Happy New Year!

A new decade, a new year...may it bring us all new joys to replace old sorrows!!! XOX

Bull Dance at Tesuque

My favorite Pueblo had several Christmas dances from which to choose an occasion. I always intend to be at more than one dance, but it never seems to work out that way. As close as Tesuque is, it's still north of Santa Fe and we're 17 miles south already. This year was a great line-up though. Christmas Eve dances right before Midnight (well, 11pm, that is) Mass - Ellen and I attended that once, in the old church, much more intimate and sweet than the new church, which was built after vandals burned down the old one,sad. Christmas Day was a Standing Deer, always a lovely dance with the pine boughs and antlers on the men's heads. Yesterday was a Snowbird Dance, which I have never seen but hope to, someday. Today, another one we haven't seen, the Bull Dance, men only (52 of them, Stephanie counted), each with faces painted black on top, white on the bottom and with a red horizontal stripe across the nose, for some of them. In their left hands, they held a gourd rattle, in the right, sad to say, I don't remember, pine boughs, maybe? (boughs seems to be a winter thing). Percussive anklets, one drummer wrapped in a deer-hide, one lead dance captain with two other dance captains. The dancers also sang, not so common as a group of singers and several drums. They spread out in a line, and moved in a U-shape from one side of the Plaza to the other, and when they moved, in-between dances, they bellowed (ya can't say they moo-ed, they're men, but the sound was moo-ish). We stood on the sunny side of the Plaza, all bundled up and it seemed to be mostly Pueblo folk, think we were early for whiteys, although we were actually late and only saw the last 1/4 of the dance, I think. Then we brought cookies over to my pal (thanks, Papa, I like that word) Flo's house, with all her grand-kids and great-grandkids, all with crazy non-Indian names like Arwen, Jessica, Patrick, Donovan (!) and Dmitri (!!!). Although it's probably spelled "Demetrey!" Zachary, I get it, it's biblical.

Anyway, Edward is taking the gang out to dinner at the new pub that opened here, Eldorado is a tough sell for a restaurant, seems like people eat out when they're in town already. It will have to be good AND reasonably priced...

Tomorrow is a Bow and Arrow Dance, seems like kind of a funny choice for Holy Innocents Day, but maybe appropriate, who can afford to be innocent around here anymore???!!! Get out yer Bow and Arrow! And innocence should be celebrated and protected, especially at the same time as the Christ Child's birth, although I am not much for martyrs, never was, the thought terrifies me to this day...St. Lucy and her eyeballs on a platter, as Patty Muth would say, "gack!"

Xmas Eve A La Familia

Sittin' wit me laptop in the living room with a pinon fire in the kiva, posting with the wireless router Cristian just installed for me! Very nice to have a technocrat in the family! And a fellow Cleveland cook, thanks, Dan, for help with an excellent rack of lamb from Whole Foods, he and Mom's apron prevented an overcooking disaster! Mama, you woulda chawed a crispy bone, mmm! Roasted veggies and lima beans, more yum! A May Company lambswool sweater from the 60's for Jess, harajuku haberdashery for Ev, Assassin's Creed for the brother, Mark Bittman's best for Dan who helped master-mind the meat.

They've all gone now 'cept us, listening to Gregorian chant, conjuring the memory of how Papa was so lovable on Christmas Eve, pipe in hand, a wee dram, a shining tree...and how nice to have a daughter who loaded the dishwasher before she left...Happy Christmas to all and to all a Good Night!

Ice Cream Buddies

Well Tom, for some reason, I couldn't make a comment on this last photo, truly your piece de resistance, a recreation of his one guilty pleasure, scraping away a spoonful at a time, dear dear Daddy, we miss you...

Remind you of anyone?

Celebrating Dad with Words and Music.

I, too, spent the day with Dad, but I remembered him with words and music. One of the books I just brought back from Cleveland was Brendan Behan's "Borstal Boy," one of my all-time favorites, a book I have enjoyed many times over for the sheer extravagance and Irish-ness of the language. I used to have a copy, even carried it around the world with me, but it had gone missing. I was so happy to find it on Dad's bookshelf (actually, it has Sue Foley's name in it, so he must have liberated it at some point) and opened it up today and, as usual, was caught up in the poetry of Behan's words. As the hour approached, I went on to the Irish Tenors and finished off with the Three Tenors, weeping when Pavarotti sang "Nessun dorma," just as I did that last afternoon I spent with Dad. There I was conducting and singing and yelling "Bravo!" with tears running down my face. But Dad managed a "Bravo!" too. You know, I can still close my eyes and bring up the image of his face that day, bright with joy. It's a comfort.

I've been thinking of all of you today, of the extraordinary outpouring of love that flowered on December 23. Of Tom, breathing in Dad's last breath. Of Ellen, having to tell Mom and then fighting her way through the ice to Arden Court so that Tom wouldn't be alone when they came for Dad. Of Terry, having to deal with an accident when she was frantic to be elsewhere and having to make the call to Scott. Of those of us who were not there, feeling lonely and bereft and clinging to the phones to be in touch. And mostly of Mom, trapped in a hospital bed, feeling lousy, and facing the finality of it all. Of Lee and Edward and Hana and Alex and Marge and Kristen and Robert and Cheryl and Rachel and Daniel and Sarah and Mark and Maria and Evan, who wept with us. It's that love that carried us through a year ago and 6 months ago and will continue to bind us. I love you all.

A Few Other Images

These pictures are of: (1) the outside of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament (which CC was a part of); (2) the high-rise Nana lived in after she moved from Manor (I think she moved into this sometime in the early 1960s); it is right downtown only a 1/4 mile from Comerica Park and Ford Field (where the Tigers and Lions play; (3) the headstones of Lew, Pa and Nana in Holy Sepulchre Catholic Cemetery (in Southfield about 10 miles from the house on Manor).

Lunch!!!!

Time to break for a Poppa lunch. Love that PBJ, banana and glass of milk!

I WILL POST MORE LATER.

No pictures of a winter sunset

Guess I'll have to get a camera, the posts are DEFINITELY more interesting with pix! I just came back from a LOOONG walk with the rosary...just the kind of weather Pops used to run in, remember how he would come in with the frozen juices hanging from his schnozz? I had started out in snowfall which slowly became blue late-afternoon skies, and the sun returned as it began its final descent into the west. As I turned to head up the last block to our house, I looked back and one single solitary golden sunbeam was shooting straight up from the a low bank of clouds above the mountains. Hello Papa! Then I walked up the street, into the driveway, and one last look found two pink "eyes" of sky above the mountains, the last of the sun, ready to say good-night...sleep tight, Billy-Boy, with kisses galore....

Catholic Central

This is what is left of the Detroit Catholic Central site from which Dad graduated. CC has been in five locations (corner of Harper and Woodward from 1928 to 1934; the site Dad went to from 1934 until 1951; Outer Drive from 1951 to 1978; Redford from 1978 until 2006; and now in Novi). The site Poppa went to was given to CC by the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. Msgr. LeFever let me walk through the Cathedral and take pictures. You will also see a picture of a picture of the school as it looked when Dad went there (that stood where the parking lot is in the picture to the left). Dad likely went to Mass in this beautiful cathedral and also likely gave his valedictorian address there as well. Although the neighborhood is now very bad, the homes around this site are huge and where the Fords, Kresges and other wealthy families of Detroit lived when Dad was in high school (I've included a picture of one of the homes). I AM POSTING SO MUCH THAT YOU MIGHT NEED TO LOOK TO THE ARCHIVED POSTS ON RIGHT OF HOME PAGE TO SEE SOME OF TODAY'S PICTURES.

Epiphany School & Church

Here's where all of the Moir children went to grade school and Sunday Mass (the church is now Divine Inspiration Baptist Church and the school is a library and learning academy). It is less than a five minute walk from where they lived. Msgr. LeFevre (more on him later) told me that at the turn of the century when Detroit was booming the Bishop made sure that every Catholic in the Diocese could walk to church and school. Consequently, unlike most major cities, there are literally Catholic parishes a half mile apart throughout the city(although most are now closed are converted to other uses). These buildings are summarily beautiful and you can see why Detroit (per Poppa) was considered the nicest city in America one hundred years ago).

Other Dexter Images

Three pictures here: (1) Sloan Nursery (never did determine which Sloans; not Sloan's anymore but you can see name faintly; (2) grave sites of Mamu, William Sloan, Aunt Mig and Uncle Tommy (sorry couldn't chip the ice off); road sign for Dan Hoey Rd. (Dan Hoey is one of our great cousins).

Dad's House? on Manor

Here's where Nana and Pa Moir raised their kids (the lot at least). The house was burned down about 15 years ago. Most of the homes on Manor are boarded up, burned up (but still standing), burned down or in total disrepair (really amazing in that Manor is at least five miles long). Someone told me it is considered the worst neighborhood in all of Detroit.

St. Joe's Parish

The Church Mamu and her family (including Nana) went to. Mom told me Dad must have gone there at some time as a child. It's in Dexter and was the church Fr. Thomas McNamara said his first Mass circa 1873.

The house the Sloans built in Dexter (corner of First and Hudson Sts.). This is the oldest house in Dexter circa. 1860.

The breakfast of champions!

My dear Sarah who thinks her father has flipped (she is probably right).

The day begins!

I am now ready to run my mile (more would be pure suicide). As I do so, I have images of how fit and trim Poppa was throughout most of his life (you can see I do not suffer the same fate).

Escorting Sheila Home

For all those who don't know, Sheila made it home in unbelievable time in her new/old Ford Escort. She got to Massachusetts the first night and home by 6pm the second! Mom would be delighted to know that her little car was so lovingly tended by Mike Gisondo before it left Ohio. I was hoping to have him do MY timing belt, but I think I'd better get that done BEFORE we next drive to Ohio!

Like Tom, I am planning to take tomorrow off to reflect on Papa; it seems unbelievable that a year has already passed. Snow is expected tonight, and of course our sole gas heater suddenly stopped working, but who can get a plumber before Christmas! Fortunately, we have a load of firewood in the garage ready to stoke the kiva. I'll take a long winter walk tomorrow - sorry, Pa, my knees are too creaky to run - and think about all the wise and witty ways of Bill.

I have to work on Christmas Eve morning, but I got Christmas Day off this year. We have Jessica and the kids for Dinner on the Eve; making a rack of lamb, think about that, Mama, HEAVENLY! I hope the holiday apron that Ellen and Sheila sent will prevent me from over-cooking that expensive piece of protein! Talk to you all over the next few days, and in the meantime, stay warm and ENJOY!

SO Santa Fe Saturday!

We had a new drum beat in African dance class today that made for fun and freedom (not to mention a bit of flailing around!). This is a real stretch for me (pun intended), but it's such a release not to have to think about anything except for putting my legs and arms in the right places. And that's absolutely all I do, no thoughts about anything else at all. It's a bit expensive, $10 a class, but worth it for the exercise and challenge of putting myself out there with all the young girls who can just throw their bodies around so freely. LOTS of fun!

Class today was followed by something else very unusual too: Phil Kline's Unsilent Night. This is a music performance piece for tape cassettes (back then) and boom boxes (now, along with MP3 players and I-phones) started in NYC 18 years ago and performed in a number of cities around the world. It was a walk around downtown Santa Fe with all these music-playing devices, each randomly assigned one of the four CDs or downloads that make up this musical composition. It was really quite beautiful and evocative (especially in the parking garage), very winter-holiday sounding, nothing cacophonous like new music can be. If you've ever listed to Hearts of Space, you'll recognize this type of music. I enjoyed it (Edward sat it out in the library, it was just too cold for skinny men), although it was sad that only 15 people showed up to participate. As the name suggests, it should have taken place at night, but the city would not grant a permit for that. It was organized here by a group called Santa Fe New Music, that operates on a real shoestring. I got involved with them by giving them free rooms for their musicians from time to time. Since then, we've been invited to all sorts of quirky things. Last year they brought in this killer accordianist Guy Klucevsek, who was just mind-blowing, his fingers flew over the buttons and keys, punctuated with stomps, yells and banging on the box - I loved it! I still can't play my pretty little Italian box, sigh, I have such respect and envy now for the Sunday morning Yankovic polka crowd that we laughed at back then.

Snow is predicted for tomorrow, I'm glad I got my laundry on and off the line today. Tomorrow, Jessica, Evelina and I go to the Nutcracker, another lucky freebie (more rooms to give away) that we are making into a tradition. I just love that Tchaikovsky, especially at the end of the first act when the snowflakes fall!

Dim Sum Day but Sum Dam Nite!

Well, the dim sum was certainly delicious, but by nightfall on Saturday, things were much changed. A trip to the ER, no NOT Mr. Ed! She of the sudden and extremely painful cystitis instead - yours truly, MOI! 5 hours in a beautiful state-of-the-art 6-month old ER (ah, Ma and Pa, how the UH-ER was a sad sort of cheat, sorry you won't have seen the new one to come). We were so lucky, in that the U of A Med Center was literally right down the street (could have walked if we'd had to) AND blessedly not having a bad Saturday night (we Moirs all know what a university ER can be like, but I never heard a siren once until we left). Good docs and good nurses,good response to the IV antibiotics I'd received by the time I woke up this morning, and an RX to take home. We were also lucky not to have to drive today; we went to see the old mission church as we'd hoped to do, and it was something, lit the traditional candle for La Guadalupana. Some average-grade fry bread and beans on the way out, a drive up to a view spot (naturally we'd find the barrio spot), and then a quiet evening here before we leave tomorrow. In no rush to go, so we'll take our time, since we'll be getting home after dark anyway. This is definitely one of the nicest hotel experiences I have ever had, despite some unexpected drama, and I have had plenty for a working stiff.

It's Snowing in Maine

Well, we're finally getting our first snowfall here in Maine. Hasn't even threatened before this. Three to six inches are predicted and, since, of course, I have to open the market tomorrow morning, I'm hoping for the three. I'll be driving Lee's van because my poor Subaru is back in the shop. Actually a different shop. The supposed radiator problem that Jimmy couldn't find reared its head again and the car was overheating so badly that I had to park it in the library parking lot (there's a phone in the library) and call Lee to come rescue me. The next morning, I took it a hundred yards down the road to our local car guy rather than having it towed 25 miles to Ellsworth. It was the cheapest option, but comes with its own price. Richard's really good but it's a one-man shop and your car can sit there for quite a while waiting. That's the only reason I don't ordinarily use him. So the car went in on Tuesday and it's Saturday and he still hasn't looked at it to even start to see what might be wrong. I may have to resort to the six-pack-of-Bud bribe. I haven't driven the van much in the snow, but I'll just go slow. Yay! The snow plow is just going by. We have really conscientious plow operators here (of course, they do get paid by the run). They probably laid down some sand and will be around again before morning. What a way to make a living! Out all night in the crappiest weather. Another job, probably right after telemarketing, to be glad I've never had to do. I just hope I don't have to shovel to get out. Maybe Lee will do a bit before he goes to bed. Guess I'll just have to get up early. But here we go into winter.

Dim Sum in the Desert

We actually found dim sum after a visit to the Tucson Chinese Cultural Center, which in truth is FOR the Asian community, not visitors. East Indian dance classes, a Tai Chi class using fans, and an exhibition about the early Chinese markets in Tucson, which were located in the barrios. Back for some ping pong at the Inn and the end of tea time in their beautiful library here; when this resort was built, it was at the edge of the desert. More overcast today, although still clement, some touring by car on the west side of town to say to the cacti, prior to lunch. I think dim sum runs until 3pm everywhere, best was the sesame-coated fried sticky rice balls frilled with a gluey seaweed, but it was all yum. Tomorrow, hope to go to the mission on the rez...

Toooo-Sahn

Several visits here already have come and gone, so we're looking around at new stuff, found the Jewish Historical Museum, congregation moved out in 1949 - outgrew the space and moved to the 'burbs. Got there too early, so we took a walk and ended up at Mass at the Church of Saint Augustine, just in time for the sign of peace and communion. No candles to light but a visit with Maw and Paw nonetheless. A nice bit of catholicism, lower-case c. High 50's, low 60's, sun and no wind. Sitting around waiting to go out for tacos, would love to watch the Cavs play the Bulls, but Mr. Ed just can't tolerate sports for long (baseball would have maybe had a snowball's chance). Very pretty neighborhood here and a very charming old hotel right in the neighborhood. Tomorrow we'll eat Dim Sum and make a visit to the Chinese Cultural Center, another different discovery. Hope to see some saguaros up close as always, and would also like to see the mission church at the Tahono O'Oodham reservation, see the AZ native scene just a little bit. Don't think we'll make it to the Observatory at Kitts Peak, never have and probably never will, may not even be allowed to, might be my fantasy. The change is refreshing....

Gittin' Outta Dodge

The Blogorrhea Sistah here! Lettin' you all know that we are escaping to somewhere warmer - yes, I know Santa Fe may be sunnier than where you are, but believe me, it ain't warmer! We leave for Tucson tomorrow, back on Monday. It's a decent day's drive and we love the cacti, we've got a nice hotel, and the car is gassed up...too bad I had to work late tonight, still gotta go home and cook that road food - I ain't Gussie's daughter fer nuttin' honey!

Michigan Thanksgiving

We had a full house over the holiday. Teena and Brad were up from Dayton with their little girl, Montana. She is as cute as a button and beyond charming. It was very fun to have a little niblet in the house.

Rachel is doing well and is starting to think about what she wants to do following graduation. She is thinking about going on in school to get a Masters in graphic arts (Rhode Island School of Design or Savannah School of Design). She is also getting psyched for the Honors Program trip to Turkey (she is going in May for three weeks). Very cheap in that is subsidized by the school.

Dan is doing well also; I think he is still adjusting to college and starting to really like Grand Valley. The plan has been to transfer to Michigan but not sure he will do that given how much he seems to like GVSU. Right now his major in Business but he is thinking about some other areas as well. He continues to lift on a regular basis and is frankly becoming a "beast." He has put on 30 pounds of muscle in the last year and his arms are like gatling guns.

Sarah is finally starting to shake off the final vestiges of the swine flu. It was a bad one and she is still coughing a bit. Basketball season is getting ready to start this Friday and in practice she is getting winded so she's not in game condition yet. But, she's a gamer so I expect she will be ready to go. She has a lot of catching up to do in school given she was out for a week+, but she is getting there.

Cheryl is still struggling with sleep and pain issues. Frustrating and draining for her. It is the plan to relocate in a few years to warm weather (job permitting). I am hopeful that will help a lot, but who knows for sure. I continue to be the center of her existence (yea, right).

My business is slow but I am still optmistic we will get it going. I am keeping my fingers crossed and praying a lot for calm (not really for success, just for peace and resignation). Other than that, I am walking a lot to try and get in better shape (not sure it is working) and I have started to play the drums again which has been really fun. I told Cheryl that I plan to tour with Yes in the next few years. She is skeptical.

Love to you all. I think of Gus and Bill often and plan to take December 23 off to just contemplate Pop. Take care.

We want Daisy Dog!

Waiting for a picture of the newest Mastrangelo pup!!! Daisy Dog, where are you?!?!?

D Day

Today we brought our Daisy home. She's adorable! She seems pretty mellow, although the lady that runs the rescue said that wheatens tend to blossom when they are about 10 weeks old. I might not remember when Bonnie was a puppy, but Daisy seems calmer. She's whimpered only a few time. I haven't heard her bark at all. She is snoozing in her crate as I write. Of course, I wouldn't be a Moir if I wasn't worrying about the fact that I've just brought a dog into my life. What was I thinking? Maria is recovering from her tonsillectomy. Her throat has been pretty sore and she has also had a tummy ache. Her pain medicine is alcohol based, so it burns her throat when she takes it. Each dose is harder and harder to get down. I'll just switch to regular Tylenol if she won't take the stronger stuff. All in all, Maria's been very brave. She, too, is snoozing as I write this. She's going to be mad because she fell asleep during a Tinkerbell movie she really wanted to see.

Kristen, Kristen Kollege Girl

Happy Birthday tomorrow, Miss Kris! Brush up yer Shakespeare, start quoting him now...oops, no, that was SO last year! Happy Daze, Kollege Kid!

No cooking for me either

It's going to be a different Thanksgiving for us this year. I wanted to make sure that Deborah and Jasmine weren't sitting home moping, but they didn't think they were up for a sit-down family dinner like we did last year without Michael. So we're going out for dinner. Seems odd and extravagant and very un-Moir-like, but, hey, whatever works, I guess. I'm trying hard not to obsess about how much it's going to cost (I could make one fabulous dinner at $32 a head) and, as my friend Brennan advised, think instead about all of the people who worked to make the dinner possible: the seed savers and the farmers and truck drivers and prep cooks and chefs and wait staff. Not to mention the poor turkey, which I'd better not thin about at all if I want to enjoy the dinner. If we really think about any of the food we eat, there are so many people to be thanked. And I am thankful for being one of Gus and Bill's kids, for the gift of family that they gave us. Love to you all and don't eat too much. 

Gertrude Stein Sez

She says: Silent gratitude isn't very much to anyone. So I say it loud, louder, loudest with hopes that Mama and Papa can hear it too: THANK YOU!

And as Terry reminded me today, Mom is up there somewhere saying "Thank You" for not having to cook - or eat - a turkey yet again!

The Deerslayer in Euclid

76-year-old in Euclid beats fawn to death...now there's an interesting thought from The Economist! Cleveland gets world press! What would James Fenimore Cooper say today? Guess it would depened on whether the deer were eating his chrysanthemums!

Happy Birthday Rachel

I look at my old address book and see Rachel's birthday listed under "Cubby," the first one of the new den all those years ago...Happy Birthday Rocky!

Mass of Remembrance

We've just returned from the Mass of Remembrance at Gesu. Terry, Jane, Kerry, Maria, Evan and I attended. The Mass was celebrated for all Gesu parishioners who died in the past year. It was a very nice liturgy. Of course, Father Snow had a great story to tell, as he always does. Before the Offertory, the name of each deceased parishioner was called and the family came forward to put a votive candle on the altar. The names were called chronologically, so we got up at 2 different times. Evan carried the candle each time. (Maria said that carrying candles in Church gives her a tingly feeling. I told her it was the Holy Spirit). After Mass, we were given two white roses. The songs were quite familiar...there were at least 3 songs from Mom or Dad's funeral (Sing with all the Saints in Glory, Hail Mary Gentle Woman, Shelter me oh God, beyond my wants, beyond my fears, from death into life). I 'm so glad we went.

Sickness My Way

Well, no flu here but just got back from having a blood test for Epstein-Barr. Whassup with that?!?!?! I did my mono-days back at CWRU! Here I though maybe it was just strep, but the swollen glands are in a different spot, ugh! Prob'ly just a lousy cold, but nice to have the same conscientious doc for 25 years!

H1N1 Part 2

We just returned frm the H1N1 Vaccine Clinic at South High. Kudos to the Lake County Health Department. It seemed to run very efficiently. They opened their doors a few minutes early. We got there at 8:15, 1 hour and 15 minutes before the clinic was to open. We were the 96th, 97th, and 98th people in line. They shepherded us into the gym to complete the paperwork, then called groups of numbers to the screeners. From there, they determined if you would get the shot or the mist--we all got the shot. (I didn't really want live weakened virus in anybody's nose). Then we were escorted to a nurse for the vaccine. A small fight, some tears from one young girl and then it was all over. It went very smoothly. We were home at 10:15. Interesingly, it is now 12:30 and I just drove by the high school. The parking lots which were designated for vaccine clinic parking are empty and there is no visible line outside. I guess everyone was not as fanatic as I was about getting the vaccine.

H1N1 Happenings

Well, I'm proudest of the fact that Maria and Evan have not gotten sick, in spite of living in a house with a dad who has has a fever of 101-103.5 for eight straight days (so far). If you can find it, GET THE VACCINE! This flu is unbelievably tenacious and draining. To me, the lack of vaccine is a real public health failure. Think of the lost productivity of those stricken, be it work or school. By the time the vaccine is widely available, many will have already been ill. Lake County is just now starting to administer the vaccine. We will be going to South High next Sunday to wait in line for our chance at immunity. I am sure that I also had the flu, but to a much lesser degree than Mark. I am fortunate that I had a much milder case or else I got tremendous benefit from that Tamiflu. I suspect that I probably had some limited immunity which Mark did not possess. Our dinner companion (and best man, Fred) on Halloween, the night before Mark took ill, also ended up in the emergency room last week. So let us see what tomorrow will bring. Will Mark's temperature be over or under 101?

La Famiglia Mastrangeli Ha Il Virus Dell'influenza Suina

Eeek! Sorry to hear you are all sick, but glad to know the kids and Liz are not! So Tamiflu immediatemente is the answer, eh? I feel kinda crummy still myself, but no one here has actually been diagnosed with the swinishness yet. We cancelled the trip we had planned to Tucson this weekend, and it's just as well since I feel sorta punk. Besides, the weather here is so nice that it seemed a shame to squander four free days in a really nice AZ hotel until the weather sends us scurrying for warmth! And PS, the Italian translation (accuracy???) was from Google, but it's funny, because Suina is actually a local, though uncommon name, here in NM!

Sick yet?

Anybody got the Piglet Flu yet? I woke up with a sore throat, which could be my snoring (ask Kristen, I won the NJ snore-off) or could be a virus. All the hourly staff has been coming to work sick cuz they need the money, but I hate that Typhoid Mary syndrome, DON'T spread it around PLEASE!!!!

I can't even remember what I go down stairs for at work, let alone Halloween when I was 4! Who knows, maybe Dad DID take us out, it would not have been past him, there were only three of us then and such a cute little pack of carrot-tops! After all, we were only 6, 4 and 2, not too much trouble and he would have gotten us home early. All I know is, that Mom DID do Pellie a favor, what a GREAT birthday date!!!! Always a chance to hide as someone else! I am only sorry that dear little Mama missed this one, with a candy-corn witch (what is it with that, one of Evelina's friends did the same witch) and a Star Wars storm trooper, sick or not...

Reflections on My Birthday Eve

It is 2:30 and the memorial service at Breckenridge is just beginning. I am at home, however, with two sick kids. Evan has a temperature of 102.5 and Mimi has a headache, stomache, and her tonsils "don't feel right." Too bad, I was hoping to get to that service. But I know that I'm right where Mom would want me to be. I've been thinking a lot about Mom--more than usual. I guess it's because I have a birthday looming. Who else would have an elective C-section on Halloween when there were three other kids at home? THAT'S OUR MOM! I have to believe Jean Conway took my big sisters trick-or-treating. Sorry, Dad! Does anyone remember? This is one of those firsts--the first birthday without Mom. I miss her and I love her and I'm so lucky she was mine!

Another Day in Paradise--NOT!

So it all started with a simple trip to VIP Auto for an annual car safety inspection. No big deal, since the car had been in the shop we've used for years for a tune-up about a month ago. No surprises, a good report, and they even thought they had finally found the source of a persistent slow oil leak. So she went back in two weeks ago had had some seals replaced and even got a new timing belt. At 186,000 miles, she deserved one. All was well. I was sitting in the waiting room, when the mechanic came in and said, "Could you come out into the shop." Uh oh. My dear Subaru was up on the rack and there was oil all over the bottom of the engine. "Massive oil leak" was what Stan, my new favorite mechanic, said on the failed inspection sheet, after pointing out a number of errors to me. Apparently our formerly trusted mechanic lost his mind, didn't finish or just did a totally crappy job. When I got the car back, the windshield washer didn't work, and, when I investigated, I found that the electrical connections hadn't been plugged back in. I thought that a little odd, but it was an easy fix. I checked the oil on Monday and it was really, really low, and I thought, "Gee, it's strange that they didn't top up the oil after they worked on the seals." Actually, it was leaking out, though only when the car engine was running, so there wasn't even a pool of oil on the driveway. What a mess, and probably a messy fight with the Subaru shop to come. So then Stan told me that there is no water in the radiator. "What!" I say. After all, the car had just been in for a tune-up, and one presumes they checked the fluid levels. Stan put some coolant in and stuck his latex-gloved finger in the hole (he had his suspicions) and came up with oil on his finger. In the radiator. Major uh oh. Cracked block. Crap! Though he would have  loved to blame it on Out of Town Subaru (since they had recently bad mouthed him to a customer whose car had failed inspection), he said it probably hadn't happened recently. Funny that the car hadn't been overheating, but it hadn't. He gave me some advice on how to approach the fight about the bungled job and then said that I could keep driving the car short distances "until a cop stops you for an out-of-date inspection sticker." He was the bright spot in the day, though I will double check his diagnosis, but not with the Subaru place. And I think I'll get myself a Trac Fone.

Anyway, sorry, I'm in the lottery now, too. Plus I was going to drive down to southern Maine on Saturday to meet Lee to go on our Cape Cod vacation. Going to have to take the bus instead. Well, at least there's a bus. And you almost never see a cop in Brooksville, so seems like I can get back and forth to work until I get things sorted out, presuming, of course, that the massive oil leak gets dealt with successfully. Hmm. Having trouble thinking up any more silver linings.

Hope your day(s) went better than mine!

Snow fer sure!

THEY said snow, and THEY were right. Bit of a white-out driving in, but now the sun is weakly shining through the white sky. I've heard that this is El Nino year, so we'll have our watershed replenished, we hope. It reminds me of wearing our snowsuits under our Halloween costumes, a great look if you are dressed up as a Michelin Man!

Guess Who?

Whose child could this be? Where did she learn to make such faces? Hhmmmm!

SNOW!

Yeah, it was SNOW! I took my car in for a radiator flush & fill this morning, and it turned out to be very timely. As we sat across the street in Whole Foods enjoying a cuppa joe, the rain turned into snow, and the snow lasted for at least 30 minutes! Good thing the sweaters are unpacked, the down comforters are on the beds, and the pilot lights are lit. Snow?!?!?! Poor Buff!

May we learn from the leaves

One leaf left on a branch
and not a sound of sadness
or despair. One leaf left
on a branch and no unhappiness.
One leaf left all by itself
in the air and it does not speak
of loneliness or death.
One leaf and it spends itself
in swaying mildly in the breeze.
- David Ignatow

I've Been De-Vanned

Something wonderful happened on Friday and I have been de-vanned! What a glorious day! I am now the proud owner of a sage green metallic Subaru Forester. I love it. It is a bit of an adjustment moving from my big van to this adorable midsize wagon, but I'm sure within a week I'll be right at home. I think I most miss the ability to threaten my children "One of you is going in the third seat if you don't leave each other alone!" I have gone back to my car roots and I couldn't be happier!

Cheese Ball

I was asked to bring an appetizer to a potluck retirement party for a friend of mine and as I was contemplating what to make, I was seized with a longing for Mom's cheese ball. I don't care how much people turn up their noses at processed cheese spread, but if there's a cheese ball out on the table, it disappears. Same with the Lipton's onion soup dip. I test these two theorems periodically. Anyway I whipped up a cheese ball and had a lovely time imagining Mom carrying out the same actions in her kitchen on Meadowbrook. It was a nice visit. The cheese ball came out right  (as opposed to the time I tried to make it in a food processor and ended up with cheese ball soup), and of course I held some back for personal snacking.

Anyway, I do have some other family recipes that I've stashed away over the years: Mom's pickle recipe, Grandma's chili sauce recipe, a tomato soup recipe that Rita says was actually Betty's, Polynesian Pork. If anyone wants them, let me know. No chocolate mouse-y though. Guess we still need to go through Mom's recipe files some time.

Anyway, eat your cheese ball hearts out.

Well, I think I just figured out how to post. Not to boast. We'll see. You can't believe how long this all takes with dial-up.

So I just sent you all an e-mail about Dad's birthday, thinking it was today, but have just realized from Judith's return e-mail that I have been dating things wrong and it's really tomorrow. Sigh. I may just win that Alzheimer's lottery. But the feelings are there all the time, so it's never really belated. Thanks to you all for your birthday posts. I keep forgetting (ha!ha!) to check the blog, but will try to do better. Judith, I'm the true Luddite in the group, never having been forced to tweet. And I still don't own a microwave.

So, enough. I want to see if this works when I hit post. I just discovered how to post an image and will have to find something worthy.

Birthday Cake

Maria, Evan and I just sang Happy Birthday and had a big piece of cake in honor of Dad.

Happy Birthday!!

Dad:

Hard to believe that you and Mom are gone, but I know you are together (Mom probably puttering in her kitchen while you are out for a quick run). I think of you every day and am thankful for all of the lessons you taught me. Your commitment to honesty and integrity are foremost in my mind when I consider what course of action to take each day. And, of course, every time I see Daniel, I see you in his face and am grateful that I have this constant reminder of you.

I miss you!

Happy Birthday Papa!

Happy Birthday Dad!

I had a typically Ellen Moir moment when I went to get a mum for Dad's birthday. I wanted a colorful orange mum, but all the orange ones were in these awful black pots with printing all around them. What to do...do I spend an extra five bucks to get a more attractive pot that I can put the orange mum in or do I get the purple mum which is in a tasteful terra cotta colored plastic pot? As luck would have it, I found a bright yellow mum in a tasteful pot and decided to get that one although my heart was set on orange. As I was walking out of the store, with my yellow mum in hand, I spotted the orange mum in the tasteful pot on a table outside! With the cashier's blessing, I swapped mums and ended up getting what I really wanted all along. Happy Birthday Dad. Enjoy your orange mum!

Happy Birthday, Papa!

Grave

What do you think of my new glasses
I asked as I stood under a shade tree
before the joined grave of my parents,

and what followed was a long silence
that descended on the rows of the dead
and on the fields and the woods beyond,

one of the one hundred kinds of silence
according to the Chinese belief,
each one distinct from the others,

but the differences being so faint
that only a few special monks
were able to tell one from another.

They make you look very scholarly,
I heard my mother say
once I lay down on the ground

and pressed an ear into the soft grass.
Then I rolled over and pressed
my other ear to the ground,

the ear father likes to speak into,
but he would say nothing,
and I could not find a silence

among the one hundred Chinese silences
that would fit the one he created
even though I was the one

who had just made up the business
of the one hundred Chinese silences-
the Silence of the Night Boat,

and the Silence of the Lotus,
cousin to the Silence of the Temple Bell
only deeper and softer, like petals, at its farthest edges.

Billy Collins, former U.S. Poet Laureate

Me

In case any of you forgot how devilishly handsome I am!

Divine Intervention

I thought I would share with each of you a very amazing event. This past Saturday, I decided to go to Reconciliation (same as Confession). Needless to say, I need to do so!

Anyway, just as I arrived, I noticed a fairly frazzled young lady (young to me; probably in her 30s) with her father and the priest. It was immediately clear that he suffered from Alzheimer's.

After I came out of the confessional, she asked me to sit with him while she went to confession. He turned out to be a gentle man who was clearly very compromised. He was not as far advanced as many, but I couldn't help but see a lot of Dad in him (roughly same age, same politeness, same smiling eyes, etc.). We prayed the Our Father and Hail Mary and had a nice little talk.

I just know that this was God's way of reminding me how special the last days were with Dad. This disease reduces people to a child-like state, but in that state the are so open to grace and such an example of the power of humility and love. I found that true with Dad the last several years as he became gentler and gentler. What a beautiful reminder of how precious family is.

I hope all of you are well. Hope to see you all soon.

All Quiet on the Western Front

Well, I have nothing as meaningful to report as seeing the kids in the wagon and Terry walking with Papa's picture on her back! Thanks to the Ohio Moir girls for remembering that brave man and his honorable struggle. I am just checking in with y'all from the west, watching the aspens turn gold and already having had the first snow up on Santa Fe Baldy. We've been attending Friday night lectures at St. John's College with Cristian. It's quite amazing how he has become so interested in philosophy. He is writing his senior essay on Wittgenstein, I only wish Dad was here to enjoy him, he would have gotten a real kick out of hearing this kid explain a priori knowledge with such enthusiasm! Evelina has her Chinese girl costume all ready for three, count 'em, three different Halloween events. I am spared the cross-dressing experience this year, since I don't work on Saturdays...despite having Rasputin ready to appear in public, complete with a crazy black beard! Maybe we'll have dinner at Candace's house, they always get a bit of a trick or treat crowd! Not that El Barrio would probably recognize Rasputin, they'd probably just think I was blaspheming! I started taking an African dance class on Saturday mornings about a month ago, with a live drum group (Tom, you'd love it and would fit right in!). Most of the dancers are WAY younger than I am, blisters on my feet and sore SORE shoulders from the flailing around of arms, but it's worth a try, since I am so bored with the current exercise routine and ready to expand my horizons. I can't seem to make my hands and feet work together, but most of the people in the group have been doing it for years, so I think I have some time to develop. Edward continues the battle with his headaches, we're trying a detox diet right now, it's not much fun, but he's a stoic. Work is very challenging now, as I am sure it is for everyone, yes, the correction finally came, and boy, are we feeling it! It's a great time to travel for anyone who has the money and the leisure - and WHO would that be? Introduce me! We have finally had to engage in the wide social networking world, against our will, of course, but everyone (who the heck IS this everyone, anyway?) says hotels must Facebook and Twitter and Blog, so away we go. Our blog should be up in November, I think, and we'll see what I can come up with to say, as if everyone who can really write isn't already saying it...job security, eh? I'll end with the note that TIAA-CREF on this end has been mailed to Pellie, so have all waivers, just wish the house was moving, glad I don't have to see old Meadowbrook again, there is some ease in being so far away, even though it also means being far from loved ones. Adios a La Familia Moir!

We Did It!

The Moir Family was well represented at the Memory Walk by Terry, Maria, Evan, and me. The kids took turns riding in the wagon. Evan most enjoyed pulling his sister for the last half-mile of the walk. We had only 2 minor injuries, one skinned knee (Evan) and one bruised knee (Maria) from tripping over the wagon handle. The real casualty of that fall was Maria's apple which skittered across the floor of Tower City. We need to make this an annual event.

The Memory Walk

Tomorow is the Alzheimer's Association's Memory Walk. Unless it is pouring rain, I plan to take my kids and my wagon and take the 2.5 mile walk in memory of Dad. Terry hopes to join me, as well. Anyone wanting to send me a donation in support of my walk is welcome to do so. Make the check out to the Alzheimer's Association. This is a walk we have talked about doing since Dad first went to Homewood. I hope that everything will fall into place and I actually get to do the walk. Exercise seems a good way to honor Dad.

The Start of Something New

I thought the Barr Family had such a great idea to have a family blog, that I decided the Moir Family needed one too. I just finished a great Halloween decorating project for my windows. I tried to take a picture, but it did not come out, so you'll have to trust me that I have a very cute and original decorating touch. (Terry, you can drive by at night).