Life's Changes

    I just received some sad news from a dear friend. She told me that her mom has died. She didn't say much just that--I knew it was bad news when I heard her terse message. "Van, I need you to call me right away." I had just missed the called by minutes. I am happy that I did, it gave me time to be able to accept whatever news it was with dignity instead of the dread and anxiety I was feeling, to help her keep her own dignity. I have found the each friend has her or his own self-measure line. It's so hard when your mom dies. You think you are all grown up, but that's the moment of truth.  

There has been so much talk about Prince Charles and his wife. I think it is about time someone in the Queen's family has found happiness. I wish them the best. I may be  in the minority, but when I hear talk of Diana, I can only think that surely she knew that he did not love her, or more to the point, did she love him?  So many lives damaged. Money, status and propriety still rules, but at what cost??   I guess this shows that happiness can come at any time and any age when you stand up and speak out.

I saw the movie North Country yesterday. I am supposed to write a review. It is going to be difficult for me to do--what a dark, gray movie. A single mother (aren't they always??) trying to make a living for her two boys and herself finds work in a coal mine. Ugly things happen to her and the few other woman who work in the mines. The opinion is that these women  have "taken jobs from men". The movie shows sexual harassment you won't believe; you know this is a script, but it call still make you sick to watch. Anita Hill is mentioned a couple of times. In one scene, Hill is seen on television, the woman turns up the sound and her mother says "Turn that filth off--oh that poor man and his family."  Earlier when the woman to returns to her parents home with her children and her face beaten, her father asks if husband beat her because he found her with another man. Not much nurturing going on here. It is a good movie, well worth seeing.  Sometimes all it takes is one voice tobe heard above the rest.   Then and Now: Anita Hill  http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/01/03/cnn25.tan.anita.hill/

Some things don't change. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is shown every Halloween. It is hard to believe that it was firstshown in 1966. 39 years ago? WOW!! Vince Guaraldi's music still sounds good. Another thing that has not changed is musician Carlos Santana's talent. I heard his guitar on morning television and came running in just to see a few seconds of this fabulous man.  Yep. He still blows me away ;-)