Get Out Of The Way; It's Mimi

A new accessory for the Storytelling Festival

     Getting around at festivals has become a real problem for me. For the past 16 months I've had to use a cane because of lumbar pain due to my spinal curvature

that I've had since age 8 and which is worsening at the rate of one degree each year. The neuro-surgeon who I saw recently described me as "the leaning tower of Pisa being supported by a cane."

     In addition, the upper part of my curve is restricting my lungs resulting in shortness of breath when I walk or exert myself in any way.  

     In August when I flew to Indianapolis, I found myself in the Atlanta airport sitting in the boarding area in a wheelchair. I had been pushed and parked there by a porter and chose to remain seated in the wheelchair because most of the available seats had been taken.

     I wanted a snack, but not the pretzels in my pocket. I was thirsty, too. If I had been sitting in one of the seats, I would have had to get up, strap my shoulder purse across my chest, grasp the handle of my wheeled carry-on, and grab my cane with my other hand. Then it would be clunking and pulling breathlessly to the magazine stand 100 yards away, and gasping and feeling my heart fluttering and my lungs trying desperately to get some more oxygen as I chose a candy bar and a bottle of water.

     Instead, the light bulb went off over my head. I stood up, placed my purse and carry-on bag, and Kindle in the seat of the wheel chair, got behind it and pushed all my things across to the magazine stand. It was so easy, like pushing a super-market cart.

Then I realized I push a cart all around the market leisurely every week, and don't feel breathless until I have to lift the groceries into the car.

     That's when I decided the rolling walkers I've seen would be the way I could traverse the unlevel ground of the storytelling tents. I would need a seat in case I had to stand awhile so I could sit down, and I would need a basket to hold the snacks I like to take, my water bottle, the Program, and a cushion for the uncomfortable metal chairs Festival attendees have to sit it.

     On the Internet I discovered these rolling walkers are called "rollaters." I located one in a medical equipment store in Bristol, bright red it is, and I picked it up yesterday. Now I'm looking for a bicycle bell and I'll be all set for Jonesborough next week. See you at the Festival--ching, ching.

Mimi

My New Mexico Vacation

This blog has been neglected since late August because I was preparing for a trip to Taos, New Mexico. My friend, Jean Gay-Asher, and I were gone for only six days, but regaining my energy upon return has wiped out the last two weeks. I've slept and slept and slept. Probably at fault was the higher elevation of 7000 feet. Our Appalachian "Castle Yonder" is only 3000 feet. Jean and I were active every day, exploring the town of Taos and surroundings. Fortunately, I had ordered alternative oxygen for nighttime use, so I kept going until I got home.

I want to thank Jean for the help she gave me in friendship. She drove her car to Raleigh, NC so we would get a really good deal on Southwestern Airlines. We flew in to Albuequerque where we rented a car, and she drove the two hours to Taos. She helped me with my luggage and when we started exploring or going out to dinner, she figured out ways to keep me from having to walk so far. Plus, she was a great traveling companion, cooperative, good conversationalist, and reading the Travel Guide religiously and suggesting where we might want to go. She also went out every morning to buy good coffee while I was getting up and ready for the day. We never ran out of things to talk about.

Me and Jean in front of the Pueblo Taos church.

Jean and I have a lot in common. First off, we are both mental health professionals. Jean is still working as a private therapist (she's about 15 years younger than I am) whereas I retired a decade ago. She was one of the first people I met when Rocky and I moved to Bristol in 1982. Storytelling is my "thing" while Jean loves art, modern art especially which is one of my secondary interests. She befriended both Rocky and me through the years, inviting us to gourmet dinners because she loves to cook. Hooray for us, because I have grown VERY tired of cooking. She stayed close to us with her support when Rocky was dying and afterwards helping to plan his Memorial and right up to the present. We have history together.

We also have books in common, and movies, and television. We both read a biography of Georgia O'Keeffe in August and were really looking forward to seeing her homes near Taos. However, we found both of them closed so we settled for touring the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe on our way back to Albuquerque.  One of the things we really wanted to do in Taos was to tour the Taos Pueblo.

Taos Pueblo

I quote from the brochure given us at the Admissions Center, "Taos Pueblo is considered to be the oldest continuously inhabited community in the USA. The Native legends and detailed oral history trace our existence back to the beginning of evolution of man and all of creation." 

The original church named San Geronimo Church was built around 1619 by Spanish priests with Indian labor, but the natives were forced into Catholicism and slavery. Taos Pueblo was headquarters for a revolt which was successful, and into the 1700's the Pueblo people of New Mexico lived freely until they were reconquered by the Spanish.  The church was reconstructed in 1706 while the US War with Mexico was underway.  However, it was  burned in 1847 by the government of the United States who left only the bell tower standing and because many lives were lost, the land on which it stood became the cemetery.  The present church was built in 1850, now a National Historic Landmark.

Jean standing in the archway of the San Geronimo Church

Me and friend

I couldn't resist including this picture. Here I sit, short of breath, while Jean explores some more and shops. Tourists were asked not to feed the Pueblo dogs, so I did not. But this one waited patiently with me in the shade quite a while before he/she gave up and moved on. I attracted several dogs, and Jean remarked that I must have good energy! 

Both of us succumbed to urges to buy drums made in the traditional way by a full blooded member of Taos Pueblo, Frank Mirabal.  Jean bought two smaller drums that she plans to play with her grandchildren. She found a large totebag and carried them home on the plane. There were five drums hanging from a beam overhead in the shop, and one of them really attracted me. I asked to see it and I swear I could feel it speaking to me. It fit perfectly on my lap and has a most pleasing sound. The sides are made of aspen and cottonwood and the drumheads are made of elk hide. I decided to have it shipped to Virginia by UPS, but I haven't received it yet. I plan to sit on my deck or in front of my fireplace and play it for my own pleasure. Or maybe Jean will bring hers over and we'll drum together.

Another great place we spent some time in was Earthships which is a bio-tech ecological housing development. The houses are built into the earth and use recycled materials, discarded rubber tires covered by adobe, recycled cans and glass bottles. There is an inside cistern used to catch rainwater, and three processes to reuse water. Electricity is provided by solar panels. Here's a picture of the model home:

Crazy me, but I'd love to live here for awhile. There are growing plants inside which is a part of the interior ecological system.

And here are three more pictures to close this posting, Roasting green chilis, the Troubadours, Sunset:

Stormy adopted 1999-2010 Rest In Peace

     I think we should have a Pets Day--like Mothers Day and Fathers Day. It would be nice to memorialize all the pets we've had through our lives. Most cats and dogs live less than 20 years so a mature adult human who has reached the age of 80 has lived intimately with at least 4 pets, and often many, many more.


     Currently, 3 dogs and 3 cats share my home. Up til today there were 4 cats. I took our old Mama cat to the Vet because she was overdue for her rabies vaccination and hasn't looked "right" for some time now. Her fur looked ruffled and she had a voracious appetite although she was skin and bones. She was alert and responses were good, especially to food. She was highest in the pecking order so she had her choice of places to lie out on my bedroom deck where they all live during the summer. She liked best the small dog kennel shaded by a plastic tablecloth and padded with a faded bath mat.

The latest photo of Stormy taken late Winter 2010.

     I wasn't expecting the vet to tell me that he suspected several of Stormy's organs were full of cancer. He and I discussed all the pros and cons and finally decided it was in Stormy's best interest, as well as mine, to put her down. He brought her in for me to say my goodbyes and I told her that if she should see Rocky, he would pick her up and cradle her and love her. I left with a huge lump in my throat.
     Stormy came stray to our house in May 1999. We became aware of her because she rummaged through some garbage bags that had been left in the truck bed. Then one day when we were doing yard work, she came out of the woods and made herself known by a "Myow." We fed her and gave her a home after checking her out with the vet who reported that she was expecting.
     So a month or so later, she had three kittens in our basement crawl space. 
Rocky was so afraid our resident black snake would get them that he crawled back to where she was sheltered by a piece of plywood and brought out two all-grey kittens and one with Siamese markings, actually a reverse image of Mama Stormy. The latter who developed blue eyes which she still has, we named "Smudge." The other two, one with yellow eyes like Stormy's and one with green eyes, we named GreyBoy and GreyGirl, respectively. We tried calling them Shady and Shadow but GB and GG stuck. 
     If we had a special day to honor pets, here's who I would recognize and honor:
Dogs: Ritzi, Spitz; Chico, mixed; Tammy, Springer Spaniel; Tommy, mixed; Panda, mixed; Sable, German Shepherd; Pippin, Poodle; Laurel, Springer Spaniel; Jenny, mixed; Moose, mixed lab and Irish setter; Louie, beagle; Abe and Bonnie, both Springer Spaniels. I still have the last 3.
Cats: Tiger, Muff, Puff, Koko, Tom Bombadil, Goldberry, Syn, Twit, Sherman, Sylvester, Stormy, Smudge, GreyBoy,  GreyGirl. I still have the last 3.

Video of DCE Finale Aug. 14, 2010

A Loud and Brassy Weekend

I'm a proud Grandmother. I had the pleasure of flying to Indianapolis last weekend to see my grandson, Chris Rockwell, participate in the Drum Corps International World Championships. Chris plays the mellophone, a field trumpet, in the Blue Stars Corps. All the corps are sponsored by the city in which they originated, which for the Blue Stars is Lacrosse, Wisconsin. 

This is Chris in his uniform. The red ribbon around his neck is for the gold medal he was awarded in Atlanta two weeks ago for his participation and placing first in the brass ensemble competition. Chris is 16 and this is his second year in the Blue Stars and DCI. Members can stay in the organization until they are 21.

The above pictures are of the DCI corps who finished the finals in the top 10. The Blue Stars can be seen in the top picture 2nd Corps from the left. The instruments that make up each Corps are trumpets (all types), tubas, baritones, 

 cymbals, and drums (various types). There are also dancers and a color guard, and an ensemble that does not march. It is made up of xylophones, drums, percussion, and, sometimes, a piano. The various corps tour the U.S. from June to mid-August performing every night in some different city. Needless to say, the corps members must be dedicated and passionate about their music and performance.

This is most of our Rockwell family. From left, Grandaughter Jessica, me, Chris, and ex-daughter-in-law, Ann Parnell. Chris was finished after the Saturday night finals (Blue Stars placed 8th) until next year so we were able to have a late supper together as well as an early morning breakfast. Then we parted, they by car to Lynchburg, VA and me to Bristol by plane via Atlanta. Hopefully, it won't be long before we can be together again.  

Mimi

Bill Clifton - Longing for Old Virginia

     My friend Jean and I decided to drive to Mendota to visit some old friends after our Sunday brunch at Ruby Tuesday's. Mendota is northeast of Bristol across the North Fork of the Holston River.

     This is a barn I've always wanted to photograph and Sunday I did. The huge rock is one side of the barn, and yes, that is a "little white church in the dell," to quote an old song. If I remember correctly, it is a Baptist Church and is very well maintained as are the grounds. You can see how curving the road is which is named Nordyke Road. Coming home, our GPS got a little mixed up and we drove on a narrower road named "Barnrock Road" and sure enough it eventually joined Nordyke and we knew we were on our way home.

A closer look at the barn rock.

Bill (Marburg) Clifton and Tineke Labrie

     Mendota  is the home of Bill Marburg and Tineke Labrie, old friends of ours we'd lost contact with until Rocky's memorial service. They sang several duets a cappella and Bill told a story to remember Rocky by.

     Bill's performing name is Bill Clifton and he has been a performer of folk songs and country music for over 50 years since he was very young. He came to Hiltons, VA, which is just down the road from Mendota, when A. P. Carter was still living to study with him. A. P. took a liking to Bill and they developed both a musical and personal relationship that lasted until A. P. died. Bill has performed all over the world and was admitted to the Country Music Hall Of Fame a decade ago.


     I first met Bill through his wife, Tineke, who is from Holland. I was a social worker and she was a volunteer at the Crisis Center where I was Assistant Director when I first moved to Bristol. I remembering meeting Bill at a pot-luck dinner at the Center, and he and my husband, Rocky, hit it off. We began a lot of visiting back and forth. Mendota is a long drive from Bristol because the roads are now back roads and very curvy as they respect the river and the low range of mountains and hollows.

     I know Bill on a social basis and as a personal friend. His impressive musical ability was really lost on me, I hate to say, until recently. Ironically, he is better known to the public in Europe and Japan than he is in this region except for Appalachia and Nashville musicians. But what a delight to discover him now. One of his more recent performances is published below at the end of this post.


     Tineke, Bill's wife, is an extremely charming and interesting person. She is very creative artistically and enjoys a challenge but once she's mastered it and made as many items as she wants, then she is ready to go on to another challenge. Her most recent project that she's about completed is making stain glass window inserts for some of her windows. She is now more interested in setting up what she calls her "museum." A handyman neighbor built a small cabin in their large backyard, right next to the river, and Tineke is putting up shelves and then displaying all her small gifts friends from other countries have given her and souvenirs she has brought back. I didn't think to take a picture of it, but I will the next time I visit when it will be more complete. So far she has shelves devoted to Russia, Japan, Thailand, and Holland, of course.


     So Jean and I had a delightful time and I'm pretty sure Bill and Tineke did too. What a pleasure for me to have finally discovered Bill's professional side. I'm going to iTunes to buy some of his cd's very soon. Here, have a listen:
This was recorded in 2006 and sent to YouTube by "americanamama".  Enjoy,  Mimi                                                                                                                                     

A New Friend

     What a boost to an old lady's ego to meet a young seventeen year old who is full of talent and intelligence, make a connection, and then bond.
After 24 hours we were in love! She is Jessica Miller, the granddaughter of my friend, Molly Catron. 


     This all came about because my friend Linda Poland invited me to her home in the country last evening to hear Elizabeth Ellis, Master Storyteller, try out some new stories. About 40 people (maybe 50?) gathered in a half-circle on the lawn under old trees sipping wine and ice tea and listened to Elizabeth tell new stories none of us had ever heard before.

Linda Poland, Hostess                     

             Elizabeth Ellis, Master Storyteller


     Because the night sky grew dark by the time we finished snacking, imbibing more tea (ahem!) and chatting with EE in Linda's house, it was too late for me to drive back to Bristol, so at Molly's invitation, I stayed at her house for the night. Her granddaughter, Jessica, had expressed an interest in hearing Elizabeth, and Molly had brought her along. She was the youngest person there.


     Jessica and I connected during a story break chatting socially, but we really connected on the 45-minute drive to Molly's home when Jessica mentioned she recently joined the high school band playing the snare drums. To keep the conversation going, I mentioned my grandson is touring the U.S. this summer with the International Drum and Bugle Corps. Jessica let out a squeal because she knew all about the drum and bugle corps and has great admiration for the discipline and precision the members must demonstrate. She expressed surprise that someone my age (this was implied, not frankly shared) would know about band life and music.  We talked drums and trumpets all the way to Molly's home.


     Then at the house, Jessica entertained us with some melodies on the electric guitar, many of which she has composed herself. She demonstrated today how she learns a composition "by ear," or as she calls it, her "listening ear." I was amazed at her talent and her passion for music. I am still dumbfounded that I should know two budding musicians with so much talent and potential as Jessica and my grandson, Christopher, and they are the same age, one in Kingsport, TN and one in Lynchburg, VA.  They talk the same language although they've involved with different instruments.


     Today, I visited with Molly. She kept me well fed with a frittata from her fresh eggs and garden tomatoes for breakfast, and a tomato tart with a tomato/cucumber salad for an early dinner before I left to drive home.
We sat on her porch in wicker chairs drinking iced tea to escape the heat, then toured her grounds looking at veggie garden, amazing deep red zinnias and other flowers, her chickens and rooster, greenhouse, and two Great Pyranees dogs, a golden retriever mix, and a Pomeranian Molly inherited from her mother. I saw everything but the goats who were grazing on the other side of a hill. That means I have to go back for another visit!


     But Jessica and I had more opportunity today to listen to her iPod that she connected to a laptop so she could play for me different electric guitar artists who play with major orchestras their versions of classical and jazz compositions. The theme for me was that music can bring the generations together. My experience with this young talented musician gives me optimism for a culturally-enriched future.         Mimi


    

Playful Self-Portraits

     I love to play with the computer. I get in a lot of trouble sometimes because I say, "Hmmm, wonder what will happen if I click this."

I had never played with Mac's Photo Booth before. This is where you take pictures of yourself. Since I had been to the hairdresser in the afternoon, I decided to have some fun. I had seen the funny results that my Grandkids got when they came and visited my Mac. 

So, above is my normal look. I'm turned slightly away because for someone my age to look dead on (pardon the pun) at the camera is too much for my heart!

I left Photo Booth and then went to citrify.com which is a Photo Editing site. It is limited if compared to PhotoShop, but still a lot of fun, especially since it's free.

The above photo uses the Watercolor Special Effect.

This is still from citrify.com and is the Obamafied Special Effect. 

Back to Mac's PhotoBooth and this is one special effect you can use. I had not cropped the photo as much as the other ones and I'm not even sure it's the same photo. But it's close.

Well, let's see what I can click on tonight. 

Mimi

Precious: A Movie

      Last night I watched the acclaimed movie, "Precious" starring Gabourey Sidibe who was able to play a glamour girl role as well as the unappealing character ironically named "Precious." Precious was not the value placed on her, however, by her abusive mother played by the actress, Mo'Nique nor by her father, her mother's boyfriend.  
     
     Mariah Carey also plays a role in this movie, not a glamour role but that of a social worker in a welfare office. I have been annoyed for years that social workers are almost always portrayed as cold, heartless control freaks and it was refreshing to see a more realistic picture, right down to the little make-up that the Director insisted Mariah Carey use to make her look more natural.

       The glamorous fantasies of Precious are embedded creatively in scenes of abuse that needed to be brief because they were so abhorrent. The abuse, both sexual and physical, is not far-fetched; I often heard similar tales as a clinical therapist. Nor are the fantasies which are known as a dissociative process so the abused can survive the attacks without a mental break. 

      As unappealing as the main character looks, she is likeable because one senses that she has "will." She survives by going right back into her responsibilities and demands of her homelife. Her and her child's survival become paramount when she survives a fall down the stairs pushed by her mother. Then I found myself gasping as the mother throws a television set after her and I was sure the baby Precious was carrying in her arms had been struck and killed. Precious picks herself up and with her baby in a bloody blanket leaves her mother's household and the viewer knows she has the will to leave it forever.

     Precious now has resources. She is learning at an alternative school and is befriended by all the other students who are misfits in their own right. Her welfare worker is helping her live independently with both her children, the older of the two with Downs Syndrome. She tells her mother that she will not return because she is making good grades, reading at the 8th grade level, and next year will go to high school, "and then college." As she walks down the street in the last scene, carrying both babies, I could only think of what a "push" it was going to take, but that she had the will to make it.  Good movie!  Mimi

Another Pleasurable Matinee at The Barter

      Today Molly and I met for lunch at Allison's, a casual restaurant in Abingdon with very good food, and then went to the Barter matinee of "Violet." 


     You can read the Barter website's review of this unusual play by following the link listed above. Or you can read my take on it.


     Almost the entire play was sung by the actors with a piano accompaniment that unfortunately occasionally drowned out the voices. Scenery was creative but at a minimum with almost all the action taking place on a bus between North Carolina and Oklahoma.


     Violet is traveling from her isolated home in the Appalachian mountains with the hope of ridding herself of the facial scar she suffered in an accident. Her destination is Oklahoma where she plans to attend the service of a faith-healer evangelist she has watched on television. The playwright chooses to tell the story of Violet's relationship with her father and the accident and its consequences by spotlighting another younger actress and the father in moments interspersed with the present-day bus trip. The songs emphasize the shame and anger of the young Violet and the guilt and distress of the father. The playwright also chooses to present Violet without any facial scarring and the actress must communicate this flaw by touching her face and through song.


     At the same time, the present Violet rides along on the bus meeting various people who react to her scarred face. There are two soldiers, one white and one African American, who are reporting for assignment to Viet Nam. By Memphis, Violet is involved in a complicated relationship with each fellow. Remember, only a little of this is spoken dialogue. The lyrics of the songs caused me to listen closely to keep up with the action as well as to appreciate the wit and the character development. 


     In Oklahoma, Violet believes a miracle has happened even though her encounter with the tv evangelist is an emotionally wrenching disappointment. But  reinforced by a Gospel choir she does undergo some kind of inner healing. The audience members must decide whether her scar is still there or whether it is gone. Certainly a change has taken place and the evolving relationships with the soldiers illustrate this change.


     It seems to me that the playwright is saying that Violet's low self-esteem due to the scar is no longer controlling her decisions at the end, but I question whether fully entering into a love match is the desired denouement. Perhaps her increased self-esteem could be better established by Violet engaging with the world with or without a scarred face without depending on a man caring for her so she can think better of herself.


Mimi


     

A Visit With Storytelling Friends

     What a pleasure it was today to see and hear Gay Ducey tell stories at the International Storytelling Center in Jonesborough.


     I've known Gay since sometime in the early 1990's when she was a Featured Teller at the Poplarville Blueberry Festival which was produced by my good friend, Hattie Gentry. She was such a hit that the Poplarville Guild had Gay come back a number of times to tell, lead workshops, and teach Master Classes. I think I attended all of these.


     Rocky included Gay as one of the Barter Storytellers and she conducted a workshop for the Beaver Creek Storytellers Guild while in town. Both she and her husband, Patrick, stayed at our house several times.


     Today, when she saw me we hugged and she whispered in my ear, "I just wasn't ready to let him go yet," meaning Rocky, of course. She loved Rocky's humor and was very helpful to him in one of the Poplarville workshops when he introduced his signature story which we referred to as "Chicken Beebees." 


     After the program today at the ISC, Gay, her husband, and I went to The Bistro to have ice tea and peach cobbler and a good catch-up visit. They have two granddaughters now who live near them in Berkeley that they are very involved with. Gay is a very wise woman who was once a social worker and now is a Children's Librarian. The Bay Area of California gives her the opportunity to hear many ethnic stories of a multitude of cultures.


     She told several Asian folktales today and her animated facial expressions and her voice set her style that is so pleasing. I for one hang onto every word and the stories are never boring because I get caught up in the telling. The last story she told was a wonderful woman's story about a lifetime prosaic existence in which a woman lived as she was expected. However, she discovered an artistic way, using a prosaic medium, to express her yearnings. I've heard several stories from Gay through the years that have been memorable and have stayed with me, and this one will be one of those, I'm sure.




     Gay is a special friend to me and many of us who were involved in the Poplarville Storytelling Festival have a special place in our hearts for her. I wish her contentment and hope that she receives the kind of pleasure that she has been giving her audiences for many years.  Mimi

The Weekend to Celebrate Independence

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

2010

Details After A Death

     Thursday afternoon I received a call that the death certificate for Rocky had finally arrived at the Sullivan County Health Dept. It had been two weeks since the Tetrick Funeral Home in Johnson City had called and apologized for filing the paperwork instead of taking action on it and the secretary had just discovered it in the cabinet. 


     I was told that the paperwork would still have to go to the Medical Examiner (who was coincidentally the doctor at the Hospice House) and then to the County Coroner's office before I could pick it up. So considering it has been six weeks since Rocky's death, I decided to drive down to Blountville where the Vital Records Dept. is located and pick up the certificate immediately.


     I have discovered that I can't cancel or change certain services if they are in Rocky's name or both our names without supplying a death certificate. I can't have his name removed from checks or bank accounts or cancel credit cards in his name. I reported that he had died to Social Security so they would stop depositing his social security checks, but was then told I have other papers to sign to get other benefits and when I return them, I must submit a death certificate. I'm sure the IRS is going to want one, too.


     In normal circumstances, the funeral home takes care of these details. But since Rocky donated his body to medical science, the only thing the funeral home does is whatever is necessary to preserve and transfer the body so it meets the requirements of the university. There are no services to the family.


     This means I get to make these phone calls and run these errands. The only problem I had at Vital Records was having to wait in line and having to explain why a funeral home had not already done this and experiencing the scowl on the clerk's face. 


     I was in for another surprise today when I received a letter from the University which said it would be one to three years before Rocky's ashes would be returned to me. I've known of two other situations with two other universities and in one case, returning the ashes took two years and in the other case it took only two weeks!  The possibility of waiting for three years just seems too long, but there isn't anything I can do about it.


     I write of this primarily to let my followers know the consequences of this choice should one of their loved ones make it in the future. Please don't misunderstand. I'm not sorry Rocky made this choice, but it is a learning process for me that surprises me at times.

Blue Sky Boys At the Barter

     My friend, Molly Catron, and I met for lunch yesterday in Abingdon and then went to the Barter Theatre to see and hear "Blue Sky Boys." I didn't know what to expect as I'd never heard of this play and didn't see it during the Abingdon Highlands Festival when it auditioned last summer. I thought maybe it was about the man from Big Stone Gap who wrote the book about his adolescent activities of building rockets years ago.


     I was delighted to discover that it was about the first NASA project of putting a man on the moon before the end of the 1960's. I was a teensy, teensy part of that project in that my ex-husband, when we were still married, worked for a sub-contractor of NASA's and actually had an office on the Houston space center grounds. One of our neighbors was a Flight Controller for the lunar landing and was one of the oft-televised cheering men applauding and passing out cigars. Another connection is that my ex did analysis of the first photos that were sent back from the moon and wrote a paper that he presented at a conference in York, England in 1973 which garnered a trip to Europe for us.


     Now some stories involving a lot of science can be very dull. However, the playwright, Deborah Brevoort, handled that by including ten roles for imaginary characters, i.e. Buck Rogers, Icarus, Apollo, Galileo, the Red Baron, and even Snoopy.
The total number of 14 characters are played by seven actors, all male. The interaction of the real with the imagined leads to a good many laughs, and the play is fast-moving and highly entertaining.


     We here in Southwest Virginia are so lucky to have the Barter, a professional theatre and the State Theatre of Virginia, so handy. One thing I wish for is that ticket prices would not be so high. The matinee ticket I bought yesterday cost $29 which included a $2 discount because I'm a Triple A member. In the past I've bought six or twelve tickets called a "Passbook" for the season which brings the price down to a little less than $20 for a matinee. The opportunity to buy passbooks ends in April and this April I had other things on my mind and the opportunity passed by. So I will be selective about what I see. I passed up "Annie" because I've seen it before and will not go to see anything with Elvis or rock and roll, because I'm just not a fan. 


     But Molly and I plan to see "Violet" next Thursday--it looks really good!

2010 June 26 Full Moon

Storytelling for Midsummer Magic

     Saturday, June 26, would have been my and Rocky's 34th wedding anniversary. I knew it would be an emotional day for me, so I asked my granddaughter to come be with me. I had planned to take her to dinner, but better yet we were invited to a storytelling party in Jonesborough. 

     One of my new friends, Pam Miller, had been celebrating Mid-Summers Night on the closest June Saturday for the past few years in which her visitors would read from Shakespeare's Mid-Summer Night's Dream in Pam's backyard garden. This year she decided to switch it to a storytelling event and asked tellers to choose something appropriate to fairies or nature or fairytales. I was one of the tellers as was my friends, Molly Catron, and Linda Poland, and a couple new folks I had not met before.

This is Pam Miller, Hostess

     I was dependent on my iPhone for pictures because I couldn't find my Canon before I left the house. So I did not get pictures of Pam's charming "Fairy Tale Cottage." So I'll describe what I could see of it because the living room was full of people on folding chairs mixed in with antique furniture Pam has been collecting for years. First her front porch was hung with buntings of white gauzy muslin and mini lights. The winding path to the cottage which is well set back from the Main Street of Jonesborough was lined with solar lights which her family had brought to her for their annual summer visit. The feel of the living room was light and airy with crystal chandelier pulls, cut-glass lamps, white walls, white curtains edged with cutwork, a white brick fireplace with a mantel holding numerous glass candlesticks with lit white candles. Red and white wine was served in old American glass footed tumblers. The dining room table held snack foods, drinks, and light desserts. Books of fairytales were abundant lying on the sofa table, desk, and coffee table.

This is my close friend, Molly Catron. Molly is serving the wine here, not chugging it down!

     As soon as Jessica and I entered, we were crowned with a tiara wreath of lavender, so that delicious fragrance delighted us for the rest of the evening. My wreath now hangs on the cupboard in my private bathroom and should stay freshly aromatic for the rest of the summer.

Getting Used To the Changes

     I went out only once last week, and that was to the Medical Center to have a SSEP test ordered by the Neuro-orthopedist who I haven't actually met yet. I guess he wants to see my bones and nervous system on the inside of my skin before he sees me face to face.


     I had never heard of such a test before or know anyone who has had one. So I didn't know what to expect. The only instructions before hand were to wash my hair the night before, not to use any gels or sprays on it until after the test, not to drink any caffeine, and bring a driver. The last instruction made me speculate that I would be sedated. 


     Not so. The Tech said that I wouldn't have needed a driver and she didn't know why they keep telling people that! But my good friend, Molly, had picked me up and driven me and now during this 2-hour test, she was out running errands, including dropping my new Miele vacuum cleaner off at the repair shop.
(Somehow the handle broke ending up with a huge crack in its seams.)


     I asked why the test would take so long. The Tech said the length varies with the person. It is an "averaging test" she said, and only one area can be tested at a time until there's enough data gathered to figure an average. Then the Tech can move on to another area. There were four areas to test with the elctrodes they pasted to my left ankle, right ankle, left forearm, and right forearm. However, they pasted lots more electrodes around my body, to my legs, arms, back, neck, chest, and head; in fact, several to my head.


     What is this testing, I asked, what are they trying to find out? The answer was that they want info about whether the spinal cord is doing its job of being the central dispatcher of the nervous system. The question has arisen because I have an extreme case of scoliosis, curvature of the spine, and doctors are speculating that my spine is pressing against my lungs which is causing me severe shortness of breath. 


     The four "special" electrodes are stimulated with heat that then travels on down the nerve to the extremities. Because I have been retaining some fluid recently that collects around my ankles, it took longer for the heat to work its way through the "water." But overall, the test took only a little more than 90 minutes. Having heat slowly move through your nerves was not comfortable, but it wasn't unbearable. Just tedious--I almost fell asleep a couple times. Which was good because it meant I was relaxed.


     I don't have the results yet and may not have them until I finally see Dr. Lorio on August 12. I've seen his Nurse Practitioner, but not the doctor, the "spine man." I've already had the MRI that was ordered. I asked how long the spine man would give me to discuss my case, and was told, "15 minutes." 


     "What?!" I cried, "he's going to tell me my diagnosis, and discuss my options and relevant treatment plans, all in 15 minutes?" He can do it, I was told, because he'll have reviewed my chart (oh, yeah!) and looked at my test results.
Even though he's a surgeon and I willingly am going to see him, I am NOT having surgery on my spine. I don't care how talented he is and how state-of-the-art his techniques are, I'm NOT having spinal surgery. Not at my age. Unh, unh.


     So, I'll keep you posted. I'm calling every week to see if he's had any cancellations so I can move that appointment closer if possible.


     But that was the only reason I went out last week. Sunday, I did drive over to Abingdon to see my best friend's newly remodeled kitchen. We visited and drank tea for an hour or so and laid some plans for the holidays of the summer.
My only vacation plans are for a trip to Indianapolis in mid-August to attend my grandson's Drum and Bugle Corps contest finals. And, excitedly I tell you, my Abingdon friend and I are researching some plans to go to Taos, New Mexico over Labor Day. That will be a real adventure and I hope it comes to pass.









     

Flower Gardening

    




     For several days, I've been getting my exercise by pulling some weeds in the flower beds. Here are some pictures of my new Asiatic lilies. 

My niece, Rosalie, and her husband, Leslie, planted these for me last November when they visited.  

  

They make easy arrangements to bring into the house. A stalk will have one or two flowers and 4-6 buds so they continue to open in a vase.

There are still a few in the garden yet to bloom.

My New Journey Begins

     Today is June 1, and I opened my copy of Rich With Years, Daily Meditations on Growing Older and discovered June 1 was turned down with a dog ear. Evidently, I had been impressed with it last year and wanted to note it and had no pencil available. Here's part of what it says: "I want to keep trying, take risks, keep going, experiment with life, undertake new ventures, and find fresh challenges."


     Well, that doesn't seem to be the PROPER thing to do while mourning! But I put PROPER aside way back in the '60's. Rocky made the observation about me once that I like challenges. Oh, not sky diving or getting a medical degree, but problem-solving or organizing or producing a new group, a new venue, a new story. Some fresh interest; some fresh insight; a new friendship. I think he was right.


     But I do have a background in social work so I realize that taking care of myself now involves expressing all the emotions I currently have and not allowing new challenges to distract me. I am choosing no time table and making no big decisions. And no obligations other than feed my pets and pay my bills. I want to have plenty of time available to deal with the grief that I feel and will continue to feel for awhile. 


     Writing in the Caring Bridge journal was very therapeutic for me, but I am finished there for now. This Blog and my own personal Journal (the one on my word processor that no one else sees) become my current writing outlets. 


     However, I feel there are some loose ends to be tied up before this Blog will feel complete for me. And those loose ends involve some pictures, so let's see if I can upload them into the blog and not have to put them in a side-bar. 


     Of course, Rocky's illness and death account for much of the time away from this Blog, but during that time and especially in May after his death, Castle Yonder and I had several visitors. The first was my niece, Rosalie from Ohio, and her daughter, my Great-Niece Annette from Michigan who came to visit the last weekend of April. 

Rosalie and Annette

April 25, 2010

     On May 5, Rocky's son, Geoffrey, arrived from Georgia and stayed through May 23. Here he is with his son, our grandson, Christopher who is all dressed up due to a concert in Lynchburg, VA that Geoff and I took time out to attend.

Geoff and Christopher

May 21, 2010

Our grandaughter, Jessica, was there also sitting next to me and in my thoughtless state of mind I didn't turn and snap a pic of her!

     Of course, the Celebration Of Rocky's Life (in lieu of a funeral) brought several of our family members from Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina, Boston and Philadelphia. I don't have a lot of pictures yet as I took very few that day. Here are my two sons, Alan and Eric, flanking my nephew-in-law, Leslie.

From left, Alan from Philadelphia;

Leslie from near Toledo; and

Eric from Boston

May 23, 2010

Me with my nephew, Marv, who is from North Carolina.

Marv had a stroke about 3 years ago which has 

very much altered his life as a successful businessman.

My son-in-law, Armas, and son, Alan. 

May 23, 2010

     I just realized that these photos that I did take are all of males! Hmmmmm!

There were a lot of female worker bees keeping the hors d'ouvres and punch flowing from the kitchen out to the carport where the tables were set up. They also prettied Castle Yonder up by supplying their own garden flowers for flower arrangements. My best friends, Jean and Molly, and my niece, Rosalie,

did most of the work. Molly also constructed a Power Point presentation of Rocky's life in old photographs that could be viewed in the carport. Her husband, Wayne, transported guests from the parking lot of the church one mile away from us back and forth on our one-lane curvy road leading to CY.

     There's no picture here of my grandaughter, Jessica, although I did see some that were taken by Alan on his Flip video camera. He left them for me on my computer's desktop but I haven't taken the time to import them into my photo software so I can access them singly.

     My VASA friend, Norris, from Virginia Beach drove over for the Celebration and then stayed on with me for a week. Here she is:

Norris at Castle Yonder, May 26, 2010

Norris is wonderfully easy to have as a house guest. One of my other friends calls her an "angel," since she goes where needed and is always ready to help. All of my friends, both male and female, have been angels for me and Geoff through these past two months. They are:

Jean, Molly, Rudy, Leigh Ann, Jack, Rosalie, Diana, Paul, 

Organizations that fall into the "angel" category are first and foremost,

Wellmont Hospice House staff and Don McGregor, Bereavement Counselor

Susan Early, Social Worker, Bristol Regional Medical Center

J. R. Gilmer, Elder, Beulah Land Baptist Church

David Wilson, Director, Goosepimple Junction Adventure Camp

Pitching in to be part of the Celebration Of Rocky's Life Memorial service was

Leon Overbay, Isaac Freeman, Pat Musselman, Molly Catron, Paul Conco, 

Bill Marburg, Tineke Labrie

And then, how interesting LIFE works out. My best friend from Garrett, IN high school, Sue and her husband, Wayne, were attending a conference in Knoxville and drove two hours north to Bristol to spend just about two hours visiting me on May 25 and then they drove two hours back to Knoxville. How sweet it is, and here they are:

Sue and Wayne at Castle Yonder

May 25, 2010

Attendees at the Celebration said they felt like Rocky's spirit was all around  Castle Yonder during the day.  I think he visited us the next day, too!

Rainbow Over Castle Yonder, May 24, 2010

"Until we meet again, Rocky!"

Mimi