Coming home is a strange thing. Suddenly you become an alien in your own house. Little things, the tile in the kitchen, that new clock, the shirts you haven’t seen worn before, stand out and say Look What You Have Missed. Inside jokes and puns and friends of your family are new and unfamiliar. You ask someone if their coat is new, and they reply, No, I got it last spring. You have seen them since last spring, but never wearing that coat, and so it is new to you.

You have come from College Land. The place where 12 o’clock pm is an early bedtime. Where anyone taking a class at 8 a.m. is insane. Land of “You can wear socks twice, right?” Land of pumpkin pie for dinner. Land of cheapest is best. Land of drunken antics(in observance or participation). Land of skipping class when you feel like it. Land of cramming. Land of nervous breakdowns. Land of independence. Land of doing your own dishes. Land of never vacuuming. Land of eating food past its expiration date. Land of sexiling. Land of having a place all your own. Land of the 20somethings. Land of coffee shop sitting. Land of skateboarders and rollerbladers and runners. Land of the exercise fanatics. Land of I’ll Do Anything For a Free Tee Shirt.Land of swearing. Land of Who Eats at the Table?

Back to Home Land. Where chores are obligatory. Where curfews are followed. Where orders are obeyed. Where permission has to be granted. Where notice must be given. Where a room is no longer private. Where you are in debt. Where comments must be held back. Where you eat at the table. Where bedtime is 10 or 11. Where laws are followed. Where you are the youngest, the oldest, or in the middle. Where there is no escape.

Home Land is a tough break after College Land.

Soldiers of the Second Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers are granted the Freedom of the Borough as they march through Hounslow after returning from Afghanistan. London.

© Justin Tallis/reportdigital.co.uk

Watching TV with my husband I saw the ad for Coming Home: The Soldier’s Album. I couldn’t help but remember the movie, ‘Flags of our Fathers’.

Just in case you haven’t seen it, the movie tells the story of the six men that held up the flag in Iwo Jima (Japan) during WWII.  A photograph was taken of this and it became a symbol that represented hope to the American people. As a result the three surviving men in the photo were brought home, to raise money for the cause.

The movie gives a more intimate look into what was really going on. Then men on both sides were being slaughtered and were left traumatized by the whole experience. When the three soldiers were brought back to the U.S. to go on a sort of fund-raising tour they were disgusted by the way the entire thing was being handled. The real heroes had died in Japan (or were dying) and they were being dragged around from state to state being forced to perform like trained monkeys. They were told to tell the masses to  “Buy the War Bonds to help the soldiers.” The men felt exploited and disgusted that they were being paraded around like the saviors of the American people, when their only real contribution was having been there at the right moment to be photographed.

So now with wars being fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, three soldiers from the UK have recorded an album of songs that is being heavily marketed to the public. The underlying message is to buy the album and support the troops.

See the resemblance now?

However, it can never be as successful as the campaign in WWII to buy “war bonds” was. Simply because the public is better informed thanks to the advent of the internet, which has made access to live footage and news reports available instantaneously. However, capitalizing on the fact that its almost Christmas added to the  sentimental value the public associates with the album, producers are expecting to cash in. (One outlet even offered a free Christmas card with the purchase of the single.) The album made the UK Albums Chart and reached a peak position of 4th place.

I have no doubt that the resemblance between the feelings the soldiers are struggling with today and those in WWII is uncanny. The troops are wondering what the heck they are doing over there in the first place. They are watching their men die on a daily basis, and want nothing more than to just come home.

The case is always being made that those who don’t support the war don’t support our soldiers, and are thus unpatriotic. That is nothing but the proponents of the war’s way of giving themselves the upper hand in the public eye. Focus on who is unpatriotic and call each other names, instead of asking why the boys are being sent off in the first place.

The truth is that the best way to support the troops is to bring them home.

When we realize that, and it is actually turned into a reality, then maybe all the troops will have an opportunity to sing.

Blue Fridays.            

Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing blue every Friday. The reason? Americans who support our troops used to be called the ’silent majority’.  We are no longer silent, and are voicing our love for God, country and home in record breaking numbers.

We are not organized, boisterous or overbearing.  Many Americans, like you, me and all our friends, simply want to recognize that the vast majority of America supports our troops.

Our idea of showing solidarity and support for our troops with dignity and respect starts this Friday — and continues each and every Friday until the troops all come home, sending a deafening message that every red-blooded American who supports our men and women afar, will wear something blue. By word of mouth, press, TV — let’s make the United States on every Friday a sea of blue much like a homecoming football game in the bleachers. If every one of us who loves this country will share this with acquaintances, coworkers, friends, and family, it will not be long before the USA is covered in BLUE and it will let our troops know the once ’silent’ majority is on their side more than ever, certainly more than the media lets on. The first thing a soldier says when asked ‘What can we do to make things better for you?’ is ‘We need your support and your prayers.’ Let’s get the word out and lead with class and dignity, by example, and wear something blue every Friday.

(Further to yesterday’s post) I smashed into grief’s cousin last night and its name is anger. It happened as a friend made an innocent comment about hospice work and we suddenly found ourselves in a nasty argument. I felt angry and defensive. Shortly afterwards, while  apologizing, I was able to locate a sense of woundedness near the core of grieving.

Much has been taken away: the easy intimacy with my coworkers, the frequent expressions of love between ourselves, the shared laughter and tears, the sense of belonging to a family … the extraordinary opportunity, day after day, week after week, of being able to ‘do some good’ by offering comfort to patients and their loved-ones. Our intentions, even if we didn’t use the quaint language of 7th Century India, were unequivocal:

For all those ailing in the world
Until their sickness has been healed,
May I myself become for them
The doctor, nurse, the medicine itself.

source: Shantideva. (1997). The way of the Bodhisattva. (Transl. from the Tibetan). Boston: Shambala, pp. 50-51. image: eatourbrains.com

1. Places and Spaces – Donald Byrd
2. So Proud of You [Gelka Remix] – Lee Everton
3. Healer – Erykah Badu
4. Those Good, Good Old Days – Jimmy Cliff
5. Man’s Talk – Roots Manuva
6. Love Is Universal – Johnny Osbourne
7. Soon – Gelka
8. Got What I Want – Deadbeats
9. Hold On – Mr. Scruff
10. Feeling (Rapscallion’s Got Jah Feeling) – Nightmares on Wax
11. Build It Up – Negghead
12. Book of Rules – The Heptones
13. I’ve Fallen in Love with You – Carla Thomas
14. After the Dance [Instrumental Version] – Marvin Gaye
15. Damn [Marcel Remix] – Nightmares on Wax
16. Esq – The Hungry Ghost
17. Metis – Guts
18. Del Ray – Sola Rosa

2009 installment in the Coming Home series, this time compiled by DJ E.A.S.E. (AKA Nightmares On Wax). Everybody has the right to feel good. And with that in mind, this selection of music sanctions that right. With great pleasure and a wide smile, the Stereo Deluxe label opens the next chapter in that big and ever expanding book of comfy audio delight, known to many as the well established Coming Home series. Following up on seriously personal selections by Tim Love Lee and Nouvelle Vague, this Coming Home volume provides a truly individual choice of stand out tunes selected by George Evelyn aka E.A.S.E., the positive force behind Nightmares On Wax. This N.O.W. volume fuses many styles, moods and genres. There’s a certain amount of contemporary dj friendly electronica in the mix  – from  funk via deep 21st century soul, down to grimey future sounds and back – but there’s also those real „classics“ too (e.g. Jimmy Cliff, Johnny Osbourne, Carla Thomas, The Heptones a.o.). There is UK rap by Roots Manuva – and a true Erykah Badu anthem celebrating hip hop culture. Eclectic beat wizardry by  Mr. Scruff – and the sounds of Marvin Gaye, too. Guaranteed to make you feel just at home. It’s all in the mix… united by pure positivity, inna N.O.W. stylee.

]]> http://laggylife.wordpress.com/2009/11/18/omg-i-love-this-and-it-made-me-cry/ Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:48:04 +0000 laggylife http://laggylife.wordpress.com/2009/11/18/omg-i-love-this-and-it-made-me-cry/

I regret to inform you of the loss of your son,

He is on his way home, his job is done.

Know in your heart he died being brave;

He chose death over life so his friends he could save.

He was proud to be an infantryman, standing tall,

He was a true hero; he answered the call.

I try to understand why young men die;

In sending them to their death, I’ve no time to cry.

Your son truly loved life and thus he died;

Remember he gave his life; remember with pride.

I must finish your letter for I have others to pen;

For soon I’ll lead them in combat boys not yet men.

For whatever reasons our song must die,

Let it be for truth and not a lie.

I regret to inform you that your son is coming home;

His name is etched forever in the Ebony Stone.

Michael D. Monfrooe

1995

Today I’m remembering the simple things, inspired by Christina Martin over at Soul Aperture.  Most of the lovely posts I’ve seen today were written in list form, and it has been wonderful to experience all of them.  (You can find a list of the participating bloggers here, and I highly recommend exploring at least a random sampling.  It can be a very soothing and edifying journey through the blog-o-sphere.)

My simple things evolved slowly into a photographic essay about a few simple pleasures that have lately filled my heart with gratitude.

In this season of leaves dropping, I’m grateful for the magnolia leaves, some of them as long as my forearm, that will stay with us — and stay green — all winter.  I whispered as much to them when I took their portrait, and they seemed to glow even more beautifully.

Almost like stained glass; aren’t they?

I’m also in awe of those leaves whose role now is to demonstrate the trick of dying gracefully.  They do it so well, with so little fuss, that it looks simple, even easy, to do.

One of the most satisfying simple pleasures for me is a walk in the woods.  Just 10 minutes can alter my perspective 180 degrees.  Maybe it’s all that looking up…

Of course, there are plenty of reasons to watch my feet, too, as I walk.  Mostly so I don’t trip over a protruding root.  But also for what I might have otherwise missed, like the pine cone below and this still life on the forest floor.

If I’m present and awake enough, even a pine cone or a bit of lichen can fill me with wonder and gratitude.

This weekend’s sunrise in the mountains was simple — and full of divine mystery even so.  There was no place left in me for doubt or cynicism as I stood in the predawn stillness alone, shivering slightly, watching the fog in the valley blush and listening to the birds sing a welcome song to the brand new day.

Before I left on my trip, F. gave me flowers, the most beautiful, pale peach rosebuds.  I lamented that I wouldn’t be around to appreciate their beauty, and F. whispered, “They’ll be waiting for you when you get back.”

He was right.  Not only that, but they were in full and glorious bloom when I returned.

It was F. whom I’d been most longing to see, though.  And that’s my final simple pleasure:  coming home.  To sleep in my own bed, to cook in my own familiar kitchen, to walk in my beloved garden, to cuddle my darling kitties, and to be enfolded in F.’s warm embrace, these are the simple pleasures I typically take for granted, and yet they are the foundation of my life.

My joyful, delightful life.  How could I not be thankful every minute of every day?

It’s 2 am  and sadness is filtering in.

I miss Minnesota and all the wonderful things there so much.

Can i come home now?

Title: Coming Home [3/3]
Author: recumbentgoat
Character/Pairing: Uhura/Spock, Joseph, Upenda, Samara, Kirk, OCs
Rating: G
Summary: Upenda reaches an understanding with Nyota. Joseph learns about Spock. Kirk calls in a favor.
Warning: None.
A/N: Final chapter for this story and now onward!

They wandered through the farm, giving Spock a chance to get to know each man. Hasan was young, around twenty and he was very enthusiastically showing Spock the large tubes that were used to quickly transport hay and feed to the upper levels. Though the sparkle in Hasan’s eyes told Spock that there was probably some mischief around these pneumatic tubes.

Nderu, who was a retired veterinarian, showed Spock the milking facility used for the cows and goats. He and Kayiga, who was an engineer and also retired, were often here to check on the operations for Joseph.

Kayiga watched as Spock stroked the side of a goat, ‘We do not produce a lot of milk for sale. It’s mainly used for our consumption and for cheese. Do you like goat cheese, Spock?’

‘Yes, I do.’ The goat’s contentment lulled Spock when he lowered his shields to brush his mind against its thought pattern. It was well cared for and felt safe. Spock paused in his attention and glanced up warily at the two elderly men, ‘These goats….are they consumed?’

Nderu and Kayiga exchanged a look before Nderu replied, ‘No, these particular goats are not eaten. They are only for milk production.’ He nodded a few times as if to reassure Spock.

By now the entire living room had gotten quieter at the sound of Nyota’s raised voice.

‘Don’t say what, Ny?’

That came from Mary, Daniel and Mariam’s youngest daughter. Mariam was nearby, looking over from her conversation with Mendi (Reggie’s wife) and Grace (Upenda’s younger sister). Nyota groaned inwardly, not wanting to speak so openly about her and Spock’s problem.

She sighed, ‘A few months ago, Spock had an accident during an away mission. I can’t go into a lot of detail because that mission has been classified, but Spock is still dealing with it.’

‘He’s ill?’ Aminah, her grandmother, called out with concern from the kitchen, then she joined them in the living room. Masika and Fatima (Reggie’s oldest daughter) followed behind her.

All the women of the family, and Mrs Poso, had stopped everything and had turned to Nyota, waiting for her answer.

‘…I guess you could say he’s somewhat ill. A cure hasn’t been found yet, even though the doctors have tried and are still trying to find one.’

Aminah pressed, ‘But he’s in remission now?’

She nodded slowly, her eyes locking with Samara’s for a moment, ‘Yes, you could say that.’

‘He looks healthy to me,’ Fatima said.

Mendi chuckled, ‘Oh yeah. He looks more than healthy to me.’ And the rest of the women cackled. Masika shushed them all and sat down next to Nyota.

‘How life threatening is this, Ny?’ She took Nyota’s hand and squeezed it gently.

‘He’s fine, for the most part.’ She was still hedging, uncomfortable with the idea of blurting out that Spock was a werewolf to her entire family. It was too soon for them, and really, too soon for her. The stark reality of their situation was brought home to her in that very moment.

Masika shook her hand gently, ‘No, how does this affect you? Are you in any danger?’

‘No, I avoided infection on Lycaon and what Spock has isn’t contagious.’

‘And…for the rest of us, Ny?’ Samara said, still standing motionless on the step stool Mrs Poso had brought.

It took a moment before Nyota responded, ‘Spock isn’t contagious. He wouldn’t have been allowed on Earth if he was.’ She took another pause to breathe deep, then, ‘Look, I appreciate everyone’s concern….but there’s a lot of Spock’s….condition I can’t really talk about yet. Please trust me when I say that no one’s in any danger. At some point after the wedding, Spock and I will sit down with each of you. We both want everyone to be aware of his condition and to not be afraid. But we also have to discuss some things with his doctors and…others before we can do so.’ She looked over at her mother, waiting for Upenda to respond.

Upenda patted her arm, ‘Ok, Ny. We’ll wait until you’re ready.’

There was silence until Samara cleared her throat, ‘So. Did you all know that Vulcans have hairy chests?’ She grinned wickedly at Nyota as the women tittered.

They had moved to the aquaculture section of the farm, when Joseph finally got Spock alone again. Spock could sense the hesitation and tension in the man, a vast change from the easy way that Joseph had with him earlier.

Spock looked at the man, waiting for him to speak, but he would not and remained silent. After several moments of them both staring into the depths of the huge tanks that held a variety of tilapia, Spock took the initiative.

‘Joseph, I am aware that you already know the…circumstances around my…health issues.’

‘Yes, Spock, I know. Samara told me what had happened. I…it’s a shock. One I find difficult to accept.’ He turned to face Spock, ‘The sad thing is that I feel I should care more about your condition, but I don’t. Selfishly, I can only think….will they stay? If they don’t go back or if Starfleet doesn’t want you, then you’d have to stay. And that would make me a very happy father.’

Spock stared back at him and then nodded, ‘We will keep your offer in mind Joseph.’

‘You aren’t a father yet, Spock. But Nyota was my only child for a long time until we were blessed with Samara. I wasn’t always around when Nyota was growing up. I was still working in banking and so traveled a lot. Before I knew it, she had already mapped out her entire life and demanded to be sent to the best school for communications.’ He shrugged, ‘So we sent her to a boarding school for a while and when she came back she was already planning on the Academy.’ He sighed, ‘They grow up so fast. And I didn’t want her to go.’

Spock frowned, ‘You prevented her from going?’

‘No, no. Of course not. Even though I was against her joining Starfleet, I wanted to support her decision. She’s still young and we all go through that restless phase. But the reality of her being a Starfleet officer didn’t hit home until she said goodbye to me that last time. I couldn’t even hug her. She called from San Francisco as soon as she’d gotten her orders.’ He shook his head sadly, remembering.

Spock thought of his own parents over the eighteen year silence and the terrible tension that his mother had to negotiate between father and son. ‘Five years is a long time.’

‘Keeping in touch was so hard for her to do. I know she tried to be regular with her contact, but it’s impossible in deep space. I finally told Upenda that I couldn’t deal with it. She would have to listen to the messages for me and respond.’ He looked at Spock curiously, ‘How did your mother deal with it?’

‘Well….my father did not support my decision to join Starfleet. We did not speak for many years. In fact, it has only been a short time since we resumed speaking with one another.’

Joseph gasped, ‘My god, Spock! I had no idea. I confess that I’m shocked that Vulcans would do such a thing.’

‘We were both very aware of each other’s viewpoint. There was nothing to be gained in convincing the other.’

‘But your mother…?’

‘…it was unfortunate.’ Spock looked away, hoping that Joseph wouldn’t press any further.

He frowned, ‘It is not easy to dwell on the past. I’m sorry that I led you down this road, Spock.’

‘It is understandable, Joseph. It is a natural consequence in our process of getting to know one another. I am sure there will be more to come.’

The dresses had been put away and the sun was setting. Spock and Joseph hadn’t returned yet from their drive around the farm. Coffee had been made and her mother, Mendi and Mariam were cooking several dishes for dinner.

Grace, Sarah (Mariam’s daughter) and Gabriella (Mendi’s daughter) were helping her unload the anti-grav sled, most of which were her belongings. They were unpacking most of the crates in the living room and Nyota was getting a work out going up and down the stairs to put her things in her bedroom. Finally, they found the right crate and Nyota began passing out the gifts that she’d acquired over the past years.

Everyone was in the midst of exclaiming over their presents and eating a very casual help-yourself dinner when the comm link beeped. Nyota was called over to answer it. It was the Captain.

‘Ohhh, hi Captain!’ She laughed.

Kirk rolled his eyes, ‘Nyota, please. Not for the next few months.’

‘Spock isn’t here right now, should I call him–?’

‘No, it’s you I want to talk to.’

She raised her eyebrows in surprise, ‘Ok.’

‘You heard from Bones lately?’

‘No, I assumed he’s with Joanna.’

Kirk sighed, ‘Well, things didn’t go exactly as planned. For whatever reason, Joanna had already left for her trip. And I’m kinda assuming this was an ex-wife thing, so that’s why Bones isn’t with her now. I just talked to him and he’s pretty bummed out about it. The thing is, I’d like to distract him and I also realize that, as best man, I need to do right by Spock.’ He waggled his eyebrows at her.

Nyota sat back in her chair, knowing what was coming, ‘Oh, I see. Just what did you have in mind, Jim?’

‘Wellll, I’m thinking a couple of days in Vegas–’

‘Las Vegas?!’ Her shout had heads turning to her again.

‘Yes. Las Vegas.’ He returned her stare before smiling sweetly, ‘How’s Samara doin’?’

She groaned, ‘Ok! I know I owe you! Just please for the love of god don’t do anything crazy! The wedding’s in 72 hours and the last thing I need—’

Nyota could hear the chorus of greetings as Spock entered the house behind Joseph and the rest of the men.

‘Besides,’ she added, ‘Maybe he doesn’t think bachelor parties are very logical.’ She stuck out her tongue at Kirk before calling Spock over.

‘Hello, Jim.’ Spock nodded down at Kirk.

He grinned, ‘Hey there, Spock! Guess what? We’re going to Vegas!’ There was a double fist pump in the air.

Spock’s eyebrows shot up, ‘We are? For what purpose?’

‘Your bachelor party, Spock! Sheesh. Nyota already said you could go. You should get packed for a couple of days. And I’m calling up Bones now so we can make hotel arrangements…’

Spock looked down at her, ‘Is this agreeable with you, Nyota? It is very close to the wedding.’

She waved her hand, ‘It’s fine, Spock. It’s tradition. I had my party and you should too. It’s perfect male bonding stuff.’

‘I see. Would you mind if I asked Nyota’s cousin, Hasan to come along? I would also like to ask my cousins Brian and Caio if they would like to attend the male bonding.’

Kirk rolled his eyes, ‘It’s not exactly a formal thing, Spock. We’ll just be taking in the sights and relaxing.’ He smiled innocently.

His eyebrows rose again, being very familiar with Kirk’s concepts of relaxation. ‘Indeed. Then we would also have an opportunity to go shopping.’ Spock nodded, thinking that he still needed to purchase a wedding ring for Nyota.

Kirk looked at Spock with an odd expression, ‘Yeah, fine. Look, you guys are behind us a few hours, so you should hurry up and make your calls. I’ll talk to McCoy and the rest of the guys and we’ll meet you in Vegas at the transport station, ok?’

‘Agreed, Jim. Please call me if anything should change.’ He ended the call.

Needless to say, there was a whirlwind of activity as Hasan excitedly agreed to accompany Spock on this very last minute trip. And he hastened upstairs to go pack a few things, even as he ducked his head in shyness at some of the comments his sisters and cousins made.

Mrs Poso shook her head, ‘You’re a brave woman to send him off to Las Vegas.’

Some of her aunts were nodding in agreement, but Nyota just laughed, ‘I trust Spock completely. It’s his friends I worry about. If anything, it’ll be Spock that keeps them out of trouble.’

Later, in a dark corner of the front porch, Nyota said her goodbyes to Spock. ‘Please be careful, Spock. And try to have some fun.’ She looked past Spock’s shoulder to the waiting flitter. Her uncles Reggie and Daniel would drive them to Wangari Maathai Spaceport over in Nairobi.

His chin rested lightly on the top of her head, ‘Do not worry, Nyota. I am sorry that I have to leave now. I should not have agreed to join Kirk so soon….’

She stopped his mouth with a kiss, then, ‘I know, but I kinda like you indebted to me. Believe me, I’ll be collecting from you for a long time.’

‘I look forward to making several large payments.’ He smirked against her lips.

She sighed, ‘And please take care of Hasan. He’s quite taken with you and very excited to meet the great James T. Kirk.’ Her hands traveled up his arms, relishing his heat one more time.

Spock kissed her on her forehead, ‘He is in my care, Nyota. I will call you as soon as we arrive. Thank you, Nyota.’ He gave her a final, lingering kiss on her mouth and then walked down the porch steps into the waiting flitter.

Nyota stayed on the porch and watched the flitter’s tail lights in the night sky until they disappeared in the distance.

Title: Coming Home [2/3]
Author: recumbentgoat
Character/Pairing: Uhura/Spock, Joseph, Upenda, Samara, OCs
Rating: PG
Summary: Nyota’s father has a talk with Spock. Upenda questions Nyota over tea and dress fittings.
Warning: Farm animals. Handwavium farms of the future.
A/N: Please excuse the lengthy farm discussion, it’s fall here in Boston and I’m all nostalgic for agricultural fairs, etc. My research is half-assed, so take it all with a grain of salt. Also, this first picture is actually of Karen Blixen’s farm in Kenya.

Nyota woke to the sound of knocking at the bedroom door. She was alone in bed and she could hear the shower running in the bathroom. The lights were off and the curtains were drawn, though the strong sunlight still streamed into the room. The air was cool though and she’d been covered with a sheet, which she swept to the side as she got out of bed.

She opened the door. It was Samara, who was very chipper.

‘Hi! Mom told me to wake you guys up. I’m not disturbing anything am I?’ She smirked.

The shower shut off.

She eyed her sister, ‘No, I just woke up to the sound of you banging on the door. What’s up?’

‘Mom’s waiting for you downstairs. Mrs. Poso is here and wants to fit you now. And Dad’s waiting for Spock so they can go ride around.’

She sighed, ‘Oh, yeah. Ok, we’ll—’

‘Hi Spock! Hiiii!’ Samara grinned and craned her head over Nyota’s shoulder.

Nyota turned just in time to see Spock, with a long towel wrapped tightly around his hips as he vigorously dried his hair with another towel, walk out of the bathroom.

‘Hello, Samara. Please tell your father I will be downstairs in eight minutes.’

Samara grinned and let Nyota push her out into the hallway, ‘Ok, Spock! Eight minutes!’ She gave the thumbs up sign as Nyota shut the door in her face.

She could hear Samara cackling outside the door and shook her head. Some things didn’t change in families and one of them was having annoying little sisters.

Spock was half dressed now, wearing lightweight tan pants. She sighed as she admired his muscled back. He wiped his upper body with the towel and tossed it on the back of a chair to air dry. He hurriedly combed his hair and then threw on a light blue short-sleeved cotton shirt.

She smiled at the color of it, ‘You should’ve woken me. I would’ve taken a shower with you.’ Then, she decided she’d take a quick shower too, especially after their surprise morning romp on the ship. Unhooking her dress, she slid it off along with her under wear and tossed them on the bed. She could feel his eyes on her as she walked into the bathroom.

He slipped on his shoes, ‘I thought to let you sleep, adun’a. But your father is in a hurry and what I want to do to you will take considerably longer than a quick shower.’

She called out from the shower, ‘Yeah, I know you like to take your time.’ Then laughed, ‘But I’m glad you say that, cuz you owe me one you know.’ She turned on the shower and yelped at the hot setting that Spock had left it on. Nyota turned it down a notch and activated the water shield, then got out the liquid soap, enjoying the slippery feel on her skin as she sudsed up. Out of the corner of her eye, Spock stood, staring at her.

‘You are making me late.’ His head was canted to one side with a certain look on his face.

Her eyes dragged up and down his body, ‘Oh am I, Mr. Spock? Well, too bad for you. You should’ve woken me up earlier. You better get out of here before my father comes upstairs to get you.’ He really needed to wear casual clothes more often. The man just oozed sex.

Spock’s eyes were watching her hands and he licked his lips unconsciously, ‘Yes, I suppose you are correct.’

‘Remember, they want to talk, Spock. I don’t know how much Samara has told them already, but just realize that they’re reacting to things because there’s not much else they can do.’

‘Yes.’ He stepped closer to her and rested his hand on the clear barrier between them. She was rinsing now.

Her eyes locked on his, innocent, ‘Aren’t you going to be late, Spock?’

‘I have two minutes.’ He picked up her towel from the rack next to the door.

‘Indeed.’ She shut off the water and de-activated the water shield. He held up the fresh fluffy towel and wrapped her in it, rubbing her back. ‘Kiss me, Spock, before you go away on your mission.’ She chuckled, ‘Your mission to placate my parents.’

Joseph’s voice floated up from downstairs, ‘Spock? Are you ready?’

His hands hadn’t stopped moving to dry her body, even as he called down to her father, ‘Yes, Joseph! I am on my way now!’ He gave her a quick kiss along with a mental image of what he was going to do to her later and then left her standing there in the bathroom.

She sighed. She’d just have to be patient and wait.

When she got downstairs, Spock and her father were gone and had taken with them the rest of the men of the family. She hoped things went well and that Spock knew something about male bonding in human interactions.

Upenda stopped talking with Mrs. Poso, ‘There’s fruit and tea there if you want some. Come visit with us before we look at the wedding dress, Nyota. We’re waiting for the others to show up too.’ Her mother gestured to the covered plate of fruit on the counter.

‘Ok, Mom. Hi, Mrs. Poso, how are you?’ She bent over to hug the small woman. ‘I’m so happy you came out of retirement to do this!’ Mrs. Poso had been a long-time collaborator of her mother’s, as her costume designer, back when she still toured as a singer.

‘Oh, it’s no problem at all! I told my husband that I’m taking a vacation and I came running when Upenda called. Just like old times.’ The woman patted Upenda’s hand, ‘What your mother’s doing here is such an inspiration! People need to see the arts live not some fake projection! I don’t care how realistic it is! There’s magic in seeing a live performance. I’m trying to convince your mother to tour Betazed again. They loved her there!’

Mrs. Poso laughed uproariously along with Upenda, though Nyota had no idea what was so funny. They continued sharing gossip of old friends who had retired, who’d become ill or who had the latest face and body reconstruction.

Nyota sighed, ate some pineapple and drank her tea. It would be a very long day for dress fittings.

Spock walked next to Joseph along the giant bamboo hedge that they had passed through just this morning when they’d first arrived. They were walking ahead of the others–Kayiga (Joseph’s father), Nderu (Upenda’s father), Daniel (Joseph’s brother), Reggie (Upenda’s brother) and Hasan, who was Reggie’s son.

He kept his pace measured so it would match the shorter man’s stride. The others hung back, talking animatedly as family are wont to do when they’re with each other. There was discussion over the itinerary after the wedding and which places they would bring Spock and his family when they arrived.

He nodded to Joseph as he was told about the latest agreement with the Andorian government to develop a hybrid giant timber tree. Spock eyed the hedge as they passed, he wasn’t familiar with this particular type of Terran flora, but the stems of the bamboo were almost as large as tree trunks.

‘This Andorian scientist says he can get them twice as big and tall. I thought he was crazy but this plant grows so fast and it’s such a hardy wood I can see the appeal in wanting to tinker with it. But can you imagine it? It’s truly amazing!’

They continued on toward the garage where Joseph stored his extra large electronic vehicle.

‘The EVs are well suited for the terrain and the task of giving tours when I have company. I was going to spring for a new hovercraft this year, but Upenda insisted on a nice transporter room.’

‘Yes, I imagine such a facility is convenient, not to mention much safer given the amount of activity on the farm.’

Joseph chuckled, ‘Oh yes. You should’ve seen it before. We’d get a call that someone was beaming down from their ship or getting beamed from Maathai and we’d give them the coordinates we always use–which is where the building is now. But then we’d have to erect a huge perimeter around the coordinates, which just got in the way of everything. Then, we’d have to watch and wait until they beamed down. It was such a time waster.’

They paused in front of the garage as the automatic door went up, waiting for the others to catch up.

Joseph got into the driver’s seat, ‘Ok, everyone in the back, Spock can ride up front with me.’

‘Oh, Nyota!’ Upenda looked up at her daughter with tears in her eyes. ‘You’re so beautiful.’ She stepped back and clasped her hands together.

Nyota smoothed down the bodice fabric, looking at her reflection with a critical eye. The fit was remarkably close and she couldn’t find anything wrong with it. It felt very comfortable and not as hot as she originally feared. Mrs. Poso had outdone herself completely. ‘Mrs. Poso, you had the measurements exactly.’

Mrs Poso gazed at their reflections and smiled, ‘Well, your mother told me your measurements. And Mr. Spock confirmed them of course.’

‘What? When did you talk to Spock?’ Spock never mentioned to her that he’d discussed her wedding dress with Mrs. Poso.

‘Oh no, I didn’t! I’ve never even met the man–though I am looking forward to it. No, it was your mother who passed on the info.’ She fluffed up the full skirts and circled Nyota. ‘I’ll have to take it in at the bottom. It shouldn’t take but a moment.’

Upenda sighed, exasperated with her daughter’s response, ‘Do you like it, Nyota? You haven’t said anything.’

‘Oh I’m sorry, Mom. Yes, I absolutely love it. It’s such a beautiful fabric and color. It breathes and moves well. Yes. It’s quite stunning.’ Nyota swished her dress about, momentarily forgetting that Mrs Poso was making her alterations.

Her mother chided, ‘You could’ve fooled me. Ny, you just seem so underwhelmed by this whole experience. When I was getting married you could hardly contain me.’

Mrs. Poso could be heard agreeing behind Nyota.

‘Mom, I’ve been married four months already.’

Mrs. Poso’s head popped up in shock, ‘You’re married already?! But I don’t understand!’

Upenda waved her hand dismissively, ‘Oh, it’s a Vulcan thing they did earlier. Trust me when I say they’re not married yet.’

‘Mom, it’s as good as done. This is just the icing on the cake.’ She stood on tiptoe, then turned to look over her shoulder to check out how the dress formed against her backside. Not bad. Mrs Poso impatiently tsked her and she moved back into position.

‘I guess I should just be grateful then that you’re having a wedding for the humans.’ Upenda folded her arms and looked archly at her daughter.

‘It’s for the Vulcans too. What Spock did on Lycaon IV wasn’t exactly conventional.’

She raised an eyebrow, ‘Oh really? He’s turning out to be quite unusual for a Vulcan, isn’t he my dear?’

Nyota’s eyes met her mother’s in the mirror.

Joseph pointed out the small grove of coffee trees in the distance, talking at length about their harvesting procedures. ‘Sonic waves and a huge anti-grav field. You should see the machines we have to bring in to do that. But it’s quite a sight. The sonic waves loosen the berries and they just float around before getting sucked up by the harvester.’ He laughed, ‘Nyota and Samara almost got sucked into a harvester once. There was hell to pay that.’ He shook his head, lost in the past and then added, ‘And then from here, the berries get sent to the roasting facilities immediately.’

There was another pause as Joseph sipped from a water bottle, ‘You know, this land was originally one huge parcel owned by an English farmer. It got broken up for land reform, then it was my great-grandfather that put it back together again when he retired and became a gentleman farmer of sorts. So this place has been a continuously operating farm for three or four hundred years.’

‘That is quite remarkable.’ Spock gazed out the window at the greenery and lush tea fields.

‘Of course, it’s not as big as it once was and the government was intent on taking it all over, but my father saved it for our family. For one credit a year, we lease this property so long as we use it as a farm. Most of our profit gets eaten up by different taxes and operating expenses, but it’s provided us a stable income. My biggest fight now is getting the regional government to go along with Upenda’s plans for building a cultural arts center.’

He turned to look at Joseph, ‘Fascinating.’ Spock imagined that his mother would find Upenda and her work very interesting.

‘The big problem is that when there’s no one to take over the reins, the government will take back the land. They’ve already asked me to manage a smaller farm not far from here because the owner’s children have relocated off world.’

‘But what of your brother, Daniel? Or Upenda’s brother and sister?’

Joseph chuckled, ‘As much as they like to help out, they’re not exactly cut out for this type of lifestyle. Only to visit really. And their young ones already have their own lives plotted out.’ He sighed. ‘I’m fully prepared that this could end someday for the Uhuras here. It’s very depressing for me to think about.’

They pulled up alongside a field of tea bushes and Joseph stopped the EV. ‘Shall we walk for a bit?’ He turned in his seat to address the others, ‘Father? Nderu? Would you want to walk to the annex? Or shall I let Hasan drive you?’

The two grandfathers opted for the ride and Hasan was pressed into service. Daniel and Reggie got out of the EV’s back and walked behind Joseph and Spock, talking quietly.

‘It’s only a twenty minute walk, Spock. This is a new access road and I haven’t had the time to get it paved over yet for the EVs. It’s quite dusty.’

Spock ran his hand over the tops of the tea plants, ‘Understandable. What is this place called the annex?’ He plucked two leaves from a bush and put them in his mouth, chewing thoughtfully.

‘That’s just what we call it because it’s a newer piece of land. We built a fifteen story growing facility about twenty years ago. It’s got grazing on one level, we’ve got chickens, cows and goats. Several growing fields with some experimental crops. Aquaculture on another level. Some hydroponics. There’s a renewable energy source at the top level that we’re upgrading.’

He raised his eyebrows, ‘And you have run all of this by yourself?’

‘No! Gosh, no. A lot of it’s automated. Much of our expenses go towards engineers who fix the robots and automated systems. Then there’s the veterinarians too.’ He laughed. ‘Of course, we do get a lot of labor through our many interns that come for a semester or two. Some from nearby high schools and colleges, others from all over the world. Off world too.’

As they walked down the road, a boxy structure made of clear steel came into view. These long stacked boxes were mostly open at both ends, letting the air run through the trees and vegetation inside.

Hasan had parked next to the vertical farm and Nderu and Kayiga were just getting out. Spock could hear cows mooing on an upper level and the bleating of goats. He breathed in deeply, feeling suddenly nostalgic for his childhood days of fall visits with his maternal grandparents.

‘We had the geodesic model once,’ Joseph enthused. ‘But that was too inefficient for what we wanted to do. This has been a great producer though and we couldn’t be happier with our output. The government’s happy too!’

‘Yes, quite efficient for a farm of your size. You will find speaking with my uncle very interesting. He is not a farmer, but his father, my grandfather, was raised on a farm in Vermont, which is in the north eastern part of New England.’

‘Oh yes, I know New England. They have a lousy soccer team.’ Joseph waved Spock ahead of him and they entered the first floor of the facility where a fat brown goat trotted over to nuzzle Spock’s hand.

He patted the goat’s head and stroked her soft ears, ‘Indeed.’ Spock paused, not knowing what else to say about New England’s bad soccer team, then, ‘Samara has told me that the University of Nairobi is advocating for more vertical farms outside of the city. Why have you not converted the entire farm?’

Joseph laughed as they walked on, ‘Oddly enough, it’s the romance of farming! Many of the officials I’ve dealt with absolutely love to see big beautiful fields of tea and coffee groves when they come to inspect. But there’s not a farmer among them! I suppose I don’t help disabuse them of their notions because the Uhura farm is just so well run.’ He shrugged, ‘So it’s my own fault that they balk at the idea of me plowing under those trees and putting up a bigger facility.’

‘I surmise that the historical value of these trees and fields then outweighs the practicality of removing them. Such is the case in Boston, though with the houses and buildings. The historical societies there are quite powerful and it is nearly impossible to build or renovate without express permission from them. I find it very illogical to be so invested in forms and materials of the past, particularly when they are so inefficient.’

Joseph laughed and clapped him on the back, ‘But it’s tradition Spock! Surely you understand honoring traditions?’

‘Indeed.’ Several large, fat honeybees buzzed around Spock’s head.

‘Ah yes, we have several hives too. Do you like honey, Spock?’ Joseph smiled slowly at the hand waving Vulcan.

Spock gently warded off a bee, ‘It is very sweet but I am not opposed to having a small amount in my oatmeal.’

Nderu and Kayiga joined them and they strolled around the first section of the farm. A hot breeze wafted through the wide openings at each end of the box and Spock enjoyed the smell of the grass, the feel of the sunshine on his face and even the musty odor of the animals.

Mrs. Poso was fitting Samara and their cousins in the bridesmaids dresses when Nyota was finally cornered by her mother as she emerged from the bathroom in her regular clothes.

Upenda took the wedding dress from her and together they put it back in the garment bag. ‘Well, Ny? When were you going to tell us that Spock hasn’t been cured yet of this…disease?’

She shifted uncomfortably, ‘Mom, I’ve barely had a chance to even think. There’s just been so much going on between work and getting off the ship and the damn wedding…’

Upenda led her back into the living room, ‘Come then, you have time now. Sit down and tell me everything.’ She patted the seat next to her.

And so they sat on the couch and Nyota told her of Amanda wanting to see Spock in his altered state, the hearing with T’Pau that Samara had witnessed and meeting Spock’s personal physicians from Vulcan.

At that, Nyota was interrupted as Upenda spent several moments re-connecting with the wedding planner when she realized she’d forgotten about Sorel, Daniel and T’Mir coming to the wedding.

She closed out her comm link and pinned her daughter with a stare, ‘Nyota, you must realize that this whole situation could give your father a false sense of hope.’

Startled by this unexpected line of questioning, she asked, ‘How so?’

‘Like the silver lining in a storm cloud. You know how much he wants you to settle here. If Spock’s ill and can’t go, then he’ll want you to stay and take over the farm. But I’m not sure it’s quite sunk in yet for him that you’re marrying a Vulcan with…issues.’

‘Mom, I hate to break it to you, but what’s done is done. To be honest, I couldn’t care less if he’s cured. Now that I look back on it, I made peace with that decision when I agreed to bond with him on Lycaon. If there’s a cure, fine. If there isn’t…well, that’s fine too.’ She shrugged.

‘Yes. I know, I can see how strongly you feel about him. What does he think about this?’

‘He wants a cure. I know it’s a challenge for him. Being Vulcan…staying true to the Vulcan way is something he’s very committed to. But this thing…being this way is hard for him.’

Upenda’s hand found Nyota’s and squeezed, ‘What about children, Ny?’

She shrugged again, ‘I want them. That hasn’t changed for me, but I know he has reservations. Knowing him, he’ll probably re-up just so he can make an excuse not to start a family sooner.’

‘I don’t know, Nyota. I know you’re happy and I certainly don’t want to interfere with that. But to live with this on Earth? This is very different than being on some deserted planet…’

‘Ma, I know that, believe me I’ve thought about it. That’s why we need to be here. We’re figuring things out too…’

‘Nyota!’ She shot a look around the busy living room then lowered her voice, ‘He could be very dangerous!’

‘Ma, look. There was a whole bunch of people on that planet who were living day to day with this and had kids and a family life just fine…’

‘On a rock in some god forsaken quadrant! This is Earth we’re talking about Nyota. Day to day here, working and living, is far different, especially with humans who have their own perceptions of his kind. And just how do you plan on explaining this to the rest of your family?’ She waved an arm to the girls and Mrs. Poso, who were quieting down as Nyota and Upenda got louder.

Ignoring Samara’s stare, she warned, ‘Don’t say anything, Ma! Not a word until I say it’s ok. I mean it!’

When did this happen?

This has been a challenging week for me. There have been numerous things that made me realize I’m not a kid anymore. This is for real.

I’ve been having a hard time realizing the seriousness of which my job holds. This isn’t some simple college experiment where if I bomb, I can always redo it or I can just write off as “it was college.” I’m responsible for the biology education of a 130 students. The weight of this has been outstanding to me. Because this is their futures, their interests and their lives. How I run this year has life long implications for my students. Will I be able to drive them to success and lead them to go on to cure cancer? Or will I beat their spirits down and lead them to a tempting life of gangs, violence and drugs. I don’t like this. I don’t like this responsibility. My results are not intrinsic and I am afraid.

So afraid.

Im not afraid of much. When it comes to something tough, I just suck it up and do it. It’s the best way. I’ve failed before and I’ve dealt with it and it was fine. But that was only failing myself. Now if I fail, I fail 130 kids. 130 students who don’t have easy lives already. 130 students who live in a culture of gangs, violence, domestic disputes, crime and long-lost parents. It really hit me today when one of advisee’s reminded me that “Mr. M, school is different than it is out there.” The pressure is there. I can’t disappoint them. I can’t fail them as their teacher.

I just cant.

I’m falling apart. I’m not sleeping. I’m not eating very healthy and I find myself snacking all day long on junk food. I’ve upped the number of cans of soda I consume each day after having gotten it down to an acceptable number. I’m not exercising. I’m not depressed (trust me, i know what that feels like) but I’m not where I need to be. What is happening to me……?

Tomorrow (i guess today at this point) is Friday. I’m going to smile, laugh and have fun. I owe that to myself.

You might want to watch this post privately.

and I’m going to post something today, tomorrow and of course Wednesday about it.  Today you get one of the best songs I’ve ever heard about war, because it’s the truth for veterans and their families.  Get out the tissue, it’s a hurter.

Title: Coming Home [1/3]
Author: recumbentgoat
Character/Pairing: Uhura/Spock, Samara, OCs
Rating: G
Summary: Nyota brings Spock home to meet her family in Kenya and get ready for the wedding.
Warning: None.
A/N: Story takes place after Say Goodbye. The Uhuras own/manage a large family farm and cultural center, west of Mount Kenya National Park. I’m not sure how long this will be since Nyota and Spock need to tell her parents a few things about Spock’s lupinity *and* Spock has a bachelor’s party to get to. lol

As the stars twinkled silently above, the hum of a transporter beam vibrated for a moment before three beings coalesced into solid form in a small glass enclosed building, lit with only a single bright yellow light.

Nyota looked around with surprise at her surroundings and turned to her sister, Samara, ‘But I thought we’d beam into Maathai SpacePort!’

Samara just laughed, stepping off the transporter pad, ‘Surprise! They just put it in a few months ago. You know how long Mom’s been wanting this, but it wasn’t until your wedding that Daddy finally relented and got it built.’

‘Well, it’s very nice, big too.’ Nyota loved the warmly decorated transporter room, recognizing her mother’s touch and noted the sleek double bay doors that Samara was pushing to one side. She smiled up at Spock, ‘Mom has argued for years that as a teaching farm and arts center, they should be allowed to have a proper transporter room for all the VIPs they host. Guess she finally got her wish.’

‘Well, she didn’t get everything. We can only receive and can’t transport anyone ourselves. They’ve got to go to Maathai for that. Still, it’s a heck of a convenience. And Mom doesn’t have to worry about folks beaming onto her front porch.’ She stopped pushing the doors aside and turned to them with a grin.

‘Please clear the transporter pad. There is an incoming transmission from the USS Enterprise.’

Nyota laughed at the robotic computer’s voice. A red light began to flash overhead and Samara waved Nyota and Spock off the transporter discs. A very large, bulky shape sparkled and then solidified. It was all of their baggage on an anti-grav sled.

‘Scotty to Samara.’

Samara clicked on the comm unit on the wall to respond, ‘Hi Scotty! We’re all in one piece! Thank you so much and have a safe trip to Linlithgow.’

‘Yeah, thank you Scotty! We’ll see you in a few days!’, Nyota chimed in.

‘Thank you kindly, lasses! Be seeing you! Enterprise out.’

Nyota stepped outside and breathed in the calming, earthy night air slowly. In all her travels, there was no other place like it in the universe. She was home! She grabbed Samara’s hand and squeezed it joyfully. Five long years of dangerous away missions, attacks by floating computers and alien life forms. Not even a damn ladder could keep her away from coming home.

She yelped when Samara dealt her a stinging slap to her rear end.

‘I’ll beat you to the front door girl!’ Samara was already whooping down the bricked pathway with Nyota following hot on her heels laughing like a hyena. It was good to run free like this, like they had when they were children. And how refreshing was it to not be running from something?

The lights in the downstairs and enclosed porch were on. She heard a door bang open and a shout but she couldn’t see anyone yet. Samara had disappeared through the giant bamboo hedge that lined the main house.

‘Ny! Ra! Ny! Ra!’ It was her father, walking towards them down the path with his arms open in welcome and a big smile.

Samara nearly jumped on him for a hug. He enfolded both of them in a tight embrace of breathless laughter and teasing that quickly turned to weeping. Mainly from their father but Samara and Nyota hadn’t bothered stifling their tears either.

Nyota patted her father’s back affectionately, ‘Oh, Dad! Don’t! No, please don’t cry. It’s okay. We’re here now.’

‘I know! I can’t help it! Oh god.’ He fished out a white handkerchief and wiped his eyes and nose. ‘We shouldn’t be carrying on so loudly. We’ll wake up the whole house!’ He looked at them with astonishment, ‘But where is Spock? Have you forgotten him already? Did the Vulcan get cold feet?’

Joseph Uhura chuckled heartily when Nyota slapped him on the arm, ‘No, Dad! That’s not funny.’

‘Ahh, there he is, so dutiful! And pulling such a pile! What a strong son I have now.’ Joseph let go of his girls and walked down the path further to greet Spock. ‘Welcome, Mr. Spock!’ He stopped in front of the tall Vulcan and gave him the traditional greeting and salute.

Spock stopped towing the sled and returned the salute, ‘I am honored you have welcomed me to your home, Joseph.’ He could see where Nyota had inherited her height. And her smile.

‘And I see you have quite a burden there, Spock. Have my girls packed the whole universe in there?’

‘And then some, baba.’ Spock raised his eyebrow.

There was a startled pause before Joseph laughed, ‘Oh my. Well, let me show you where you will both be staying. Come along my dears.’

Joseph put his arms around both of his daughters and they walked up to the house. ‘There, Spock. You can pull it right up next to the door onto the porch. No one will bother it there.’

Spock pulled the anti-grav sled onto the porch and pushed it into a corner out of the way. When he turned to face them, he raised his eyebrows at the three of them standing there watching him silently with big grins on each of their faces. He glanced at Nyota with a silent question in his eyes.

‘You will have to excuse me, Spock. But I am a very happy man to have finally met you in the flesh. For bringing home my daughter safely to me. In fact, I’m doing everything I can not to hug and kiss you. You can expect more of the same from my wife and our parents. In fact, I hope you have a vast reservoir of forgiveness because we are quite a touchy-feely family.’

‘As you know Joseph, my mother is human, so I have considerable experience in dealing with the emotional needs of humans.’ Spock ignored Nyota’s smirk.

‘That’s good to hear, Spock. Now please come in. I can see that Nyota and Samara are too excited to fall asleep, so I will make us some chai.’

They were all standing around the kitchen, quietly talking and laughing about their return trip home. Spock looked very relaxed to Nyota and it was nice to see him and her father speaking together. It had been barely ten minutes since stepping through the front door, when Nyota looked up from her tea and gasped in surprise.

‘Nyanya!’ She got up from her chair and embraced her father’s mother gently, ‘Oh, you’re up so early. I hope we didn’t wake you.’ She guided the elderly woman to an empty chair so she could sit.

She patted Nyota’s face, ‘No, no my dear girl. Not at all. I sleep so little these days and we’ve all been expecting you. Your grandfather is upstairs getting dressed now and he’s very eager to hear all of your adventures. So be prepared, you know how he gets.’

After she accepted a long hug from Samara, she nodded to Spock with a huge smile, ‘Mr. Spock. It is good to finally meet you. And I must say, that my daughter in law’s description of you didn’t do you any justice at all. You are a very handsome man, though I’m sure you’ve been told so.’ Masika Kosgei looked up slyly at her embarrassed granddaughter, who was handing her a cup of steaming black tea.

‘Thank you, nyanya.’ Spock said gravely, ‘My mother has called me handsome in the past. Vulcans are not concerned with physical attributes per se, but it is….pleasing to hear a fair assessment of my appearance from such a discerning individual.’

Joseph snorted into his cup of tea and Samara giggled. Nyota just shook her head and laughed.

Before long, Masika’s husband, Kayiga, joined them, followed soon by the yawning maternal set of Nderu and Aminah, who were still in their bathrobes. But it didn’t matter, as there was more hugging and crying and laughing. More tea was made and everyone started talking all at once, carrying on two or three conversations at the same time. Questions and answers were repeated often in the cacophony of conversation.

Spock found human communication to be interesting, if not a little noisy. He sipped his tea and his head bounced back and forth around the table trying to follow each conversation as closely as he could. And Joseph was right, they were a touchy-feely family, though not more so than any other human family that Spock had experienced. Masika had already patted his hand twice, as if it would make her conversational point clearer to him. Fascinating.

They were producing such a racket in the kitchen that it was some time before anyone noticed Nyota’s mother at the door of the kitchen, putting shopping bags down on the counter.

‘But Upenda! We didn’t even hear you leave or come back!’ Joseph rushed over to his wife and kissed her quickly before peeking into the bags.

‘Yes, that’s because you are all so loud. We’re going to have a full house this morning, so I need to get started on breakfast.’ Samara and Nyota had her in a tight grip already and this set off a new round of tears and hugging. ‘Oh stop it, girls, you’re making me cry again.’ Upenda sniffled, ‘You should’ve heard your father after he last spoke to you, Ra. He was already crying then.’ She laughed and patted her husband on the shoulder, ‘Dry your eyes, big baby and help me get breakfast ready.’

‘Oh god.’ Joseph took out his handkerchief again and wiped his eyes. ‘We haven’t even done the wedding yet and I’m a blubbering mess. What will the Vulcans think?’ He was joking, but there was a seriousness in his voice.

Spock only raised his eyebrows, ‘The cause is sufficient, Joseph.’

Joseph smiled, ‘Thank you, Spock.’ And he began unpacking the groceries from their bags.

The kitchen was bustling with renewed activity as fruit were washed, cut and set out in attractive bowls on the table. Joseph made scrambled eggs and a platter of mandazi, a deep fried treat. By then, the sun’s rays had started creeping through the window and across the kitchen.

Nyota’s aunts and uncles would be joining them soon with their children and grandchildren. It would be a full house for tonight before some of them would move to another house on the other side of the farm. Upenda wanted Spock’s family to stay with them in the big house so that they could get to know them.

Spock picked up a mandazi and sniffed it surreptitiously. Its smell was pleasant and warm and he could detect nothing harmful. Nderu nudged him, ‘Ah, you have found my favorite snack. Would you like some coffee, Spock? I am tired of tea.’

He nodded to the older man and bit into his breakfast. It was very similar to the warm donuts he had once eaten with his uncle’s family. However, it wasn’t as sweet and it was far more preferable. He put another one on his plate and then a spoonful of scrambled eggs. He was quite hungry as he had not had dinner either the night before or this following morning. He looked over at Nyota who raised an eyebrow at him. She was already eating her third banana. Clearly, they had expended a lot of energy this morning due to their vigorous activities in zero-g. After he ate two bananas, a mango and an avocado, he sat back, satisfied and with a refreshed cup of coffee.

Nderu, Kayiga and Joseph wanted to take Spock with them on a tour of the farm, but decided that they would wait for Joseph’s brother, Daniel and as well as his brother in law, Reggie. Spock was grateful he had taken the time to get to know Nyota’s family tree beforehand. He would be meeting several new family members and it was important to remember them all and make a good impression. He was looking forward to his own family’s arrival as he could see that his uncle’s family would have much in common with Nyota’s.

Nyota’s uncles, aunts and cousins later arrived, along with their children. There were squeals of delight and happy screams as the cousins were reunited. Four females and one male all roughly the same age as Nyota or younger. The reunion soon spilled into the dining room and Spock was introduced to each one. After an hour, he noticed how Nyota was becoming fidgety. She was getting tired and overstimulated. Spock took Joseph aside with a question.

‘Of course, Spock. You’re absolutely right. Let me show you which room you’ll be staying in.’

Spock grabbed their overnight bags from the anti-grav sled outside and quickly followed Joseph up the stairs to the bedrooms.

‘Upenda and I decided to give you two the corner room. It’s on the older side of the house, but it’s big and it’s got its own shower. Water too. Rest of the house are sonic.’

He carried their bags to the bed, ‘Thank you Joseph. Nyota is still recovering from her fall two days ago and it would not do if she overtires herself.’

‘Yes, of course you’re quite right. Well, you settle in and I’ll go see if she wants to take a nap.’

Taking their clothes and toiletries out of their bags, he began putting things in their proper places. He opened up one of the windows to let the warm air circulate through the house. It was still early morning and it was already quite warm. Kenya was located right on the equator and he found the climate to be very agreeable. Although it was wetter than what he was used to on Vulcan, the heat had a meditative effect on him. He was so used to fighting the cold on the ship, he hadn’t realized how tense he was until that first wave of hot air melted it away.

‘Hey there.’ Nyota was leaning against the doorjamb. ‘I’d say it’s going pretty well down there. They already love you and are asking me for all kinds of stories. I hope my grandmother didn’t upset you. I’m honestly surprised that no one’s tried hugging or kissing you yet.’

‘I appreciate the restraint on their part, though you should mention to McCoy that although etiquette required them to refrain, the desire was still there. I am sure he would find that quite compelling.’

She laughed, ‘Yeah right, I’m sure Len would have something to say about that.’ She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him. ‘You’ll always be irresistibly huggable. Thank you, by the way for this morning. I enjoyed myself very much. And I’m sorry I got so excited that I ran and left you behind to do all the heavy lifting.’

‘Nyota, as a Vulcan male, I have at least six times your strength. Pulling upon an anti-grav sled is hardly heavy lifting.’ To prove his point, he lifted her up and carried her to the bed. ‘You should lay down and close your eyes. I will lay next to you and keep you company.’ He kissed her chastely on the lips.

She sighed and smiled, ‘Ok, fine. I’m going to rest, but I’m not tired at all. I’m just really keyed up right now. This time lag is going to bite me in the ass though.’

‘Which is why you need to rest.’ Spock settled down beside her and pulled her close, whispering into her ear, ‘Close your eyes, Nyota.’ He deepened his voice, knowing the effect it had on her.

Nyota’s fatigue was soon confirmed when she fell asleep in a matter of minutes. He meant to only meditate next to her, since he knew that eventually there would be a conversation with Nyota’s parents about his lupine infection and what that meant for the future. But he would not dwell on it and soon Spock was sound asleep.

Every week we will feature a new entry in our 70’s Superstars Series. Collect ‘em all! Just like Wacky Packages except with more polyester and cinematic iconoclasm…

This week’s 70’s Superstar is Hal Ashby.

Born William Hal Ashby in Ogden, Utah, Ashby experienced a tumultuous childhood that included the divorce of his parents, his father’s suicide and his dropping out of high school. Ashby was married and divorced by the time he was seventeen. Ashby moved to California where he became an assistant film director, winning the Academy Award for film editing. Ashby has often stated that film editing provided him with the best film school background outside of traditional study and he carried the techniques learned as an editor with him when he began directing.

Ashby directed his first film, The Landlord, in 1970. He soon embraced a counterculture lifestyle, became a vegetarian, and grew out his hair long before the ridiculous little ponytail on men look. Over the course of the decade, he directed several acclaimed and popular films, including Shampoo, The Last Detail, the still brilliant, off-beat romance Harold and Maude, and the social satire Being There, which resuscitated the career of Peter Sellers, who many had written off as a lost cause. He also directed the Woody Guthrie biography, Bound for Glory, which has a distinction of being the first film to use the Steadicam. However, his most commercially successful film was Coming Home, one of the first films to deal with returning Vietnam veterans; Jane Fonda and Jon Voight won Best Actress and Best Actor awards, and Ashby was given his only Best Director nomination.

After the filming of Being There, Ashby became notoriously reclusive and his behavior eccentric (he would pacify former girlfriends by hiring them as film editors or refused to eat food in the presence of others). As studio executives grew less tolerant of his perfectionism – he was scheduled to direct Tootsie – he found offers being refused and grew antagonistic towards production policies. Eventually, his later films were shelved or subjected to massive re-editing. In an attempt to revive his career, he discontinued his drug use, cut his hair, and began to frequent Hollywood parties as to suggest that he was once again ‘respectable. Unfortunately, his reputation preceded him and he never worked in film again.

Hal Ashby died in December of 1988 of pancreatic cancer. However, today he stands as an underappreciated auteur of the New Hollywood era. Earlier this year, a tribute was held to honor his work. The event, hosted by Cameron Crowe, featured appearances by Bud Cort, Jon Voight, Judd Apatow, and others, as well as a rare musical performance by Yusuf Islam, then known as Cat Stevens, who proclaimed, “The impact of my musical legacy was due in part to the fact that Hal Ashby embraced my albums and used them (as a soundtrack) for his amazing film Harold and Maude. People are as tied to that film as they are to my music and this event is an opportunity for me to honor the memory of the man.”

Have You Seen Desperate Housewives: Season 2 Episode 10 – Coming Home?

Episode Synopsis:

Bree has to deal with George’s death, Lynette tries to get daycare at work, Susan has problems with her father’s wife, Gabrielle fights for her husband and the Applewhites get Caleb back.

So what do you think of this episode?

If you missed it, you can watch it here.

… neither joy nor sadness; everything changes. To stay afloat in this sea of uncertainty requires a concerted effort towards awareness, a leaning into the very thing we’d rather not see and feel — guided by the ancient reminder to see things as they are, not as we would like them to be. Yikes! How many times do I have to tell you?

We all carry with us accumulated grief,” writes Ezra Bayda, not just for people who have died, but for every situation that has ever brought about an intense emotional reaction of loss (p.103).

For me, the task ahead is clear, the path itself obstructed. I know that one thing has ended and the uncertainty makes me feel dizzy. I know that everything’s impermanent; I also know that I must face (yes, imperative!) uncertainty head-on. So I sit on the meditation cushion, watch the next breath come and go; sense tears arising and withdrawing; enjoy freedom and notice fear.

Unattended sorrow, according to Stephen Levine, disturbs sleep and infects our dreams; unable to find our way ‘home’ all night; we feel lost all day. Nightly conflicts wear through our days. … It inhibits intuition. We come to trust ourselves less. We cannot ‘feel’ the world around us as we once did. … We feel ourselves a bit withdrawn, a little dead on our peripheries, a bit numb at the fingertips, our listless tongue lying sideways like a sunken ship on the floor of the mouth. 

It’s good to be reminded of what lies on the flip side of awareness: listlessness, fatigue, boredom, isolation, over-eating, depression, even illness. “To open into loss is to open into the heart of experiencing … a point directly in the center of the chest, sometimes called the grief point” (Bayda, p. 205).

sources: Bayda, E. (2003). At home in muddy water. Boston: Shambala. Levine, S. (2005). Unattended sorrow: recovering from loss and reviving the heart. Rodale, p.5.