Blog-azic

As we went further north, through Kentucky and into Ohio, I watched the scenery change from the passenger side window. Mountains gave way to rolling hills, and I could see paw paw trees on the forest edges, with large yellowing leaves. Those paw paws call me back to the woods every year after the summer. I had a mind to get an armful of fruit to attract butterflies and seed the compost. Yesterday, being in such a foul mood after work, and having left the office early to run to the bank, I decided to stop by Mason Farm on my way home. I think the last time I was there was in the spring. Benji and I walked downstream, following the wide, sandy creek, buffered on one side by an earthen retaining wall (it must be a spill-over floodplain for the creek and sewer line). When the year is young, I feel a great drive to go to the woods, and again, as the year wanes, I feel the same, but in the long, hot and dry of summer, I tend to focus my attention on the gardens around my house. So, the ...

On the tails of a blue moon, some thirty days ago, Susan and I flew north to Lorain for my sister's wedding. In high summer, Lorain dries out, the sun is hot, and the breeze is cool. It would have been a treat to get back down to the French Creek, to show my wife and my mother's new pup, Teddy Jackson, the lush bottom lands filled with arums and spicebush, to take my shoes off and wade into the creek remembering the time I swiped at the minnows or saw the giant catfish down a dark, deep pool, to rush through the mosquito filled swamps to reach that old field filled with wildflowers and turkey. But, all that was not to be. Instead, we were put to work. I drove all over the West (and East) side of Cleveland getting kegs and bottles of beer and wine. In the end, we nearly 100 bottles left over and a couple cases of wine! Then, we spent long days out in the Oberlin country at their house, setting up the decorations, refilling the cistern, trying out the mead and cider I had ma...

I first conveived it driving home - a radio interview about something, the man talking about how the greatest joys in life are felt not at the destination, but on the journey to it. The statement resonated with me, and I quickly put together a brief flow of ideas: a journey, time and space, mortality, and end with a pop. The final toast was not recorded on paper nor in audio, but it went something like this ...    "I think the greatest joys in life are found not in the destination, but in the journey to it. Susan, we've been through a lot to get us to this point and we've a long way yet to go. The universe is vastly bigger in time and space than we humans can imagine. However, I know we will be together forever. Here's to the journey."  Next up, Chris Zdinak, whose toast was best-man perfection. About the beginning of our relationship, Chris recalled that he speculated whether it would end up in a marraige or a restraining order! I had a gre...

I heard about the passing of family friend last week. I met Lon years ago on a detour while my Father drove me back to college. I've always enjoyed watching my father interact with his friends, and Lon was a nice enough man in his own right. These jaunts to meet him were really rather peaceful. I was sad to hear the news. He seemed sincere, and my father was close to him. It reminded me of this old post, which I drafted, but never published. Here it is with a few revisions... This past weekend, I made it back to Ohio for, Rosalie's, my younger sister, graduation from high school. My older sister, Jessica, was also at home, having been discharged from the Army just about a month back. I flew into Cleveland Friday night, and Saturday morning Jessica, my father, and I went to Loudonville, OH where Jessica was participating in a 100 mile mountain bike race through Mohican State Park. At seven o'clock Dad and I saw Jessica off at the starting line, six hundred bike...

Sometime late in the evening (around 9 pm, I would think), Susan and I were whisked outside to the portico. As the doors were opened, our friends started a version of "Heart of Glass" dedicated to Susan. It has always been one of her favorite songs to request. We listened once through, then started singing! After that song, I grabbed a spare guitar that Troy had brought and joined in the jam. I remember calling out and singing "Move It On Over" by Hank Williams and "Way Downtown" by Doc Watson. I couldn't remember all the words to the Hank tune, by my friend, Brad, pulled them up on his phone, and I drunkenly sang them out. Susan went inside and told the DJ that he should pack up and join us on the porch. Gaelan did not have the drum set. He was banging on the cement. Girls on the fiddle. Sean squeezed a button box, and Troy held down the bass. We played and drank. I hardly remember any of the songs. Not too long ago, a friend ment...

In Hot Springs, NC remembering the wedding. I want to write down everything. Let's pick a place and start... The dinner playlist chosen by DJ Bart: Nat King Cole, "The Man and the Music," side 2 Duke Elington, "Duke Elington's Greatest Hits," side 1 Artie Shaw, "This Is Artie Shaw," side 2 Roy Eldridge, "Roy Eldridge," side 1 John Coltrane, "John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman," side 1 (cut short, maybe only 1 song) All vinyl. All from our collection. Thanks, DJ Bart.

While on the drive up north to Athens (to meet with our wedding vendors), Susan and I watched the bare trees fly past us on the highway. We could see a faint red glow brushed over-top the grey and brown branches, not unlike dawn when the Sun's rays strike the underside of grey clouds tingeing them red, then orange,  and finally yellow as the angle of incidence loses its obliqueness. On the drive back home, I detected distinct oranges in the buds. I suppose that spring is dawning.