creaking floorboards and cans o worms

Gadzooks. Gadzooks II. Sequels, prequels, epilogues, post scripts... the amounts of folks coming out from the past is sublime. Sixties. Earlier.

Dougs. Two of 'em. Doug MacLeod found me on some classmate site that I had sent to me some time ago; so long ago that I have no idea how or... I was thrilled to have him find me, especially after having invested some time some time ago in finding (or not) him. My mother ran across him many moons ago during a senior outing to a winery in Western Mass. That was some time ago.

Doug Wilds called after I had sent him a Christmas greeting. He was hellbent on coming off Martha's Vineyard - his hime for the lat 20 years or so - and he eventually did just that, coming here to 18 Hillside for a couple of days. Interesting visit. It was a take on where we both had been and are now. He left afgter two days to see his mother, Joan, who lived just a couple of houses down here on Hillside. Fascinating.

Upon Doug's leaving the house, I get a phone call from Ellen Leverenz, whom we know from days past at Fernald School, where Doug worked with her too. Amazing. More amazing is that she has a house on the Vineyard in Chilmark and will be visiting next month, possibly. I got to be her telephonic therapist - her family has driven her a bit nuts. Hey, that's what families do.

I plan on a visit there when and if she arrives.

Today is Charlotte's birthday. She's having a rough time of it all. She got taken out by her fellow nursing staffers yesterday to Salem, which she found depressing, what with closed shop after closed shop. She needs a boost; she needs a laugh. I know not what to do. She doesn't know either. I have seen her very little since sister Mary visited in September. Very little.

We let it be as is. It is beyond my capabilities and she wants the distance, I can only surmise from.. what? The fact that she cannot call? That amongst other factors. It hurts me a bit, old thick skinned me, finding out of huge gatherings at her house that I am not included. Oh well. Her husband is out returning a running suit that she said NO to. Yellow. We did have a small laugh as to that not being her fisrt choice. Poor Tom; what is he going through? The walls.

I am on the sidelines.

Pom pons not included. A cheer for the team.

go team.

Yay, Bedford.

A large storm is due here tonight/tomorrow. A foot of fresh snow? whooopie ding.

Twelfth Night - January 6, 2008

Might I say Egad! Yes. Vociferously.

Might I offer... something? Gold? Frankincense? Myrrh?

House of Bread, House of Cards. Aces. Queens. King of Kings. Sixes and Sevens.

Heirophants and Elephants and Donkeys. New Hampshire and Iowa.

I owe nothing. I have it all. In Spades.

The temps have risen enough to get much ice gone. Treacherous steps here at 18 Hillside. Cold.

Sunday. Last week seemed a wash - days after the holiday drifting away midweek.

I worked at the Hynes for First Night, a Boston celbration that I had heard so much as to. 4 to 9. Good hours, so I was told. Clueless, I went, watching as the paying crowd wandered with no idea as to what or where. Ice sculptures on the Common went unseen by these eyes, as I was dog tired with tired dogs - my feet didn't care for the solid solid floors - stone tiles and concrete.

We went to the Alley for Guinness afterwards. Midnight. Kissed by strangers - one that recognized me from a site online - bear411. Go figure. Missed the fireworks at the harbor. Close enough to possibly attend; too tired to move, and, I had a seat. Perma freeze.

The next day, at Gene's in E. Boston -- I had arrived before going Usher at Hynes, so I had a key to let myself in. No transit to Bedford on Sundays and holidays kept me there, and we whiled away the first day of the new year glued to the TV with Chinese delivery.

All is good, all is bright.

Missed out on a group gathered - a yearly event, I take it - at Ilene's south of Boston. Bill Schuellein called and told me of Mal (Craig now) coming to pick me up. Uh, can't go.

Seeing if Doung Wilds arrives as he said he would this coming week.

The stars must have something to do with this. The US Postal does to - cards sent and so forth.

Details when there are some more.

Pix? Wouldn't that be something? It could happen.