NOTES

Update

2017-01-23T14:14:10Z

Please suspend any donations. Last Friday after two days of tests, scans, bone-marrow extraction and so on, our Doctor came in the evening to say the cancer had badly metastsized…to bone marrow, liver, right lung, kidney and small bowel. Nothing to be done except palliative care and that I had at most two weeks to live. So that’s it. I can’t see I shall ever get back here. Emails will reach Val val.raworth@gmail.com who obviously will pass along to me whatever she can. Bits of it all have been fun and it’s been a decent run.

Passing

2017-01-18T10:37:53Z

Thanks to donations from
anonymous
sam
jeremy
jason
rod
andy
kenk
keith

Whose generosity gives this site/jounal some space for a while.

It is Lisa’s birthday today: good company. Medical events are moving faster. A few days ago I signed my non-resuscitation documents, and then the non-hospice request. Tomorrow morning is a full blood test, followed by an echo scan: then a full MRI scan, ending with blood-marrow extraction.

Rolling on

2017-01-04T09:39:01Z

+
David Meltzer
(February 17, 1937 – December 31, 2016)
San Francisco Chronicle obituary .

Just a Gesture

2016-12-23T11:12:26Z

+click
It has been a bad year, but I won’t haunt Christmas. What space of this I can so rarely now find energy sufficient to open, let alone use, exists purely because a few generous friends (I thank particularly Jeremy Noel-Tod and Ian Heames) click the donate button. I’m grateful to them, and to the actual analogue friends in town…. Sam, Sara, Ace and Guthrie; Daniel, Jenny and Bramble; Franco and his restaurant for… their constant help and presence. Otherwise I have been able only to see immediate family and representatives of most medical specialities, over more than a year.
I’ve no strength to send out a card: but those who wish to will find this. Enjoy these days. Love from us, Val and Tom

More Dust Bitten

2016-12-16T17:04:32Z

I can do no more than report with sadness (the news is second/third hand a short while ago) that Ray DiPalma was found dead after being missed from his teaching. I know nothing but that. I owe Ray a lot… he was responsible for my first job at Bowling Green S.U. and published me in his DOONES press magazine and books. His own work, from poetry through translations on to his witty and delicate rubber-stamp books and other graphic work was ever interesting, awake, and reflective of his wide-ranging reading and interests. I have no strength to write more.

Death later confirmed by Merrill Gilfillan.

I took this photo of Ray in Bowling Green, Ohio, 1972.

Here is Michael Lally’s note on Ray from Best American Poetry.

Fred Hampton and Mark Clark. December 4th 1971

2016-12-04T15:36:55Z

There From Here

2016-08-09T08:19:06Z

A sunny morning has me thinking of Anne-Marie. Bon Anniversaire!

Anne-Marie Albiach. August 9th.1937 – November 4th.2012

Today

2016-07-26T05:49:01Z

….would have been Peter Gilpin’s birthday: well, it still is. Thinking of you both this morning Gayle.

Spain, 2011

Third Time Lucky

2016-07-22T06:03:19Z

Finally done. Despite last minute (or early morning) blips and hold-ups) not medical, but bureaucratic and systemic) the surgeon did great work and demonstrated exactly why she’s held in such high regard. My thanks to her, to the two anaestheists and to the other theatre staff. I heard six different European languages used between nursing staff in the recovery ward. Home now I see the unusual sunlight of the past week has brought on my “Apache” Chilli. Val and I thank you for all the messages. I’ll try to get through the e-accumulation after the weekend perhaps.

Dawn Patrol

2016-07-16T14:29:59Z

A dawn phonecall informs us that the “urgent” surgery already cancelled twice in theatre since October will, now that surgeons and anaesthetists have conferred, be tried again at 8.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 20th. A lot to be done in the next couple of days so I shall probably be offline for some time (both here, and for email) from tomorrow.