Three Beautiful Things 12-16-2023: Talking Heads at the Gym, Spontaneous BBQ Take Out, *Perry Mason* and Donald J. Trump

1. After completing my morning routine of word puzzles and blogging, I buzzed out to Smelterville and spent a solid hour working out on machines similar to the ones in CdA. Lately, while huffing and puffing,  I've been listening to the soundtrack of the Talking Heads' movie, Stop Making Sense and their (mostly) uplifting rhythms and sounds have joyously catapulted me through my exercises. 

2. Back home, after I made a stop at Yoke's, I came home ready to make Debbie and me curry for dinner, but Debbie suddenly suggested that we get some take out from GarrenTeed BBQ and having some chicken, baked beans, and cole slaw was a fun and delicious change of pace.

3. After we watched an episode of Perry Mason, I found a 2018 episode of Frontline focused on Donald J. Trump's first year as president. I realized that so much of my focus in 2017 was on family matters that I really had never put together very well what was happening nationally. 

In 2017, Mom could no longer live at home and moved to Kindred, the local nursing home. Debbie was up in the air about her job in Greenbelt and we gave a lot of attention to working out how she might move forward. Once Debbie's school year ended, I returned to Kellogg to help care for Mom. Babes with Axes played their last show in July and we spent a week in Eugene so Debbie could rehearse with her band and perform. We returned to Kellogg and about two weeks later Mom died. During that time, Debbie decided not to return to the Prince George's County School District and Debbie and I decided to move to Kellogg, requiring us to move out of our apartment in Maryland and drive across the USA.  

Once settled in Kellogg, my sisters and I joined forces to hold a Celebration of Life and reception for Mom.

Not long after that, Debbie and I embarked on having our new house remodeled. 

I wasn't paying close attention to Donald J. Trump, the first year of his presidency, nor the upheaval in the Republican Party. Watching this hour long Frontline helped me get that tumultuous year in some perspective.