Current Politics

Those who know me, know my political ideologies. I have long time friends who have different beliefs and that is life, not reason to cease being friends.

I went into the past election with hope that the progress that has been made over my adult lifetime was good and safe. I lived a time when women had to wear dresses or skirts to work and school; had to have husband’s permission to make decisions about our female health and reproduction; could not get a loan or credit card without husband’s or father’s approval. Where my friends of different races not only couldn’t date and marry, but could be arrested for doing so. I remember segregation in schools. I could continue this list but you get the point. We saw positive changes in these issues and women in jobs other than clerical, nursing, teaching. Then it started deteriorating. People who were racist and bigots becoming vocal and encouraged by a leader who exhibited those same traits.

When he as a convicted felon and convicted of falsifying business records in hush money payments to an adult film actress was reelected, I had hopes that at least the checks and balance system I was taught in 12th grade government class, the three branch system would at least temper his ability to become “King” (he said it himself) or a dictator and we would continue to live in a Democracy for the people and by the people. The Cabinet members were chosen not by qualification, but rather by fealty. If your opinion is different, you are fired, or banned from press conferences, or rounded up and deported.

We are a country of immigrants. His family was, his wife is. The Statue of Liberty wears a poem by Emma Lazarus, welcoming the tired and poor seeking refuge in this great country. Instead, we are seeing an approach to remove anyone “different” than white Americans. Even the native Americans who were here first are having to carry documents to keep from being rounded up. Personally, I am horrified at what is going on.

Horrified that health safety is being lead by a non scientist anti vaxer. Horrified that the EPA Director is a climate change denier. Horrified that Roe v Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court and women again have no autonomy over their bodies. Horrified that DEI is overturned and that we are returning to a point where you can’t serve our country in the military if you are trans or openly gay. That our National Parks are being gutted. And that the President is systematically making enemies of our neighboring countries and ally countries.

Where and how will it end? How will it affect my children and grandchildren? I am old and may not see this deterioration of our democracy end. I just hope for the safety and security of family and friends who have medical issues requiring regular treatment, for family and friends who are trans or gay, for immigrants who have been forced from their homelands because of war, gangs, or poverty seeking shelter and a better life here that they stay safe.

Dear Neighbor:

I don’t know you and you won’t see this. Even if you did, you wouldn’t change, or the behavior you exhibit wouldn’t happen. Remember this is a one lane gravel road with only 7 houses on it’s 8/10 mile length. It is a road that some of us like to walk for it’s hilly pastoral beauty.

However, you seem to think that someone magic is cleaning up your plastic cups, bottles, cigarette packs, and cans. It isn’t someone magic, it is your neighbors who do care what our rural road looks like.

You also seem to think this is a freeway and you have the right of way regardless when you speed up or down it at 45 mph around the bend in your sporty 2 wheel drive sedan, nearly hitting me as a pedestrian, almost causing a head on collision, or leaving those of us who have lived here for 20 or more years and proceed with caution, nowhere to get out of your way. Oh, and when the hilly road is covered with snow or ice and your 2 wheel drive sedan can’t get up it, abandoning it in front of a driveway for several days until it get’s towed by the State Police is more than inconsiderate.

Sincerely,

Your neighbor

Chores and Crafts

Yes, I am a senior in the upper half of my 70’s, but I can still work when needed. We have a couple of days of thaw and temperatures in the mid 40’s and we have about 25 fireplace logs unsplit from dead Ash trees that our south neighbor took down when he was fencing along the south border between our farms. A lot of smaller branches were cut by him and stacked for us, but the logs were in 10 foot lengths. Our young hay guy, a great and helpful man, came to remove an oak blow down that was in one of the fields he hays. While he was here, he cut the Ash into fireplace lengths and stacked them where they had been laid. We have some brutal cold expected Monday through Wednesday or Thursday of next week with single digit daytime temperatures. To be prepared to assist the heat pump and hopefully just be a supplemental heat (as long as the power stays on), I tackled the stack today and managed to get about 6 of the logs split, hauled down to the house and stacked on the front porch. The rolling wood rack was filled with older wood from the wood stack and also moved to the porch. This was an additional workout as there is still snow and ice from the past couple weeks of nastiness which makes doing anything a bit of a hazard.

This pile is about twice as large as when the photo was taken and the rolling wood rack is on the other side of the doorway.

All of this effort was followed with a coop clean out. They spent about 10 days without ever even peeking outside. Every day has required carrying a 3 gallon bucket of water over to them and bringing the frozen one back to thaw. The coop is a few feet higher than the garage with a several foot dip between so it was trekking up the hill without slipping on the ice. As that is the east side of the house and the house blocks the hill in the afternoon, the ice lingered.

The driveway is finally thawing and more ground and gravel is seen every day. With today’s slightly warmer temperatures and sunshine, the ice is becoming mud. Tomorrow evening we have rain then a couple inches of snow, but hopefully warm enough to not turn to ice.

The cold icy weather has allowed a lot of crafting time. The December “Fibre Snack” scarf has been the primary knitting project and is now about 2/3 finished. The base color is running out, it is wheel spun and there is more unspun that I will have to tackle it soon to finish the scarf. It is going to be generous, warm, and colorful when finished as I have used the daily December snack in the order they were spun.

It has gotten too large to take to hubby’s appointments, so it is an at home only project. Spindles and fiber travel to entertain me while I wait. And it often entertains many others in the waiting rooms as well.

Tomorrow before the rain begins, more wood will be split and covered to keep it dry in case it is needed next week.

Stay safe, stay warm. Take care.