Thursday, November 7, 3:30 pm
The sun set and the sun came up again. The earth has not tilted on its axis. One pleasure of a south-facing beach view is being able to both sunrise and sunset. (If it not overcast as it is again today.) All the democratic commentators are wringing their hands and I can't watch.
Wednesday, Nov 6: New Year Day 2. 2:30 pm
We went to bed last night uncertain of the the election outcome - too close to call. We woke up to our worst fear, Trump is the President-elect. He won not only the electoral college but the popular vote as well. No Republican candidate has done that since 2004, George W Bush. If there is a silver lining, it is that there will not be a controversary about the outcome. Votes are still being tabulated, but we have intentionally left the TV off and avoided scrolling on-line media.
The weather is dreary, rain and clouds and the east wind is still blowing. It fits our mood - depressed. We will intentionally avoid despair. We will hope the worst of his plans will not materialize. We will hope our basic institutions hold. But we recognize that we are living into uncertain and troubling times. It is hard to reconcile that a little more than half of our fellow Americans deem him fit to be president of the United States of American (or don't even have a concept of what that means.)
Yesterday my thoughts were about how the country would manage the chaos if he lost. Today, I worry about how we will avoid slipping into a fascist autocracy.
I have read a few uplifting posts and shared them. I talked to Anna S to encourage her. I have spent several hours working on a hard jugsaw puzzle (until I got a crick in my neck.) I have watched the surf and I keep saying - keep calm and pray on.
I pray that this will not be an existential crisis - but it is. I pray that our democracy will endure, that my grand-children will experience peace and prosperity.
I am encouraged that in all but one state where reproductive rights were on the ballot, the rights of women were affirmed, even in states like Missouri that Trump won by big margins. The ballot measure did not pass in Florida because a 60% majority was required and it got 57%.
I am discouraged that the Senate and probably the House will be controlled by Republicans with very slim majorities. I predict that the Senate will abolish the filibuster at some point in the next two years.
I will keep on keeping on. My take-away from today's Daily Discipline (Psalm 127:1-5) is this: "It is not our role to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders."
at 6:00 pm November 6:
The Dow Jones Average closed at 43,492; the annual inflation rate is 2.2% and unemployment is 4.1%
Tues Nov 5, Election Day: Day 1, 2:30 pm
There are many ways to start a new year. January 1 is the start of our western calendar year. Chinese New Year fall later in January or February. For some, spring solstice signals a new year for the cycle of new growth and birth. July 4 is celebrated in the USA as the beginning of our nation. For students and teachers a new new begins in late August or early September. Easter in the spring celebrates a beginning for Christians but the Christian calendar starts anew every year at the beginning of Advent, about four weeks before Christmas, the birth of Jesus.
When I pick up my log book to begin again after a long absence, it feels like the start of a new year. I began many years ago to record our vacations. Initially I started by writing a haiku to commemorate each day. This week, on Sunday, November 3, Bill and I began what I refer to as a sabbatical, a time away from our regular routines, a time at the beach, a time for rest and reflection. So it is time for me to pick up my pen again. (To see my vacation blog for this week, go to: https://flowersandfeathers.blogspot.com/2024/11/orange-beach-nov-3-9.html
Today is election day. The choice for president presents the most stark contrast of personality, vision, character and competence in my lifetime. The outcome of today's vote will determine what kind of nation we want to be, what kind of nation we will become. Polling has not produced a predicted winner. So it may seem counterintuitive to declare today to be the beginning of a new year. In fact, I believe it may be days before the results are fully complete and we know who the next president will be. And Trump will surely contest the results if he is not the winner.
The next weeks and months may be turbulent. It is not clear how our nation can be reconciled, one citizen to another. I believe that if Harris wins, the majority of those who cast their vote for Trump will shrug their shoulders and accept the result. A loud and potentially violent minority may not.
But what is Trump wins. Will we meekly fall into a Fascist disctatorship? Will we go the way of Humgary into an autocracy or keptocracy? Or are the fears of progressives exaggerated?
Today is a watershed moment, but we don't know which way history will flow.
I believe that "my side" is right and the "other side" is wrong. Of course! I don't believe my side is perfector or that the other side is evil. I do believe that there is a "heart of darkness' guiding the other side; that relentless repetition of lies and "othering" have created great divisions among fellow citizens; that those who are providing guidance to this movement seek chaos/anarchy for their own benefit (although I don't know what that benefit might be). I believe that most of my fellow American, my brothers and sisters and friends and colleagues who cast their vote for Trump simply do not believe what he says out loud. Likely many do not have an apprciation of history. The MAGA movement has played on their fears, insecurities and selfishness.
I pray that we as a nation, individually and collectively, can hold on and hold together, that we can continue to bring into reality our national vision of e pluribus unum.
I am sharing a google album of my garden beginning March 3, 2024 and ending October 22, 2024.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/qUjHcJHykVkAbSsG8
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| June 15 |
On Friday, April 5, Bill and I travelled in the RV to Cape Girardeau to spend a long weekend with the Missouri Whitakers and watch the solar eclipse on Monday. Owen, Evangeline and Laura have April birthdays, so we will celebrate them as well. It always takes us longer than we expect, almost 8 hours on the road. I was excited to see the kids and they were excited to see us. We spent most of the day Saturday around the house, just playing and hanging out. Our only excursion was a trip to Walmart with all four kids in tow to buy groceries for the weekend. I bought a pork butt and got in in the crock pot for BBQ later Laura and Mike arrived later in the afternoon. It was a nice day so we had burgers and hot dogs on the grill. More games and March Madness on TV. These two were peas in a pod watching the game:
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| Grandad and Owen |
Sunday morning the Whitaker family went to church. I shredded the pork and cleaned up the mess. We will have a baked potato bar for supper with pulled pork for those who want it. For lunch, I made bacon and pancakes. We had a fun afternoon which included watching more March Madness. After supper, we shared birthday gifts with Owen, Evangeline and Laura.
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| Home from church |
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| Pancake brunch |
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| Fun and games |
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| John doing his own thing |
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| Spectating |
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| Owen's cardboard box creation, a ring toss game. This was part of his birthday party activities. |
Monday, April 8 - Eclipse Day.
We were invited to the farm of a friend of David's who was hosting an eclipse viewing party. They had a beautiful place just outside of town, a perfect setting. We arrived early enough to set up and have our picnic lunch. The eclipse was amazing (but my pictures are not.)
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| A beautiful setting |
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| Getting ready |
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| Friends and family gathered to share this awesome event |
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| Progressing |
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| We were surprised that event with just a crescent of sun, we still had lots of light. |
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| Totality |
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| Sunset effect |
When the eclipse was finally over, Bill, Laura, Mike and I drove downtown and walked out to the riverfront.
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| Downtown Cape Girardeau |
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| Looking upstream toward Cape Rock |
Back at home, we had another pleasant afternoon on the deck and playing in the yard. There was a selection of left-overs for supper and one final March Madness game.
January 14: Temperatures dropped all day and it started snowing after dark.
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| 10:30 pm |
January 15: Low 25, High 31; snowed all day.
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| We ended up with almost a foot of snow! |
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| The pond is still completely snowed under. |
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| Chili time! |
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| Day 4 and the snow is still deep and we aren't going anywhere! |
January is a time for new beginnings, maybe some resolutions to improve myself, maybe just get back into a "normal" non-holiday routine. Jan 1 and 2 carried forward the holiday. David's family was with us and Laura's family, minus Claire, joined in celebrating the day. The Whitaker's got away at 9 am on the 2nd, so we had all day to clean up and put the house back to normal. We even had time for walk. On the 3rd, since we had nothing scheduled, we took down the tree and packed away Christmas until next year.
Wayne B had a fall on Christmas Eve so Wayne and Kathy's Christmas holiday was spent in the hospital. He suffered a few broken ribs, no head injuries. His limited mobility is now further limited by pain and weakness. After more than a week, he was transferred to Knoxville Rehabilitation Hospital. There he received excellent care and therapy, but recovering even limited mobility will be a long process. Our hearts go out to both of them.
On Thursday, Yoga resumed. It was great to see friends and stretch my body. Friday, I had lunch with Marie at Mimi's in Turkey Creek. I always enjoy our time together.
Friday was also the occasion for a family birthday celebration, mine! Laura and Mike hosted, Amanda was there and Kathy was able to come as well. Laura, with my consent, chose take-out from our new Indian cafe. We all enjoyed the different flavors of Indian food.
My actual birthday, Saturday January 6, started at the One Heart Community Closet at Church. I worked there with Monica and Raquel. We had about 10 clients. Bill took me out to dinner to celebrate. We chose Conner's in Turkey Creek. It was wonderful. I started with their calamari appetizer. For my entree I chose the small filet. They are well known for both. I was delighted with the evening.
Sunday was an unusually busy day. Sunday School and church as usual, then a funeral visitation for Denim Beeler, a young man about Laura's age who succumbed to cancer, leaving a wife and two sons. From there, I went back to Trinity for the Habitat Kick-off Celebration and Dedication. We had a good crowd representing the four UMC churches who are partnering for a build, Central, First Farragut, Loudon, and Trinity. The lot where the house will be built is just a couple of blocks from Trinity. Then some of our Trinity people gathered back at church to "undecorate" and share a bowl of Chili courtesy of Walter.
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| Habitat Kick-off |
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| Blessing the building site |
Monday continued the busy schedule, starting with UMW meeting at 10:30. I picked up Susan so she didn't have to drive. After the meeting, I made it back home before 1 pm to meet my new house-cleaners, Monica and her mom and cousin. Monday ended with a Finance/Admin Council meeting back at church. Whew!
Tuesday's big event was a hair cut. Wednesday, I attended the GSC Exec Board meeting as acting secretary and later visited Jim A. He is not doing well. Thursday was Yoga as usual.
Friday, January 12, Laura had rotator cuff surgery. She was home under Mike's excellent care by mid-afternoon. Friday's weather was unusual. The high temperature of the day was 58 at midnight as temps fell steadily all day.
Sunday was another day of falling temps, starting at 43 and falling to 28. We had a guest speaker from Wesley House Community Center. After church, we had our regular Meet & Greet lunch. On Saturday, I baked a spiral ham, cooled, deboned and plated it for my contribution. I had no left-over to bring home, but I had left-overs from the unsliced portion. Before dark, snow began to fall. We had no idea what we were in for!
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| Just the beginning, 10:26 pm Sunday night, Jan 14 |
