Snow & Mental Immersion

It is snowing outside. The weather guys goofed; they said a rain and snow mix starting late this afternoon. Lovey and Nedi have been chasing each other most of the morning - in and out, in and out. Nedi came back inside a couple of minutes ago, and he was very damp. I looked outside, and could see very fine flakes of snow falling, so I closed the patio door for the day. It's 34 degrees out, and I did my weekend grocery shopping early. I've got a chicken cooking with potatoes and carrots in the crock pot, and the apartment smells warm and homey.

  I had a very difficult time remembering words yesterday... I find that I get quickly frustrated when it happens, too. I rode the Hop bus to the bus station, and listened to Gordon Lightfoot sing The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, followed by Three Dog Night singing Joy To the World; that was followed by a song that Dad used to call "Electronic Popcorn." I don't know the correct name of the song, but I can hear it play in my mind without any trouble... In any event, that's when I hit my "word wall." I knew there was a specific word for a song without words - but I couldn't come up with the specific word I wanted. I could remember song, melody, tune, rhapsody, nocturne, sonata, etude, solo... But none was the word I was reaching for. My friend Joe works at the bus station, so I went to him, and told him my dilemma - he finally produced the word "instrumental" for me. - Talk about feeling stupid! But, then, the other day, I couldn't remember the word for label... I guess my frequent brain sloshings and concussions are finally starting to act up.

  And I asked folks who live on my side of the building about that very bright, blue-white light that I saw Friday morning. No one else noticed it, either on the first or second floor. Did I dream it? Maybe I woke up in the middle of a mini-stroke and that's why I saw the light and had memory difficulties the same morning? Or was it a UFO - my own, personal one? Gosh only knows....

  Today is the 37th anniversary of the loss of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. Yesterday, while listening to the song, I was transported to Lake Superior and was caught up by the early gales, snow, sleet and hurricane west wind that sunk that mighty ship. I opened my eyes when the song ended, and was very surprised to see a bright blue sky with a few mares' tail clouds up above me. I was certain that it was very gloomy, with low-hanging, dark clouds, battering winds, and an extremely rough water surface under me. Bright sunshine and mountains were not what I expected to see. I guess that means I was totally immersed in the world of the song, the way I get immersed in the world of whatever book I'm reading. Sometimes that's a wonderful thing, and sometimes it isn't.

   I hope you have a wonderful warm weekend!