It was just a simple picture of a sequined glove. But it was on the obituary page of The Economist, the magazine I was leisurely reading this morning while sipping coffee and relaxing in my fav REI lounger.
Now, I know Michael Jackson is dead. Duh. It’s not his death that shocked me. It’s just that I’ve been reading* The Economist for some time now, and the obituary page usually highlights some obscure foreign politician, world leader or cultural icon from an era with little resonance to me.
But the glove. Well, let’s just say that sunk in to me in a way I hadn’t expected. Rest in peace, Michael. Rest in peace.
* Feel free to interpret the verb “reading” here as “scanning with interest.” 
Thrill the World. From my friend, Brooke:
Breakfast this morning: A strawberry-strawberry-cashew smoothie. Very, very nice. Here’s what I used:
But it’s better if you’re both, blended, integrated and/or bi-racial. See, I was contacted by a young gal looking to interview people/families of Columbia. It’s easier if I let her use her words:
This one got mixed reviews. It’s much lighter in texter than my more-typical fruit-dense smoothies, plus I added flavoring well above and beyond just the fruit. Here’s what I mixed –
The sibs visiting from out of town are quickly adapting to the nightly smoothie routine. Tonight’s concoction: pineapple, peach and kefir. Here’s what I used -
Back from a long — and hot — day at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, it was time for a smoothie. I had four people total to make it for, so volume was as important as taste. I mixed –
When I was eight years old, I got my first-ever album. It was by The Jackson Five. Inside, there was a paper sleeve protecting the record. And on this sleeve was printed many fan items for purchase. The heart-shaped stickers with Michael Jackson’s photo in the center I pined for, day in and day out.
I’m prone to an occasional rant at God. I get mighty ticked sometimes. And usually it’s about the physical nature of this world and how much friggin maintenance is required just to live!
OK. This Mango Peach Orange Banana Smoothie was good. Nice blend of flavors. The color was pretty, as all the ingredients were yellow-peachy-orange-y colors. But, the weak point in this drink was the slight under-ripeness of the fruit: all of it – the banana, the peaches and the mango! Not surprisingly, the natural sugars of the fruits were less present. Shoulda added some honey. Oh, also, none of these fruits were frozen, so ice cubes were added. The ingredients –
But this story I felt in a highly local way. I take the Red Line. Often. I’ve been on that line hundreds of times. And in my mind’s eye, I saw the interior image of a car, and the very normal people who ride it, and I imagined the wreck. And it made my heart feel real and open and loving and caring. I could see real people in an imagined picture.
I went out on a limb. Added some kefir, vanilla-flavored, to tonight’s smoothie. Here’s what I used –
Last night, I found myself at the 
We got a most-excellent, if not on-the-edge-of-illegal, parking spot and headed on over. It was nice. Heavily Baltimore with its blue-collar roots and deep urban feel, but a sweet event in any case. I’m sure my BFF and I were causing our own degree of curiosity, with our matchy-matchy outfits, our big suburban handbags and our “They sure don’t look gay” vibe.
Of late, this concept of worlds and planets has come up in my life. It is possible for there to 100,000 coffee mugs that say “World’s Best Dad,” but it would be inaccurate to say “The Planet’s Best Dad.” Ja? There are, in my view, an infinite number of worlds, as a world is a perspective with an individual at the center. But there is one Planet Earth. Hey, just a thought. From my world. Standing on, of all places, Planet Earth.
My post, 
