grass seed, maps, small towns & big cities

The weather's been pretty sweet. I mean, cool (under 70 most days) and dry (probably too dry).
Today it's raining, which is excellent.

Yesterday I, with help from a friend, moved a bunch of gravel from just beyond my porch into the driveway, so I can have a little piece of earth to wiggle my toes in (on?). Today I bought some grass seed (mostly rye and clover) and spread it over the patch of earth, and then occasionally went out and watched, with great pleasure, the rain soak down on the grass seed. Soon there'll be green shoots sprouting and my toes are wiggling in anticipation.

Earlier today I spent a couple hours mapping my family and childhood homes, schools and places of birth in Philadelphia. I called my Dad to get specifics on addresses. I was only off by one number on the house I spent my first 8 years in (11764 Brandon Rd). I thought it was 11762. My dad said that would have been the Taylor's house...which I would not want, because they had this german shepard named Major who snarled ferociously if anyone got near their front door, which was right next to ours.

I also found out, by asking the name and address of the hospital I was born in, that my older brother and I (we have the same parents), and my three younger half-siblings (same dad, different mom) were all born in the same hospital (Albert Einstein) and delivered by the same doctor. The doctor delivered my older brother in 1964 and my younger half-brother in 1984. Apparently he, the doctor, was the youngest partner in the family practice he belonged to. Go figure. 

I think of Philadelphia as a large city (it is), but relationship-wise it feels like a small town. All five of us siblings being delivered by the same doctor feels so small town-ish. But maybe it's not as unusual as I think?

Don't know, but it's one of the many questions I ask myself as I pour over the map of my home town (which is really a big city).


 

Lynda Barry's "What It Is" available in bookstores NOW!

Hey! Go out and get your copy of What It Is by Lynda Barry, either through your local independent bookseller or via Drawn & Quarterly, Lynda's current (and awesome) publisher.

I've got mine and I'm very very glad.   

It's a combination of autobiographical picture story telling and writing exercises. But this description is an insult to the art of this book.

Go! But It! Now! (Ok, or beg your local library to get a copy as soon as possible (now?))

And now I really have to get outdoors.

Enjoy the day.

 

the skinny on cholesterol

Oh yeah, I said I was going to post on the test results for cholesterol and vitamin D, didn't I?

Strangely, although I gave up some purported cholesterol producing foodstuffs and started eating more purported cholesterol reducing foodstuffs, my overall cholesterol went up between Jan. and April by a sizable chunk. Especially the "bad" kind (LDL). Ftischhhh.

My vitamin D, however, is up in the normal range. Yay!

The result? I'm less likely to be depressed about my health being endangered by the plaque building up in my arteries. Ha, ha, ha.

Seriously, though, I'm gonna try taking Omega-3 fatty acids as a supplement, and see if that helps. But, the thing is, until April my cholesterol has been pretty much the same for the past four or five years. So my feeling is the stress of worrying over the health of my arteries has created more damage than anything else I might be doing. So I've decided to put thoughts of cholesterol back where they belong: in the world of the bean counters.

I'll go outside and "walk briskly", (although I prefer strolling) for half an hour. A half hour is the recommended time frame for this excellent {although frankly silly looking} low maintenance high benefit exercize. Or maybe bicycle down to the co-op or up to the Peace Park (east and west stretches of the bike path, respectively).   

And I'm gonna find another doctor. Somebody who knows how to read their own forms (and send test results to the correct address), tells patients all the tests being performed for them and why, and can remember in a timely manner to give cogent recommendations on the type and amounts of efficatious supplements.

Seems reasonable, I think.

See you later - time to get outside.

signs

line dried candy colored clothing!



my bike - equipped with air in the tires and a new lock.



snow retreating from the back yard...it IS all gone now...this pic was taken a few weeks ago

absorbing and creating

Inspired by the recent American Photobooth book, I'm posting photobooth generated photographs of my Aunt Rose, who was 7 years older than my Mom (who has her own section here), Grandmom Bea & Grandpop Marty. Photos date from early 1930's (when my grandparents first met - when they were in their mid 20's - to the late 1950's - when my mom was a teenager).