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Cast of Characters

Mid-January, Rain - January 13, 2012
Almost Midwinter - December 14, 2011
Saturday, Noonish, Sunny - November 05, 2011
October, White - October 31, 2011
October, 2011 - October 04, 2011


October 22, 2008

10:53 a.m.

Snug In, Chilly Out

There was something going on, on the roof. A big, white expanse of a roof. A group of young people were rearranging things -- at first I thought they were a band setting up, but then I realized they were clearing off someone else's band equipment. Guitars, mics, various instruments. Everything went into a pile to the side -- they were actually sweeping it up with pushbrooms like it was rubble, though the instruments weren't broken or anything. They were going to do their own kind of show, and it wasn't a band at all. What was it?

When they were ready, I turned and saw that a good sized group of their friends had already gathered and were waiting patiently at the far end of the room (roof?). They were told to line up around the perimeter of the room, so that the middle would still be a big open space. I wondered if there would be dancing, or if it was a sort of Ceili where different people would come to the center to do their special entertainment.

It's hard to describe the performance -- it wasn't exactly music although there seems to have been some singing; also some reciting, maybe verses, and there were props. The whole thing ended with "And a partridge in a pear treeeeeee!" and a tall young man (they all seemed to be wearing white robe-like clothes) with a mechanical wooden bird on a long string let it fly sideways on the last note, over the performers' heads, pulling it back just before it went past the edge of the stage. There was a sense that this sequence would repeat itself, like there were more "verses" in the piece. I think I was waking up by then, though.

That's dream number two of band instruments disappearing, lots of white, things arranging themselves into something new.

********

I couldn't decide whether to hibernate today or do some errands, and then Carol left a message this morning saying our England bank transfer cleared and I can deposit my final check. It's nearly two grand so I think I'll scoot over to the bank and get it in there. That's right by Rose's, so I can also stop there and pick up a package. And since I'm out anyway, there's always CVS and Wholefoods, and I surely DO need some new sneakers. There's my day.

I made the chipotle buffalo chili yesterday in the new slow cooker, and MAN, did it come out great. It might be the best chili I've ever made. Rose turned me onto these canned chipotles that can only be found at one grocery store around here. They're in a vinegar/tomato paste/olive oil/garlic base. I've used dried chipotles too, but these are better. I put in corn, canned Italian plum tomatoes, two kinds of beans, a zucchini, green and yellow peppers, onions, garlic, and lots of chili powder and cumin. A bit of salt and pepper. And, of course, the buffalo.

Then last night I was doing more vast amounts of research on eczema, and some people say that it's caused or exacerbated by Candida, which is sugar and acid related, and that one should avoid things like tomatoes and apples and coffee and some other acidic foods. And, of course, sugar. I think I've still been eating too much sugar -- rebelliously, resentfully, because of being so conflicted over the wheat intolerance -- but I do believe that has to be cut back again. I am not entirely giving up my coffee or my wine; sorry, Universe! -- but I guess I can have them less than every day.

And the eczema and the digestive problems seem related. Two schools of thought: One, inner toxicity, from ingesting pesticides and wrong (or tainted) foods over a long period. Asthma seems to be connected to this too, which I have. Two, contact dermatitis from products that are simply poisonous, contain formaldehyde, sodium laureth sulfate (I've heard about this before, too; it's deadly. Go to http://www.health-report.co.uk/sodium_lauryl_sulphate.html to read about it; sorry, I tried to make a link and it didn't work), other common ingredients. The body can only take so much.

I feel like my dear old body doesn't know me any more, or I don't know her. What is going ON?? And yet I read these stories of people who have had eczema all their lives, and parents who have babies with eczema, who are scratching themselves bloody in the crib and have no way of understanding why life is like this. How must these people cope? My heart went out to them; I was crying for them, praying for them.

I'm not unaware that many people have it worse than I do.

It's just so strange to be like this after nearly 50 years of life. Hard to get used to.

********

On the hopeful side, this is my fourth day on the homeopathic remedy and no big flareup. I soaked my fingers in salt water last night for a while, with a couple of drops of tea tree oil, based on people saying that swimming in the sea was very good for them. I'll get some epsom salts or the like, but all I had was table salt at the time. My thumb flared up just at the base of the nail -- I thought the warm water might do that -- but I left it alone, just put shea butter lotion on everything -- and this morning, voila, it's down again. Amazing. The thumb typically hurts a little at times.

The thing is, everyone needs their own kind of remedy. There are African Black Soap, Pumpkin Soap, Noxzema, colloidal silver, B12 cream, CeraVe lotion, Sulphur, Graphites, Mezereum. There is a veritable spectrum of corticosteroids out there -- suppressors only and dangerous in the long term, not a real solution -- there are curanderos and Chinese herbalists and chiropractors and tanning salons. There are colonics and baths and wraps and meditation techniques. Each will work for some, not for all. Everyone has to walk their own journey.

********

Chris just called, and I talked to both him and Carol for a bit. She's come down with a nasty cold. Our bodies do choose, sometimes, when to get sick -- right when we have the time. It was nice to talk about other things besides band business. In fact, I realize, we didn't talk about anything band related at all.

********

It's quiet. I love when the neighborhood is quiet; and soon, when it gets colder, I'll put the storms down and even the car noise from Main Street will be less -- not that it's really bothersome now. I self-indulgently wish for a windfall that would allow me to hibernate this winter, between what few gigs we have, maybe to start writing a book. Help Rose and Marc with some renovations. Could I just do that this winter? Universe? Could you pay me to do that?

********

Meanwhile the 12:12 angel has reminded me that I have a few things to do today, starting with a big fat deposit. The dollar is even lower to the pound now, to our disadvantage -- in July it was almost $2 per pound, and now it's $1.62. That means we get significantly less money for our pounds in this transfer than we would have three months ago. Carol is still divvying out the same amount of dollars that we agreed on, though; there will be less to put back into the kitty. "All those English artists working in the States will be happy, though," I said. "Yeah," Carol replied, "if they can get in!" We've heard terrible stories of denied visas or, worse, denied entry even though the visas were in order.

But I don't have to think about that today. It's a day o' fun.


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