Knocking, knock, knock knocking...

In June, Sis and I flew in a lot of planes. You get those airline magazines? Well, we spent A LOT of time on the planes and in the airports, so I read those magazines cover to cover.

One of them recommended Bryan Ferry's cover/tribute of Dylan tunes, Dylanesque. They particularly recommended "Knocking on Heaven's Door" a song which has been covered many times over.

Cover, get it? Sorry, I'm a little goofy this morning.

I have had Dylanesque out of the library for weeks and at least eight people have holds and I hadn't yet listened to that one song.

Well, I listened to it this morning. And while the rest of the album sounded like someone doing Dylan covers and if I have to listen to Dylan, I'd rather the real thing, "Knocking..." is worth a listen.

*****

Things are looking up. They are still bleak, but less so. I'm sorry for being vague. (But clearly not that sorry, or I'd be more specific.)

What astounds me is how sometimes my instincts (or is it more than that?) run right. Yesterday afternoon, I was so distracted at work, I couldn't pay attention, and when it was time for dinner, I raced off to Wendy's, somehow not really thinking I would start or get any done of my Beth Moore Daniel homework but knowing I needed to. (Five days of homework by Tuesday morning. You do the math.)

I could only eat my Junior Cheeseburger Deluxe and read the intro before I just felt heartsick again. So I got in the car and started driving. And while I know retail therapy isn't always the best idea (have you seen my apartment? I do not need more books!), I went into the tiny Goodwill on Rte. 19, because it was there, and because I needed something to do for fifteen minutes. I found this really cute book of quotes about friendship (I am a sucker for little books of quotes), and a book for Max. He's always reading about nature, and this was about a particular part of the coast in Delaware. I almost NEVER give books I haven't read, but this looked like he'd like it.

When I came home, his light was on but his car was nowhere to be found. Now I know, after this happening twice, that he sometimes leaves his light on when he goes to the grocery store. With all the burglaries we've been having in the 'hood, it's not a bad idea.

He called me when he got home. I asked him what he'd done all day and he said, sleep, read, go to the grocery store.

--Still reading about the Great Lakes?

--No, I finished that, and I haven't had a chance to go to the library, so I've been reading some Bloom County.

--I got you a book.

--You got me a book?

(Does the boy not understand the English language?)

--Yes, I got you a book--it's in the car. Do you want me to go and get it?

So I went to the car, got the book, (which he thought looked great, and he lent me his copy of Mother Night) (I've never been able to read Vonnegut, but Max has been reading him since he died) and then he came up to my apartment and we sat on the sofa for about an hour.

We looked at Fish Swish Splash Dash, which is the coolest counting book I've seen in a long time, possibly ever. The pages are die cut, so each page relys on the next page for the colors of the fish. The "one fish" is actually made up of colors from "two fish" AND "three fish." Go get this book from your library, it is SO COOL! Oh, and I forgot--it flips. So you go through fish one through ten and then you flip the book and there are ten other fish and you count backwards. The fish look different, but are the same shape (because of the die cuts.)

Finally he was tired and so he went downstairs.

And this morning, when I woke up, I thought, we really are learning how to take care of each other. I got him something to read, and he sat with me long enough that I think I won't worry so much today.

In about a week, this experiment of "us" will be four months old. I think this might last for a while. I'm smiling as I type that.