Three Beautiful Things 09-13-2026: Scam Alert Update, Canceled Trip, Discussions

 1. I have never seen with my own eyes the scam warning some followers of my blog get when they click on the link to my daily posts. I am understanding, however, that for many the alert has not deterred them from going forward and reading my blog posts. 

That's great news. 

I've learned that for others, the scam alert blocks them from accessing my blog posts. 

I am sending one of these people the link to my posts via Facebook Messenger and that works. 

If you are being blocked by the scam alert, let me know in the comments. I can send you the link via Facebook Messenger. If I have the right info, I can text you the link. I can also email you the entire blog post, if I have your emaill address.

2.  I had plans to drive to Spokane today for an event at Auntie's Bookstore featuring Meghan Jones, whom Debbie and I have met in the Science/Nature Book Club we attend. Meghan Jones is an artist. A few months ago, I went to the Chase Gallery at Spokane's City Hall twice to enjoy her paintings of deep ocean life. 

The Auntie's Bookstore event featured Meghan Jones' new book, The Unusual Ocean: Who Lives in the Deep?. Her book introduces children to paintings of twenty deep ocean inhabitants along with written text about each one. 

Alas, I woke up this morning with what turned out to be temporary unrest in my innards and decided not to risk having this unrest recur on the drive to Spokane or in the bookstore. 

It all cleared up this afternoon, merely leaving me a little fatigued.

3. Having been apart since late May, Debbie and I haven't had a chance to discuss all sorts of things ranging from family news to travel plans to taking care of things on the business side of our life together. 

We got started talking about some of these things today and these discussions will continue in the days and weeks ahead. 

Three Beautiful Things 09-12-2026: Debbie Returns, Fire in the Hole, Gibbs' Joy

 1. Early this afternoon, I picked up Debbie at the Spokane airport and we fell right into easy conversation about all kinds of things: how things are going in New York, books we've been reading, how things are in Kellogg, with special attention to Christy's rehab and recovery, and other things. Once home, Debbie assumed her usual spot on the couch, Gibbs was all over her, jumping and licking, and within minutes it was as if she hadn't been gone for three and a half months. 

2. Debbie wanted to have some food from a Kellogg eatery. I told her that ever since she'd gone to New York, I'd been hungry for a Fire in the Hole pizza from Zany's. Debbie had been thinking more about sandwiches, but after a while she agreed: we'll share Zany's chicken, pineapple, jalapeno pepper, and homemade buffalo sauce pizza. 

It was awesome. We have some left over. And Debbie not only brought home the pizza, she also checked out the scene at The Beanery and had a beer at Radio Brewing where she ran into Mike and Deanne Fitzgerald for some very enjoyable yakkin'. She also made a quick stop for a few items at Yoke's. 

She is already getting back into the swing of life in Kellogg! 

3. Gibbs is one very happy dog! 

On the phone, leading up to her return, Debbie and I joked about which of us Gibbs would choose to be close to once Debbie was home -- after all, Gibbs and I had become good pals in her absence. 

No contest! 

Debbie is definitely Gibbs' person! 

I'm always here for backup, but when Debbie's in the house, Gibbs wants to be with her! 

Three Beautiful Things 09-11-2026: Busy, Family Meal, Worn Out

 1. Christy, Carol, Paul, and I congregated at the Roberts' house at 2 p.m. today for family dinner. There's a lot going on among our family members for the next three months: play rehearsals for Carol and Paul and then performances, rehab and appointments for Christy, trips to Spokane for readings and classical music for Debbie and me, and out of town travel for Carol and Paul and, separately, a trip to Cincinnati for Debbie and me. 

Consequently, our accustomed times for family dinner aren't going to pan out, so we are getting together on whatever days and at whatever times we can to squeeze in a meal. 

2, As Christy rehabs and recovers, Carol and Paul's house works the best as our family dinner home base. 

I, however, was in charge of the meal and I made a beef stroganoff sauce to put over egg noodles that Carol prepared. Carol also prepared a leafless salad with vegetables from her garden and I made a side dish of lemon couscous and broccoli.

We began our meal with grapes Paul grew, recently picked pears, and mixed nuts. 

Carol and Paul had handful, at least, of partially filled containers of ice cream/gelato and all of us got to choose what we wanted scooped into our bowl from this buffet of frozen treats. 

3. I arrived home around 5:00 from our afternoon meal exhausted.

I had a lot of cleaning up to do in the kitchen, living room, and bathroom in preparation for Debbie's early Saturday afternoon arrival, and pushed myself to get some of it done. 

I took breaks. 

I fell asleep while resting. 

I gave up and resolved to go to bed and get right back to work first thing Saturday morning and complete the tasks I didn't finish today. 

My system seems worn out and in need of rest and sleep as it continues to work on my body's behalf to get rid of this bug that's been wailing away inside me for the last ten or eleven days. 

The bug is almost gone, but my need for rest and sleep, like the Dude, abides. 

Three Beautiful Things 09-10-2026: Stability, Bookstore Order, An Evening with Author Peter Heller

 1. Today I met with nephrologist Dr. Bieber to review my blood work and talk about my health in general. He confirmed that no doubt this cold I've had has lingered, in part, because of the medicines I take to suppress my immune system. He listened to my lungs. They are all clear. I'm nearly done with this cold. 

My renal blood test results are stable and I am, as of now, in very good kidney health two years and four months after the transplant. 

One glitch, though: for unknown reasons, the full order for blood tests didn't make it to Teresa who drew my blood. 

Dr. Bieber would still like to have my blood tested for cholesterol levels, Tacrolimus levels, and a couple other things. 

I'll go to CdA first thing Monday morning and have the tests run that got left out on Sept 4th. 

2. I drove to Spokane later this afternoon. 

One small accomplishment: I successfully paid for street parking using the ParkMobile app.

More important: I picked up a copy of our next book club I'd ordered at Auntie's Bookstore. Its title: The Plant Hunter. 

3. Until his name popped up on the fall schedule for Northwest Passages programs, I'd never heard of the writer Peter Heller. A couple of days ago I realized that his appearance tonight as a Northwest Passages featured writer coincided with his book, The Dog Stars, having been made into a movie and recently released into theaters. 

Just seven or eight months ago, I never would have attended this program. 

I hadn't heard of Peter Heller. 

I hadn't heard of his book The Dog Stars and the only things I knew about the movie were that Ridley Scott directed it and Josh Brolin, whose memoir I just read, is in the cast. 

But, in the spring of 2026, Debbie and I decided to attend these Northwest Passages programs every time -- unless circumstances outside our control stopped us. 

Along with joining the Science/Nature Book Club, committing ourselves to go hear these writers was a stellar decision. 

Peter Heller blew me away. 

I'll just mention two things he talked about that uplifted me. 

First, whenever writers of prose talk about the attention they give to the sound of their words, to the lyrical qualities of language, to often being as driven to write passages for the quality of their musicality even more than their literal meaning, I'm enthused. 

I loved not only Peter Heller's discussion of what his prose owes to his love of and devotion to poetry, I loved hearing him recite two poems:  a part of W.B. Yeats' "Prayer for my Daughter" (his father often read/recited this poem to the eleven-year-old Peter Heller) and Li Shang-Yin's poem, "When Will I Be Home?"

Secondly, when he talked about his book being rewritten as a screenplay by Mark L. Smith, he gave special emphasis to not minding at all that Smith made changes to his novel that he felt would work better as cinema. 

It was music to my ears when Peter Heller told us that he knows novels and screenplays/movies are different art forms. 

He told us that a movie based on a book is not the book. Inevitably, the two works of art will be different. 

He didn't go as far as I do when I watch a movie based on a book or play I am familiar with. 

My approach is to remove the original source from my mind, watch the movie for what it is, and not use up mental energy keeping track of changes and I find it impossible to declare which I liked better. 

But that Peter Heller was so open to having changes made to his book and that he articulated so clearly his trust in Mark L. Smith and that he so eloquently explained how a movie adaptation cannot be the book, well, it made my night! 

Three Beautiful Things 09-09-2026: My Energy, Christy's Energy, Chickpea Salad

 1. I'm not fully free of nasal congestion and sinus pressure, but the good news is that I have more energy and I'm not nearly as short-winded as I have been over the last week. 

2. Carol drove Christy for her physical therapy appointment this afternoon and afterward Christy reported that she had a great workout, leading to me write with some confidence that Christy is regaining energy, too, and feeling better. 

3. I had a can of Trader Joe's Greek Chickpeas with Oregano and Parsley on hand and combined it with radishes, carrots, feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, and Kalamata olives to make a filling and very tasty salad this evening. 

Three Beautiful Things 09-08-2026: Reflections on Kendra Langford Shaw's Novel *The Pillagers' Guide to Arctic Pianos*

1. I spent most of today finishing The Pillagers' Guide to Arctic Pianos. 

I didn't foresee at all how this novel would fit so perfectly with two aspects of my pursuit of the arts in 2026. 

First of all, Debbie and I have decided to attend every Northwest Passages presentation we possibly can in Spokane, whether or not we are familiar with the featured writer. So, in July, I learned about Kendra Langford Shaw and her new book. Committing myself to read these books I hear the authors talk about has greatly enriched my reading life. 

Second, Debbie and I have joined the Science/Nature Book Club at Auntie's Bookstore in Spokane and one of the great rewards of reading The Pillagers' Guide to Arctic Pianos was discovering, from the opening chapter, that while this novel is very much a character driven family saga, even more, for me, it's a book exploring the power of the natural world in the fictional Arctic site she created. 

2. Whether it's sea lions, moose, farming and eating octopuses, flooding rains, a rampaging river, fjords, reefs, goats, chickens, demanding trails and barely passable interior roads, vulnerability to disease and injury in the wild, and any number of other elements of the natural world these characters confront daily, this novel examines not only the power and grandeur of nature in the Arctic, it examines the indomitability of the non-human natural world in relation to human beings. 

As a result, this novel explores survival, the ever-present reality of death, and the combination of courage and foolhardiness of generations of characters as they move into this unforgiving land, working in a variety of ways to make the best life they can. 

And then there's the pianos.

And the piano hunters. 

You'll have to read the book to find out what this completely make-believe aspect of the novel is all about, but it's inseparable from the power of the arctic elements and the persistence and dreams of characters in his novel. 

3. I admit it. 

I'm not crazy about the idea that writers "kill off" characters, as if it's cruel or random or a punishment. 

When Kendra Langford Shaw spoke in Spokane back in July, an audience member asked her about "killing off" characters. 

Shaw never repeated the phrase "kill off" but talked about characters' deaths in her book as catalysts for change and as challenges that force characters to evaluate how they will move forward now that the deceased character is no longer with them. These deaths transform the ongoing story. 

I won't give away who dies in this novel, but I will say that as painful as it was to experience their deaths, each death moved the story forward in ways that never would have happened had the characters not died. The deaths deepened the story, gave us as readers insight into grief, love, flexibility, service to others, resolve, and other virtues. 

Three Beautiful Things 09-07-2026: Holding Pattern, Arctic Stories, Gibbs' New Life

 1. Monday -- the seventh day of my health not being quite up to snuff. I'm in a holding pattern right now. Slight nasal congestion. Occasional cough. No sore throat. Sleeping on and off during the day. Mild lightheadedness. This state of things is better than having these symptoms worsen, but I hope they clear up before long. 

The good news is that I can function, can get done what I need to. 

2. Today, I continued reading the adventures of life over the generations as told by Kendra Langford Shaw in her novel The Pillagers' Guide to Arctic Pianos. I enjoy the way Shaw couples fantastical storytelling with the development of characters whom I care about. I've got about a hundred pages left to read and look forward to seeing how the book's conclusion helps me understand what Shaw ultimately portrays about life, family, love, friendships, courage, endurance, and the other dimensions of human life her novel explores. 

3. I knew when Copper died, it would definitely change Gibbs' life. He's coming to realize that he has the whole ground floor of our house to himself now and this new development has drawn us closer together. I've been reading in the Vizio room, often stretching my legs out on our ottoman. Gibbs now can join me while I read in this room and he alternates between relaxing and sleeping on the ottoman and jumping up into the chair I sit in, pressing himself against me for more relaxation and sleep. 

Moreover, Gibbs also now fully realizes that he no longer has to spend nights alone on our living room sofa.

He can sleep with me at night, sometimes pressing against me, sometimes wanting to be alone and not making contact with me while on the bed. 

Debbie will be back home on Saturday and Gibbs will experience another huge change, one he will flip out over and love: he'll have the love and presence of Debbie back in his life again. 

He might go back and forth between being with both of us, but history says that once Debbie is back, Gibbs will devote almost all of his attention to her and this is exactly as it should be. 

She is his primary companion. 

Three Beautiful Things 09-06-2026: Updating Christy's Recovery From My Point of View

 1. I spent some time with Christy today. I picked up a grocery order for her and helped put the groceries away. I picked up a couple of packages for her that went to her former "residence" at Carol and Paul's house and helped put away those items. 

I thought Christy seemed a bit stronger today than she has the previous several days, but was still in a weakened state. She's been up and moving around with the aid of her walker and she got some work done in the kitchen and elsewhere in her house. Her voice sounded stronger. 

2. We talked about the renal panel results from her latest labs. Very strong! With other things going on, it's sure a relief to know that Christy's kidneys are functioning beautifully. 

Tomorrow I'll give Christy a lift to the Shoshone Medical Center where she'll be fitted for a heart monitor. Her PCP wants to determine if the AFib she experienced at the Kootenai Health Hospital was a temporary problem (that's what the doctor thinks) or if it's ongoing. She'll wear the monitor for about a week. 

Christy and I also talked about blood pressure and it looks like going off of blood pressure medicine is helping raise her low blood pressure up to more acceptable levels. 

3. Christy has been experiencing lightheadedness for the past several days. It's been more acute at night when she has to get up. She's been careful about getting up slowly, not rushing things, which is really smart. 

I, too, experienced lightheadedness for much of the day today (Sunday). 

Christy and I agreed that both of us must have caught a bug at family dinner Saturday. We both think it's part of what's had Christy down since about last Tuesday and we wondered if it might be the source of the lightheadedness we've both experienced. 

It just seems, since both of us are getting solid results when we measure our blood pressure, that the lightheadedness is not because of low blood pressure. 

Let's just say it's this bug that's kept Christy down. 

The resulting fatigue, lightheadedness, and loss of appetite have cut into Christy's efforts to rehab her new hip. 

Her next PT session is scheduled for Wednesday, and it'll be great news if she feels strong enough to make that appointment and get going again on her rehab program. 

Three Beautiful Things 09-05-2026: Returning, Recover(ed)ing, Reading

 1. Unless some unforeseen circumstances arise, I will pick up Debbie at the Spokane airport on September 12th early in the afternoon. 🎊🎊

2. I felt a lot better today and so began to deal with the clutter and neglect dominating the kitchen! 

3. Feeling better, for me, means being able to enjoy reading again and so I returned to Kendra Langford Shaw's epic, cross-generational, sprawling, and fantastical Arctic tale, The Pillagers' Guide to Arctic Pianos. For now, no words. 

Three Beautiful Things 09-04-2026: Labs, Low Energy, Bagel Cheeseburger

 1. Yesterday I wrote that I was determined to drive to CdA and have my labs drawn. 

I did it. 

The phlebotomists at the Kootenai Health lab I frequent are terrific. Today Teresa drew my blood and she is not only an expert at locating a vein and drawing the blood efficiently, she is kind and always strikes me as wise. 

The bloodwork reports that came in yesterday look stable to me. One important test result will come in later so I'll find out in the next few days how my tacrolimus levels look. 

Just to be safe, I always fast before these blood draws and I enjoyed today, as I have so many times before, a chocolate croissant and a latte at Big Blue Coffee, a modest reward for getting this task done. 

2. Overall, my recovery from this cold I've had all week is slowly coming along. Two symptoms persist: I'm a little short winded and my energy level is lower than usual. 

When I was done with labs, I wanted to drive to Auntie's Bookstore to pick up our book club's next book. It's waiting for me to pick it up and because I didn't go to our club's meeting on Tuesday it's still waiting. 

I decided I'd rather go home and sleep, if I needed to, and not sleep on I-90. 

So, the book will continue to sit on Auntie's shelf. I know I'm going to Spokane for a Northwest Passages presentation on Thursday. I can secure my book then. 

3. I had one plain bagel left in the freezer. I thawed it and I thawed ground beef. 

It had been years since I made myself a cheeseburger on a bagel and that's what I ate for dinner. 

I enjoyed it.

I'd fix it again. 

That said, my preference remains using a hamburger bun, but the bagel was fun and added some welcome variety to my life of cooking myself dinners.