shehecheyanu

Woke up to brilliant lightning and close claps of thunder this Friday August the 28th morning of 2026, mug of hot & black. The bed was so comfortable and warm, and, late to bed last night, I'd counted on another hour or so of sleep. No matter: hey! I'm still here, eh? Thank you, God! 

We really enjoyed watching the lunar eclipse last night, from its tentative start of just a little smudge of shadow on the bottom left of the moon, right through the narrowing crescent phases until there was just a tiny bit of light right on top of the lunar surface. Clouds were in the way at first, but by half-way the moon was out in the open, higher and clear of clouds. 

We were looking high, southeast, and were treated to intermittent bursts of fiery lightning low on the horizon over toward Apalachicola.

This is a great place, with a clear view to watch the southern sky. The only thing is that the bright streetlamp right on the Bay edge in Oaks by the Bay Park next door has lightened the night ever since right after Hurricane Michael, and I can no longer see any stars at all, only Venus, and Jupiter and Saturn. Oh, Sirius and Orion later in the year and into the winter. Not a complaint, though: the lights in the Park are for vision and safety of folks who may be down there.

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To be 116°F in Phoenix today, wow! I remember summers in the mid-1960s through 1970 when Linda's parents lived there. Blazing hot in the dayTime and nights like a dry oven, so warm and dry that one would dry off almost instantly while walking back to their condo from the swimming pool. 

Lots of happy memories of Arizona those years, desert flowers in the springTime, "The Art Barn" gallery they owned out in Cave Creek Carefree, Arizona. Introduction to Mexican food, or Tex-Mex IDK, where I was introduced to favorite dishes that nowadays I can get down the street at Los Antojitos - - chile rellino spinach-stuffed poblano, chicken enchilada, corn tamale. 

Speaking of, our restaurant Thai Basil is gone, the building refurbished, and now opening as Basil Oriental Cuisine. The menu looks interesting, other things too, but more sushi dishes than anything else. We'll be trying them soon. 

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Baruch ata, Adonai Eloheinu, Melek haOlam, shehecheyanu ... Blessed art thou, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has given us life - - and sustained us, and brought us to this Time.

RSF&PTL

T90