Some days are discouraging

 

Tonight we brightened the end of the day with an open-faced roast beef sandwich with mayo/horseradish sauce, blue cheese, good peppery watercress, diced beets, and a bit of vinaigrette. Jordan added avocado. It was pretty and delicious, and the day needed brightening, because I thought overall it was a discouraging day.

Some days I read the news online and hear it on TV, and I think the good guys are winning. Today was not one of those days. As we all know, this summer climate change has become uncomfortably real, and we read daily of heat domes and heat records set not just in our Southwest but across the globe. It has made people more aware, but will it have any effect on the politicians who cling to their profits from fossil fuels?

I read today of something called legal vigilantism. Basically, if I understand it correctly, it empowers ordinary citizens to enforce laws. The precedent is the Texas bill which allows citizens to collect a reward for turning in people who have had or try to have or arrange an abortion. It echoes the nineteenth century fugitive slave law, when citizens were rewarded for returning runaway slaves. Authoritarian leaders use legal vigilantism to sow distrust and to use citizens against each other to enforce laws. Think Nazi Germany.

The Republican Party, once the defenders of law and order and, above all, the military, are now attacking the military, the Department of Justice, and the FBI. Senator Tommy Turberville of Alabama has put a hold on all military promotions until the military rescinds its policy of granting paid leave and providing transportation for travel, when travel is necessary for an abortion. The result is crucial leadership posts are left vacant, many officers are serving at the rank and pay below what they’ve earned, morale is down, and some are leaving the military. Way to defend your country, senator!

Much of this—the attacks on the DOJ and FBI, etc.—is done with the unspoken goal of protecting trump who faces ever-increasing legal woes, as well he should. None of it is done with the idea of advancing or supporting America or its international position. MAGA Republicans, for instance, want to stop aid to Ukraine and may make that a bargaining chip when the debt ceiling rolls around again. President Biden has wisely said that Ukraine should not be admitted to NATO until the current war is over, because such admission would put America at war with Russia. But he sends weapon and support to fight what could turn into Russia’s march across much of Europe. Do Republicans care? Apparently not many of them.

A couple of things baffle me about this. I am reluctant to elieve that these people care nothing about their country. I understand that they don’t care about us as individuals. They are more interested in their own greed and power than in equal opportunity, individual rights, and the like. They have made it plain with laws that suppress individual rights, from voting to abortion. But can they really want to betray their country for the sake of one man who most believe is a crook without conscience, probably a traitor, certainly an unsavory, unreliable person?

The other thing that puzzles me is how many of these extremists who support trump are there? Some reliable articles call if a fringe, but others point out that his rallies draw large crowds and he is by a good margin the top-running candidate for the Republican nomination for president. Is it all blind, loyal followers or are there still politicians who are afraid of his power, afraid to cross him? 

So I got to thinking today about what my ideal for our country and the world would look like. If I could wave a magic wand today trump would be in prison, Abbott would no longer be governor of Texas, and Biden would be a shoo-in for the presidency—yes, he makes gaffes but overall his political wisdom and maneuverings amaze me. Russia would be defeated, Ukraine would be rebuilding (Putin might even fall out of a window). There would be no stockpile of lethal weapons in the world. People would drive electric cars recharged by solar and/or wind power. The EPA would have limitless power to enforce laws to ensure clean air and water, ban forever chemicals, and ensure the safety of our environment. That all surely won’t happen in my lifetime, but I welcome the small steps toward progress that I see.

Today I read of two groups that give me a bit of hope—one, called Win It Back, is running anti-trump ads. The group is tied to the Koch network and is ultra-right. I probably wouldn’t like many if any of them, but I applaud the ads. Much more to my liking is Mama Bears, a group with international chapters, founded by a Christian Evangelist housewife with the intent and purpose of supporting the LGBTQ community and seeing that LGBTQ citizens have all the rights and opportunities of everyone else. That lone woman demonstrates to me the power of one person’s voice and encourages all of us to be active citizens.

Okay, lecture over. Tomorrow maybe a lighter subject—and a light dinner again. Tis summer after all, and tomorrow the news may be all good.

My musings after a musical church service

 

Church has been iffy for me of late, even though I consider myself a regular churchgoer. For several reasons, some good, some not so much so, we have not gotten into the habit of physically going to church since quarantine, though I livestream the service almost every Sunday. Even that became iffy for a bit because the church had sound problems and listening intently became a strain. Now those problems are solved, and this morning I “attended.” A wonderful Sunday to be in church either physically or virtually.

The rituals of the service were interjected between movements of Vivaldi’s Gloria, which was, as our minister said jokingly, the best sermon he preached all year. It filled the entire worship hour. As a violin drop-out (when I was seven my parents recognized I had neither the ear nor the talent for it), I still am transported by stringed music, and what Vivaldi does with strings is beyond glorious. The choir out-sang themselves, and the entire experience was transforming. And thought-provoking.

The ministerial prayer focused on the terrible storms that have devastated many states and the solace that God can bring, in churchgoer’s eyes, to the victims. Once, a friend asked me how I could believe in a God who lets such devastation happen (after a terrible tsunami), so I asked our then-minister how to respond, and he said bluntly, “Shit happens.” But he went on to say that it is when shit happens that God is there for us.

This morning on Facebook, someone posted, “We can do nothing about these storms,” and I wanted to shout “Oh, but we can. We can take climate control seriously. We can pass the Build Back Better legislation. We can become caretakers of the earth instead of exploiters.” Science has demonstrated that climate change has intensified the severity and frequency of devastating storms. So it’s not simply a matter of faith. There are practical steps we can and must take. Remember when in Sunday school they talked about being God’s helpers? Not just for little kids.

And from there, of course, my happy little liberal mind went straight to politics, and I mixed politics and religion. If God (insert the deity of your choice) is our savior, he/she will not let the bad guys win. I know the world today is full of skeptics, yet there is no reason I should feel naïve or apologetic about saying, “I believe,” so here it is: I believe God will not let insurrectionists and fascists and perverted religion take over our world again as they tried to do in the Holocaust. That’s not to say we can sit back and say, “God will take care of it.” We have a big, huge role to play (think God’s helpers) but in the end, as we are taught, love will triumph. Not cruelty, nor punishment, nor greed for wealth and power.

Meanwhile, in Texas, it is clear that a whole lot of Texans despise our governor, lt. governor, and attorney general. I’ve seen estimates that if all who are inclined to vote blue turned out, we could defeat them despite voter suppression and gerrymandering. But pundits, who supposedly know whereof they speak, say that Republicans will retain control in Texas and retake the country in 2022. They cite the pattern for mid-term elections, blah, blah, blah. I am tired of politics as it always is. I want to see something unheard of and wonderful happen as people turn out in droves to speak for equality, diversity, kindness, and, yes, love. We simply must not dismiss what’s happening with a shrug and, “That’s politics.”

I don’t often write about religion—it’s a purely personal thing for me. But this morning’s service moved me in several ways. I’ll step down from my private pulpit now.

On a more ordinary note: we (Jordan and Christian and I) were expecting guests tonight for a birthday happy hour, and we planned a wonderful charcuterie. Then one of our guests reported in ill. A disappointment, but we had our own happy hour—nice family time in front of their almost-decorated tree, lots of catching up. Good food, but I’m going to scramble a couple of eggs in a bit. A comfortable Sunday night.

Mosquitoes, fossil fuels, and happy hour

 

Lovely to wake up to a damp and relatively cool world this morning. While the temperatures didn’t rise all that much this morning, the humidity did, and everything felt sticky. Working at my computer, I had the urge to go wash my hands three or four times, just because they were sticky. Tonight, it is almost eerily still, not a leaf stirring, but the temperature is still okay.

We had happy hour outside, with elaborate precautions to avoid mosquitoes. When Jordan told me to keep my patio door closed until she came back out, I knew she had sprayed Yard Guard—and I rebelled. I admit mosquitoes don’t much bother me, and I realize they are a major problem for some—who knows what attracts them? I’ve heard various theories, from sugar in your blood to perfume to the color of your clothing. I also know the threat of West Nile Virus hangs over all of us, and for those of us who are elderly, it can be life-threatening.

That said, I still don’t want to put more pesticides into our atmosphere. I am more afraid of climate change for my grandchildren than I am of mosquito bites for me. I read an article today that linked the scorching, sizzling temperatures on the Pacific Northwest and the collapse of the huge building in Surfside, Florida to climate change, and I am a definite believer. According to the article, humans are cooking the earth with fossil fuels for a short-term gain. I know there are many who scorn science, an attitude I can’t understand, and sometimes I have the unladylike thought that I want to beat their pointy little heads until they understand. We have changed weather patterns, and we are ion for increasingly severe hurricanes, soaring temperatures (which cause people to run their a/c and only aggravate the problem). Ice in the Arctic is melting. I read with horror that Ron DeSantis, that Florida genius governor, has issued an edict that forbids Florida cities and towns from choosing clean energy over fossil fuels. Is he a troglodyte of some sort? (I hope that too can be taken to court—my goodness, the courts will be busy with all this junk legislation Republicans are passing.)

The building in Surfside? From what I read, the collapse can be traced to several things, including building superstructures on sandy landfill. (It is now outlawed—too late for 160-some people!) Experts also say that rising sea levels, due to climate change and melting ice in the Arctic, weakened the underground supports for the building, more so because the water was salt water. And of course, there’s deferred maintenance—the building was inspected several times and cracks in the structure noted each time. The HOA was notified, but residents were assured it was safe. You suppose someone was making money from that?

Though tempted, I won’t say the collapse is all Republicans fault, but in Florida, it’s  a hard conclusion to avoid. In Congress, Republicans, under the devious leadership of McConnell, are united in opposition to extensive infrastructure legislation which would curtail the use of fossil fuels, promote electrical vehicles, and work in other ways to counteract climate change. I suspect they want to encourage fossil fuel use for the sake of the donors who line their pockets. If it weren’t so serious, I would laugh at the objections they bring up, such as that electrical vehicles must be re-charged using fossil fuels.

I urge everyone to read as extensively as they can about climate change and then decide for themselves. Do not listen to Mitch McConnell, John Cornyn, Ron Johnson (the king of anti-science and anti-vaxxers), Steve Scalise (who learned nothing from a near-death experience), and a host of other.

Rant over, though I have another, minor rant. I spent well over half my morning in “chats” with reps from Amazon and Humana. In truth, both chats were productive, but my goodness they take a long time. I suspect each representative is juggling three or more calls at once. For those of us on the ground, it’s so frustrating!

To end on a happy note: we had three guests for happy hour, our regular Tuedsay night get-together plus a guest, and best of all one of them brought a wonderful array of meats, cheese, and fruits, including really sweet blueberries and some homemade Parmesan crisps. Deet had apparently banished the mosquitoes, and I kept my mouth shut about that. A good time was had by all.

I realize I digressed tonight, and ranted, and lectured, but I can’t help ending with a question: what did you do today to save the environment?

Going green

Quote for the day

Sandra Cisneros: "I write because the world we live in is a house on fire,

and the people we love are burning.”

The destruction of our environment through climate change and human footprint is a major concern for me—and one big reason I am so vehemently opposed to our current president. But today I read about Inkwood Books, a New Jersey store that has taken big steps to be more sustainable, and it struck me we could all follow some of these ideas. So I want to share. The bookstore is certified as sustainable under both a municipal and a state-wide program. I don’t know for sure, but I doubt Texas has such a program.

The effort at Inkwood includes LED lights and environmentally friendly appliances such as refrigerators and the HVAC system. Business cards and gift certificates come from a local printer, and food for events comes from local sources. Single-use plastics have been eliminated, which means that the store owners bought reusable water bottles for the staff and uses re-usable plastic wine glass for events. Toilet paper and tissue come from a company called Who Gives a Crap and are made entirely from bamboo. The staff cleans with a solution of vinegar and water in a spray bottle—no it won’t make your house smell like vinegar. Bags for customers’ books come from Ellerkamp, a company specializing in recycled bags and gift wrap.

We could each apply some of these ideas to our own homes. I already use LED bulbs, but today I made a note to buy a huge jug of white vinegar and a supply of old-fashioned brown paper lunch bags. Not everything  needs to go in a plastic baggie. I firmly believe the day is coming when single-use plastic bags will be universally forbidden, and I admire the states that have already banned them. I try to take recycled bags to the grocery, but sometimes—with curbside pickup—it’s not practical, and then I always ask for paper grocery bags. I buy almost no prepared food and little processed food.

I am so impressed with what many countries—some of them so-called undeveloped—are doing to save the universe. Many countries have extensive tree planting programs; others are inventing ways to re-use plastic and to clean the oceans. The United States not only lags behind, but our government has reversed regulations meant to protect the environment and us—regulations that assured us of clean air and water. They have released protected lands, even lands sacred to native Americans, for mining. I read today they have released vast wetlands in the Chesapeake Bay area for development, without any consideration of what that will do to the ecology. Mother Nature will not be ignored, and I only hope we can change administrations in time to reverse this damage.

It is curious to me that this administration doesn’t realize that if they kill us all with pollution and climate change, they will also kill themselves and their children and grandchildren. Do they not feel mortal? Our president will, I suspect, be among the first to succumb because he is in such poor physical condition. The power of the almighty dollar amazes me.

I expected tonight to feel like the most pampered woman in America—I would have a new haircut, my dog would have had a spa day with bath and haircut, and my house would be clean. Well, I got two out of three: my dog is soft and clean and smells good. And I swear she lost five lbs. I had been worrying about her weight, and I guess it was all fuzzy coat. And my house is clean, my laundry done. But the wonderful young woman who comes to the cottage to cut my hair forgot me. When I called, she said, “You’re going to kill me.” I told her I doubted that. We made another appointment for Friday. I’ll still feel pampered.

In defense of Facebook

A few of my friends aren’t on Facebook. In fact, they are downright scornful of it. I try to tell them it’s benefits, but they think it’s all fake news and Russian bots and foolishness, and they can’t be bothered. I, however, am a Facebook addict.

Originally, I signed up to keep track of my children.  I soon found, however, that one son told me what time before dawn he went to the gym, what time he left, what he had for lunch. Too much information, much as I love him. Today, my sons have melted away though my two daughters and two daughters-in-law are medium active. Some simply react to what I post; others post about their lives and doings.

As an author, I found it important to be on Facebook to let the world know about my books and about me. I try hard not to post too much “Have you bought my book yet?’ stuff. I know authors who post some self-promotion every day, and I find it wearying. But in judicious amounts, I think it’s helpful. I’ve read that young people don’t read Facebook much—they’re on Instagram and other new platforms. That’s okay, I think my readers, my target audience, is on Facebook.

These days I find myself n a conundrum. Some authors never ever post about politics, lest it offend a reader or two. I find I cannot keep quiet about what’s happening in this country, and I post and share and comment a lot. You do have to be careful that what you’re posting is authentic and true. I have a Facebook friend—an author I knew in my publishing days—who does his best to keep me honest. Lately he’s alerted me to “outrage” sites which exist to stir up controversy and diversity. Russian bots? Could be. Beyond the New York Times and the Washington Post (both of which limit my views because I don’t subscribe), I like the National Memo, Wake Up to Politics (done by an incredible high school student), and Daily Kos.

Some days Facebook makes me laugh aloud. Yes, it’s sometimes about things that our squatting president does, but it may just as well be a dog post. I liked one recently that had two pictures, one on top of the other. The top was trump saying he’d love a dog but he doesn’t have time (it would cut into all that Fox watching and golf I suppose) and below it a Dachsund, paws in a prayerful pose, saying, “Thank you, Jesus.” Or the one of a couple exchanging wedding vows at an outdoor arbor. Their large dog sprawls upside down in front of them—that absolutely unselfconscious, happy pose that dogs get when they’re perfectly happy with their surroundings.

It took me a while to learn what a meme is, but there are many on Facebook that I like and that would make me a little wiser, I think, if I pay attention to them. These are often accompanied with terrific photography. A current favorite: “Life’s tragedy is that we are too soon old and too late wise.” Another favorite: “May you touch dragonflies and stars, dance with fairies, and talk to the moon.” One that hit home said, in effect, “Buy that plane ticket, apply for that job, date that person—do what scares you the most.” I wish I’d heard and heeded those words when I was younger. I think a lack of courage has limited my life—too late now to discover that.

Lately I’ve found lots of posts about the great strides other countries, a lot of them so-called “undeveloped,” are making to slow climate change. India, for instance, builds roads of plastic waste. We in this country should be ashamed that we are so behind but then, trump is recruiting fourth-rate scientists to prove that climate change is a fiction. He may kill us all. Meantime I share the environmental posts I find.

And finally, there’s friendships. Like many others, I’ve rekindled old friendships and sustained longtime ones with Facebook exchanges. I’ve made new friends, and I’ve chatted with an extensive network of writers. Facebook has broadened my horizons.

Okay, yes, it’s a time suck. I prowl Facebook early in the morning, after reading email, and late at night, just before I go to bed. During the workday I ignore it. But I won’t give it up, and I invite you to reach out and explore the world it offers.

Fire and drought--is brimstone next?

After the recent election, I vowed not to join the ranks of those who preach gloom, doom, and the end of America as we know it. Yet two national happenings really disturb me tonight. They are not directly related to the election, but eventually they are.

The first is the terrorist at Ohio State. Call me a bleeding heart, but to my mind he was a miserably unhappy soul, displaced, probably facing academic and social pressure. And he lost it. No sane person does what he did. News reports called him a shooter, but as far as I have heard no gun was involved—a knife and a car are lethal enough. Spouting anger at the U.S. for what our country has done in the Middle East, he was the perfect recruit for ISIS. Doesn’t sound like they got to him yet, but they would have. May he rest in peace that he couldn’t find here, may his family learn to live with this tragedy, and may his victims recover without many scars, either physical or emotional.

Most terrorism and mass shootings in this country are not done by Muslims, but the perception persists that Muslim terrorists are responsible for all violence. There is the occasional disaffected one—the Boston marathon bomb detonators, for instance. But we can’t blame terrorism on Muslims alone. And maybe it’s time, as a lot of the country has said, to re-examine the Middle Eastern policies put in play by Bush and Cheney. Certainly it’s time to study gun control, but I’m not hopeful about that.

On a personal note, I have a granddaughter headed to college next fall. Statistically she’s safe—but you can’t help but think that yesterday’s victims probably also felt safe. As soon as that thought went through my mind, I realized that I have a  twinge of fear sending off the elementary school children. Jacob goes to school across the street from my house. One day I came home to see fire trucks at the school—of course, it was nothing except it caused a wave of fear to go through me.

The other event that I can barely watch on TV is the fires in the area of Gatlinburg TN. I have only been to Gatlinburg once years ago and my memory is clouded but I recall it as a touristy town with slow-moving traffic. We bought a wonderful heavy pottery dinner service and I used it for years—I think my brother now has it. On the way across the mountain, it was single-lane, one-way traffic—a long, slow ride—and of course one of my children developed an urgent need for the potty. My dad drove stoically, eyes ahead, without comment, while I tried to placate the child. The other thing I remember is a black bear mama and two cub prowling through garbage at a shelter turnoff; a woman with a young child got out to show the child the bears—as far as I know it didn’t turn out the other way, but how dumb cab some people be?

So I have no wonderful memories of Gatlinburg, but my folks retired to Tryon, North Carolina, the other side of the mountains, and we all loved that area.. I checked Tryon today and they had heavy smoke drifting in from fire in western North Carolina--the Highlands—but no immediate threat of flames. Watching the flames eat brush, trees, and houses in Gatlinburg was devastating—I don’t think I could stand to see Tryon go up in flames.

And of course here I differ dramatically with climate change deniers. I think the dramatic changes in our weather patterns speak to the urgency of that problem…and here again I have little immediate hope.

And there you have it—two tragic instances in the last two days that speak to larger threats facing our country. No, they won’t be addressed in the next session, but I still have hope for the future. Join me in praying for America.

Thoughts from a prude

I never thought of myself as a prude. I think my four kids will tell you I was fairly forgiving and understanding when they were teenagers, though I did draw the line at fart jokes and other bathroom humor. But now, frankly, I’m appalled at the tone of our presidential primaries.

Let me hasten to admit that I’m a liberal, and I find the objectionable material on the right. But we have presidential candidates talking about who can pee where, how women can avoid rape (don’t go to parties—yeah, that will fly with the younger crowd), masturbation and small hands, and dildos. These are men who want to run what was once the most powerful country in the world and is closing to regaining that status? Can you imagine FDR, Truman, Eisenhower, even Nixon or JFK bring up such subjects on the campaign trail? Certainly not either of the Bushes (their wives would cream them) or Barack Obama. No, we’ve hit a new low.

I know it’s important to Ted Cruz to improve the morality of America (according to his standards) but, frankly, I find it a deterioration of our standards of common decency. What happens in the bedroom—or shower stall or wherever—is between two people, or maybe one, or maybe three or more. But it’s not the government’s business.

Are there not more significant problems for presidential candidates to consider? Like the ever-exploding Middle East, the climate and weather problems, immigration, social inequity, medical care? Why are we hearing about people’s personal sexual habits, especially from people whose own habits are not above scrutiny if gossip be gospel?

Today I read that Ted Cruz promised to step back the “war on coal” if president. Does he not realize that coal manufacture pollutes the atmosphere almost more than any other industry? Oh, that’s right. He doesn’t believe in climate change, but he does believe selling sex toys is harmful to the morality of Texans—and by extension, most Americans.

Both Hillary and Bernie have addressed the problems of the LGBT community but not in a prurient, judgmental way. Other than that, they have stayed out of the bedroom, and that’s one more reason I’d vote for either of them.

Come on, folks, let’s not lose the standards of decency and reduce our country to this level of baseness. We are better than that.

I cannot help but think of my mother. If she heard this discussion, her chin would go up, her eyes would go out the window, and there would be no such talk. A true lady. We could all learn from her.

 

 

I don't understand....

I really don't understand climate deniers, fracking advocates, those people who are destroying God's green earth. For years, before environment was a big concern, I worried that we were covering the earth's surface with concrete so that it could not breathe. I still think it's true.
Now I worry that we drilling deep into earth's core. Recently two wells exploded near Karnes City TX, an area of heavy fracking. The explosions spewed oil and chemicals into the area, destroying a wide swath of fertile land.  Families had to be evacuated--some may never be able to return home if decontamination is not possible. In North Texas I believe they've called a halt to drilling in areas experiencing frequent earthquakes--we never had them before.
The majority of scientists agree that fracking is bad for the earth, bad for people, and should be stopped, so I'm at a complete loss to understand legislators who pass laws like the one Texas Governor Greg Abbott just signed forbidding communities to have any control over whether or not there is fracking in their area. The city of Denton had voted on such a ban, and it passed by a large vote of the populace. Now their vote is null and void.
It seems that legislators who pass these laws are not thinking beyond the immediate moment. They aren't thinking at all about the earth we leave to our children and grandchildren. They aren't thinking of the wildlife populations and natural flora and fauna that are destroyed. It's the same problem we've witnessed for years with clear-cutting Amazon forests.
One thing I fear I do understand is that those behind this environmental damage are thinking with their pocketbooks--sure, there's money for Texas in fracking and, quite possibly, under the table money for some legislators. Plus some property owners are getting rich allowing fracking on their land. I think fracking and climate change denial and laws that tie the hands of the EPA are a product of greed--and greed may yet do us all in.
On my soapbox next, possibly, what greed is doing to nutrition. Oh, so many causes, so little time. That's what polluters don't understand--so little time. It's not a future problem. It's here and now.

Nothing to say

I think I just went three nights without blogging--unusual for me. But in truth, I had nothing to say. Oh,  I could comment on Dennis Hastert and his troubles but what's the sense? He's dug his own hole and may be digging it deeper. And I could comment on my strong objections to open carry in Texas, especially the idea of "forcing" private schools to comply. What is this with government, particularly state governments, forcing their own morality and standards on everyone? I thought this was the land of the free. But then, if you read my blog at all, you know how I feel about these things, so why should I repeat. Facebook daily gives me things to rant about--Scott Walker's latest bill practically legitimatizing incest, a church scorning a woman for wanting an annulment from her pedophile husband. And the list goes on. It makes you think we live in the best of times, the worst of times.
I could tell you my horror at the flooding in my state. I have never seen anything like this in the 50 years I've lived here. I'm both repelled and fascinated by the TV coverage--Lake Lewisville is slowly backing up into the yard of a friend, and I can't imagine how she feels. I pray for the souls of those washed away in Wimberley, lost in Houston, and other places. Some rivers flood frequently, but we are having floods in unexpected places, and after three years of bemoaning dramatically low lake levels, we have lakes so full they're open the overflow gates. How would I feel if I lived in the path of those released waters? My oldest son and his family lives on a pond/lake that is creeping into their yard and the other day the road our was impassable.
I tend to believe with those who say this is Mother Nature's payback--climate change (scoff all you want--it's undeniable), fracking, pipelines, all the things we're doing to the earth which was God's gift to us. Years before it was fashionable to think about such things, I used to worry that we were covering the earth's surface with concrete--all those parking lots--and not allowing it to breathe, expand and contract in a natural way.
To me, it's sort of convoluted--we have a generation of politicians who put their pocketbooks ahead of public concern and any thought of the future. Don't they have children and grandchildren? Don't they worry about those young ones inheriting their folly, let alone debt. Oops, I've veered off into a political diatribe...but I feel so strongly about some of these points.
On the other hand, for all the worries about the crowded field of Republican presidential candidates and what some of them would do if elected, and for all the worries about ISIS and international problems, I kind of do believe we live in the best of times--our country is flourishing economically, employment is up, public confidence is up. We are a fortunate people.
So maybe tomorrow I'll have something wonderful to comment on--or maybe I'll tell you about the joys (?) of physical therapy.

An old story by now

Snow is a tired old story in the Metroplex by now. We had our share of ice and snow early in the week and some of us--count me--thought it was mostly behind us. Yesterday there was a light dusting which proved to be just that and no more. In spite of Jordan's misgivings, I went to the grocery and nothing bad happened.
So this morning when Christian said, "Hunker down. It's going to snow," and Jacob crowed, "It's snowing already," I didn't think much about  it. It was a light dusting--tiny flakes--but it kept coming all morning and into the afternoon. If you live here and watch TV at all,  you know how bad the roads were: at one point, police were working 45 accidents with 30 in the queue.
I had more social plans than usual this weekend and was looking forward to being out and about. Tonight is (was?) a preview at the Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame of a special program, scheduled later, on the making of the movie, Lonesome Dove. Not sure how I got an invitation, but I did, and Carol Roark was going with me, threatening to wear those rhinestone chaps she doesn't have. Tomorrow night we were going to take friend Phil--and his seeing-eye dog--to Weatherford for the opening of a show on The Buffalo at the Museum of the Americas--cancelled. We may go to the Old Neighborhood Grill for supper. It will be good to get out of the house and among people if that happens.
I did worry about getting Jacob from school, because the TV had dire warnings about how slippery things were. The mother of one of Jacob's friends picked both boys up about 10:30 this morning. Jacob went home with them to play and was to be delivered back here. But then he was invited to spend the night. Every time I glanced out my office window today I saw parents picking children up early. The school never did officially dismiss early.
There are good things about snow days--I'm more likely to do my yoga when home alone all day, and I get a lot of work done. Dug into my novel-in-progress last night, reading from the beginning, and found lots of holes and contradictions. Then I lost track of what had happened when, so I will have to do that again. I will write more tonight and then read--not the book I'm reading for review but a mystery that I can lose myself in.
Next week doesn't look much better--freezing rain and sleet tonight, rain until midweek, but by Tuesday the predicted high is 77. Today it didn't go above 28. Want to talk about whether or not climate change exists? I have a few words, not polite, for the legislator who brought a snowball into Congress to demonstrate that the earth is not warming!

That first taste of fall

This morning it was still muggy and hot, but as Texas can do, the temperature fell all day. By the time I went to supper, it was almost chilly and I took a light wrap. Definitely not a patio evening. Tonight, when I let Sophie back in, it struck me as really cool. That's what they say about us Texans--we can't wait for the heat to leave and cool weather return. And then we complain that it's too cold. I will say mid-afternoon it felt great out, even with spitting rain and cloudy skies. Tomorrow it will warm up and continue to do so until we hit 90 mid-week, but everyone seems to believe that triple-digit days are gone. And we can live with 90.
It's early for weather this cool. I always think it comes the first few days of October. And even more interesting, alarming, or whatever word you choose, the far northern states have seen their first snowfall today. I think I read that it's a record--earliest on the books. These dramatic weather changes are alarming to many of us--portending environmental change and a bleak future for the planet, even if not in our lifetime. Many scientists and environmentalists have been saying that for a long time, only to be dismissed by industrialists as fear-mongers and alarmists. I'm not sure how you can dismiss an increase in violent storms, drought, and severe temperatures. But I guess if business and profits control your thinking, then you're for strip-mining and off-shore oil rigs and pipelines through everywhere. One aspect I finish particularly sad is the diminishing native environment for polar bears. But perhaps even more serious is what pesticides are doing to our bee population--how many believe that we can live...and eat...without bees? Don't fool yourselves. (Oops, I just got preachy!)
I did read that the effect of greenhouse gases seems to be diminishing and the solar cover of the earth is repairing itself. Maybe the efforts of those of us who use long-term light bulbs and conserve energy in other ways are paying off. To me, it's sort of like voting--don't believe your small individual doesn't pay off, because it does!
Environmental concerns aside, I ate my way through the day--lunch with a longtime good friend at a local café where I haven't been in a long time. Great pimiento cheese sandwich, and they always add a small Andy's mint to the plate. I think I eat there for the tiny chocolate. Tonight, my "Canadian daughter" and I went to a new tapas place and shared bacon-wrapped dates, smoked salmon and whipped cream cheese on baguettes (for some reason it was drizzled with honey and our hands got so sticky!), and quail with quail eggs--I should have known better than to expect the eggs hard-boiled but still I was a surprised when they were poached. So good! And so nice to visit with her. Lovely evening.
Now I'm back at my desk but not really ambitious. Looking forward though to a weekend of cooking and writing.
Happy cool weather everyone. I heard it's going to be a cool, wet winter. We're ready for it. No ice please--snow is acceptable.

Our artifical world

Maybe it's because I'm getting old and I remember the "good old days," but lately I've really been worried about the artificial world we live in. Not much is left to nature these days, and yet I firmly believe that grand old lady knows what she's doing. This isn't a new thought for me, but it hit home when I saw where someone--probably a nutrition authority--said we do not eat food any more. We eat "food-like products." I am truly alarmed by GMOs but even more so by pre-packed, pre-prepared foods which must have a jillion preservatives in them. "Just add water, heat and serve." No thank you. Most of it tastes like cardboard. But there are some foolers. I love ranch dressing, especially the powdered kind you mix with buttermilk and mayonnaise for salad dressing or mayonnaise and sour cream for a dip. These days I make my own ranch flavoring out of fresh herbs or relatively fresh dry ones. I also make my own taco seasoning. I don't buy chicken nuggets for my grandson any more--they aren't chicken but "by-products" and when I buy him hot dogs (which he loves) I get Oscar Meyer Select which the label says is pure chicken or turkey or beef. Hope I'm not being gullible on that one. Sometimes I can't escape using Velveeta because of its melting qualities, but it's a rare day. I'm thinking of making my own mayonnaise though right now I'm using Duke's, which my gluten- and dairy-free friend recommended. I don't buy margarine but stick with real butter and try to be cautious about the amount (though I do love it). I don't buy low-fat dairy products since someone pointed out to me if they take the fat out they have to put something else in to compensate. And I wish I could afford all organic vegetables and fruit--but I try for locally grown, and I think there are some products that you really should buy organic--berries, for instance. And apples.
Cleaning products pollute our world terribly, and some include ingredients that can do all kinds of damage--bug sprays for instance. I have an infestation of moths right now, which really upsets Jacob. He wants me to hire an exterminator, and I explained that I wasn't going to spray my house with poison for a few moths. When I do need an exterminator, I call a company that uses only organic products. Except with rats--I had a rat problem last summer, and when I asked how they get rid of rats organically, the representative said flatly, "We don't. There's no way." The internet though has tons of recipes for home-made, effective, organic cleaning products--many with good old white vinegar.
I have long had my own superstition about all the concrete with which we are covering Mother Earth. I think the earth needs room to breathe, and yet we building multi-story structures and parking lots and slowly but surely getting rid of all open space--and all the plants and trees that destroy carbon dioxide and help create fresh oxygen for us to breathe. Whenever I fly over the American West and see the vast open land, I'm a bit reassured. But I think sometime we will be called to account for what we do to the land and the environment. And don't ask me about strip mining in the Alaskan wilderness or the Keystone Pipeline.
Finally, in my litany of worries, I think so many of us are overmedicated. My doctor found a certain medication threw off my electrolytes, so when I took another medicine to correct that, I developed digestive problems. I really like my doctor, but I want to say to him, "Don't you think my body is trying to tell us something." Don't get me wrong--I appreciate modern medicine for the most part--if I didn't take the hypertensive, anti-cholesterol pills and others, I would not be as healthy as I am for my age. But yoga also contributes a great deal--and is a natural remedy..
The whole point of all this rambling is "Quit messing with Mother Nature." When I hear Senator John Cornyn urge Texans to keep the EPA out of Texas I see red. I hope next fall we can get a Congress who will pay attention to pollution, climate change, and the damage we are doing to ourselves and our world--and forget kowtowing to coal mining, the gas industry and fracking, the oil industry, and others.