Aunt Doris

I was just pondering Pop's family's situation, and I thought in passing that his sister Doris was still alive and wondered how she was doing, and then I hear from Kenny (who is still active on Facebook) that she has just passed away at the age of 102. Sigh. Here she is with Mike when he was a little over six months old.

And here she is when she was 99 and 101 years old.

Rest in Peace, Aunt Doris. It is the end of an era.

Thursday Thoughts: Pop's Birthday

Today would have been my father’s 97^th birthday. I recall my rather brief summation of him from my autobiographical effort, What Happened: “There was Pop, a.k.a. Elthor Edgar Gustav Babel Jr., more sensibly called Buddy: a country boy of German ancestry, a Korean War veteran, a fisherman, bowler, and baseball player, sometime owner of a beer joint and now a truck driver for SMI, the local steel mill.” To that I might add a voracious consumer of Westerns and country music, a humorous man who enjoyed the classic 1940’s comedians, an appreciator of mysteries from Perry Mason to Columbo. In many ways a reticent man; it was hard to draw out any personal anecdotes, though he was never shy about giving his opinions about anything. His revelations about his life were mainly through his actions; if you ever got any story out of him about his old days, it was generally astonishing. When you consider that he was already 41 when I was born and nearly half his life was already past (and it would be at least 13 years before I would feel up to asking any questions about his life – and much longer before I would ask them right to his face), it was no wonder that there would be much of his history that is still a mystery to me. Mom loved to tell stories about her life, Pop – not so much.  Most of my good memories about Pop are from my childhood. Riding on his shoulders and touching the ceiling, presents when he came back from his trucking runs (at least usually a stick of gum), trips fishing or camping, or long family drives in the country. There was a long stretch when he was getting more tired, and I was (I know) getting more disappointing as I failed to buckle down to life. Then there was a long stretch after he retired and my usefulness as a caregiver became more apparent as he and Mom aged. The last years after Mom passed away were in some ways the best with him; without a buffer zone between us and an increased mutual reliance on each other, we were led to a new closeness. I think some of my favorite times in those days were when we’d watch Perry Mason together. It reminded me of older days from my childhood, of perhaps a Saturday afternoon when we’d watch a monster movie or an old comedy. Happy Birthday, Pop. I made a carrot cake so we could all celebrate. 

Wideo Wednesday: Claymation? There, That's Claymation

The first two shorts here are adaptations from Leo Tolstoy, the first by Will Vinton and the second by Lindsay Van Blerk. The third is by Van Blerk, too, and may be the only directly Christmas related show here. The others are loosely religious and winter based, and that’s close enough to Christmas as needs be for these purposes. These are the kind of films that are run at schools and Sunday schools as 'culturally relevant' or 'morally educational.' And at roughly 30 minutes long they fit easily into a classroom length.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W91E_iE97Nc

Martin the Cobbler 1977

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wd9eYaMP0i0

Michael the Visitor 1995

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9utrWyJp8fo

The First Christmas 1998

Wideo Wednesday: Rusty Christmas Memories

"We may be rushing things, but we can hardly wait ..." There are famous, constantly replayed Christmas specials, then ... there are these. This is just a sampling of such shows. Whether unjustly obscure or rightly resigned to the storage closet of history, I watched these when they first came out and they remind me of the old Christmas atmosphere of the time. During the Seventies (a very 'rancid' period, to appropriate Harold Bloom's not too techical cultural term) there was a particularly anti-sentimental reaction to life, and Christmas had to work very hard to reassert itself on what was perceived as a garbage dump of culture. It was only in the Eighties that it really did so, and there was again a flourishing of the lush and plush. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhUqto784sI

The Great Santa Claus Switch 1970

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUkdOUFPGSc

The Night the Animals Talked 1970

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsYGzuYogZE

A Very Merry Cricket 1973

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11A7Y1cq0kE

The Tiny Tree 1975

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxWTEBxjATc

The Great Santa Claus Caper 1978

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og2TaEOAYp0

A Cosmic Christmas 1978

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcEf1QnoiE4

Christmas in Tattertown 1988

Probably Ziggy's Gift should be included here, but I will never, ever watch it.

On Nanny in November

I thought that, just as an exercise, I would try to think about things that I admired about Nanny, my mother’s mother. I’ve written enough about what a terrible person she was; surely, she must have had some positive traits or done some good things? I know Susan remembers her fondly; I can only imagine that’s because Nanny must have had some qualities she admired. What those were I can only speculate; perhaps you’d have to be a fellow female to do so.

One of the earliest fond memories I have of Nanny was that when we were little and visiting her shop, she would give us our own Cokes. Believe it or not, soda was a rather rare treat for us, and to have our own bottle (rather than it being totted out in small glasses) seemed like a luxurious upgrade.

And she had ambition, and a work ethic. Anyone who opened so many beauty shops could not sit around on their laurels. True, she didn’t seem to know how to curate it once she had it. She did know how to personally lever it once she had it, using ‘wealth’ to manipulate her family and to gain appeal in what I must reluctantly refer to as her ‘sex life,’ including attracting husbands. Much of my early life was Mom and us kids frantically juggling stuff between her shops as she tried to build an empire. Not pleasant, but … ambitious.

I always admired her taste in Christmas decorations, too. I was pleased when Mom inherited so many of them, because they had been a bright spot in my otherwise Christmasless childhood. They seemed the one toehold of whimsey in her life. I remember listening to her Christmas records many times during dull stretches when I was trapped over there for one reason or another.

I also have a sneaking admiration for her painting skills. That she had the stick-to-it-tivness to try painting for so long. And she produced some passable efforts, especially in her still-life flowers. She had some vision of beauty and tried to reproduce it.

I think, in the final analysis, Nanny was a cosmetician down to her bones. Quality didn’t seem to matter to her very much, just the appearance of it. The fancy house she built was not sturdy, but it mocked an image of durability.  Much of her existence seemed to follow this rule: a constant dance of smoke and mirrors, an illusion held together only long enough to serve her purposes, which dissipated when one tried to touch the reality of it. She was a master of putting lipstick on a pig, but it always helped her sell the pig. One can admire her salesmanship, if not her product. If only this ability had always been directed toward more solid, worthier goals. A desperate dance of survival, not without skill.

I came to praise Nanny somehow, but I’ve had to place so many qualifiers around what I can say about her that it comes across as a not-so-subtle put-down. But so it goes. Even her own children could not think of anything nice to say at her funeral. “Why wasn't he natural in his lifetime? If he had been, he'd have had somebody to look after him when he was struck with Death, instead of lying gasping out his last there, alone by himself.” But that might have happened to her, however she was.

The irony of it is that I’m thinking of her so much, even almost thirty years after she’s passed away. In fact, I’ve become sort of her half-assed biographer. I doubt if any of the family has written so much about her as I have. She was certainly a strong character, like you can say that Hitler was a stand-out character of the 20^th Century. Nanny passed away on November 12, 1997; perhaps that’s what brought her to mind.

A Tired Tolkien Tuesday

When I got up at 4:30 AM I felt like I might feel up to my … commentary? … digest? … epitome? ... of LOTR, at least those three pages that cover the encounter of Theoden, Eowyn, and Merry with the Lord of the Nazgul. One illustration of it had been teasing my memory, and at last I realized what it was: an illustration by Judy King Rieneits on the back of the poster we got from a 1979 Fantastic Films. I searched for a copy online and found none; I thought if I were to reproduce one of it here it would be something of a coup. So first I had to dig it out, which involved quite a bit of effort. Then I tried to get my printer/scanner a-going after so many weeks; I long for the days when all you had to do was plug your printer into the computer and you were good to go. Now it’s all set up accounts and connect wirelessly – great if you can do it (I suppose) and less tangly, but its own brand of pain in the - neck. I was unsuccessful. I had to settle for a photo taken on my phone, rather than all my effort go for naught. Afterwards, I was too drained for anything else. But as a bonus I also made a photo of that last scrap I have of The Hobbit Game; personally, I think pink and purple is an unusual choice for Smaug’s color palate.

2020 Diary: So Much DQ8

11/17/2020: Awake 7 AM. Prayers. Bible. D[ragon]Q[uest]8. Breakfast at 9 AM. DQ8. John called this morning to get picture of Mom and Pop for Morgandy. Get Kam’s lunch 12:30 PM. DQ8. Start supper at 3:30 PM. Finish at 4:45 PM (sausage and fry-up with carrots/taters/onions/cabbage/mushrooms). DQ8. Went and washed up at 8 PM. Green Acres. Rosary at 9 PM. Also read some TCM(?) today. Feeling a little iffy all day. Wrote a few paragraphs of L[ady]W[illow]. DQ8 till almost midnight.

 

11/18/2020: Up about 6:30 AM, after a night of backache. Prayers, Bible. Posted on both N[iche]O[f]T[ime] and P[ower]O[f]B[abel] and left a note on FB. Went in at 9 AM and got ramen and eggs.

DQ8 much of the day thereafter and some TCM. Made Kameron toast at 12:30 PM. Ramen for lunch, and a cheese and pickle sandwich. At 2 PM checked the lasagna instructions and started it at 3:30 PM. Fed pets at 4:15 PM, made garlic rolls at 5 PM, Susan home at 5:15, finished cooking and went in. At 8:15 PM went in and got my share of lasagna and rolls and salad (bag). Watched Green Acres. Rosary, then conked out at 9 PM.

 

11/19/2020: Awake at 6 AM, after a dream about a car accident, then showing Scott Bate my Peanuts books and Gold Key Digests at the house on Loop Drive. He seemed less than impressed.

Prayers and Bible. Showered and dressed. Caught up diary, and now it’s 6:40 AM. Feel the urge to settle this bank business with SocSec, while at the same time not wanting to. Thanksgiving is almost upon us.

Well. Breakfast at 9 AM, eggs, ramen, and bread. DQ8. At lunch Susan came in and told me we were to bring mashed potatoes, pea salad, and deviled eggs, and asked me to make a grocery list, which I promptly did. I rearranged the room a bit. Made Kam grilled cheese. Afternoon wore away with much DQ8, Daily Wire, GGACP. Went in at 3:30 PM to start supper, as I had to shuck the corn (the past 2 weeks they’d got frozen). Rotini, chili. Ate my supper at 5 PM, then more DQ8. Went in at 8 PM to wash up. Finished off the chili by adding shrimp ramen. Played DQ8 up to Cash and Carrie. Took break at 10:30 PM, said rosary, and now it’s a little after 11 PM. Probably play a bit more, then hit the hay. Played until 2 AM, as it turned out.

 

11/20/2020: Up at 6 AM. Prayers, Bible. 58 degrees, but high humidity, so doesn’t feel as cool as I’d like. Must order medicine today and make church reservation.

The minute I went in at 9 AM Kameron told me I would be assisting him with his pinecone turkey project. Had my breakfast, and about 10 AM out he came, and we set up. Painted the pinecone feathers fine, but when we came to the head (including the wattle, which they called the ‘waddle’ – teachers!) they had not sent the pom-pom the instructions called for. We agonized over that for a while, then Kam sent his teachers a message. Meanwhile we watched the Rankin/Bass Hobbit, and then “The Mouse on the Mayflower” – which, on a side note, we watched on a visit to Nanny’s sometimes in the 1968-1971 era. Lunch about 2 PM (cheese sandwich); remembered it was Pop’s 92^nd birthday and posted. Started frying taters at 2:30 PM, and the usual routine followed until I went in a little before 5 PM and found Andy home, to meet a fellow who would inspect the ‘garage’; there are termites! And Andy said that the old great-grampa who is living at the Loth’s (he is 90) fell and broke his neck 9not fatally). The immediate effect on us is that it puts Thanksgiving plans up in the air, until the situation resolves itself. Watched new Duck Tales at 6 PM (with Kam); went in and washed up a little after 8 PM and heard that Kam’s teacher had finally got back to him and said that the bottle cap in the kit was to be the substitute for the pom-pom – which wasn’t very obvious! Played DQ8 until 9:30 PM (having got past Marta’s -Martyr? - death again) then prayed a rosary with intentions for the poor old man’s broken neck and for Pop, then fell asleep. Not a very lucky day.

 

11/21/2020: Up about 7:30 AM after the usual 2-hour intervals to go to the restroom. Prayers, Bible. Caught up diary. Now 8:15 AM, and on with the goddam circus.

A little after 9 AM I headed over to F[amily]D[ollar], and Andy gave me a lift. Besides getting me some Spam, popcorn, and raviolis, I got S&A some chocolate covered cherries and an eggnog for Andy, although Susan told me on the return that she didn’t think Andy liked eggnog. Had the Spam for breakfast. Played DQ8 and finished Pirate’s Cove. On to Empycchu, after I make a Sage’s Stone and cleanse the Hades Helm. It’s now 11:42 AM. A little humid, and a spitting of rain. 

Helped Kam finish his pinecone turkey. About 1 PM Susan brought in another SSI check for me. She wanted me to go deposit it as soon as Andy got back (his father wanting him to do some work today), but he only got home a little before 4 PM, when the bank closes. About 6 PM Kenny called, and we talked about 20 minutes till he said his phone was dying. Prayed rosary. (From lunchtime on I was eating ravioli, four cans stretched over time.) Watched Svengooli (Abbot&Costello Meet Frankenstein), played DQ8 (up to Dark Empycchu), posted, then looked for a Lambie cib-cib [crib]. Rempel Lambies, by the way, are going for about $20. Bed about 11 PM.

 

11/22/2020: Anniversary of Pop’s passing. Woke up about 3:40 AM and thought it was 5:40 AM, so got up, prayed, starting to get ready. When I got to the phone saw the real time. Read Bible, caught up diary, and now I’ll try to lay down a while again (it’s almost 4:30 AM).

Up at 6 AM, showered, dressed, ready to go out the door at 7 AM. Made it. Rosary. Christ the King today, and also the last day of Father Greg and Father Dennis. Walked home and back by about 9:30 AM.

DQ8 much of the day. Leftover boiled eggs, egg salad, bananas, and later Andy brought me a little sample box from Panda Express. Got a ramen for lunch, and at supper Andy brought me the leftover salad and mushrooms; I made a mushroom and chicken ramen with half of them. In between things watched bits of “Hannah and Her Sisters”, the Sunday animations, and “Duck Soup”. Spent much of the evening on alchemy mixes, and now ready to face Evil Sir Leopold tomorrow. 

 

11/23/2020: Up, prayers and Bible. At 9 AM started the wash, boiled eggs, made egg salad, had ramen and a peanut butter sandwich. The morning went on with DQ8, changing the wash, making Kameron toasted cheese, and making broccoli salad. Got a little miffed with Kameron as he tested my patience and I yelled at him, but we made it up and it was okay. Played DQ8 past Purgatory Island, releasing the Dark Castle, and through the Troll’s Maze. Went in again at 4 PM, grassed Ginger, fed animals, made supper, and went in at 5 PM. Came back at 8 PM and washed up, then watched Green Acres. After that I settled down and wrote 8 pages of “Lady Willow”, finishing it up and sent it to John about 11:40 PM. Said rosary and hit the hay with a feeling of accomplishment, having finally told the story in some form after many years.