Steel Kaleidoscopes

Breaking News

It was a productive weekend, but sometimes progress can be best defined as two steps forward, one step back.

The gardens are looking good. The house is clean.

But a sprinkler head needs to be replaced. We lost a few plants. The wireless extender to give our Netflix-streaming TV a better signal isn't working. The garbage disposal is coming part. The toilet valve and flapper need replacing.

Typical house stuff.

Two steps forward, one step back.

But it's all good progress.

Favorite Steven Wright Quips

Steven Wright, Boston native and the master of dry humor, has a few things to say. Here are some of his best one-liners:

• Borrow money from pessimists. They don't expect it back.
• 99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name.
• 82.7 percent of statistics are made up on the spot.
• All those who believe in psychokinesis, raise my hand.
• The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
• I almost had a psychic girlfriend, but she left before we met.
• How do you tell when you're out of invisible ink?
• Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.
• If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?
• What happens if you get scared half to death twice?
• My mechanic told me, "I couldn't repair your breaks, so I made your horn louder."
• Why do psychics have to ask you for your name?
• To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; the steal from many is research.
• Everyone has a photographic memory; some just don't have film.
• If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.
• If your car could travel at the speed of light, would your headlights work?

Roots

Where it all begins.

Late April

The sun is out.

Soon we'll be cutting up dead trees for firewood.

We'll toil in the gardens, widening and pruning, preparing for mulch.

The trampoline is up and has seen good use already. We open the pool next week.

The landscape speakers have been removed from their winter sweaters.

We'll schedule the guy who cuts our lawn.

The mornings are brighter. The nights arrive later.

The wine is chilling.

Bring on summer.

Art

Yoga pose on the grounds of deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Lincoln, Mass.

Quote of the Day

"Catch on fire with enthusiasm and people will come for miles to watch you burn." 

— John Wesley, Cleric/Theologian

Red Sox Group Dynamics

One of the classic linear stages of group development is forming, storming, norming and performing.

If the 2012 Red Sox fall into this pattern, they'll be OK.

But if they don't, it's going to be a dismal season of discontent on Yawkey Way.

New manager Bobby Valentine brings a different approach. The players, especially those who played under Terry Francona, are forming. They're adapting. They're learning.

But a 4-10 start, including five straight losses at Fenway, have the team storming. The outspoken Valentine is ruffling feathers. The players are questioning process. The clubhouse is not a pleasant place.

Will the Red Sox find their norm? If so, they'll perform. Clearly, they have the talent.

This is group dynamics on a national stage.

Pull up a seat.

Naples, 2012

The beach, the water park, the Imaginarium.

Stone crab, soft-shell crab, lobster salad and a clam bake.

Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet, and white and red blends.

Filet mignon dining in and dining out.

Key lime pie with Limoncello.

Running, walking, swimming.

A special mix CD to carry us through.

Peace and rejuvenation.

Levon Helm

First Dick Clark. Now Levon Helm. The music industry has said goodbye to two legends in two days.

I was never a huge fan of The Band, for which Helm was a founding member. The drummer/singer was a major influence in The Band's sound, which is best described as roots rock with a taste of country.

I did see Helm and The Band once, when I covered Woodstock '94 for Relix Magazine. I remember Helm in a breezy, happy-go-lucky mood, belting out the vocals for "The Weight." Here's an excerpt on The Band's appearance:

"And Woodstock truly became Woodstock on Saturday afternoon when, as the crowd swelled in front of the south stage to see The Band, the skies opened with heavy rain. There were beaming smiles among the masses as the chaos, excuse the expression, mushroomed. The mud is what truly brought the campers together. It introduced a common hardship, giving people a vehicle with which to help each other. Human chains were formed to assist each other up and down the hills."

RIP, Levon.

Take Care, Dick

Here's hoping that big crystal ball drops in heaven.