1) While the April 14-15 observation in Massachusetts this year is that sporty thing under the veneer of Patriots Day, the real historical observations to make are Lincoln’s assassination (1865) and (and you knew this was coming, since it’s coming from me) the sinking of the Titanic (1912). I have too much going on to whip out either Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer or any of my many books on the Titanic, but I may well put on A Night to Remember for some audio/visual wallpaper.
1a) The James Cameron Titanic doesn’t make good a/v wallpaper for me (it’s the music), nor does the Nazi Titanic commanded by Goebbels (aside from the gross inaccuracies in service of wicked and evil Nazi propaganda, there’s too much yelling in German - and I mean from the very beginning of the movie, not just during the sinking.)
1b) Y’know, I think it’s in a box on the moving van, but I’ll also have Mother and Daddy’s copy of Lincoln and his Generals by the eminent historian T. Harry Williams, a familiar sight on the family bookcase from childhood. I haven’t yet read it, but Daddy spoke admiringly once about taking a class with him at LSU.
1c) Actual Patriots Day is, as everyone should know, April 19.
2) When I went downstairs to start the laundry, the basement common space was entirely empty! This is nothing short of a miracle - but let me hasten to point that none of the stuff cluttering up the common space belonged to me.
3) When the alarm clock went off I was explaining Auntie Mame’s love life to Gene Kelly. The only possible explanation is that I was listening to his recording of “Nina” from The Pirate yesterday evening.