I love all the zinnias, but this is my current favorite.
Well, I was somewhat successful yesterday with my new way of thinking. But the world intrudes and I find myself enraged by the lies and then I have to take a deep breath and remember my mantra: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
We are currently right smack dab in the middle of a pandemic, a hurricane, an RNC filled with lies and an alternate reality, forest fires, the shooting of an unarmed black man in the back, seven times, and a 17 year old white nationalist and Trump rally attendee carrying an AK15 who murdered protestors and walked away when there were police everywhere. As Rachel Maddow said last night, it’s not only happening today, it’s all happening at this moment.
Don thinks that we’re not wired to take in all of this, that we’re not wired to deal with the constant assault of bad news from social media, cable television, newspapers, radio and 24-hour cable news. I think he’s right. I feel like I’ve been struck repeatedly by a cudgel. Obviously, I haven’t, and I’m safe right here in my home and am not being assailed by hurricanes or ignorant fools carrying an assault weapon. Metaphorically assaulted.
I would say my usual “What’s next? Locusts?” but there were locusts in Africa recently. Let’s not mention the asteroid that is coming our way.
Anyway.
We had some rain this morning. The sun is now coming out but we’re due for intense thunderstorms this afternoon. What we really need is more steady rain like we had for a few hours this morning. We were up in the woods yesterday and the trees up there are clearly suffering from not enough rain. What we do get lately are huge thunderstorms with lots of torrential rain that are gone in 15 minutes. That kind of rain doesn’t really penetrate the ground. We’re were hoping for an all day steady rain, but it looks like we aren’t going to get that.
Let’s see, what else? We’re going grocery shopping this morning. I’m insisting that Don take a break from outdoor work as his knees and hands are sore. I’m going to retreat into the fantasy land of my dollhouse later this afternoon, as well as a good book.
I hope you are safe, that those of you in the path of the hurricane have evacuated. My prayers are with you.
Happy Thursday.
I have to keep reminding myself that at this very moment everything is ok. The problem Is at this moment so many are suffering. Woody was trained to do texting yesterday for Biden. I have to figure out what is best for me to do to help make things better.
Positive thoughts,
Eileen
There is a certain feeling of guilt that so far have not lost our income or home or become ill. Gratitude and guilt and anger and fear. I know you will find a project to fulfill that need to help.
I’m interested in what Woody is doing. That sounds like something I could do.
Much love, cousin.
xo
Ah! The fantasy land of the dollhouse…sounds perfect, a small retreat over which there is peace and you have total control. Often, as you might gather from my comments here, I make a vow to stay away from all forms of political news, but it leaks in with some new torment every day. Don is right–we had enough problems gathering berries that weren’t poison and running down a deer from time to time. Our technology has overwhelmed us, and the ruin of selfish cruel governments and policies from just about every country in the world sprawls into our food, water, air, and shelter and we’re either in the boiling pot right now, or in the beginning of the boil. On another topic, I received by 1/24 scale gypsy wagon kit yesterday. Honestly, I have to laugh. Like Goldilocks, my mini journey is either too big or too small and I keep falling myself that I can paint, build, glue and wallpaper things when I don’t see well at close distances and my fingers feel like sausages. Also, the small problem of no patience. I do have a nice collection of cardboard boxes in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. Sometimes shippers are so inventive putting two pieces of different boxes together, like Frankenboxes. I pray for rain for the plants, receding waters for the floods, rain for the fires, building supplies and food for the wrecked houses, and most of all Biden and Harris. They can’t fix much, but at least they are a step in a different direction. I might have to get a giant bumper sticker or a tattoo. Sending you warm thoughts for some comfort today.
The kit to make the Gypsy Wagon sounds neat, Nora. Just take it slow.
I didn’t get to the dollhouse because we had to shop and then attend a webinar about our union health insurance which is changing due to the rise of health care costs and, of course, the fact that no actors are working and will not be working for a long time.
It’s very depressing.
Stay safe.
I’m sorry about the insurance shake up. It’s so hard to keep our heads above water with wave after wave after wave. Wish the teachers and artists in our lives were valued more. Stay well
Thank you. xo
Yes, it’s all just overwhelming at the moment. I have purposely watched none of the conventions. I’m just done with the whole mess. But as you say, news manages to intrude anyway.
I am also worried about the school situation. Our granddaughters start next week. While I am looking forward to some peace and quiet I worry about how safe it will be.
I am trying to focus on today and all the good things in my life.
Stay safe (and sane)
I know that worry. My little nephew started this week. In Florida, of all places.
Stay safe, Marilyn.
Ha, yeah – the asteroid. What kind of Yelp review would we all be giving 2020 about now?
The Kenosha tragedy is close to home (literally) for me. My mom spent her last year and passed away in an assisted living facility there, closer to my brother (just across the border in Illinois) and me than our hometown. My niece is the director of an art museum there, still going to work every day. I agree wholeheartedly with Don. We are not wired to keep track of all this chaos.
And that is why I skipped Night 3 of the convention. I watched Stephen Colbert’s monologue this morning, as I usually do. HE admitted he didn’t watch either. What he had to say though was funny and touching and I’m so glad I check in with him daily.
Hoping you get a nice long rainstorm.
Kay
I agree that Stephen Colbert’s commentary was excellent. He said he just couldn’t listen to one more night of constant lies and fearmongering.
It’s so heartbreaking. I am sure Kenosha must be reeling from all of this. I worked with a girl years ago when we were camp counselors. She was from Kenosha. I think about her every time I hear that name.
I can’t watch any of the convention. It’s all lies and I don’t have the self-control needed to stay calm when I hear that stuff.
Stay safe.
I know that I am personally not wired to take all of this in, process it, and move on. I agree with Don that most of us are not. Now that the idiot and his cronies have announced that the Pandemic is over, (???) and are helping that statement with reductions in and bad advice re: testing, I would bet it might never be over. And his cult marches on mightily behind him. ugh. It is beyond frightening to see the number of people showing up at the protests armed with their horrific weapons and ideology. I will be soooo happy when this s#@t show is over this week and we can stop paying for his jet hopping all over the country with that AH grin on his fat orange face. (Does his makeup “artist” know how ridiculous he looks, or is that intentional??)
I pray that something so vile it can’t be ignored will come out before the election. I already know these corrupt politicians are planning some October Surprise about Biden and his son. It will be lies of course, but they will stop at nothing. We need the same kind of weapon.
His makeup is darker than ever. Ridiculous. He looks like the clown he is.
Stay safe, Chris.
Don’s right — most of us aren’t wired to take all this in. I shake my head — Fires, covid, hurricanes. Dirty cops and vigilante justice (and I say ‘justice’ with irony.) And so many people are challenged. The wedding of my cousin’s daughter next week was scaled down to barely anyone when even the maid of honor backed out become of Covid concerns, and meanwhile, his mother-in-law will be lucky to last the next few days in Hospice. Our niece is on a ventilator in Nashville. Maybe pneumonia, maybe Covid — we don’t know yet. And millions of other families are in the same boat.
But we do have zinnias. And other blooms. And dollhouses and paints and walks and fresh veg. We have to grab those things now.
I’m so sorry about your niece, Jeanie. I pray she improves.
Stay safe.
She’s off the ventilator — that’s a big plus. Thank you, Claudia.
Oh, wonderful! I’m so glad to hear that. xo
sending prayers for you and all your family, jeanie!
kathy in iowa
The shootings that just took place (both of them) were only 40 minutes from my house. There are riots and shootings going on all over the area now, as they are moving into the surrounding suburbs. A town only 30 minutes away from me where some of my friends live, was on lockdown last night. So scary.
Too close to home, Melanie. It must be so upsetting. Praying for everyone in your area and that the violence stops and peaceful protests continue.
Stay safe.
adding same prayers …
stay safe in every way! your friend, too.
kathy in iowa
Thank you, Claudia and Kathy.
Hi Claudia,
Is there any update on the tree surgery? Hopefully you will be amazed at how quickly you recover from it and I am sure they will do an excellent job. Might I suggest choosing that day for a road trip to spare you and Don the sights and sounds that are not pleasant, just necessary.
We lost a large red Japanese Maple yesterday and it has left behind several vulnerable hostas, rhododendrons and azaleas that will surely let me know they miss their shade.
Take care…
Kelly
No update yet. We had to delay it while we took down part of the fence and we let them know that was finished. We’ll check in with them again tomorrow. I won’t go away that day as I want to make sure they don’t overprune our trees.
I’m so sorry about your beautiful maple!
Stay safe.
dear Claudia — had a terrible nightmare — trump won, but somehow he found out I did not vote for him, had me arrested and jailed!!! have been feeling “off” all day — that dream was so real and lifelike and scary. so afraid for our future — not so much for me but especially for my grandchildren. stay safe/well. p.s. computer is saying I have written this comment before but have not. linda / ky
That is a terrible nightmare, Linda! I’m scared, too I understand.
Stay safe.
sorry — don’t know what went wrong — sorry
I deleted the duplicate comments, Linda. Don’t worry.
i agree with you and don … i have to limit what i see and hear because it’s too easy for me to get overwhelmed and depressed and angry about all the horrible things going on in the world. while i disagree with the expression “ignorance is bliss” (especially in the dangerous time we are in right now), sometimes i have to keep the tv and radio off and avoid news websites so i can sleep at night.
glad you have the flowers, books, dollhouse projects and especially don.
hope you get a soft, steady rain that soaks into the ground. we need that here, too.
had a good news/bad news day here. the bad: a friend’s mother had a stroke (she’d appreciate prayers for her mother and i’d appreciate prayers for both of them … thanks). our governor spoke tuesday at the republican convention. also, i ordered some fabric online, had it shipped to me at work, called today to check on it (beyond overdue) and learned it had been delivered 23 days ago at 1:18 pm … which means someone stole it in broad daylight. ugh.
some good news: the mayor issued a mask mandate yesterday for everyone outside of their homes/apartments to wear a mask. no fine yet, just be given a mask and a reminder about community health … but!!! my co-workers and others must now wear masks so that is progress. :) plus, tomorrow is friday!
hope you have a good night and stay safe.
kathy in iowa
kathy, I’m sorry someone stole your fabric; that’s so mean and unfair.
‘a friend’s mother had a stroke (she’d appreciate prayers for her mother and i’d appreciate prayers for both of them … thanks)’ – – you’ve got it, kathy; prayers all around; there are a lot of people suffering out there with more than just Covid as life keeps going on with all the usual medical hardships.
hej, vicki …
thank you so much for the prayers. my friend will appreciate that very much.
same about the fabric … thanks. it was dispiriting to have it stolen, but there is a bright spot: the store offered to send me the same four yards of fabric for free. isn’t that nice? i didn’t accept their offer, but it helped just to hear it.
hope you are having a nice night, your pup continues to feel better and you stay safe.
kathy in iowa
We had thunderstorms and crazy weather, so it wasn’t a steady rain, but we did get more rain and that’s good.
I’m so sorry about your fabric! I don’t understand people that would do that.
I heard about the mask mandate yesterday and turned to Don and said “Finally!”
Stay safe.
hej, claudia …
glad you got some rain! we might get a little bit tomorrow morning. i hope we do … much needed!
thank you. i was bummed about someone stealing the fabric, but felt better when the store offered to send me the same four yards of fabric for free. i didn’t accept that very kind offer, but it made me feel better. i will try again and this time have it sent to my home address.
even though it only covers about half the metro area and there is no fine for violating it, i am glad our mayor issued that mask mandate. maybe more people will take it seriously and help fight this thing. yesterday our state had more than 2,200 confirmed cases of covid-19 in just 24 hours … and our governor is still refusing to require masks statewide (ugh … i am so tired of hearing her say “i trust iowans to do the right thing”).
hope you and don had a good day, take it easy this weekend and stay safe!
kathy in iowa
She’s a Trump sycophant, unfortunately. She should have issued a full-out mandate months ago.
Stay safe, Kathy.
I think we should all just move into our fantasy land and let the idiots get on with their ridiculous ways. The world has gone crazy or rather the idiots in the world have gone crazy. I can find enough to retreat into in my world to keep my mind healthy. It’s only when I go outside my fantasy world that I feel unhappy.
Exactly, Robyn.
Stay safe!
“I feel like I’ve been struck repeatedly by a cudgel.” Oh dear, Claudia, I had to look up cudgel.
But I hear you. It IS a daily clubbing. My blood was boiling before the night ever started up for this ridiculous RNC finale. It’s not good for us, this continual, chronic stress; Don is right, how possibly can we be wired for this onslaught of horror, day after day after day.
Thurs nite though, heartbroken was the oft-repeated word of more than one expert/guest on the news shows, and I feel the same, of seeing The People’s House used as a location for a political function; wrong-wrong-wrong. Would be the same for any political party; ILLEGAL. And they get away with it. Again.
How dare he put his name in ‘lights’ at MY/our National Mall; the smug, arrogant king in his palace. Offensive in every aspect with the flags (my flag, your flag), the people sitting with no masks and no distancing while OTHERS ARE DYING of Covid, such an effrontery; pomp and pageantry in the most insolent, disrespectful manner possible. Oh boy do I hope it backfires on him.
How dare he. HOW DARE HE.
My husband and I refused to watch him but I will spend some time Friday-today listening to the fact checkers. Apparently he had at least 20 major false claims in the speech, no surprise. My husband spent Thurs eve trying to learn how to file a complaint of Hatch Act violation. It’s how he deals with it; ACTION. My husband recently said that if the post office continues to be interfered with, he’ll walk on hot coals if he has to, AND risk Covid to get to a polling place. This election is a life & death matter (in some way not unlike the virus) in that Trump will kill our democracy and our lives will no longer have the freedoms which were our rights from the forefathers. Never, never did I think this would happen in my lifetime. Never.
Thanks for letting me vent. I’ll try now to adopt your new way of thinking, because I feel you did come to a good conclusion about it: Joe Biden/Kamala Harris. Focus. Focus. Yes. And daily prayer; God save us. I think we’ll all feel more empowered once we get our ballots.
I keep seeing in my mind, the promotional spot on DirecTV if you hit the ‘pause’ button, but it’s for that Showtime series called The Circus (“Stories from the 2020 Presidential Campaign”); I’ve heard reference to it but haven’t seen it because I don’t get the premium channels, but it’s this depiction of the giant memorial statue of Abe Lincoln at indeed the National Mall but with his one hand over his face, as if to illustrate a Lincoln who can’t believe what’s happened to the U.S. since he was the country’s leader more than 150 years ago, almost as if he’s slumped in anguish. (If you google the show, the same image is at the header on the Showtime page. Unknown to me, the show’s in its 5th season.)
Speaking of Lincoln, I continue to be intrigued with the work of the Lincoln Project. When any of those people are guests on the news shows, I perk up and really listen.
I follow the Lincoln Project on Twitter and I love their work. Their ad campaigns are the best I’ve seen. I listen to them. For this moment in time we are allies.
Stay safe.
Desecrating the White House on a daily basis, but this ‘reality show’ was the final straw. I’ve had it.
Stay safe, Vicki.