The Blog: Spellbound by our own imperfect lives...

Upside down Easton likes to look at things upside down. Here he is demonstrating by hanging over my lap at the Rock Bend Folk Festival, just getting a new perspective on the huge crowd of funky people. It's a really good idea, the upside down version of the world. When you start to get a little glum or grumpy, tip your head and look at things in a new way. The park was filled to the brim yesterday. Many vendors (which I will look at more closely today), wonderful music, good friends and family, food and drink. A bee took a bath in Regis's beer and fast little bugger that he was, managed to bite him on the end of his tongue before being spat out upon the grass. Other than that, a good time was had by all. We're going back today because there's more music that we love: The Frye, City Mouse, Everett Smithson, Erik Koskinen. It must be what heaven is like...good music in the sunshine surrounded by all this hippiness. Peace and love, man.

Ever since the election, I have felt compelled to check the news first thing every morning just to make sure the person occupying the White House hasn't done anything crazy. Most days he has which only serves to reinforce this bad habit. This morning, there was political news but also forest fires, the aftermath of Harvey, the impending doom of Hurricane Irma, and two more hurricanes forming and lining up to pummel the already battle-weary islands in the Caribbean. Did I hear something about earthquakes, too? It's all exhausting but for some reason, this round, I am able to watch it and let it go. It doesn't weigh on me all day like it sometimes does. Yesterday I spent a couple hours with Easton who is almost 8 months old. He loves to watch the cars and trucks roll by on Broadway, he loves his toys, and he loves to play pat-a-cake. He grins at me now when I go in to pick him up after his nap. It's fun to watch him move...for a baby who doesn't crawl yet, he...

The shorter days in September serve to remind me of the things I usually do in the summer that I didn't do this year. Woody and I like to start the morning on the back porch, he in the window and me in the hammock chair with a cup of coffee. Not this summer. We went to a furniture store yesterday and bought me a recliner. I have always loathed recliners because they are gigantic and ugly. I found one that is less gigantic and therefore not as ugly as some so it should be satisfactory. I may be able to rid myself of the low back and shoulder pain that has come from sitting awkwardly in a chair that allows me to slouch. I could have picked out a custom fabric but that seemed like too much trouble. The fabric on the chair I bought is called Brass and I like that. I always bought wine by the label and I guess I do the same with chairs. Since last week, I have been true to my word and I'm spending at least an hour outside every day. Some days I do something productive like wo...