SHE DRAWS NEAR

In the small hours she draws near. To my bated breath she says: "Shh, don't be afraid, I will help you." She sits on the edge of my bed and puts her long, pale hand on my brow. It is cool. I smile in relief. In the small hours death draws near.

ABOUT PEOPLE

     My daughter, Hanah, wrote today to say, she received the money we sent her. "Did you ever know, that you're my hero" - she sang. She went on to tell me how she prayed as the wife from the Fiddler on the Roof: "I thank thee, Oh, I thank thee!" and danced the fiddler dance. All that it took is sending her some money. I don't know whether to be glad or depressed. Alright, I choose - glad!
     John Denver woke me up today. "This old guitar taught me to sing a love's song...". That phrase ran through my mind over and over again. I, finally, got up at 5:45 this morning and went to listen to that song on YouTube. That led to more of Denver's songs. Roberta got sick of it and retired to her room. She has to go to Physical Therapy anyway. I worry about her: she sleeps a lot and doesn't eat almost anything. It could be that Dr. Park is depressing the life out of her. I trust him as far as I can throw him. 

SONNY

     I don't know, if I pay enough attention to Sonny. Hanah has always demanded more attention, and there wasn't an alternative universe where she was not going to get it! I drove her to school and shopping, while Sonny just happened to go to the same school or just came along with us. When we went to a store, I would be whipping myself into a shopping frenzy, choosing clothes for Hanah and changing them for other ones, while Sonny would quietly find some shirts or pants for himself and bring them to me for final approval. He is a great kid, and he loves Hanah more than she deserves. I am so proud of the strength that he displays. Of course now he is the only child at home, but Hanah's mishaps with money happen with disturbing regularity. Then we all have to jump and provide her with necessary funds. Sonny's needs again take second place.
     When I ask him if he feels neglected, Sonny always assures me that he doesn't. I only hope that my boy is not going to pay for this later, when all the pent up resentment will find it's way out.

M&Ms

     Jean and I went together from Wyoming to Colorado, to Kansas, to Nevada and Utah and Nebraska. Plus - a few other states. We worked raising money for our team as well as witnessing and putting up various events. She was from Scotland. At that time I didn't know anything about Scotland's history or that country's fight for independence. She rolled her Rs a bit more than other Brits, that was all that I knew. Jean and I started reading C.S. Lewis' the Chronicles of Narnia. It was fun, and we laughed a lot about the characters in that book. Did you read it? Try, and see what you'll think of it!
     I went to New York to try and allay my parents' fears about me being in the Unification Church. Instead, I was kidnapped by a Jewish organization that took it upon themselves to bring all Jews into Judaism by force, if they deemed it necessary. I ran away and had to change my name and move to another part of California to avoid being recaptured.The last time I saw Jean was a few years later, when the van where I was drove through Bush Street in San Francisco. We were on our way to Los Angeles and our driver and team leader decided to show us the San Francisco's church building. As we passed it on the street, I saw Jean sitting in the bay window. She didn't see us, of course, and my glorious leader would not stop even for a few minutes for me to run and say good bye to my special friend.
     When Jean and her husband came back to England, they tried to start a family, but, I heard, they couldn't have children for a long time. It was strange for me to think that I, who was much younger, had a little daughter by then, and Jean was still waiting. 
     The other day, I went through the whole church directory looking for members from Eastern Europe. In the process, I found Jean's e-mail address in Switzerland! I quickly typed up an excited message to her, and she responded almost immediately. One thing that she already told me was, that she did get to have a daughter! I am now waiting to find out more about her life back in Europe.

M&Ms

     When I was traveling around the Western States in the U.S., our team included a lot of people from Europe. I came to America about a year before and could hardly understand plain English, never mind when it was spoken with a German or Japanese or, especially, British accents. Actually, the British accent was the hardest to understand. Fortunately for me, people on the team were very tolerant and quite taken by the fact that among them was a person from the Soviet Union. I had a big success not only with my team members, but with almost everyone that I came in contact with. Of course, one of my church brothers, upon hearing me speak before we were properly introduced, asked me in an annoyed fashion: "What are you talking like that for?" He thought that I was just putting on an act, maybe due to my "female wiles". But most of the time I had no trouble, except when I had to comprehend the weird way the Brits spoke. One of them became my close friend. I tortured her with unending questions about this word or that, or saying each second: "How do you say that?" Jean seemed to have a good time with me and we became inseparable.
 Her last name started with an M, and so did mine. We were known as "M&Ms". 

To Be Continued....
     

CAT VIDEO Cat plays guessing game

The next time I go to New York, I'll bring this cat! These animals are getting to be too smart. What's next, a cat card-shark?
In New York there are people doing that trick with cards or a hidden pea on every corner. It's a good thing that I didn't have any money to waste when I lived there.

CAT CHARM

     Chickie is basking in the sun. He often behaves like a kitten, trying to catch his tail or tease and chase Sylvie around, but, the fact is, he is already 11 years old in cat years, and - about 66 - in human. A senior citizen! These few days it was very hot, so he would stay in the sun as long as he could take it, but sooner or later, walk a few steps away from it and collapse in a shady spot. His whole attitude is: "Help! Get this fur coat off of me!" He doesn't neglect his job, though, namely, - begging for food. If there is something particularly tasty that we are eating, he gets up on his back legs and walks around the perimeter of the table, holding on to it with his front paws, touching us, one by one, on the arms with one paw, pleading to feed the starving cat. Who can resist that? One by one, we admonish each other for giving in to him, and, one by one, we succumb to his charm.