Recent Entries

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day

Once there was a very stupid president. He didn't drink coffee so he saw no problems with putting a high tax on it and picking fights with the countries that sold coffee. He didn't drink orange juice, in fact he didn't eat fruits or vegetables, so he saw no problem with arresting the people who picked oranges and tomatoes, and other fruits and vegetables. He didn't eat eggs, so even though the bird flu was making eggs scarce, he took all the money away from doctors working on the problem. So people didn't have coffee or orange juice or eggs for breakfast. They asked themselves, what can we have for breakfast? And someone said, I know, lets have BILLIONAIRES FOR BREAKFAST. So they did, but they tasted terrible, THE END.

Title needed

I have been thinking about a murder mystery I have read, thought I owned, but can't find. I cannot remember the title or the author, but it isn't Christie or Sayers, or Stout, my three favorites.

It's set in London, I think in the late 1940's or early 1950's. The protagonist has just retired, realizes he has been living in the same dreary flat for years, and buys, or perhaps leases, a new home. He acquires a cat. There are servants living in the basement and part of the condition he having the place is continuing to employ them. They, and a few other people in the area, belong to some sort of weird cult like organization, but there is no occult aspect.. There are a brother and sister who make pottery involved. That's what I remember.

Any ideas?

Three Books

One Hard, One unusual, One delightful

The hard one is "Professor Borges, a Course on English Literature", by Jorge Luis Borges. I'll admit prejudice - Borges is one of my favorite writers; "The Library of Babel" is a touchstone piece for me. (It can be found in "Ficciones.") He gave a series of lectures on English literature in 1966. Students recorded and transcribed them - this is the basis of the book. He was brilliant, but the material is dense, and is translated from Spanish. Reading commentary on major works of English literature that was originally in Spanish give an extra layer of complexity and a unique point of view. I will admit I skipped the first several pieces, since I have never read Beowulf and other early material. By the time he got to Wordsworth, Coleridge, Blake, I was hooked. I recommend this for deep study, not a casual read. I still haven't finished it, but I will keep dipping into it for a long time.

"The Ride of Her Life", by Elizabeth Letts is unusual. In 1954 Annie Wilkins set out from a farm in Maine. She was 63, and in poor health, but wanted to see the Pacific Ocean before she died. With a horse to ride, and a dog as her only other companion, she left in November 1954. She got to Los Angeles, California in March 1956. She traveled a convoluted route, in all kinds of weather, helped by a wide assortment of people. It was a time of change for the United States - soon after, riding a horse many places she went would have been impossible. This book is semi auto-biographical, assembled from her journals and letters and interviews. It is a unique view of America as it was changing in the mid-1950's.

"The Spell Shop" by Sarah Beth Durst was delightful. If you liked "Legends and Lattes", you will probably like this. The hero is a librarian, fleeing for her life, with as many books as she could grab. Her only companion is sentient spider plant, and they steal a boat to travel to her childhood home, far away. There is a bakery, and raspberries, and magic, and mermaids. If I say any more, I might spoil the plot.

Medicare problem

This is a warning about medicare and immunizations. Last month, my doctor told me I was overdue for a tetanus booster, or rather the TDaP, tetanus, diptherea and pertusis. I said, yes, i should get this, and shortly after, the nurse came in and administered it.

Recently, I got a bill for this shot. It turns out that it is not covered under Medicare part B, but part D, so my insurance would not cover it without my filing a separate form and waiting for reimbursement. I have one set of forms, and I am waiting on another. This took 2 phone calls, and may take more calls and work and forms. There is no way to tell in advance when this sort of thing will happen. And I have a Medicare supplement that is supposed to include everything.

I don't need this kind of s**t. I can afford to pay the $98 and wait for a check, but what if I couldn't? What if that made me late on my bills, or not able to get enough food? This is completely ridiculous - and why we need singe payer health care. Basic medical care should be completely covered, seamlessly, for everyone. This sort of c**p may also be why measles, whooping cough, and the like are coming back. Yes, some of it is the dreadful anti-vaxxers. But if I was close to the bone financially, I might skip this and other medical care I need.

Minicon 56

We went to Minicon over the last weekend, wearing masks as much as possible. I know several people who did not attend because of the possibility of infection, and I really wish the concom had had stricter rules. They did check vaccination certificates, so that's something. I really hope no one gets sick.

Some of the con was fun - listening to Greg Ketter, fan guest of honor, talk about everyone he knows or has met. The Writing the Twin Cities panel was a hoot, talking about lost places and tunnels in the area. And Emma Bull! And Naomi Kritzer!

If you encountered me and I didn't know you, or was crabby - I have trouble recognizing people anyway, with masks on, all bets are off. My arthritis just keeps getting worse and I don't like to talk about it. My method for dealing with pain tends to be to keep going until I fall over. I am working on better methods. I managed to have fun, but I am in serious burn-out today. It didn't help that leading into the con was a very busy time.

If you were there and I managed to miss you - HELLO!!

Shaken

I am feeling shaken but improving.

This morning, I tried to leave the parking garage and got stuck in the snow at the top of the ramp. Really stuck, snow up to the body of the car, no way in hell would it moved. Called AAA, but they were very busy; in the meantime, people who wanted to get their vehicle out helped Martin push and the car moved. Parked on the street for a while, then.got it back in the garage.

Not going anywhere today.

Thursday

So much for doing this every day.

Character of the day: Ged, of "A Wizard in Earthsea" and subsequent books. Learned more about magic and the nature of Nature from this book than any other I can think of.

Tuesday

Arghh, I missed a day. - let's call it a snow day.

Character of the Day: Miss LeFay Morgan from DIon Fortune's "The Sea Priestess" and "Moon Magic. Obscure to non-occultists. Dion Fortune's fiction is better than her non-fiction, IMHO, tho it's rather dated. Excellent introduction to ritual magic, at least it was for me.

Sunday

Last night, in honor of victories in Ukraine, I made my father's family cabbage soup recipe. We are prosperous, we have meat in our soup!

Characters of the Day: Mike Callahan and the regulars and irregulars of Callahan's Crosstime Saloon (and subsequent books). The value of community and acceptance and cooperation.

Saturday

I am already tired of winter and it hasn't officially begun.

Character of the Day: Corwin of Amber. If you don't understand, go read "Nine Princes in Amber" by Roger Zelazny, and subsequent books. This has nothing to do with winter.
"

Veteran's Day

aka Armistice Day, the day the "Great War", World War I, ended the active fighting. It resumed in 1939, and basically, the world has been at war in some form ever since.

Characters of the Day: Clovis, Reginald, and many others from the short stories of Saki (H. H. Munro) One of the best short story writers of all times, IMHO. He died November 14, 1916, while serving in the War, a great loss to literature. My favorite stories include "Sredni Vashtar", "The Story of St. Vespaluus", "The Un-Rest Cure", and "Quail Seed". According to Wikipedia, he was Queer, at a time when it was dangerous to be out, and so, completely closeted.

Thursday

It is grey and gloomy here but warm - in the 60's. That will change overnight - lows tonight in the 20's are predicted.

Characters of the day: Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin. I include both because they really are a team. Re-reading "The Black Mountain" currently. I've been reading these and others by Rex Stout since my early teens.

Wednesday

Minnesota is safe, at least, Democrats hold Governor's Office and both houses of the legislature. Rest of the country is very mixed. Enough.

Character of the Day is Sherlock Holmes, perhaps the first fandom, for people to talk about a character as if they were real. (I could be wrong about this.) Had a fascination with Holmes from the age of 12 or 13. There is an exhibit at the Minnesota History Museum about him that I plan to visit soon.

Election Day

Vote, if you haven't already.

Character of the Day: Dorothy Gale of Kansas and Oz. My second portal fantasy. Much more political than most people realize. There was satire in most of the books, but some of it is subtle and most of it out of date, 100 years later. Baum's wife was the daughter of Matilda Gage, a prominent feminist of the day, and that is a source of some of the satire.

Moonday

There is a full lunar eclipse today, visible in the US in the small hours. It portends great change - VOTE if you haven't already.

Today's character: Alice (Liddell) of Oxford and Wonderland. My first portal fantasy, at the age of 7. May explain a few things about me.

I HATE THE TIME CHANGE

I really want us to get rid of so called daylight savings. I want to have the same time year round and I want it to be in line with sunrise and sunsets, so clock noon is as close as possible to solar noon.

Character of the day is Miles Vorkosigan.

Good Morning

Because the Bird has flown, I'm going to start posting here again, even if it's just 244 characters or whatever.

Character of the Day: Lord Peter Whimsey.

"No Modernism Without Lesbians"

No Modernism Without Lesbians, by Diana Souhami, Head of Zeus Press, London, 2020

I really wish I had been able to read this book when I was 14, 15, 16, and know that there were not only other women who loved women, but that they could be famous and successful. Four women are profiled in this book: Sylvia Beach, who started the bookstore Shakespeare & Co.; Bryher, who funded modernist writing and film; Natalie Barney who had many women lovers; and Gertrude Stein, who had only one - Alice B. Toklas. They came from the United States, and from England, to Paris to be free (or more free) from social constraints. Two of them had inherited wealth, which enabled them to finance many of the writers and poets and painters and performers who pioneered modernism. James Joyce might never have published "Ulysses" if not for Sylvia Beach. Gertrude Stein's sponsorship of Picasso was crucial to his success. This is important lesbian history that many may find worth reading.

Got my booster

Eight months after my second Moderna vaccination, I got the booster. Haven't been posting here at all lately, because I feel so disconnected. This last weekend I went to TWO in person events for the first time in many months, the MnStf Halloween Party, and my coven's Samhain ritual. Now I am writing this to avoid my Nano project, which is off to a slow start.

The Long Winter

Reading "The Long Winter" by Laura Ingalls Wilder, as one does in January in Minnesota, I reflect once again how precarious life was 150 years ago. People grew most of of their own food, and hunted, fished, foraged. The Ingalls house in town sheltered 6 people and was a fraction of the size of our condo*. We don't have snow coming in the doors or the roof. We have central heating, indoor plumbing. No going out to the woodpile in the middle of a blizzard, or going to the well. (There is no mention of their sanitary arrangements, but I can guess.) I recently saw a program on PBS about her and the books, so yes, I know about the racism, imperialism, sexism.(Much of it I figured out for myself years ago.) I know that Rose Wilder was one of the founders of the Libertarians and a friend of Ayn Rand. This was an attempt to create an American story of pioneer spirit and self-sufficiency that didn't really exist. But the conditions Laura described were real, and I am very thankful I don't live under those conditions. I like to remind myself that we really do have it good in some ways. Now, if we can keep it.

*Yes, since I watched the show, I know there were really eight people, a couple of boarders who Laura hated and wrote out of history.