Bus Theater

Yesterday I took the bus to the pool and on the way home three people, a young man and two older women, came aboard at the Walmart stop with their cattle dog. The dog was wearing a decorative blue T-Shirt. They pretended the dog was a service dog but he was obviously not working. He was busy greeting me and licking passengers.

The young man had about ten cans of soup stuffed inside his gray sweatshirt. "I found them in the trash," he said. "I didn't want them to go to waste. Would you like one, it's Progresso." The man seated next to him with a Verizon logo on his jacket had been plugged into earbuds up until this point, singing along to himself. He suddenly became talkative and animated with the cattle dog family. They began discussing shopping carts. Verizon man showed them his wheeled attache case with telescoping handle and a sturdy bottom. He unzipped the bag to show how roomy it was. Then he told them that their three year old cattle dog would eventually fill out. "He has a big head to withstand being kicked by a cow," the young man said. "But our cats scratch him and he does nothing." I noticed scratches on the dog's legs.

As new people entered the bus the young man offered them soup, pulling the cans out of his sweatshirt. "I have lentil!" he said, and handed it to the woman seated opposite him.

When I arrived home I ate lunch and put on dry socks. I was hit with exhaustion. I took a nap, and when I woke up I fixed a cup of hot tea and made lasagna.

Turkey Lasagna & Noodle Tips

 https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/turkey-lasagna

Ina Garten's tip about pre-soaking curly lasagna noodles 

https://www.southernliving.com/food/kitchen-assistant/ina-garten-lasagna-tip

The truth is on the march and nothing will stop it. Émile Zola

As they have dared, so shall I dare. Dare to tell the truth, as I have pledged to tell it, in full, since the normal channels of justice have failed to do so. My duty is to speak out; I do not wish to be an accomplice in this travesty. My nights would otherwise be haunted by the spectre of the innocent man, far away, suffering the most horrible of tortures for a crime he did not commit.  Émile Zola, J'Accuse...!

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Martin Luther King, Jr.

People like comfort; that's natural. But as for making money simply for the sake of making it, and giving yourself far more trouble and anxiety to gain it than you can ever get pleasure from it when it's gained, why, as for me, I'd rather sit still and cross my arms. Émile Zola

Civilization will not attain to its perfection until the last stone from the last church falls on the last priest. Émile Zola

The fear of life, the fear of burdens and of duties, of annoyances and of catastrophes! The fear of life, which makes us, through dread of its sufferings, refuse its joys. Ah! I tell you, this cowardliness enrages me; I cannot forgive it. We must live - live a complete life - live all our life. Émile Zola

One is Born a Poet

“The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work.”
― Émile Zola

“There are two men inside the artist, the poet and the craftsman. One is born a poet. One becomes a craftsman.”
― Émile Zola

If you ask me what I came to do in this world, I, an artist, will answer you: I am here to live out loud. Émile Zola

I am little concerned with beauty or perfection. I don't care for the great centuries. All I care about is life, struggle, intensity. Émile Zola

I have but one passion: to enlighten those who have been kept in the dark, in the name of humanity which has suffered so much and is entitled to happiness. My fiery protest is simply the cry of my very soul.

Émile Zola, J'accuse! 

These young people naturally grow up with ideas different from ours, for they are born for times when we shall no longer be here. Émile Zola, Work

I believe that the future of humanity is in the progress of reason through science. I believe that the pursuit of truth, through science, is the divine ideal which man should propose to himself. Émile Zola

We are like books. Most people only see our cover, the minority read only the introduction, many people believe the critics. Few will know our content.

 Émile Zola 

Art is a corner of creation seen through a temperament. Émile Zola

If you shut up truth and bury it under the ground, it will but grow, and gather to itself such explosive power that the day it bursts through it will blow up everything in its way. Émile Zola

Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Last night I made grilled cheese sandwiches on my homemade bread using sharp cheddar. The smell traveled into the bedroom and I slept inside the scent.

All you need to do is to keep your heart and mind open to the work. WALTER MOSLEY

It doesn't matter what time of day you work, but you have to work every day because creation, like life, is always slipping away from you. You must write every day, but there's no time limit on how long you have to write.

One day you might read over what you've done and think about it. You pick up the pencil or turn on the computer, but no new words come. That's fine. Sometimes you can't go further. Correct a misspelling, reread a perplexing paragraph, and then let it go. You have re-entered the dream of the work, and that's enough to keep the story alive for another 24 hours.

The next day you might write for hours; there's no way to tell. The goal is not a number of words or hours spent writing. All you need to do is to keep your heart and mind open to the work.

WALTER MOSLEY

Phantosmia and The Navy Blue Pontiac

I didn't want to make noise on a holiday but as the day wore on and the neighborhood became noisier, I gave in. I vacuumed the car in the mid afternoon. So funny the car's smell was not bad initially. It smelled like a NYC taxi cab, a smell I like.

After I cleaned the car we walked Romeo. I smelled the taxi smell out in the air walking around the north end neighborhood. Then when I got into bed I smelled it again. So weird. This morning I had a shower and I made toast. Now I am washing clothes and towels hoping the taxi smell stays away.

Last night I placed fresh orange peels in the car hoping that might help.

This morning I drove over to see Margaret our library notary and she helped me through the paperwork and then I had the VIN check across the street at the police station.  Now she's parked until our mechanic can see her and make the repairs necessary to pass inspection. Then I can make an appointment to register her with the Department of Motor Vehicles.

The Pontiac is a BLUE BOAT. I realized my first car an old VW bug was blue, my old Chevy truck was blue and now my first old Pontiac is blue.

UPDATE: I walked over to O'Reilly's  and they had the product my husband recommended Meguiar's natural shine protectant. The folks at O' Reilly's were so kind. They let me sample the scent. I am beholden to them forever!  

When I came home I found an old rag and got to work. It was so fun to use because the results are immediate and spectacular and guess what. The scent is lovely. I don't think the car will ever smell like a NYC taxi cab again.

Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic be alcohol or morphine or idealism.

Carl Jung