I am a political animal

 I always have been interested in what is going on.  I consider myself a liberal, but I understand the conservative POV.  I think we need both sides to get it right. 

I do NOT understand the current mindset of the Republican Party.  They LITERALLY have NO platform and are dang proud of it.  The only agenda they have is that ANYTHING Joe Biden wants needs to be stopped.  I swear if he declared breathing to be mandatory , the Faithful would hold their breaths until they passed out - I would PAY to see some of them keel over in that instance.

I wonder what time Marjorie Taylor Greene will be on the stand on Friday.  Oh, she's playing the victim here to the hilt.  Haven't you heard the Truth will set you free, Marge?  She was SO sure the Insurrection would work, she made VIDEOS to support her support for it so Trumpty Dumpty could have evidence of her fealty.  Now it's just... evidence.   Get out the popcorn.  May this just be the first of a long list of reckoning for people who tried to overthrow the government.

I see that the Republican Party in Tennessee tossed Trumps hand-picked candidate, a woman with no experience and NO knowledge of her district based on interviews she has given- off the ballot.  They are NOT supporting her candidacy.  Tennessee went so far as to pass a law that you have to live there three years before you can run, but since they passed it after she was on the ballot, this may not apply to her.  Still I am proud of the Republican Party there ( something I rarely say) in their standing up to the Former Guy.  I hope she loses "bigly" and moves back to wherever she came from.  Carpetbagger much?

I am watching the election in France.  Are the French so fed up that they will elect an actual Putin-loving and Putin OWING- Communist?  I hope not.  Look what happened here when we "elected" ( with Putin's interference) a Putin sycophant.    yeah.

Alex Jones is apparently spilling the tea all over the place, possibly in hope of getting help with his legal troubles regarding the BS he spewed for YEARS about the Sandy Hook killings.  He needs to lose everything, as those families did as he continued to smear them as fakes.  He is the worst instance of walking excrement I have ever seen- and that includes Steve Bannon who always looks like he needs a bath.

To Quote Margo Channing "Fasten your seatbelts, It's going to be a bumpy night."

Easter and where have I been

 To my regular readers who think I fell off the edge of the world, I kind of did.  On March 15th I had a total knee replacement.  It is a rough go and I have not had the energy or the brainpower to write ANYTHING.  So here I am.  Lots to unpack.

This is Easter Eve or whatever they call it.  I am sure there is a name for it, but it escapes me right now.  I have said it before and I will say it again; you can talk about "The War on Christmas" all you want and wring your hands and moan that "Christians are being canceled" but if you follow your faith, you will realize that EASTER is the main holiday for Christians.  Seriously, the whole thing is based on his taking our sins by dying and rising again.   I don't particularly buy into that, but it IS what Christians believe and I am not going to attack anyone for their belief as long as it makes them a better person.

I have been thinking about my childhood church and the teachings therein.  So, in no particular order:

Why are we pissed off at Judas?   IF we believe that God sent Jesus to die for us and all of this was part of His plan, then WHY are we angry at JUDAS for doing what God himself ordained?  It had to suck to be Judas.

Why do we throw shade on the Jews for Jesus crucifixion?  The Romans were in charge and they were the ones who passed the judgment.  Ok, so the whole "Give us Barabbas and crucify Jesus" thing.  Someone once told me the theory that Barabbas was a leader in an underground movement and that's why they wanted him back.  Interesting thought, but again, if God himself put this plan in motion, why are we casting blame for people doing God's will?

My faith is not the faith it was when I was a child.  I don't behave myself for hope of Heaven or fear of Hell.  I am not quite sure either exist in the mode that was presented over and over again in countless thundering Sunday sermons.  I do believe in God and have a rather quirky relationship with my creator.  I am still trying to figure it out.  I suppose I will see if I got it right at some point in the future.

I don't think God intercedes much on our behalf.  If he did , Putin and Trump would have been smote down with bolts of lighting ( something the Southern Baptist minister of my childhood constantly referenced to scare the congregation)   So far, nada from God on what going on in Ukraine, although the sinking of the flagship was a good start.

The banning of books is getting out of hand.  Honestly, today Florida banned MATH books for teaching "Critical Race theory" or as we like to call it "history"  Heaven forbid the children of that state not be taught the "Happy Darkie" theory;  that Black people are somehow inferior and appreciate being kept in slavery.  UGH.

Don't start me on Gregg Abbott of Texas.  He creates an artificial crisis and then changes the rules to somehow appear to Save The Day.   I hope people in Texas remember freezing because the power grid was substandard and the Governor did nothing and now they are going to pay higher prices for a fake supply chain problem.  Vote for Beto if you can.

But my thoughts turn back to Easter. I am making a traditional meal, somewhat abbreviated as standing for a long time is still tough.   I am going to color a few eggs and make deviled eggs for tomorrow.  I brought back my Mother-in-law's deviled egg plate, so that will hold pride of place on the table this year.  I miss her terribly.  She was a true blessing in my life and I am  proud to have been her daughter.

Happy Easter.

Thursday morning

 I know I should write every day and as I wind down toward retirement, I am going to try to do that, to keep my chops up, to keep my brain active to do something.

I have worked steadily since I was 18- I was off for brief periods of time due to illness or childbirth, but I have always worked.  It is going to be weird not to have that thing on my schedule.  People say it will take a while before it really sets in that I am not going to a job.   I have a friend who gave himself a year of doing nothing except what he wanted to do before finding what it was he really wanted to do.  I think that sounds like a fine idea. 

I am not the kind of person to do nothing.  Sure, there are days when lying in bed reading is all I want to do, but then I feel like a slug and start some project.  I am doing little artsy things that I enjoy and I am pretty pleased with the outcome.  I post pictures of them on FB when I hang them- they are door decorations, I just finished one for Valentines Day and I need to get it hung.  It's not anything remarkable, but I like it and one of my neighbors said she likes my decorations so that was nice. 

I am thinking of making Gazpacho for dinner- without the cucumbers Chris hates- in honor of that idiot MTG.  THERE , ladies and gentlemen, is the product of a poor education.  This is what you get when you tell people that their children can't handle the truth of history and tell it like a Disney version of Grimm's Fairy Tales ( read the actual Grimm's Brother in German, you will be horrified)  We need to tell them the truth, so we don't repeat the past.

So, I am looking at recipes and  getting ingredients for a cold soup that might be nice this evening.  it has been typical "winter" weather here, high 70's with clear days.  I await the rains in the end of the month and in March. We have not had much rain and we are in a severe drought.  

I'd better get my tail in gear here.  I have to be "at work" in 1/2 hour  Still working hybrid, part here part there.  We do not have enough space to all go in at once and socially distance.  There IS space in the huge building I work in that is not being used but we can't get access.  I suppose cleaning the areas that are unused on a daily basis is a concern.   that is a rant and a musing for another day.

A poem about my garden (inwhich I try to channel Mary Oliver)

 

My neighbor

waters the weeds

in my garden

The ones the gardener  ignores

and the ones I don't have the time

or the energy to pull

so they grow

around the rocks

and the other plants 

that my neighbor 

and his grey metal can

water gently 

every day.

Almost No one reads these anyway

 Well , there are about three people who check in with me.  Thanks guys!  I suppose I write more for myself, to keep my skills up but it IS discouraging to post and have no one even look at it- there's a counter and it tells me.

Sigh.  

We went to the Getty yesterday.  It was a nice day, perfect weather as we sometimes get in mid Winter around here- in the mid 70's and clear as a bell.  Not too windy.  I always laugh at the houses on the hill, near the Getty.  Big Mansions that cost a pretty penny.  I always wonder f those people know their home is built on a garbage dump.  Yep.  A landfill.   As a kid, I remember the garbage trucks going up that road that now leads to those pricy homes.  I'd be willing to bet it was not mention by the realtors in making the sales pitch.

I always go and look at The Irises- the Van Gogh that usually hangs in the gallery.  It is the prize piece of the collection, purchased in the 90's for an obscene amount of money.  It is beautiful and now encased in glass to keep people from touching it.  It has its own guard who keep people back from it.  Before they put the glass on it, I used to tuck my hand behind my back when I would look at it; the urge to touch it was so strong. The textures and the colors are wonderful to look at.  I have been there once or twice when it was not on display and I was disappointed.  

They had a lot of Gauguin's on display and I really looked a them this time.  There was also an alabaster bust of a woman that was so beautifully done, it was almost as if she could speak.  I think of Michelangelo  who said that he felt he was feeing the subject from the stone when he sculpted.  I like that notion, that art is there, waiting to appear.

Still I am trying to write as often as I can, not just when the spirit moves me.  Writing is a craft that must be practiced or you lose the muscle memory.  I had promised to write every day at one point, but that fell by the wayside as life became overwhelming and I just didn't feel like exploring my mind and putting it to "paper"   As I get ready to retire, I am planning my next move and I hope that daily writing will be part of my journey.  even if it is only for a select few who keep up with me, 

Wondering aloud- Republican Party thoughts

 In no particular order, follow my meandering mind into the rabbit warren that the Rethuglican Party is.

• I see Mike Pence has FIANLLY said something in response to Trump.  Did Casper Milquetoast FINALLY grow a spine, or does the Koch Brothers PAC have their hand up his back?  If I recall correctly, one of the Koch Brothers is dead, so it's only a Koch Brother making that sock puppet move his mouth.  It's a case of too little-too late there Mikey Boy   UNLESS of course he is cooperating with the January 6 Committee- what a DELICIOUS thought THAT is.  Pence knows where the bodies are buried.

• Steve Bannon accused Pence of "ratting Trump out"   Well, I have watched enough mob movies to know that "ratting someone out" means telling the TRUTH on someone to the authorities.  Slips of the tongue are aplenty these days as the truth begins to do its thing.  I find that lies will ultimately crumble.  the truth will always be the truth so it can bide its time.

• Trump admitted in writing and in speeches that he was trying to overturn the election.  Think about that for a minute.   Good   Treason is defined as:

            The offense of betraying one's own country by attempting to overthrow the              government through waging war against the state or materially aiding its enemies.

Do you think this meets the guidelines?  

• If I am reading her correctly, Rona Romney McDaniel believes the insurrection and all that went down on January 6 in the Capitol building was "Legitimate Political Discourse."  So, I guess she would have no problem if a group of  "ordinary citizens" chose to break down the doors and smash windows at her headquarters while she was deciding to whether to pay Trump's legal bills or not.  No problem at all with them  bear-spraying her security team and beating them with anything they found handy?  Just fine with them pooping in the hallways and smearing it all over the walls and her desk?  I wonder if her blood ties to Mitt Romney ( who I am not taking issue with today, since he seems to have his own fence straddling to do in regard to all this) got her the gig in the first place.    

• Seeing everyone line up behind Trump, you have to wonder two things.   Are they giving out lobotomy coupons at RNC conventions?  Just  WHAT does Trump have on all these people to make them get down on their knees before him?  Do you really believe that BS or has Trump conned YOU into selling your soul for power he can no longer give without the help of  HIS Master.  

• I LOVE that "W" as I call the second Bush , is giving the maximum allowable donations to all those  with an R after their name who voted for impeachment.  Good for him.  I didn't care for him and I thought Dick Cheney might have been a wee bit too involved in his decisions, but I never thought him evil or intent on destroying our Republic.  

• While I am not a fan of Liz Cheney- I'm a bit too Liberal to go along with the Republican Platform in MOST instances- I admire her and Adam Kinzinger for their willingness to bring truth to the surface.   Why is the Republican Party so afraid of the truth?  I want to know the truth, whatever it is.

• Since he is so "Christian" I wonder if  Trump is familiar with the verse John 8:32 "And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free".  Someone needs to tell him it is not "Work makes your free" ("Arbeit" translates to "work" )

You need to know that although I am a FLAMING LIBERAL DEMOCRAT  I do believe that we need to hear the more conservative take on things to make decisions that will be the best for all the people.  HOWEVER  I do NOT believe that banning and burning books- as they are starting to do- is the "solution"   AND when you think the Nazi's deserve a seat at the table, you just lose the argument altogether.

Poem "he waits in the wings"

 Listening to a song

by a singer I had never heard

I kept mishearing her sing

"He wakes on the wind"

in the chorus

I was taken by the imagery

of the spirit she was singing about

who caused her trouble and pain

Waking on the wind

as if the wind would blow the trouble and  grief

swirling around her

and not blow it away