Challenges, Pallenges; There Ain't No Rhyme for Challenges
Somewhere in the recesses of my mind is a Sid and Marty Kroft show with "Witchipoo" singing "Oranges, Poranges", a Cockney speaking kid in a Dutchboy bob, a magical flute and (my favorite) "Evil Trees".
I know someone in the blogosphere will enlighten me as to show title, actors, characters, etc.
I wish they wouldn't, but someone will. Some things are inevitable and must be accepted with grace.
My cousin, Hal, lost his battle with cancer on January 17th in Eugene, Oregon. Today I took my mother, the last of her generation, back to the homestead in Eakley, Oklahoma for his service at the little Methodist Church.
It's a two hour drive (one way). We couldn't go the usual way because of construction on the interstate, so I mapquested an alternate route on my iPad, closed Safari, took Mother to breakfast, and started out to the homestead.
We couldn't get the app to open on the road.
So I called my brilliant sister-in-law and had her give me directions from her computer, that I relayed to my 90 year old mother to write down as I drove north trying to meet the 1:00 deadline (no pun intended) for getting "to the church on time" (Sorry, Lerner-Loewe). It's just that the directions didn't seem quite the same as the ones I had stored...
I got lost. Three times, I got lost. Two convenience stores and one saloon later, I made it to Eakley, Oklahoma. 1:06 in the afternoon.The service was to start at 1:30 and had been moved to the church, as opposed to the originally proposed graveside. No problem.
It was a very simple service. The urn was at the front of the little white clapboard church. Only one song on the tape player (Amazing Grace), Hal's exwife gave a glowing eulogy. His friends told stories of hunting and fishing in Canada and Alaska. The service ended with Masonic Rites. It was quite nice. Hal would have liked it. It's a pity he wasn't there.
Literally. His ashes are still in transit somewhere between Eugene and Eakley.
Going back home I did not get lost. I saw a red tail hawk on the right side of the road perched in a tree top, and at the next intersection I turned right. I was on the 281--where I was supposed to be. At every intersection I needed to turn, a red tail hawk perched on the correct side of the road. Then a bluebird flew in front of the car. I didn't think much of it until a large crow flew in front of the car. Mother asked me why I slowed down and I told her to look for a cop car. Four tribal complexes and three casinos later, there was the sheriff's car in a speed trap. Thanks to the wee birds for the heads up on that!
Healthwise:
I bought "Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based Way to Health" by Gene Stone on the recommendation of my doc. (Kindle edition, $6. The basic premise is that big pharma wants us to be unhealthy for the sake of profit). He had asked during my infamous follow-up about my diet, and I told him I was in the process of reducing/eliminating animal protein in my diet. It also turns out we are both going 90 miles to the nearest Whole Foods store to do our shopping. I have eliminated beef, reduced dairy to 2 ounces 1% milk with my oatbran, but the cheese will be hard to give up. Wheat I can do without, now that I have found rice pasta. I am still consuming bison and venison, but only once a week. Eggs will be reduced to twice a week. It is a work in progress.
Completed Reading:
Amy Stewart's Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's MOther & Other Botanical Atrocities
Now to build a Borgia Bed of poisonous plants.
Najood Ali's I Am Najood, Age 10 and Divorced
I know it's poorly educated men and women, I know it's cultural tradition, I know it's an alien concept of family honor, I know, I know, I know, but...STILL! I want the weight of a Louisville slugger in my hands and the opportunity to teach some men the true meaning of honor. Some women, too.
Still reading:
Gene Stone's Forks Over Knives (I'm in the recipe section now).
Palin's Craft of the Wild Witch
Ransom Riggs' Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
No comments:
Post a Comment