finding a bit of peace with Mama

i thank You, God, for ghosts.

Let me rephrase that.

Rather, allow me to add a bit of punctuation to make my point.

"Ghosts" is a new situation comedy on one of the regular networks, a show that brings me laughter and ease and distraction.

How did I even get started with it?

"Free Guy".

Yes, I credit the movie I saw 9 times with my attraction to this show.

How so?

That was my introduction to Utkarsh Ambudkar, aka 'Mouser' in the movie I so love, aka 'Jay the chef' in this new favorite show.

I loved his computer-nerd character in the movie, but I even more love his straight-man character in "Ghosts".

Here's the setup: his wife is able to see, and communicate with, the spirits inhabiting this old mansion bequeathed to her, but he cannot... until this time around.

In this week's episode, Jay gets mildly electrocuted in the presence of Heddy, a prim and proper matron who's been dead since the 1890's, and that enables her to 'share' his body.

Add in that Enrico Colantoni (the photographer in "Just Shoot Me") is there as a wedding planner, checking out the mansion before approving it as a wedding destination, and that includes sampling the planned menu that Jay will present to at the reception.

Heddy goes full-tilt boogie crazy from the aromas and starts sampling every food in the house! That's because, as a ghost, she hasn't been able to taste food for more than 130 years... and she takes full advantage of his taste buds!

It was hilarious!

Her new favorite food?

Cheetos, aka "liquid sunshine", which just so happened to be the favorite food of the killer in the episode of "Psych" I watched on Tuesday!

Right place, right time, twice!

I enjoyed this episode so much, I watched it twice, back to back.

And just which episode was it?

The 10th one, of this first season.

The 10th.

Most def right time, right place.

 

Then I gathered up birthday gifts and went to Greenwich to visit Mama.

She would have been 84 years old today.

Instead, she is permanently 63, the age acquired at her last birthday, the age I now am.

I had looked forward to singing The Beatles' song with her, the one about "When I'm 64", but that time didn't come quickly enough.

Today, I brought her the purple-striped pinwheel, to allow her to communicate - talking, laughing, singing! - through use of the air.

(smile)

The 'permanent' metal flower, with the red core petals surrounded by an outer ring of orange petals, was also a gift to her.

Someone else had brought the Christmas decor, as well as moved the seashells over to the left side of her marker.

I very much like it.

I'll have to remember to bring a plastic bag with me the next time, to gather up the bits and pieces of neighboring flower displays.

Nice and tidy is how she always liked things.

(smile) 

After the cemetery closed, I made my way southside at a leisurely pace.

She and I had a movie date.

Today was the opening of the remake of one of her favorite musicals!

Right place, right time, again.

Get this: Rita Moreno had a featured role in this new one, too, as well as a song she performed solo!

My thanks to Steven Spielberg.

He had stayed true to the feel of the 1961 "West Side Story", making it quite a bit grittier this time around, as well as rearranging the song order... and I liked it.

Two of the songs in particular - "Cool" and "Gee, Officer Krupke" - I thought worked even better in their new placement later in the movie, as well as the new settings for the tunes.

I'll be seeing this one again, I know.

And just what is that wrapped around my shoulders?

It's my shawl from Panama, purchased more than forty years ago.

Somehow, it felt like the right one today, even though I haven't worn it in many years.

I tended to save it for special occasions... and today was certainly one of those.

I love you, Mama...

now...

still...

always.

ambigram - that's a word?

Yep, as much of a word as ambivalent or ambidextrous.

That "ambi-" is from the Latin "ambo", which means "both", as in someone who is ambidextrous uses both hands equally well.

As for "-gram", that would refer to a something visual, such as a written word or drawing.

This particular prefix and base were not combined as a single, unique, word until 1983, when the physicist philosopher Donald Hofstadter did so to describe his art.

Therefore, the word "ambigram" is the same age as my first niece (Christina), my eldest niece (Christy), and my first nephew (Stephen).

(That helps to put it into perspective for me.)

So, why the fuss today over such a thing?

Well, here is the reason: today's date, in numeric form with the year fully expressed and with month and day expressed in two-digit format and excluding any punctuation, is not only a palindrome, but is also an ambigram.

It doesn't matter how one reads it - left to right, right to left, right-side up or upside-down - the numbers come out with the same exact meaning.

Admittedly, the font does matter, and using a sans serif helps make it true.

Take a little time, play with it, even set it up to read vertically instead of horizontally.

The result is the same: 12 02 2021 = 1202 20 21, spaces inserted to make my point.

How did I mark the occasion?

For my dinner, I created an Italian favorite, using a favorite Greek soup, as well as leftovers from Tuesday!

First, I heated up the Progresso Chicken With Orzo & Lemon, which is a pretty quick and easy version of Avgolemono soup.

I added some chopped spinach - 'cause I love them veggies! - and more lemon juice, to brighten the taste.

Then I tore the two pieces of bread from Truffles into pieces that were about one inch square.

When the soup was boiling, I threw in the bread, stirred, and turned off the heat - it was done!

Ribollita was my reward, as it had been when I first supped on it in Siena - magnifica!

And what did I do for entertainment?

I watched "Annie" 'with' Christina!

'Tis the holiday season and so the local channels are wooing our attention with fabulous specials... and this beloved musical, with its current Broadway cast, was on ABC - hooray!!!

I could certainly sense Mama's presence, joining in with us as we texted back and forth.

I'm sure she approved of this stage version, even though some of its songs were different from those in the movie that had Carol Burnett.

A musical is a musical is a musical, and this was certainly that, especially with Harry Connick, Jr., as Daddy Warbucks!

What a sweet surprise when I realized the older, stouter, bald, man was that crooner!

Guess how I finally knew it was him?

I had closed my eyes to listen to the voice and thought it sounded like that of Mel Torme, though I knew he had died years ago.

And, justthatfast, I had the correct identity!

Very nice, very nice!

So glad that first niece was able to join me tonight!

i thank You, God.

most def getting spoiled

Her text had read: "Blue margaritas, Mexican, and a movie?"

Of course I'd given an enthusiastic "Si, por favor"!

And I'd brought her the "I Love You Oceanly" book...

purchased at the museum, just for her...

and she'd read it right then and there...

while munching chips and salsa.

(smile!)

Then we had $2 blue margaritas...

and we toasted her Dad...

and we dined on crunchy $1 tacos...

three for each of us!

And as we were leaving Rodeo, she gave me three new flamingoes to serve as bigger siblings to the foursome in my front yard!

Which begs the question: how many do I need to have a flock?

(smile!)
 

Next, it was to bop down to Liberty Cinemas...

'cause it's $5 Tuesday...

and ate up "Cruella" for dessert!

Doesn't she look more like Mama every day?

I love that gypsy love of jewelry she has, too!

Yes, I do believe I'm getting spoiled by these outings with my first niece...

and I am all in favor of more!

(smile!)

exactly what i wanted for 64-1

I wanted this day to pass fairly uneventfully... and it did.

i thank You, God.

I awakened in my peaceful aquarium, bathed in its soft light.

My thanks to my brother Smitty for that gift.

My breakfast was a leftover chicken sandwich - with mayo! - from last night.

I combined that with the cup of diced peaches from a final, untouched, breakfast tray earlier this month.

My thanks to my brother Ronnie for that gift.

I had one visitor, sans rest of his family, who came and talked with me for a while.

It was almost like having Grandpa right there in my living room!

Honestly, that's not the first time I've seen the resemblance.

My thanks to my brother Tony for that gift.

I finally watched CFTE's vimeo of "Hedda Gabler".

As I told Smitty when he texted, it's "about a conniving woman who sets someone up for death and ends up caught in that web. Very nice costuming."

That's her on the left, wed to one of the men and former lovers with all else there.

 

Mary had texted greetings and love to me this morning - my thanks to her.

Rhonda had texted greetings and love to me this morning - my thanks to her.

Christina called with love, trying hard to not say "happy birthday" - wmla.

Jeff called with greetings and love from Michigan - my thanks to him.

Paul and Cathy sent greetings and love in the mail from CA - my thanks to them.

Noah gave me greetings and love in a card - my thanks to him.

Tony gave me greetings and love in a card - my thanks to him.

He and Laura gave me love and a grocery gift card - my thanks to them.

Amy sent greetings and love in the mail, as a handmade card with fringed grass skirt, from Michigan - my thanks to her.

Carolyn has just called, inviting me out for the last screening of "Cruella" and I'm going -

my thanks to her and my AMC A*List.

It won't be on the Big D screen, but that's perfect for this day...

this day I have dreaded for twenty years...

this day that is drawing to a close.

i thank You, God.