We picked up a Mommas and Papas CD last week, so today’s potpourri collection title is a natural. Man, that Momma Cass had a sweet voice. Do I remember correctly that she died by choking on food in a restaurant? (Update: not so. She died of a heart condition.)
(:) The extra pair of glasses that Ann insisted I get will be ready today. The optometrist we go to has an office at the Pine Tavern. Park in front. Walk in. No wait. Walk out with disposable dark glasses and pupils from Night of the Living Dead. So pleasantly small-town.
(:) I. MUST. Do it! Our taxes are so simple, but even so, I hate sorting out interest income, W2s, charitable deductions and such. And my Goose Creek Press stuff this year actually is sort of involved–at least to me. Our accountant (home town boy, Allan Thompson) sent us one of those multi-page forms to put everything down on. I didn’t do it. That’s some of the aggravation I pay him for. Perhaps, I should just efile my taxes on my own. I’ll ask forgiveness rather than permission to omit this niggling bookkeeping step.
(:) I’ve benefitted from some sorting-out as a result of the interchange in comments and emails over the past few days. I think Rob Paterson understands; and Andy; and academic writer friend Tom, who is also sort of “between projects” and knows the feeling of unfulfilled drive to move ahead in the absence of clear focus or direction. There was never any hint of “don’t blog”…only what, where, when, and a periodic need to understand why. All those answers are not yet in, but you’ve been a help. Thanks.
(:) OH! The main reason I’m going to town today is…no, wait a minute. That’s a post in its own right. Stay tuned later this week. Maybe next. It’s a GOOD thing!
(:) And, almost finally, if you live in this part of the country, pick up a Winter 2007 copy of Appalachian Voice (free news magazine available at libraries, grocery stores, and such.) On page 20, Gene Hyde (Radford University Appalachian Collection Librarian) offers a kind review of Slow Road Home. I’ve put a copy up on the book website if you’re interested in taking a peek.
(:) This week in the book world: sending my first copy of SRH to France. And Thursday evening, a very wonderful opportunity to speak to a “home town” audience back in Wytheville, an hour’s drive west, where we spent twelve years and the setting for quite a few of the vignettes in the book. (Scroll down the sidebar for time and place.)
HEY FRED! YES, MAMA CASS WAS GREAT. YOU KNOW SHE WENT SOLO AFTER THE MAMAS & PAPAS. MAMA CASS WAS ACTUALLY IN HER HOTEL ROOM, WHEN SHE DIED FROM CHOKING ON FOOD, AT LEAST THAT’S WHAT I HAVE READ FROM SOURCES.
WE GO THE H&R BLOCK WAY FOR TAXES, CAN’T BEAT THEIR SERVICE, AND KNOWLEDGE OF TAXES.
HAVE A SAFE TRIP, AND GIVE TSUGA A HUG FOR ME. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.
MARK
ugh….taxes…we’re doing ours this weekend. now you have me intriqued about your jaunt into town today….i’ll betuning in to find out what it’s all about.
oh…and you are the official winner of my caption contest. yours was the most creative, by far. thanks for stopping by and adding your 2 cents …. 🙂
Mama Cass died from hear disease…or at least that is what I found online (your question prompted me to look it up).
http://www.snopes.com/music/artists/mamacass.asp
Good luck with the taxes!
“the feeling of unfulfilled drive to move ahead in the absence of clear focus or direction”
I read a good book on this – Summary: When we have things figured out to the point of sequential steps to execute, stress is low (exception is when there is not enough time or resource to the steps). When we feel stress/frustration/funk because can’t get the traction to move forward, it’s because we are at a state where we haven’t figured out enough of the general problem to be able to list the steps to execute. The solution: step back, let the creativity kick in… and let the objectives clarify… then once the creativity has set the goals, the steps will become self-evident, and we can move forward again.