Category Archives: Sammy Brave Dog

Waxing Poetic

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Weather in the Tries:
Well, we’re going to miss that huge cold front that is covering parts of Idaho and east and south. Not that we’ll be in the clear, our lows will range from 23 30, and our highs from 35 to 41. Sun will show for a few days, but the two warmest days will be cloudy. Those clouds do hold in the heat. 

Waxing Poetic:
I don’t very often wax poetic over a product I’ve bought and use, but this one absolutely amazed me. I figured the possibility of being taken for a ride existed, but that’s not the case. 

A bit of backstory. I’ve always loved long hair, but when I let it grow out as long as it is now, I got 24/7 headaches because my hair was so thick and course and heavy. It self-parted in the middle and flared out like Gilda Radner’s, except on her it was cute, on me—not so much. So I got my hair cut short, and kept it short for 25 years. 

In many Tribal Cultures, when a loved one dies, people cut their hair. When Thomas died my hair was very short, so I decided to let my hair grow. About a year ago, if that, I began to notice when I combed or brushed it, gobs of hair came out, and my hair was much finer that it was. Well, I let my hair grow, and fall, and grow and fall, and eventually it began to dawn on me that I was headed for male pattern baldness. Now, I’ve always been somewhat jealous of women who have high foreheads, but somehow I didn’t think this was the way I wanted to get one.

So I started looking for shampoos to stop hair loss. Frankly, I don’t care if what I’ve lost grows back, but I do care that the loss ceases and desists! I ended up buying an expensive (for me—I’m normally a Suave kinda gal) shampoo and conditioner. I used it once, and when I combed my hair afterwards, I had about a fourth of the usual amount of hair in my comb. And it’s been going down since. What is this marvelous product you may be wondering? It’s Routine Wellness Anti-Thinning shampoo and conditioner.

Like the stuff I use to help my hair curl, the product that works for me, may not for you, but if you’re facing the same hair loss situation, I think Routine Wellness is worth a try. If it doesn’t work for you, mail it to me.

Fact: 
by replacing your morning coffee with Green tea, you can lose up to 89% of what little joy you still have left in your life.

There is a Filipino fast-food chain in LA called Jollibee. They were seen serving free food to people affected by the wildfires. Just quietly setting up tables and boxed food for those who need it. HUZZAH! HUZZAH! Jollibee. Jollibee’s motto is “Joy is best when shared.” During a lot of sad, a little bit of joy is certainly welcome, especially food.

Some places to which you may want to contribute. I am not saying you should, or you should donate to these, I’m just saying these are places I know about and have contributed to or will contribute to.

1. California Fire Foundation

2. Los Angeles Regional Food Bank

3. Latino Community Foundation

4. California Community Foundation:

5. Los Angeles Wildfire Book Donation Check them out. They are seeking books MG, YA, etc., for both schools and students who have lost books in the fire. I have several books I’ve never sold, guess where they are going, if they’re wanted. 

6. Jollibee Fast Foods—if you live in an area where they are, and can afford it, please consider buying something and maybe pay for a couple extra meals for those affected by the fire.

Photo of the Week:

Holy Moon. Actually, it’s the Wolf Moon, first full moon of the year. Using my phone, it was over-exposed so I thought I’d play with it in Photos, I started messing around with colors, etc., and ended up with this shot, with a flaming halo around Grandmother Moon (hence the Holy).

from the desk of the sad dog;
I am so sad for the humans and fur and feathered people who have lost their homes in the big fires. I hope they weren’t too scared and all got out okay. my human said that people died, and she didn’t tell me, but I’m afraid too many pets didn’t know where to go, and all the wildlife. well, I’ll try not to think of it. and if I ask my human, she’ll cry, again, so I won’t ask her. I hope all of you are safe, and all your friends and families are, too. 

Quote of the Week:
I don’t have a link for this, I it copied out of a Substack article by Faisal Kutty on Zeteo about the fires and the heroism of his LA neighbors. A colleague sent him a message making his guest rooms available to Mr. Kutty and his family, here is part of what the colleague wrote: “We have two empty bedrooms—one with a single bed, but we can add a futon, and the other with a double bed. Food is kosher and hence halall…” (emphasis mine). If I remember correctly, he said kids were welcome. I have apparently gotten so used to the Israeli’s giving the Palestinians nothing but death, and I find it amazing, if not miraculous, to read that a kosher Jew is offering his Muslim colleague love, a place to stay, and food he and his family can eat, really made my day. 

Remembering

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Weather in the Tries:
oooh, the lows will all be below freezing, one down to 22F, unless the fickle weather person changes his mind again. The highs will range from 33-42, and we’ll have sun each day. Unless the fickle weather person changes his mind, again. 😉

Remembering:

Today is Thursday, 9 Jan 2025, I’m watching President Jimmy Carter’s funeral.

Jason Carter told the best story of President Carter of the whole service. Jimmy finally got a cell phone, and early on in the process, Jason got a notice that Paw Paw Mobile was calling. He answered and said, Hi, Paw Paw. Jimmy said, Who’s this? Jason: What do you mean, this is Jason and you called me. Jimmy responded, I didn’t call you. I’m taking a picture. Jason brought much laughter when he concluded this story with, And he was a nuclear engineer. Humor belongs in a funeral. Remember the deceased with humor, not hate.

In retelling this short blurb by Jason, who also described his granddad as probably answering the door if someone knocked, in shorts and crocs. The image of him in crocs reminded me of when King Tut became a person to me, and not just a name from the dusty pages of history. I had the honor of seeing many of his possessions many years ago when they visited Seattle. They were overwhelming until I got to the camp stool he used. When I looked at the back legs I had to smile. The bottoms, facing front, were very scuffed. A bored or perhaps eager? young man, waiting for whatever he was waiting, obviously rubbed his feet against the stool’s legs. The legs on the stool were curved, so maybe these were the front feet of the stool. The legs were an ‘x’ shape. At any rate, that’s when Tut became a real person to me.

Once again, I find myself ignoring political news but watching ANKA, a news video out of Turkey, I think. At any rate they are giving coverage to Ukraine/Russia, which has not been all that great with our news coverage, and has become less so.

Once again, I think of Sherri S. Tepper’s book, The Gate to Women’s Country. If you haven’t read it, I strongly recommend it. I enjoyed the story tremendously, but her idea of how to fight wars is one I think should seriously be considered by all countries on our globe. I think Jimmy Carter would even approve, but he would, like me, prefer NO wars. Ever again. If every country were to sign such a treaty, their economy would be affected, at first negatively as they moved away from a war-based economy and literally turned weapons of war into peaceful uses. 

We now have, and have had for years, the capability to kill all life on earth in a matter of minutes. But what would happen if all projectile weapons were banned, including the atlatl? Look that one up, if you don’t know what it is. It’s pretty interesting. It used to be spelled Atalatal, but time, and dictionaries, march on.

There are several things in Tepper’s book that would not be accepted by today’s people, though they would be interesting. In a nutshell, the parts that could be accepted (with probable edits by this writer) are:

1. Warriors must use hand weapons only, i.e., swords, knives, battle axes. They must be able to look into the eyes of the warrior they kill—or are killed by.

2. Wars must be declared by written letters, the defenders get to choose the field.

3. Wars must be fought outside population areas whether cities or villages, in fields set aside to be used as a battlefield. (May be used for agricultural purposes between wars). Civilians are off limits, and the warriors may not enter villages, cities, etc. to fight.)

4. Once the war is over, the victor claims the territory or whatever comes in the treaty. The loser clears the field. But the civilians carry on. Nothing is bombed. No grenades are thrown. You want to kill someone? Look them in the eye as you do so. Or as they do unto you. No drones. No howitzers. No HIMARCS. No guns or automatic weapons. Get the idea? 

If we didn’t pour gazillions of dollars into the war machine, think how much we could do for our people, our children. We could feed them all, have universal health care, why, we might even become civilized. 

Can you even begin to imagine what it would be like to send your kidlets off to school and know the worst thing that could happen to them would be a skinned knee, or maybe a school yard scuffle? Can you imagine walking down the street and not having to fear a police officer deciding you walked too much like a star bellied snitch and therefore shoot you. Of course, he may attempt to run you through with a sword, but you’d have a better chance of escape.

Oh dear, our magic dragon has died. “Our fearless dragon is tired and has entered the last chapter of his magnificent life. The world knows Peter Yarrow the iconic folk activist, but the human being behind the legend is every bit as generous, creative, passionate, playful, and wise as his lyrics suggest,” his daughter Bethany said in a statement. 

RIP in peace Peter Yarrow, you are sorely missed. But, I gotta add a question: Are you and Mary singing with Jimmy, now?

First Photo of the Year:

Dragonflies Coming in to Land at Harry Reid Air Port, Las Vegas, NV (the reflection from the window is part of my shirt which says Future Corpse. The reflection is TUR

from the desk of the mighty chihuahua;
my human found my sweater. I wondered if she would ever find it. I don’t really like wearing it, but when there is ice on the pond, it feels very nice to have it on. especially when the wind is blowing. it’s really nice when the air is cold but the sun is out. when the sun smiles at me in my pretty black sweater, I’m top dog of the planet.

Earworm of the Week:

Puff the Magic Dragon, original by Peter, Paul, and Mary (damn! I shed a tear every time I hear this, now I’m crying.)

Quotes from the Funeral, from pbs.org:

Joe Biden: “I miss him, but I take solace in knowing that he and Rosalynn are reunited again,” he concluded. “To the entire Carter family, thank you — and I mean this sincerely — for sharing them both with America and the world. We love you all.”

Jason Carter: By the way, he cut the deficit, wanted to decriminalize marijuana, deregulated so many industries that he gave us cheap flights and, as you heard, craft beer. Basically all of those years ago, he was the first millennial. And he could make great playlists, as we’ve heard as well.”

Andrew Young: Seated at a microphone, Young — whom Carter appointed as United Nations ambassador — drew laughs from the crowd when he called Carter “something of a miracle,” noting, “It’s still hard for me to understand how you could get to be president from Plains, Georgia.”

More quotes at the link.

Things For Which I Am Grateful

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PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT:
this is 2025, 2025, 2025, get used to it

Weather in the Tries:
Wow, I really blew it last week. I’ll try to get it right this week (takes deep breath) here goes: The lows for this week will be 32-34 and the highs will range from 30 to 48! two days in a row. Wonder if the management will open the pool???

Things For Which I Am Grateful:
President Jimmy Carter’s state funeral will be this Thursday. I hope the OP watches it and learns something positive. It’s too bad more churches never met, or if they did, killed him quick, Jesus. Had I attended the Carter’s church in Plains, GA, I might still be a Christian. But I didn’t and I’m not. Here’s a quote that kinda makes my case: “Homosexuality was well known in the ancient world, well before Christ was born and Jesus never said a word about homosexuality. In all of his teachings about multiple things he never said that gay people should be condemned.” ~ President Jimmy Carter.

Did I tell you I’m on Bluesky? I think so, but I’m old and forget things. One of the things I love is it seems much more positive than X, in fact, God @godpod.bsky.social is on it. S/He makes it worth the move. I’m Lenora Good @lenora2.bsky.social should you care to visit.

I will continue my weekly foray into Facebook for a while, probably until 2025 wanders out, only because my chapbook, Saying Goodbye to Thomas will be released to Pre Order effective 24 Feb-2 May, with general release in June. I really want people to pre order, as that is what my royalty is set to, and I want lots of royalty to divide in half between ALS Assoc and End of Life WA.

I must admit, I am extremely grateful to be alive in this time and not in the ‘good old days’ of yore. I’ve seen a lot of new things come and old things go. I saw a pufferbelly pull the train I was riding when I was a little kidlet, I saw the first diesel locomotive pull into Portland OR. I saw the rise of antibiotics, and the first polio vaccine. I saw the arrival of The Pill, and boy howdy was I grateful for that one. BTW, the doctor who gave us The Pill was a Roman Catholic. I witnessed HIV/AIDS go from a death sentence to a chronic illness, and I’ve seen some, but not enough, total reversals. I saw men walk on the moon, books become available in choices of bindings, type size, electronic, and audio available on our phones. 

People get upset at Amazon, claim it’s gotten rid of the mom and pop bookstores, but it really hasn’t. I fear it has made a good sized dent to a lot of traditional publishers, though. However, it has helped many of the small Independent publishers grow. Amazon pays a living wage, at least here in Kennewick where they hired my kids. 

I remember when Fred Meyer’s (in Portland OR) was a five and dime store. Then they added a few staple groceries. Then a lot of staple groceries, and home dec, and electronics, and paint, and a plant nursery. And people started shopping there because it became a one-stop-shop. I shopped there for years, until they sold out to Kroger. When they did that, they started selling Kroger stuff, and I would have to go to 2 or 3 different stores to get my groceries. Fuggedaboutit! I shifted over to WinCo. But they, too, have cut way down on a lot of their bulk foods/spices. 

But, you know where I can get a lot of stuff that is not available in Kennewick (at least not that I’ve found)? You got it, Amazon.com. And I don’t have to get dressed if I don’t want to, I don’t have to go out in the cold, I just have to wait a couple of days to get what I need. But I haven’t heard anyone complain about Amazon deliberately setting out to put grocery stores out of business. 

Back to the gratefuls—I am truly grateful for YouTube and related. This morning, as I was going through my newsfeed, I came across Freddie Mercury singing operatic, every time this pops up in my feed, I watch and love it, and him, all over again. Brings to mind the saying that one never truly dies until no one remembers them. A couple stories down the list, I had the pleasure of watching and listening to Snarky Puppy. And then a short video came up of a young woman playing the violin while on a boat and the whales coming up to listen to her. It would be interesting if someone would follow those whales and see if they incorporate a bit of classical music into their whale song. Every so often, I have to get my royalty fix and call up the forever young and sexy Freddie Mercury. Yep from 78s to 33s to 45s to tape, to CD, to streaming. It’s great to be alive today!

And Zoom! (Remember the old Mazda commercials with the kid saying, “zoom, zoom”?) Well, thanks to the Pandemic, I discovered the new and improved Zoom. Just one. Take Monday last—I attended a poetry reading in NYC, then another, non-poetry reading in Seattle by Sherman Alexie (for those of you who don’t know, Kennewick where I live is in Eastern WA close to the OR border. Driving across the Snoqualmie pass in good weather is a 3-4 hr drive.) Tuesday night was an open mic reading, Friday was a poetry prompt gathering, Saturday a poetry critique and Sunday another open mic, and sometimes a gathering from around the world of poets. I can’t go to Seattle to attend a Sherman Alexie reading, but I can certainly attend via Zoom!! Hm, is that Ladysmith Black Mambazo singing the commercial? And drones. Not weapon drones, photo drones. One of my favorite channels on YouTube is the Desert Drifter. He backpacks all over the SW desert and shows some fantastic scenery and old homes and granaries of the Old Ones. I can even watch the Bolshoi with minimal searching, check out the Bolshoi Bolero from 1967 no less. I’ve never seen flamenco like this, if in fact is. Whatever it is, it is Spectacular!

How did we ever live without computers and the WWW and Zoom and AI and Word processing, and all these new-fangled things??

But the one thing I am most grateful for? YOU! None of this would be worth anything if I didn’t have you, my friends, my family of choice, my family of blood, to share my wonderful wacky life with. I have been friends with some of you for 65 years plus. How be them thar apples?

First Photo of 2025:
well, this a first. it’s been rainy and gray and I haven’t taken any yet.

from the paws of the big little dawg;
my human left her bedroom door open one the noisy night so I could go hide in her bathroom or the office with housemate dan. neither my human no me got much sleep. but my human still loves me. and there won’t be another noisy night until summer. why do humans love their noise so much.

Earworm of the Week:

Pavel’s Bolero by Wiener Philharmoniker

Quote of the Week from Stressless Country:

“Here’s to the year that lies ahead,
let’s face it with laughter instead.
With humor as our guiding light,
we’ll tackle each day with all our might!”
~ Catherine Pulsifer, Roses Are Red

It is 2025, 2025, 2025, 2025, do not forget

Look! Look! A Solution to Mass Shootings?? NOT!!

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Weather in the Tries:
Wet! slightly higher temps mostly low 50s. Friday and Saturday the only so-called dry days. Poor Sammy Puppy Dog. He so dislikes the wet, unless it’s in his water dish. He’s also not overly fond of really cold weather, so I hope he appreciates the wet and warmer temps. If the wet is like a Seattle drizzle, it won’t be too bad, but if it’s more like a real rain…poor puppy dog. Wednesday will be our coolest day at 45F. Not cold enough to snow, not warm enough to enjoy. sigh.

Look! Look! A Solution to Mass Shootings?? NOT!!:
Sat down at my computer and there is a notice that there has been ANOTHER school shooting with three killed—a teacher, a student, and the student alleged shooter. Then, on my news feed, this popped up: Look at one of the many articles here. 

Yes, three of the reddest states in the union already have them. Wanna guess? Alabama, Oklahoma, and Texas, with Colorado coming any day now, if not already there. Jesus Jumping Jehoshaphat! With kids having been raised with computers and AI, how long do you think it will take junior to have new id with his photo and a fake birthyear????

This is a country who loves the little children, and wants to arm teachers, instead of disarming shooters. 
This is a country who loves the little children, enough they ban abortions even when medically called for. 
This is a country who loves the little innocent babies, but refuses to help to Mama feed them, care for them, give them medical and dental as they grow. 
This is a country who loves the little children, but have little to nothing in the way of background checks for gun buyers, but want to track women’s periods.
This is a country who loves the little children, only while in a controlled uterus.
This is a country who loves the little children, but won’t help Mama move into safe housing.
This is a country who loves the little children, who self-identify as Good Christians but have never heard of, let alone followed Mark 5:2-12 ESV:

I probably have way more atheist friends now than Christian ones, and the atheists I know show way more compassion, caring, love, mercy, &c than those self-identified Good Christians. 

Do you remember Moloch, a Pagan god of old? Okay, do you remember reading about Moloch? The one who liked small, sweet children as his sacrifice. Methinks he’s still around and worshipped by old white men who encourage younger white men to buy guns and commit mass murders—who now run the NRA, and pay republican politicians to keep common sense gun control nonexistent. My thoughts and prayers, (useless as spitting into the wind) to their god of choice, are with them. My love, hugs, and votes are with the families and friends of those killed or wounded.

I truly hope those self-identified Good Christians who hate so joyously,  so strongly, meet the God they have birthed when they die. And enjoy his laughter while he smites them mightily.

Photo of the Week:
Posted on Bluesky this past week by John Scalzi: “This is a two-story quilt that is in the lobby of my wife’s office, and if they ever want to sell it, I am totally going to buy it for the church.” If you know anything about this Quilt—who made it, who quilted it, dimensions, etc., please let me know in the comments. I think it’s just gorgeous and really would like to give credit where credit is due. I took it from John Scalzi’s Bluesky.

from the desk of the love totin’ chihuahua;
sometimes, I wish I were a human so I could talk like a human, then I remember that humans love their guns and more and more are getting them. dogs don’t like guns. and dogs don’t own guns, and dogs don’t shoot guns, especially in schools. and then I wonder what is wrong with humans. I think if they would smell each other, like dogs do, they’d get enough information to get by without guns. but, no, probably not. dogs don’t know how to tell lies, but humans do.

Earworm of the Week:
I Think I’m Gonna Hate It Here – A Randy Rainbow Song Parody

Quotes of the Week:
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

You shall not murder. (unless, of course, you worship of Moloch)

Video of the Week:
The Greatest Speech Ever Made: Charlie Chaplin the Great Dictator W Time Inception Full HD Best Version-YouTube. Click here. Wow! I think it’s the first time I’ve ever heard him speak. Now I can see why people thought he was the greatest. Under 5 minutes, give it a look-see.

Happy Holidays to you one and all! 

unless you’re a MAGA-neo-nazi-white-supremacist-evangelical,
in which case I have no idea what to wish for you. More victimhood?
More rants? More angst? More misery? Well, whatever it is you want,
I wish you receive it. I wish you wanted Joy, Laughs, Humor.
Those are so much more fun than the anger which you deliriously wear
like a second skin.

Dancing Sugar Plums

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Public Service Announcement:

Some of you have asked if I could record these epistles. Yes, I can and No, I can’t. In other words: Sometimes. But if you, dear reader, have a vision problem, you need something a bit more reliable than my vocal cords, and I think you very probably have it. I may be wrong, but…IF you use MS Word, there is something called Narrator you can use. I can’t begin to tell you how, but you can go here for information on how to set it up for a PC, and click here for a Mac.You should be able to hear either your own documents, or a page on the web. A great way to check what you’ve written for syntax, etc.
———————————————————————————————————————

Weather in the Tries:
It’s getting warmer —the highs will not only be above freezing this coming week, on Wednesday the high will be in the 50s!! The lows will get almost kissing close to freezing, but not quite. Such a tease.        

Dancing Sugar Plums:
I don’t know about you, but I always considered sugar-plums dancing through the kidlet’s heads to be, well, sugared plums. I have been shown the truth. There are no sugared plums in sugar-plums. Did Clement Clarke Moore lie to us? No. (phew. that’s a relief). I found a fascinating 22 minute program on YouTube, Tasting History: Victorian Sugar Plums.

I don’t know if Max Miller, who hosts Tasting History, is a trained chef or a trained historian, or both, or neither. Obviously, he loves history, at least he loves kitchen history, and cheffing. Should that be chefing? 

I really implore you to watch the video. You deserve a break today, besides this one, of course. Pour yourself a cuppa your favorite warm libation—tea, coffee, mulled wine—and sit back, relax, and enjoy this instructive video. The subject of sanity arises in the video—well, you’ll see what I mean when you watch it.

I strongly hope you will quell the urge to make your own, and just go out and buy them, instead.

Wee tiny small quilts:
When I moved back to the Tries from ABQ, I decided I wanted to spend my time on small quilts—table toppers, wall hangings, placemats, no more bed sized quilts. Wee quilts are easier, for the most part, to work on. And take up less space. 

Somewhere along the way, I was told about Lisa Flowers Ross. My wee memory, what’s left of it, tells me I was in correspondence with her father when writing Madame Dorian, Her Journey to the Oregon Country, and somehow quilting came up in one of our conversations. Or perhaps he was just evincing Fatherly Pride in his daughter, Lisa, and her accomplishments. It really doesn’t, at this point in the story, matter. I became a fan of her art and signed up for her newsletter. Be sure to watch the video on the opening page of her website (linked above), it’s about 23 minutes long.

Her last newsletter, had some wee tiny small quilts that were as big as the opening in an 8×10 matt—roughly 3.5” x 5.5” in the matts and frames I bought. I made two as ‘drafts’ before tackling the final ones. I don’t know how she does them, but I strongly suspicion there is very little actual sewing, that most of the pieces are fused. In looking closely at the picture she sent, it looks like the quilting is very minimal. So here are my first two:

Photos of the Week:
This is my first one, Snack Time (apologies for the pinked up white matte and the reflection.)

This is my second, Desert Sunset

from the desk of the sleepy chihuahua;
my human is really weird, but what else is new. it’s winter, it’s cold, and it’s dark. she lets her phone make noise early in the morning. then she lets me out for a few minutes and I go back to bed. does she/ no. she stays up which puts me in a terrible bind. my dogness says I should really be by her side to protect her, but it’s dark outside, and my body says it needs more sleep. I’m very glad she doesn’t get upset with me. now, I’m going back to sleep.

Earworm of the Week:

This isn’t really an earworm, but more of a parody, and I fear I will see it every time I think of the OP. When I Think of Trump, a Yiddish song on YouTube. Enjoy.

Now this is an earworm:
Burl Ives singing the first cover of Ghost Riders in the Sky, recorded 1949. This has been one of my favorite songs since I was a kid, a little kid. My three favorite songs as a kidlet were Ghost Riders in the Sky, Oh Buttermilk Skies by Hoagy Carmichael, I’m Just Wild About Animal Crackers by Mel Blanc. 

The Funky Mood has Abdicated

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Weather in the Tries:
Somewhat warmer, high 30s and low 40s with Sunday on deck to be 49F! Break out the swimwear!! One of the ‘problems’ with the warmer weather  in the winterly months is it usually means wetter weather, too, which robs the air of its warmth.  Somedays I just don’t get no respect. (Thanks Rodney D for a great saying.)

The Funky Mood has Abdicated: 
Well, the funky mood has, I hope, passed. Finally dawned on me that when the dr. changed my neuropathy meds the new ones weren’t quite the same, and the side effects weren’t the same, either. Where the other ones let me sleep a good night, all night, every night, the new ones don’t care if I sleep or not. The old ones were originally used as anti-depressants and for other things like neuropathy, as secondary, so of course I wasn’t in a funky mood. The main thing, though, is the new ones are not as good as controlling the neuropathy pain. I may have to go back to the first ones. 

So a couple weeks ago, I wore my Women’s Army Corps cap to a meeting. Like a good (ex) WAC, I removed my cover (hat) when inside, and laid it on a chair next to my purse. A lady in the meeting saw it, and asked if it was mine. She then proceeded to tell me there’s a group of Lady Veterans in the Tries, and they were having their next meeting Dec 7 and would I like to come. I did like and I did attend. It’s the first time I’ve seen so many Lady vets all in a group since I received my discharge back in 1969.  What fun to have so many gals together. We had quite a gathering, and Santa even left some gifts for everyone! 

And we have a Veteran’s Center! I had no idea. I looked Veteran’s up once, but could only find the clinic, and I don’t qualify. Yes, my discharges were Honorable, but I have excellent insurance through The Boeing Company, so I can’t use the VA system, even on a sliding scale. I’m not complaining.

The other fun thing that happened is I bought a new Roku stick, it came the other day, and I got it all connected and one of the free Roku channels is Midsomer Murders. OMG, I can binge and sew at the same time. I love the Midsomer Murders, I’ve seen several, but so far they’re all new to me. Great fun.

Photo of the Week: 
Here’s my baseball cap. It’s like the other military ones, but for the WAC. I laid out a bunch of my new fat quarters (FQ) to put some color in the picture. A FQ is a quarter yard of fabric, only instead of  cutting 9” off the width of fabric (WOF). It’s 18” of the WOF and that cut in half at the fold so it’s 18” by ½ the WOF. More things can be made from FQs that skinny pieces. I’ll wear my hat, sans the FQ when I attend the Coffee Bunker at the Vet Center this Friday morning.

from the desk of the brave chihuahua;
my human is spending more time in the living room now. she’s watching the telly and sewing. sometimes, she sits on the sofa so I can sit with her and snuggle while she watches the telly. my favorite is when she’s on the sofa. then I can get close and get lots of pets. after all, that’s my primary job description—collect pets and snuggle.

Earworm of the Week:
this isn’t an earworm, per se, but one of several I play while writing. It’s kind of like white noise but prettier. There are several of these ambient soundtracks on YouTube, check them out, find one that works for you. Samurai Meditation For 11 Hour https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kch_zrI1YO8&t=2382s

Quote of the Week, courtesy Reader’s Digest https://www.rd.com/article/veterans-day-quotes/ :

“Freedom is fragile and must be protected. To sacrifice it, even as a temporary measure, is to betray it.” —Germaine Greer

“Re-examine all you have been told. Dismiss what insults your soul.” ~Walt Whitman

Funky Mood

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Weather in the Tries:
Colder. All praise the creator of electric blankets!!

Funky Mood:
Housemate Dan and I are both in a funky mood of sorts. I don’t think either of us is depressed, but I might be close. I think I’m more scared. I’m scared of what’s going to happen to my country that I love come 20 Jan 25? How could any Veteran vote for the Orange Menace? Or any woman? Or…???

But something came to my inbox on 26 Nov that is just beautiful. From the Friendly Atheist, came this invocation to the Tulsa, OK City Council. I am reprinting it here, with Amy Hardy-McAdams permission. This prayer was inspired by a Medusa sigil and Ritual created by Laura Tempst Zakroff and Ms. Amy asked that full credit be given, and I certainly agree. And here is the prayer:

As a Priestess of the Goddess, I invoke the Gorgonaea, champions of equality and sacred rage. I call to Medusa, monstrous hero of the oppressed and abused. I open the Eye of Medusa, the stare that petrifies injustice.

I call upon the serpent that rises from this land to face the Stars, the movement of wisdom unbound.

May these leaders find within themselves the Embodied Divine, the sacred essence of the spark of the Universe and the breath of the Awen.

Place in the hands of these leaders the sacred work of protecting the sovereignty and autonomy of all our people.

Gorgon Goddess, make them ready and willing to be champions for all in this city, not just those in power.

Shine a light for them, that they may walk the path of justice, protected and prepared, illuminating the darkness.

Endow them with the fire of courage, the waters of compassion, the air of truth, and the strength of the earth itself.

As Above, so below.

As within, so without.

As the universe, so the soul.

May there be peace among you all.

And so it is.

This prayer has brought me more comfort than anything. 

The dog and I had a quiet Indigenous Day. I sewed a little bit, and finished the top of a table topper/wall hanging. And started watching as a binge, Doom at Your Service. A Korean RomConFantasy. I watched it about 3 years ago, and loved it, and am loving this one, too.

I also signed on to Bluesky. So far, none of the Hate from Twitter, though some of the “guys” from Facebook are moving over. “Dear Lenora, I just love the way you write, it’s so clear. I have followed you, would you do me the honor of following me so I can get your posts?” And they use the same photos they used on FB. So, no, I’m not following them.

Foto of the Week:
This is the table topper or wall hanging. It’s 22” x 42”. Frankly I really like the picture better than the actual. The points aren’t right, I’ll probably use it to line my sock drawer.

from the desk of the cold chihuahua;
as my human says, boy howdy, it is cold outside. my early morning walk is fast, short, and over as quickly as I can leave appropriate offerings to the grass gods and human can pick them up and place in the altar box. then it’s home, and back to a warm bed.

You Undoubtedly Noticed

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Weather in the Tries: 
Cold

You Undoubtedly Noticed:
I didn’t post a blog last week! I was with a couple of friends who died, one on Wednesday and the other on Monday. They weren’t close friends, but they were friends.

And then I read an article in (I think) the London Times by a man who was nine years old when his mother was diagnosed with cancer. I don’t remember what happened to Dad, but he wasn’t there. And this young boy became a primary care giver for his mom. She died when he was thirteen. He would take care of her in the morning, before school, and rush home to take care of her after school. He did everything, and when the pain got to be too much, she was taken to a psychiatric hospital, where she spent her last weeks without pain meds, and he would come buy every day on his way home from school to be with her, to help, to care.

He is a politician now, and when the vote comes up for medical assistance in dying in the UK, he will vote against it, because he thinks every child should have the same opportunities he did, to care for his dying parent, like he did. Do watch and listen to them scream in agony. Have you ever heard such selfish drivel? Not once did he think that maybe his mom was in enough pain she would have liked to exit earlier and to spare him the agony of watching her die. Maybe he’s a sadist in disguise.

I don’t know, but I sure think he was being mighty selfish. There was another letter a few days later, by a woman, a priest of her church, I forgot her title. Her letter was a little different, but it came down to suffering is good for the soul and I guess her god likes his humans to suffer now so they won’t suffer later. 

The subject of death came up in our Death Café this afternoon. (now is that a co inky dink? or what? /snort/) and I mentioned that in this state we have Death With Dignity for those who want it and qualify. Yes, people have to jump through hoops to partake, and every effort is exerted to be sure it is what the client wants, and 2 prescribers, one a doctor, agree. And they have the right to say, “No.” at any time. One person asked me if Death With Dignity was euthanasia. Another gal said no, euthanasia is what we do for our pets. I thought that was a good response and agreed with her, and gave the patrons of our café two sites to go to for information.

I think about Death With Dignity like I think about Abortion—if you don’t want either one, don’t have it—but don’t force your god’s peccadilloes down other people’s throats. They have enough to deal with, with their gods and his peccadilloes.

So, that’s why I didn’t write a post last week. I was grieving for two new friends I’d made who died before we could even have an argument, and then read those two letters. I was in no mood to write. Anything. Deal with it.

This Week’s Photo:
Took this photo two years ago this week, at Sheryl’s home. Thomas loved this tree, and could no longer see it as it was in the back of the house, and we couldn’t get him there, so I took the picture so he could enjoy the vibrant reds second hand.

from the desk of the mighty chihuahua;
it’s really cold out, and dark. the sun doesn’t come up until after 7 in the morning, and goes away before I can eat dinner and go for my afternoon walk. my human says another month and the days will start to get longer. I think the sun should be out half the time and the stars the other half. but I’m only a dog, and I don’t get no respect.

Home Again, Home Again

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Weather in the Tries:
A whole lot cooler than when I left, and where I was! Feels kinda good, actually.

Home Again, Home Again:
Had a marvelous trip. There were a couple of changes, but nothing serious, and one was quite beneficial. I remembered we had a new home to go to, but the fact the date slid one day to the right totally slipped off my eyeballs. I figured it would take 3 days for a leisurely drive from Kennewick to Dallas and the AirBNB we rented. So, as I’m leaving Kennewick on Saturday, I called Goodest Friend Dixie, back in Virginia, and told her I was on my way and would see her on Monday.

Pregnant pause: Monday? I thought we were meeting on Tuesday?! 

Yep, we were. Well, I was already on the freeway and no way to turn around, so I kept going. Loverly day through Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming. Spent Saturday night in Rawlins, Wyo. Had a loverly drive through a gray and drizzly Colorado (had a time, distance warp but me back on the Dark Side of the Cascades?). New Mexico was sunny, and Texas was a mash up. Sun, drizzle, sun, drizzle and by the time I got to Wichita Falls, it was drizzly (sort of) and dark.

NO signs on Texas highways or roads as to what’s available next exit. If you don’t know, you don’t go. I missed a whole row of motels and got off at the next exit and tried to back track. Uh, no. I stopped at an all-night grocery and asked the young man where I was. I realized the mistrake as soon as I saw the expression on his face. I laughed, told him I knew I was in Wichita Falls, and missed the last exit up the road, and wanted a motel. He assured me I could continue going north, but if I went south a few blocks, there is a very nice motel across the street from the Arby’s on the off ramp I took.

Why didn’t I see the sign for the motel? Because it was dark, and almost midnight their time, and the lights were off. Both at Arby’s and the motel. But I found it. Right where the young man who thought for a couple of moments he had a crazy lady on his hands. (Oh, if he only knew….)

It was an old Econolodge. The room was clean, neat, the bed comfy and I took it for two nights. It was also very, very quiet.

Since I was a day early I had an extra day to sight-see or sleep or whatever. Yes, I chose the last door and did whatever.

Doing Whatever:
I brought about 2.5 inches of poems printed out. That’s probably a good 400+ pages. The room had a cabinet with a large top, maybe 5-6’ x 3’. Perfect for sorting poems. I went through them, put them into 8 or so categories, then went through one more time and got rid of the obvious doubles. Then, I put each category in alphabetical order by title. Found a few more doubles. Then, I got really OCD and pulled out my file folders brought just for this, and wrote on each folder, in alphabetical order, the poems therein.

That made it much easier to find yet more duplicates. And there were some. Then, I began putting them in reading order, by category. The upshot is, I think I’ve got two books of poetry. One on Thomas and Grief, and one on everything else. I had no disruptions, I did get hungry at one point, looked at Arby’s across the street, looked at my project, and voila! I ate some of the junk food that was in my car 😉 Peanut butter filled pretzel bits, a bit of Pub Mix, and Peanut M&Ms. I opted to work and eat junk food. And water. Drank lots of water. I kept working instead of going through the old cemetery next door. Do I know how to have fun, or what?

The next morning, I checked out, and sat in the lobby reading Inside the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin by Erik Larson. I tried reading his book about the Devil in White City, and couldn’t get to page 60, let alone beyond, but this book was a page burner. The main reason I hung around is, I was only 3 hours from Dallas, and couldn’t check in until 3, so I sat and read. 

Photo in the AirBNB:
This was a photo of a sculpture that hung in the living room. The Dallas Skyline. The art appeared to be actual size. 

from the desk of the brave dog, Sammy;

my human is back, my human is back, my human—happy dance, happy dance 

And there it is. More next week. Right now, it’s time for yet another nap. 😉

For those of you who followed it, here is the Opening and Closing theme to Dallas. And, no, I have no idea who shot J.R. For that matter, I’m not even too sure who J.R. is/was.

Darth Vader Will Speak No More

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Hot Links in this Blog:
Carole King, I Feel the Earth Move https://www.smoothradio.com/features/top-songs/carole-king-songs/

Weather in the Tries:
One 80F day, and the rest are high 70s. Not parka weather, yet, but it’s a comin’. A couple of Dark Days (cloudy) but most sunny, or a combination of Dark & Light 😉

Darth Vader Will Speak No More:
I loved that voice. David Prowse, of course, played the character of Darth Vader and did a bang-up job of it, but speaking through the filter in his Darth mask made his British accent almost beyond the ability for Americans to understand. So, James Earl Jones was hired to do the voice over. He felt that Prowse did the work, he should get the credit, so he requested his name be left off the credits!

I have seen some of the movies in which Jones acted, for me, he always stood out. He became that character, and that voice. For me, he will forever be the voice of Darth Vader, and of course, can anyone forget, “This is CNN!”

Railroad Spikes:

The two tiny little pins came out of my toe a week ago today. I asked the doctor if I could have them, but he said they had to go into the Sharps box. The point of those little suckers was sharp! So, I just have two photos. It really went well. The doctor poured something on my toe that was cold, and said I’d feel a pinch. He then said, ‘pinch’ and repeated it a second time and both the pins were pulled out. He was pleased I didn’t jump, flinch, etc. I learned years ago, to relax, at least as much as I can, before medics get near me with things that could hurt. I also tell them if they hurt me, I’ll scream. They treat me very gently.

More Medic Stuff:
Went to pharmacy to get my latest vaccinations on Tuesday. Needed three, and really wanted them before I took off on my road trip. The last thing I need or want, is to get sick on the trip! I’ve had just about every vaccination offered by pediatricians when I was a kidlet, the military, and every one that’s come out since. Yes, some affected me. I do now and then have a sleepy day or two, but it’s so worth it not to get the disease, whatever it is.

I remember when the polio vax came out. I remember some of my friends at the time had died of it. Yes, the shot hurt, or I thought it did, and I probably cried being the wuss I was and am. But it’s so much better than having the disease. I’ve also had friends who had it as kids, survived it, and then relapsed when they were in their 70s or so. I’m so glad my kids are grown. I’d hate to send them to school in this day and age where they not only have to fear live shooters, but school mates whose parents won’t let their kids get vaxxed. 

And now RFK, Jr. is touting his anti-vax crap. Or is it Junior? Does Junior speak, or does the worm in his brain speak? I dunno. Only the Shadow knows.

Knew Addition to Coffee Break Escapes:
I have a few friends who have been diagnosed with Macular Degeneration and find reading to be more and more difficult, and they’ve asked me to record my blog, so I shall attempt to do that. The recordings will be posted in Spoken Word. If there are hot links mentioned in the recording, they will be in the body of the written blog. Or maybe at the very beginning of the blog as well as where called out within the body? Ideas?

Photos of the Week:

OK, here be the two pins that were in my dainty toe. They are a touch over an inch. The ‘T’ in BEASTS is 3/10th of an inch. Best guesstimate is they were about 1/20th of an inch in diameter.

IMG_5501.jpeg

I drove by the Duck Pond the other day, a bright, sunny day, and had to stop the car as a platoon of geese crossed the street. Not sure what they wanted on the other side of the street, but here they are. 

IMG_5513.jpeg

from the desk of the brave dog;
we have cooler nights now. it’s wonderful, and i can snuggle my human all night long, now. my human likes the cuddles. I remember last dark time when it was really, really cold, she called those three dog nights, and said I had to snuggle like three dogs—or let her adopt two more. I snuggled. not gonna share my human with other dogs. or those other furry fiends so many humans have and can’t even bark.

Earworm of the Week:
Carole King, I Feel The Earth Move, #9 on the top 10 of her songs

,LALA
Let Americans Laugh Again