Tuesday 20 May 2008

Healing Spirits and Perry Mason

mixed sun and clouds, spitting rain, cool, highs 15

No snow today. As you see, the bar has been lowered.

The dogs went in this morning at 8:30 to be groomed. Only got them back at 5:30. Frankly I was getting worried. Old 'worse-case-scenario factory' here, churning away. They survived - but they look ridiculous! We asked for a summer cut. last year we took Maggie to be groomed for the summer and they shaved her - except for her head and tail, so she looked like two different animals grafted together.

We changed groomers.

But, I now suspect, so did this particular groomer. Though instead of shaving them, this time it looks as though the person cut their hair with a potato peeler. Great hunks have been taken out of the hair - thankfully not down to the skin.

the owners of the salon agreed it may not have been the best job, and have agreed to fix it - which should be interesting. From what I can see that would mean one of them would have to become omnipotent.

Went and had our beloved Cowansville breakfast - then did chores, including trying to find just a plain, simple dehumidifier for the guest house. Susan says she didn't break it but... Anyway, we couldn't find just a bucket in a box type. Woods I think makes them. Now have asked Tony to see if he can fix the old one, which is what we should have done in the first place.

We're trying to be less wasteful, but sometimes we're more successful than others.

Michael's barbecuing hamburgers right now - they smell divine.

Got a summons for jury selection today! I have to appear at the Granby courthouse at 8:30 Wednesday, May 28th. I couldn't believe it.

Just a few minutes earlier, before opening the mail, I was outside, staking up more peony, when our neighbor Nicole came by. She was delivering 'thank you' cards she and her husband Guy had made after the death of their son Martin. We got to talking - she told me how scalding Mother's Day had been - especially when people would wish her the best, then say, 'It's OK, you can still celebrate - it's for Grandmothers too.' Terrible. We both said that people don't mean to hurt, just the opposite, but that what had happened to Guy and Nicole was just beyond most people's ability to comfort, or even to talk. Her daughter-in-law, lovely Paule, gave Nicole for Mother's Day a video Martin had made - actually two of them. One of each of his young daughters. It was to be given to his mother after his death. She watched one - and heard his voice, strong and laughing, and saw him bathing his daughter, his body strong and certain. And she wept and wept. Didn't yet have the courage to watch the next one.

Another neighbor, Bobbi, from next door walked down the road and joined us. We listened to Nicole, and let her cry, and asked questions, and talked.

Bobbi has just received her jury duty summons too! Though I didn't yet know about mine.

After listening to Nicole we thought maybe we should invite all the women on the road to a ritual. Light the dried sage, do a smudging, and cleanse ourselves, and wish ourselves and each other peace, and light, and love. Calm and contentment. And mostly we'd send peace to Nicole, and surround her with white light and healing spirits. Then have cake and wine and diet coke.

We decided as soon as Bobbi heard about her jury duty we'd organize it.

But now that I'm on jury duty too maybe we should just get all the women onto the jury and do it there. Jury duty/cleansing ritual. Strike up a doobie of sage right there. come to think of it, that would probably put paid to jury duty, forever.

'Yes your Honour, notwithstanding we knew it to be wrong we invited healing spirits into your courtroom.'

I'll let you know when and where and you can join us in spirit - we can all send Nicole healing energy.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

As a mystery writer, you should find jury duty interesting. Did you know that the list of people ineligible to serve as jurors varies quite widely from province to province? For instance, some provinces exclude not only medical doctors, but also veterinarians and dentists (and spouses of the above), some exclude students-at-law, some exclude nuns, most (probably all, but I'm not sure)exclude lawyers and their spouses. Some eliminate firefighters from the list. This is in marked contrast to the U.S. where very few occupations are excluded. Good thing too, since at least in the District of Columbia every second person seems to be a lawyer ("attorney" in American parlance). Most aren't actually practising law; they're really lobbyists in disguise!

Louise Penny Author said...

Dear elizabeth,

As it turns out we've found my exclusion now. People over 65 and their spouses are excluded. I won't tell you which of those I am, but I'm jumpin' through that loophole real fast.

I agree, jury duty would be interesting - though with all the travel and need to write, it would be difficult. In fact, we're heading to ottawa on the 29th for an event them off to England, and Toronto until mid June.

Louise