he's back!

the MITM is back home on the plantation!

he arrived last night.

the stories are coming out slowly. they are scary, sad, touched with grace and also, say so much about the spirit of a people for whom life will never be the same and more importantly, must never be the same. so much has happened in the last 30 days, i don't even know how to tell the tale without it sounding contrived or synopsis of the latest version of where is jason bourne now? maybe, one day he'll write about it here, i don't know. all i can easily say is it's over for now and he's home for now.

i want to tell all of you again how much your words here and emails helped me get through this difficult time. i also want to thank a pal (she knows who she is) who came to town and shared some of her sun time  just talking to me on the phone because i couldn't leave the trenches for even a short break. her voice of calm and reason helped more than she'll probably ever realize. i can not imagine or even remember what my life was like before meeting all of you and becoming part of this lovely community on blogspot. 

thank you and i really do love you all!

today i saw miss daisy

she's fine, but today seemed unlike other days when i've stopped by. it was just a trip to the doctor's office, but it was different in a way not easily explained. her nurse said she'd been a bit depressed. a girlfriend who had been staying temporarily at the palazzo sasso* (of course, that isn't what it's really called, but miss daisy likes italy, so why the hell not?) while her daughter was away, left a couple of days ago. miss daisy readily admitted she missed her pal and hoped that she'd come back to the plazzo permanently. (remind me to tell y'all some of the hilarious stories about those two!) sometimes, i think we use the word depression a bit too quickly when what's really bothering a person is a natural and genuine sadness over a difficult or painful situation. i did mention to her nurse exactly what she told me as we were driving back, so he'd be aware that sometimes, one more question has to be asked before making an assessment about her state of mind. but anyway, as i was saying...


the visit to the doc's took a lot longer than we'd expected, but it was fun to just chat and crack jokes.  the sadness came back just as easily as i watched her struggle to put a pack of tissues in her sweater pocket. i know it's why families can overreact to minor incidents and assume it's something other than what it is because that makes the deterioration easier to accept, rather that accepting that it is a slow, but steady decline that will not reverse, will not stop and will not get better.


this is the hardest part.


watching the decline.




BUT, today, for a few hours, to be present in the moment with her was to share some laughter and to be glad she remembered she had four children and i had four children and that she has known me since i was a little girl.

*a memory care facility for the care of individuals with alzheimer's. 

the words still comfort me

Rest In Peace, KAZ

it happened one morning in columbus, ohio

happy birthday, doc! perfect day for a party. in fact, i think i'll have one here in your honor! cheers!


isn't this better than a wake up call in the damndarkmorning?

what super nana is thinking when she's sitting in meetings or What i'm thinking when i hear about it - don't make me slap you for messing with my little girl!

there are happy endings to some stories

by now most of you (ok, those of you who have yahoo news or other news feed on your homepage) know about the guy who found a roll of film, developed the pictures and then set out to find the owners. here's his follow up story in 2 parts.






after so much news about politics, revolution, struggle and sadly, for far too many, death, i thought this was a perfect break for all of us.

08MARCH1969

we may be far apart right now, but. . .




Happy 42nd Anniversary to the MITM!  







and yes, i remembered, you just mentioned it first!

Audio: Libya Bloody Libya tells the news in a U2-way

Audio: Libya Bloody Libya tells the news in a U2-way

"Libya Bloody Libya tells the news in a U2-way. Based upon different versions of U2′s Sunday Bloody Sunday. With quotes of the son of Khadaffi, Khadaffi himself, even Hitler…, the French president Mr. Sarkozy, the United Nations, the American president Mr. Barack Obama and so many others !Concept & audio editing by Belgian radio producer & presenter Dimitri Stuer of the national private radiostation “Nostalgie” (http://www.nostalgie.eu).Dedicated to the people of Libya, fighting for democracy and freedom.Spread this audio, spread the message of peace, freedom and democracy.Spread the human rights."

from libya feb 17