Happy place: Trains, ‘planes, and automobiles

News blues…

More than 100 million humans confirmed infected with Covid-19. More than one quarter of those infected reside in the United States – and that’s more than half of the number of the next highest number of infected, and that’s India.
How did we get here? “Evil decisions” were made, says Steve Schmidt of The Lincoln Project. (7:44 mins)

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Survey on South Africans’ attitudes towards Covid-19 vaccines   (3:00 mins)

Healthy planet, anyone?

With countries closing borders to flights from South Africa due to "the new Covid variant", and lockdown continuing, I'm thinking about when, more importantly, how I can return to California and take care of my life there, my family and friends, my houseboat, etc. That set me on a look back to a golden age of music: Enjoy!
Trains: Arlo Guthrie – City of New Orleans, and, for South Africans… Hugh Masekela Stimela  (9:50 mins)
‘planes: Arlo Guthrie – Coming into Los Angeles  (3:06 mins) 

and automobiles:  Bruce Springsteen - Pink Cadillac (3:36 mins)

 Yes, it’s from “way back” – a golden age....

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

My mother was more communicative although I still cannot make out what she’s trying to say.
For the last 60 years she’s made decisions about her business and, far as I’m concerned, her severe physical decline doesn’t mean she should be excluded from offering input on current decisions. I invited her to comment on various decisions I face on her behalf: 

Impending tax refund: for the past 5 weeks, SARS has regularly emailed me that they would deposit her refund into her bank account “in ten days.” It’s close to 40 days - and 6 email notices - and not a penny has been deposited. My mother chuckled at the irony of SARS sending her first ever tax refund as she’s dying. 

Selling her house: I mentioned I may have a buyer and explained the conditions under which he’d be interested. She knows the proposed buyer and she nodded her approval. 

Doggie drugs: I asked her about the contents of a package of dog medications she’d given to her domestic worker. She appeared to recollect giving the medications, but I couldn’t understand her response. I said I’d ask the vet and that appeared to satisfy her. 

What I learned from this interaction was not to ask questions. The implicit assumption is that she can answer. She can’t. If I must ask questions, I must phase it so she can nod agreement or shake her head in disagreement.
I stroked her head and told her she’d had a good life and it was okay to let go and move on to the next steps – that I was sure her friends and all her dogs were waiting to welcome her to that place. 

Watching a loved one die is a profoundly complex experience.