October Newsletter, 2010
I started this once, as August Newsletter, then a second time as September NL. Each time it turned into a new essay on aging. As if I could possibly have some attention on the subject. I'm not complaining, mind you. It seems appropriate, and aging has taken on wider American interest than perhaps ever before. But I'll save that for later.
Did I say later? Optimist!
Realist comes closer. Part of the news is that my vital functions remain quite good, thank thee kindly.
We had a rather mild summer, with rain when needed, so crops were good. Then September rode in almost rainless, facilitating harvest of said bounteous crops. Finally, the last week of September replenished the soil moisture.
The only notable thing that has happened to me since my June newsletter is —— SpoCon! Which is a science fiction convention on the last weekend in July, bridging over into August, in Spokane, Washington, on the campus of Gonzaga University. Once again, a pal in the northwest —— a different pal this time —— flew to Ohio to help me through the procedures necessary for security (more my security than National Security) because of the oxygen equipment necessary, and because of my absent mindedness; I lose track of what I set out to do.
I cope with this primarily by recognizing that (1), the world won't end if I do something amiss, and (2), I seem to get along quite nicely in the world, regardless. This can sometimes be termed "having Faith," whatever that may mean to you.
Since I no longer drive, folks haul me. On one recent evening, Jill took me on a "Kroger run." It was uneventful, but disappointing in one respect: Virtually always there are little children there, which I find delightful —— preschoolers with a parent or two. I grin and wave, and typically the little ones wave back, sometimes shyly, sometimes with grins of their own, and almost always their parents beam. Very often they're an oriental family. They warm my heart. A week or two ago, a tiny little girl, riding in a cart, was howling mightily. Her mom (my guess was Korean) looked at her wits end. As we passed, I paused and waved at the little girl. "Hi," I said, "are you sad?" She stopped in mid-howl, just like that!, looking sober. "Bye-bye," I told her, and waved with my fingers. Her mom spoke to her softly in a language not-English, and the child raised a hand and wiggled her fingers back at me before we went on our way. The howling did not recommence.
Once in Spokane, 15 or 20 years ago, several small ones were playing in a front yard when I walked by. "Mister! Mister!" called one, "are you a stranger?"
Tickled heck out of me. "Kind of," I called back. "I'm a stranger to you guys, but I'm not a stranger to my grandchildren."
I've been reformatting my old books into MS Word for Macs. Most had been written in one generation or another of Word Star, and Word for Macs documents generally open nicely for Word for Windows. Thus I can send them widely and effectively in pdf. Recently son Jack recommended I switch to Apple's own Pages word processing system. When I get used to Pages, he tells me, I'll find it superior. (That from a guy who came to Apple relatively late —— after 15 years as a computer professional.)
My planned new web page ——
The John Dalmas Electronic Free Book Emporium and Authorial Tutoring Centeris still under construction, and progress is being made. Currently it has three of my books ready for download. I'll keep you informed.
John Dalmas / Jerry Jones / Casey Jones / Dad / Grampa
Economics as a System 08.27.10 by John Dalmas Reducing the amount of voodoo economics by making economics less dogmatic and more transparent, and exposing seriously destructive, or unethical, or even criminal activities. Read More...WRITING 102 - Writing Science-Fiction and Fantasy 08.13.10 by John Dalmas If you ignore everything else I say here, heed this: to develop the ability to write well, write. Write a LOT. Thinking about it isn't enough. Read More...
Newsletter, June 2010 06.23.10 by John Dalmas newsletter and Miscon report Read More...
REALITY UNVEILED 05.06.10 by John Dalmas There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio..., religion Read More...
THE REZ, PALESTINE, AND...WHATEVER BECAME OF THE NEANDERTHALS? (Feb 2010) 02.25.10 by John Dalmas a discussion of colonialism in history Read More...
About Aging (Feb 2010) 02.25.10 by John Dalmas My story so far Read More...
MERRRY CHRISTMAS 12.16.09 by John Dalmas CHRISTMAS NEWSLETTER Read More...
CREATIVE WRITING 101, PART ONE 10.01.09 by John Dalmas Reviews, Reviewers, and Writing Fiction Read More...
HEALTH REFORM AND THE PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT (Sept 21, 2009) 09.20.09 by John Dalmas Thoughts on the subjects Read More...
LESSONS IN ECOLOGY (Aug 21, 2009): 08.21.09 by John Dalmas "The Honey Bee Die-Off and the World at Large Read More...
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