mjh's blog

Merri!

I am writing
“Mark!”
frantically writing
“MArk!”
desperate to record
these fragile thoughts
“MARK!”

done. Back in bed,
she says,
“I thought aliens had abducted you.”
How can I hope
to be so imaginative? mjh

24Feb97

Listen to Merri! (22 seconds)

This poem is yet another true story.

We’ve been together 31 years (in October) and married 21 (in May). She is my muse and my best friend (cliché though that may be).

My Virtual Chapbook (table of contents)

Thirty years kissing Merri Rudd

Thirty years ago today, Valentine’s Day, 1982, Merri Rudd and I shared our first kiss. It was the morning after the first Valentine’s Day Pajama Party at Preston Road.

Happy Anniversary, Darling! xox, mjh

“I’ll be your man.
I’ll understand.
Do my best
to take good care of you.
You’ll be my queen.
I’ll be your king.
And I’ll be your lover, too.”
– Van the Man Morrison

See also http://www.edgewiseblog.com/mjh/the-atheists-pulpit/30-years-ago/.

30 Years Ago

Friday night, Halloween weekend, 1981, Robert Coontz brought someone new home for dinner (probably spaghetti). I stood in the living room to meet her and she walked around the far side of the coffee table, nose in the air. She wasn’t avoiding me (she said), just sniffing her surroundings, having been a dog in a former life. That was my introduction to Merri Rudd, my belovéd-to-be.

[photo: mjh & MR in Landmark Shopping Center photo machine, Alexandria, VA, January 1984.]

Our Twentieth Wedding Anniversary

To celebrate our 20th anniversary, we stayed in a B&B in Taos, on the ski road, just past Arroyo Seco. We hiked twice up near the Ski Valley. We dined at pet-friendly patios. Luke was the hit of Sabroso’s; a large group wanted to “friend” him on Facebook. It was a lovely time.

Hard to believe it has been 20 years. We’re hoping for 27 more.

From 20th Anniversary

The Catalyst

To Merri Rudd, brilliant on both sides of the lens. [my Dedication from Digital Cameras & Photography for Dummies].

Merri changes my perspective. (That should always be present tense.) She will crawl on her belly for a photo, whether to get to mountain gorillas or through the wildflowers. For years, Merri shared with me her Nikon camera and fabulous Nikkormat macro zoom lens. On every roll of 36, I’d shoot 30+ and she’d shoot a few. The best on the roll was usually hers.

Mer half-jokes about us switching roles with the advent of digital photography. She has seen more of the 40K+ photos I’ve shot since 2000 than anyone else has. She’s a great editor and ruthless about deleting bad photos.

Although I’m more comfortable photographing subjects other than people, I do have many favorite photos of Merri. Here are just a few:

Mer see the whole album

Robert Coontz

My Droog, Robert Coonz, is getting married today. All his friends and Droogies wish him and Jolene a long and happy life together.

Robert Coontz

Twenty-nine years ago (as of the end of October), Robert brought Merri Rudd home to dinner at Preston Road. That’s when John Merck and I met Mer. None of us could have imagined what that was the beginning of: the rest of my life. Thanks, Robert. I wish you as much good fortune as you brought me.

Elect Willow Misty Parks Bernalillo County Probate Judge

Bernalillo County Probate Judge is easy to overlook in the middle of a long ballot. However, this race provides a stark choice between candidates. Willow Parks is an attorney with experience in probate and related matters. Bea Sheridan is a retired nurse with no legal experience at all. You can look at their respective websites. You can read what the League of Women Voters has on both. For 60 years, attorneys have held this demanding part-time job. In fact, some of those former Probate Judges have gone on to higher judicial office. While many of New Mexico’s smallest counties have non-lawyers as probate judge, all of those seek training and support from the current Bernalillo County Probate Judge, Merri Rudd, who cannot run due to term limits, which she supports. The very fact that a non-attorney would seek this office is evidence to me that she doesn’t understand the job’s demands. It should come as no surprise that Bernalillo County provides many complex probate matters that require a judge who grasps the limited authority of that office. The Probate Court cannot accept contested cases, which must be bumped to District Court. Yet, Sheridan promises to resolve such cases, far beyond the scope of the office. Parks understands the authority and limits of the office and knows the law. Parks will be an excellent successor to Judge Merri Rudd.

I hope you will get the word out about this race. This is not a partisan matter: This is about what’s best for Bernalillo County’s citizens.

Willow Misty Parks for Bernalillo Probate Judge

Phone: (505) 842-1919 Email: parksforprobate2010@msn.com

Willow Misty Parks for Bernalillo Probate Judge