Good Times Tuesday

It beat the hell out of Monday, that's a cinch. 

Early on, I finally got to talk to somebody at Holy Family parish in Manayunk, where my Dad went to Grammar School. "Holly," the business manager was cordial, but unfortunately, said there were no archives for the school that far back. However, she asked if he was baptized or confirmed there, and I think that's probable. She said she'd look up the records and call me back "in a few days."

Noreen called about 9:00 and we had a long, long talk. She's in a different T.O.P.S. group from mine and last week, a large number of people brought in candy; bagsful were given to each member. Noreen said they do this at Valentine's Day and Christmas, too. Now, what kind of insanity is this? We're talking about a weight-loss group, not an anorexia gathering! She wrote a verse of protest about it, which I encouraged her to recite at her next meeting, but I doubt if she will. 

Speaking of: I just printed out an interesting article from The New Yorker about a new diabetes drug, Ozempic. It's described as not only promoting satiety, but as slowing the rate at which food empties out of the stomach. There are negatives: Some develop diarrhea  and other unpleasant side effects, plus the cost isn't covered by insurance. At this point, users are out of pocket a thousand a month, but I'm not sure if that's true for those with diabetes who are prescribed it. I haven't yet read the whole article which, incidentally, is actually written for adults with an attention span of more than four seconds, unlike most of the crapola in print and on the web. 

I also--happy day!--finally cleared out and tidied up the decorative boxes in my bedroom, as well as my briefcase and a narrow basket. The latter two hold my will, plus information and documents regarding my estate, and cremation and burial instructions. All that was a fair amount of work, and I actually took pictures, then recorded what the various containers--well, contain:

(I STILL don't know how to put pictures side by side!) Anyway, I titled a paper "Where Things Are" and listed what's in what. I want to add to it as soon as I have a chance.

Bused to town, stopping first at the library, where I took out a bio of Joan Didion, plus The Year of Magical Thinking, her account of the death of her husband, John Gregory Dunne. I just finished watching the Nexflix documentary* on her life and was fascinated. I had read her two non-fiction books before, but it was years ago. Besides the one mentioned above, she wrote Blue Nights, about losing her only child, her daughter, Quintana Roo (the name is from a state in Mexico), just two years after her husband's death. Didion herself died in December, 2021, at 87. 

Lingered at the library for a bit, because it's my place. Libraries always seem a haven and a refuge to me and have since I haunted the Ventnor Library as a kid. 

Left to walk to Ventura Avenue, browsing in a few shops on my way. I bought a belt, as I like the look as long as I have an open jacket or sweater over it.

Home about 4:00, took the paper trash to the receptacle, then had dinner with Joan Didion and enjoyed the rest of my pad Thai. 

* The program was directed by Griffin Dunne, the son of Dominick Dunne, also one of my favorite contemporary writers. He was Joan's brother-in-law, and is gone now, too.