Have you ever seen that old movie called “You Can’t Take It With You”? If you have, suffice to say our household resembles that one in spirit. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, imagine a small house energized by the chaos of sick roosters, tuba practice, helicopter assembly, bursting pipes and coops catching fire, injured animal rescues, funerals, concerts, parties, and trips to the hospital. December has been a month with little respite, and I was grateful that Elihu got to spend some time with his father in the final week. Gave me a chance to breathe and get down to the little stuff that doesn’t always get done when I’m on mom duty.

In the month or so since my last post I’ve managed to get a lot done. It doesn’t always feel like it, but I can look around and see piles which have either diminished or disappeared entirely, my room is tidy, things are mostly put away, and the Christmas (New Years?) cards are finally addressed and stamped. The ailing rooster is looking more robust, and the sickly hen has picked up a bit too. The Studio enjoyed a record crowd at the last open mic, with cars parked along the shoulder of the road in both directions. Elihu performed his first semi-professional concert at the local TubaChristmas, and in general, a lot of wonderful things have happened.

Funny how life just keeps tugging at you; nagging to get that next item done, tidied, concluded. But there is seldom a final and tidy ending to things, resulting in a constant, low-grade nagging presence which may sometimes dim, but which never disappears entirely. Honestly, how many years must I live on this planet before I realize that endeavoring to see the to-do list completely done is a fruitless endeavor? As I looked out at my incredibly cozy little living room tonight and enjoyed the pure silence and solitude, I realized (for the umpteenth time) that there would always be a nagging to-do list. Always. But it was this stuff – this sitting alone in my living room doing nothing at all – and enjoying it so very much – that held it all together, that made it all worthwhile. Very few folks on this planet ever have this kind of luxury and comfort. It may yet be modest by the standards of many, but I don’t take it for granted for a moment. I am one very lucky person.

There’s been so much talk of 2016 being such a horrible year. As if the events – the deaths of beloved stars, cultural icons and horrific acts of violence across the globe – were personal attacks. I do agree that we’ve lost some key players in our culture, and the timing of Carrie Fisher’s and mom Debbie Reynolds’s deaths really did add something of an exclamation point at the end of the year. ! I know. But still, things like this have gone on before, and events like these will continue to go on in the future. Famous folks die, martyrs die and take people with them, insane men rise to power, injustices are enacted upon the innocent, wars are fought without end… Throughout the history of mankind shit like this has always been happening. I just think that it was never before in our constant view the way in which it is now. Now, with the hyper-vision of social media, we see this stuff all in front of our eyes us all day long in real time. And so then we begin to stoke the flames of each others sorrow, to amplify each others outrage and through our commiseration we inflame the sense of injustice enacted upon us. Yes, people die. They always will. We certainly should be sad, and we’re entitled to miss them, but truly, that’s how this heartbreaking planet works. People are born and people die. There’s nothing personal about it.

The trick is to enjoy the life you have while you’re having it, to remember the life you once had with gratitude, and to steel yourself through a combination of love, good humor and old-fashioned fortitude for the infinite number of possible futures that may befall you, whether happy, deeply heartbreaking or life-changing. I realize this kind of stuff easy for me to say, my losses have been the easier of all the possible outcomes. But still, I’m grateful for all the wonderful qualities of my current life. I’m grateful for the people who are still here with me, the countryside in which my son and I live, the safety of my home and the companionship of the animals around me. For now, I have it good. Not sure what the next year will bring, cuz really, one never knows. Suffice to say, I look to a year of increased prosperity, new friendships and the blossoming of my son in his early teenage years. There will be heartaches, there will be triumphs. Good, bad, it’s all part of the landscape. I know I’ll remain busy, that’s for sure. And my home – that will always be the cozy center of it all.

The super moon. Can’t believe I took this with a point and shoot from my driveway. !

The next morning it was just setting in the West.

Deep blue was the early morning sky.

We had not one but two small coop fires. Might have been truly devastating had we not been home. A warning to all to ziptie those lights up nice and tight.

This is the way Pumpkin should look.

But sadly, this is how she’s looked this past week.

Baldy’s suffering a slump too.

There are our new rescue Muscovy ducks. The drake (white) has really been a bully to Bald Mountain. Until the snow melts and there’s more turf upon which the menfolk can all spread out, the old rooster will likely be living in the kitchen. Man that guy is loud – and crows first just about 6:15 every single morning. ! Who needs an alarm clock??

A little food, a little drink…

…and a little TLC, and now he’s looking and acting much better.

Maybe this was too far. Ever since that one night he’s been following me into the bedroom every evening…. Now he knows how the other half live! Good thing he can’t communicate this to his coop mates.

Baldy always hangs around when we play music.

Really – he just kinda sticks around. Cool, right?

I love our tree. Every single ornament has a story. Many have been with me for 30 years.

Just love our cozy living room…

…and our cozy kitchen.

Our friend, Rocky Groce finally left us. He hosted shows at The Apollo Theater back in the day. He was very kind to Elihu, and expressed great support for Elihu’s love of music.

At the funeral parlor.

And at the cemetery.

Elihu worked hard building some fancy model airplanes for his class’ Secret Santa.

The assortment of models included a little handbook.

At Waldorf, there’s a lot of writing, and it’s still done mostly in cursive.

One final event at the Waldorf School before break. The 8th grade sings, my son easily spotted by his bow tie and red glasses. And if you’d been anywhere in the auditorium, there would’ve been no mistaking his full and distinct sound.

On that last day of school, Elihu jumped the fence with a flourish. (Truth be told, he jumps the fence with a flourish every single day. !)

We went to the estate sale of a friend who had to sell the entire contents of her childhood home (see, this life is not for wimps, right?). We were happy to give some of her household artifacts a new home, including this decorative horn. I’d like to mention that lil man had just blown a few little bebop-esque passages prior to my getting the camera going, hence my excitement. Still, pretty cool that he can even make a sound on that thing. I tried and could hardly get two notes out of it.

So proud of Elihu. Reading music is very difficult on account of his low visual acuity, so he ends up fairly memorizing the parts, and they end up being essentially gestural landmarks on the page. This is his first time ever reading music to tempo – with a conductor. Again, super proud mom here. (Btw, all the high school events were cancelled due to snow – but TubaChristmas? On with the show! A dedicated sub-culture if ever there was one. !!)

A short video of “Oh Christmas Tree”

 

We went to the estate sale of a friend who had to sell the entire contents of her childhood home (see, this life is not for wimps, right?). We were happy to give some of her household artifacts a new home, including this decorative horn.

First TubaChristmas. Yay!

Now to my gig. Admittedly, the dementia ward has a sad vibe, but there are always a few folks whom I help to make a little happier, if only for a short time.

Torres is an award-winning nurse at St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany, NY. He noticed mom’s elevated heart rate, and contacted her doc, which resulted in a necessary second night’s stay. We’re grateful to him for his exceptional care.

Some oxtail stew. Recipe from Torres, originally from Antigua, who told me where I could find a local West Indies grocery in Albany (my small-town substitute for Chicago!) and I followed his instructions which resulted in one of the tastiest dishes we’d had in ages.

Back home, Elihu likes to place his recorders precariously on the edge of the table. He giggles when he sees how uncomfortable it makes me.

Cozy.

And cozier.

The flock is ready.

The Studio is set and ready for December’s open mic which we call “Express Yourself Kickback”.

Elihu will be with his father in Chicago for this one, but hopefully he’ll perform at a Kickback soon.

Dropped the kid off at the airport – and look what we saw! Crazy, huh?

The night after Elihu left we enjoyed a record crowd at The Studio – cars lined the shoulder of the road in both directions. Kids were home from college and it was a real scene.

The next morning, this is what I saw from my kitchen steps. How lovely. Lucky are we, right?

Happy New Year, friends. If we stick together, it won’t be as scary as we think. Let’s just keep focused and busy, and let’s remember to take time to chill at home where we feel cozy, safe and warm. Thank you all for coming along with us on our life’s adventures here at The Hillhouse. I’m grateful that you’re here to share in our experiences. And please, never hesitate to say hello.