A beautiful sunny day, albeit a bit chilly. Took Milo and Piper to the Richmond dog park. Lots of dogs and nice people. Stopped at Lickety Splits for ice cream and ran into Jan and Paul Henry. So nice to catch up.

 This morning of FB looking at an posting about the loss of Taylor Hawkins. Laurie and I and Sister Linda V are such huge Foo fans we are all gutted. The last show we saw at Fenway in July 2018 was bittersweet, due to some drunks, we made a decision that was our last big stadium show. Little did we know it would be the last time we would see Taylor play. 

 Life has been pretty good as of late, work good and I'm starting to get back on my feet. Due to my diabetes I have lost my big toes on both feet and my second toe on my right foot. My balance is not as goot but i.m doing ok. Currently dealing with the parents estate, will and probate. If ther e was any question that my father was a narcissistic douchebag. It has been settled an I have been left to deal with the aftermath. 

Tones ha s been tough getting our momentum back  after covid. My practice has been sorely lacking, and that solely my issue. The weather is nice today, so tring to get outside and do something, landscapers coming tomorrow to do the yard.

If everything could ever be this real forever
If anything could ever be this good again
The only thing I'll ever ask of you
You've got to promise not to stop when I say when
She sang -"Everlong" - Foo Fighters

 I know my times are no harder than so many currently, but I feel the ominous hanging of a dark cloud.  I took my mom to see Dad to day at the nursing home. He is now in hospice. It's like watching a zombie. Izzy's accident, Lily not getting her new job and so much more. It weighs one down.  On top of this all I have a wound on my left foot, going to see Dr B on Monday. In good news Matt's present came today, so psyched, hope the Tones can get together soon. Watched Men in Kilts last night, Good fun, "If it's not Scottish it's Crap!" Loved the bio's from people on the Powderworks group, what a special bunch. Let's hope for the Oils and Neil in the US this year!

I can feel the king tide coming
All my senses overflowing
One night waiting out the back
Horns'll blow and cymbals crash
So paint a circle in the sky
I lay breathless in the arms of love
There's a bruise on my back
And a new understanding too - King Tide Neil Finn

The New Year

 The New Year is upon us and the turmoil continues. The government hose up in the Corona vaccine roll out and the continued protest against Biden's win shows just how far we've fallen. I hope Biden/Harris bring some sense of normalcy back to the White House and the vaccine and Covid are in the rear view soon. 

Nice break over the holidays, staying home so a great time for movies and shows. We continue our push to watch the MCU in chronological order, not many more to go. We are currently watching "Cloak and Dagger". While so over the top dramatics and engaging story of social relevance. The NOLA setting also appeals to both Laurie and I. We also just finished "His Dark Materials" season 2 with a third and final next year. What a wonderful, deep and well executed piece. I will have to read the books now!

Izzy continues in Tampa bartending (yuck), she and Casey are such troopers, I'm glad they have each other. Benj and Lil are still in Middlebury, who knows when that will change. Really difficult not having them home for Christmas, opening presents via video chat is just not the same. Missing the Velilla's Christmas Party was also not fun, but what can you do...fucking Covid. 

Milo and Piper are well and swing from full on WWWoof to sleeping on the couch. I think they like me working from home. Olive and Una really like their penthouse beds on the armoire, especially as I built them a ramp system to get up.  We put up seed feeders on the hummingbird feeder hangers and have had a plethora of feathered friends eating there. 

Today is in the low 30's and 20's at night so good to stay in and keep up with the pellet stove. Laurie's return to work was not so bad yesterday, she seems to be settling in at Maple Hill, but not without it's hiccups. She is a trooper!

Hurricane Isaias, power out, generator and sailing...

Well Isaias now a tropical depression pass quite a ways west of us but packed quite a punch here in Mishnock. Most of West Grenwich and Coventry without power for a day. We have a generator but I have procrastinated putting fuel stabilizer in the gas, so I was worried about it started. Drained out the old gas 

put in new (& stabilizer!) and the little Subaru started right up. So were were able to plug in the fruges and phone and lost no food! 

I the late afternoon went on my first sail with Peter on the Eagle, since my foot surgery. It was beautiful on the bay.  Saw some beautiful boats including a 70' ketch from Bermuda and some big survey ships, one with a drill rig. Probably for the Cape wind project. Back to Ida Lewis yacht club for a cocktail at sunset and a close up of the flag lowering and cannon shot at sunset. Pretty civilized! 

Almost August...Begin Again.

So after 5 years I am going to begin my diary blog again.
Summer has been pretty different, what with the Covid pandemic and the Orange Douche in Chiefs
antics, one could lose hope. But Hope is unreasonable and Love is greater than this. (RF).
The riots and response of the hired goons are probably about as Fascist as this country has ever seen.
But I still believe that good will prevail and that we have  more good people than those that hate.
The dogs have been in the lake a lot lately with the 90 deg. 80% humidity. Piper is not as plussed but Milo has take over for Raven and become the fishing dog, he is facinated! 💓
We build a fire pit this summer and just need some cooler weather to utilize it. It looks great, we got the kit and Laurie and I did all the building. Of course now we want a patio around it!
Mom and dad are doing ok, mom still at home and dad is at the Memory Care Unit at Brookdale, at least its right down the street. The Covid situation make it difficult, we have only seen him as we take him to drs appointments. My amputated right big toe is almost healed, still hard to get my head around it, but it is what it is we move on. My really good waterproof boot has allowed me to swim so that's a godsend. Now just a band aid hopefully fully sealed in a couple of weeks.
Lily and Izzy have been struggling with the Covid situation as Izzy's main gig is bar tending, in Tampa, Florida. It's such a shit show down there. Lily has stepped back fro most of her political activities to focus on her health and well being, a good call. Laurie is still collecting as her position was eliminated due to Covid reductions. She finds a Reggio place, loves it then boom the shit hits the fan.😞She is hoping to go back when things improve.
I am still working from home for the RI DOT, a weird New World Order. Hopefully can get back to sailing soon!
Today (Yesterdays soundtrack) - The Blue Crush soundtrack and XTC's Skylarking

The need for music

A New Year to begin again....
 The New Year finds Laurie and I having a relaxing day at home...relaxing. I was on the computer most of the day, doing a video recap of 2014. I didn't think it was a bad year, Laurie said she was glad to see it go. As the year came to an end, I was reminded doing the video as to the synchronicity of everything and how that interconnectedness joins us all. For me the strong force of connection is music, and the gift that is given us that play music and as Mr Fripp has said, "get taken in to it's confidence" .
 In a year that finds me playing in two bands my original band MeccaLily and my (mostly) cover band The Strattones, I feel very blessed on a regular basis to get to play with such fine musicians and great friends. To those that don't play, and I know you've heard this before, it's never to late. I really believe anyone can get involved in music and in doing so enrich your life. Join a choir, pick up guitar, piano, uke, harmonica, there are many places to start, and many people to help you along the journey. Many of my friends who are studied, degreed musicians are teachers, and very conscientious ones at that. They have so much to offer and you maybe surprised that many principles that apply to music also apply to how we live our lives. The thing is most of us know of the magic of music. Whether you play or are an avid or casual listener, who among us cannot say they have not been moved profoundly by music at one or more times in their lives.
The glimpse of the riches and magic that lie just beneath the surface of our world, can be glimpsed by the soaring voice, a child's ear being opened, a stunning interpretation on a familiar favorite or the discovery of some new unknown sonic landscape that transports us to another place, time and person.
I was reminded of this, and especially it's importance to our young folk,  in watching the last 3 episode of Dave Grohl's Sonic Highways. The concept for the show was to stay in 8 American cities, with great musical heritage and write a song based on that experience while there. The cities were Chicago, Nashville, Austin, LA, New Orleans, Seattle and New York. I love Dave and the Foo's but let me say, this show blew me away. The history and connections discussed and the people interviewed were stunning. All musicians and music lovers should check this out. The last show was in NYC the site of so many musical memories for me and such a rich musical history. Recording at The Magic Shop it really was a magical web that wove the final pieces of this series together. As the Foos are on a break a family walking by the studio, recognize Dave. They say they are big fans, the kids are musicians and are even learning some Foo's. Dave invites them in for a tour of the studio. I want to see what that young brother and sister are doing in 10 years hence. I would bet something musically special. The threads formed in  the show culminating in Dylan, Woody, Public Enemy, Kiss,  CBGBs, Bowie and so much else, wove this tapestry of why we need music in our lives and culture that it sent my mind spinning. That I met Flava Flav on a NYC subway platform, on my way to my first Guitar Craft show, that with my daughter seeing Robert Fripp at the Wintergarden in 1998 and between shows going up the WTC. Than we saw Midnight Oil and visited Ground Zero in October of 2011 to see Midnight Oil in times Sq and returned to see Robert at the Wintergarden in 2010...well the connections, emotions are really infinite and indescribable.But all this goes back to music. I leave you with a quote from Robert Fripp that continues to resonate with me on a regular basis:

“In strange and uncertain times, such as we’re living through, sometimes a reasonable person might despair. But hope is unreasonable and love is greater even than this. May we trust the inexpressible benevolence of the creative impulse..”

Be creative in whatever media draws you in. For me it 's music and I hope that I may be more open to let it "bring me into it's confidence".