Author Archives: Lenora Good

Apologies?

Weather in the Tries:

Public Service Announcement (or brags if you prefer):

Quill and Parchment online literary magazine published two of my poems this month.

The newsletter, Writing Women: by, for, and about published a recording of me reading my short story, “The Assassin.” It’s about 5 minutes long.

If you’re on Facebook, Poets’ Brew (Yakima Coffeehouse Poets) published my poem, “Commas.”

Apologies?:

Was scrolling through Facebook and came across an article posted by a friend, Amsterdam mayor apologises for city’s role in slave trade on BBC News. I read the article, and it seemed pretty straight forward. (“apologises” is the Euro spelling)

Someone added in the Comment section on Facebook that apologies are not enough.

It got me to thinking, and believe me, in the heat of our past few days, that’s no easy task! What else could they do? Do todays Amsterdammers have any idea how many people they stole, bought, shipped, sold? Possibly. And there is, as the mayor said, no one alive today who was there at the time.

And what about me? Do I stand and stare straight ahead, and apologize for my ancestors who owned slaves, forced the Cherokee onto the Trail of Tears, the Catawba off their land? Then, do I move to stand in front of where I just stood, do an about face, stare straight back to where I stood, and accept the apology?

My ancestors owned slaves. They forced the Cherokee off their land. They stole land from the Catawba. They undoubtedly raped the women whether red or dark brown. That was the way it was back then (not so terribly different today, actually). They supported the forced kidnapping of Native children to be raised far from home, from comfort, forbade them their language, their clothes, their food, abused them any way they wanted. Forced them to become “Good little Indians.”

My ancestors were beaten. Raped. Forced off their lands onto reservations, land no one wanted (until oil or gold were found) by my ancestors. Are you confused yet? That’s OK, I am, too.

What I’m trying to say is that if the mayor made a genuine, heartfelt apology, I think it should be accepted. At least it is an acknowledgment of a wrongdoing by her ancestors. It’s a complicated situation. The majority of my ancestors were “white” Europeans, but I also have African and Native American (Catawba—Sioux & Cherokee stock). To whom do I apologize? From whom do I accept an apology?

When in probably 6^th grade, I went on a trip with my grandparents, Grandma pointed out Chemawa Indian School as we passed it on the way through Salem, OR. She patiently answered my questions about what was it? etc. Of course, the answers were “whitewashed” but I was told it was where the Indian children were brought to receive a good education, where they were taught to be “Good little Indians.” Well, innocent me, I thought it was where they were taught about being Indians, what it meant, what their tribal histories were, etc. I began to plot. I knew where the school was. It was only, at most, a two-day hike from home. Could I sneak in? Could I, too, learn to become a “Good little Indian?” Even though my tribe was across the country, could I pass? Truly, I plotted, I planned (I may not have been a good little Indian, but I was a good Girl Scout. I even knew how to make a backpack out of a pair of jeans, and what plants I could and could not eat on my trek.).

Then I found out from someone, probably one of my teachers and the library, that to become “Good little Indians” they learned to become maids and farm hands. Can’t you just picture Auntie Lenora as some lady’s maid? (It’s OK, you may take time to laugh. I’ll wait.)

According to the www, Chemawa Indian School is still there, still functioning, but functioning as it should be, not as originally intended. By now, I’ve got way too much gray hair to sneak in 😉

From the site: “The school has thousands of successful graduates and today is home to over 400 students and is coeducational. Despite its original goals of educating Native Americans into US society, traditional Indian culture is taught as well.

“The school carries on its traditions of education and First Peoples culture in harmony. It has a history of successful athletics and academics as well.”

Photo of the Week:

A small Anthurium flower a neighbor gave me when he moved. The flower is 2″ from the tip to the bottom of the wings.

Entertainment:

Netflix: Still enjoying my Korean series, Hospital Playlist. Hospital Playlist isn’t a soap, it isn’t a drama, I never watched Gray’s Anatomy so I can’t say how it would compare. It is a fun show, following 5 doctors. Some drama, not every patient survives, but a lot of laughs woven in. And toward the end of each episode, the 5 get together as a band. I think I’ll classify it as a Feel-Good series, though Wikipedia calls it a K-drama.

Books: Remember, when I finish a book, I review it at Rainy Day Reads.

I am still reading Calling Bullsh*t: The Art of Skepticism in a Data-Driven World —by Carl T. Bergstrom / Jevin D. West.

Am maybe 20% through The Glass Constellation by Arthur Sze. Two good books going on at the same time. I think Auntie Lenora is going to get little else done but reading for a few hot days 😉

The book for my book group for June was Where The Dead Sit Talking by Brandon Hobson. It has won several awards, including Finalist for the National Book Award. I did not finish it. I have a single criterion for reading fiction—I want to feel better for having read the book than not. I want if not happy ever after, a satisfactory end. I read too much non-fiction for sad. This book was well written, and if the purpose was to show how unlovable the protagonist was, he succeeded. I couldn’t like anyone in the book. I read a bit more than half, then skipped to the last three chapters and read them. We know from the get-go the girl is going to die. I dunno. If any of you read it, and have some ideas, I’m willing to entertain them, but I’d give it a thumbs down. In which case this is the only review I’ll write of it.

Writing: The Bride’s Gate and Other Assorted Writings, An Eclectic Reader for Eclectic Readers is just about complete and ready to go to be proofread. At this rate, it should be available in plenty of time for Christmas. You can buy copies for gifts, for yourself, and for friends.

Quote of the Week:

“Never ruin an apology with an excuse.” -Kimberly Howard

Sammy Brave Dog and his Human both got a little warm this past week, but cooler days are ahead. At least for the foreseeable future. Even though I did not find the calorie-free ice cream, I did enjoy some Ben & Jerry’s 😉 Have a great week, enjoy the weather, stay safe, and we’ll see you next week. Honest. Trust me.

My Try as a Spy

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Weather in the Tries: Need I say more? Screen shot of phone Sunday morning It’s not even cooling down at night all that much.

Public Service Announcement: I recorded a new poem, For Daddy on Father’s Day and posted it in the Spoken Word. I tried to get it up for Father’s Day, but I’m old, and not overly computer literate, and… Anyhow, it’s up, now. I hope you enjoy it.

Another Review: On Amazon

by Tower Lowe 5.0 out of 5 stars A Surprise of Words

Verified Purchase

Marking the Hours is a surprise of words that uncovers the hidden structures of grief. An emotional look at endings, this collection of poems brought me to hard memories of the past, some regrets, and, yet, it also brought healing. The last work, which Good labels “A Personal Essay in Poetic Form,” brings the whole collection to a thoughtful conclusion. I highly recommend this work. I suspect, like me, that you will re-visit it many times as you pass through life.

[I cannot put in words how important these reviews are, nor can I explain how good they make me feel. I love it when someone invests both their time and their money in one of my books, and when they think the investment worthwhile, they shout it to the world. Thank you, Tower Lowe. –Lenora]

My Try as a Spy:

Yeah, you read that right. I was willing but couldn’t get the “right” people interested.

I received a Friend request on Facebook from a gentleman named Abubaker Abdullahi. Now, I can’t tell if the name is Palestinian or Pakistani or Californian or something else entirely. He claimed to be from LA. However, I do have a few bona fide friends on Facebook who are African and live in African nations and, I think, one in Bangladesh and one in Singapore with Muslim names. So, I accepted, thinking Abu was a friend of one of them. His page that I could see before we were friends, was pretty patriotic stuff, almost too patriotic, but I could only see a bit because we weren’t yet friends. Besides, I can always unfriend, right?

So, I Friended him and immediately, we went to Messenger. OK, he probably doesn’t have a computer and uses his phone. I’ve got a couple friends who do that. Then he tells me he was born and raised in LA, but English obviously isn’t his crib language, for sure, for sure. Then “he” tells me his real name is Jason Morgan and he’s a General in the United States Army, and he’s currently in a war zone, in Syria, and he found my name while searching for an old friend.

(And my name is really Wonder Woman and I have a bridge for sale back in NYC!)

He went on to explain how his account was hacked by the Taliban, and when he got it all straightened out, Facebook wouldn’t let him use his real name any more, so he decided to keep the hacker’s name as a nickname. How military of him! Not.

Now, several bells went off, but I strung him along until I could contact someone to see if there was a law broken, or if they wanted me to continue stringing him along. The phone message at our local FBI office said to contact IC3.gov. I filled out the forms, submitted, but since I hadn’t actually been scammed, yet, they aren’t going to be interested. Then I contacted Army CID. They weren’t interested, either. I was more than willing to string this guy along, but if I did, I wanted guidance and backup. Oh, the local cop shop told me to contact the Better Business Bureau ScamTracker. Huh?? Obviously, the sweet young thing who answered the phone didn’t listen to what I was saying. As soon as I said scam her brain went into automatic and that was that.

There were several tells that this guy was fake, in fact, I think he is probably a she, and probably from one of the SE Asian countries. After we were “Friends” I went back to his page, and there was only one. He’s middle aged, widowed, no friends, no pictures of family, though a couple with a young boy that could be his or a grandson. No back pages. No education listed. Ring-a-ding-ding!

But the biggest tell of all? He’s a General in the US Army, stationed in Syria, a war zone, and he is texting in my time zone, he’s not using a military suffix on his texts (maybe they don’t), and how would a GEN in a war zone have the time to go through my Facebook page and comment on my posts. I’d post something, he’d comment, short, not pithy, inanities almost immediately. Oh, and he called me Dear right off the bat.

So, I blocked him, and reported him to Facebook. But I’m willing to bet a donut of your choice he is really a she in a sweatshop somewhere setting up people for scams. So much for my being a spy for fun and country, eh? Not worth my time unless they wanted to trace/track and get the ring.

Two days later, I had another Friend request. His page looked like the ‘General’s’ page, different name, different photo. I clicked the Decline button.

A few years ago, I friended someone allegedly in Africa, where I have several Facebook friends, but things quickly went, well, odd. Through phraseology, and people smarter than me, I determined he was not African but Chinese. Mentioned it to a friend who lived at the time in The Netherlands, and she said the cops there had just raided a sweatshop full of Chinese women working with cell phones setting up these fake accounts, etc., and most of them were posing as men. They like to go after women they perceive as having more money than common sense and relieving them of as much as possible, preferably the money. Hence my guessing that my General is not only Asian, but a She.

Photo of the Week:

The birds don’t come too often that I see, but the Yellow Jackets love it 😉 They are on the edge of the water at roughly 2:30, 7, and 9:30. The purple things are Russian Sage blossoms.

Entertainment:

Netflix: Finally finished Lucifer. Corny in a few places, but a great ending! Hope they leave it up a while, it might be fun to binge from S1E1 to the end 😉 Now I can go back to my Korean series of sturm und drang, Hospital Playlist, Season 2.

DVD: My DVD of Allegiance, The Broadway Musical on the Big Screen by George Takei came. I’m saving it for Sunday the 4th July.

Books: Remember, when I finish a book, I review it at Rainy Day Reads.

I am still reading Calling Bullsh*t: The Art of Skepticism in a Data-Driven World —by Carl T. Bergstrom / Jevin D. West.

Have started The Glass Constellation by Arthur Sze. Two good books going on at the same time. I think Auntie Lenora is going to get little else done but reading for a few hot days 😉

Education: Ah-ha! I am counting the above two books in my education slot 😉

Writing: The manuscript originally called Coffee Break Escapes is now going to be called The Bride’s Gate and Other Assorted Writings: an eclectic reader for eclectic readers. It’s coming along nicely, thanks to some good and helpful friends who are helping me identify and kill my darlings. 😉

Quote of the Week:

“If you really think that the environment is less important than the economy, try holding your breath while you count your money.” — Guy McPherson

Sammy Brave Dog is happy with the heat. His human isn’t complaining. Yet. When the electric bill gets here… Actually, it shouldn’t be too bad, I have the a/c set at 82 during the day, a little cooler at night. In the meantime, if you find a stash of that calorie-free ice cream, share, please 😉

My Opinion on the US Death Penalty

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Weather in the Tries: With the possible exception of today, which may only reach 99F, we’re looking at a week of triple digit weather! Maybe it’s time to switch temps to C for a while? As I type this, it’s 67F but only 19C 😉

My Opinion on US Death Penalty:

A blogger I follow (Jerry Coyne, Why Evolution Is True) asked his readers their opinions on the death penalty. I am against it and have been since elementary school.

I was taught in elementary school that prison was a chance for people to get their life together, to grow, to be rehabilitated (rehabilitation was the key word), and become productive citizens when released. I now realize that what I was taught is not what was and is actual. However, using that logic, I wrote a letter to the then Governor of Oregon, in pencil, on wide-lined 3-hole notebook paper, asking him why, if what my teachers said was true, we had the death penalty. How does one become rehabilitated when one is dead?

He answered. I remember his letter was thoughtful, typed, and on official letterhead stationery. I wish I still had it. Alas, it disappeared years ago.

However, my thoughts haven’t changed all that much. I’m still against the death penalty. To me, it is nothing more than state sanctioned revenge killing. Killing the person will not bring the victim back to life, will not erase the crime, and will not make the survivors feel better, contrary to what many believe. Killing the person does not prevent crime—look at Texas for that proof. And too often, the wrong person is killed. Then what? Just say, “Oopsie. Sorry!” I think not.

If you must kill someone, do it humanely—by firing squad! Unfortunately, those who are for the death penalty (oddly, many self-identify as pro-life, but that’s another topic) seem to prefer methods with a sense of torture. Boil them in an electric chair, boil them with medicines via an IV, hang them (relatively quick if done right), or put them in a gas chamber and watch them try to hold their breath. Or put them in prison for life, with no chance of parole. Then, if/when they are found innocent, they can be returned to society and their loved ones.

One of the things I find interesting about the whole discussion is the number of people who claim Christianity as their religion of choice who are pro-death penalty and who never seem to notice Deuteronomy 32:35 or Romans 12:19. Then, again, since most of the people on death row belong to the subservient caste, it’s not surprising. It’s a method to keep that caste down, afraid of trying to show how human they really are. Those same people who approve the death penalty are the ones who are pro-gun ownership for them, but not ‘lower caste’ people.

The only difference I can see between murder on the street and murder in a murder room, is who ordered and carried it out. One is criminal, one is supposedly Justice. But murder is murder is murder.

I’d love to read your thoughts on the subject—use the comment section—whether you agree with me or not.

Photo of the Week:

Entertainment:

Netflix: Still parsing out the Lucifer episodes. As bad as some are, I don’t want to reach the end of the series.

Books: Remember, when I finish a book, I review it at Rainy Day Reads.

I am currently reading Calling Bullsh*t: The Art of Skepticism in a Data-Driven World —by Carl T. Bergstrom / Jevin D. West. This book is for my book group read, and I’m only on page 25 but I’m in deep lust with the authors. Well, literary lust. They use footnotes! OMG! They are wonderful. It’s such a pleasure to read the book and the footnotes and not have to flip and flap pages to get to the back and find the endnote only to discover it’s not worth reading. (So far, all the footnotes have been worth reading!)

Finished The Woman and the War Baby —by Bill Ransom. Powerful poetry and memoir!

Education: Ah-ha! I can count the above books on Bullshipping and poetry in my education slot 😉 By the way, the two authors of Calling Bullslh*t are, or were at the time of writing the book, profs at the University of Washington.

Writing: Have finished a few more poems, but have also finished a collection of poems, short stories, and flash memoir. The ms. is currently out to readers who will give me a cover blurb and also write a review to hold until the book is published. The working title is: Coffee Break Escapes. I was originally going to go with the book, then decided to go with pod casts and when my voice went wonky, my blog. Most of the pieces are short enough to read on a coffee break.

Quote of the Week:

“Government … can’t be trusted to control its own bureaucrats or collect taxes equitably or fill a pothole, much less decide which of its citizens to kill.” —Helen Prejean

Sammy Brave Dog and his human wish you a cool week with sunny skies, light breezes and calorie-free ice cream!

May I Brag?

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What the weather is doing in the Tries: From a relatively cool last week, to a pretty warm this week. The highs will be in the 80s and 90s. I am NOT complaining.

May I Brag?:

Well, since it’s my blog, I guess I can, can’t I?

I haven’t done much in the fiction department since I’ve been back in town. However, I am in a fiction writing group, and have been submitting chapters of earlier novels. I’m pleased to say, their comments lead me to believe I just might have something in them, with minor edits and changes. Except where major edits and changes are called for. Fortunately, not many of those.

Poetry is my first love, and since I’ve been back in the Tries, I’ve been writing lots of it, taken a few classes, put together a couple books with more to come. Several of my poems are getting accepted. One gets rejected here, but accepted there.

I submitted three poems to the Shrub-Steppe anthology, two were accepted, and I will be in Wenatchee the 19^th to read them at the book launch. I submitted five to the Fixed and Free Poetry Anthology for 2021, and all five were accepted! And Quill and Parchment (an online magazine) has accepted my ekphrastic poem, Leda and the Swan for their July issue.

An author whose books I greatly enjoy, Tower Lowe, has just purchased Marking the Hours. I just purchased her latest, Don’t Come Back

My Rant. My Vote:

One person, one vote. Right? Not so fast. If that were truly the case, the electoral college wouldn’t be able to overturn the popular vote. Okay, mostly one person, one vote. Well, unless one of the voters belongs to the dominant caste and doesn’t like the results, in which case the votes can be recounted, overturned, tossed out, however the dominant caste so desires. Yeah. Right. And it isn’t just limited to the two-party system and general/local elections. It is now fair game in high schools, too.

So, if you aren’t a member of the dominant caste, and you vote against it, be prepared to have your vote ash canned. If your high school valedictorian and or salutatorian are members of the less than equal caste, expect there to be a hullabaloo and at best, two more students, members of the dominant caste, chosen as co-valedictorian and co-salutatorian. After all, those of subordinate caste need to remain in their place, and their place isn’t equal to the dominant caste.

I found the NYT article, “Two Black Students Won School Honors. Then Came the Calls for a Recount.” to be particularly heinous. It’s caste, ladies and gentlemen. Caste and ignorance. According to the writings of the dominant caste, a bucket of white paint with a single drop of color can no longer be declared white. Well, I hate to be the bringer of sad tidings, but all of our ancestors walked out of Africa, some earlier than others. ALL of us are members of the so-called subordinate caste, we all have African blood/genes in us. Ain’t none of us “white,” baby. None.

This showed up on my Facebook feed the other day. I thought it worth the trouble to copy and place here. All typos are mine.

A white woman, race educator Jane Elliot, says to an auditorium full of people, “I want every white person in this room who would be happy to be treated as this society, in general, treats our citizens—our black citizens—if you, as a white person, would be happy to receive the same treatment that our black citizens do in this society, please stand.” Unsurprisingly, no one moves. She pauses. “You didn’t understand the directions. If you white folks want to be treated the way blacks are, in this society, stand.!” More marked silence and lack of movement. She continues, “Nobody’s standing here. That says very plainly that you know what’s happening. You know you don’t want it for you. I want to know why you’re so willing to accept it or to allow it to happen for others.” [emphasis mine]

End of rant. For now.

Photo of the Week:

Took this on Lake Gatun, going through the Panama Canal. Think it was 2004.

Entertainment:

Netflix: At some point they finally put the final episodes of Lucifer up, and I finally noticed. So I’m watching them, one a night at the most! I’m parsing them. Best series ever! Also caught an old Addams Family movie with several laugh out loud scenes, and a couple of new-to-me ones on Hallmark.

Books: Remember, when I finish a book, I review it at Rainy Day Reads.

Have two new book up on Rainy Day Reads — Golden Poppies by Laila Ibrahim and Don’t Come Back by Tower Lowe. Both here:

Writing:

Have a couple more poems accepted. The Fixed and Free Poetry Anthology for 2021 accepted all five poems I entered. Wowser. I hoped for one, maybe two. Thanks Billy Brown!!! I will be attending a book launch for the Shrub-Steppe anthology in Wenatchee on the 19^th June (this coming Saturday).

Also searching for a press who might be interested in my Smallbook (Chapbook, 19 pages) of 17 Petrarchan sonnets about my sojourns in the southlands, with one crown of 14. ideas? drop me a note.

Quote of the Week:

“The poet is a liar who always speaks the truth.” —Jean Cocteau

Auntie Lenora and Sammy Brave Dog hope you enjoy your coming week.

Astrology 101?

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What the weather is doing in the Tries: From a high of 106 down to 70 in just a couple of days. And the 70 was o’cast with a cool wind blowing. This week’s weather looks a tad more stable—high 70s with Sunday being low 90s. And too many clouds. I moved to the desert for sunshine and warmth. If I’d wanted clouds and rain, I’d have stayed in Seattle!

Astrology 101?:

I had forgotten how utterly hilarious Facebook content can be. The other night I clicked on something to give me a free astrological (slight on the logical) reading. I’ve never had one before, and I thought, what the heck?

Now, I used to love to read the newspaper astrological blurbs, (you do remember newspapers, don’t you?) and their pithy little blurbs for the 12 signs of the zodiac. It was especially great fun when two reputable papers in town would print conflicting advice for the day.

So, I got my free reading, and it was great fun to read. Nothing scary, but there is a time of Transition coming, and it will affect me. The Transitions are coming whether I’m ready or not! Ooooh, ominous, eh?

Love the way they set it up. [My snark is in brackets and italicized.]

“URGENT:  Personal information for your eyes only!

“Hi Lenora,

“According to your Astrology Chart, somewhere along the line, you may (by no fault of your own) have strayed away from a life enriched with deep, healthy relationships, a fulfilling career, and financial abundance.” [I may have? No, I don’t think so. Odd, how well they don’t know me just from my birthdate. Incidentally, most of this stuff is “self-fulfilling prophecy.” The situations are broad enough to fit most people, and they’ll fill in the gaps.]

“Since then, you’ve gone through life denying your TRUE SELF and feeling out of sync with life, as if the world was an orchestra, and you were always out of tune, playing half a step behind.”  [I dare say many people feel this way at one time or another. But, no, I don’t think I’ve denied my true self in many years. Not since that one year when I gave Religion up for Lent, anyhow.]

“I know that can sound scary but there’s no need to lose hope, Lenora!” [Scary? Oh, Darlin’ I find it hysterically funny. Take more than that to scare me! I survived Basic Training, motherhood, marriage, the Boss from Hell…]

“In truth, what knocked you off course with your destiny was a challenging Transit Period you were unaware of, much like the one that is responsible for the situation you find yourself in today.”  [A challenging transit period—like Basic Training? like motherhood? like a boss from hell? I thought those were my choices, but it was really a bunch of non-thinking planets pulling me this way or that? Wow!]

“At the same time, you have some very POSITIVE planetary transits approaching too that with your awareness, can allow you to effortlessly re-align with your TRUE SELF as you begin living the life you’re meant to live.” [By now, I’m really curious how much they want to charge me. Maybe I’ll take advantage of more “free” stuff?]

“And that’s just a tiny peek of what’s in store. It’s my job to make sure you know what to expect and what to do during these powerful times, so you won’t find a single stone left unturned in your reading.”  [No, it’s her job to fleece me of as much of my retirement money as possible. But, first, she has to build my trust, build our “friendship,” then and only then… My gawd, I just survived four years of the Great Con, this gal needs to enroll in Trump University to hope to snag me!! ;-)]

“There’s so much life changing information inside, waiting for you to explore. Just click the button below to read your personalized report: …” [I did, and it’s more of the same stuff. Only in Astrological terms. Every day we wake, we have decisions to make. Now, some will use this drivel to make those decisions, others will weigh the pros and cons of life first—starting with getting out of bed. I can stay in bed all day and deal with the consequence of a dog who needed a walk, and me who needed a shorter and inside walk… We come to several forks in our daily path, and once we start down one path, the other is no longer relevant, and no longer there. Life isn’t Solitaire, there is no “back” button to play.]

I know there are people who believe this sort of stuff. And Astrology is old. It goes back several thousand years. But the stars have shifted during that time. An Astronomer friend told me once that our astrological signs are now two signs away from where they were when the shamans drew this stuff up. But I don’t remember which way it went. So I’m either a Sagittarius or an Aries and not an Aquarian.

Schools that teach students to think and not follow blindly are marvelous places. Teachers who aren’t afraid of the hard questions are treasures beyond compare. Learning/teaching the difference between mythologies and facts is one of the best gifts we can give our children.

In the meantime, read your astrological report, know the only logic in it is to fleece the unsuspecting person, and count it a daily chuckle.

Wikipedia has a great History of astrology. Give it a look-see here.

Photo of the Week:

Pelican taking off. He was too close to a nesting Red Winged Blackbird and was getting harrassed.

Entertainment:

Netflix: At some point they finally put the final episodes of Lucifer up, and I finally noticed. So I’m watching them, one a night at the most! I’m parsing them. Best series ever!

Books: Remember, when I finish a book, I review it at Rainy Day Reads.

Where the Dead Sit Talking by Brandon Hobson. I quit about 55-60% through it, read the last couple of chapters and called it good. It’s hard to read a book when it’s so freaking depressing and at best I felt I was kept from the characters by the author. Thumbs down.

Education:

Not feeling overly intelligent this week.

Writing:

Have a couple more poems accepted. Quill and Parchment accepted my poem, Leda and the Swan for next month. Thank you, Q&P! I will be attending a book launch in Wenatchee in a couple weeks.

Quote of the Week:

“I don’t differentiate much, except in degree, between people who believe in religion from those who believe in astrology, magic or the supernatural.”
~ Andy Rooney, Sincerely, Andy Rooney

And so Auntie Lenora and Hurry Up! Sammy Brave Dog wish you a warm and sunny week, and we’ll see you next week. With luck, a tad earlier 😉

Another Banned Book

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What the weather is doing in the Tries: Wowser Dowswer!!! A week of warm-hot weather—81 to106, with most days in the 90s. I think that will be warm enough for Auntie Lenora. What do you think?

Another Banned Book:

Being back on Facebook, I’m privy to all sorts of news and blues and memes and things. A friend posted something the other day about To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee being banned by some school district because it allegedly made some students/parents uncomfortable. Well, no adult male bovine excrement, Sherlock! Isn’t that the purpose of the book? On first read of her post, I was plain old flabbergasted. And then my wee brain went into great and wonderful joy!

What books of your parents did you sneak and read as a child? I’m willing to bet a biscotti or three that you read the very ones you were told NOT to read. I know those were the ones I read. And I’m pretty sure I was told not to read them, precisely for the reason that they wanted me to read them. Oddly there were two books I was asked not to read. My uncle who spent WWII in the US Navy asked that I not read Onionhead: A Novel of the Coast Guard by Weldon Hill because he and mother’s whole family were trying to turn me into a “young lady” and the book had the F-bomb liberally throughout. Like I’d never heard it or read it. Sigh. And Daddy asked me not to read Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov until I was older. Because I was asked, not ordered, and because there were so many other books to read (with and without certain “adult” words), I lost any interest in them I might have had.

Yes, To Kill a Mockingbird should make you uncomfortable. And it should be discussed in the classroom and the dining room. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexi should make you uncomfortable, too. And it, too, should be discussed in the classroom and the dining room.

Now, when I was in high school, I had to read a book six freaking times. I hated it. It didn’t make me uncomfortable, it made me angry. I never did read it all the way through, but I got an A on each of the six book reports I wrote, and the book was never discussed in the classroom that I remember. Portions were read, but the meanings, the metaphors, were not discussed. Turned out, it was my mother’s favorite book, but I didn’t know that until the last day of high school when I came home and threw the book in the fireplace. (Being June, there was no fire.) Mother was in the living room and was not just shocked, but horrified that I, her book-loving daughter would commit such a sacrilege. She asked the title, and when I told her it was The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne she all but did a Hollywood dive into the fireplace to rescue the book. She thought it wonderful and was shocked I didn’t like it.

In looking back, I realize she had drunk the male dominant caste’s Kool-Aid. Men being the superior/dominant caste, she being female accepted her place as the inferior/subordinate caste. And in thinking back, I realized that’s what made me so angry, though at the time, I didn’t have the words or knowledge to verbalize it. I must have been a huge disappointment to the women in my mother’s family. I never completely bought into that role; I only sipped the Kool-Aid. I joined the church. I tried to submit to God and Male superior. But it wasn’t worth the psychic and physical agony.

So, yeah, ban the good books. The books that make kids think, because after all, school shouldn’t teach them to think and form opinions of their own, should it? School shouldn’t teach them how to weigh facts against fairy tales, should it? School should only give them pablum, make them feel good, train them not to question, only to obey, shouldn’t it?

In the meantime, to fill the void created by banning To Kill a Mockingbird, I strongly recommend the class read and discuss at length, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson. Does the book make you too uncomfortable to read? You’ll find my deepest sympathies in the dictionary between shit and syphilis. Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents should be mandatory for any student who wants to graduate from high school.

In the meantime, would Boston, or some town/state/school district, ban Jibutu: Daughter of the Desert. Please. It’s about a strong-minded woman who shakes up her world and makes it a better place. It’s about a culture where males and females are (shudder) equal. Surely that’s against enough rules to be worthy of a banning. Yes?? It will surely upset male supremacists. Ban it, please! I need the sales. Oh, yeah, and became a slave and ruined that culture, too.

Photo of the Week:

Sunrise over the Columbia River, 0511 the other morning.

Entertainment:

Still watching the brain candy, though not as much. But, I have to admit, happy endings are more fun than today’s news.

Books: Remember, when I finish a book, I review it at Rainy Day Reads.

I finished I Contain Multitudes by Ed Yong. It may be a day or so before I can get the review up, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Talk about an education! Loved it. Easy to read

Still reading frank: sonnets by Diane Seuss. Love it. She is a real inspiration to write my own sonnets. Not, mind, that I’m competition. But…

Education: I Contain Multitudes by Ed Yong. Yeah, a real education! I hope to get some more online courses this next week, too. On using my iPhone camera and on photo editing software.

Writing: Have written 5 or 6 sonnets this last week.

Quote of the Week: Three quotes for the price of one. I couldn’t decide. 😉

“Yes, books are dangerous. They should be dangerous – they contain ideas.” ― Pete Hautman

“Banning books is just another form of bullying. It’s all about fear and an assumption of power. The key is to address the fear and deny the power.” ― James Howe

“What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist.” ― Salman Rushdie

The Brave Dog and Auntie Lenora hope you have a great week, remember to laugh out loud often, dance like your four years old, and enjoy life!

Deep End of the Pool (aka: Rant)

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What’s going on outside in the Tries: It appears we’re going to be warming up, with most days in mid-to-high 70s with a few days in the 80s. Summer comes, ready or not! Yaaaaahooooo!!!!!!

Deep End of the Pool (Trigger Warnings: Abortion, Religion):

I’m going to step into the deep end of the pool today—and hope my water wings keep me afloat!

I am going to talk about wo/men and abortion. Again.

Roe v Wade is under serious threat from SCOTUS. And it’s complicated. But it’s not.

What it boils down to is male dominance, power over females. Period. Full stop. Roll credits. The End.

It has nothing to do with religion, other than religion as a means of control, which is to be kept separate from government at any rate, but everything about power and dominance. Men have fought giving women rights for years, and the most basic right, that of her body, belongs to her. Unless, of course, she is a slave, then it belongs to her owner. Think on that.

If you are against abortion for whatever reason, then please, do not have one. Abortion is a medical procedure. It is, or should be, legal and safe for any who need it. It should be discussed by the woman and her doctor and no one else!

Why hasn’t the Equal Rights Amendment been ratified? Because the men in power, the male dominant caste, do not want to give up any of that power, especially to the perceived lower caste females of the species. It was alright to give women the vote, if it would make the little ladies happy, keep them quiet, content, and as long as they voted however their men told them. Alas, we have our own minds about who we want representing us, and we want more—we want equality and they don’t deem us as equal.

The claim of the male evangelicals is pure hogwash. They do not want to save the lives of the innocent babes. They want control over women. If they truly wanted to save lives, they would not support all the death they do — from insuring everyone who wants an arsenal can have one, that the death penalty remains in place, that war is fun, that people of color are here only for their enjoyment and target practice.

The perfect Facebook meme on abortion:

If they truly wanted to save the lives of the fetuses, they would see to it that all women have access to good pre- and postnatal health care, that all infants and children have access to good dental and medical health care until their majority or through college, that all families—whether one or more parents— have good, nutritious food, adequate clothing, etc. But they are against all that. the so-called pro-life people are in fact, pro-birth. Once the baby is born, they want nothing to do with it. It becomes the problem of the mother to clothe, feed, medicate, etc. They did their part in forcing it into the world with no back-up plans in place.

No, it’s Power. They have it and plan on keeping it. Think about that long and hard before the next election. Think about the God they worship (sure hope those water wings are still inflated!). A Male God. One who keeps women subordinate, who doesn’t like women, who thinks women are here for one purpose only — to take care of the men. Think about what’s going on in Palestine and Israel at the moment. Here are two cultures who both worship a War God. Not only that, but they worship the SAME War God, just different faces of him. Think about the dominant caste in our country. They, too, worship this same God, just a different, third, face. And before you come back at me that YOUR god is a God of Unconditional Love, may I remind you that He killed his (allegedly) only begotten son and that He will save you on condition that you love his sacrifice. That that same (alleged) son said He had not come to change the Word but to fulfill it. Oh, and a special reminder for any white supremacists that might be reading this, Jesus was a Palestine Jew, not white Aryan. He’s just a third Face of that same God. If you think the Crusades, the Inquisitions, the Witch Hunts, etc. are really a way to show love, well, I pity you. Never forget, if you worship a War God, you have no right to whine when you become a target.

For those of you who worship the One True God, by whatever Face you gaze upon, think on the fact that you follow that Face of God because that is the one your parents and grandparents followed and taught you to do likewise. Also consider this: Religion serves one, and only one, primary purpose—Control. Control over the lives of people not in the “Priest Caste.” It controls the priest caste, too, but not as much as they make the rules.

You can’t have it both ways. If it is Love, abortion remains legal and safe. If it’s Hate….

Note: This post was written before the world finally convinced Netanyahu to use two or three of his functioning brain cells and call for a cease fire. By the time it is published, a new excuse may have been found to start killing each other again. Talk about family rivalry!

Found this meme on Facebook. It pretty much explains it, yes?

Entertainment: Oh, I have rediscovered the marvelous Cozy Mysteries of Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. Much more entertaining than the news which is filled with murder and mayhem for real. Yes, it’s true, this channel offers only brain candy, but it’s nice to have brain candy now and then, and not worry about unwanted calories. And, since I haven’t watched for a couple years, many of the movies are new to me, and the series, well, kinda like a vacation to see old friends and catch up on the gossip.

Books: Remember, when I finish a book I review it at Rainy Day Reads.

Am still reading I Contain Multitudes by Ed Yong. It’s a fascinating read, hope to finish it in the next week. Have also started frank: sonnets —by Diane Seuss. Wow! Her poetry blows me away! If my math is correct (always suspect), there are 127 sonnets in this book, and they be not in Shakespeare’s English!

Education: See books, above and writing, below 😉

Writing: Check out this site. This is something all of you can do, and maybe have some fun. Poems From Page 143. Be sure to read About This Project, it’s a fun page about one of our favorite characters, Mr. Rogers. Yes, that Mr. Rogers! Anyhow open a book to page 143, read that page, find words that go together, black out the others, and voila! You have a poem. If you like what you’ve accomplished, submit. Here’s mine.

Quote of the Week:

“To solve the human equation, we need to add love, subtract hate, multiply good, and divide between truth and error.” —Janet Coleman

Auntie Lenora and Sammy Brave Dog wish you a warm, sunny week is making your life bright and happy. Unless you’re in a draught, in which case they both wish you rain. Lots of rain! Take whichever wish you need and want, apply it liberally, and enjoy.

Short Road Trip Plus…

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What it’s doing outside in the Tries: Wow, from 88 on Monday to 66 on Thursday, and everything in between. Lows between 41 and 57. Most days are sunny, partly sunny, or filtered sunny. It’s still Spring, but I think Summer is fast approaching 😉

Plus…:

I know I’ve mentioned before that I’m claustrophobic. Highly so. To the degree I’ve never been allowed to tour a submarine! Note that word: allowed. I’ve tried, twice, but they won’t let me. In tripping down memory lane, the first time I remember exhibiting a touch of claustrophobia, I was probably five, maybe six, years old. Mom and Daddy had separated, and Daddy came to get me for the day. A new ‘drive through’ car wash had opened up, and he thought it would be fun to go through it. I was fine until the brushes came at the car. Immediately I was curled in the footwell of the passenger seat. Terrified. I was eight the first time I tried going through a submarine, and I was very excited to go through one. One of my most favorite tv shows was about submariners in WWII.

I’ve never even tried going through the car wash again. I know better, after several other situations. Until… Last Wednesday, I decided my dirty car needed a shampoo and wax job, as I was leaving out on Friday morning for a short road trip. I went to the place I usually go because the guys will set up my car and let me watch from a window in the shop. Wednesday, I put my big girl knickers on, called on the Rev. Mother Odrade,* and decided it was time to face that fear and stop it from riding on my back. I WENT THROUGH THE CAR WASH! Well, obviously, I survived. I knew I would. It was NOT fun. I was tempted to close my eyes to do it. My breathing went kinda wompy, my heart told me it was there, and working, and I had gone very pale, but I made it. Maybe in another 70 years or so, I’ll try it again.

*”Face your fears or they will climb over your back.” —Rev. Mother Odrade, BG (Frank Herbert, Dune series). It’s a condensed version of the Litany Against Fear.

Short Road Trip:

Big Red now all clean and shiny, I got the few things into her that needed to go on the trip, and by 0600 Friday morning, Sammy Brave Dog and I were on the road heading to the Snoqualmie Pass. Oh, my, Big Red was so happy to be out and running. And then we discovered Love’s Truck Center was now in Prosser. Love’s is my favorite place to stop for pit stops, gas, food, etc. while travelling. They are always clean, the food is always fresh, the coffee good, and the people nice. And I needed coffee for the trip 😉

Loved driving north through the Yakima Valley, and up over the Manashtash toward Ellensburg. Next stop was the rest area at Indian John Hill. Sammy was not thrilled to be in the car, but he didn’t have much choice.

Came over the pass, and my ‘check tire’ idiot light came on. I figured it was due to the pressure changes of the pass elevation, nothing felt ‘off’ and on the straight areas, the tires didn’t wobble. I went on to Snoqualmie and stopped in North Bend. The folks in the gas station sent me to Les Schwab, so when I filled Big Red’s gullet, away we went. Yep, the tires were a tad low, and yes, the tech said, probably the pass. I’ll take her in to the dealer tomorrow (Monday—I’m writing this Sunday) and have them checked again and the light turned off.

It took me 5 hours to get to Arlington and find my friend. We had a picnic lunch in a park by her place and got caught up on gossip, etc., then I was off to my (adopted) Little Bro and his husband’s home. Sammy decided Alan, my Little Bro In-law, was just about the neatest guy going. He liked Little Bro Jon, but Jon is in a motorized wheelchair, so wasn’t too sure about that.

The Brothers live in Stanwood, off the road, back in the trees, with a view of a private lake (they only see it, can’t get to it) and Glacier Peak. Also, while sitting on the back patio sharing a bottle of home brew ale, I saw flames in the forest. Check out my photo below!

They fed me a fantastic meal and gave Sammy and me the most comfy bed on which to sleep. The next morning came too early, but a tad after 10, Sammy and I were on the road to Kirkland where I was to meet up with my friend Thomas, and some others, for coffee and gab.

What a treat, the others dropped him off and it was just the two of us for almost two hours.

I couldn’t find free parking, so parked in a pay lot. Then I couldn’t figure out how to pay. Finally asked someone, and she was nice enough to explain I needed to download an app, etc. I got it all taken care of at 11.45, paid for two hours, and went to meet Thomas. When I left, I had a ticket! Fortunately, the ticket was time stamped 11.54, and when I got home I had a receipt from the app that was stamped 11.46. So I sent a copy of the receipt and a nice letter to Kirkland and requested they update my record. We shall see.

There was nothing in the lot that I could see that told drivers how to pay. They apparently figured everyone knew. Well, I didn’t. And I knew if I went away, I’d get zapped, so I didn’t go away until I got help and registered. But it was frustrating.

Anyhow by about 2.00, Thomas was back home, and Sammy and I were back on the road. We were home by 5.15. The weather was perfect—warm, sunny, and except for the 405 and 405/I90 interchange, the traffic was fine.

We won’t discuss the price of gas. It was under $4.00/gal but not a lot. Fortunately, Big Red has a small appetite 😉

When we got home and I let Sammy out of the car, I figured he’d want to do the rounds and leave messages all over to tell the other dogs he was back. Nope. He made a beeline for the door. When I let him in, took off his leash and harness, he made a beeline for the bed. He was very happy to be home. He was some stressed, but not like before. I think he’s figuring out that I’m not going to leave him someplace, that the word ‘visit’ means we come home together afterward.

Photo of the Week:

Flames in the Forest.

Entertainment:

Road Trip!!!!

Visits with friends!!!

Books: Remember, when I finish a book I review it at Rainy Day Reads.

A Thousand Li: The First Step, Book One —by Tao Wong. This book is great fun, if you like Martial Arts books. I love them. There’s a whole series, and I think I’m going to be reading several, if not all. This is not a true Wuxia, I guess, but is a Cultivator. I wasn’t sure what was a cultivator book, but think I am now. Fun read!

Education:

I’m taking a 6-week class on writing poetry using the Archetypes. So far, we’ve done Lover, Warrior, Trickster, and Seeker. Great class and I’m learning a lot. Got a couple good poems and a couple OK ones out of it so far. Having a hard time with this one, though. However, I’ll get there. Honest. Trust me.

Quote of the Week:

“Road trips aren’t measured by Mile Markers, but by moments.” —Unknown

And if you’re lucky enough to travel with the Brave Dog, there are marvelous moments the whole trip!

Until next time, Sammy the Bravely Traveling Dog and Auntie Lenora wish you a fantabulous and mahvelous week.

Facebook

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What it’s doing outside in the Tries: We’re headed into a week of Sunny to Mostly Sunny to Partly Sunny, with highs in the high 70s to low 80s and lows in the mid to low 40s. Sammy is happy. Auntie Lenora is Happy, and the chairs on the front are getting used 😉

Facebook:

After a long hiatus from Facebook, I have returned to the roiling waters thereof.

I learned a friend had died, and another is dying. I learned another friend had a baby. Now, all these friends had my email, and at one time we corresponded, but life happens, and it’s so much easier to just put it up on Facebook and not worry about people getting the news. Unless, of course, they aren’t on Facebook.

My conservative friend is still posting without fact checking, but not as much. And our ex-president is still banned from joining in the fun.

What I really like about Facebook is it’s a way to keep in touch during natural disasters. Couldn’t make calls or get emails through to my cousin after a tornado ripped through his town, but he could get onto Facebook and let all know he and his were OK in OK, that the tornado missed them.

The other things I like about Facebook are the mini-wisdoms that pop up in memes. The humor is always appreciated, and sometimes the wisdoms are spot-on. Like one that I posted five years ago, before I logged off, it came up, and I’ve shared it again, because it makes so much sense.

Facebook is a tool, not a life. Use accordingly. It’s also huge time-sink if you want it to be. I do get some irritated at the ads.

The other day I was looking for some information on a disease and immediately, I started getting ads on how to cure that disease, live with that disease, join various support groups for that disease. That makes me a little uneasy. My search engine is Duck Duck Go, but I’ve noticed I have to go in every so often and re-set it. Somehow, Google finds a way to get back in my computer. Not being all that computer savvy, I think it’s possibly tied into Facebook. But, Who only knows and he’s not telling.

So, for a while, I’m back on Facebook. I do admit, I don’t miss the lack of political stuff, the lies, the misinformation. If it gets bad again, I’ll sign off again. Life is too short to spend it hating and lying, let alone reading it every day.

Photos of the Week:

Sunset over Rattlesnake Mountain and Columbia River

Visited a friend’s place the other day, and his holly tree is in bloom. I’ve never seen the flowers on a holly tree. They are tiny, maybe ¼” across. And little green berries that will, I am sure, turn red at some point.

Entertainment:

Facebook. What else can I say?

Books: For reviews of finished books go to Rainy Day Reads

Finished Blood Brother – Sister Death by Bill Ransom. Very entertaining, well written, and not your standard, cliché, vampire book. Highly recommend it.

Also finished Intention Tremor: A Hybrid Collection by Tamara Kaye Sellman. This is a marvelous read, not a ‘woe is me’ kind of book. And a fantastic insight into what it’s like having and living with MS. Read it!

Education:

Does Facebook count??

Quote of the Week comes from Facebook (see above): “Make a list of things that make you happy. Make a list of things you do every day. Compare the lists. Adjust Accordingly.”

And now, Auntie Lenora and Sammy Brave Dog are off to make those lists, and adjust accordingly!

Coffee Break Escapes with Auntie Lenora

Short readings for short times

Author Archives: Lenora Good

Apologies?

My Try as a Spy

My Opinion on the US Death Penalty

May I Brag?

Astrology 101?

Another Banned Book

Deep End of the Pool (aka: Rant)

Short Road Trip Plus…

Facebook

Wildfire