It has been rainy and cool. We usually have air conditioning by now--it's almost June. But I just took the dog out and the temperature on the back porch is 44 degrees.
Our yards have responded to all the rain by being glorious.
We have 4 rhododendron trees and all have larger blossoms than I've ever seen. (We didn't plant them, but they are the state flower of West Virginia, by the way.) And the purple irises, dozens and dozens of them, are in their glory in the front.
The ferns and ground cover in the side yard are wondrous.
Florida is in the worst heat wave in May history.
The mid-west is full of water and more tornadoes than ever.
I said, joking, to some friends, that nature was punishing the Red states.
They agreed.
I'll take 44 and rain any day over 100 degrees and floods and tornadoes.
And not having to turn on the air conditioning is a blessing.
New England is the place to be.
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
my father was a Republican
A rural farmer until he left home for the coalfields. A member of John L. Lewis' United Mine Workers Union--yet unmistakably (and, inexplicably), my father was a Republican.
Yet, if he came back from what some people (not me) call "a better place", he wouldn't recognize the Republican Party of his life-time.
Today was a "he said/they said" day.
Robert Mueller, what a surprise to hear his voice, said clearly and beyond contradiction, that his report 'could not' indite a sitting president and 'could not' say that president did not commit a crime!
Clear to me. There was evidence but Mueller, because of the rules as he understood them, could not accuse the president of criminal behavior for which their was evidence.
That was clear as day.
And then the president tweeted--he seldom 'speaks' except to contradict allies, as he did in Japan about North Korea--'case closed'.
And Rudy, of course, joined in.
And no Republicans, except the guy from Michigan, had the guts to object and say, 'hey, the Special Council is leaving this up to us in Congress to dig deeper....'
My father's Republican party, if nothing else, had guts.
They weren't always right, but they stood up for what they thought was right.
He wouldn't know who these people are. My father would be flabbergasted and horrified.
He might even have voted for a Democrat.
At least I hope he would have.
Yet, if he came back from what some people (not me) call "a better place", he wouldn't recognize the Republican Party of his life-time.
Today was a "he said/they said" day.
Robert Mueller, what a surprise to hear his voice, said clearly and beyond contradiction, that his report 'could not' indite a sitting president and 'could not' say that president did not commit a crime!
Clear to me. There was evidence but Mueller, because of the rules as he understood them, could not accuse the president of criminal behavior for which their was evidence.
That was clear as day.
And then the president tweeted--he seldom 'speaks' except to contradict allies, as he did in Japan about North Korea--'case closed'.
And Rudy, of course, joined in.
And no Republicans, except the guy from Michigan, had the guts to object and say, 'hey, the Special Council is leaving this up to us in Congress to dig deeper....'
My father's Republican party, if nothing else, had guts.
They weren't always right, but they stood up for what they thought was right.
He wouldn't know who these people are. My father would be flabbergasted and horrified.
He might even have voted for a Democrat.
At least I hope he would have.
Tuesday, May 28, 2019
Memorial Day
We had a great day--our friends: John and Jack and Sherry and their son, Robbie came for an early dinner.
We had grilled vegetables and green beans and potatoes and wondrous steak from the grill. Wine for Jack, Robbie and me. A torte, watermelon and cheesecake. Both Bern and I forgot to put out the salad I made so we're having Salad tonight as a main course.
These are long time friends. John from college, Jack and Sherry and Robbie from when we first came to CT. Robbie grew up with Josh and Mimi--he's the oldest of the three.
Jack is a Navy Veteran, so it was he who we honored yesterday.
Never mind that his two postings were Alaska and Cyprus! He's a veteran never the less.
A good time with good friends and lovely weather and fine food and drink.
What is better than that?
We had grilled vegetables and green beans and potatoes and wondrous steak from the grill. Wine for Jack, Robbie and me. A torte, watermelon and cheesecake. Both Bern and I forgot to put out the salad I made so we're having Salad tonight as a main course.
These are long time friends. John from college, Jack and Sherry and Robbie from when we first came to CT. Robbie grew up with Josh and Mimi--he's the oldest of the three.
Jack is a Navy Veteran, so it was he who we honored yesterday.
Never mind that his two postings were Alaska and Cyprus! He's a veteran never the less.
A good time with good friends and lovely weather and fine food and drink.
What is better than that?
Saturday, May 25, 2019
Longing for peace
And I don't mean "vs. War", though I long for all our troops to be out of conflicts as well.
What I mean is Peace like in relaxation, calmness, lack of anxiety, trust.
What I mean is I long for a different President and a different political place to be.
I long for Twitter to be closed down--I don't want to know what he's thinking at 5 a.m, or ever.
I long for ugly nick-names to be outlawed. "Sleepy Joe" is ridiculous. Biden is one of the more animated people I see. Calling the Mayor of South Bend, Indiana (whose name I haven't quite managed to spell) "Alfred E. Newman" is more an insult to the President than to Mayor Pete.
I long for 'lies' to be called 'lies' again and not ignored and supported by Fox News.
Face it, I long for 'no-drama Obama' or even the second George Bush.
I just want to be a proud American and not be assaulted by non-sense day after day and worry if John Bolton is going to take us into another long, unwinnable war.
I want to be part of the world-wide-economy and not be in trade wars that hurt us.
I want people to quit complaining about how Game of Thrones ended. I liked the ending, thank you.
I want a Memorial Day dinner with my friends without any of us fretting about the future of the land we love.
Peace and quiet and common sense. That's what I want.
It doesn't seem outrageous to want that.
Peace and quiet and common sense.
Just that.
What I mean is Peace like in relaxation, calmness, lack of anxiety, trust.
What I mean is I long for a different President and a different political place to be.
I long for Twitter to be closed down--I don't want to know what he's thinking at 5 a.m, or ever.
I long for ugly nick-names to be outlawed. "Sleepy Joe" is ridiculous. Biden is one of the more animated people I see. Calling the Mayor of South Bend, Indiana (whose name I haven't quite managed to spell) "Alfred E. Newman" is more an insult to the President than to Mayor Pete.
I long for 'lies' to be called 'lies' again and not ignored and supported by Fox News.
Face it, I long for 'no-drama Obama' or even the second George Bush.
I just want to be a proud American and not be assaulted by non-sense day after day and worry if John Bolton is going to take us into another long, unwinnable war.
I want to be part of the world-wide-economy and not be in trade wars that hurt us.
I want people to quit complaining about how Game of Thrones ended. I liked the ending, thank you.
I want a Memorial Day dinner with my friends without any of us fretting about the future of the land we love.
Peace and quiet and common sense. That's what I want.
It doesn't seem outrageous to want that.
Peace and quiet and common sense.
Just that.
Friday, May 24, 2019
Nancy vs. HWWNBNed
The administration released a video on the President's and stupid Rudy's twitter feeds that had been altered to make it appear Nancy Pelosi couldn't say two sentences in a row. Rudy kind of apologized but not the President.
(Note: I capitalize President because I respect the office, not the current office holder!)
The battle between the Speaker of the House and the President is epic.
Walking out of a meeting about infrastructure after three minutes. Calling for an 'intervention' by the President's staff and family. Questioning each others' mental health. Saying the President is involved in a 'cover up' right before meeting with him (which he is, by the by).
It's Ali vs. Liston.
What a battle.
But I think Nancy is getting the better of it all.
I read an article in The Atlantic today about how the President has his fingers in one of those finger traps we used to get. The harder you pull, the more stuck your fingers are. You have to be cautious, slow and deliberate to get your fingers out.
No one has ever said the President is cautious, slow or deliberate.
Go, Nancy!!!
Go, Nancy!!!!
(Note: I capitalize President because I respect the office, not the current office holder!)
The battle between the Speaker of the House and the President is epic.
Walking out of a meeting about infrastructure after three minutes. Calling for an 'intervention' by the President's staff and family. Questioning each others' mental health. Saying the President is involved in a 'cover up' right before meeting with him (which he is, by the by).
It's Ali vs. Liston.
What a battle.
But I think Nancy is getting the better of it all.
I read an article in The Atlantic today about how the President has his fingers in one of those finger traps we used to get. The harder you pull, the more stuck your fingers are. You have to be cautious, slow and deliberate to get your fingers out.
No one has ever said the President is cautious, slow or deliberate.
Go, Nancy!!!
Go, Nancy!!!!
Thursday, May 23, 2019
last possible graduation address
Billionaire investor, Robert Smith, said, in a graduation address at historically black Morehouse College that he and his family will pay off over $40 million dollars in student debt for the 400 graduates.
How does anyone agree to make a graduation address after that?
What could you do to top it?
Pay their rent for 5 years? Buy them a house? Send them on a world tour?
Lordy, Robert Smith, what you did will having colleges asking people like me to make the graduation address--or some guy who sweeps the floors or someone who works in the student cafeteria.
Graduation addresses are now a thing of the past.
Good for you Robert Smith.
Bad for graduation addresses.
How does anyone agree to make a graduation address after that?
What could you do to top it?
Pay their rent for 5 years? Buy them a house? Send them on a world tour?
Lordy, Robert Smith, what you did will having colleges asking people like me to make the graduation address--or some guy who sweeps the floors or someone who works in the student cafeteria.
Graduation addresses are now a thing of the past.
Good for you Robert Smith.
Bad for graduation addresses.
Tuesday, May 21, 2019
It's called "the Constitution"
Our President, Who Will Not Be Named, doesn't seem to understand what the Constitution is.
He doesn't get that there are three co-equal branches of government and that "co-equal" means what it means.
Congress has the obligation to 'oversee' the executive branch, yet this President is doing all he can to prevent that--withholding legally asked for tax returns, ignoring subpoenas for documents, telling people not to testify to congress.
It is an absolute outrage.
I'm not at impeachment yet--the information that would lead there is what the President is refusing to share.
So that means time and courts and I am tired of waiting.
Not since Nixon has any President played so fast and loose with the rules and laws and constitutional guarantees that make our democracy work.
I feel like I'm caught up in a bad dream and that all I believe in and support is being eroded by Mr. WWNBNed.
Can we survive another two years of this????
I'm not sure....
He doesn't get that there are three co-equal branches of government and that "co-equal" means what it means.
Congress has the obligation to 'oversee' the executive branch, yet this President is doing all he can to prevent that--withholding legally asked for tax returns, ignoring subpoenas for documents, telling people not to testify to congress.
It is an absolute outrage.
I'm not at impeachment yet--the information that would lead there is what the President is refusing to share.
So that means time and courts and I am tired of waiting.
Not since Nixon has any President played so fast and loose with the rules and laws and constitutional guarantees that make our democracy work.
I feel like I'm caught up in a bad dream and that all I believe in and support is being eroded by Mr. WWNBNed.
Can we survive another two years of this????
I'm not sure....
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