I haven’t been putting pics in my blog recently. I think this is connected to my own thinking which is more in prose and poetry than images. And I have been thinking, musing on stuff. 

Today I am going to try to take a day off. I have already warned my parents that I would not be by today for a chat. I find it a bit sad that my Dad will probably not recall this, but console myself with the fact that this Monday at least my parents will be enjoying a drop in from my brother who is visiting. A week ago Tuesday my Dad told me he was missing seeing Eileen and me. I pointed out that  I had seen him on Saturday even as I realized that his time sense is pretty much gone. So I am trying to drop in more and chat. And not disturb him with too many ideas that will upset him like the fact that his refusal to go to adult day care is hastening the time when he and Mom will be living apart. Stuff like that.

I would like to spend my day composing, practicing, reading and cooking. We’ll see how that works out. My fabulously successful composer friend asked me what I was working on now. He himself has not composed anything this year. He has declared a moratorium on commissions. Hah. I think I have had one commission, but then again I have chosen a different path than my friend. Anyway, since he asked I told him about my little project to come up with a more practical version of Bach’s cantata 140 “Wachet Auf” the first movement. I won’t go into detail about it here other to say I am trimming and re-writing Bach’s original to preserve the beautiful choral lines and make it short enough to consider using in liturgy.

I would like to spend part of my day off working on that.

I started outlining Dennett’s Consciousness Explained this morning. The ideas in this book have grabbed my imagination. I am fascinated to conceive of consciousness as explainable. Maybe I’ll break down and buy a copy so I won’t have to outline the whole fucking book.

Also I keep thinking of making some apple pies. The man putting up our siding has charmed Eileen and me. He seems to be someone who quietly takes pride in his work. Eileen thinks I should make him a pie. So maybe today I will.

I was looking through an old New Yorker yesterday that I seem never to have read and found a sad beautiful poem about who outlives who in a couple living together. Since I am watching my parents go through this final stage of their lives this is in my thoughts. and of course I have wondered who will die first, me or my lovely wife. Anyway, here’s the link if you god forbid want to read a poem: “One Day” by Grace Paley.