a · welcome · respite

Recovering from a bout of whooping cough. Took antibiotics, am no longer contagious and have returned to the work force after five days of quarantine.

When it's time for the next tetanus vaccine I'm getting the pertussis vaccine along with it. This is the second time in five years I've had whooping cough. Guess my immune system isn't very good at generating pertussis antibodies.

If it's been more than ten years since your last pertussis booster, get reimmunized.

Whooping cough is sneaky: it's most infectious during the first stage when it feels like nothing but a cold, and the paroxysms--its violent coughing spells--develop as the 'cold' abates. It's nasty business for infants, the elderly, the pregnant and people with fragile bones (thankfully, I've gotten nothing worse than a really sore, tender ribcage from coughing so hard, but people have actually broken ribs during paroxysms).

Fortunately, the cats and dog don't run away no matter how hard Mom barks. :)

Current Location:	same ole same ole
Current Mood:	tired
Current Music:	snoring dog

November 24--the feast day of my beloved favorite composer, muse and patron saint (canonized or not!). Thomas Tallis abandoned this life for a saner, happier one 423 years and one day ago. Time to light a candle, break out ye favorite recording of Spem and bliss out.... :D

Current Location:	ye laptop
Current Mood:	mellow
Current Music:	what else?

SSSSHHHRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!!!!!

YES!!!

WE!!!!!!!!!

CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

**happy dance happy dance happy dance happy dance HAPPY DANCE!!!!!!**

Current Location:	my laptop
Current Mood:	ecstatic
Current Music:	CNN election coverage

Zoey and I always had so much to talk about. We were both rabid Yes fans and equally rabid Ringers. Both of us loved animals and had dogs we adored, though my boxers gave her a rash if she wasn't careful to resist touching them, and her Jack Russell (the famous Tipper) could never abide the sight of me. :}

We both made jewelry, collected stuff, played instruments and sang. Each of us dealt with life-threatening chronic illnesses. Our spirualities took different paths--she was Wiccan; I'm Christian--yet, far from getting in the way, that actually enriched our relationship. Both of us have had lots of mystical experiences, and we could talk about them and about our beliefs freely because we loved, trusted and respected one another. We had lots of fun going to Yes concerts, seeing TLotR movies over and over again and eating at our favorite restaurant, Pakha's Thai House.

So many memories.

I put together the music for her viewing and funeral all the weekend after her death. It was a labor of love and I had excellent help from our friends Rhea, Roy, Jerry, Tina and Sarah. The whole time I could feel Zoey watching over my shoulder, all smiles and laughter. Can't quite describe what it's like to be stunned and shaken and lost in sorrow over the death of a dear friend, all the while feeling her presence, feeling her more alive than she ever was here.

I don't grieve for her, not really; I grieve my loss, our loss, her family's loss. There is sadness that she died so young--at the same time, she suffered terribly, and now that's all over. She's gone on into joy, peace and life vibrant beyond imagining.

Zoey, my friend--merry meet, and merry part, and merry meet again.

Here is the music for her wake and funeral.

XTC--Senses Working Overtime
Duran Duran--Ordinary World, The Reflex, (Reach Up For The) Sunrise
Ultravox--Vienna
Porcupine Tree--Lazarus, Rest Will Flow
Spock's Beard--Go the Way You Go
The Alan Parsons Project--To One In Paradise
Bare Naked Ladies--If I Had $1,000,000
'Weird Al' Yankovic--The Saga Begins
Yes--Starship Trooper, Fish, And You and I, Revealing Science of God, Soon, Awaken, Onward, Amazing Grace, Cinema, Hearts, I Am Waiting, In the Presence Of
Chris Squire--Hold Out Your Hand
Chris Squire and Alan White--Run With the Fox
Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe--Brother of Mine, The Meeting
Jon Anderson--I'll Find My Way Home, Candle Song, State of Independence (from Change We Must)
Marillion--White Feather
King Crimson--I Talk to the Wind, Starless
The Timelords--Doctorin' the Tardis
Howard Shore, The Lord of the Rings soundtrack--Concerning Hobbits, Many Meetings, The Ring Goes South, The Great River, The Breaking of the Fellowship, May It Be, Foundations of Stone, The King of the Golden Hall, Forth Eorlingas, Hope and Memory, The White Tree, The Steward of Gondor, The Ride of the Rohirrim, Anduril, The Black Gate Opens, The End of All Things, The Return of the King, The Grey Havens, Into the West

Current Location:	same old same old
Current Mood:	pensive
Current Music:	Tallis--Spem in alium

2. Dirty tricks. Republicans are already illegally purging voters from the rolls in some states. They're whipping up hysteria over ACORN to justify more challenges to new voters. Misleading flyers about the voting process have started appearing in black neighborhoods. And of course, many counties still use unsecure voting machines.

3. October surprise. In politics, 15 days is a long time. The next McCain smear could dominate the news for a week. There could be a crisis with Iran, or Bin Laden could release another tape, or worse.

4. Those who forget history... In 2000, Al Gore won the popular vote after trailing by seven points in the final days of the race. In 1980, Reagan was eight points down in the polls in late October and came back to win. Races can shift—fast!

5. Landslide. Even with Barack Obama in the White House, passing universal health care and a new clean-energy policy is going to be hard. Insurance, drug and oil companies will fight us every step of the way. We need the kind of landslide that will give Barack a huge mandate.

If you agree that we shouldn't rest easy, please sign up to volunteer at your local Obama office by going here:

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=31260&id=14523-984384-56hqIux&t=1

Current Location:	here
Current Mood:	blah
Current Music:	"Into the West"--Annie Lennox

It be International Talk Like a Pirate Day, mateys! Hoist yer Jolly Rogers! Aye, but wait----

Why is the rum gone?

Arrrrrrr....

Current Location:	need ye ask?
Current Mood:	tired
Current Music:	yon snorin' dog

On this Feast of the Holy Cross I am carrying an unexpected dimension of grief. One of my best friends, Zoey, who would have been praying with me, died suddenly last Thursday at the age of 39.

Over the years we'd taken on Yes tours, Ren Faires and TLotR conventions; we saw the LotR movies so many times we developed our own MST3K-style subtexts for them. Once we entered a local parade as Gandalf (Zoey, 5'10") and Frodo (your correspondent, 5'1")....

It's happened again. Frodo has lost Gandalf.

Zoey, my loving, compassionate, adventurous friend, you're well and happy where you are now. Knowing that doesn't alter the fact that I miss you...terribly. Listen--just so you know, dying doesn't let you off the hook--I still expect you to pray with me!

+++God--you who know and cherish ALL of us to our depths--may your GLBT children live in the love, freedom, dignity and joy which is rightfully theirs. May we all know our true value as your children.+++

Current Location:	same ol' place
Current Mood:	contemplative
Current Music:	the a/c unit

Co-sponsored by Atticus Circle and Soulforce, Seven Straight Nights is a time for straight allies to stand up and be counted for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender equality. The website is <http://www.sevenstraightnights.org/>.

My observance of Seven Straight Nights will consist of prayer every night that week starting at 9:30 p.m. and ending at 10:30 p.m. During that time I will be online both here and in Facebook so that anyone out in Cyberland who might want to pray (or just think good thoughts) for recognition of equality and for understanding can do it then if they would feel better knowing they aren't doing it alone. ("Where two or three are gathered....")

Current Location:	same old desk
Current Mood:	peaceful
Current Music:	the ceiling fan

Seems to me that if Tom Jones and Elton John have been so honored, the Father of English Cathedral Music ought to be a no-brainer.
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NOTE:  Care2.com went offline over the weekend to upgrade and green their system, which is a good thing, except that the Petitions were one of the sites affected.   I just tried my petition again and got an error message.  <i>**grumble**</i>   Will let you know when the petition is up and running again.
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And why is the code showing up?
<i>**fume**</i>
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Current Location:	my desk
Current Mood:	tired
Current Music:	Radio Rivendell

...not mine, since I forgot (!) to watch The Tudors tonight, but I'll be sure to watch a repeat on Monday, because someone over at the Showtime boards say they saw the dear boy in Ep 2, in a scene (probably in the Chapel) with the bishop or a priest. They said you have to look closely, so I shall. If this is true, I am one happy camperooni! :D

Current Location:	same ol' place
Current Mood:	bouncy
Current Music:	nothing at the moment

Yee hawww!!!

.......I mean.....alleluia!

After the most stressful two weeks I've had for a long time--totalling the car, injured leg, pet death, Holy Week, the Easter Triduum with its multiple services--I am pretty much toast. Had a good cry and a therapy session today. Feel much better. Tallis, hot tea, chocolate, computing and writing ought to help even more.

Like Thomas, I'm a Catholic church musician; also like him, I've spent much of my career employed by Protestants. For 11 years I've worked in a small Lutheran congregation, and that's where I was for the Easter Vigil and the Sunday morning service. They haven't been holding Easter Vigils very long and most of the congregants still aren't used to the idea, but this year two babies and a teenager were baptized at the Vigil, swelling the attendance accordingly. Progress!

The Easter Vigil is my favorite service of the year. A big plus working for this little church is that I get to chant the Exsultet, the Easter Proclamation, a long, exuberant hymn written during the 7th century which is sung by a single unaccompanied voice at the beginning of the Vigil. The pastor is thrilled that I can do it and I'm thrilled to have a chance to do it, which likely wouldn't happen if I were employed by a Catholic parish.

*sigh* Easter is a labor of love, but labor all the same.

Where are those chocolate eggs?!....

Current Location:	my laptop
Current Mood:	but happy
Current Music:	Tallis *hugs him*

Chrissie quietly slipped over the Rainbow Bridge at about 4:00 a.m.

Old Gabriel (pictured) is snoring. Sassy, the middle-aged Himi, is perched in her aerie on top of the china cabinet, soberly surveying the domain which has become hers. Daniel Flash, the hyperactive tabby kitten, is into mischief, as usual.

And Chrissie has met up with Boxer pals Katie, Michael and Raphael by now, I'm sure, and is reveling in her freedom from a worn-out mortal shell.

Current Location:	same old
Current Mood:	contemplative
Current Music:	the snoring of my sweet old dog

Perhaps 'pensive' is a better word. Either word fits the approach to Good Friday. On top of that, my daughter and I came through an accident last Friday which destroyed my Subaru Forester but gave us only a few bruises, scrapes and sore muscles, thank God. ~SAFETY BELTS, PEOPLE.~ If you don't wear them--DO. We would have been badly injured, maybe killed, if we hadn't been belted in.

Our old tuxedo cat, Chrissie, is very sick. She has arthritis and diabetes. Her legs have been giving her trouble; apparently diabetes can damage nerves. Last Friday my husband took her to the vet because she was having so much trouble with her front legs. Tonight I came home from work and found her lying on her side in the basement, mewing loudly and unable to get up. I tried to set her on her feet but she fell over, so I carried her up the stairs and laid her down on Gabriel's bed, which is where she spends most of her time these days, curled up next to her old Boxer pal. I put the quilt over both of them since she seemed cold and Gabe wouldn't be happy if he wasn't under it as well. In the hours between then and now she has gone from lifting her head to see what the kitten was doing to lying stretched out, unresponsive, sneezing and groaning. Her breathing is shallow.

This is hard. I've never been alone with a possibly-dying pet before. Terry is in Annapolis, 2 hrs. away, and Sarah is at school. All I can think to do is pray and stay up, waiting, taking care of her in what few little ways I can.

***tremulous sigh***

Current Location:	home
Current Mood:	nervous
Current Music:	Ah, that's what I need--music.

<http://www.sho.com/site/video/brightcove/series/title.do?bcpid=1305149607>

This should get you to a Tudors Season II preview video page. (If not, all you have to do is snoop around the Showtime sight to find it.) This particular video has words from the major players in the court (other than Henry, thank God! Apologies to his fans, but I'm sick of the jerk). It introduces us to new characters Thomas Cranmer, who becomes archbishop of the new Church of England, and Mark Smeaton, the musician who gets into trouble (understatement!) over Anne Boleyn.

Given how Michael Hirst, the scriptwriter, likes Tallis and understands him, I was certain he wouldn't be smushing my boy and Smeaton into one character ala Mary and Margaret Tudor. Thing is, I can't find out if Tallis is returning as a character or if Hirst has quietly let him go back to reality, esp. as Joe Van Moyland (aka Joe Lean the ultra-hip up-and-coming indie rock star) has gotten very busy with his band, the Jing Jang Jong, since last spring. Not that he couldn't be replaced with another actor, since Tallis is a supporting character...but would they go to the trouble?

Yes, my dears. I'm a one-note tune. I guess 29-year obsessions will do that to ya. XD

Current Location:	same old place
Current Mood:	bouncy
Current Music:	local rock station

Advent is a difficult time of year for me, made more interesting this year because I fell and gashed my left knee on Nov. 25, had to get 20 stitches and couldn't do much of anything for awhile without using a cane. Had to keep my leg straight and propped up. The laceration got infected and my leg swelled. Took two different antibiotics to brings things under control. Much better now--stitches are out, infection's gone, cane is in the closet.

While the knee thing was going on I managed to bring a little stray cat in from our back yard. Got him to the vet to be neutered and they decided he's around 6 months old. He is now living in a snug room in our basement. He's free to come upstairs if he likes but he hasn't yet gotten used to our gentle old 90-lb. boxer (see userpic), and our Himalayan chases him back downstairs if he tries to come up anyway. Just a matter of time, I keep telling everyone. Our other furbaby, an elderly tuxedo cat who schooled the boxer to respect her kind when he was just a pup, couldn't care less; her only concerns these days are eating and sleeping. We have to take her to the vet later today because she's got some kind of URI and has lost weight. **sigh** 12-28 addendum: The poor old girl has a sinus infection and diabetes. Husband, daughter and I will learn next week how to administer her insulin.

AND my 87-yr-old mom fell on the basement steps, mangled her right wrist and had to spend a couple of days in the hospital. They put one wrist-bone back together with a pin. She's healing nicely, too, thank God. I wish she'd let my brother bring her washer and dryer upstairs; she doesn't need to be hauling laundry up and down those steps. Darn stubborn woman. **hugs her**

Oh, well. Enough of this. Will get back to writing.

**hugging you all, as well**

Current Location:	the usual
Current Mood:	tired
Current Music:	my old dog's snoring