Saturday, December 14, 2024

Three Beautiful Things 12-13-2024: Happy Copper, How I Like to Travel, A Night of Nostalgia

1. Back home. Rest. Napping. Laundry. 

A lot of time lying down with Copper who communicated many signs of being happy that we are back together again. Copper doesn't cling to me (like Luna did), but Copper moved as close to me as he is willing to do and purred almost without ceasing as I stroked the top of his head, the top of his neck, and his spine. He also enjoyed it when I scratched his chin. Normally, Copper moves around. He leaps off the bed, jumps into a laundry basket, or saunters into the Vizio room and hangs out on or behind the soft chair in there. 

Not today.

He spent almost the whole day on my bed, relaxing, awaiting my return when I left the room, luxuriating when I paid him the attention he let me know he longed for. 

2. I thought a lot today about how I like to travel. 

I've never had a bucket list and I don't see one in my future.

I have greatly enjoyed every trip I've taken with Debbie, especially the several time we have driven across the USA to see family and our trips back. When we drove from New York to Kellogg in 2021, we organized our drive around stopping at dog friendly, mostly small town or medium sized city breweries and that was a blast, sampling beers outside and getting acquainted with parts of the country we'd been unfamiliar with, like the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. 

More than anything when I travel or think about traveling, I want to see family and friends -- in Portland, Seattle, Eugene, Valley Cottage, NY, New York City, the DC/Maryland/Virginia region -- and, I have to admit, hanging out in Washington, DC, going, say, to the National Gallery, driving to places I enjoy in Maryland,  and walking the streets of Manhattan by myself feels like I'm in the company of great friends -- and I am in the company of great friends when I stroll New York City with Scott or Mary or roam around New England with the Troxstar.

Similarly, I feel like after three visits, I've made a new friend with the city of Nelson, British Columbia and areas around Nelson and I'd enjoy returning to Nelson, alone or with family.

So, my trip to Portland and Eugene and to the ocean suited me perfectly. 

I spent many hours with longtime and beloved friends and, for me, there's no better reason to take a trip, no better way to spend my precious travel time. 

3. When I was ready to fall asleep last night, Debbie was out in the living room listening to different things online. I put ear buds in and fell asleep listening to Luna's superb album Bewitched on Spotify. When the album was finished, Spotify then played a mix of songs by alternative rock bands of the late 80s and on into the 90s. 

I didn't listen to this music when it came out around thirty plus years ago, but it's sure working for me now in 2024.

I especially enjoy a song by Miracle Legion: "The Backyard".

I slept through Bewitched, but "The Backyard" woke me up and suddenly I felt the most enjoyable nostalgic feelings in response to a song I've only known for about a month, but it's gotten inside me and has become one of those songs that it seems like I've been listening to forever.

It ended and I realized Debbie and Gibbs had gone upstairs to bed. 

I got up, made sure the front door was locked and that the heat was lowered, returned, put my earbuds in their case, fell back asleep, and later I had dreams about being with former Whitworth students in about 1983 and we were discussing the possibility of working out and performing a dance piece together to the music of the Eurhythmics. 

Nostalgia ruled my sweet night of sweet dreams (are made of this) and music. 



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