I have a small confession: I am a trekkie. Not really of the ilk to travel with pointed anointed ears to a Convention, but enough of one to watch ST Next Generation over and over (well when I find it on TV and there is nothing else outstanding on). I usually dislike Lwaxana Troi because she is scheming and loud and gets married in the nude a lot (her open sexuality is designed to make us uncomfortable). I found an episode that she played beautifully-- "Dark Page" is the title. Lwaxana recovers the memory of loosing a child and tries to deal with the guilt and sorrow of the event. Beautiful and full of life with a little melancholy in the beginning.

She reminded me of my Grandma. I think it was more than just the performance, because I saw all of these episodes when she was alive and still vibrant in 1993. I was in high school and Grandma lived alone in a big house down the road we got along well. We loved watching action movies and eating popcorn. She loved the coast and her shiny red Buick Riviera.

My Grandmother also gave me the love of listening to people sing who cannot sing. I love it because it means they really love the music. She never sang for anyone but herself. It is just refreshing. I think that is why I loath the first round of auditions in American Idol because those people can't sing and they are singing for people.

I wish I had more things, more profound things to say about my Grandma. I love her. That'll Do.