Three Beautiful Things 04/30/19: Goose Update, RIP Burt Roberts, *Thunderbolt and Lightfoot*

1.  Janice, Goose's wife,  sent me two updates about Goose this morning, Tuesday, April 30th.

First, she reported that Kirk was having a good day. Pudge had been in for a visit, and, as she wrote the update, Abby was visiting Kirk. Kirk kept talking about the guys from Kellogg coming over. On Tuesday, Kirk ate better than he has, a bowl of oatmeal and a protein shake. His color was good, but he's tired.

Second, Janice reported that she and the medical staff were putting Kirk on somewhat of a schedule. Visiting 9-10:30 and 2-4 daily.

The medical staff want Kirk to sleep as much as possible, but Janice urged people to still come and visit.

2. Carol's father-in-law, Paul's father, Burt Roberts died today in the middle of the afternoon, three weeks after he'd been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Burt had been moved from the hospital to his and Pat's home on April 22nd. In both places, Burt was never alone. He was also under hospice care. Burt's lived a life dedicated to serving God and serving others, especially the congregations he pastored and his family. Burt officiated Dad's funeral service and burial in June, 1996. To prepare for the service, he sat down with Mom, Christy, Carol (I think), and me and listened as we talked about Dad. Burt gave a beautiful eulogy that blended things we had to say with his own experiences with Dad. As Dad lay dying, Burt promised and assured him that he would take good care of Dad's (and Burt's) granddaughters, Molly, Zoe, and Cosette, a promise he kept many, many times over.

3. When Cas, Don, Byrdman, and I went over to Missoula on Monday, Don told me he had just watched the movie Thunderbolt and Lightfoot on Netflix. I saw this movie at the Wilma Theater in CdA back in the summer of 1974. I remember being with Byrdman, but I might be wrong about that. Today, I mostly enjoyed watching Jeff Bridges and thinking about his range as an actor. As Lightfoot, he's a cocky, wise-cracking, good looking drifter. I thought a lot about the role he played seven years later in the movie, Cutter's Way. In that role, he once again plays an untethered character, Richard Bone, but the extroversion of Lightfoot is all but gone and Richard Bone's detachment plays out in his fooling around as a gigolo and his reluctance to get involved in searching out a murderer. I enjoyed remembering how much more muted and hollowed out Richard Bone's character is than Lightfoot's, but in Lightfoot's moments of doubt and certainly in his last scenes, I saw hints of the deeper notes Jeff Bridges would strike in his work as he matured. I had also seen these deeper shades of acting in his work in The Last Picture Show.