this journal blug

r. i. p. Mrs. Donna Wawrzyniak (Teacher, Carmel High School)

Donna Teresa Wawrzyniak, nee Vignaroli, age 44, of Highwood, at peace and Christ Dec. 28, 2003. Beloved wife of Brian L.; loving mother of David, 17, Robert, 15, and Eric, 11; cherished daughter of Rosita and the late Joe Vignaroli; dear sister of Mary Lou, Carlo (Gaylene), late Enzo; and cousin, late Frank Vignaroli. Visitation Tuesday, December 30, 3 to 8 p.m. Funeral Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. from Seguin & Symonds Funeral Home, 858 Sheridan Rd., Highwood to St. James Church, 134 North Ave., Highwood. Mass 10 a.m. Interment Ascension Cemetery. Contributions to the Wawrzyniak Education Fund (for her sons' education) appreciated. 847-432-3878.
Published in the Chicago Tribune on 12/29/2003.

r. i. p. Sir Alan Bates.

home again... home again...

christmas presents:

the best ::
swimming for a few days in a sea of folks i love

the rest :::
a punchy good recording of handel's Carmelite Vespers 1707
a plate of scrumptious cookie things
a stimulating box of starbuck's dark chocolate covered espresso beans
a fine and slinky billie holiday collection... Day In, Day Out
a bag of yummy pizzelles
a fine and tricky crossword puzzle calendar
a delightfully perfect copy of Madame Bovary, C'est Moi by andre bernard
a generous bonus from my place of employment
a smashing fine poem on the seasonal moment
a zippy smooth flamin' orange hotwheels car
an AUTOGRAPHED copy of chris crutcher's Stotan
a portentous subscription to The Nation
a really gorgeous tie
a wonderful desktop thingamajiggy for reading and writing on the slant
o... i almost forgot (and what else?)... an extra special murphy calendar
and o... just arrived... this cool piano jazz Largo by brad mehldau

and... the liking, love and appreciation represented therein by it all...

i'm a very lucky guy... blessed in my family and friends... i hope you are, too...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! to all you bluggers... and others... out there!

actually, of course, i'd be better off doubling or tripling my exercise time...

my mom's house... my sister's house... has the best christmas cookies... i am prepared to gain five or ten pounds in the next 36 hours... and then i'll become a regular for a while over at lose the buddha...

here's a useful... a helpful... review of Deer Head Nation by K. Silem Mohammad... i'm reading it (DHN) now (roundabout now) and wondering what it means to say i'm reading it now... and this review by Aaron Kunin works for me.

Church Sign Generator

having some fun with this thing

fait accompli:

The usual victims of power struggles are autonomy,
caring, sensitivity, thought, revery,
contemplativeness, composure,
freedom, independence, overview,
philosophical awareness. The 'winners' of power
struggles are the manipulative users of them.
'Winners' and 'losers' alternate roles in a
never-ending game of sado-masochistic
musical chairs.

ain't it the truth...

a mind so quickly colonized by electronic images

had my first wendell berry dream... after all these years... provoked certainly by a great video gift... a tape of him reading...

found myself in a field and there he was working... i looked for the horses but there weren't any... though he was doing something like plowing... i asked if i could help with some work... he said something about fixing the tree over there... it was falling... but i put it off... followed him around while he worked... then we're in his gift shop with some tourists... a lady picks up a book... i've read it too... i think she wants it but i can't find the cash register... then outside again... he looks at me patiently but critical... like i'm pretty helpless... he goes over to the tree on the edge of the property... near a riverbank or gully... and with the help of some boys rights it... props it up with no trouble... one of the boys is wearing no clothes...

o... boy... go figure... i hate when people tell about their dream... nobody should ever tell their dream