Living where it's warm

Yes, I like living where the coldest it's been so far is about 35 degrees during the night. Of course, this house, at least, and perhaps others in the area as well, isn't made to keep out the cold. Chilly drafts whistled through spaces under and around doors and windows. And the house is about 24 inches off the ground, with no particular insulation in the floor, either. Fortunately, so far that's only been a couple of nights, and yesterday and today the daytime temperatures were back into the 70s.

I've been trying to keep busy. Starting last week, I lugged my keyboard over to my favorite eating place, The Starfish Cafe, and I've been playing Christmas music during their lunch shift, 11-1:45. Today, when I left there, I picked up Remy and headed out to do errands. First, we went to The French Knot (knit shop) in nearby Diamondhead (maybe 8-10 miles?). From there, we hurried toward a specialty pet store in Slidell, but it closed at 3:00 today, and we didn't make it. So, I searched locations in New Orleans that carry Stella & Chewy's (my faithful back-up, freeze-dried dog food) and found one in a neighborhood I'd already been in once -- a real plus. Also, it had its own parking lot!

From there, we meandered over to Veteran's Memorial Parkway, another place I've been before, and found a Joann's Fabrics so I could get a particular type of needle that I need for the proper finishing of the knitted items I've been producing. I "yelped" restaurants in the area and found a place where the brisket was highly recommended -- and it was close by. It turned out to be a bar where smoking is obviously allowed, although fortunately it wasn't busy or smoky at the time. I had the brisket tacos, and the corn tortillas came back to haunt me almost immediately, but the meal was delicious.

The piece de resistance of the evening and the reason for going all the way to New Orleans was a workshop/class for voice actors. This is hosted in the home of the instructor where he has his own little recording studio. He (Marc Preston) talked about a lot of different things including emphasis on the acting part of voice work, focusing on a particular area of voice work, and marketing oneself, and the class culminated with each of us having a turn in the booth, practice reading some prepared copy. I felt I did well at my first try in many years. There was a special price offered for 4 classes ($25 per single class, or $85 for four), so on my way over I had to stop at a couple of different Walgreen's and buy small items so I could get cash back.

This means that, for the next 3 weeks, I have a Tuesday meeting in New Orleans. I'm not sure what I want to do with this. I just know that it's something I like and could do for income. First, I guess I need to get back with Social Security one more time and try to understand how this all works. Initially, I was asked how much I expected to earn this year, and I was told that my monthly income from SS would rise or fall based on my other sources of income. I got a form from the SS office a couple of months ago, asking whether I was earning what I expected. I said no. I got back pay from April and May, but the monthly amount didn't go up. When I went to the SS office in Lacombe the middle of last week, the person I talked to said that the amount wouldn't change. She wasn't specifically a retirement agent, but a disability person, but she said she checked with a retirement person. I'm a little confused. If the amount is fixed, then does that mean I can work without it affecting my SS income? If so, I'm off to find work, because this is not (quite) enough to live on. If not, then I need to know the ins and outs of this system.

If anyone out there reading knows anything about this, please fill me in. (The SS I'm getting right now is Spousal Benefits, not my own SS. I won't be eligible for that for a few more years, and I figure to stay on the Spousal Benefits for a while in order that my own SS income will be higher when I finally get to it.)

I'm having an interesting experience of Advent/Christmas this year. I'm far from loved ones. I'm in a warm climate. The UU church I've been attending doesn't really do much with Advent or Christmas. I have no decorations. And I've been playing Christmas music 2-3 times a week at a cafe. I think it's funny that people in this climate hang lighted icicles and snowflakes. I mean, can't Christmas fit into the reality of this climate? People sing about "Winter Wonderland" here as much as they do in Michigan. It seems odd to me.

I may take a pottery class after the first of the year. A place opened just a block from us where they're teaching classes in pot building and casting on the wheel (two separate classes). I have to look into cost. Oh, and I met a florist with a business right on Main Street next to the Starfish Cafe. She offered to do a barter with me where she would teach me to make the floral arrangements for Abby's wedding, if I would teach her some piano lessons. Sounds like a pretty good deal. I'll be talking with her. Now to find a massage therapist who wants to do the same! Oh! And yoga. After seeing Ginny Peterson do a backbend at Thanksgiving, I thought, "I really need to work on my flexibility!"

I miss my friends and family and wish you were here, rather than me there. I don't miss the blizzards ... too much. I actually do like shoveling, but only once or twice a week, not 3 times a day as someone posted on Facebook. Remy and I are doing okay, holed up in the bedroom most of the time. Rick has the living room, where he plays Solitaire, writes short stories, and checks email, while watching TV or listening to a fabulous jazz station out of New Orleans. Ever since Rick nearly tripped over Remy in the kitchen, I try to stay out of there when he's in there. I try to keep Remy in the bedroom as much as possible. Apparently, while I was at the cafe today, Remy must not have been feeling well (I say this because he had been out twice before I left and did everything he needed to do both times) and left "gifts" (as Rick said in a note) for me in the laundry room. I didn't realize I'd left him access to the laundry room. More careful restriction is required.

Shrimping season is upon us, and we've had some delicious, fresh shrimp a couple of times in the past week or so. Both Rick and I have had our turns at cleaning the shrimp. I felt as though I had gotten pretty good at it by the end of the 2.6 pounds I bought. And the bamboo steamer is just the piece of equipment to steam the shrimp to perfection.

I try to assess my reaction to my living situation on a daily basis. It's not quite the companionable situation I had hoped for, but I'm making other friends, so it's okay. I cannot speak for my roommate, except to say that my own impression is that he finds much of what Remy and I do less than ideal, and perhaps even unacceptable. But who knows what we might learn in the next 4 months -- yes, we've already paid rent for the third month! Remy is my good buddy, and I've spent lots of time alone in the past, so I'm doing okay.

Happy Holidays to you all -- anyone who continues to read my blog (and everyone else, of course)!

Trying to make myself "at home"

I haven't been writing as much, because it doesn't seem worth writing about sitting around doing very little. I have been biking at least every other day, weather permitting; and I have played a concert (and two rehearsals) and hymns for church. And I've been reading. Abby suggested that I knit her a hat. I could take up knitting. I could sew the cut up T-shirts I brought with me onto my quilt.

And I could write a couple of sermons.

And I could ... well, lots of things.

At least today held some interest. I thought I'd get to the Social Security Office in Lacombe, LA, on my way to New Orleans today, but when I pulled into the parking lot I realized I didn't have time, because I was on my way to see Alice's (and my) friend, Jessica Rothe (Jess) as she is shooting a movie in New Orleans. I arrived just in time for lunch, an amazing spread with roast beef, carved on the spot, crab legs, asparagus, salad, baked potatoes, and more.

The drive over was educational. When I looked at climate averages before moving down here, I noticed that Bay St Louis averages 9+ inches of rain in the month of December. I wondered whether that meant that it would be rainy and dreary for weeks on end, or if it would come in deluges. Today, I found out. I felt as though I was driving under a waterfall for 30 miles as I drove into New Orleans. There was a little lightning and thunder, but mostly there was an incredible, intense amount of rain.

That's the City of New Orleans in the distance. If you look closely, you can see that the tops of all the buildings are obscured in cloud. This was one of the moments when the rain let up enough to be able to see anything besides the taillights of the car in front of me.

Jess asked if I'd been on a sound stage before. No. But I was involved in quite a few student films a few years back, so I wasn't completely ignorant of what was going on. This particular production has a number of monitors. I couldn't hear what was being said in the shots, but I could see them clearly from where I was seated. The afternoon was both fascinating and boring. The people were all lovely, and I especially enjoyed chatting with a woman about my age named D or Dee. She was one of the hair people.

The overexposed blur on the screen is Jess. The monitors are flanked by two crew members.

Remy stayed in his kennel in Jess's trailer. I got to go out and walk him about halfway through the afternoon when there was a break for a change of costume and hair. Today's shooting finished about 5:00, but Jess had to do an interview and get her make-up off, so we left about 6:00 and went for a drink, and I had a burger. It was just so nice to be with someone I know and love, here in the area. Jess's mom is visiting this weekend, and she invited me to come back. I told her to keep me posted on what she and her mom have planned.

We took this shot before parting after dinner. My hair looks funny.

I've been feeling deeply about the Oakland fire that has killed so many bright, beautiful, beloved young people. I think I would have taken notice of it, even if the dead did not include one of Alice's boyfriend David's dear friends; but knowing that he is deeply saddened by these events makes them even more real to me. Death is a simple reality of life. No matter the age of the person, it simply is. But we feel more regret for those who seem to be just beginning their lives, or at least their adulthood, especially when so many are killed at one fell swoop. Miami. Littleton. etc.

I hope some of you will come and visit. I have a feeling it's going to be a long winter if I don't find constructive and useful things to do. And I also know that I just need to give it a little time. After all, it didn't take long for someone to grab me up to play piano for a Christmas program. Everyone wants to know a decent piano player! And I keep handing out my Sacred Space cards. They feel like seeds I'm sowing that will bring me back to areas I've traveled through.

Something bit me on the foot last night while I was walking Remy. It itched until I took Rick's suggestion and put some ammonia on it. When I went to bed last night, the spot was a very small white dot on the top of my right foot. This morning, the same. For those of you who maybe unnecessarily concerned, here's a picture of it. And ... it doesn't itch anymore.

See the little white spot. That's it. It was a little red around it last night, but not anymore.

I'm going to read and listen to the thunder now. The rain is predicted to stop around 1 or 2 in the morning. I hope to be able to bike in the morning. No plans for tomorrow. Guess I'll  have to come up with something.

What I've learned in the past two weeks

Here I am, back in Bay St Louis. Now I know more or less what to expect from the area, so I have had a chance to think about how I will/want to spend my winter. I still haven't heard anything back from the school system, and as a volunteer I feel I've done more than enough to try to make this happen; so that's probably out. I'm excited about the opportunity to speak at the North Shore Unitarian Church in Lacombe, LA. Researching and writing those sermons will give me a way to use my brain and deadlines to keep me on track.

But before I left I was doing a lot of sitting around not doing much. I don't want to be that person. Fact is, I have loads of "free" time. What have I always wished I had time for? Oh, yeah. Learning a second language. So I'll keep working on my Spanish with Duolingo and maybe I can find a MeetUp group that practices speaking Spanish together. That would be cool. I suppose I could start one, if I don't find one.

And I've often bemoaned the fact that I didn't have the time or the cooperative weather to exercise outdoors every day. It's going to take some discipline, but this is how I'm sort of thinking my average morning will go:

Feed Remy
Let Remy out in the backyard
Get dressed for exercise
Stretch
Do chi gung warm-ups
Take a bike ride - 20 miles most days, at least 50 miles once a week
If air/water are warm enough, swim
Go home and get cleaned up
Eat breakfast
Take Remy for a walk

After that, which will probably only take a couple of hours, I can settle in to do some reading, studying, or other brain work.

I hope I'll have activities inside and outside of the Bay St Louis area to keep me busy, as well. I enjoyed the "Read-Aloud" group that met in New Orleans a few weeks ago. They meet every other Saturday. I was admitted to a "Voice Actors" MeetUp that also meets in NO. It sounds as though their meetings are professional and often have a cost associated with them, so it may not be a regular thing, but I am going to at least give it a try.

If Adam Mellema ends up shooting his pilot in New Orleans, I want to look in on how that all works. He said he might put me to work, and I'd be up for that, but also perfectly happy to let the pros work and just watch.

The main thing is to get moving. I've gained at least 10 (maybe more) pounds since I "settled" in Grand Rapids in the late summer, and it doesn't feel good. I remember my mother saying to me maaannyyy years ago, when I was a (miserable) student at WMU, "You know, we've noticed that you're a lot happier and easier to get along with when you get some regular exercise." That was 1973, but it's still true!

At this point, I'm planning to stay here for Christmas, or at least not drive to Michigan; but I do love being on the road. I am manifesting significant amounts of money so that I can travel more, even outside of the country. My job is to teach people how to love each other. Yeah. Let's do that!

Sunset in Mississippi.

Notes from the road

I started from Bay St Louis on 11/10 for LA. Apparently, I wasn't ruminating much on that leg of the trip, but when I started from LA, I started to dictate "notes from the road" again. What follows are just random thoughts that surface while I drive.

11/16
I feel tears of gratitude well up that my beautiful daughters have found men who complement them and their lives so well. I feel that all of them have the necessary tools to grow together into the future.

I last traveled the stretch between Los angeles and Las Vegas on July 4. Today it is at least 40 degrees cooler than it was then.

I'll tell you what: when you drive through multiple time zones, first one direction and then another, Daylight Savings Time changes are moot.

LA friends, what is the phenomenon in the air today? Is it smog? I thought, once I got outside the ring of hills, that it would disburse; but I am on highway 15 almost to Barstow, and I still see this haze surrounding me.

It's a little disturbing to go over things called Los Angeles River and Mohave River that have absolutely not one drop of water in them.

Quote from a Las Vegas disc jockey: "It's chilley out there! It's 74 degrees!"

Arguably the most beautiful thing everywhere I've gone has been the play of shadows over the landscape. Metaphor?

Driving into the night feels different than driving into the light. Of course, in the morning i will be driving into the light again. Metaphor? Driving west feels like chasing the light. Driving east feels like having it discover me.

The brilliant enormous (my spell check wrote E Normas) moon, swathed in clouds, an abstract, stained glass in the sky.

11/17
Hacienda Mendez Mexican and American food in Wamsutter. It was good.

The raging winds, like a demented housekeeper, polish the roads with the snow.

I would say that over 90% of the traffic along I-80 in Wyoming is big rigs. More than traveling in any other part of the country, this stretch shows me how much we depend on carbon-based fuel driven vehicles to transport our goods. I realize that drivers wouldn't be very happy if we figured out another way to do this, but I do think it's something that needs to happen.

11/18
The sunrise this morning is like nothing I have ever seen before. no panorama view could give the impression I'm seeing with my eyes and my heart. The lightly dusted, yellow grass-covered hills in the foreground, and the sky everything from faded misty blue to brilliant pink reflecting off from tiny Duran clouds.

Radio commercial to get rid of "wild and crazy cedar trees" in your pasture. The speaker was using the "wild and crazy guys" attitude from Steve Martin, but had an Hispanic accent.

I was just thinking again about Alice and Chuck and how much she misses him. I'm glad I had a chance to tell her that I wanted to say how proud he would be of her when she had her name on the poster for a movie recently, but I didn't because I didn't want to bring her down. She and I talked about how difficult Abby's wedding may be for all of us who loved him. And I suddenly realized how much fuller my life is because I am able to empathize so deeply with other people. I'm not saying that I know how they feel. There is no way for us to know whether we experience the same things as someone else, without actually reaching the place where ego is dissolved and we exist as one. For one thing, language gets in the way. It is difficult to describe emotional experiences, especially. But this I know: I feel for other people, and this gives me a greater depth of experience of the world.

Highway exit number 201 in Iowa goes to a town called What Cheer.

Mild nausea, but not, I think, from food. I have that "sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach" that comes from the fear, or shame, of having done something "wrong." After thinking, last night, about what this pad of protection over my abdomen might be protecting, this feeling of anxiety and shame in my belly seems to be giving me more information. When I question it, it tells me that it is the "should have known" place. It is the place where the "shoulds" live. And here I thought they didn't live with me anymore.

11/24
It's Thanksgiving. There is Christmas in the air. Decorations have been up around Grand Rapids throughout the week, to say nothing of the commercial venues where they've been up since at least Halloween. I have a strange feeling deep inside. This is a season of connection with other people, or at least it has been in the past.

And yet, I dread it. I do not share the giddy joy of the holiday. I don't know if I ever did ... perhaps as a child. First of all, i am not a Christian, so i don't celebrate the birth of Jesus at this time of year. Or perhaps I should say I only celebrate the birth of Jesus as the coming of light to the world, as the birth of any child portends.

As I enter the darkness of the year, i recognize that I lack motivation or sense of focus. The psychic reading I had during the summer felt so true. It was about acting with joy in ever choice I make, and teaching my lesson of love through music. Yet, here I am almost 6 months later, having done none of that.

On Monday, I will return to my "home" in Bay St Louis, to share space with Rick, who is not very compassionately interactive. I really think that, after Abby's wedding, I will go to California at least for a while. It just feels like a place where I could be happy and useful.

11/28
Possible sermon topic/title: The Dark in the Lightness

Somewhere north of Champaign, IL, I saw a pick-up truck on the shoulder and a young man with his thumb out. You don't see that much, anymore, because everyone has a cell phone and has called someone to come and help them. I stopped. Of course, my mind ran all the possible horrible scenarios, but my gut said, "These people need help. I will help them."

First we tried jumping the battery. That didn't work. So, one of the young men grabbed a gas can, and I drove him to the next exit where he filled it up, and we drove back. It was getting pretty dark by this time, and it took two of them to pour the gas into the tank, one tipping the can up, and the other holding the spout in place. (I failed to mention that it was raining and had been most of the afternoon, so the passing traffic was spraying water even as it fell from the sky.) Apparently, the gas wasn't enough, so we hooked the truck back up to my battery again. It took quite a while, but eventually the truck started. All were very grateful, and I am really glad I helped. My only regret is that my car smells like gasoline. There must have been some on the outside of the can. Yuck!

Senior Corps at nationalservice.gov

11/29
I drive on today. More thoughts as they surface.

Alice and David return to LA after their jaunt to Boston over the Thanksgiving holiday, much to Harvey's joy!

Thanks to Annie for loaning me a dress to wear to church on Sunday! I had stored a bunch of winter clothes at her house, but nothing very dressy.

A photo sent to me of the Server Thanksgiving gathering in Boston.

My Thanksgiving "up north" in Glen Arbor, surrounded by Petersons. It was lovely.

The jigsaw pastime. I participated for a little while, but I need instant gratification, so I don't really have the patience for long puzzles like this.

Remy's singular focus on the tube at the bank drive through. He knows a treat is coming.

Back in Michigan for Thanksgiving

I hope not. But it was very weird passing this official-looking sign posted near the bottom of the hill on one end of Westerly Terrace, the street I stayed on with my friend, Joan, during my recent visit to LA. 

I had a lovely visit to LA, including marching in a big march against ... well, I guess it depended on who you are. There were many people with signs against the DNC. Others were against the Electoral College. I felt good joining in the chants about "Refugees are welcome here," and "Immigrants are welcome here." But there were others; "Hey, hey, ho, ho, Donald Trump has got to go," that I felt didn't express my feelings. No, I'm not happy he was elected. But he was elected. I was marching in support of all the groups of people that he has promised to alienate and whose lives will likely become more difficult because of his proposals. 

Joan didn't sign me up through Airbnb this visit, and she charged me very little to stay. While I was there, I made curtains for her, to separate her side "office" room, which also has another bed. Sometimes she has Airbnb people in both of her bedrooms, so she needs to sleep in the office. I slept in there two nights while I visited. I also helped her put digital photos of her artwork into an email to go to a shop that sells works by local artists, and a couple of other sewing things. I also introduced her to the beauty of smoothies, and she got herself a more powerful blender while I was there.

I got to see Adam Mellema in a sort of Prairie Home Companion-style variety show at the LA Breakfast Club. This is a place that was established in 1925, and which had members and guests among the Hollywood elite back in the day. It seems to have been a club for male entertainment industry people, sort of like the Kiwanis Club, but for the entertainment business. Anyway, its aging members had been dying off, and the club was fading away, until a young woman took an interest in it. The traditions are very much alive, and more, younger people are participating and attending. 

It was so wonderful to see Adam perform. He most often tells stories to children and families; but he has also been developing a group of pieces around the stories of WWII vets. These are stories he has collected himself from the men themselves. He told one of those at this program, and I was completely enthralled. Adam is a very talented man, and I'm so glad to see that he has found many ways to use his creativity and bring his gifts to many people. 

On Monday night, Joan was taking her ex-student and friend, Katherine, out for dinner for Katherine's birthday. Since Alice and David had plans, I accompanied them to Sawyer, not far from Joan's house. The atmosphere was amazing. We sat outside on a patio with a fireplace at one end, surrounded by uprights wound with plants that blocked just enough of the outside world to make it feel very intimate and away from the hubbub of the city. 

Another evening, Alice and David introduced me to Diablo, also easy walking distance from Joan's place, right on Sunset and Westerly Terrace. This is a taco place with a twist, or many twists. I had a bison chili taco, a chicken tinga taco, and one with Brussels sprouts, green onions, pomegranate seeds and bacon. Fabulous!

I walked Larchmont with Alice, David, and Cassidy on Sunday, made my way out to West Hollywood to have supper with friend Scott Pascal on Tuesday evening, and parted company with Alice & David after breakfast on Wednesday morning.

I left LA around noon on Wednesday, bound for Grand Rapids. Google maps had showed me that the fastest way was to take I-15 out of CA, past Vegas and Salt Lake City, jog around a bit, and connect with I-80 in Wyoming. Google maps didn't say anything about the weather.

This is a rest area in Hanna, Nevada. The last time we were here, the pavement was so hot I was afraid it would burn Remy's feet, so we hurried from shadow to shadow.

This time, it wasn't cold, but it certainly wasn't hot, and the wind was blowing so hard, I could barely hold the camera still. 

You can see how windblown Remy is. This was to be an ongoing feature of the next few days' travel.

This is just another mountain vista. All of this is so much more impressive in real life. For one thing, the road doesn't seem to feature so prominently when I look out the window of the car. And even if I just move my eyes subtly, I can take it so much. Plus, I can focus on the shadows of the clouds or the mountains in the distance. It's hard to get an iPhone camera to do that.

Travel was pretty easy until Wyoming. As we approached our first night's stop, Rock Springs, WY, it had begun to snow and blow, and it was getting late. Remy and I found an inexpensive motel and tucked in for the night.

This was the view from my motel window the next morning -- this would be Thursday. I got an early start because I planned to get to Des Moines today. 

Waited at a dead stop about an hour out of Rock Springs for a jackknifed semi to be cleared. Fortunately, because we were completely stopped, I was able to read my book.

This was the condition of much of the road for a while after leaving the traffic jam. But conditions did not improve. 

We stopped in Laramie, briefly I thought, for gas. But when we got back on the expressway it had been blocked east of Laramie. We returned, found a Starbucks, and although it was only about 3:30 in the afternoon, got a hotel for the night. It turned out later that the expressway had been opened again around 5:30 or 6:00, but by that time, I had paid for the hotel room. It's probably just as well. Road conditions couldn't have been too good that night, judging from what I saw the next day.

The dawn as I left Laramie was stunning in all its phases.

This is a sample of the "laddering" that the packed snow and ice created on the road for quite a stretch. Fortunately, people drove carefully but not ridiculously slowly, so I made pretty good time, considering.

Another accident-caused traffic jam. Between Laramie and midway across Nebraska when the snowy conditions cleared up, I saw nine jackknifed semis. The whole time I was traveling through the inclement weather, I only saw one other kind of vehicle, a pick-up truck, off the road.

Interesting bridge adornments in Council Bluffs, IA.

A little closer, through my very dirty windshield.

This was the sunset behind me -- I love the reverse function on the phone camera -- somewhere in Iowa.

I just drove and drove and drove. I tried to consolidate stops, making sure anytime I stopped for gas both Remy and I relieved ourselves, and I filled up water bottles. That way, we could keep stops to a minimum. 

I would have stopped again if I really felt I couldn't stay awake, but by making sure I had food and water, and regular rest stops, I managed to keep my energy up pretty well. Once I hit Benton Harbor, I knew that we could get the rest of the way.

We arrived at Annie's about 3:00 a.m. on Saturday. Fortunately, the place I sleep at her house is in the basement, so I slept in till about 10:30 easily.

I played a service at Parkwood Presbyterian on Sunday, the 20th, and I'll be there again next week, before heading back to Bay St Louis. After the phenomenally long drives I had on this trip, I may well make the trip back to MS in one day this time, especially now that I know where I'm going. 

I've been thinking a lot more about how I want to spend my time in Bay St Louis, now that I've gotten to know it a little and been away again. I am not good at sitting around. I get lazy in mind and body. I will meet more people and set some project goals -- or find others who will set them for me, as in scheduling a speaking date or two for the North Shore UU. 

I hope some friends and/or family will be inspired to visit me this winter. It would be lovely to show people around and enjoy the beautiful coast with my loved ones. 

On the road again

After Tuesday's election, I felt a strong need to be in a blue state. I've expressed my thoughts on FB about the election and how reasonable people must respond to it, so I won't reiterate here. Needless to say, I am disappointed but determined to be more participatory in the process.

I was already planning to go to Michigan for Thanksgiving, but Wednesday afternoon I started longing for Los Angeles, for Alice, and for my friend, Joan, who had been recovering from a nasty dog bit she received while visiting a friend in Texas about 6 weeks ago. I knew I wanted to have all of my mother-of-the-bride dress possibilities with me when I arrived in Michigan, so I tracked the mailing of the last one that was coming from Modcloth. I found that it had arrived at the Bay St Louis Post Office Wednesday afternoon.

Thursday morning, I called the post office. Adam (I remember his name because we talked several times) asked for the tracking number. I had to hang up and find it and call him back. I gave him the first three digits, and he said, "That's a FedEx number. That's not our tracking number." He instructed me to go to the FedEx website, that they should have a number issued by the USPS for the package. I went there. It wasn't there. I called him back. He took the number and looked at the site. He couldn't find it, either. I said, "Can't you look it up by my address?" He said no. Finally I said, "It arrived in Bay St Louis yesterday. That means it would be going out on the truck this morning. If I give you my address can you ask my carrier to leave it at the post office so I can pick it up?" Oh, yeah! That will work! I'm not sure what I wasn't communicating at first, but I'm glad it worked out. Our mail isn't delivered till 3 in the afternoon, and I wanted to get on the road before that.

I went out after the phone call, put air in my spare tire and checked the other four, stopped at the post office for my package, and returned all my library books and DVDs that would become overdue while I was gone. Then, I packed the car, got all my water bottles out of the fridge, said good-bye to Rick and hit the road about 12:30 p.m.

Crossing Lake Ponchartrain, about 45 minutes into the trip.

Can you see the Superdome peeking through that slot between buildings? I saw it much better as I drove, but this was the only chance to get a photo.

This was a marathon driving event. When the idea originally occurred to me to go to CA and then to MI, I was going to take a couple of days to get ready and then 2-3 days to drive over. In the meantime, though, I realized that if I didn't get there quickly, I'd only see Alice a tiny bit, as she'd be working all day, and I got a gig in Grand Rapids for the 20th and 27th that meant I needed to get there by Sunday the 20th. Since I wanted to be in LA by Saturday, I did what I used to do. I slept in the car. Now, before you get all upset about this, here's what it means now that I have a van.

The amazing Interstate 10 through Louisiana. East of Bay St Louis, 10 is all on solid ground, but as it crosses NW out of New Orleans, a large portion of it is suspended over lakes and swamps. Quite the engineering feat.

A refinery (I assume) rising out of a gloom. There were many.

A really lovely and peaceful rest area.

Another refinery.

A stunning moon. Yeah, I know, you can't really tell from the picture.

I had my quilt and two pillows in the back of the van, and I left myself enough room to stretch out on the floor in the back. My first stop was in Comfort, TX. It was one of those places that caters a lot to truckers. The trucks park in the back of the parking lot so the truckers can sleep for a few hours. I asked at the counter where would be a good place for me to go to catch a few winks. The clerk pointed out a part of the lot where cars could park for a few hours. It was well-lit, which is good for safety but not necessarily good for sleeping. I just pulled the hood of my sweatshirt over my eyes and slept from 11:30 to 3. 

We continued on through Texas -- it takes a long time to get through Texas from Houston to El Paso. The speed limit is 80 through most of the outlying areas, but the fog was unpredictable, so I was unable to keep a consistent speed. The radio stations in this area were intermittent and mostly not anything I wanted to listen to, so I put in the last couple of disks of Good Talk, Dad, by Bill and Willie Geist. It was fairly entertaining until the spots on the disk started making it jump around. By that time, it was time for another nap. 

I had only driven a couple more hours, but I could tell it was time to stop again. That's the beauty of this kind of travel. Drive. Stop. As needed. This time I stopped at a rest area. I had learned from my previous nap that I needed to have some quilt under me and some over me, and I took the time to "make my bed" accordingly. I slept better, although only for a couple of hours. I woke up at 7:00, and we continued. 

Of course, when I say we continued, I'm not going into all the details about drinking loads of water and making frequent bathroom stops for both me and Remy, or the Starbucks (decaf), or the chocolate bar I finally bought near the end of the trip for enough caffeine to get me through. Assume those details.

The fog continued off and on till a while after sunrise. This is gazing off into a cloud bank along I-10 east of El Paso.

Starting to notice mountains and buttes in the distance.

More beautiful scenery -- see the rainbow? There was a double rainbow just to the right of this. Between the fog, intermittent showers, and bursts of sunshine, it was pretty spectacular.

You can't see it, but the odometer turned over 192,000.

Finally out of the fog and rain and into the sunshine -- Arizona at last!

Leaving Phoenix. Gorgeous!

I texted both Jed and Jack, who live in the Phoenix area, to see if there was a way to get around Phoenix, as I was going to get there right at rush hour, didn't want to have to stop to wait it out, and my mapping tool directed me on I-10 right through the middle of it. They both advised me to stay the course, although Jed gave me a possible alternative. I did. It wasn't too bad, actually.

As I started zipping away from Phoenix, finally back up to the speed limit (or a little bit over), I glanced down at the gas gauge where the little light had just gone on. As I glanced up, I saw a sign at the exit I was passing that said, next services 49 miles. Begin travel affirmation: I am beautifully and appropriately transported through the infinite wisdom and rich substance of the Universe. If I run out of gas under these circumstances, I can stay calm and figure out what to do. It keeps me from stressing out all the way to the next gas station. I made it with fuel to spare. Yay!

It gets dark so early, and I had concerns about my ability to stay awake once it got dark, so I was fully  prepared to stop and nap again, but I didn't really get sleepy till I was on my way into LA. Now, by that I mean an hour and a half from my destination, because getting "into LA" takes a really long time. At that point, I found the Beatles Abbey Road DVD in my stuff and started singing along. That helped. That was followed by old jazz standards. 

When I arrived at Joan's, I was exhausted. First thing I did was walk Remy. Then I grabbed the minimum stuff I needed from the car -- toiletries, pajamas, pillows, CPAP -- and we went in and straight to bed.

Yesterday was filled mostly with a march in downtown LA. For many, it was a protest again Trump's election. For me and my group, it was in solidarity with the groups whose dignity and very existence have been threatened by Trump's rhetoric on the campaign trail. It was a long walk. Remy was really tired by the end. (So was I.) Everybody had a nap in the afternoon, and I had supper with Alice and David at the best taco place I've ever eaten at! It's called Diablo, and it's almost literally right around the corner from Joan's place. I had one taco with Bison Chili, one with Chicken Tinga, and one -- the most unique -- with Brussels sprouts, green onions, pomegranate seeds, and bacon. We had been planning to take in The Arrival, but the dog Alice is dog sitting for the weekend was barking a lot, and she decided she'd better stay in. I opted out of watching a movie in her bed with her, David, and Cassidy, and came back to Joan's to read and sleep.

It's Sunday. We're going to a farmers market in Larchmont and then ... I've heard from Adam Mellema, who is performing this evening. That's a possibility. Joan has invited me to join her and a friend for supper tomorrow night. If I don't see Adam tonight, we will get together tomorrow. I'm going to make curtains for Joan, and help her create the key lime pie from Cafe Gratitude. Her juicer blew up this morning, so she's out now shopping for a new juicer and/or blender.

I like it here. 

Not a travelogue today

I've just sworn off Facebook for at least a couple of days till the election is over. One friend posted something today about not accepting Hillary Clinton as president, no matter how the election comes out. Another called her "Killary," and said she didn't want a woman as president, especially not a liar like her. Another posted an article from a very suspect source with all kinds of scary "information." And I know that people in favor of her are doing the very same kind of thing -- scare tactics, misinformation probably not created by them but believed by them without checking sources or looking at the motives of the organizations putting out the material they're reading.

I am discouraged about humanity, and that's saying a lot. I am one of those people who deeply believes that each and every one of us is simply doing the best he or she can with what we've been given, that is, our whole backstory: education, upbringing, income, extraneous circumstances ... all of it. And that backstory is what gives us our differing views of the world.

Some, who have worked very hard for everything they have, believe as part of community it is their duty (and for many, their pleasure) to share it with those less fortunate. Others, who have also worked very hard for what they have, believe that if they can do it, so can everyone else, and there is no reason for them to help anyone else. It is up to each person to pull himself up by his bootstraps and make it work. If they can't, well, that's the hand they've been dealt.

I can see both sides of this. I happen to be one of the former, in case you didn't already know that. I'm a trusting person. When I gave the young woman stranger a ride to Biloxi the other evening, I had two types of reactions from my Facebook community. One group commended me for my kindness. The other told me all the terrible things that might have happened to me. Obviously, I chose to help her. I was not hurt by this gesture. But even had I been, I would have looked for the lesson in it and gone on, still believing that we're all doing the best we can. When my bike was stolen in LA, I let it go. Someone needed it. I was okay.

I agree that there are self-serving people. Politics tends to draw them out because both power and money are involved. (Even though money isn't supposed to be a motivation, it is.) But running for office was intended to be a service, a way to help the people one represents, a way to serve one's constituents. And when the office is that of President, the constituents are all of us, who disagree about so many things and in so many ways.

But let's take a look at disagreement for a moment. Let's say I have a strong commitment to peace. So do you. But you believe that the way to maintain peace in our country is to have a strong deterrent force of nuclear arms. That doesn't make sense to me. I believe that the more we arm ourselves beyond a certain point, the more we draw to ourselves the very attack we fear. Can we find common ground in the world of government? I think so. But we have to try to put ourselves in the other person's shoes. We can't just call the other person stupid and completely dismiss all of her concerns and fears. If I imagine what it must be like to be afraid that strangers will attack our country, I can begin to understand why you want armaments to keep you safe. If you imagine that kindness and lack of fear might go far to mending relationships in the world so that we don't have to be afraid, you may begin to understand why I don't want us to spend a lot of money on armaments. We can come to some sort of compromise.

But you have to get to know me, and you have to want to understand where I'm coming from, and vice versa. If we let our fears convince us that there is only one way to see a given situation, we are stuck. We are at an impasse. And fear will raise hatred within us as we see others trying to erode the things that make us feel safe.

So many fears. Fear of the other, however they are "other". I listened to a speaker last week who, in the course of explaining his material, kept repeating: race, religion, sexual orientation, etc. But we can create us/them relationships in any situation. If you do not care to try to get to know the other as human, you are stuck. If I feel threatened by someone with a different worldview than mine, I have already put up a wall that will prevent me from understanding why that person faces the world the way she does.

Do I have a solution? My only solution is still what it was when I stopped working hours and hours a week for the Institute for Global Education, and at the same time stopped feeling as though I was single-handedly responsible for saving the world. Back then, and to this day, I acted from a place where my actions have ripples in the world. You've heard the expression: Be the Change you want to See in the World. That's it in a nutshell. If I want a saner, more loving world, I have to create it in my own little corner. Each of us touches many people in a day, a week, a year -- how many in a lifetime? And even if my lifetime up to this point hasn't amounted to much, it's not too late to start. I can still become someone who encourages and supports people, who takes care of herself and the environment, who brings light into her own world and others' rather than darkness. It's not too late.

And in light of the current political climate, whatever the outcome of Tuesday's election, we are going to need to take personal responsibility for everything we say and do, and seriously think about the world we are creating.

Meet-up #1

The weather is still very summery (at least in my Michigan opinion). It was 85 degrees today. A radio host said that we might feel some "fall-like temperatures" over the next few days. I've looked at the forecast. Highs in the 70's. I guess that's "fall-like" here.

I got up and dressed at a decent hour today. I was out of the house, showered and dressed for the day, before 10:00, walking Remy around the neighborhood. I was looking forward to going into New Orleans, not as a tourist, but to meet some new people for the "Read-Aloud Meet-up" at Cafe Luna.

It's about a 50-minute drive to New Orleans from Bay St Louis. I left around noon for a 2:00 meeting, figuring I'd get there early, have time to walk Remy around and possibly sit and read for a bit before the others arrived. The best laid plans ... there was an accident along the way on Hwy 10, and it took me about an hour to go 3 miles. After that, things opened up again, and I was only about 15 minutes late to the meeting.

Katy, the organizer, brought a story by John Cheever called "Brimmer," and a poem that a student of hers had had published recently in the New Yorker. The others had already read the poem before I got there, but we chatted a bit before launching into the story, and I had a chance to get some iced tea and a salad. It was fun, except for the part about being on the highway for such a long time, although I didn't mind that at the time. I had a good NPR station to listen to, and Wait! Wait! Don't Tell Me was on during most of the drive.

After the meeting, I headed for a Petsmart, hoping to find raw, frozen dog food. What I discovered is that Freshpet now has a new line of refrigerated dog food, the contents of which are better than the original, but the fact that it's refrigerated and not frozen makes it less practical, as it won't last as long or travel as efficiently. I'm going to keep looking around for Nature's Variety, the kind that I got in Michigan. It should be available nationally, but it's a matter of finding someplace here that thinks that's the best thing to carry.

From Petsmart, Remy and I went on to find Trader Joe's. I'd really like to shop there again sometime when it's not Saturday afternoon. It was so crazy busy that I didn't really get a chance to look for everything I wanted. Plus, I was juggling Remy's leash and the groceries I wanted to buy amidst the feet of many, many shoppers, including children who wanted to pet the doggie -- not a good idea. "No, I'm sorry. He's working. Thank you for asking."

Rick went to visit a nearby brewery in Kiln, MS, this afternoon. Sounded like he had a good time. When he got back, he spent nearly an hour getting the meat out of a bunch of blue crabs that a neighbor brought us. He had about 2 cups of crabmeat in a bowl on the counter when I got back and was trying to decide what to do with it. I had picked up some salad greens, so I added the crab, sun-dried tomato, black olives, and a paleo/organic ranch dressing that I just got from Thrive. Yummy! I was going to have a glass of wine, as well, but we don't have a corkscrew, so St Croix it is for tonight.

It was nice to get out and go someplace today. Remy and I discussed traveling out further from Bay St Louis in future days. He's up for whatever I decide, of course. I have several friends along the Gulf Coast of Florida, so I think I'll look into driving over that way sometime in the near future. I'm now thinking about heading to GR for Thanksgiving and NY State for Christmas, depending on what my girls decide to do for Christmas. If I go to GR for Thanksgiving, I can hear the Chamber Choir concert, which I would really enjoy. If I do go, I will probably leave here after church on the 20th, take two days to get to GR, spend Monday through Friday (maybe Saturday) nights there, and then drive back. What's the point of having a "home base" if you can't venture out from there from time to time?

Honestly, I'm a bit antsy. I really loved going from place to place, visiting family and friends; but I didn't want to have to continually depend on people to give me a free place to stay. If I can resolve that, off I'll go again. For now, though, I'm looking at being here through the middle of April, back in GR through most of May, depending on what Abby needs from me, and then in NY most of June to help prepare for the wedding. I've already let Julie Powell know that I'm available for Sessions II and III of Blue Lake's dance program 2017, so I'll hang around GR while I do that and then head out someplace again.

Long-range plans? Maybe. Call them long-range imaginings. Anything could change tomorrow or next month or next year that will be cause for adjustment. I go with the flow.

A day in New Orleans (NOLA)

We planned ahead. We discussed how to deal with Remy -- possibilities included having him ride in the (covered) back of Rick's truck, having me drive and have Rick ride in the far back seat, leaving him at home, carrying him around NOLA in a backpack ... I drove. Rick rode in the back. I'm still not sure why, but I wasn't going to argue about it. Remy mostly just sat on my lap. We didn't take a backpack, so Remy walked. He did really well, but he started running out of steam about the same time I did. Fortunately, whether he'd admit it or not, I think Rick did, too; so that was when we headed back.

We parked at a recommended public parking site along the waterfront. The website had said that if you were in by 10, you could park the whole day for $10. After we had parked and were walking away, we saw the sign that said you had to be in by 9 in order to pay only $12. Oh, well.

We started into the French Quarter along the west side of Jackson Park:

The first thing I noticed that was photo-worthy was a sign for a public museum in the works. The name of this museum is Cabildo, which is also the name of a wonderful band in West Michigan. So, of course I looked it up. It is a town council, a local government council, or a town hall.

We walked past the construction to the Basilica of St Louis.

This one and the next photo were ensconced in the back of the sanctuary, keeping guard. Sorry to say, I'm not sure who they are, although the next one may be Joan of Arc. There's a golden statue of her (that I couldn't get a shot of because I ran out of memory in my camera) near the French Market.

Joan of Arc, I think.

A view from the back. This place was very pretty, but I don't think it's as big as St Andrew's or St Adalbert's in GR.

Long view of the ceiling.

Slightly closer view of the ceiling.

This statue of Andrew Jackson is the centerpiece to Jackson Park.

By the way, before we walked through the park we stopped at a Tourist Information place. The man who "helped" us in there was unable to provide a map (or directions) to Preservation Hall, and his recommendation as to where to find a public restroom was to frequent a restaurant or coffee house. Later on, we found several public restrooms and were stymied as to why this information was not readily available.

Rick headed over to the Jackson Brewery (or some such) to use the facilities and suggested that I listen to some street musicians while waiting, which I did. This combo was stationed outside the Cafe du Mond, and I'm guessing they make quite a pretty penny in such a prominent spot all day long. And they were quite good, very charming and interactive as well as consummate musicians.

A little taste of the music outside of Cafe du Mond.

I also observed a couple of bicyclists whose clothing advertised the fact that they are riding cross country to raise money for someone. I didn't get a chance to ask them where they had started or how far they were riding each day. I do know that riding along the Gulf Coast has to be one of the easier parts of the journey because of the flatness.

The trombonist left his chair and was interacting with some tourists. The dog directly across from our bench shared his water with Remy.

As we walked, we peered down an alley, and here was this lovely art piece.

This peaceful fountain was being observed only by a couple of men sleeping on park benches.

There were many, MANY wrought iron balustrades, and many, MANY leftover Halloween decorations. This was only one.

I found an Aveda salon, and I wanted to get the phone number, so I took a picture of the sign. I'll call up to see how much they charge for a haircut in NOLA.

Louis Armstrong Park. Rick taking a picture of the statue of a marching band.

A little more of the band. A little less of Rick.

This trio of musicians was playing Amazing Grace. I said to Rick, "They sound classically trained." They were good, but not very jazzy in style. They were also young, probably college students.

This officer was parked right outside of the spot where we had our lunch at Cafe Portalba. I wanted you to see the symbol of NOLA, the crescent with the star in the center. 

Outside the restaurant some sort of film or TV shoot was going on. I think it was a newscast about the work going on at the Cabildo, because there was a man in a suit interviewing people.

After lunch (Rick had a combination that included gumbo, beans and rice, and I think some sort of sausage. I had shrimp Creole, which was excellent! I also had two very large glasses of water.), we strolled along the river to the spot where a ferry takes people across to the Algiers neighborhood. By this time, we were getting pretty pooped, so when we got to Algiers we just turned around and took the ferry back. It might be an adventure for another time ... or not. This is a view from the deck of the ferry just before we started back.

A couple of barges fairly racing each other across the foreground, with the modern city of NOLA in the background.

More city.

See that wake coming. The ferry was so much like a tugboat and flat in the water that we didn't even notice the waves.

I beautiful church along the skyline on the eastern edge of the French Quarter.

I ran out of memory, so I couldn't get the actual statue, but I thought it was important that NOLA has a beautiful statue honoring the immigrants to this country. We also enjoyed a dynamic piece which you had to walk around to take in the changes in design. That one was dedicated to all (especially the Jews) who died in WWII. 

Seems like a thoughtful city.

The streets that run to and away from the river are alive with a cool breeze. The streets that cross them are heavy and hot. I'm glad we were there in November, not July. The last time I visited NOLA was in about 1985 with Chuck. The French Quarter doesn't look too different from what I remember, but the "city" part is a lot bigger. Also, I remember going across the river to a little restaurant where we had a dozen oysters in the half shell for some ridiculously low price. I didn't see any eating places near where we were along the river. I wonder if they got washed away, or if some zoning changed, or both.

Because we chose to go so early in the day, there wasn't a lot of music happening. That was Rick's main reason for going. Without the music, there's mostly eating, drinking, and shopping. Except for lunch, neither of us wanted to just eat, and since we're the nomadic type these days, we didn't really want to buy stuff, although I may go back before Christmas or before returning to the north in April, just to pick up a few fun things for friends and family. The French Market was intriguing. The food smells titillated, and the "flea market" part invited us in with its colors and textures, but we abstained.

I'm glad to be back "home," and so is Remy. We're both pretty pooped from a long, hot day of walking; but it was fun, and I'm glad I took him along.