Gratitudes 6: M*A*S*H, sockeye, and ice plant

1. We watched the final episode of M*A*S*H tonight. It's been our go-to last show of the evening for something like a year now. (Usually, David falls asleep.) I've enjoyed the humor, the characters, some good moral lessons, and the setting in the Santa Monica Mountains (i.e., somewhere in Korea). It aired for eleven years, from 1972 to 1983—back in the days when you were tied to the broadcast schedule. I imagine it was an emotional experience to say goodbye then, after eleven years. For us, it's just been something like eleven months—and still my eyes were leaking a bit at the farewells. It was a good show, and the finale had good surprises. So... what'll we watch now?

2. Fresh sockeye salmon for dinner. I still remember the first time I ever had sockeye, years ago in Seattle after a weeklong writing retreat on Whidbey Island. That was really fresh salmon. I may have said somewhere in this blog before that if I ever get thrown onto death row for some heinous crime and am offered one last meal, I'd choose sockeye. But I trust it won't come to that. Tonight, we partnered the fish with Lundberg wild rice medley and asparagus.

3. We went for a long-ish walk today around a local lake, and on the way Milo rolled in the ice plant—twice. It always makes me laugh, the pleasure he gets, legs flailing in the air, tongue lolling. So here's to ice plant, although it's an undesirable invasive, because it scratches his back and gives him joy. (This picture is from ten years ago. Some things never change!)

Oh and, I ran across this little talk by Ethan Hawk (I am a fan, I do not deny it), about giving yourself permission to be creative, so I'll include it here as an addendum. I am almost 70, and I'm still learning this.