Pocket Stages, Spicy Eats and Other Nashville Notes

Standing at the microphone in the Ryman.

The Ryman Auditorium, "the mother church of country music."

Fellow writer Shea spotted this photo op, in front of one of the Ryman windows.

I was in Music City on a press trip with 10 other writers last week. We hit the Grand Ole Opry. We got all riled up with Trisha Yearwood, our hearts buoyant as she smiled and thigh-slapped in a festive pantsuit to a rollicking rendition of "She's in Love with the Boy," with the Nashville Symphony. We toured the old Ryman Auditorium (site of the original Grand Ole Opry), with church pew seating and historic windows and took a super spicy risk with Nashville Hot Chicken near the Brave Idiot. 

Nine Nashville notes, and this is just for starters:

Number 6. I could see the pretty lights from my room.

1. Ernest Tubb Record Shop downtown. Near 10 p.m. Tuesday, a band of four played on the front stage, by the window. On a pocket stage hidden in the back, two pretty, honey-voiced women strummed guitar and sang. You can hear live country music for much of the night, even into the overnight. And find the bar for a nice spicy margarita. (Stylish blonde writer Erica, from Philly, said it was good. It had sliced jalapeño and a salty rim. But it was late, and our third bar stop that night, so I resisted.)
2. Born Bathing. That's the magical/mystical beauty brand of hand, hair and body wash products in the rooms at the Fairlane, a luxury boutique hotel (pet-friendly!) that was just refurbished and reopened. My skin felt soft and pampered and smelled good, too. Even with puffy eyes and urge to stay asleep after a night out, I felt refreshed and renewed with the body wash. I just ordered two (aluminum, not plastic) bottles online.
3. National Museum of African American Music. Interactive displays. So much to see and celebrate. So much history. Shoes, dresses, jackets that belonged to music icons. Two women from our group donned (new, not vintage) gospel robes and sang along with a video in a breakout room.
4. Hot Chicken, hellfire hot. The heat scale at pinball dive lounge No Quarter starts at 1 and goes to 10. My new friend and fellow writer, Geri, and I chose 7. Brave idiots, like the name on the food truck outside. Writer Shea said my face and mouth were getting red and I better get a shot of cream, but the bartender didn't have any. Geri said salt is supposed to help, so I got a spicy margarita with salt on the rim. Ample servings of chicken, tender and juicy under the fire, served on a slice of white sandwich bread, a welcome bland foil.
5. Voodoo Doughnut in the Nashville Airport. The chain started in 2003 in Portland, OR. I had never seen it, but the pink packaging caught my eye. Bedeviling varieties include Maple Bacon Bar and Churro Cheesecake.
6. Gaylord Opryland Resort, with room terraces that look out over lush indoor gardens. A concierge suite our group could use with The Wall Street Journal, big pots of orchids, Goo Goo Clusters, coffee and chilled water. Beautiful Christmas lights and fireplaces to sit by. A family favorite. 
7. Ice, ice baby. The annual ice show at Opryland, this year with a Peanuts theme. Very cute, characters and doghouse all carved from ice. Loved it. It's one to three degrees in there, so everyone (kids and adults) has to don a blue jacket with hood. Also: Ice slides for adventure.
   
   
   
8. Housemade coffee liqueur in the espresso martini for Friday brunch at Cafe Roze. Check the top-shelf cocktail list, including Root of All Evil, with vodka, carrot and beet juice. The house-baked chocolate croissants were big enough to feed 3 or more people. (Sold out by the time we arrived.) The bacon was excellent, as was the Country Ham Toast, with a snowfall of more than an inch of finely grated Parmesan on top. 
   
   Espresso martini.
   
   
   
   See what I mean about a snowfall of grated cheese? Amazing.
   
   
9. "There will be a surprise in your room." That's what the Modern Love chef at the Fairlane said when we left breakfast. Later, by our nightstands, we each found a large, rich, architecturally crafted candy bar. White and dark chocolate with praline, caramel and pepitas. 

And that doesn't even touch on my fellow travelers. A colorful group, including food writer Rai, a beautiful young Black woman with curly hair, lovely long dresses, great accessories and shoes and a rich knowledge of food and cooking, from biscuits to bone broth. Chris, a chivalrous car aficionado who drove to meet us in Nashville. He calls himself "Christhewheeltor" on Instagram. Erica, that blonde mom and actor/writer/editor from Philly (see spicy margarita, above). And many other spirited, smart observers. 

______________________________

Below, my NY Times piece about the Loveless Cafe in Nashville in 1989, when I was a young writer in the promotion/marketing department at Seventeen Magazine and joined Dan on a short work trip to Nashville. We ate at the Loveless and then I interviewed the owner by phone from my apartment on the Jersey Shore. (I've been pitching other food stories to the Times again. It's more involved than making a call at my desk on lunch hour to Eric Asimov, who edited "At the Nation's Table." But I will keep at it.)

https://www.nytimes.com/1989/11/15/style/at-the-nations-table-nashville.html

Take It Easy

Image from AmericanSongwriter.com.

Image from HERE.

My mantra when I remember to remember it. It makes life simpler and more peaceful, although I will likely never, ever be a-standin' on a corner in Winslow, Arizona.  

"Don't let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy." 

Eat your breakfast. Savor your coffee. Take your vitamin. Keep your appointments. Do your work. Brush your hair. Water your flowering plants. Believe in yourself. Pray to let worries go. Allow peace to enter. Listen to people. Listen to yourself. Comb on black mascara, thread the wired Tory earrings through the tiny holes in your ear lobes. Love yourself. Love your family. Be kind. Be calm. Make your maiden batch of Marcella Hazan's famous tomato sauce with San Marzano tomatoes, butter, salt and an onion cut in half. Even if you get the onion at 8 p.m. in the supermarket on a Wednesday night in November and eat a bowl of pasta at 9:30 p.m. Do your best. Take it easy. Ask Dan to pack some pasta, sauce and fresh mozzarella for Spice's school lunch tomorrow. 

"We may lose and we may win
Though we will never be here again."

Good night.

"Take It Easy," Eagles, 1972

Written by Glenn Lewis Frey and Jackson Browne

Well, I'm a-runnin' down the road tryna loosen my load
I've got seven women on my mind
Four that wanna own me, two that wanna stone me
One says she's a friend of mine

Take it easy, take it easy
Don't let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy
Lighten up while you still can
Don't even try to understand
Just find a place to make your stand
Take it easy

Well, I'm a-standin' on a corner in Winslow, Arizona
Such a fine sight to see
It's a girl, my Lord, in a flatbed Ford
Slowin' down to take a look at me

Come on, baby, don't say maybe
I gotta know if your sweet love is gonna save me
We may lose and we may win
Though we will never be here again
So open up, I'm climbin' in
So take it easy

Well, I'm a-runnin' down the road tryna loosen my load
Got a world of trouble on my mind
Lookin' for a lover who won't blow my cover
She's so hard to find

Take it easy, take it easy
Don't let the sound of your own wheels make you crazy
Come on, baby, don't say maybe
I gotta know if your sweet love is gonna save me

Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh
Oh, we got it easy
We oughta take it easy

"Standing By Peaceful Waters"

This pretty little book was published in 1973. I picked it up and put it back a few times over the years in the Cape Cod gift shop--I can't remember if it was at the National Seashore Visitor Center or the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. I've known their book inventories pretty well, with all that compounded vacation time to browse by peaceful waters. The colorful illustrated cover and the title called out to me, even if I never in my life make Beach Plum Jelly. I finally bought the soft cover one year and just rediscovered it on the bookshelves in my home office. 

With quiet time alone this week, I've been reading it. Wonderful work by Elizabeth Post Mirel (who had three young children at the time, including a baby) with graceful illustrations by Betty Fraser. I do want the kind of calm where I make a pocket of time to read Plum Crazy, because it evokes a place and a passion. Our long-time Cape Cod friends Rite and Bob picked beach plums. I don't know if I ever learned to recognize the fruit until now, but there may be some nearby here in Connecticut.

Sis flew to the Southwest (New Mexico) to travel with her Peace Corps friend and family and called on me to dog-sit her enchanting pup, Galena, for more than a week. I walk that girly at least three times a day, and never sleep past 8, because she doesn't.

I'm loving it. Sis still gets The New York Times paper edition delivered daily. I sat on the sofa drinking in the Sunday Styles section. I met my friend/magazine colleague Mary Kate, who lives nearby, for a lovely catch-up breakfast in Cos Cob (part of Greenwich). I went to Mass in Stamford, and then asked Google to find the nearest Whole Foods, so ended up in high-end Darien midday Sunday, where I felt like a fish out of moneyed water. Two striking blonde women (not together) wore little immaculate white pleated tennis skirts, in perfect contrast to their golden tans. They were coming from or going to the courts. Eyewear was on trend, as were baby carriers and the handsome young dads wearing them for weekend duty. Some branded local products (cacao pudding and whipped bath scrub) were tempting but both went the way of beautiful Ice Cream Tulip bulbs, named for their double ice-cream-cone like blooms, but over my budget. The children, for the most part, seemed well-mannered. The place was packed. Though the store was mostly stocked with the same products our Montclair Whole Foods carries, I felt an imbalance, shall we say, which I never feel in my diverse hometown.

Behold luscious Ice Cream Tulips. I want to add some to our spring garden. 

You can also find Strawberry Ice Cream Tulips (red) 

and Banana Ice Cream Tulips (yellow). 

If I revisit Darien Whole Foods, I will buy a bag of bulbs.

Galena and I have been marina-gazing here in Shippan Point, turning our faces to the birds flying over the harbor and crossing paths with baby deer and other dogs (Pluto, Milo, Bo, etc.). We went to a small beach and walked out on the fishing pier, which has evenly spaced holes in the railings to rest poles while prepping bait or waiting for a bite.

When we go out back on the short boardwalk path by tall feathery grass and a snow egret, Galena and I stop by the plaque that commemorates the trade between two chiefs of Onax Tribe No. 41, International Order of Red Men, and a white British captain in 1640 and memorialized for the city of Stamford in 1916. The original owners swapped this beauty for some coats, glasses, knives, kettles, wampum and a few other things. Read more about that here (excellent report by Chase Wright).

Harbors are calm, harbors are good, whether our paths are charted or uncharted. Which brings me to these beautiful lyrics from "Lake Marie," by John Prine, released in 1995:

We were standing

Standing by peaceful waters

Standing by peaceful waters.....

SPOKEN: Many years ago along the Illinois-Wisconsin Border

There was this Indian tribe

They found two babies in the woods

White babies

One of them was named Elizabeth

She was the fairer of the two

While the smaller and more fragile one was named Marie

Having never seen white girls before

And living on the two lakes known as the Twin Lakes

They named the larger and more beautiful Lake, Lake Elizabeth

And thus the smaller lake that was hidden from the highway

Became known forever as Lake Marie...

Onward now...

Correction: When I wrote this post on the fourth floor of the Shops at Hudson Yards in NYC yesterday, I put the wrong date for the tribal trade. It was 1640, not 1612. The plaque commemorates the original July 1, 1640 sale by American Indian Chiefs Ponus and Wascussue to British Capt. Nathaniel Turner, an agent for the New Haven Colony.

"Mother Mary Comes to Me"

I've heard for decades about "Our Lady of Fátima," but didn't register the location (Portugal) or the full story. It was reported in 1917 that Our Lady appeared to three shepherd children. Two died in the 1918 flu epidemic. One girl became a nun and lived to age 97. Image from HERE.

Paul McCartney and John Lennon wrote these lyrics (song released in 1970). Such gifted men, makers of beautiful art that touches the heart and soul. Look how deep their gifts were; look what they left the world. This morning I asked the Google speaker to play "Let It Be." Listening helped me through brushing my teeth, wriggling into my blue denim skirt, pouring coffee, getting by. Google played a lovely instrumental version, I think by Lemon Tart, great name. I have to get to work now at my desk. Here is another post, "Hail Marys on the #66 Bus." That was about young Figgy, but today my Hail Marys are for Spice. I decided to stop using the name Spice/Spike because that's not very kind.

When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

And when the broken hearted people living in the world agree
There will be an answer, let it be
For though they may be parted, there is still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
There will be an answer, let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be, be

And when the night is cloudy there is still a light that shines on me
Shinin' until tomorrow, let it be
I wake up to the sound of music, Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be

And let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

And let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Paul Mccartney / John Lennon

Let It Be lyrics © Sony/atv Tunes Llc

Rainy Days and Mondays

Carpenters release from 1971. Image link from HERE.

Lyrics: Hanging around

Nothin' to do but frown

Rainy days and Mondays always get me down

Monday is the hardest day of the week. I felt that way especially as a young woman starting my full-time career after college...and then all through my work in NYC. Girls just wanna have fun on weekends, resist return to early alarm, realities of grown-up life. 

I would like to ponder how to make Mondays more productive now, working at home. I took a walk around the block and saw a fat white moon at about 8 p.m., hanging proud in all its glory and constancy. Radiance. I will never see the moon the same way since watching it cover the sun on eclipse day. 

That sphere tonight was a pretty gift. But 8 p.m., that's how long it took me to get out the door. Some days are like that.

I get up at 7:35 a.m. on school days for Punch. I start with a mug of coffee with cream, NY Times word games (to ease into the day), eat breakfast late, tend to overeat (today, fig bars purchased for Punch lunch) when trying to bridge the transition from breakfast to desk. I don't walk early, don't shower or take a bath early. I have weekly telehealth therapy at noon and Punch has hers at 5:30, often in person. The day is disjointed. But I could make it smoother. I will think about it. I'm always more productive with my assignments when I have showered, taken good care of my teeth, put on a nice outfit, makeup and accessories. It's called playing the part and showing up for myself.

Good night.

Thanks, Dad--Good to See You

Lana Del Rey “Blue Velvet” image from HERE.

I saw and heard Dad today--in Lana Del Rey’s cover of “Blue Velvet,” which Lex played on a CD in our car--and in the cotton-tail bunny I saw scampering on the green grass.

Sis and I say Dad is in the bunnies we see.

One of us will say to the other,

“I saw Papa today,” and we know what it means.

The bunnies show up at hard times, as a comfort, or sometimes, after Sis comes to visit, a day Dad would be happy to see. 

I associate the song “Blue Velvet” with him. I guess my parents had the record. They had a lot of records, and I love that. I seem to remember listening to the song with Dad.

Figgy also played Lana Del Rey so much. Today, when I listened with Skippy, I loved the song. So rich. The violins in the beginning, the full-bodied vocals. Wow.

Per Wikipedia

"Blue Velvet" is a popular song written and composed in 1950 by Bernie Wayne and Lee Morris. A top 20 hit for Tony Bennett in its original 1951 version, the song has since been re-recordedmany times, with a 1963 version by Bobby Vinton reaching No. 1.

Inspiration/ Composition[edit]

Songwriter Bernie Wayne was inspired to begin writing "Blue Velvet" on a 1951 visit to Richmond, Virginia where he stayed at the Jefferson Hotel: at a party at the hotel Wayne continually caught sight of a female guest dressed in blue velvet with whom he would have a holiday romance.^[

Lyrics:

She wore blue velvet
Bluer than velvet was the night
Softer than satin was the light
From the stars

She wore blue velvet
Bluer than velvet were her eyes
Warmer than may her tender sighs
Love was ours

Ours, a love I held tightly
Feeling the rapture grow
Like a flame burning brightly
But when she left, gone was the glow

Of blue velvet
But in my heart there'll always be
Precious and warm, a memory
Through the years
And we still can see blue velvet
Through our tears

Ours, a love I held tightly
Feel the rapture grow
Like a flame burning brightly
But when she left, gone was the glow

Of blue velvet
But in my heart there'll always be
Precious and warm, a memory
Through the years
And we still can see blue velvet
Through our tears

I might write a Medium story about this, but too tired now.

Good night.

A Haunting Film about a Legendary Lady

Highly recommend. Fireworks, balloon bouquets, stardust, rose petals, confetti and ticker tape for director Lee Daniels and stars Andra Day and Trevante Rhodes.

Starting with odds stacked against her....her mother was 13/her dad 15. As a girl, she ran errands for women in a brothel...scrubbed floors...sexual abuse....in the face of all that, Miss Billie Holiday used her beautiful voice, rhythm and style to captivate the world. The horrors she faced with narc agents going after her....please see NY Times obit link below. Very sad.

Her song, “Strange Fruit,” about a lynching she witnessed. So raw. Again, how remarkably strong Miss Holiday was, how remarkably strong with expressing her art (when it wasn’t squashed). Pain and grace in the face of unspeakable, unthinkable tragedy.

Rated R, one of most disturbing/vivid views I’ve ever seen of drug use/addiction, though I have not seen a lot. Some explicit sex/nudity. Incredible fashion, exceptional flowers in her hair, very handsome Rhodes. 

She loved her dogs, and held onto her connection to Catholicism.

https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0407.html

Back to watching the Oscars now.

Good night to you.

Bed Check

Today was challenging, with one afternoon home therapy appointment and then a one-hour Zoom support group for parents/caregivers from 7 to 8 p.m.

But inch by inch, row by row, I think we are making progress. Thank you, Pete Seeger and Arlo Guthrie, for the deeply wise "Garden Song."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u90qRE2F7CM

Good things:

• Watched last half hour of "The Waltons" on MeTV while eating lunch on a TV tray table. I love those stories, and as a girl, related to John-Boy's dreams to be a writer.
• Emailed editor re. essay assignment.
• Checked in with a wise friend.
• Short walk with Sugar. Noticed white Christmas lights and tree branches against First of December sky.
• Figgy came by to scan some beautiful artwork she did on commission for a new business that needs logo/branding. Gift to see her.
• My nighttime snack--plain Greek yogurt with pure pumpkin puree (canned organic is best), shelled walnuts, a scattering of Vesta cacao nibs and two good shakes of ground ginger and cinnamon.

#staysafe

Until tomorrow.

Random Thoughts

• Still going to finish dishes. Loaded the dishwasher, just about to scrub pots and pans.
• Then call Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield to pay our family health insurance. We received some payments so can do this, yay. We owe about $1,000 to reinstate plan.
• Listening to the Bee Gees on my Spotify playlist--"How Deep Is Your Love" and "Stayin' Alive." Remember? hahahahah love it.
• Today we had Punch therapy appt here, then Dan took her to soccer practice.
• After that, P played outside with some friends.
• It gets dark so early now.
• Talked to someone and listened to podcast. Helpful.
• Writing the Dear Skipper letters on Medium has been a good outlet for me.
• Had phone call with editor.
• Reached out re next of 4 story assignments.
• My friend Anne and I are driving to the Cape Saturday afternoon to Monday afternoon!!!!!!!!!

Good night.

Thinking Clearly, Writing More

Above, Patti Page, who released "Old Cape Cod" in 1957. I miss album covers, BTW. What Spotify delivers in convenience we lose in album cover art and liner notes.

It feels good to write.

My head is not clouded with sugar and white bread.

I'm enjoying the writing curve.

Good night.

TCOY

1. Talked to Figgy over breakfast--about Supreme Court justices, especially Ruth Bader Ginsburg; abortion rights; bias against women nominated for seats on the Court; Catholicism. (I'm a believer in that faith; she is not). Oh, and we also spoke about her new apartment! She is moving in with her friend October 15. Fig plans to start graduate school in fall 2021, but until then, can bike or take local bus to her two jobs in town, one at Montclair State University biology lab and one at Montclair Stationery. Proud of and happy for her.
2. Dawdled in my garden a bit, fussing over the moonflowers and portulaca, like a new mother fixing a baby's bright head bow just so.
3. Ate good foods today: fresh raspberries, small piece steak, small portion fluffy homemade mashed potatoes (Punch had a bowlful), roasted cauliflower, Punch's signature baked chicken.
4. Wrote about Cape Cod. Listened to Patti Page sing "Old Cape Cod"--beautiful.
5. Plan to take bath with lavender salts after doing the dishes.

Thank You, God, for Power + Grace

Punch started the support program today. So far, so good. It is online because of the pandemic, but there's a chance that could change.

I am very impressed with the skilled staff. I am going to draw support and smarts and empathy from this program, too. So will Dan and Figgy. I trust and pray that we will all emerge with more tools for dealing with life's challenges and stresses. I will stop blogging about this now, because it is personal to this young lady's life path. Just know it looks helpful. Very.

To be sure she wasn't being left behind at a milestone moment, Sugar came into the sunroom and pooed on the floor while we were in the early appointment. Remember, her nickname in this house is "Baby Nurse" because she always ran up to the crib with me when a coo or cry came over Punchy's baby monitor.

I am thankful for clarity, power and grace.

TCOY

1. Listened to the most beautiful song: "Be More Kind" by Frank Turner [above]. Go ahead, enlarge to full screen.
2. Wearing my small "watermelon slice" tourmaline pendant from artisan silversmith and friend Andrea Schettino, from my hometown. Like a talisman for a scary day. I love it. Last night was awful. We were all up past 1 am, discord.
3. Homemade oatmeal w banana, sliced almonds, cacao nibs and a little PB. Yum.
4. Plan to walk at least around the block later.

$ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET

• Uber from home to dr office in Montclair for routine bloodwork, $13.36 and back home, $25.07. I was surprised by how much the rate went up between 3:42 pm and 4:27 pm. Guess it was because it was closer to end of workday and dinnertime. $38.43.
• Sunday, biked to Kings for groceries. Biggest splurges: Vogue June/July [combined!!!!] issue, $7.99, yikes; Lily's dark chocolate no-sugar baking chips, $7.99; fancy Father's Day card, $7.95. Other items included half-gallon organic milk; half-gallon oat milk; six-pack brioche burger rolls, buy one, get one free; sliced mozzarella; raspberry preserves; blueberries, raspberries, local buttermilk, butter, sliced almonds, sugar and cream to make individual Father's Day berry shortcakes [with biscuits]; thin-sliced bread; mushrooms; 1 lb. flounder; creamy cucumber/dill sauce and a lemon to have with it; 2 half-pound packs sliced roast turkey from deli; head of lettuce; 1 pack cookies for Punch; scented votive candle; 3/4 lb. grass-fed ground beef; 3 oz. 88 percent dark chocolate bar; huge can of coffee; 3 lb. bag of clementines; and a second Father's Day card, $153.
• Rented Bill Cunningham documentary online, $4.99.
• 3 Lilly Pulitzer masks [the limit was 3], shipping from Anchored in Pink in Newport, Rhode Island, free shipping, $45.

total spend: $241.42.

ongoing monthly spend as of June 23: $2,367.04.

avg daily spend: $102.91.

Keep an eye on/compare to previous months:

April 2020: Total monthly spend: $2,143.19.
Avg daily spend: $71.44.

March 2020--the effect of coronavirus quarantine and not working in NYC for now

Total monthly spend as of March 31: $1,916.15.

Avg daily spend: $61.81.

February 2020

Total monthly spend as of Feb. 29: $2,480.34.
Avg daily spend: $85.53.

TOTAL SPEND FOR MAY 2019: $2,348.24.

MAY AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $75.75. 

TOTAL SPEND FOR APRIL 2019: $3,634.28.

APRIL AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $121.14.

What I Learned on Our Ride to the Cape

It was a more peaceful drive than usual. In early March, on a blustery winter weekend, the traffic was light. No oceangoing Suburus packed with children, and their bikes and boogie boards.

I gave Punch her ADHD medicine at 2 pm, right before we left. We normally try not to give her ADHD meds when she doesn't have school but then she might climb all over the back seat of the car or open our bags, like the time she found my pink shave gel and squirted it around.

I also listened to my therapist, who had suggested an on/off schedule with my iPhone. (Punch has her own iPad, but hasn't had it for a while, because she was going haywire and unable to observe time boundaires.]

We left at 2:13 and I said she could have my phone in an hour, for 30 minutes. So she got it at 3:13, and believe me, she tracked the time. Then I took it back for another hour, gave it back for another 30 minutes and so on. It went so much better. On the hours off, she had great conversations with us...asking Dan about grafting the apple tree branches, talking about who is in her classes at school [Luci, Rea, Marcel, Lincoln etc.]

I also drove more of the ride than usual. When Dan comes, he usually wants to drive.

I am a calmer driver.

He played some of his Spotify songs....I loved and want to download these on my Spotify. I mean I knew them, but hadn't "owned" them on my playlist yet. [Dan and his  BFF from Teaneck, Dan F., know so much about music.]

• "Michelle," Paul McCartney.
• "What Have They Done to My Song, Ma," by Melanie.
• "Uncle John's Band," so beautiful, from Grateful Dead. I didn't think I would ever love Grateful Dead!
• "Mr. Tambourine Man," the Byrds. I know Bob Dylan's version, but this--wow.

Good night. Want to hurry up and relax!!! xoxo

Monday, Monday

RANDOM PHOTOS OF SUGAR AND FIGGY FROM DAN'S COMPUTER. SUG IS 15 NOW!

Fig and Sug in 2017.

Neighbor Kiana (left) and Figgy up on Cape Cod in the snow with
 their matching snowy white dogs years ago.

Punch and I have been saying Hey Google, play John Lennon to our kitchen speaker yesterday and today in honor of John's December 8 death. Love his songs. Such a tragic ending.

A lot left to do on this busy Monday at home, so just a short post. Still want to Woolite [new verb] my tights for work.

TCOY

1. Caught up with Rach for coffee and steamed milk.
2. Private Benjamin appt. 
3. Doctor checkup, including routine bloodwork and urine sample.
4. Finally mailed Patsy's bday gift [early November]...on its way via slow mule  to Colorado now.....seems that way....
5. Started Christmas list, will retool it now.

$ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET [and this doesn't count cost for therapy/"Private Benjamin" and specialist co-pay at doctor]

• Whole Foods, two fresh green holiday plant gifts to deliver, 1 lb. smoked salmon, bag of organic lemons, bag of Haas avocados, wedge of expensive cheese, 4 yogurts in little jars, large container mixed marinated olives from olive bar, $75.95.
• U.S. Post Office, padded mailing envelope and postage to mail bday gift to Pats, $15.69.
• CVS, 2 holiday gifts [buy one, get second half off, something Punch loves], large bag shelled pistachios on sale, $17.02.
• Bank fees, $6.10.
• Montclair parking meter, 35 cents.
• Grove Deli, lunch, 50-cent bag chips and 3 special gifts for my sibs [imported from Italy], plus $1 tip, $31.66. It's a treat our grandma Rosie brought us when we were children.
• 2 small dark chocolates, $1.26.

Money spent out of pocket: $148.03.

Ongoing monthly spend as of Dec. 9: $1,789.18.

Avg daily spend: $198.80. I am off to fine-tune my Christmas list.

_____________________________________________________

COMPARE TO 4 PRIOR MONTHS:

Total spend for November (30 days): $2,979.03. ⬆️

Average daily spend: $99.30. ⬆️

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TOTAL SPEND FOR OCTOBER (31 DAYS): $2,495.36.🍎 ⬆️

AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $80.49.🍎 ⬆️

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TOTAL SPEND FOR SEPTEMBER (30 DAYS): $2,214.43.🍎⬇️

AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $73.81.🍎⬇️

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TOTAL SPEND FOR AUGUST (31 DAYS): $2,895.06. ⬆️

AUGUST AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $93.39.  ⬆️

Hard Times Come Again No More

Feeling worried about two important women in my life...

and what they are bravely facing....Do you know this song?

It is so very lovely. I first heard it at a dance show at

Figgy's middle school....it brought tears to my eyes.

On Pandora or Spotify or iTunes, search the version

by Yo-Yo Ma and Mr. James Taylor. I highlighted 2
lines that really reach me.

Hard Times Come Again No More

Yo-Yo Ma, Mark O'Connor, ...

Let us pause in life's pleasures and count its many tears
While we all sup sorrow with the poor
There's a song that will linger forever in our ears
Oh, hard times, come again no more.

'Tis the song, the sign of the weary
Hard times, hard times, come again no more
Many days you have lingered all around my cabin door
Oh hard times, come again no more.

While we seek mirth and beauty and music light and gay
There are frail forms fainting at the door
Though their voices are silent, their pleading looks will say
Oh, hard times, come again no more.

'Tis the song, the sign of the weary
Hard times, hard times, come again no more
Many days you have lingered all around my cabin door
Oh hard times, come again no more.

There's a pale drooping maiden who toils her life away
With a worn heart, whose better days are o'er
Though her voice it would be merry, 'tis sighing all the day
Oh, hard times, come again no more.

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: James Vernon Taylor / Mark Lorenn O'connor / EDGAR A MEYER / TRADITIONAL (PD)

Hard Times Come Again No More lyrics © S.I.A.E. Direzione Generale, Atlantic Music Corp., Gray Mouser Music, Mark O'Connor Musik International, ALFRED PUB CO. OBO STUDIO P/R, PEBBLE CREEK MUSIC

TCOY
List formatting off, so: green beans, good dental care, bubble bath and walk to brook 
with Sug + Dan.

$ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET Whole Foods, 2 Petitpot Organic French Pudding in jars [Dark Chocolate, on sale plus $1 coupon], whole milk, vanilla soy milk, pasta, cookies and 4 bananas, $14.97.

TOTAL DAILY SPEND: $14.97.

TOTAL MONTHLY SPEND AS OF AUGUST 29 [now added all other days on]: $2,767.24.

AVERAGE DAILY SPEND FOR MONTH SO FAR: $95.94.

TOTAL SPEND FOR MONTH OF MAY: $2,348.24.

MAY AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $75.75. 

TOTAL SPEND FOR MONTH OF APRIL: $3,634.28.

APRIL AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $121.14.

Curtains + Big Screen

Like all good art, these two productions opened my eyes to vivid worlds--in this case, lifting my heart with the magic of movie-making and music. And leaving me with stories so riveting that I cannot forget them.

THE BROADWAY MUSICAL "CAROUSEL"
First opened on Broadway in 1945, this show has been reborn many times. 
   Oh, so much to love about "Carousel." How did I not know it was set on the coast of Maine, a place I visit at least twice a year? The timing is the late 19th and early 20th centuries. So many seaside treasures, let me list them:

• The set!!!!! Sailboats bobbing on horizon, Victorian bathing beach, clambake on an island, the twinkling night sky. Beautiful stars polished by those who have left life as we know it. [Scenic design by Santo Loquasto.]
• The story arc and the songs!!!! Fishing caps off to you, brilliant, brilliant Rodgers & Hammerstein. I'm listening to the soundtrack right now on Spotify. I adore it. I wish my Mom and Dad were here because I'm sure they knew the songs and likely saw the show. Gifts: "A Real Nice Clambake," "The Carousel Waltz," "Mister Snow," "June Is Bustin' Out All Over," "When the Children Are Asleep," "Blow High, Blow Low," "You'll Never Walk Alone," "Soliliquy," and "What's the Use of Wond'rin?" So inspiring.
• The cast!!!! All enchanting, especially Joshua Henry as strapping, handsome carousel barker Billy Bigelow; Jessie Mueller as his love, Julie Jordan; opera soprano Renée Fleming as Nettie Fowler; Lindsay Mendez as Carrie Pipperidge; Alexander Gemignani as Enoch Snow [that's Mister Snow]; talented Margaret Colin as evil Mrs. Mullin, the widow who owns the carousel; John Douglas Thompson, the starkeeper; Amar Ramasar [amazing dancer] as troublemaker Jigger; and Brittany Pollack as young Louise. Well, that's everybody...the rest is the ensemble. They all captured my heart.
• The word starkeeper. Did you see that? The word starkeeper. The idea that there are starkeepers in the heavens.
• The Maine history. I liked hearing about the cotton mill where the young girls lived and worked [with tight night curfews] and how a fisherman like Mister Snow could start with one boat and end up with a fleet, catching sardines. The clambake song refers to lobsters and melted butter, and chowder ingredients. Much of the music is a pure old-fashioned treat, like unwrapping a piece of saltwater taffy in summer while an ancient carousel spins. The whaling song transports us to the ship deck with the boys. The story line offers a chance to return to earth for a day and make things right after you pass to the heavens [or purgatory]. And: A reference to Bangor, where my mother-in-law has lived for decades.
• The costumes. Long dresses, aprons, knitted shawls. It can get chilly in Maine at night. I like Mister Snow's fishing boots, too.
• The emotions. The joy of falling in love, the abandon, the willingness to give up other things in its honor. The jealousy of an older woman. The heartbreak of losing a father before you knew him and living with his tarnished history in a small town. [I thought of Punchy.] The way marriage can turn ugly--or lead to a boatload of kids. 

Here is a link to "The Carousel Waltz" music. [Skip the ad.]

Oh, I am so grateful Sis got me a ticket to join her and her friends the other night. She scored a discount at $70 each, counting handling; I paid for part, will pay back rest.

Charlize Theron as postpartum Marlo in "Tully."

THE MOVIE "TULLY" 
Figgy and I went to see this on the Saturday night before Mother's Day. Dan was working in D.C.; Punch was visiting her birth mom for a one-night sleepover. This film is magical and mystical and I hadn't even noticed something very important, which Figgy brought up as soon as the credits rolled. I don't want to spoil it for you, so I can't say what it was. Brilliant script by Diablo Cody, who wrote the wonderfully textured, witty and unforgettable "Juno."

Excellent portrayal of exhausted motherhood by Charlize Theron as Marlo, a mom with a career outside the home [she's not back to work yet] who just gave birth to her third baby. The plot involves a night nurse, Tully, who works like a busy bee while Marlo gets some rest. Tully cleans the messy house, like a bustling Cinderella, and even bakes cupcakes that make weary Marlo look like a superhero at school drop-off. Theron is beautiful, never mind engorged boobs and stained tee shirts--and so real when she loses her cool with the school principal, who finds Marlo's middle child "not a good fit" for the school. Oh, this is a delicious story that delves into who we are before and after kids, and how motherhood changes us. Also: What we left behind, often along with a flatter belly.

Enjoy your day.