Bob Doesn't Have a Phone

Bob doesn't have a phone but sometimes I let him use mine to text his friends. When he does, it looks like this.

Paths

This grassy path was more beautiful that the linoleum path from the waiting room to the MRI room at the radiology place. I've been on each in the past two days and so grateful for both.

Me and Dr. H: Today's Appointment

"So, how'd you hurt your shoulder?"

"Lifting my carry-on into the overhead compartment."

"They have a thing now called checking your baggage."

"I don't know. Sounds fancy."

"It's very fancy. And you have a torn rotator cuff. I'm writing a prescription for an MRI."

"The last time I had one of those I sort of freaked out. I swore if I ever had to get another MRI, I was going to need you to prescribe some heroin."

"I'll do what I can."

"I don't understand how this happened. I'm still in my 20s."

The Silver Smile

"Your mouth might be pretty sore again after the orthodontist, babe. Maybe we should pick up some soft food for your dinner."

"Yeah, we definitely should."

"What do you have in mind?"

"How about macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, and ice cream? Maybe some strawberry yogurt. Oh, and that banana smoothie juice drink."

"Isn't that just a list of all your favorite foods?"

"No. I didn't say tacos. Oh! And soft tacos. Let's get those."

Smacksy Sunday Links

Their secret to a happy marriage.

This interview with James Baldwin.

The best European train trips.

100 Notable books of 2017.

When making books was as much of an art as writing them.

And an owl and a puppy. (They're kissing, you guys.)

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Saturday Photo: The New Lipstick

"So, Mom? I was looking at your new lipstick kind of. Is that okay?"

These Two

When these guys aren't busy eating upholstered items, they're really quite delightful.

This Year

"Bob, when you're older and you look back on this Thanksgiving, and you might, I hope you'll say, 'When I was eleven years-old, my mom decided for the first time ever, she couldn't cook Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving was her favorite holiday and she loved cooking. We had gone shopping during the week to a bunch of different stores to get all the right ingredients. She had made Thanksgiving dinner so many times before, she didn't even need a list. That year, on the Wednesday when she would always make the pies, she just couldn't. She said there was no real reason, she was just tired and didn't have it in her. 

"So that night, we went to the store as it was closing and picked out little plastic cartons of pre-made Thanksgiving food - enough for ten people. We filled up a whole shopping cart. My mom wanted her friends and family over and she wanted the celebration even though she needed to change her part of it. I was disappointed because I thought I would get to help out in the kitchen. I was sad and afraid it would all be different. The one thing she didn't buy pre-made was the whipped cream. She let me pour the carton of cream into the big blue bowl and use the hand mixer to whip it up. I got to lick the beaters.

"On Thanksgiving day, everyone came over and we sat around the big table on the back porch and Pops said grace and we talked and ate and laughed and it was just like normal. It tasted a little different but we were grateful and people we love were there. It was still Thanksgiving and it was still good.'"

"Yeah, mom. I will totally say that."

Last Night

Moonball.

It's Mademoiselle Magic Stuffing Time

In 2009, I first posted the recipe for my beloved Mademoiselle Magic Stuffing. It has become an annual tradition. Enjoy the original post here. I'm off to try to figure out where Von's is hiding the dried currants this year.

Monday

"Hello?"

"Good morning, Mrs. Rosenberg. Robert was scheduled for an appointment with us at 9:00am."

"Oh. What time is it now?'

"9:20am."

"I'm so sorry. It's the first day of Thanksgiving break and I... uh..."

"Are you available this afternoon?"

"I think we...?"

"We'll see you at 4:00pm."

"Bob!"

"I'm making you another coffee, Mom."

Smacksy Sunday Links

A sign at Bob's school.

Decolonize your mind.

Thirteen-word love stories.

On unread books.

Miniature book houses.

And a dog and his rescue owl.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Saturday Photo: The Rosenberg Coat of Arms

You're saying your family coat of arms doesn't have pie on it?

The Tri-Fold

Thursday 11:11pm

"Bob just found out about this when?"

"He came home from school today and told me the project needed to be on a tri-fold. It was in the instructions we read a few weeks ago but we both forgot."

"Wait a minute - I thought we were going newer photos to older photos."

"I did. That's me at the top of my side. I'm just older so everything's in black and white."

"I need to re-do my side."

"I think we should have used construction paper under the photos for more color. Old color."

"Was 'midnight tri-fold' in our vows?"

"I did the Island of the Blue Dolphins diorama last year when you were out of town so technically the tri-fold should be all you."

"I love you forever for not enforcing that."

7 Minutes

Dear Lady,
So, we just want to say thanks for getting us these glorious couch blankets to eat. The seven minutes you were gone dropping Bob off at school just now were long. Like, really long. We were super bored without any delicious throw pillows or dog beds to jam into our canine mouth-holes. The blankets aren't as bouncy and rippable as the pillows/beds were, but we made do. The fun tassels on the corners were especially chewy and delightful. In a show of our appreciation we've redecorated a bit and we hope you'll enjoy what we've done with the place.
Forever your servants,
Levi and Teddy

Practice

There was a time I used to think baseball was boring. That was before I understood all of the slow moving parts are just a build up for when The Most Unbelievable Play of All Time Happens. And sometimes it just keeps happening. You just have to wait for it. This makes baseball the opposite of boring.

Now I know.

Tuesday Night

"Mom, why can't I stay home alone tonight? That thing's not for kids. I don't get why I have to go to a school board meeting."

"You don't have to go, you get to go."

"Really, Mom? That's how you're selling it?"

Back in the Bleachers

I took two excellent trips in the last two weeks. "Excellent" in this case is the strongest word I can think of without sounding hyperbolic, even though saying things like "life changing" would be true. I am also happy to be home.

Smacksy Sunday Links

Hello, my love.

Wellbeing is enhanced more by places than by objects.

This is the marathon for me.

An interview with Patti Smith about photography and other things.

And a goat kid pajama party.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Saturday Photo: You Already Know This

Exactly. 

Unblinking

Sometimes you get a magnificent ten hours of sleep while a giant horse head stares at you. It's not the same kind of sleep you get when there is a very tall man and two enthusiastic, snoring dogs in your bed. (And sometimes a very tall eleven year-old boy-child.) The horse bed is supremely comfortable but you are always aware that the crowded bed is better.

Buttermilk Sky

Mr. Rosenberg took this photo a few days ago. I think this is what is called a buttermilk sky. I am making an appointment with myself to grab a blanket and lay down in the backyard and watch the next time I see one of these overhead. I think I need to make sky-watching a thing. My new thing. 

Le Chien

While I was out of town last week, my sweet Levi experienced a smidge of ennui. He moped around. He slept on my side of the bed, on my pillow even. He smoked a pack of Gitanes. He drank café Americanos he made himself in the one cup, stovetop espresso maker. He wrote cryptic haiku on rumpled cocktail napkins and listened to hours of Edith Piaf (on vinyl). He was too shrouded in a certain malaise to even bark at the mailman.

Please don't tell him I'm leaving again in the morning. Let us have this night.

He Has a Point

"Mom? I really, really don't want to go to school today."

"Because?"

"Because sometimes it's boring and some things are hard."

"You have just described life. But sometimes it's fun and sort of great too, right?"

"I guess."

"Without the boring and hard parts the fun and great parts wouldn't be special anymore, they'd just be regular."

"That sounds like a pretty good regular."

"Yeah, I guess it does."

"You can try again on that one, Mom."

This One

I was out of town the last five days. I missed all of my guys. All of my guys missed me too, but only this one couldn't be persuaded to go on his evening walk with Mr. Rosenberg. Levi wouldn't leave my side.

Smacksy Sunday Links

Be a better listener.

The lost Victorian mansions of downtown LA.

This Thanksgiving menu planner is pret-ty cool.

It's always the right time to listen to this song. 

And a koala joey in a basket.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Saturday Photo: Oakland

Look at the lovely view. Just look at it.

Provenance

I'm on board with the one in, one out approach to keeping down clutter. Replacing instead of adding belongings is especially important because all two not small adults, one giant eleven-year-old, and two medium-ish dogs of us are sharing one 864 square foot house.

And yet... and yet. How do I account for the overflowing travel mug/water bottle cabinet? These two beat-to-hell water bottles do not "spark joy." They have ceased to be useful or beautiful and they are still here.

A much younger Bob created the Harry Potter and goldfish/baseball/scratch-that-out-and-start-that-triangle-over-right-here artwork on the bottles, but we have a lot of Bob's artwork. The bottles are leaky and smell like the indoor pool at the Y.

These bottles have been carried around in a Star Wars lunch box. They have been battered inside a Little League baseball bag. They have been used to dig sand and hold weeds that are pretending to be flowers. They are not history themselves but are witnesses.

I remind myself that I am a witness too as I carefully place the bottles in the trash.

Dog Parking

Ted and Levi appear to enjoy their No Concept of Personal Space policy even at the big, wide, dog park.

Bull/China Shop

Levi was jumping up at the window to say an extremely enthusiastic hello to the UPS guy. I leaned over to close the window just in case Levi got any ideas about plowing through the screen to join him. My heavy dog pal came down hard on my bare foot then pushed off again, leaving this paw shaped bruise on my right foot. 

It makes me laugh every time I look down. And limp a little. But mostly laugh.