Doodads

The blank screen stares at me...

Maybe I'll float a little while

Perhaps I'll daydream a smile

Hmmm...I see something...

Doodads

Da doodads say

doo dis

doo dat

dis and dat

dis and dat

dis and dat

disses and dats 

go out of whack

I lose track

of da disses and dats

dangling here, dare

and everywhere

Is dis a dat?

Or is dat a dis?

Dey pain my brain

when I search in vain

for da answers are not dare

because doodads doo not care

if dis is 

da dis

or if dat

is da dat 

so put on da thinking cap

and doo da disses

and doo da dats

and soon it's lotsa fun

doing dis

and doing dat

until da doodads 

are all done

***

Waging Aging: Now deep into my 80s, every bathroom is an opportunity.

***

The way I’d like to go on living in this world wouldn’t hurt anything, I’d just go on walking uphill and downhill, looking around, and so what if half the time I don’t know what for— so what if it doesn’t come to mean a hill of beans. —Mary Oliver

***

We Need...

...positive stuff.

...good stuff...

Nourishment for Starved Minds

https://www.npr.org/2025/07/23/nx-s1-5432692/philadelphia-summer-learning-federal-funding-schools

***

May, our sweet canine friend at the farm, had a successful surgery on her injury.

Aidan sent over the following that Keoni put together for May...

May's Go Fund Me

***

So many things are happening at once. 

Where are we going?

How did white turn into black?

What turned up to down?

Who wants this chaos?

When will senseless spin/lies cease?

Is it a bad dream?

Search to find the What

And the When and Where, the Who

Stop tearing your hair.

We are our answers

Large or small, find your to-do

The work is worth it

Together we'll build

So it's stronger and better

For all, near and far

And after a while

The tones will sound different

When healing hearts sing

Peace, Love, Compassion

Abundantly freed for all

And our blue planet

***

Waging Aging:

The following is a personal screed on the subject of hearing loss. Read at your peril.

The movie "Surf's Up" plays in my living room a few hours after I leave Costco wearing my new hearing aids that replaced the eight-year-old ones. The movie begins in the middle, where I left it some weeks ago when I grew sleepy and went to bed. I've seen it many times for a sweet breather from the serious stuff of living. This time, there are no closed captions because I turned them off to see if my brain cells can now hear the words, and the answer is, "Yes!" Not perfect, but wonderfully, gratefully better. Soon, even though I've seen this movie multiple times, I realize I am now seeing many more visual nuances on the screen because I'm not reading the dialogue! Wondrous. 

A week later: The new aids have made clear that some of my brain's hearing perception is lost because even though the new aids help me to better hear others' words, some words remain garbled sounds. This was true in the sound-booth testing, too. 

Meanings get lost. I am sad about that because I am missing some of what others are saying. Especially frustrating when I hear others' laughter in response to something said, and I miss the fun. The hearing aid tech says that once that has happened, it is not reversible. 

How is it that my hearing aids are not as good as my Apple earbuds?

Time for some research. Again.

OK. I researched it. (NIH is still functioning. All praises.) What I learned in my very, very lay terms is that when sound enters your head, all that intricate stuff between your eardrum and your brain changes the sound waves into electronic impulses then read by your brain. When there is damage in that in-between space, varying parts send slightly off-kilter electric pulses to your brain processor, so the info sent to your brain is slightly different from your stored data from your once-upon-a-time healthy in-between area. 

Since the brain has stored your former correct sound, what you get is a garble of certain sounds in words, depending on your individual in-between area damage or age-related deterioration. Researchers are working on ways to improve the wave-to-electronics variables with hearing aids, but that is not a done deal. At present, we are getting improved hearing aid amplifications which help, but don't yet fix the in-between wave-to-electric changes.

All this being said--I know, TMI--my iPhone earbuds are superior amplifiers with wildly differing costs. And, I'm not yet convinced that my brain cannot learn some word sounds in the changed forms just as it long ago learned and stored them.

Say, does anyone speak emojis?

***

The Tree by the Barn

Each spring since we arrived at the farm in 2013, the big, aged tree by the barn has defied gravity, even providing a haven, twice, for Toby high in its winter branches out of reach of Jasper the barn cat, who ruled those first few years. The tree overcame pests and signs of disease each spring, surprising us with yet another shady contribution to summer. It did that again this year, but a few days ago, gravity and age won--John sent these two pics...

Next time I drive to the farm, it will be hard to see the barn without those beautiful branches next to it. 

***

But Florence the Friendly Chicken will be there. From Wendy...

--or is Flo doing a selfie?

Hey there, Flo, my friendly chicken friend!

Were you here before your egg?

Did you have a mother?

Flo flapped her wings up and down,

But she stayed on the ground.

I asked her, Do chickens fly?

In her chicken voice, she said, Puck, puck, No!

A black bug on the ground got her attention

Then was no more.

I reminded her of my questions,

She said, Read your Chicken Cliff Notes.

       --JM

***

Art walks our Earth.

...there are giants among us...

***

I Stand Against Tyranny

It is time. Today, I declare openly with love for my country, I will help with the best of my abilities to reverse and erase the damages to our Constitution; all of our vast, complex array of citizens; our country itself; our whole world, land, air, and sea, that is wrought by our governing people, leading us and our beloved nation to Hell on Earth. This is a mistake ("Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Luke 23:34). The destruction wrought by cruelty, greed, deceit, recklessness, chaos, and lack of truth ultimately destroys those governing and their supporters as well as those whom they pick out to ostracize, to hurt with impunity.

It is time to stop the destruction.

To people I know who do not agree with me, I offer my love. I call on you to step away from further harm to all we hold dear. Take my hand and join me in solidarity with so many others. Together with courage, let us right our foundering ship, heal our wounds, grow anew, and once again fulfill the promise of our 249th year of Independence.

It is time. I will stand tall for our United States of America, our Independence, our Constitution, and our Common Good. Join me. 

By Joe Rosenthal - https://www.apnews.com/f00e1181d57a414a848ac96b772839fddirect linkThis file was derived from: Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima, larger.jpeg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77823832

***

 

Summer

***

What is Juneteenth and Why Does it Matter: A Short History | Journey to ...

 From Heather Cox Richardson's Substack today... 

Her Substack: Letters from an American

 LET FREEDOM RING!!! 

                   ***

The Church of What's Happening Now

Up, down, one side, then the other, back, front,

Air, water, flora, fauna, oceans, continents, Earth.

Us.

Spirit.

All.

Chaos.

Shhh. Be still...and know...

What happened?

Where did it start?

When will it change?

How does it end?

Who will stop it?

We do not know.

Shhh. Be still...and know...

Turn down the volume

Find truth

Share with kindness

Love with no conditions

Look! that eyes may see

Listen! that ears may hear.

Rise! with each other...

Part the curtains of chaos...

Soar with Eagles.

***

Waging Aging: Are the orange peels in my kitchen trash can attracting gnats, or am I seeing eye-floaters?

***

Of Dreams and Daymares

Everything is upside down and backsliding

Come out from under your bed and quit hiding

Stop the destruction

Of our Constitution

Throw the bums out, then bring in good tidings

I need a good song right now... Bread and Roses 

*About the song and poem...

***

Music and Art Matters

Why I hate vacuuming: It drowns out Capprecio Italien coming from the app on my smart TV. Why I don't hate dusting quite as much as vacuuming: I can listen to all of Bolero while I dust this small apartment. That's how long it takes... one rendition. But only if Keoni isn't playing in the orchestra, since I sit down and watch for the camera to focus on the violists for a moment or two. Ah well, I can tune in The Pines of Rome to help me finish. (I can also iron two men's shirts in one rendition of Pines, but I don't iron anymore.)

Then there's grocery shopping. It's fun to pick out what I need and look at stuff I don't need. But then there's the haul home. I'm tired, and driving home is ahead. That's when Siri keeps me alert and tunes my car radio to Boogie Wonderland, followed by Funky Town. I feel kinda cool 😎 thumping into a parking space at my senior apartments. But if traffic moves slowly or I have to wait for the SEPTA commuter train to get out of the way, I can sing along to Down to the River to Pray. 

Lately, and I mean late, I do laundry down the hall and bring my sketch book with me instead of asking Siri to time the load, then going back to my apartment. Time flew as I sat there with pencil and pad. 

Sometimes, if I'm feeling a bit down, it's great to hear Waylon and Willie appreciating a Good Hearted Woman. If I still need a lift, Hallelujah Chorus can step in. 

Tuesday, I sat in on a drumming group up on the third floor of a part of this senior establishment. I had high hopes for it, but it was disappointing except for the view of trees out the window, so I went to my group of Tuesday artists. I was late, but managed to make an image for today. Say, hello to Rose...

Ry Cooder gathered together The Buena Vista Social Club (full album) players, who, by then, were of advanced years. When I'm getting ready to go out to a concert or something special, I like to hear Pueblo Nuevo's ancient player rendering this piece of Cuban jazz. He reminds me that age doesn't matter when the strings of our hearts are strummed.

All around us, strumming happens. Each day, we get to find out where or when or how or who or what, and that's the adventure.

***

100 Days Later

January 20th, 2025

In Silicon Valley
there was a shout,
“Move Fast. Break stuff!”
so something else
might (might!) be built.
Drunk on that ethos brew,
breaking our government
of,
by,
and for
The People
commenced.
What!? There are other people!?
People!?—There are too many kinds!
Government!?—Too many laws!
Civil Servants!?--Too many. Fire them!
Spirit!?—That's for suckers!
Compassion!?—What's that?
Forget common sense
generosity
friendship
neighbors
helping
justice
free expression
safety
health
art
our good Earth.
Forget all that!
But hang onto...
greed
ego
power...

April 1, 2025
The auditorium fills with people
eager to learn...
yearning, angry, hoping,
questioning, and listening.
They want
and I want
to know how
to stop the breakage
of our country's foundation,
the harm to Earth
its people
our people
to everything.
How to stop the cruelty
the corruption
the arrogance
the lying.

April 5, 2025
We are The People!
We remember!
One hand
joins another hand
and another...
still another.
The crowd in the meeting hall
spills over into the street
until there are streets
filled with people
and signs
and spirit
and caring
even love!
Courage leads.
Truth is told.
Many hands
of many kinds
reach for each other,
their selves seen
in each other's eyes.
A song breaks out,
a spark flares...

Illuminates!

The way forward
becomes clear.

            --JM

 

***

Waging Sanity in a Bonkers World

We need...

...and...

(Aidan's brain child.)

From Wendy.

***

Cyber...

 ***

What Can I Do?

How chickens see it.

***

Keeping Up Spirits

Don't let negative rocks drag you down

Try on a smile and forget to frown

Don’t tighten your lip

Lighten your ship

Set your sail so you don’t sink and drown. 

***

***

Waging Aging

While walking outdoors to exercise my body and refresh my mind, the path ahead led among winter's trees and a footbridge across a spring-fed rill. Presently, a waft of cold, fresh air whooshed by.

"Oh, my goodness! Toby! I'm glad you showed up today. I have missed our talks."

"Me too," he said while taking a swat at his tail.

"Seriously, I want to ask you about something we humans don't talk about much. I need your input."

"Go ahead," he said while sitting back up to listen.

"I've been thinking about The End. Since you're there ahead of me, I wanted to ask you about it. For my end-of-life, I wrote down that I wanted to be cremated, not buried."

"Whoah, stop right there!" he said. "Now that I'm a ghost, I'm fully tuned into The Force. It tells me all sorts of interesting things so I don't have to wait until you're out of the apartment so I can grab the TV remote. Since my Life #9 ended, I looked into the business of cremation and ashes to ashes...by the way, thanks for scattering mine along the fence where I loved to hunt."

"You're welcome, Toby."

"Back to our subject, I learned that you and I are full of plastic, even our brains. So, when you write up your end-of-life wishes, forget cremation. Just have your body put in the Recycle Bin."

"What about the other two Rs: Reuse and Reduce?"

"Nah," he said. "You'll want Recycle. Like mine, your body has too many worn-out, broken parts to Reuse. It's too late to Reduce; you're already born."

"Hmmm. Thanks for the advice, Toby."

His ghost shape-shifted into Toby-Wan Kenobi and said, "May the Force Be with You."

A puff of wind dusted my cheek. Then, all that was left was the winter sunshine and bare trees.

***

***

And from the Waging Aging Department...

"Aging is the extraordinary process whereby you become the person you always should have been." --David Bowie

What Can I Do?

Grab a banned book

sit in a nook

turn on a light

and make it bright

prop up your feet

to make a seat

so perhaps your cat

will sit on your lap

while you turn pages

and the story engages

your attention...

it's important to mention...

you're helping resist

the book Endangered Species list.

        --JM

Is your library card up to date?

***

Hello Again

***

Wage Peace

Three hundred sixty-six days, including the leap day, February 29th of 2024, have been completed. Our time-keeping solar orbit is on its first day of 2025. As we time-travel today and the year ahead, I wish you a...

In memory of Jimmy Carter.