Dog Advent

Twenty-five bones for the 25 days in December before Christmas. Or if started on the secular/Pagan Nov. 28, the 25 days before the Winter Solstice. Got this at a church crafts fair, and was gonna send it off to friends, but everyone at work said, "That isn't for Bindi?!?!?!" in horror, as if she should get every interesting thing. So now it's on my office wall.

Had pizza and salad for lunch at the office to celebrate three December birthdays, and two October birthdays. Nice. Bindi chewed another hole in the sofa in our office library. Exact same cushion, different spot. Oy.

The Christian word "advent" is of pagan origin. Pagans observed a manifestation of a god who came to dwell in his temple at a certain time each year. The feast honoring this god was called "adventus." On this day the temple, normally closed, would be opened. At times a statue of a god would be moved to a place much larger than the small sanctuary where it usually resided. The adventus then was the god's return, an anniversary. In another context, the adventus referred to the celebration of the anniversary of the coming of the emperor. So this word was very convenient to use in another context—the coming of the Son of God in the temple of a human nature for His visit. The word gradually became limited to describe what was considered the only real coming—the coming of the Lord. -- Brother John Raymond www.monksofadoration.org

Hardware Cookies

I mean, how cute is this? I walk into Page hardware store with Bindi and there is the overwhelming fragrance of baking chocolate chip cookies, which they were doing upstairs and then bringing them down to feed the customers. What a nice small town touch. Bindi and I walked on the Guilford Green for a few minutes but no doggies were out playing. Came back home and dug up most of the canna, calla, and gladiola corms/tubers/bulbs. What a chore. But better than spending money every year on them. Had nice nap, and calls from Jim and Scott and Yasmin. Cold out, clear night, bright crescent moon, shining stars.

Altered States

Been on "vacation" for the past week and haven't done the computer thing much. Very nice dinner yesterday with Rachel, Frances, Mihaela, Emma, and Kevin. The dinner was perfect and we played old 70s and 80s tunes from my new Time Life series (is $150 too much for all that music?). Critters are well, and it's been very nice to have the week off.


Native American Thanksgiving Prayer, by Rebecca Fortier

Now that I am about to eat, O Great Spirit, Give my thanks to the beasts and birds whom You have provided for my hunger; and pray deliver my sorrow that living things must make a sacrifice for my comfort and well-being. Let the feather of corn spring up in its time and let it not wither but make full grains for the fires of our cooking pots, now that I am about to eat.

“But what is denied actually does exist and eventually comes to the surface, just as any truth will eventually surface despite acts to hide it.” --Joy Harjo

Guilford WITH Manatees

Went to Robert Rattner's presentation on his underwater photography last night at the Guilford Library. It was so beautiful and informative, and the room was packed. I learned a lot and Rob's photos are stunning and unusual. One of his manatees is above. savethemanatee.org (Don't know how to make links yet.) Patricia Moehlman, "the jackal lady," was there with her husband and it's always nice to see her. She and Rob go way back.

Although I'm fighting a cold, I really wanted to go. Felt crummy all yesterday but had so much to do. Have been using Zicam which I think helps a lot. And drinking lots of water.

Had a working dinner with my boss Laura on Wednesday night at Scoozi. I had a wild boar sausage risotto which was very good. She has so many meetings during the day that it's hard to get work done with her in the office, so these dinner meetings are a nice alternative.

Have another crafting date with Annette tomorrow, after I go to a few more church crafts fairs. The weather has been ridiculously warm -- mid 60s yesterday. I think I saw a witch hazel bush in bloom, which is totally the wrong time of year for it to be doing this. I hope the daffodils don't start pushing up through the ground! Go back to sleep go back to sleep! It's not time to get up!! Oh, by the way, it's 5:37 am, so I think I'll take my own advice. Bye.

Lavern and War

Busy weekend. Fired Up with Frances on Friday. We both really enjoy it. Then took Frances into the office where we met Rachel, and went to Moderately Cheerful Hour for a while. Rachel finally met Dawn who had stopped by to pick up Nathan's backpack, and since Frances was there, the kids greeted one another and we all discovered that Nate and Francie go to the same after care program. Small world. After MCH, I went to an Edgerton Community Garden dinner for two people who were leaving the committee. Sat next to Jeff and two new young gardeners and had fun conversations.

Saturday, I went off to my church crafts fairs, and found two very interesting items. One is a gift for someone so can't mention it, but the other is a Christmas tree shaped light fashioned of golden safety pins and clear plastic beads with a small string of tiny lights inside. We've already set it up here as a 24/7 night light. Very pretty. Bindi was of course the hit everywhere we went, altho none of the knitters or sewers had any dog coats or garments. I told them all they needed to get on the ball! Sylvia was here when I got back and I hung out with her some.

Today Sam came over again and toted that barge and lifted that bale again, taking boxes of my stuff from the back porch up to the attic. Refound my baby fork and spoon, and noticed for the first time that each has a script "L" engraved on the end of the utensil. I finally made the connection that one of the reasons I must like script capital "L's" is that I probably remember them from being on those two implements from childhood. Those big "Ls" that Laverne always had on her clothes in the show "Lavern & Shirley?" Love 'em.

Am watching "Combat Hospital" on CNN while I am typing this. Real life MASH, about the Iraq and Afghanistan casualties. I'm proud of CNN for finally showing what war is about for the people who get wounded. It's brutal, terrifying, gory, and deeply disturbing. If this was shown on all the channels instead of the junk that's on TV, we'd be out of that war tomorrow. We've got to get our women and men out of there.

Dog Park

Frances and I took Bindi to the Hamden Dog Park today. It was the first time we had been there. Bindi was a bit intimidated I think, cause there were probably 20 dogs about. She took to a beautiful Basenji that looked a little like her. It's always nice to see all the other dogs.

I was thinking about one of my counseling clients this morning and found myself thinking, "I forgive my mother." I forgive her for how badly she treated me and all the damage it did. I could not forgive her when she was alive, but I seem to be able to forgive her, and me, now. I wonder why now, why today?

I went to get blood drawn this morning, too, and the tech hurt me. They almost always do cause they can't find my veins. I've got a painful bruise there.

Made fish dinner for Frances and me and Margaret and Mab. Good. And we ate a huge beautiful pomegranite with our dessert. Yum. The fruit is a stunning color, and rich with symbolism from many cultures.

Tomorrow Frances and I will go to "Fired Up," the paint your own pottery store.

Vote

Voting day. So many of us want this war in Iraq to end. Will see tomorrow morning what the shake up is. Have I written about my Wall of Perspective? Will have to read over old blogs to see.

The Women Faculty Forum Poster Exhibit was out on the Beinecke Plaza today, really empressive, all sorts of interesting posters folks had made about their work on gender. When they put the posters up on their website, I'll post a link so mine can be seen. I was proud to be part of it. Took photos.

Dog was popular today. She visited with Tommaso, Mihaela, Pamela, Aitch, Rachel, Megan, Emma, Tirza, and some student who reached down to pet her as we were walking thru the doorway. Took her to crafts fairs this weekend. Wasn't going to go to the Hadassah one on Sunday, but am glad I did. Met a woman who grabbed Bindi up and wouldn't let go of her, and we proceded to have a long talk about dogs and wolves and vets and pet health. I think she was a jeweler, but quite frankly I never looked at her work very closely. She will be a good animal contact for me. She had a great story about rescuing a dog from death row in the shelter cause the shelter people said the dog hated men and could not be socialized. She insisted on taking the dog and had to sign all sorts of waivers drawn up by the city. She had some experience working with wolves, so was not afraid of an aggressive dog. After working with the dog for a while, there occured a situation where the dog ran outside, saw a man across the street, pinned him against a tree, and began licking the man heartily. She said this man just gave off a golden glow of love which obviously the dog responded to and even tho the man was quite a bit older than she, they ended up married. I got a free hotdog at the fair since the fire had gone out under the serving dish, and ran into Rafael, with his own story of losing a dog of his when it ran out into the street and was hit. He said his wife wouldn't speak to him for six months. He said the dog looked like Bindi.

Early Sunday afternoon a new handyperson named Sam came over to help me lift that barge and tote that bale. Got things cleaned up in the garage, got stuff taken to the attic and the cellar, got help cleaning out heavy flower pots, moving fire wood, all sorts of things. She is young and strong and didn't charge very much, and was an enormous help. She'll be back next Sunday for more of the same.

Frosty Moon

Full Beaver Moon - November 5. This was the time to set beaver traps before the swamps froze, to ensure a supply of warm winter furs. Another interpretation suggests that the name Full Beaver Moon comes from the fact that the beavers are now actively preparing for winter. It is sometimes also referred to as the Frosty Moon. --Farmer's Almanac

This lovely watercolor is courtesy of www.fineartbyrobin.com. I like it very much. It's cold here. Splurged and bought Bindi a $28 fleece coat at the new upscale Guilford pet store, but it fits her perfectly and it's attractive and it didn't cost THAT much. We had gone to two church craft fairs, where I didn't spend very much money, so I felt I could get her what she needed. I got a free lunch at one of the fairs, since everyone was given a ticket when they came in, but when time came to pull the three tickets for the free lunches, none of the people connected to the tickets were there. So I was standing next to one of the organizers, and she said, "Here, give me your ticket." She read off the numbers, I said, "That's mine!" and I got a grilled cheese, fruit cup, and pecan pie. Funny, and sweet. I got for three dollars a garden edger, something I had wanted for a long time. Now I need a pitch fork, and log splitter wedge.

Came home and watched Tarnation, an indie film by Jonathan Caouette, which Rachel and Mihaela said I should see. It was a well-done documentary about his dysfunctional, abusive family, and his attempt to rise above it. I found it devastating and beautiful, and would have been very happy not to have seen it. I hear so many of these stories in my counseling practice, that watching a film about such things is not my idea of entertainment.

Risa called and left a message, but when I called back she was off to a thrift shop sale and couldn't talk very long, but we'll talk another time. She did say how happy she is to be back at her teaching job with the 3-5 year olds, and the temperature in Berkeley was about 75 degrees. That sounds sooooo nice.

Culture Day

November 3 is Culture Day (bunkano-hi) and is one of the national holidays in Japan. It was the birthday of the Emperor Meiji. The celebration of his birthday was sustained as Culture Day when he passed away. It is also the day the present Japanese Constitution was officially announced in 1946. The Order of Culture Awards ceremony for people who are outstanding contributors to Japanese culture and society is held in the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on this day. The emperor himself presents the awards to the winners.

Ah, there's something important happening all the time in some part of the world. Today in my world -- not so much.
Was missing Dill this morning, and learned last night that my estranged friend R. in St. Augustine is moving away from there because, according to our mutual friend Jim, she has managed to alienate everyone where she currently lives. How sad. I fear she will repeat the same mistakes even with the geographical solution. It was nice to talk with Jim all the same, and catch up. He and T om seem to be doing pretty well, which I like to hear. And their children: Towanda, Boy, Oscar, and Sophie. Three cats and a dog.

Went swimming in the exhibition pool at the Yale gym with Rachel. The practice pool, the natatorium, is closed due to filth! An 18 billion dollar endowment and Yale can't even keep its own swimming pool clean! Shameful. The exhibition pool was warmer, and we sat in the sauna for a bit after. It helped my sad mood.

Halloween was uneventful. The house here is so far off the road that no kids come around to trick or treat. But that' s fine with me. Was going to go to the ABC Dog Training School costume party last night, but was too tired. The weather is getting colder, and everyone is more tired and not ready for the cold and the time change. I'm putting my garden to bed, and picking the last of the flowers, and fussy with the now indoor plants to make them all fit and debug them. Must remember to go to the community garden and dig up the lemon grass plant to winter it over as I have been doing for the past several years. Dill used to like to munch on the leaves. I miss that guy. Ouch.

Comcast came yesterday and replaced the wire from the street to the house, which it had been said was the cause of our infuriatingly intermittent service. I managed to blow the fuses on four kitchen plugs a couple of days ago so must experiment with changing fuses tomorrow. Never did fill the bird feeders. Sometimes when I get home it's all I can do to just throw one piece of paper away, if you know what I mean. I managed to bring in, wash out, and place under the plant a saucer that was grimy from being outside, and that seemed like a lot. All these details of life, take time time time time and effort effort effort. The trick is to do them consciously, while being wholly present, so that even those small seemingly trivial tasks have meaning and bring satisfaction. Almost bought a book on sale today called Awake at Work, something about Zen teachings applied to the work place. Don't know why I passed it up.

Looking forward to a massage with Dana tomorrow, then some crafts fairs over the weekend, and may have found someone to help me move and organize more of my stuff on Sunday. I still have a couple of things at Norton Street I have to get.

South Park - NOT!

That awful cartoon show called South Park is making fun of Steve Irwin, and the way he died, on its show. Uck. His daughter Bindi's kids' show has been put off for a year to give her time to mourn, and that seems a wise decision to me. A DVD will be released on kids and fitness that apparently had already been completed, done with her dad. Sigh.

Been listening to NPR's new talk radio show, On Point. Very informative, very balanced, trying to present both sides of an issue. This morning they were talking about how reliable the electronic voting machines are, and what the best kind of electronic machine is the best.

Finished my poster for the Women's Faculty Forum poster exhibit, and am pretty satisfied with the way it turned out. Had some color copies of it made for posterity.

Been getting emails from my newly discovered 2nd and 5th cousins. Cool.

Blue Agave

Blue agave nectar, low glycemic index. Mix two tablespoons in a glass of seltzer, add the juice of one fresh lime, some ice and enjoy a delicious, refreshing drink that's a healthy alternative to soda, either sugared or sugar-free. I'm really picky, and I found it to be yum yum.

Slept till noon today, which with the time change was one o'clock I guess. Been doing too much refined sugar, hence the rave about agave nectar. Did some cleaning up, then Bindi and I went out to run some errands. Found another huge branch down from the big wind last night, but no damage done. Went to Page Hardware and got vacuum bags and an electric mug warmer for my desk. It always takes me so long to drink a hot drink and by the time I get to the bottom it's completely cold. We'll see how this thing works. Also picked up a manual hand crank drill, cause I can't find the one I have. It's very convenient for making small holes without dragging out the electric drill, finding an outlet, etc. Environmentally conscious, too. Only $13 and the thing is so well made! Page's has everything. One of my fave Guilford shops, and the staff is always so friendly and helpful.

Went to the Guilford Green to find some canines for Bindi to play with, but nobody was out. Found a black lab on the sidewalk with its humans, but they were busy and on their way. Will have to call Maddie's human and set up a play date. Dropped by FoodWorks, the local natural food market, and bought some things I needed with a 10% off coupon I had.

Spoke with Jim for a while who is off to Dallas next Sunday for a few days with his friend Margie. Don't know anything about the city, but guess he'll check it out for me, since he's never been there either. Margie has a conference there, so Jim is going along for the ride. I think that's nice.

Had tentative date to do more arts & crafts with Annette today, but just didn't feel up to it. Called her late in the day and got a name of another electrician, whom I will need since I blew out the electrical strip under the kitchen window by running the microwave and the toaste oven at the same time. Maybe it's just a blown fuse. That'd be nice.

Arts & Crafts

At left, one of Rob's stunning water reflection photos, no digital manipulation whatsoever. Went to the Artspace exhibit today with the Bindster, met Rachel and Frances there, ran into Howard E. saw Rob Rocke, who introduced me to yet ANOTHER Rob, saw Tony's work. Whew. My knees were killing me and, as usual, Bindi was adored by many an art-looker. Saw only one other dog there, a little papillon named Rocky.

Went to a mediocre crafts fair today at the Guilford Community Center, a seniors crafts fair. Did pick up a couple of things that were quite nice, but won't mention them as they might end up as gifts for one of you.

Had lunch with Rachel and Loren at a new noodle shop we'd never been to. So good to see Loren and hear her stories of teaching 7th grade in Brooklyn. She's in a kind of boot camp as far as teaching goes, but seems to be learning a great deal, and the kids are lucky to have her.

Learned that my second counsin Kay Wood whom I've just been introduced to via the internet lived in Pontiac, Michigan, not all that far from the AndFam in Midland, a couple of hours maybe.

Bring the Houseplants In

Saw the fox again today, running across the road in the dark, while I was driving to get cat litter this evening.

Got into the office this morning and called Comcast cause our internet was down again, so ran back out to Guilford to meet the cable guys. Seems the cable from the street to the house is not big enough, so it will be replaced. I was glad to have the afternoon off to bring in more of the houseplants -- at left, Aristolochia Gigantea, an odd bird that was given to me struggling but now blooms its head off. It's a form of Dutchman's Pipe.

Have eight people who have said they will join me in Guilford for Thanksgiving/Indigenous Peoples' Day. I'll cook a bird and something for the vegetarians, and everyone else will bring the trimmings.

Went to Jennie Livingston's presentation of her two new films yesterday afternoon, organized by Rachel. One film, called "Under the Ice," was a short documentary about dog walkers in New York City who one winter watched a man walk out across the ice of a local lake, fall in the ice, and drown. They were not able to save him without endangering their own lives. It was very powerful. Jennie is the late director Alan Pakula's niece, and he told her to absolutely not go into filmmaking since it is such a difficult career. So much for that advice. She is Rachel's friend and might join us for Thanksgiving Day.

Think I've picked my last cucumber. It's getting really cold at night. Dug up my ginger which has multiplied itself by four. It's so fun to do that. Bought a finch feeder, and will get seriously into filling all the feeders this weekend. Meeting Rachel and Frances and Loren for lunch tomorrow, then to the art exhibit where our friends Rob and Tony and Rob Rocke will have their work displayed. Looking forward to that.

Anderson Ancestors

Was surfing the net a couple of nights ago, Googling Gladsia Bland and Gladsia Anderson (photo at left), and I came across myarnolds.com, which turned out to be a geneology site for my father's side of the family! This is very exciting for me, as I had wondered about this for some time. It's a complex and complicated site, but I was able to find out that my great great grandmother Malinda was married on the day I found the site, 23 October, 144 years ago, and she had twelve children with three husbands! I'll share more tidbits as I come across them, and will be adding all sorts of people to the myarnolds.com site that are not there.

Monday was also lunch with Geeta, her friend Jean from Australia, and Oyuna, one of Yale's World Fellows. Rachel came too. It was quite lively listening to Oyuna talk about her home country of Mongolia and her work with the political, religious, and social systems there, and her two children, whom she admits are her best fashion advisors. Jean, it turns out, shares a financial accountant with the Steve Irwin family, and one of her children goes to the same school as Bindi Irwin. Six degrees of separation indeed.

On Sunday Annette and I got together to do crafts, she a glittery holiday wreath, and I one of my oatmeal box collages. It was great fun, and Bindi was well diverted by some of the goodies we won at the dog costume contest. We didn't finish so will get together some time this week to complete our projects.

And today my sister Judy emailed me to say she had met someone through her husband Dale's work in the physics department at the Univ. of Illinois, and it turned out to be my childhood friend Celia! So in three days I have made connections with fifth and second cousins, and an old friend from elementary school. I look forward to finding out more about these folks.

Most Creative Costume

Hey, we won a prize for the most creative costume today! You can't really tell from the photo, but Bindi was a peacock with tailfeathers and all. There were ten dogs, two cats, and a bunny rabbit who won most cute for being ensconced in a costume that looked like a big carrot. It was way fun, and I never would have done something like this without my doggie. Bindi was very tolerant of the costume, altho she didn't like wearing the hat very much. We won a big plastic pumpkin full of dog treats and useful dog care items, plus a coupon for a big bag of new very high end dog food. There were cookies and cider and fun was had by all. Annette let me borrow her digital camera to take the photos, since I still don't have one.

Later, Jim came over and we went on the trolley trail walk in Stony Creek, then out to dinner to Friends & Company. I had a very nice grilled salmon over an asparagus risotto, with apple crisp and vanilla ice cream for dessert. Jim wanted to stay longer and hang out I think, but I told him I needed to get into my pj's and get into bed. I'd had a big day for me.

Day Off

Took Camilla to the vet this morning for a check up, to get a script for xanax, and to get an ultrasound on her heart. Her heart is fine, which is a real relief, but the bill was $460 or something like that, which included the fee for Dill's necropsy. I spend so much money on vet bills. Oh well. Don't have any human children to spend it on, 'cept the AndFam Munchkins. Then went home and waited for the Comcast guy to come and fix the internet connection. It shuts down about once a month, which is way frustrating. But I made a little headway on getting more crap in my rooms put away. It's so hard.

Doing very bad with the sugar thing. Bought two pints of Haagen Dazs mint chip light and ate them both for dinner. That's so so bad for me. I'm so fussy about what kinds of treats my friends give Bindi, but I'll fill my body with the most poisonous crap. Want to be more open about these binges, in hopes that I might get some insight or someone will contribute something helpful.

Glitter

Oooh, I have such a great neighbor. Annette called this evening to invite me to play with glitter and paste this weekend. She had gone to the craft store and bought all sorts of goodies. I have to think about what I want to create, but just the fact that she initiated this project makes me very happy. And just look at that cool upload paw print! She said her houseguest saw the fox this past week, too, so foxy is definitely hanging about.

Geeta just got her first cell phone. She's my age. I helped Rachel head off a migraine today. Rubbed her shoulders, and we did a little standup yoga. Tommaso is bummed that his landlord won't let him get a chihuahua. I made a call to Marlene DeSanto, the Guilford yoga teacher that Sharon recommended. It's the next step in my health regime. Scott called to say he's selling cars, but that somehow he has managed to scratch two that he sold, and the other salespeople have nicknamed him "Crash." Jim in New Orleans has produced yet another successful jazz video. Had a little setback in my clutter project, as M. objected to a change I had made in the living room.

Natatorium

Know what that is? An indoor swimming pool. Yale has the largest suspended natatorium in the world. Went with Rachel today, cold drizzly outside, cold wet inside. I just jumped in.

Jim came over on Sunday and kept me company while I cleaned some of my messy room. He read the paper and surfed online, while I futzed around trying to make some order. Why is it easier to clean and organize with someone else there? I need a witness? Moral support? Someone to chat with in between the sorting and dusting? He was reacting to the cats and the dust and the mold and who knows what else, but he hung in there long enough to have dinner with me and Rob, who is sick with a sinus problem and a tooth ache. I made minestrone soup, served with cucumbers from the garden, and a Meyer lemon cake from a Trader Joe's mix. Nice.

Thinking about taking Bindi to a dog costume contest on Saturday; we'll see if I can get it together to create a costume. I have something in mind. Stay tuned.

Fox

This afternoon I saw my first live wild fox. I was headed down the driveway in my car and saw this creature cross in front. It was sunset and she was alone, and headed into the woods. I drove out of the driveway, turned right, pulled over to the side of the road and saw her briefly sitting just inside the edge of the woods, then moving off as the car startled her. I uploaded this picture as it represented most closely what she looked like, although I saw her from the side. I thought perhaps an oppossum, then no, the legs are too long. It was a fox. I have waited a long time to see a fox in the wild, so for me today is very special, and I know that I live among her.

FOX

I needed a fox Badly I needed
a vixen for the long time none had come near me
I needed recognition from a
triangulated face burnt-yellow eyes
fronting the long body the fierce and sacrificial tail
I needed a history of fox briars of legend it was said she
had run through
I was in want of fox

And the truth of the briars she had to have run through
I craved to feel on her pelt if my hands could even slide
past or her body slide between them sharp truth distressing
surfaces of fur
lacerated skin calling legend to account
a vixen's courage in vixen terms

For a human animal to call for help
on another animal
is the most riven the most revolted cry on earth
come a long way down
Go back far enough it means tearing and torn endless
and sudden
back far enough it blurts
into the birth-yell of the yet-to-be human child
pushed out of a female the yet-to-be woman

(c) 2001 by Adrienne Rich

I love this poem. I find it woundingly beautiful.

* * * * *
I was very tired today, and with Bindi's help, managed to drag myself out of bed. I took us to a Harvest Festival on the Guilford green, and saw lovely things made by human hands, some exquisite, some quite ordinary. Didn't buy anything, as what I wanted had no use but to collect dust, no matter how artful, and I am trying to avoid those kinds of purchases. I am so overwhelmed by the state of my two rooms, so messy and cluttered, so now have to hire someone to help me make sense of it. When it gets this bad I can only add more to it, not find a way thru to the order I know is hidden somewhere under the chaos. Brought in all the house plants from outside and they have taken over, so verdant is my green thumb. I will try to give some away.

Last night I went to the Artspace opening, where Rob had a photo displayed, along with almost 500 other artists! The reception was mobbed, and with Bindi in my arms, Carolyn's pretty scarf around her neck, we weaved and pushed our way thru the clot of humans till we found R & R, said hello, and promply skedaddled. Will go back to see the art when we can really see it.

Before the opening, we went to Moderately Cheerful Hour. Jordan was there and held Bindi till his leg fell asleep; Chris was there looking tanned from his helicopter work in Louisiana. Geeta and David came for a bit; it was definitely cheerful.

Early yesterday afternoon I went over to the sleep study center to get fitted for the CPAP machine mask. The technician was very nice, and helped me feel better about having to use this awful machine. If it will indeed make me less tired, and give me more energy to live, and hopefully lose weight, many things could change. But I will keep my expectations low until I see the outcome of the treatment.

Eurydice

Last night Margaret and I went to see "Eurydice" at the Yale Reperatory Theatre. It's a retelling of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice: Eurydice and Orpheus have just married and are deeply in love; Orpheus is a gifted musician, his instrument the lyre. Eurydice was pursued against her will by Aristaeus, and as she ran from him, she stepped on a viper and was killed. Orpheus, in his grief, decided to descend to the Underworld and try to get her back. He played his sorrowful music and even Hades, the ruler of the underworld, was swayed. Hades agreed to release Eurydice, with one caveat: on their journey out of the Underworld, Eurydice must follow behind Orpheus, and he must not look back until they are both in the light. When they are almost out of the world of the dead, Orpheus, in his anxiety to make sure Eurydice is still with him, looks back and she is whisked downward to the Underworld, leaving Orpheus alone once again.

In this production, the focus is on Eurydice's relationship with her dead father, with whom she is reunited in the Underworld. With themes of amnesia, memory, and the retelling of their lives, they gradually come to know one another again, altho Eurydice is torn between her love for her father in the Underworld and her love for Orpheus above. It was to me a very interesting and engaging production; unfortunately, it made Margaret very very sad, and she wished she had not seen it. I believe she is still grieving the loss of her own parents and this script hit too close to home, to heart.

The photo is from the publicity.