Pluck: Lost and Found
May 20, 2013
“My mother went downstreet all by herself today,” a friend who lives in a small town in Vermont wrote on her Facebook page. Mary’s mother is 90 years old. “I was in too much pain to accompany her and she was very determined. Everyone knows her down there at T-Bird and that general area, so they will be on the look out. I feel like a nervous mother waiting for her teenaged daughter to come back.”
Downstreet, Bellows Falls, Vermont (Photo by Mary Narkiewicz.)
The Crochet Coral Reef Project
May 15, 2013
According to the Institute for Figuring (IFF) web site, this internationally exhibited crochet project is a “woolly celebration of the intersection of higher geometry and feminine handicraft, and a testimony to the disappearing wonders of the marine world.” Read the rest of this entry »
Crochet
May 14, 2013
My grandmother Martha crocheted. Did your grandmother knit or crochet? Do you?
What is it, I wonder, that makes the idea of sitting in a corner with a hook and some colorful yarn suddenly so attractive? Alice isn’t interested, but I am (off and on).
Take a look at these antique crochet hooks (from the collection of Nancy Nehring).
Crochet hooks.
Mother’s Day in Pictures
May 13, 2013
I woke up to my own charges:
Hadley (age 15 or thereabouts)
Brio (age 5 or somesuch)
As I stepped out the front door of my houseboat on my way to Alice’s, I met up with another family:
Perfume
May 12, 2013
I’m soon on my way over to Alice’s with a bouquet of flowers and a bag full of chocolates and puzzle books and other treats, but I wanted to share this very short and beautifully made video by my dear friend, Teresa Jordan, inspired by the film, El Viaje de Carol. Read the rest of this entry »
Mother Love
May 8, 2013
Recently, Alice told me the meat grinder story again. She doesn’t tell it often, for reasons you’ll understand after reading it. It’s a story about her and her mother, Martha, and, although Alice thinks it is a story about a daughter’s guilt, it is also a story about a mother’s love. Because this is the week before Mother’s Day, I thought I’d pass it on to you.
The Sound of Hope
April 30, 2013
Alice’s fourth waiting room of that recent long day (see The Tao of Waiting) was at SoundSource, the location of her new hearing doctor, Shelly Boelter.
Tired Alice in Waiting Room #4.
Separate Tables
April 13, 2013
As noted in the post One Good Thing, Mr. Fickle has been smitten for a while with a woman Alice calls The Young and the Restless (or, in notes to Nadine, Y&R).
Alice has marveled at Y&R’s jet black hair and wardrobe. Sometimes in our evening conversations I’ve learned what the woman was wearing that day: lots of makeup (always), several rings (usually), a brocade jacket and skirt. (“Imagine!” says Alice.) A dress with a skirt that swings. A sparkling brooch on a well-cut jacket, and so on. Y&R may have dementia but it’s done nothing to dull her sharp sense of style.
Wigging it
April 7, 2013
In Alice’s world, a perm is a must. She subjects herself to one about every six weeks. As a result of this and probably of old age, her white hair is thinning in back and on top.
Her weekly, sometimes bi-weekly, appointments with Marveen, the hairdresser at The Place, are meant to keep her hair-do looking perky, but despite these efforts, the curls dwindle and flatten. A wig, she decided, was the answer.
Easter with Alice
April 1, 2013
I don’t normally eat meat, but I never argue with Alice when meat is set before us. It’s just not worth it, especially in public. We were in the dining room at The Place when the meal arrived: ham so thinly sliced it was nearly transparent, a milky clump of scalloped potatoes, and a patch of broccoli.
So we ate this Easter lunch I would not want to eat again, a meal not so much prepared as enforced by a cook who may have last really thought about food in 1994, and served by a sweet young woman perhaps born in 1994, who found herself pushing a cart around and pouring something she called “cherry lemonade” into tall plastic glasses, an imitation of wine, I guess. It was, after all, a holy day.
Let’s mourn the pig who was sacrificed for this unholy effort and hope he had a happy life.
New Chicks
March 31, 2013
If I had a dozen eggs on hand I might try to make some of these deviled chicks for Alice and take them to her. I have only one egg, however, and its destiny is to join up with some spinach. Read the rest of this entry »
Public Service Announcement
March 28, 2013
A momentary break from regular programming. I feel compelled to say this after watching Alice struggle to understand what a visitor was saying to her the other day, watching her lips move as she tried to decipher the words forming on the visitor’s moving lips, hurting with her over how much she’d missed out on in the conversation after this person left. Read the rest of this entry »
Nadine
March 25, 2013
“Nadine is not a bone eater,” Alice said.
The Rewards of Bloggery
March 21, 2013
Blogger Deborah Barker, who lives across the Pond not far from my favorite British actress/comedienne Dawn French (an irrelevant but interesting fact, at least to me) has nominated me for an award. It’s called the “Very Inspiring Blogger Award,” and by accepting you get one of these badges to post on your site. I will try to live up to it. Many are the days I have not felt inspiring, let alone very inspiring.
One Good Thing
March 11, 2013
Sometimes nothing helps the I’m-97-Years-Old-Dammit blues.
Not Going with the Flowing
March 6, 2013
It was determined by brains bigger than my own that there were many possible solutions to Alice’s chilly corner of the room, a corner made worse and not better by blasts of hot air from a wall heater. Thank you, Readers!
I decided to go with the air flow deflector, also known as a “heat flow deflector,” because it would be quick, easy, and cheap. I asked my dear friend Thalia if she wanted to go with me to a favorite hardware store.
What Would Susan Do?
February 21, 2013
A few days ago Alice called to say she felt sad to see Libby sitting at her old table for every meal.
“Now that you’ve gone and interfered,” she said, “she sits back there in the corner, facing the wall. Poor thing.” Read the rest of this entry »
The Naked Truth
February 13, 2013
Libby is no longer seated at Alice’s table. It was an uncomfortable phone call, but it got results.
Whatever Libby Wants – Once Again
February 11, 2013
“I hope you get to see the man over here who seems to think he is Abraham Lincoln’s double,” Alice said not long ago. “He’s really tall and wears a stovepipe hat and a sort of dressy jacket with a stand-up collar.”
We were still a long way from Lincoln’s birthday. The man appeared one day at lunchtime and strode slowly through the dining room.
Oh, Just Because…
February 6, 2013
Sneezy in sunglasses.
Her name is Sneezy. She allows a Penn State freshman named Mary Krupa to make headgear for her.
Here she is in her propeller beanie.
She has her own Facebook page, and people write articles about her:
More about Sneezy, including a video.
Also, thank goodness it’s February. That’s all I’ve got to say (for the moment).
January
January 27, 2013
“How many songs do you have on that thing?” Alice asked about my iPad.
“Millions,” I said.
“How far back do they go?”
“How far back do you want to go?”
Read the rest of this entry »
Poet in Residence
January 19, 2013
Today Alice wanted to talk poetry.
I know from this story that she created lots of poems when she was a child. Then there was a sixty or seventy year dry spell, and now she makes up poems all the time and inspires others to make them up for her. (See Roses Are Red, Shoes Are Black or my friend Justin’s ode to her new toaster, an appliance that has not been in service since she burned some toast and set off the smoke alarm at The Place, which caused quite a rumpus.) Read the rest of this entry »
One Alice, Many Santas
December 28, 2012
About a week before Christmas, a few more penguins marched in to live in Antarctica on top of the refrigerator. (Note vase serving as glacial background.)
Can you spot the one that slipped on the ice?
Thanks to friends John and Julian and Salli, plus her own expeditions to Goodwill, all these rescued penguins have found their Forever Home with Alice. Read the rest of this entry »
St. Alice in Her Laboratory
December 20, 2012
The photograph of Alice and k.d. lang, enlarged and framed, now sits on Alice’s desk. A few staff members have seen it and have spread the word to other residents and staff alike. Several people now want to touch the hand of the woman who touched k.d. lang. Her apartment may turn into the Lourdes of The Place.
Meanwhile, Christmas cards and presents are coming in.
k.d. lang, Meet Alice; Alice, Meet k.d. Lang (Part Three)
December 7, 2012
k.d. lang told Alice she plans to rest. “I’ve been on tour for eighteen months,” she said. “I’m tired.”
Because of her poor hearing, Alice understood her to be announcing her retirement. “You can’t stop singing!”
k.d. lang, Meet Alice; Alice, Meet k.d. lang (Part Two)
December 4, 2012
k.d. lang entered the apartment waving a bouquet of red roses. “Hi, Alice!”
It started with a tweet:
Alice’s Thanksgiving Day List
November 23, 2012
For the past ninety years or so, Alice has made lists. I’ve read this is typical Virgo behavior. I don’t know, but she is a Virgo and she always has one prepared for our nightly phone calls and my visits. Thanksgiving Day was no different. She waved it at me as soon as I walked in the door. Read the rest of this entry »
After the Fall Casserole (Revisited)
November 15, 2012
Alice misses Celia, and I miss her too. I decided to reread last year’s Thanksgiving blog post to remind myself of the fun they had together. Here’s the post again, updated to include the recipe for our friend Julia’s amazing apple cake. Read the rest of this entry »
Freight Train
November 14, 2012
Sometimes a freight train goes by in the middle of the night and shakes the houseboats in their moorings and wakes all of us up when the whistle blows. Read the rest of this entry »
Threat of Attention – The Beer
November 8, 2012
Some of you may remember that my friend Gordon named a home-brewed beer in honor of Alice when he first heard the hooch story. Photos of Gordon’s visit to Alice along with bottles of Alice’s Gumption appeared in Cheers.
Label
Recently, Gordon read the blog post about Alice’s transformation into a rising star at The Place with the publication of the stories she’s been writing for the monthly newsletter. (See Rebirth of a Writer.)
He took note of this paragraph about the onslaught of comments and compliments she was getting about her writing: Read the rest of this entry »
Who’s That Singing in the Family Tree?
November 7, 2012
Alice’s first e-mail of the day:
“Susan B. had a pretty good night.”
Susan B. Anthony
FYI
November 3, 2012
Given the destruction and loss of power in New York, perhaps not many people in the city will be attending events this week, but in case you are there and venture out, consider seeing the film, “The Peasant and the Priest.” This documentary, which I co-wrote with the director, Esther Podemski, will be screened at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, November 7th, at the Anthology Film Archives Courthouse Theater as part of the New Filmmakers Documentary Series.
Anthology Film Archives
32 Second Avenue @ 2nd St
New York City
Summary: The Peasant and the Priest tells the story of two Italian men in their eighties whose ways of life have survived from medieval Italy to the present. Sergio, a sharecropper, uses ancient farming methods that have become overshadowed by corporate agriculture. Father Oreste fights the tide of sexual slavery, which grows each day as more and more women from Africa and Europe are forced into prostitution in Italy. Each man tries to make his contribution to a world that moves relentlessly and carelessly forward. Both represent ways of life that are rapidly fading as the modern world closes in.
Trailer available on the web site: The Peasant and the Priest
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As we drove home from the dentist’s office the other day (see Goodbye to All That), Alice talked about how helpless she felt while watching news of the destruction on the east coast. Like many of us, she was concerned that any money she donated would not be well spent.
I shared with her some information I found online about how to donate wisely. If you plan to donate to hurricane relief, here are some helpful tips you can follow so that your money isn’t wasted.
My choice is the Red Cross for donations: www.redcross.org, or call 1-800-RED-CROSS.
A new Alice post will be coming soon.
Goodbye to All That – Update
October 30, 2012
State of the mother: Remarkably good.
Details: Gruesome. Don’t ask. It turns out there were four teeth she had to leave behind. I mistakenly thought there were only two.
Dentist’s Chairside Manner: Excellent. He continually checked in with her, and he was as gentle as he could be, given the circumstances.
Hurt factor: “Oh, I needed more Novocaine,” Alice said, “but I didn’t want to ask. I just wanted it to be over with and get out of there.”
Post-op treat: Chocolate milkshake.
Sleep: Eight hours. No problems.
Breakfast this morning: Mashed up banana. “I heated it up first in the microwave,” Alice said. “It tasted better that way.”
Painkillers ingested: Zero!
Today we go back for Phase Two: Fittings.
Thank you so much for your kind thoughts, concern, and good wishes. I shared them all with Alice and she is so grateful you care about her.
Onward…
Goodbye to All That
October 28, 2012
Alice will have her last two teeth pulled tomorrow. She has brushed and flossed all along, but the regular dental cleanings are finally too much for her. Despite rigorous home care, there’s usually at least one tiny cavity to fill way down under the gum line.
She puts on a brave face for the dentist. Read the rest of this entry »
Big Days, Little Days
October 17, 2012
When I called last night at nine o’clock, Alice said, “Oh, hello,” and put the phone down. I could hear papers rustling.
A minute passed before she came back. “Sorry to keep you waiting,” she said. “I was looking for my day.” I knew immediately what she meant. Read the rest of this entry »
Rebirth of a Writer
October 13, 2012
When Alice was thirteen, she liked to write poetry. The unhappy end to that creative enthusiasm is described in the blog post, The Children’s Hour.
After a hiatus of 84 years, she has finally found the time and daring to write again (see Alice’s New Career), and last week her third story appeared in The Place’s newsletter. She called to describe the reaction of her fellow residents. Read the rest of this entry »
Shine On
October 2, 2012
Moon
Open the book of evening to the page
where the moon, always the moon, appears
between two clouds, moving so slowly that hours
will seem to have passed before you reach the next page
where the moon, now brighter, lowers a path
to lead you away from what you have known
into those places where what you had wished for happens,
its lone syllable like a sentence poised
at the edge of sense, waiting for you to say its name
once more as you lift your eyes from the page
and close the book, still feeling what it was like
to dwell in that light, that sudden paradise of sound.
Harvest Moon 2012 (Photograph by Erin Shaw)
I hope you’ve been stepping out for a few minutes each night to take in this majesty.
I’ve been busy preparing a writing class—back soon with more Alice stories.
Alice Baba and Her Loyal Thief
September 20, 2012
First, I was to steal some roses.
“Get the pink if any are left,” Alice ordered, handing me a pair of scissors and shoving me out the door before I’d even had a chance to put her groceries away. “And yellow!” she called after me. “And some buds, too.”
She said that when I came back she’d tell me why she wanted them.
Monkey Girl
September 15, 2012
Not long ago, Alice and I attended a small service held for Celia in the activity room at The Place. Her grandson, a man around fifty, walked in carrying an enormous bouquet, a laptop, screen, and disk of photographs showing Celia throughout her life. He also brought cookies, punch, and some good stories.
For example, he revealed that Celia had once kept company with a lynx.
The big cat shared her bed and slept with his head on her shoulder.
Women 1 to 100
September 6, 2012
This is quite wonderful. So positive. I may have posted it before when it was available as a poster, but this video is even better.
To learn more about Edouard Janssens and his 1 to 100 Years Project, go here. In the banner across the top of the page, you’ll find a video of men 1 to 100 (he’s #50).
Also, I highly recommend spending a few moments with his amazing project on irises (as in eyes). You’ll never look into an iris quite the same way again.
Crafty Alice
September 4, 2012
As you may have read in Speaking of Slippers, Alice decided that the black slippers I purchased for her 97th birthday look too sporty because of a white stripe up the back.
She requested a black magic marker.
Speaking of Slippers…
September 1, 2012
Source: Historical Society of Princeton
The Mystery of Meteors
August 30, 2012
After my friend Diane M. read the last two posts (Happy Birthday to Alice and And the Winner Is...), she sent me the following. It speaks to me. I’ve read it over many times these past few days. I thought you might like it, too.
