That's what sunset in Lloyd looked like last night. It was very dramatic. I first wrote, "It was very dreamatic," which is also appropriate. Shouldn't "dreamatic" be a word?
I've felt somewhat lighter today. I talked to my husband this morning about some of the concerns I'm having about Tom and he gave me his take on why he's doing what he's doing to help him and it was so wise and so heartfelt that I feel more at peace now. Hank had a girlfriend once who, after meeting Mr. Moon called him "Zen Glen."
She was absolutely right about that. But he's not just a Buddha, contemplating a lotus blossom and chuckling at the absurdities of life, he's the sort of person who makes things happen and takes care of business.
I have more respect for him him than I've ever had, I think. And that's saying a lot.
She was absolutely right about that. But he's not just a Buddha, contemplating a lotus blossom and chuckling at the absurdities of life, he's the sort of person who makes things happen and takes care of business.
I have more respect for him him than I've ever had, I think. And that's saying a lot.
I picked beans this morning and I did laundry. I even pulled a hell of a lot of crocosmia from the bed in front of the front porch. This is how thick it is.
The part on the left there is where I've cleared.
I got this much done.
It's not that hard to pull from this bed because of the years of accumulation of oak leaves there which has made the soil so friable and soft. It is filled with earth worms.
Now if we'd just pull those damn sago palms out and plant something else, it would be so much nicer. I cut them back hard a few months ago and I'm not seeing any new growth. Perhaps I have killed them.
This would not much disturb me.
Now if we'd just pull those damn sago palms out and plant something else, it would be so much nicer. I cut them back hard a few months ago and I'm not seeing any new growth. Perhaps I have killed them.
This would not much disturb me.
I'm listening to yet another Percival Everett book. This one is "Erasure." And it is completely different from the other three? four? novels of his I've read. So okay, in this book, an author/professor who has won all sorts of awards for his writing can't sell his books because the market won't support them. According to the publishers. His agent keeps telling him that he needs to write more "Black" which he can't understand because obviously he IS Black and he writes about his life so what's the problem? And then he gets into a situation where he desperately needs money. Around this time another Black author has published a book which is filled with every Black stereotype there can be from language to situation and she is making a shit ton of money on it. Movie rights, the whole deal. Everyone who knows anything about writing declares it to be a horribly written book but it somehow satisfies a market that wants their Black characters to speak and behave a certain way. So of course the author in the book decides to write his own moneymaker under a pseudonym.
I'm reading this book and the book within the book and I'm hooked on both stories. I have no idea how it turns out. But I've just learned that a film was made from "Erasure" called "American Fiction" which has won many prizes and which I plan to watch as soon as I finish reading the book.
Irony after irony, eh?
I'm reading this book and the book within the book and I'm hooked on both stories. I have no idea how it turns out. But I've just learned that a film was made from "Erasure" called "American Fiction" which has won many prizes and which I plan to watch as soon as I finish reading the book.
Irony after irony, eh?
So I'm enjoying that very much and I'm starting to think that if I could ever have lunch or even just coffee with Percival Everett, it would be one of the most interesting experiences of my life.
Glen's just gotten home from spending all day long at Tom's, trying to get the site ready for the tiny home and the driveway cleared enough for it to be brought in. I know he's going to be hot and exhausted. I will be so glad when this is all done and Tom is settled.
Oh wait- I just talked to him and he says he's fine and never even got that sweaty because he didn't get shit done.
When I met Glen he barely ever cursed. Now he's almost as enthusiastic a cusser as I am. One more thing I love about him.
Oh wait- I just talked to him and he says he's fine and never even got that sweaty because he didn't get shit done.
When I met Glen he barely ever cursed. Now he's almost as enthusiastic a cusser as I am. One more thing I love about him.
Now if I could just as easily learn wisdom and the ability to get things done from him.
As Tom so often says these days about every suggestion we make, "That's not going to happen."
Dammit.
My helper girl. She came out when I was picking beans too, but after she'd hung around with me for a few minutes she settled in the shade under a bench, blinking those orange eyes, patiently waiting for me to finish so that she could escort me back to the house.
I think that Glen is her primary human but she is also my familiar. It's a good arrangement.
Love...Ms. Moon
That sunset is fabulous. It seems to have some northern lights mixed in.
ReplyDeleteWe do get sunsets like that not too infrequently. I guess it's our version of northern lights.
DeleteMaurice knows how much you mean to Glen so she will protect you as she knows you need it sometimes!
ReplyDeleteTom sounds like a real handful and Glen deserves a medal at least.
Maurice does like me, I think. When she first moved in, I was definitely her human but then she slowly fell in love with the daddy figure. She is loved by us both.
DeleteOh god. Tom is a handful for sure.
Your sunset is magical and very beautiful. Nice work on the garden and look at all the new open space! Your Glen is a real keeper and he knows how to make things happen and work well. As for the Sago Palms, if you want them out of there, consider asking Glen to take the chainsaw and cut them at the base just above the soil. Then heave them on the burning pile. Presto, they are gone! I recently did this with a Viburnum that did not look so hot and it was crowding a Japanese Maple.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the chainsaw solution would work for the Sagos. They propagate underground and from what I've read, must be dug out.
DeleteI'll be happy to get that space cleared of the Crocosmia, though.
Dreamatic sounds like a Donald Duck invention to bring about good dreams. I wouldn't mind that. Meanwhile that's a lovely sunset. We haven't had any visible ones for ages, just cloud and rain, sigh, poor us.
ReplyDeleteI have often wished that I could just decide on what I wanted to dream about and have it happen. Unfortunately, that does not work for me. I always dream about protecting children. No need to call Dr. Freud on this.
DeleteThe sunset is beautiful. I quite like sago plams, but they're not exactly pretty are they? They don't flower like hydrangeas or camellias or azaleas.
ReplyDeleteWell, my sagos look like shit right now because I did trim them back to hard. They do get interesting features when they are ready to reproduce. There is definitely a male and definitely a female.
DeleteI just feel when I read Persival Everett's books that he is just having so much fun writing them. Its as if he is getting it all out and laughing at it too.
ReplyDeleteYES!!!!! I told a friend that I think his mind is like a river. It's never still.
DeleteThanks for the heads up about the book and film. Maurice reminds me why I miss Lukas so much.
ReplyDeleteHaving not seen the film, I can't really recommend it but I do like the book. I'm interested to see what they did with it.
DeleteBeautiful sunset. Maurice is clearly very attached to you. As for Glen, the more I read about him the more I like and admire him. My goal when I grow up is to be more like Glen.
ReplyDeleteMine too, Mitchell! Except I don't want to hunt or fish.
DeleteGlen IS very Zen, from what I've seen and your descriptions. I wish I could be like that!
ReplyDelete"Dreamatic" should be a word. I've never read Percival Everett, but you're making me want to try.
I wonder if you'd like Everett. I always feel bad if I recommend a book and someone reads it and hates it. But we can't all like the same things.
DeleteThe lovely sunset would lift a person's spirits!
ReplyDeleteI just picked up Everett's book, "James" from the library yesterday and can't wait to start it.
I'm glad you are feeling better today and am impressed by the weeding you did! Good job, Mary!
The sunset did make me feel better for a moment, at least.
DeleteI can't believe your library had an available copy of "James." Every library I've heard of has about fifty people waiting for it.
I've had a hold on the book for quite awhile and my turn finally came up! :)
DeleteThis reminds me of something from "A River Runs Through It": "Each one of us here today will at one time in our lives look upon a loved one who is in need and ask the same question: We are willing help, Lord, but what, if anything, is needed? For it is true, we can seldom help those closest to us. Either we don't know what part of ourselves to give or, more often than not, the part we have to give is not wanted. And so it those we live with and should know who elude us. But we can still love them - we can love completely without complete understanding."
ReplyDeleteYou may not be able to understand Tom, but you both care for him. He may not want what you're offering. Maybe in time he'll come to accept it. Dunno. But you're doing a great thing for him, and it is not diminshed by the fact that he's a contrary curmugeon.
37paddington: I enjoyed the movie American Fiction but I heard the book was much better! Ah Tom, you can only do what you can do. Even Glen can only do so much. Yet even I now feel invested in Tom getting settled in his new tiny home and you and Glen getting to exhale.
ReplyDelete