Take your protein pills and put your helmet on.
Really?
Category: art
Memorial Day 2026
Last month, we were in Bastogne which is located in the Belgian Ardennes. Allen troops fought the Battle of the Bulge in this area. 19,000 dead. Maybe 100,000 casualties, including 20,000 missing. Hard to imaging.
Yesterday I went to our local military cemetery. Lots of dead buried there. Didn’t know any of them or their families who wept near the graves. I wept, too.
My father served in New Guinea in WWII, rising to the rank of Major. The war killed him indirectly. He came back broken. People said he wasn’t the same as when he left. Let’s not do this to others. PEACE.
DUCK Today – May 13, 2026
So, went to see primary doc, today. He said, “…, good health. See you in November.” Three weeks ago, saw cancer doc. He said, “…, perfect blood for a person with your kind of cancer. See you in three months.” Not cancer free. Not feeling like I was a young man, but not feeling as bad as I did when I was not feeling good. That was bad.
Trump’s IQ Test
When asked to pick the tomato, Trump picked the potato.”It’s red. Potato, tomato, what’s the difference?
Duck’s Still Alert
So, I crashed after a walk with my friend Art. I don’t have many friends, least of all ones I want to take a walk with. He left me, cold, after telling me he was off to his doctor to find out about his blood test, one to determine the extent of his dementia. I cried, inside. All I have is CLL. Still have my mind. And he has so much to offer and remember.
So, I went to Bednar’s. Took a self-portrait. Bought some veggies and wine. Thought about I had a friend who wouldn’t be around for long.
Wash Your Hands
Have you ever noticed the sign in the bathrooms of public places which reads, “Employees Must Wash Their Hands.” Leaving said the issue of how many do, DO YOU?
Personal Hygiene Day
Mani/Pedi. No champagne, but I wished for it.
Thinker
Oranges and Jay Pirka
So, picking up where I left off. Been sick. Recovered. Back to still life from the Golden Age in the Netherlands.
Oranges. Make you smile. Symbols of good fortune. Skulls to remind us all we are mortal. And some flowers to lighten up our lives. But without a targeted medication, DEAD.
Ikebana at Morikami
Well, I started an Ikebana course at Morikami. This is my first creation. I didn’t do it all by myself. Instructor helped, showing me the form and beginning the message of the medium.
The 7 core principles of Ikebana (Japanese flower arranging) are Silence, Minimalism, Shape & Line, Form, Humanity, Aesthetics, and Structure, emphasizing conscious restraint, natural beauty, and a connection between the creator, materials, and space, often using a symbolic scalene triangle for Heaven, Earth, and Man. Perfect practice for my addled state of mind.