Mona Dix, Aug. 1991 - June 27, 2011

Mona's crystal drinking bowl, from which she drank daily, sits now on the dining room table as a first-rate memorial for a first-rate faithful cat. The time came when we had to take her in for putting down.

Here she rests recently following my own hospitalization, curled up close to me while I slept.

Pictures equal 1000 words, or more..........

Aegean sun

Siren

by Robert Hass

Here is the poem I meant to write
But didn't
Because you walked into my study
Without any clothes on.

I had just been thinking of how the Aegean sun
Must have lit up the faces of Troy's fallen heroes
When you walked into my study
Without any clothes on—

Walked in and stood there,
Holding a glass of sherry
Over your left breast,
Which looked soft and firm as Brie.

Your tone of voice this morning
Should have warned me
That you might walk into my study
Without any clothes on.

I should have lashed myself to my chair
And stoppered my ears with wax.
But I forgot.
And I'm glad I forgot

Because when you walked into my study
Without any clothes on
You sang sweetly, sang sweetly,
And I died nobly, like a man.

"Siren" by Robert Bernard Hass, from Counting Thunder. © David Robert Books, 2008.

Where we stand

Ed. note: Take a few moments, make the time, to watch this poignant message from Sen. Al Franken, MN on just where the US stands currently:

The Attack on the Middle Class

By Sen. Al Franken, Reader Supported News

23 June 11

Fighting for America's Middle Class, Netroots Nation 2011

n Saturday, June 18th, I was given the honor of speaking at Netroots Nation 2011 in Minneapolis, the 6th annual convention of progressive grassroots leaders and activists. I was the opening speaker at Saturday's Morning Keynote session, which focused on how to save the middle class and build progressive infrastructure. I had an amazing time at the conference and met a ton of passionate activists and progressives.

It was fitting that Netroots Nation was in Minnesota this year. Minnesota is the state that sent Hubert Humphrey to the U.S. Senate, where he cheerfully waged - and usually won - great battles in the name of the young and the old, the poor and the vulnerable, the oppressed and the disenfranchised.

It's the state where Walter Mondale rose to become the living embodiment of common-sense Midwestern progressive values. And it's the state where Paul Wellstone became my hero - and the hero of a generation of progressives who believed, as he did, that we all do better when we all do better.

These Minnesotans were instrumental in establishing the America we know and love today - from building the social safety net to establishing workers' rights to investing in our manufacturing sector - they helped build the middle class. And defending those progressive values is crucial to saving the middle class today.

My speech, entitled: "The Attack on America's Middle Class, and the Plan to Fight Back," laid out some ideas on what we can do to preserve these values that began as 'progressive,' but have become simply American.

The full video and text of my speech is below. Enjoy!

Well, you had your gall

Actual photo from Waukesha Hospital of our gall bladder, which was removed last Thursday. This is why we have been not broadcasting for a while.

We are recovering well. This is our first post since then.

The doctors said this looked like a gravel road, so stone-laden was it. Nasty business. Felt like I was being pursued by the sulphuruus beast of hell across Doyle's Great Grimpen Mire. An apt alliteration! Hound of the Baskervilles.

Blessings to all well-wishers! The raccoon news will return,,,,,