Saturday, March 24, 2001

Low grey clouds being pushed across the sky by a cold North wind. Not exactly the weekend weather I was hoping for but I guess it'll have to do. Being in some serious need of R and R, I grabbed the camera and headed out to a cemetery on the Northeast side of town. I'd never even driven by it before, so I was desparately hoping that it hadn't been taken over by a management company that prohibited headstones and required the use of those ground level bronze plaques.

I knew my worries were over even before I pulled into the cemetery. Holy Redeemer Cemetery had enough statues that it was hard to keep my eyes on the road as I searched for the cemetery entrance. A few words with one of the groundskeepers and I knew this place was going to be a winner. He pointed out the older sections of the graveyard and told me that many of the statues had been handcarved and imported from Italy. A quick preliminary walk up and down a few rows left me with no reasons to doubt his word.

The eastern portion of the grounds held graves from the late 1800's and early 1900's. From the names on the stones and the symbolism encountered in the carvings, the graveyard appears to have been a popular resting place for Roman Catholics of German and Italian ancestry. Most of the carvings were of a religious nature, with a great deal of original artwork on many of the more prominent monuments. Some sculptures were quite simple, exhibiting a quiet and touching elegance. Others were more elaborate, showing the skill and craftsmenship of the stone carver.

The saddest and in a way the most beautiful section was set aside for the graves of young children. Each stone topped by a delicate tiny angel, a sleeping lamb, or, one I'd never seen before, a child asleep in a seashell.

I should have the film developed shortly. If I can find the time to do some scanning, there should be some new photos added in a week or so.

12:56 PM ::link::

Friday, March 23, 2001

Many thanks to all who have sent such kind thoughts and inquiries about the "Old Fool" (yes, it's an awful and disrepectful nickname but he likes it) and his progress after his hip replacement surgery. Y'all rock.

They kicked him out of the hospital today, though not without one more PT session. He did fine through all the exercises and managed to make it across the room with a walker. He never complained of any pain or how hard he had to work to make it to his chair but I could see the droplets of sweat popping up on his bald crown. Those beads of moisture, coupled with the heavy sigh as he eased himself down, told how hard he'd worked for those short steps.

He's now ensconced in an intermediate care facility for some more rehab and PT. Due to a shortage of open beds at the care center at their retirement community, a wholly owned subsidiary of God's Waiting Room, Inc., he was originally scheduled to spend a few days on the opposite side of the city at a similar center, also part of the GWR conglomerate. Fortunately a spot opened up in his first choice of locations, sparing him yet another move and sparing the family from worries of shuttling my mom clear across town each day. He's now settled down in his room at the care center, close enough that mom can toddle over to see him and far enough away that she'll only make it over a few times a day, preserving a bit of his sanity.
4:06 PM ::link::

Thursday, March 22, 2001

How accurate an indicator of your creativity are these seven vices? Does a walk on the wilder side of life set your spirit free to dance with your Muse?
4:42 PM ::link::

Land developers and abandoned cemeteries aren't often a good mix. Too often, the relocation of an old grave is done in a brusque, economical fashion and with little regard for the family of the deceased. Even though it meant moving four graves instead of just two, this time they got it right and brought a family together.
4:23 PM ::link::

If you are a fan of science fiction, of the gritty and not so pretty future, or just enjoy a good tale told well, then there is a wonderful treat in store for you. Watch a talented writer bring what may come tomorrow alive for you today. This is a chance to see the birth and growth of what promises to be a continuing tale with great potential. I'll shut up now, and suggest that you read Saundra's wonderful...

Cherry Half Moon, Chapter 1
Cherry Half Moon, Chapter 2
Cherry Half Moon, Chapter 3

After you read them, be sure to tell her that she rocks. Or send money. ;-)
3:36 PM ::link::

Please keep Kaycee in your thoughts and prayers today.
7:09 AM ::link::

Wednesday, March 21, 2001

While perhaps lacking the three dimensional zaniness of the caskets from Bert and Bud's Vintage Coffins, the offerings at Art Caskets have a whimsical feel to them that should be perfect for anyone with a slightly warped perception of reality. I kind of like the Return To Sender model. Good sense of humor, simple message, a good beat and it's easy to dance to. ;-)
Link blatantly stolen from Reid.
8:37 AM ::link::

End the War on Freedom shares another delightful Sufi mystical poem from The Gift: Poems by the Great Sufi Master.
8:15 AM ::link::

Tuesday, March 20, 2001

Oh, I am such a technically competent individual, thorough in my planning, every detail analyzed and checked. Drive times carefully plotted from home to retirement community to hospital. Additional 10 per cent added for unexpected traffic. Time for morning ritual (version 2.1a - dog, 2 cups of coffee, donut) calculated and precise wake up time (PWUT) determined. Alarm carefully set to PWUT of 5:00 a.m.

Or so I thought until my morning slumber was terminated by a cold dog nose digging in my ribs at 5:38 a.m. Ack! Holy batshit! WTF happened? Never mind, I'll figure it out later because right now I am a good 40 minutes into my carefully calculated little plans and I still don't have my pants on.

Shaved off 30 seconds by feeding dog while brewing coffee at the same time.. going no where without a cuppa in me at this hour. ;-) The traffic light demons must have still been sleeping because I made darn near every light on the way to a mercifully deserted expressway and proved once again that a 16 year old diesel with 250k miles on the clock is just getting broken in.

Arrived at my parents retirement community slightly bleary but 10 minutes ahead of schedule, time enough to toss down one more cup of hot, dark, wake up juice. Bundled both parents into the car and off we go, in plenty of time to reach the hospital by the mandated hour. In plenty of time to sit in the waiting room for another 2 hours... just what my dad's nerves needed, more time to stare into space and contemplate the worst fate imaginable to him.
Death?
Pain?
Crippling injury?
Nope... a needle.
"John, do you think they'll have to start an I.V.?"

Well, he did us all real proud. Didn't even get cold and clammy when they started the I.V. I think he was darn glad to have it after the procedure. He quickly mastered the workings of his PCA pump, quite a feat for a man who's VCR is always blinkiing "12:00".

Once we had him settled in his room, even my mom realized that about all anyone could do was hover protectively over him and that the noise from all those flapping, hovering wings was keeping dad from a much needed snooze. Time to toddle back home and let the old man rest up for a grueling PT sesson in the morning.

Oh... the alarm that didn't go off this morning?
Set it last night for 5:00 alright... only p.m. not a.m.
Doh!

8:50 PM ::link::

Monday, March 19, 2001

It's been sort of a lazy day, especially for a Monday.

I didn't accomplish much, but that's okay. Today's been more of a resting up for the coming week. Tomorrow starts early, up before the sun to drive to my parents retirement community, and then driving my dad to the hospital for a hip replacement operation.

I'm not terribly worried about the outcome. He's had surgery before, no difficulties with unexpected reactions to the anesthesia, his surgeon is quite experienced with the procedure, so, all in all, things should be just fine. I've heard that others have had amazing results from similar operations, increased mobility, an end to pain and there is no doubt that he needs it done. If he can refrain from passing out if they draw some pre-op bloodwork, things will be fine. Yep, what can you say about a former Marine that kisses the floor every time he gets stuck with a little needle? ;-)

I guess my main function this week is to keep my mom from driving him absolutely bonkers. She's a dear and means well, with a heart of gold, but honestly, sometimes she seems to be in a world of her own. Not that she's getting batty... her faculties are intact and she's well aware of the world. She just has her own schedule and cannot be moved along with the smooth logical efficiency that my dad prefers. We've all grown used to it, sharing small smiles and glances skyward as she toddles along at her own pace. It has become almost a habit to stop halfway to any destination and wait for her to catch up... always unavoidably detained by stopping to examine more closely some small item that has caught her eye.

So, I'll be babysitting the parents this week.
8:39 PM ::link::

Sunday, March 18, 2001

Though seemingly directed towards travel photography at a far away from home location, this interview with Richard I'Anson offers some tips on equipment and composition that should be helpful in many situations. Planning and packing for a trip to the local cemetery with the same forethought that you'd give to a trip around the world might seem like quite a bother but you'll avoid a good deal of frustration when you reach for that lens, or roll of film, or bit of gadgetry that would improve the photograph that you want to capture.
9:42 AM ::link::

The image was quite grainy, the details obscured in a fuzzy red glow from a low powered laser beam, nothing that you would praise in terms of overall image quality except for the amazing depth and dimensionality. Twenty five years ago and I can still see that tiny chess piece, a white knight, floating in the air of a darkened meeting room. I was fascinated by the simple hologram, for both the unique nature of the image and for the physics behind its formation. The chalkboard filled with sketches of waveforms and interference patterns as possibilities for the medium flew around the table.

One of those possibilities, three dimensional optical data storage, is closer to reality.
9:16 AM ::link::

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