Benevolence is:

— waking up and smelling the coffee that has already percolated, while I slept

— hearing the soprano choir boys in the balcony rehearsing when I stop off to go to afternoon mass and I get there early

— calling home and hearing Siobhan and Jean and Pat and Bren laughing in the background, and hearing Cashel playing “The Star Wars theme” on the piano

— listening to the mix Mitchell made for me when I was in Chicago. It goes like this:
Come Sail Away – Alexandra Billings
Errol Flynn – Amanda McBroom
Arms Of A Woman – Amos Lee
Rest Your Love on Me – Andy Gibb & Olivia Newton-John
Bosom Buddies (Mame) – Angela Lansbury & Beatrice Arthur
It’s A Miracle – Barry Manilow
Let The River Run – Alexandra Billings
You Can’t Always Get What You Want/I Shall Be Released (Live Version) – Bette Midler
Don’t Go – Yaz
Mississippi Rolling Stone – Tina Turner
An Old Fashioned Love Song – Three Dog Night
Marry Me a Little – Stephen Sondheim
Baby It’s You – The Shirelles
I (Who Have Nothing) – Shirley Bassey
Rich Woman – Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Fire – The Pointer Sisters
On The Street Where You Live – Nat King Cole
Van Lear Rose – Loretta Lynn
Ol Man River – Judy Garland
The Bitch of Living – Spring Awakening

— his voice saying to me, in his lilting accent of Trinidad, as I cry in his arms, “You are strong, darling. You are strong.”

— getting an email from David raving about Blood Meridien

— clean laundry

— the fact that I have kept 5 out of 6 plants alive for almost 10 years now (one just died. I have a problem with jade. I kill them repeatedly)

— going outside to beat my rugs in my front yard, and chatting with the little old lady next door, who is potting her plants in her front yard

— the chill in the air, the heavy grey sky, the gleaming lights of the city

— hearing my father say to me, “So what are you reading?”

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12 Responses to Benevolence is:

  1. Saint Russell says:

    I hate shlepping to the laundromat, but clean laundry rocks!

  2. mitchell says:

    im so glad u like the mix..and im very impressed with ur plant success..ive killed at least four in the last six months!!

  3. red says:

    Mitchell – the mix CDs I made you and the Queen compilations should be there today or tomorrow!! Hope you like!

  4. Emily says:

    The last one is my favorite.

  5. Patrick W says:

    I should be in jail for all the jade plants that I’ve killed.

  6. red says:

    Patrick – so you don’t have any jade tips for me?? Ha! I don’t know what the heck to do with them – shade, sun, cool, warm – i’ve tried it all – none of it seems to make a difference!

  7. Patrick W says:

    I’ve asked around. Direct sunlight, but not all day, and rotate the plant so it doesn’t grow to heavily towards the sun. Very little water. Maybe once a month. Luckily, when they drop their branches (from over watering) you can create hundreds of little pots of jade branches all around your apartment. Like I do.

  8. red says:

    Hmm. I am probably over-watering. I will try re-pot those poor sad dropping branches and see what happens. I love jade. So sorry I keep murdering them.

    Hope to see you this weekend!

  9. DBW says:

    Just wanted to second Patrick’s advice. Most plants, especially those like jade plants, suffer more from overwatering than underwatering. Jades do better if watered thoroughly, but not often. Once a month or less is usually good.

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