Spitball Army

Encounter #1:
Me (pulling weeds):  Hello, neighbor!
Neighbor (retreiving empty garbage can from the street):  Well, hey.  Still pulling weeds, I see.
Me:  Yep.  How do you like the patterns in the lawn…they’re diamonds!
Neighbor (with a straight line as a mouth 😐 ):  Did you think that up on your own?

Encounter #2:
Man (shouting across the pool at the lifeguard):  The water’s cold!  What’s the temperature?  It’s cold!
Lifeguard [after lengthy pause to extricate man’s words from the echoes in the natatorium]:  It’s 82°.
Man:  It sure is cold!  It’s not usually this cold!!
Me (in lane next to Man):  It’ll warm up once you start moving.
Man (so deadpan/humorless, it’s deafening):  I’ve been in a pool before.

Encounter #3 (which I also witnessed):
Man walks into Subway to get lunch.  An Indian woman is breast-feeding her baby in full view of the food prep area and all of the other tables.  Man cannot avoid looking right at her, as she is facing the front door at the very first table.
Indian woman (imagine the accent):  Did you get a good look?
Man:  No, not really.  Could you lift your shirt up over your face?

One of these days someone’s reeeaaally going to get it.

March 29, 1943

Dear Andy:

With a couple of dames talking away at “voice-speed” behind me this likely will be a jumbled up mess, but we’ll try and make the best of it…

Got your new address today, and from three sources at once, believe it or not.  Had a card from Bev. this a.m. carrying it – and tonite a card from Sis with the same, and also a letter from Les and Dee carrying the same information.  Had I not gotten all of them, perhaps it wouldn’t have jarred me loose to writing…

Today it seems is an anniversary, is it not.  I wrote Bev. and got the felicitations there in time for the day, but yours will perhaps come two-three, maybe even four weeks late, but better late than never…

Today was really a spring day here, looked at the thermometer once and it was 73 – that’s really something for the 29th of March in our country especially.  We had some fairly decent weather the first part of last week too, when most all of the snow went, and then Saturday morning the ground was all covered again, but that too has gone now…

Bill has bought a house, the Ringner house – you’ll recall it, over there across from the old school grounds, next to Alma Kireeng’s house.  It was practically all built over in 1925, and is modernized, so he made a pretty fair buy, even though he did pay $2500 for it…

I’ve proffered the sum of $1800 for ours – Les seemed to think it all right being it was me that was buying it, and Sis said that she thought we could get together on the sale, but all would have to be heard from…Of course, our house is all new, that is, it was in 1917, but the modern conveniences that are installed, those I have put in myself – the furnace, fixing the basement, etc.  Should there be a sale of the house, there wouldn’t hardly be anything for a division, as the estate owes Sis around $1200, I think, Les a little, you a little, and myself a little.  If there is anything left, it could be applied against the loan on the farm…Bill has a stoker in the house he bought, as well as a bath room, so all in all, he made a good buy…The prices quoted, however, aren’t indicative of values, because a house here in Lake Benton isn’t the investment that it would be in a larger town like in Pipestone or Marshall, to say nothing about a city like Minneapolis.  There it likely would be worth $3500 to $4000.  Here there is no demand, and so necessarily, the price must be less…We haven’t as yet set a definite date, but it will be sometime in June.  We have bought a few things, a stove, etc., but have the majority of the buying yet to do, and we have yet to learn what we can and cannot get…

Ev’s uncle, Mr. Fuglie, at Barrett, died two weeks ago Saturday nite…we were unable to get there for the funeral, held the following Friday, because of bad storms, but we did go up on Saturday, spending Saturday afternoon and Sunday with Mrs. Fuglie and the rest of the folks…

Our basketball teams won District honors this year and won their first game in the regional at New Ulm, losing out to Hutchinson in the finals…St. Paul Washington won the state championship, from Alexandria Saturday eve.  Hutchinson lost their first game, but won their next try in the consolations, but lost out in the finals…Our boys were taken up to see the tourney games…had a big time I guess.  Guess I won’t send you the paper out there, you may get some of them, but I’ll try to write instead.

Ted & Evy.

From yesterday’s New York Times:

Hillary Clinton is just beginning a live speech as I type. And I just failed in my purpose.

I tried to reach the Clinton campaign to suggest that she could get a big, heartwarming laugh if she came onstage wearing a flak jacket.

I’m not sure the sight gag would have guaranteed her the nomination, but a laugh never hurts and is worth a thousand straight lines. And it’s certainly funnier than the leaden, anti-Obama Xerox line someone saddled her with a while back. If that gag came from a staff member, he or she should have been busted to the rank of gofer. Or gofeuse, I suppose.

If I were running a campaign, I’d urge taking the mountain of money reportedly squandered on pizza, coffee and bagels and spending it more wisely — on a talented young comedy writer. Remember Twain’s “Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand”? All candidates should post this on their shaving mirrors. Or make-up mirrors. (This clumsy gender thing has to stop.)

We keep getting articles and reports of how John McCain is adored, cuddled and all but fondled in the back of his bus by his devotees in the press; who are arranged, it sounds like, at his feet before his big, relaxing chair. His ability to create and maintain this camaraderie is surely a vastly valuable thing. One trait those “ink-stained wretches” of the press especially like about him is his candor and what’s been termed his risk-taking frankness and sense of irony. This affection for him may account for why they fail to do him the favor of pointing out how badly he delivers a speech.

By speech, I don’t mean his off-the-cuff appearances holding a hand mike and working the crowd, or his cool, entertaining guest shots with (the help of) Jon Stewart. Those are fine, and at those times you see the thing in him that makes people say he seems genuine and honest — a mensch saying what he believes, a real and intelligent person, as distinct from the vinyl Mitt Romney, or Boob of the Year contest winner — by a landslide — Congressman Steve King from Iowa, with his terrorists-“dancing in the streets”-if-Obama-is-elected line. In short, all the things conveyed by the now so very popular buzzword: authenticity. The newest must for candidates. (How did I get this far without resorting to “sine qua non”?)

I mean those speeches from behind the lectern, center stage, requiring the three teleprompters right, left and center. They are invisible to the audience and are supposed to create the illusion that you are not reading. And they do, when skillfully used. Ronald Reagan went to England with them when they were new. Armed with them and his acting ability he astonished the Brits with what they took to be his spontaneous speaking at length, sans text.

It’s a pleasure to watch Obama’s mastery of the technique. And Clinton — and I didn’t say “even Clinton” — uses it much better than McCain does. And just about everybody does it better than the capering loon who does soft-shoe in the White House while young Americans are dismembered and splattered in Iraq. Sometimes when he speaks I can forget who he is momentarily and find myself actually pulling for him; probably from misplaced performer empathy. His speechifying has a strong odor of remedial reading about it, combined with an apparent fear that there might be some hard words ahead.

Read the full article here.

March 28, 1943

Dear Hubert,

Tomorrow is your anniversary day and I know you are glad – glad because you are helping to make this a better world, a place where we can live sane lives, helping one another and sharing the things that make life worthwhile.

I wrote Beverly and sent her a little remembrance.  I know she has found many things to be happy over.  We were all so glad to get the news that you were safe and well.  I hope we will be able to hear from you quite regularly.

I haven’t much family news.  Everyone is so busy the letters are few.  Les and Dee have invited me to Fargo for Easter vacation.  I may go for a couple of days.  I’d like to get the big part of my defense schooling done that week.  I now have nearly 100 hours.  I like it – it’s interesting and different and I hope I can work at it this summer.

Aunt and Peter are about the same.  Aunt has her pain at night.  Your perscription [sic] seemed to help the most.  Christine was there when Ted wrote last.  He and Ev are busy with preparations to buy the house.  Jim called on me – says Uncle Oliph is getting along fine now.  Clarence is still at Ft. Snelling and ______ night.  Take good care of yourself. 

______ of love,
Judy

[Note:  Judith has a habit of writing the ends of her V-Mail letters over the black square at the bottom of the form, rendering some words unreadable.]

I found myself reading the obituaries in the Birmingham News this morning, a section of the paper that I rarely investigate.  It struck me that it is an amazing challenge for a relative or friend to condense the life of a loved one to a small paragraph of newsprint in just one or two days.  Some of the lives mentioned in this morning’s paper were quite arousing, even inspiring, as represented by their extremely limited selection of facts.  For instance, this tribute:

Viola Hawkins Davis quietly slipped away from us to be with her Heavenly Father on March 26, 2008, at the ripe young age of 104.  She was a virtuous woman who touched numerous lives.

Born December 24, 1903, Viola Davis was the last survivor of 11 children.  She was a wonderful mother to many and loved crocheting, quilting, and cooking.  She played the piano at her birthday celebration on December 24, 2007.

Just knowing that this beloved woman played the piano at her 104th birthday party on Christmas Eve was enough to make me wish I had known her!

Thankfully, there are a multitude of ways to convey the bald fact that a life has ended.  Here are some of them, as printed in this morning’s local paper:

– died
– slipped peacefully away
– passed away
– departed this life
– passed
– entered into eternal rest
– made her transition on Saturday, March 22
– went to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ
– went to be with the Lord
– exchanged his earthly home for eternal life
– was predestined and appointed his time to pass on March 25
– left this walk of life
– was called home to be with the Lord
– transcended on Wednesday, March 19.

Nearly as many people made a transition as died.

In Ms. Viola Davis’ obituary, the following announcement was made:

Homegoing Celebration will take place at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 30.

They’re having a party to celebrate the life of Viola Hawkins Davis!

I used to think it morbid when I would see one of my parents turn to the obituaries section as part of their newspaper-reading ritual.  I’m beginning to think differently about it now.

March 27, ’43
Sat. midnight (cont.)

Still loving you, Darling –

How are you to-night, Ande?

I called Henn. Av. Church and gave them your address.  The woman that I talked to remembered who you were right away and said she used to enjoy your poems so, that Dr. Raines read to them.  Dr. Raines thought you wrote such lovely things.  I treasure them all, for you do write beautifully – now, the church wants your picture to display in a framed Honor Roll – also your address under the picture – soooooooo can imagine you will have letters from many feminine admirers – ahem!  Well, anyway, Honey, I’m still your chief admirer!  Thought I would get a small print off from your Dayton picture and send that in.

I’m lonesome to-night, Darling & miss you a great deal.

Yes, it certainly would have been lovely to have “some of you” back here to take care of, but then, let’s always believe things happen or don’t happen, for the best – always.  May His will be done.

Have been reading an autobiography of an M.D. “As I Remember Him” – Hans Zinsser.  It’s rather interesting seeing how it deals with the life of a Doctor.

How I would love to see you to-night & hold you close & kiss you!  Our time is coming again – so take good care of yourself & remember I’m loving you always – with a love that’s very deep & true –

Flutes of kisses,

Love,
Bev

I’m so anxious for a letter.

Mar. 27, ’43
Sat midnight

Dearest Ande:  I love you.

Am writing to you tonight as I lie here in bed, wondering how you are and where you are, & wondering too, if you might be thinking of me.  I do think of you so much & realize more and more that you do mean so much to me, and how hard it is to be separated from you.

Jim & Max left about an hour ago.  We had a nice time together – but you know, Honey, you’ve got all the other men in this world beat.  Every time, I find myself comparing the others with you, and you really are so superior in every way –

Well, we have the attic straightened out quite well.  Just a few odds & ends & then, we must start on the basement.

I do want to do some canning this Summer if I can get the sugar, as so many things will be rationed.  I’ll save some samplers for you.

Have been practicing up on my shorthand – taking dictation over the radio – in case they need that service in the Red Cross.

Maxine gave us an anniversary gift to-night (it won’t be long), some wooden salad bowls – & then a pair of stockings for me.  Of course, the telegram from you is the best of all.

Dr. Shandorf, whom I saw in the Medical Arts Bldg., said to be sure & remember him to you –

Want to write some more yet to-night, so will start another page.

I’ve got an awful lot of love saved up for you, Sweetheart.

With love,
Bev

For some reason, I have been listening to a lot of Joseph Arthur’s music lately.  It’s just hitting me in the right way at this time in my life – perhaps it’s the relaxed flow of it that is appealing to me.  Anyway, it is taking up a significant percentage of my listening time right now.  I thought I’d share some of it with you.  The video clips below are new discoveries to me, though I was familiar with the music Joseph is playing in them.

[audio:Joseph_Arthur___Evidence.mp3]
“Evidence”
This was my introduction to the music of Joseph Arthur. I heard this song on a Starbucks compilation CD (so I was responsible for 50% of that store’s music sales for that day).

“Electrical Storm”
This live performance is purported to be the first play of “Electrical Storm” before an audience. The venue is Le Bataclan in Paris, and took place on November 2nd of 2005. Joseph is playing solo. Sadly, the clip terminates at about the 2½ minute mark.

[audio:Joseph_Arthur___Electrical_Storm.mp3]
“Electrical Storm”
This is the version that made it onto Nuclear Daydream in 2006. It’s very beautiful, eerie and moody as both the song and the album titles suggest.

“Slide Away”
Joseph gets his freak on during this October 2006 appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman. “Slide Away” is also from Nuclear Daydream. A groovy combination of Prince, Mick Jagger and hippie chic, and you can tell that the band could have easily dug its heels in and played for 20 more minutes.

“Black Lexus”
Here’s another performance video, taken from KEXP in Seattle’s Live at the Triple Door series. Features another song from Nuclear Daydream, with the added bonus of some interview footage with Joseph at the end.

Joseph Arthur has just released the first of four EPs scheduled for this year.  Titled Could We Survive, it contains six songs, all terrific and strong on melody.  After the EP schedule ends in June, there is rumored to be an additional full album release in the Fall.  Yippee!

Fri. Mar. 26, ’43
3 p.m.

Sweetheart Darling:  I love you.

Just received the card notifying me of your safe arrival, and also giving the address.  Even though it was filled out in the U.S., was so glad to receive it, and it does have your handwriting, which seems so good to see again.

Have missed you more than I can ever say & am knowing more each day how much you really mean to me.

I’m sending all the letters, I’ve been writing to you, out this week – I’ve written numbers on the envelopes so that you may open them in the right order.  It’s so wonderful to have an address for you now.  Do hope I’ll be receiving your letters very soon.

Made some cookies today & wish I could send you some.  They’re the icebox kind & each roll of cookies is made differently – either with chocolate, nuts, dats, or cherries.  Am picking up some new cooking ideas – especially on what to do with left-overs.  Have been very busy at home but am starting the Red Cross course next Tuesday –

Please be careful, Darling, and take extra good care of yourself.  I’m thinking of you constantly and loving you more every moment.

With love,
Bev