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EDWARD JACOBS

Category: Living

  • Sunday, January 3, 2021

    Nice video-call with Jackson this morning, though the molars coming in are giving him some grief, lack of sleep, etc. As usual, though, he perks right up at the sight of Frankie:

    _______________________

    If this isn’t a moment to find examples of exactly why politicians get so little respect, just remind your self of this slimeball’s ability to have his own family villified…and then become his insulter’s biggest supporter. How many faces must a politician have to make it to the U.S. Senate?

  • Friday, January 1, 2021

  • Thursday, December 31, 2020

    This day, not the landmark so many wish it will be, began with comfortable temps, and a beautiful fool moon on display as Frankie and I went out this morning:

    I am thankful for such sights, to be sure.

    On Tuesday I went to New Bern to get Pattie something she’s been wanting for some time now…

    …and we hope to be able to ride together a bit now.

    ______________________

    Just heard an interview on Morning Edition with Nora McInerny, the host of Terrible, Thanks for Asking. I don’t yet know this podcast, but she’s certainly won me over. Perhaps this will be the biggest takeaway from the year past. Will listen to this today, will listen hard.

    Hoping the final day of this calendar year brings something bright to your day.

    The year ahead? It really is a huge question mark, isn’t it…? Could be better, could be worse. Hoping to just live through it and, in the best case, be able to do some really eye-opening living.

    Wishing the same for you.

    Leaving you with two of my favorite photos of the year past:

  • Tuesday, December 29, 2020

    THE SHAPE OF THE SHORE, by Rana Awdish, an essay with important perspective, especially now as this virus is yet again surging at a frightening rate.

    ______________________

    Trying to find a way to bring positive thoughts to the fore. Thankful for much, of course; not the least of which is our health, and our ability to call on available resources to live comfortably. But also aware that each day doesn’t create the best of memories.

    So I’ve brought some edible, aromatic memories to the forefront. Hoping, too, that sharing a catalyst to positive memory with others will help them.

  • Monday, December 28, 2020

    Almost there. Just a few more days. The fool on the hill completely incapable of actions beyond his narcissistic instincts. And all other of his fools standing in line to kiss the arse he promises will be ever the king maker. Sickening.

    The ups and downs of the days and nights are truly unsettling. Trying to focus, trying to stay anywhere near on-point is a very significant challenge. Perhaps no easier right now than in April.

    Finding some clarity in giving myself a mini-teaching assignment, one that i’d like to offer to my students starting Jan 1 or so. Simply put, it’s just a daily communal writing period; a zoom session in which we each write for five minutes using a randomly generated idea, whether pitches, rhythms, colors, or something else. I’ll do it as well, of course, in no small part a means to re-set some writing habits. In devising this little exercise, I needed to create some mini-patches in MAX, which I’ll also be teaching in the spring…a bonus that i’m working on refreshing some of those skills, too.

    _________

    Yesterday was really nice. did some cooking and baking in the morning, then gave a good trial to my winter bike-wear. Bundled up, comfortable, and good for a ride for the afternoon.

    Always nice to just get on the road for a while; quiet and calm. (Especially so with the heated hand-grips, the sweet warm pants.). The chilliest part was the 30′ ferry, though easy enough to find a warm spot away from the wind. A pleasure to be on the water.

    __________________

    This morning more cooking and baking, looking forward to sending out some packages of aromatic memories.

  • Saturday, December 26, 2020

    Very cold here (20s at night, 30s daytime). Enjoyed a short ride yesterday (new overpants really work remarkably well), walks over the past few days with Pattie and Frankie. But over all, feelings of ennui which seem impossible to overcome. And watching/reading about what these people whom we’ve elected as political leaders are doing, the narcissist-scum-in-chief leading the way towards even further pain and catastrophe for so many in this country, backed by politicians who seem to stand for absolutely nothing beyond their own political survival; it’s all so much worse than disheartening.

    And on top of all that, the evil that emerges in Nashville’s downtown. The depths to which mankind can stoop seem truly evermore unfathomable to me. Faith in humanity is so very hard to maintain; individuals, perhaps, but the ability of the worst among us to damage the rest is evidenced throughout history, and certainly not weakening.

    Brightness only arrives via electronic delivery–

    Hoping your days find some sweetness, too.

  • good reading

    I haven’t yet read all of the essays recommended in this article, but those I have read are fabulous.

  • Wednesday, December 23, 2020

    A beautiful, clear day, and not even so cold, really, for late December. The news of the week, though, makes it so difficult to feel safe and sound. Today’s reports of more waves of Covid-19, and more transmissible mutations, just makes this all ever more frightening.

    The vaccine is certainly good news, but it will take many months before enough folks are immunized to make a significant difference in ‘normalizing’ day-to-day life. [If, in fact, that ever happens.]

    Feelings of isolation continue, deepen, and darken. Perhaps for you, too. My bright spots come via the wonders of today’s techlife, thankfully:

    A little capture from yesterday’s video call with Jackson…he’s munching on a bit o’ breakfast…
    And before Jackson’s call, Frankie finding a comfortable place to sleep…

    If this doesn’t make you laugh, nothing will…

  • Tuesday, December 22, 2020

    We received a fabulous gift from Joe/Cristin last week–something I’d not known about before it came in the mail. This Dragon Touch digital picture frame allows selected/approved people to email pictures directly to the frame. You choose an email address for the frame, then send that address to people you want to have emailing ability; they send you a one-time email with a specific code, and you approve their email address. Then, pictures just start appearing in an ongoing slideshow whose specs you can adjust to your liking.

    Joe/Cristin, of course, have been sending pix, as have Pattie and I from our own phones/archives. These pix of Jackson recently appeared on our frame, bringing lots of smiles:

    a boy and his dog; Jackson and Ellie are best buds, for sure.
    but if Ellie’s not close by, there’s nothing like a cuddly stuffed friend
    Jackson making the tree look good!

    We quickly got the same frame for Pattie’s mom. I got all her kids to send their emails, set everything up, and now she’s enjoying tons of pix coming in. The frame holds thousands of photos (publicity says 40k), so this will be a great, ongoing album.

    A highly recommended gift in this time of physical separation.

  • Monday, December 21, 2020

    Winter solstice has arrived. The longest night, of one of the longest years. Not so sure that things will only get better from here, but the days will have more hours of light, and that’ll be nice.

    Pattie and I really needed to do something to change the routine. With Surf City out of commission for, likely, at least another month, we’re really feeling every bit as ‘locked in’ as everyone else. So Pattie found a new hotel down in Beaufort (on the water, near where we departed for a diving trip last June), with a restaurant that looked nice. We went down Saturday, just for a night.

    We stopped in to Pattie’s brother’s, near Beaufort, in Morehead City. I’d not seen them for a long time, indeed–Christine’s wedding a year ago? We dropped off some cookies and bird-feeder wreaths (which we’ve been churning out for gifts to neighbors), visited for about an hour, and moved along. We brought Frankie, as the hotel is pet-friendly. The Beaufort Hotel is nice; clean, well-cared-for (staff were Cloroxing floor boards as we walked to our room), and at about half-occupancy. A beautiful setting, for sure.

    Sunday morning’s sunrise (~6:30ish above, ~7ish below)

    6:25am
    6:50am

    Breakfast on the restaurant’s porch–we the only folks sitting outside, for distancing, but also to accommodate Frankie–brought a wonderful view of some visitors.

    Beaufort, though bringing back memories of Surf City, Hawaii, and travelling…

    Then, arriving back home to Greenville, we pretty much fell back into the routine. A trip to the backyard with Frankie brought yet another surprise…

    And now, it’s Monday.

    ‘nuf said.