FLOATING

Thot: "When in a sheet=storm,

remember to carry a big shovel."

*

Title: Loving The Waiting

Mood: resigned and/or apprehensif

Food: a bit of everything except an

infusionary milk=shake.

Noise: tears, beeps, the gentle

Voices of Dedicated Professionals...

Vision: Heaven is like this---a

simple Awakening followed by nervous

action...then, a profound patience for

all the things Which only G can

Provide. Beautiful time!

*

Content:

I've done this before. I know I

have. It's not so much difficult

as slightly maddening. Things

you wanted to do pile up along

side things you just forgot to do.

Meanwhile, the person you're

paying the most attention to is

doing all of the heavy lifting.

It's their life and you are just a

member of it. Their measure of

Moments is slight and your

perception of passage of time

is sublimated to their epic

struggle. And there is only so

much the observing Advocates

can do. Blessed Mystery^^

*

You meet the best people on the

Illustrious Care Unit~from the

Care=givers to the other family

participants of recently joined

catastrophe. It's more than a club,

an association...it's a large and

Beautiful empathic humanic

collectif Fusion of souls! And it

serves the heavylifters well in

each & every Moment of Life.

As long as they, and we join this

epic struggle to its best & worst

ends...Well, the action some=how

is eternally unforgotten.

Writ large, that is, Beyond our

Understanding of it. And i suppose

that is the Way which our Grand

Advocate intended for purpose.

Only G would know^

*

Hane is holding her own with

angels i have not met; her sister

is joining her in ways i forgot to

ask their history of... and the

family of our troubled Reunion

is greater by Measures that i

cannot predict. Yet, the werld

and filosofy carries on within

and without such Things.

It pondres my spirit=travels.

*

Tonight, i shall dream of

Miracles.

29 December, 2004

23:35:25

 

PATIENCE/PATIENT

On the Razor's edge...

There's a Latin frase which

goes,"Where there is breath,

there is Hope."

*

This is the second day the

Matriarch has spent in the

Illustrious Care Unit. She is,

i suppose, as comfortable as

a person can be under the

conditions which Prevail.

The ventilator is assisting

her about half the time;

she is perhaps dreaming about

the party she missed and

communing with familiar

angels. Her nurses and

doctors are taking good care

of her. I wish her eyes would

open and recognise the beauty

of life around her, however

austere it would appear at that

good moment. Of the Heart

we know that it is struggling;

Of the mind, we realise it is

Hers to make up from moment

to moment. That much was

always about her~the deciding

by a forceful will. Anyway, the

prayer lines are open and

operating in the grand scheme.

Time is our everpresent buddy.

*

Grandma Z was laid away in the

church of her home in a

wonderful ceremony, the engineer

tells me. I would have dearly

loved to have gone with him to

the old stomping ground~but

i am begging to be the backstop

of my mother's rest Or recovery.

My sisters have been treating me

like a Prince...which doesn't

perturb my simple nature. They

would've also loved to have gone

up North to serve the many

related angels attending my

Elder brother's second Mother.

We beg together the blood=love

of hanging where the current

spiritual Action resides. I hope

it is a small appreciated Christian

indulgence.

Monday, 27 December, 2004

9:34:20 PM^^

Today, in this frigid clime,

i mourn the dead & dying

every=where. From the lands

of Pacific Asia under the forces

of tsunami, to the streets of

Iraq where restive democracy is

a=borning. OR, for that matter,

any family anywhere who is

suffering loss. G will grasp them

all in turn to a future beneficent

purpose we, the remainderers

cannot [and may not] yet discern.

Twas Ever Thus.

*

Kay, Harry, Alan and i had

cheese=burgers @ the Ritz.

It was a lovely break in the action

[or inaction.] Yes, i had a bowl

of delicious chocolate ice cream.

Not as a memory of confluence

so much as a dedication to my

mater mirabilis who loves that

dessert when she is able to enjoy

it in large doses. And might

again if things turn upwise...

then, of course, i wouldn't cheat

her on the serving size. Not that

i ever did before. While watching

Columbo or the daily Mass...

*

i love you All! G does not make a

test we cannot pass! Plus+, today

He is only a babe in a cradle with

His own stable signs...the vitals of

our vitals which gather us toward

his ponderific destiny. Miracles!

And a Happy Kwanzaa to my friend

Darney who cared for Hane like she

is his own fair mother. And might

again appreciate her lightness.

It can be Hoped^

Gospel, my friends---i am a minor

Prince in the Pantheon of such.

~your prayerful imperfect brother,

slac

*

HOSPITALITY 2

Yes, Virginia...reindeer can fly.

They just have to wear soft

sandals.

December 22, 2004...

And, as you think on it,

Ebenezer Scrooge was not

all that good a miser; he had

nearly no paper money to count,

only coins. Sympathy! The

poor old geezer didn't even have

a credit card. Talk about being

down to the dimes. And he

was a pre=Keynesian banker!

*

Or maybe, you were tending

your flocks in Judea when the

Angels appeared on high...

[the date & the year are both

uncertain thanks to Felix the

Small...but of meteorology,

we can be sure there wasn't

any snow.] So, anyway,

you're minding your bidness &

your flock---when all of a wink

There's this six=winged spirit

floating ephemeral right abof

you in the sky, booming in an

ethereal Voice to,"Fear Not!"

That's a reality=check for even

the bravest lamb rancher.

If i'd-a-been there, i woulda

run fast & faraway. With

soiled breeches. Excelsis!

* *

Cloud me much, i find it

Fascinating. And i have read

many a good schtory here on

the Inter=Web. Mighta even

schpun a few my=own=self.

Some stories last the long.

And~believe or not, Angels

also still Visit us, when we

need them. gratia deo...

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Friday, 24 December, 2004

9:26:25 PM...

Josephine fought the good

fight but succumbed in

natural time on Tuesday

afternoon---surrounded by

her loving family. SHE is

now delivering presents with

the Bishop of Myra.

*

Our Matriarch, Hane, has not

been feeling well for a few

days either. She was admitted

this morning to our favourite

Hospital in the valley, where

the medical personnel are

treating her quite well. Her

condition is fair to good on

this Christmas Eve.

Fortunately for her, she will

also have more Visitors than

she might require on such

a respite. Altho~in truth,

there aren't many of us

growing younger or less

accustomed to hospitality.

* * *

I mean to say: Thank G

Almighty for the people who

take these works upon them=

selves 24/7 on every day of

the calendar! A Happy and

Beloved Christmas to them

and all the troops in the

field. Angels All~there are

not enough candles to wick

for their Service. Their names

remain in memory while their

abbreviations serve us so

well: EMTs, MDs & RNs

in the ER or the OR...

Doctors, Nurses, Technicians

and Helpers of every kind.

{i keep forgetting to kiss them

on the street as they walk to

their jobs} Angels all^^

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Regardless of troubles and as

the Day finds You--i pray that

you are surrounded by joyful

children on Christmas Day &

That the werld of your werld

is as bright as the one which

found a Deliverer twenty

centuries ago... And that WE

have a Very Merry Christmas

on which small Tim would

say again,"God bless us,

Every=one!"

FREEZE!

The Wise Men came from the East...

How far East, we don't know.

They were more than likely educated

well in the teachings of Confucious,

Lao Tzu and the path of Buddha.

{i can be corrected, but i believe the

Contemplatif one was still on the path

OR just recently gaining Adherents}

It was quite a long time ago...

Meanwhile, classic Greek wisdom was

taking footholds and Hebrew mystic

knowledge was reaching fulvent

expectation of Deliverance in the

Homeland, then under occupation by

the potent Roman Ascendence.

Into this cultural crescendo, the mild

son of Mary and Joseph was born.

An Infant on the high arc of history

and filosofy. NO Pressure!

*

Hear all & Say nothing.

Bear all & Do nothing.

Abandon all & Be nothing.

*

Hane has come out of herself to pray

the TV Rosary. She is brefless.

'Tis the Season. Some of her best

girl=friends are worse off 2 be sure.

It's the praying which may do good.

*

Monday, December 20, 2004...

Cat & the Engineer were kind enuf

to stop by yesterday and perk us up.

Cat had just sang with the St. Lucia

chorus at the nearby college. She,

and they, do good things out of

natural inclination. Fambly!

Todd is coming to a good middle...

Grandma Z is holding her strength to

a propitious Moment; she is surrounded

by Sons of Courage & their own sons

and daughters, thereafter. Perhaps,

the good angels are finding it hard to

pierce the Crowd---and that Josephine

is resolutely kicking the crud out of

the dark ones. She has that ability.

Plus+, i haven't personally known such

a large family who altogether took no

less than an hour to say Good=by on

a simple day... THAT strength & beauty

is joined @ Xmas, fourfold.

Do i believe in miracles? Of course.

It is the week of such things.

As cold & bitter as today was, tomorro

the Light will extend itself through the

remainder of winter---getting longer,

brighterand more beautiful toward the

rising of Flowers. Planets of confluence,

i believe i see a star in the East!

*

~solsticeslac~

BALM

And they brought him Gifts of

gold, frankincense & myrrh...

*

The gold, we know, is a tribute

to royalty; it could have been

coins or ingots or simply precious

objects. Also--such items would

provide a financial future for a

tiny baby born in a harsh land

during hard times.

*

Frankincense & myrrh were also

precious and rare; they had great

medicinal value as distillate

ointments. Any ordinary infant &

mother would have little or no

access to such healing balms...and

perhaps, not a good chance of

surviving their coming years. These

Kings were truly Wise to bring the

salves as well. And such a fortunate

baby!

*

This is the Winter of our discontent.

OR~in the Aspect regarding, these

are the times that try our Souls.

*

The family is gathered around the

bed=collectif...those who are not

busy being born are busy dying.

Grand=Mother Z is passing out of

our sphere of influence. And such

a full existence to lately visit her

daughters with Orphanage the

bright snow & crystals of departing.

Ninety years of Presence! So bright

and strong a servant Called by

Angels to partake of the Advent

vigil. OH! Faithful one~the path is

clear, the night is joined.

*

Sunday, December 19, 2004...^

We are appraised and apprised of

the Light which comes into the

World---and Anoint it with our

brief tears. Immanuel.

He calls us to his Heart because

He requires our counsel. His

balm is our Salve=ation.

HOSPITALITY

Title: Standing By 4 Good News

Mood: Apprehensif

Music: mine, alphabetical?

Weathre: windy & sunny

Condition: slightly disemployed

Menu: the end of Turkey soop

Observatus: "unexpected &

disconcerting things Happen all the

year round; but it's on the Holidays

that we Notice their significance.

It's a neurokinetic alignment."

*

Fambly news~ Lizard [5:06 P.M.]: grandma z is

not doing so well.

get grandma jane to say a few rosaries for her.

Slac [5:07 P.M.]: doing as much--stay on the line

Lizard [5:08 P.M.]: thanks.

Slac [5:09 P.M.]: lou just Impt me

Lizard [5:10 P.M.]: i was chatting with him earlier.

i gotta get going soon. how are things in town?

Slac [5:10 P.M.]: good---i am apprised

Lizard [5:11 P.M.]: excellent. i'll call if

things get worse.

much love to you and g-ma jane!

Slac [5:11 P.M.]: or date me up by e=mail...

we love Josephine & will pray constantly.

Lizard [5:11 P.M.]: thanks. bye

Slac [5:12 P.M.]: love

Lizard signed off at 5:12 P.M.

IMP from Niece~12/16/04

We are collectively Praying for a good

result...That Grand=Mother is the Lady

i wrote about 2 entries down. She is more

than deserving of a special party. And

a great friend when i was an Urchin on the

coal-dusted streets of...my other Home

Town. Conjoin her hospitality/holiday!

*

Each year @ this time, i promise myself

not to watch the Charlie Brown

Christmas Special. And every year since

i can remember~i fail to follow through.

1965 to 2Kand4, that's a lot of broken

Resolutions. Dolly Madison cakes and

cookies not=withstanding...that simple

cartoon has an epic influence on the

children & adults who revisit it Year upon

Year. We want, we need to hear Linus

quoting good Saint Luke. It makes us

cry, every=time, and we come back time

and again. Bless us everyone.

Rudolph---i can take or leave.

"Are there no prisons? No Werk=houses?"

Regardless of all that^, iwill transit

forward as the Spirit allows and Rain

prayers of Hope & Light on All who join

this bright redemptif Season as it

arrives. More=so=much on the Doctors

& Nurses attending their Charges~~

They will Love Grandma Z & everyone

to their best ability. It's a mitzvah.

*

Pray/Pray: Peace On Earth, GoodWill

toward Us~~sentimentalslac^

CANDLE

Slacbac & the Night Visitors...

*

too cold, too dark, too early

Not to run around like elves

and only accomplish the

evanescent things...

Days Impending! Preperatus!

Behold the children. Their own

births were also miraculous.

*

Hope strides on the impervious

werld~calls our attention to

Poverty & Peace. Fear Not!

*

Oat=meal cookies & laudenum

How the globe transits.

I will take myself aside and make

thanks of the Grand=mothers'

houses to which we can travel...

over the river & thru the Woods.

Todd is recovering from his latest

operations...Blessings on him in

the season of Healing miracles.

[He arrives more than half by much

from the accident.] It is almost

beyond Prayer 2 believe Good

things will result~yet, Prayer is our

handiest Resource. Amen & Amen^

*

i remember a Christmas in 1998

when my own Father was passing out

of my influence. Did that sad event

of Life deter me or consternate my

essential Spirit? SHEET, yeh!

He, himself, brought me up from

those depths~made a path of my

soul i can't fully repay. A lesson of

brave passing. And Peace^

*

The candles of this Age i light thus

earnestly for salvation & rebirth...

OR to the G who guides us through

the passage of troubles. He made

the werld & we but live in it.

Blessings on all, of whatever

circumstance---the Angels are

all around & His kingdom is open

to all his children.

*

PRECIOUS

Title: Grade me up, Scotty

Mood: receptif

Music: the little band from Texas

Menu: bigA badA turkey chili

Thot: "Small improvements aren't

worth considering; large ones are

incipiently worse."

*

Monday, 13 December, 2004...

Those hobbitses had a good

week=end on the television.

I watched the Fellowship a coupla

times and it always turned out the

same. Which is to say, the movie

has thusfar been true to the boox of

J.R.R. Tolkien as i remember them.

Frodo lives!

*

In between all that and while creating

the best dark=meat chili ever, i also

converted my up=dial to the new

AOL 9 point securité. Loading off the

fone obviously took a long time.

[i dislike when my dingdanger is tied

up on the Bell coppers for hours on

end; it upsets my native sense of

frugality.] This action may come to

a good end~in the term short^

*

Hane is taking it easy in her room.

Which is not unusual. Lizard's other

grandma is slightly worse off after a

spill at her [grandma jo's] house.

We pray that she hasn't cracked her

lovely hip so much that she won't wave

a paddle @ her next party & tell the

visiting assembly to collectively,

"Get a haircut!" It's a bright miracle to

me how the older girls manage to stay

in their home=steads and run the fambly,

in spite of obvious infirmities. OR,

maybe, because i am only a male

character...i deserve to misunderstand

the service i provide to such ancient &

well=formed Angels. Perhaps.

*

Better i should schtay to the subjects

i understand. They are small, brief and

Memorable as far as i know.

[most filosofers would surrender that^]

The rest or antithesis, i will take under

Advisement...

~the slac/elf=man who serves Beauty~

LIGHT...MEMORY

Reticular Amnesia...

It comes and goes.

*

These are days of remembrance.

1177 on the deck of the ARIZONA...

Four shots that rang out in NYC at the

Dakota Hotel.

That lamp of oil which refused to fail

in the Temple after Judah defeated the

Assyrians. Humankind is bound up in

the remembering like no other creature.

That's the deal.

*

Mercy! What a fantastic & terrible

Capacity! With dremes of History,

filosofy & Austere actions...that we

should remember each in our own minds

the pointed events of marvelous Life.

{Man is the only animal who needs both

clox & calendars to track Existence}

It's a miracle we can sleep @ all.

Regard the inkling of eternal Genius

which provides us this double=edged

provision. Affirming Wisdom...

[would that it were other]

*

The past is prologue.

Thursday, December 09, 2004^

Title: The oil man cometh

Music: same old same old

Mood: cool and misty

Weather: [see above]

News: Astronauts running short

on supplies @ int'l space port...

*

Be careful with those candles...

just because they're pretty doesn't

mean they aren't an open flame.

And for better lighting, place them

near a mirror; it doubles the wattage.

Better yet~use electric candles instead.

^Your holiday safety tip.

*

And speaking of Technology...i am now

more confused than ever about what i

might think of purchasing in the long and

far=off future. Should my DVD [david]

Recorder be multi-format with picture

reading capabilities OR just a rip and strip

model with a huge drive=hard? Should i

acquire a mini-DV camcorder with schtill

foto capability OR an equally expensif

name=brand shoot & point with short burst

movie possibilities?? Don't get me started

on what kind of television viewing system

i need there=after! Plasma! i don't know.

Then~there's the question of what kind of

portable music machine i might consider...

Giga? Mega? Voice recorder [like i could

talk 2 myself for hours @ a time]?

Data storage OR capable of sending FM

signals to the green=ghost radio?

Should my scanner, when i get one, be

dedicated or part of a D'Artagnanesque

all4one & one4all octopedigon?!

[alright~i made up that last werd]

Never mind---i've said all i can think on

about those things. Beziers! i believe i've

sublimated my aneurysm.

Friday, December 10, 2004^

~slacwhosparksmnemonicall=to~

SPOOF II

don't you just love a good spoof?

[rhetorical] 

And Happy happy Joy joy to my Uncle

Terry...from all of us.

*

Anick Jesdanum writes in an article

about finding reliable information on

the Web:

...Adults who should know better

get duped, too.

Georgia Tech professor Colin

Potts said he recently received by

e-mail a photograph said to be a

1954 projection of what a home

computer would look like in 2004.

Instead of the small boxes we know

of today, the image shows a giant

contraption that resembles an air-

plane cockpit with a large steering

wheel.

...Potts said,"...I also forwarded it to

several people. Unfortunately, as

another colleague informed me by

e-mail a few minutes later, it's a

hoax."

It pondered me much when i borrowed

the image later that the RAND corporation

would have such a large Television. OR

that a 1954 'computer' would require a

double steering=wheel from a yacht.

Today~i reread the caption and found a

glaring error: "...created this model to

illustrate how a 'home computer' could look

like in the year 2004..'" I mean, really...

There were no proof=readers at Science

magazines in nineteen-fifty-four??

Make your own best corrections^

NB: the term, home computer is a modern

one, unimagined by the pulp writers of

that Age. Sputnik!

*

Who names their baby, "Anick"?

Never mind~the picture in offense is

included. AND to the spoofdahs who

perpetuate such silliness:

Cut the Crud! And get a Library card.

~debunkaslac who sometimes quotes

the WHO,"we Won't get fooled again."

*

BROTH/PRODIGAL

Title: Let the Souping Begin!

Mood: simmering

Noise: hearing my beard grow

Weathre: colder & greyer

Use of semi=colons: Xcessif

*

Monday, December 06, 2004...

Items to discard from your

Recipe 4 Turkey soop~

>bones, cartilage, skin...

>anything that don't look like

it'll eat right in the long run...

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Bright candles who helped me

Awaken the bright mistress of

Midwestern wisdom & haiku:

floralilia, sun=flower, vince,

vivian, kayy, jerseygirl*,

muse, babymae [of course!]

AND unenumerated glowing

others who joined the hunt...

Pray of the Prodigal who came

back in time for Soup!

Appreciata^^

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

We are good enuf to arrife at

our True Natures...all of US.

*

Thot: "is any=body else so busy

that they can't catch their Redundant

with either hand??"

^rhetorical that^

More steps for a cockle=warming

broth of turkey~

>do not boil the bones, simmer...

>sauté the onions/celery before adding

>cook the starches before adding

>tear the bird=meat, bitewise...

>salt gently, othre spices @ end

Especial all=over soop filosofy~

be mindful of the Process. WAIT!

That's good life advice as well.

The zen of Xcellent left=overs^

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The Slack who would prefer to reduce

all the troubles of the Werld to a

simple simmering soup contest...

Mankind would learn the much.

And ladle peacefully to taste.

MY SANTA

Saturday, December 04, 2004

*

Today, i saw two Bishops of Myra.

And a Hawk, and a little black

Labrador puppy named Chloe.

[i know~all puppies are little]

*

Dogs love me as much as Anything.

Twas ever thus.

*

In fact, i don't know a single animal

that wouldn't fall in love with me

completely on the first meeting,

unless one counts the many DOGS

that preferred to chew me to pieces.

I've settled my hash with the canine

Race...pups can adore me at their

leisure but i'd rather that other

people Owned the Buddha=less

creatures. Woof, woof. I have my

own pack. Mostly random cats who

move in the werld as i do...

*

Randomly, secretively & to mysterious

Ends. It's how i move, even among

the lizards. Or birds & squirrels for

that matter...

*

My sisters [broad=sense, no joke]

have Accrued to me over the past

many days And our joining is

accomplisht; the cyberdancing

mentor of my line=on life has

emerged into the dim winter as a

Japanese butterfly. HAIKU! Write

my teacher Poems on the blossom

of her vacance de breve. There is

no greater Consolation within my

soul than that WE are special agents

of Re=ignition. WE glow & torch

resolutely 2 bright ends. Of this^

Jersey girl & all my readers will

Advise. it's a Mitzvah.

*

Read this? To what end?

Of cats & dogs & sleeping Angels?

Of relief @ the long end of Season

that bright candles will prevail?

Youbetcha.

*plus+, most of them have heard

my "music". id est salve*

Tomorro, i make the Turkey=soop

and fill out the Puxxle perfect.

AS a non=bereft grass=hopper^

GLOW NEWS

Title: The Beast...

Music: Supertramp

Mood: slightly chilled

Mumsy Alert Status: standing down

Menu: Turkey with Rice & Gravy

Weather: less windy than yesterday

Words of Wisdom: "eat a small ugly

frog for break=fast and nothing worse

will happen the rest of the day."

Political Viewpoint: "i've seen Tom

Ridge speak, but i've actually met

Ed Rendell." ~slac

Trivia Question: Am i totally wrong, or

was Jennifer Garner the Pink Power

Ranger?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Content:

Thursday, December 02, 2004...

i must admit two things---i like the Jeopardy

but i've only seen about five minutes of

Ken Jennings competing AND i haven't

watched Tom Brokaw for years.

[his diction has always annoyed me.]

This ding=dang dell is cutting into my TV time.

Thereyago^

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

News of that InterWeb thingy~

Michael Liedtke of the Associated Press writes:

...Search engine analyst Danny Sullivan said,

"We don't need to be creating more content on

the Internet. We just need to filter the existing

content a little better."

{What?! There ain't enuf content?} The article was

about GOOGLE enhancing their discussion groups.

Allison Linn (AP) writes in her article of

Microsoft pushes new blogging program:

...According to a February report from the Pew

Internet and American Life Project, only 2 percent

of Americans have created blogs, while 11 percent

have read those of others.

[i wouldn't say that blessed Microsoft is trying to

straddle a moving horse. I said i wouldn't say THAT.]

Up the shot, by way of analysis: Encouragement!

Six million Americans are writing GLOWS

[Grandeloquent Logs On the Web] AND thirty-three

million lurkers, surfers & bouncers are reading the

crud that we post regularly. It boggles the mind of

Slac, and i ain't easy2 boggle. Such a BEAST i would

not choose 2 encountre in my lifetime^^

No wonder Hans & Mumsy have each taken a break

from the Monster. Atsa lotta pressure! And you thot it

was all about the pretty kitty pictures. Plus+, there are

like, two hundred million Americans who lead perfectly

ordinary lives without us. Just saying...

Filter the perspectif~my next post will be far less

complicated. I never promised a Rose Garden...OR

even that sense could be made of my filosofy.

~~a slightly stupefied Glower who refers 2 itself as

SLACK~