May 9

The Fourth Chapter: Life After Seventy-five
Last night Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot was a guest on Bill Moyer's journal. She has written a book about the third chapter. She articulated, talking about her mother, what I have been trying to say, the loneliness of old age as one's friends die.
Sometimes I feel as if I come from a distant planet when I talk about my childhood sans electricity, indoor toilets, television, even radio. My girlfriend's dad had a radio powered by a windmill.

I had a strange dream dredging up resentments from sixty years ago.

Then I took a nap. Noon. I wish NPR had Saturday programs I want to listen to.

Then I took another nap. Tai chi was too much for me. Guess we'll totter off to dog park. Maybe I will stop and vote. Town election.

The two surrounding towns cancelled voting bc nobody challenged incumbents. Not only did we have challengers but we had a proposition to vote on, building a bldg in the people park.

At the dog park Gracie's mom was there, talking a nonstop monologue. I think she is deaf in the head. She doesn't reply to what one says. On the way home the gate of the cage came open and the dogs were out in the car.

Lady Chica's Tale
Mom forgot my birthday on Monday. I think I deserved one of those liver cakes she makes. We had fun on the way home from the park. The door to the cage came open and I got to sit at the back window and bark at the cars.

Blitzen's Tale
On the way home, the door to the cage came open. We could look out the windows.

I am reading several books simultaneously but none finished.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

May 8

According to the Nova documentary, the Mayans tore themselves to pieces with constant warfare. Watching the documentary, all I could think of was those far away planets that the original Star Trek used to visit, who had consumed themselves with warfare. This was during the Vietnam war.

Midnight between Thursday and Friday
I must go to bed but I cant put *Columbine* down. One fact I did not realize. The massacre was not planned as a shooting. The two boys had placed bombs all over the school but the bombs did not go off. The idea was to make a bigger bomb than Timothy McVeigh.

Got up and off to tai chi. We are now doing Tai Chi for Health. This was devised to help with arthritis, to work various muscles. Our teacher will be ninety this summer. We did it slow today but I am sore.
Came home and determined to sit down and stitch on blocks. Now for lunch and a nap.

After a nap we went to the dog park, saw Ray and Marcie. Tornado watch right now. 89 degrees. I am sending at 7:22 PM. I intend to watch Bill Moyers and Waking the Dead.

Mark: I am starting to read Guns, Germs and Steel. it is exciting!!

Lady Chica's Tale
It seems to me I slept most of the day. Sort of a dull day.

Blitzen's Tale
Not much going at the park. Everybody seems sluggish except that little Italian greyhound. he kept following me around wanting to play.

BOOK REVIEW
Dave Cullen, *Columbine*
On April 29, 1999, Eric and Dylan killed 13 people in a shooting spree at Columbine High School in Colorado. Cullen is a journalist who has spent ten years researching the event after being present during the shooting. Eric and Dylan left extensive documentation during the year before the shootings.
Extensive research has been done on psycopaths (sociopaths in my vocabulary -- it depends on whether one is a psychologist or sociologist). Apparently psycopaths have reduced brain activity. They do not feel emotions. They may be born that way. Eric was a psycopath. Dylan was a depressive who followed the leader.

The book alternates chapers between the year leading up to the shootings and the aftermath. Thus it generates tension.

The book explodes various myths generated about the two boys. Police tactics have changed as a result. When there is an active shooter police go in. This was demonstrated recently when a lone policeman entered a nursing home and stopped a shooter.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

May 7

Lea's response to hearing that my car had been searched: "I hope they organized your stuff."

Thursday 3:34 AM -- the wee hours. This is one of those nights when I cant sleep. I go to bed. I get up and read.

The dogs double teamed me at 10:30 am. I turned on NPR and Diane Reams was interviewing some clod who answered in monosyllables. Who was she interviewing and why? Turns out it was Ted Turner who has a new book. *Call me Ted*.
Already 75 degrees. After I dress I will take car for oil change.

Oil change was easy and nothing was leaking. Came home. Went to park immediately bc the lawnmowers were here making noise. Made a library run and got a book on *Columbine*. Cant put it down. Easy reading. Happily I have read how police procedures have changed with a gunman situation.
Came home and took a nap. Tonight I will watch CSI and MI5. So I am sending this out about 8 PM.

Lady Chica's Tale
Mom tried to get me around that agility course. With a treat for each she got me thru the tunnels. Then I stalled. I refused to go over the hurdle even for a treat. She gave up. She is an easy mark.

Blitzen's Tale
I made sure that I stayed on the other side of the field where Mom could not commandeer me for that agility farce. It is a miserably hot and humid day. Not too bad at the park.

BOOK REVIEW
Cynthia harrod-Eagles, *Game Over*
Police procedural for people who dont like police procedurals. Inspector Bill Slider in Shephard's Bush, London. Author's web site has a map of Shepherd's Bush. I think we stayed there in 1970. Cant remember for sure.
Investigative journalist was murdered and several others. Turns out he was investigating a scandal.

May 6, 2009

Thinking about Indians. For my comprehensives for PhD I had to become an expert on one culture area. I chose Plains Indians. I was amazed at how rapidly culture change had come about. One or two sightings about 1790 showed that the horse had not arrived. Yet by about 1840 here they were in all their glory.
The Lakota Souix had a complex mid-summer celebration which the other horse cultures adopted in part. There was a great deal of culture exchange among the horse cultures. So they all look alike. I noticed that in the final pictures of Geronimo he was wearing a feather head dress. That is not Apache (who were not in the Plains horse culture). Of course, Geronimo acted in Wild West Shows. That is sort of like Osama Ben Ladan acting in some kind of horse show.

By the way, the Apache group were enemy combatants and were kept in Florida for 27 years.

Wednesday morning. Breakfast was served at 9:30 am. By acclamation. The dogs had been going bizarre early on. I think it was the new dog on the block, an adorable little pekenise (sp) named Cassie who is not friendly.
Sun is shining. No pain except my jaw.

I have worked hard on pieceing all day. Took a nap. I have found two more sets of partially finished bloocks. They are enuf for two lap quilts when I finish. It takes 15 blocks of 12" square.

PPQS tonight. We are giving away another lap quilt. A woman who works with Lea has a friend who has been diagnosed with lung cancer.
Lea mended John's jeans tonight. She does a beautiful job of mending. I worked on collars for shirts. Like I need another shirt!!!
79 degrees right now. Tomorrow will be 89 and feel like 98.

Lady Chica's Tale
Lots of squirrels and rats and birds out at Pup's tonight. I guess it is the wet weather. I had a lot of fun.

Blitzen's Tale
Went to visit Pup. Old Pup is always so glad to see us. We don't interact much. He lies down watching us, enjoying the company.

BOOK REVIEW:
Douglas Ezell, *Revelation on Revelation*
I am only on the first chapter. I think Doug Ezell should become a rabbi. His work is hard to wade thru. Does reading this count as a sacrifice in the temple? He argues that Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus. So John in Revelation is talking about fulfilled prophecies. I think that is what Ezell is saying.







Hugs, Dr. Liz

May 3, 2009

Did you know that Earl Stanley Gardner started writing mysteries as a way of educating people about the inequities of the justice system? Gardner was a member of some activist group trying to free innocent people from prison.

8:30 AM Feeling rested and I can walk on my foot. Meeting Judy at Wendy's at eleven. Found that a small frosty is 16 points, more than my day's goal.

Aha. I knew that portions had decreased. Looked up Wendy's for 2009. Small frosty is 6 points. Met Judy and we talked for almost two hours. Then we each went home and got our dogs and met again at the dog park.
3:16 PM I think I will take a nap. Beautiful day, absolutely perfect. Would that it would remain. Slept till five.

My knee is hurting bc a storm is coming in. I sat with the girls, doing hand sewing. Helen's daughter brot a bunch of aloe vera which Oda Mae was repotting.
Watched the American Indian experience of *Geronimo*. Fascinating. Use of torture is not new for Americans.
Next week is Wounded Knee in 1973. What happened? Why did the Indians camp out there? What were they doing? I was preoccupied.

Lady Chica's Tale
Boring day. Mom was gone all morning. Not many dogs at the park. Mom sat talking with Szabo's Mom. They talk and talk and talk. Booooring.

Blitzen's Tale
Mom put a scarf on me. This is a different scarf. I love wearing clothes. Makes me feel like Mr. Cool.

Did not get a chance to read today. Have a new book on Revelation by Doug Ezell. Revelation was written for people in 100 AD, not 2000 years later.

May 2

The dogs have an alarm clock in their head. At 9:28 am Blitzen leaped out of bed and demanded breakfast. [In the novel Lassie Go Home, Lassie goes home bc she needs to be at the school gate at 4 PM to meet the boy.]
I could not get to sleep last night until 4 am. One of those nights. So I am going back to bed. Email from Judy that weather will be bad and they are going to park early.

I did not feel sleepy so went to park. Met Judy, Ken and Szabo. I was there two hours. Dogs were tired and just lay on the table. Judy says she likes to talk to me bc so much comes out of my mouth.

We got home just in time. It is still raining. I took a nap. Garrison Keeler just sang a cowboy song called Twitter. The cowboy is riding the range sending a twitter just like Tex Ritter. Great irony.

Spending the evening sewing and vacuuming. decided this is the only time I am awake.

Lady Chica's Tale
After breakfast I just flopped down for another nap and then Mom decided to go to the park. She says she does not sleep. I cant understand that myself. We ran and ran. We stayed a long time. saw Szabo.
Finally we got home and I could get on with my nap. I think it is the rain.

Blitzen's Tale
Stayed at the park for a long, long time. Old Szabo was there. We ran and ran and ran.

BOOK REVIEW
Johnathan Keller, *True Detectives*
Alex Delaware and Sturgis make cameo appearances as well as Petra, but this may be the start of a new series about a pair of brothers, one black and one white, one a cop and the other a PI. Both are working on the same case, a missing girl.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

May 1

Correction: Dame P.D. James is 89.

I woke stiff and sore. Maybe part of that is the weather. My jaw does not hurt but it doesn't yet feel normal. Stop at the Food Bank. Off to the park.

Somebody searched my car last night I discovered. When I looked at what they found I burst out laughing. They found pooper scooper sacks, the stone I am saving which crashed thru my window, raggedy old dirty towels lining the back seat, the dog carrier, obsolete paperbacks. The lever which opens my trunk does not work. They would have found dog food and my winter coat, as well as potting soil.

We picked up Food Pantry groceries. Off to dog park but too late to catch Judy. I took Lady Chica thru the agility course off leash by tempting her with a treat (surreptitiously bc it is against the rules). She knows exactly what to do. She balked at jumping the fence and ran off to do the next trial, a slant board up and down.

Library run. New books by Johnathon Keller, Marcia Muller and somebody else. Yeah.

On an NPR show, an ex-pat in Mexico called in to remind us that in Mexico people are poor and only turn up in a hospital when they are very, very sick. Like the thirties, hospitals were where people went to die.

Lady Chica's Tale
We had a lot of running today. I came home, ate lunch and flopped over to take my nap. (I take my meals in my den.)

Blitzen's Tale
I have been restless today, playing with Mom. Running, running, running.

Reading Johnathan Kellerman's latest, *True Detectives*.


Hugs, Dr. Liz