Turkey Day

I hope all reading this have the chance to spend time with family today, nothing else really matters. We’ll be heading up north shortly to devote time with a most excellent gathering of cousins from my father’s family. It is exactly the medicine required since this is the first Thanksgiving in more than thirty years that we won’t see at least one of our children. I didn’t think it would hurt as much as it does.

Luckily my cousins are exactly what the doctor ordered when it comes to dealing with this form of separation. They’re all progeny of my father’s remarkable collection of brothers and sisters, something I consider one of the true blessings of my life. The accompanying photos also helped.

Two Beautiful Young Ladies!

Yesterday was remarkably underemployed. I got home early from work to find Buddy abandoned by the Favorite Panamanian. She was responding to the siren call of the nearby TJ Maxx which had sensed her return from California. She returned in time to be totally impressed with my new found acumen for online ordering of pizza. A call from my son assuaged, for a bit, the separation; especially since he’s spending the days with the fantastic family of the ABFA.

Modeling One of her Grammy's Purchase's

Obviously - No One!

Meeting Some of her Parents' Friends for First Time

Being a Fashion Model is Exhausting

I did finish off the penultimate Matthew Scudder novel, All the Flowers are Dying, by the incomparable Lawrence Block. One of the things I really enjoy about Scudder is that Block ages him in each novel. He’s not trapped at the same age while the world passes around him as so many literary heroes are. That being said Matt’s getting pretty long in the tooth as he reaches his mid-sixties and still pulling the odd gum shoe mission. He squares off against the incredibly capable monster from the preceding novel who’s returned to New York to exact his revenge on Scudder and his wife for their roles in thwarting his earlier attempted murders.

Block once again employs the technique of telling the story from the serial killer’s side again. This provided an interesting insight and definitely helped build the tension but that meant less time spent with Scudder which wasn’t worth the sacrifice. Spending my time reading these novels meant walking in Scudder’s shoes which was what made them so enjoyable. Matt heads off for a well-earned rest as I’m somehow now reading the last of the series. Here are some of Block’s words from All the Flowers are Dying as Scudder explains to his wife why she needs to stay safe while the killer is stalking them:

“If I lost you,” I said, “I really wouldn’t want to go on.” “Don’t say that.” “I’m not saying I’d kill myself. I just wouldn’t want to live anymore. You reach a certain age and it can get pretty grim, you spend all your time going to other people’s funerals and waiting around for your own. Your body and your mind both start giving up ground, and the best you can hope for is that they both quit on you at the same time. I can handle all that if I’ve got you keeping me company, but without you, well, I don’t know that there’d be much point. So I realize it’s a pain in the ass staying inside twenty-four hours a day, but do it anyway, okay? Humor me.”