life — Page 177

When The World is Too Much With Us

June 20, 2017 at 8:03 am by Claudia

We had a huge, scary storm come through yesterday and I have some cleanup to do before I leave for the city. Lots of catalpa leaves are all over the yard and if you’ve seen a catalpa you know the leaves are heart-shaped and large in size. We won’t even talk about all the blossoms that are everywhere.

Mostly, though, I can’t really write today. I am so disheartened by what is going on in Washington DC; the lack of transparency as Mitch McConnell engineers yet another swindle on the American people because he’s spiteful and power-hungry and he wants to give a huge tax cut to the rich by taking money away from Medicaid, the lack of transparency in the White House as press briefings are now private with no recordings allowed, the ongoing investigations, which are vital, while this sorry excuse for a human being undoes everything that made us good and compassionate and powerful and respectable.

I’m simply overwhelmed by it all today. And heartsick.

I’ve got news: governing is not slashing and undoing everything someone else has done just for the sake of doing it, for spite. Governing is listening to the people. Governing is working for the good of all Americans not just the rich. You work for us. We pay your salaries.

2018 can’t come soon enough.

I’ll stop there.

I have to go to Manhattan later today and I’ll be back home tomorrow.

Happy Tuesday.

Sadness and Anger

May 10, 2017 at 8:42 am by Claudia

I’m just throwing this in the post to have a photo and not just text.

I’m sad today. And frightened. And angry. These emotions are a response to two entirely different occurrences.

First, I was outside yesterday, mowing and doing yard work (too much of course) and I decided to check on the nest. What I saw was heartbreaking. One unhatched egg remained. Along with what were clearly some baby birds, but to be frank, all I could make out was a mass of fluff and part of a beak. It was as if they had been smashed.

Hoping against hope, I watched to see if they were breathing. But they weren’t. And I waited on the porch to see if mama or papa would visit the nest. No visit. The last time I saw the five eggs was last Wednesday or Thursday when I was mowing before it rained. Mama flew out of the nest when I passed by and I saw the eggs.

I have no idea what happened in the meantime. Was it a predator? Another bird? Was it the deluge that fell over the weekend – was it too much for them? Was it the cold? Was there something wrong with them causing the parents to abandon them?

So sad and so heartbreaking. I’ve left the nest alone. But it drew me back at least three times yesterday as I tried to figure it out and as I said a prayer for the babies.

Second – the firing of the Director of the FBI, James Comey. Despite the spin put on it, it’s abundantly clear that he was fired because he is investigating Trump/Russia. Trump is obstructing a Federal Investigation, enabled by Jeff Sessions who is recused from anything to do with Russia and Rod Rosenstein, whose claim of impartiality in his hearing is now laughable.

Our democracy, our republic, is in danger. Grave danger. This was the act of a dictator, a Fascist, a banana republic. In less than four months, he has taken everything we hold dear and desecrated it.

I woke up before 5 am this morning and couldn’t get back to sleep. I’m feeling about as frightened as I can be about the state of our country.

I’ll be back with something cheerier tomorrow. I debated whether I should tell you about the baby birds, but you were a part of the discovery of the nest and the eggs and I thought you’d want to know.

Say some prayers for our country. Take action.

Happy Wednesday.

A Big Old Sigh

April 4, 2017 at 9:46 am by Claudia

As I said in one of my comment replies this morning, when we have a sunny day, we are sure see a rainy day follow. Today is that rainy day. Heavy rain fell during the night. Now, it’s just damp, soggy and gray.

I was at the book store the other day. I found the one remaining copy of the new quarterly; Quiltfolk.

The first issue was focused on quilter and quilt shops in Oregon. This one is about Iowa. I’ve peeked at it, but am saving it to read this afternoon, preferably with some hot chocolate. It’s really beautifully photographed and written. No ads. That makes it pricey, but it’s such a treat. If I can swing it, I think I’ll subscribe.

I ran errands yesterday and then went to a meeting last night. The residents in this area have recently found out about the sale of some land to a developer who wants to erect cabins (both summer cabins and year-round cabins) with a swimming pool, restaurant, tennis courts – you name it – all on the creek that runs through this area and is right across the street from our house. We are banding together to fight it. It’s essentially a trendy ‘glamping’ resort and will bring way too many people into our area, displace wildlife including a prime bird of prey habitat, put a strain on our water supply (we all have wells), cause a loss of privacy for many of us, impact the views that many people moved here for, add light pollution, and the noise will be an issue.

Since the old mill across the road became a distillery and restaurant, we are already dealing with noise issues during the summer that we are going to attempt to measure in decibels. You wouldn’t believe how loud it can get with an outdoor reception and a DJ. And this new development also wants to have weddings. Even if they say there will only be a few, we know that once they get permission, it will be out of our control.

We also already have a camping resort just down the road that has been there for years.

Do we need more? No.

All this is impacting the quality of life for residents of our town. Between this and the horrific changes happening in Washington, DC, I’m feeling threatened on all sides.

So, we’re organizing, the core group that alerted the rest of us to this has hired a lawyer and we’re going to do our best to fight this. And no, we can’t afford to move right now, so we’re going to fight.

We’ve lived here almost 12 years and it’s only been in the last few years that we’ve had issues.

Sigh. And many curse words.

More egg cups. The one on the left is my ‘Scoutie’ egg cup because it has always reminded me of her.

Happy Tuesday.

When The World is Too Much With Us

Sadness and Anger

A Big Old Sigh

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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