Damn, sorry to hear about Ouise passing. My condolences to her loved ones.
I finished my surprise Christmas shopping today (Mom decided she didn't need my help paying for Dad's new coat, so I got him a couple of snap-front shirts), so all I have left to do is make spinach dip tonight and deliver presents at various gatherings over the next 3 days.
Gizmo came through follow-up surgery to remove the button holding his chin on with flying colors today, and the vet says he's about 90% healed. He just wants to keep him for observation one more night.
Edna St. Vincent Milay said it better than I can dream of, in "Dirge without Music":
I am not resigned to the shutting away of loving hearts in the hard ground.
So it is, and so it will be, for so it has been, time out of mind:
Into the darkness they go, the wise and the lovely. Crowned
With lilies and with laurel they go; but I am not resigned.
Lovers and thinkers, into the earth with you.
Be one with the dull, the indiscriminate dust.
A fragment of what you felt, of what you knew,
A formula, a phrase remains,—but the best is lost.
The answers quick and keen, the honest look, the laughter, the love,—
They are gone. They are gone to feed the roses. Elegant and curled
Is the blossom. Fragrant is the blossom. I know. But I do not approve.
More precious was the light in your eyes than all the roses in the world.
Down, down, down into the darkness of the grave
Gently they go, the beautiful, the tender, the kind;
Quietly they go, the intelligent, the witty, the brave.
I know. But I do not approve. And I am not resigned.
I am really bummed that someone who was a good friend of mine in my Houston chorus, who was funny and seemed like a good person to me, has turned out to be a full-scale Trump supporter. She just reposted something from Dinesh D'Souza's FB page about the tax bill, and I had to unfollow her. I just...I don't understand.
I'm sorry Dana. That sucks.
I went wading through old threads for a while to see if I could confirm a conversation I was remembering as being with Ouise actually was. Didn't find it, but just reading random conversations from 10 years ago has me verklempt. Love you all, whether you are still here a lot or a little or not at all.
Yes, digging into the old threads is very painful, and joyful. Joyful for the reminder of how wonderful this place is, painful, well, you know why.
Oh I'm so sorry to hear about Ouise. I didn't know her well, but my heart goes out to all who loved her.
I am so sad about Ouise. Fuck Cancer. Fuck it hard and not in a good way.
I'm sad to hear about Ouise passing. Too many of us gone. My condolences to those who knew her and loved her.
Suzi, I'm glad K can be with you during your recovery.
I missed saying a lot of stuff the last couple days that I would've said if I'd read it as it happened. I need to stay caught up here; I always feel like I've lost a moment with my friends when a good convo goes by without me commenting.
I've been contemplating the circle of life thing. As we watch our Buffista Babies grow up, there's the other turn of the wheel as well. The inevitability of a group that has hung together so long.
