By David Fortier 

Come Sunday morning, the new year will have arrived and no one I know really knows what to expect, but we trudge on just the same, which is another way of saying that life goes on, finds a way, and even if we aren’t “feeling it,” we are swept along. And there’s always something new sweeping me along. 

For starters, we welcomed a new grandbaby the week of Christmas and Mary and I spent the first few days of the next week helping out the parents with the newborn and the older sibling—older but not by much at 22 months. That was a ball—and such a gift. 

Grandbaby slept most of the time—and ate every couple of hours. Older sibling but not by much was a bundle of energy—yes, I took naps, when he did. Mary was the only one who didn’t nap, making herself useful in any way she could, from doing some laundry to straightening things out, while keeping up with some of her other duties, including a Zoom meeting. 

For my part, I cooked a couple of meals and cleaned up the dishes. 

And then at the tail end of the week, we celebrated girl baby grandchild’s second birthday, another big hit, from the time we arrived—Mary baked the cake, a confetti cake—until we cut cake after some snacks, a walk, early dinner, and opening presents, baby girl grandchild entertained us with her quiet quips and inquiries after, what else, the cake.  

And all of this against the backdrop of Christmas and New Year’s and, of course, the spread of the latest variant of the coronavirus, which continues its march across the globe, the country and Bristol. (In Bristol the latest figures indicate 10 of 14 ICU beds and 82 of 134 in-patient beds at Bristol Hospital are occupied. These are things to watch for—hospital beds and rising cases.)

I get it—unless someone is personally connected to COVID, they might miss out on the reality that comes to us daily from statistics accumulated on many levels—city, state, regional, national and global. But, gosh, it doesn’t take much imagination to draw an obvious conclusion that we have a problem and it’s better to attack it together than separately. I’m guessing at least, it’s better to be safe than sorry. 

And toward that end, this week’s reading/listening is two-fold, double for your money. First up is a segment from Open Source with Christopher Lydon, one of the earliest, if not the earliest, podcasts, out of Boston. This episode features Mark Blyth, an economist who teachers at Brown University and hails from Scotland. He is a straight talker, takes positions that are surprising—as well as illuminating—and always leave me with a great deal to mull over.  

For “Blyth Unleashed,” click here. 

Second up is a novel, The Round House, by Louise Erdrich. It deals with a difficult subject—rape, so be warned, family—both nuclear and extended, and justice—on many levels. This is only the second book by Edrich that I have read, the first being A Plague of Doves, which was heartrending and magical—magical, not in the way of fantasy, but in the way of hard reality and how people find a way to make their way through. 

For a review, check here.  

For a copy of the book, check the Bristol Public Library catalogue. Click here. 

Looking ahead, Rit Carter has another special report that he is finishing up for publication this coming Saturday. This two-parter deals with sedition in 1918 Bristol, and it includes a femme fatale and a local pastor. 

In the meantime, be well and keep safe. 

“Come Sunday morning” is intended to be a weekly review, a recounting of the past week and an anticipation of week to come. Among its features will be reviews of old and new books, sharing of favorite podcasts, some family news, Bristol events and happenings and issues surrounding education, work and community journalism. He can be reached at dfortier@bristoledition.org.