Popeye was?
DeleteExactly right about evacuating before a storm or leaving a war-torn country. It may be impossible.
Here, the city uses its buses and school buses to evacuate those who lack the means to take themselves off the island. Pets are allowed and the buses head to shelters in cities far inland. Margaret
DeleteI do know Popeye and Olive Oyl and Brutus too.
DeleteOh those boys - as beautiful inside as out.
ReplyDeleteHaving once upon a time lived in completely vulnerable Redington Shores, I am so, so worried about everyone in Milton's path. Travel (even vicarious, through blogs) makes us much more empathetic, as we realize there is no "other" - it's all us. Sigh.
Chris from Boise
I had to look up Redington Shores. You're right- that's'a vulnerable area.
DeleteAs I learned in a profound way when I did psychedelic drugs, All is One. Absolutely.
I had to google Redington Shores. I had no idea where it was. You're right- totally vulnerable.
DeleteAnd as the hippies used to say and the Buddhists still do- All is One.
The photos of the boys tell a great story. Levon is totally cool ... or should I say FIRE. The contrast in personalities is on display in that going-to-school photo. August is amazing (and what a relief when he answered your question). Did you get the chair in that color just to complement Maurice?
ReplyDeleteThat is a pretty fiery outfit August is wearing. Red and orange. The boy has taste. His very own taste.
DeleteI got that chair when Lily, I think, saw it in a thrift store and sent pictures to the family to see if anyone wanted it. I DO! I said. I love it. She did the same thing today with a beautiful little hand-painted Puerto Rican bar cart. May claimed that one.
I know you're not religious (I'm not either) but I'm praying for you and your loved ones' safety all the same!
ReplyDeleteOkay. You are allowed to do that.
DeleteLevon looks so like my 12 year old grandson.....facially , and same colour hair. G had his hair long ( below his shoulders eventually) but got it cut before he changed to secondary school in September. He said it was because he would have to tie it back, but I know his older sister told him he would be bullied....something I was also worried about!
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry your grandboy felt like he had to cut his hair. Why do kids want to conform to their norms so strongly?
DeleteI love the difference between the two Levon photos.He has always been a character-and August is such a sweetie.You are lucky with your whole clutch of grandchildren- all so different,but sweet children.I'm hoping Milton will fizzle out before it reaches land. Wendy SA
ReplyDeleteMilton is not fizzling out but it is weakening a tiny bit.
DeleteAll the grandkids are characters. I swear. They are funny and dear and smart.
It took me a long time to realize what August already knows! Amazing. They look great for picture day. Stay safe, Mary, and may everyone you know stay safe too!
ReplyDeleteHe was so proud to tell me that fact about the story of heaven and hell.
DeleteWe're safe and I sure hope the people I know in the path of the storm are too.
Levon definitely is throwing attitude in that photo. I'm so impressed that August has such a firm handle on what's fact and fiction in the religion department. Yeah, where DID he hear that stuff about heaven and hell? I guess it so saturates the culture that he must have come across it somewhere. Even Bugs Bunny had angels and devils in it.
ReplyDeleteMaurice does look quite comfortable and regal in that chair.
Levon has attitude galore.
DeleteI have NO idea where August picked that up. I wish I'd asked him. I will next time I see him.
Maurice is still skittish at times but she's a lot more relaxed than she was.
Glad to see Maurice is still around. Glad to read that children are still being raised well and sanely in this insane world. Love returned to you, old friend.
ReplyDeleteOh, dear heart! Do you still have my #?
DeleteI don’t think so. New phone. Mine is 9372877403. Feel free to call if things ever slow down. Thinking of all of you.
Deletethat second picture of Levon after the first made me laugh out loud. Kids are just so pure. it's a shame they have to grow up.
ReplyDeleteI'm hearing that Milton is now a cat 3. still dangerous though.
Kids are so pure- purely who they are!
DeleteA windspeed of 50 mph can tear up a place and take down power lines and trees so a Cat 3 is far more dangerous than I want to deal with.