I have been asked by a friend who has recently been diagnosed with macular degeneration, if I could read and post my blogs. I am going to try to do so each time I write and post a Coffee Break Escape. The recordings will be on The Spoken Word page above. Heroes and Hallowed Ground is now posted for your listening pleasure.

Weather in the Tries:
Huzzah! Huzzah! Monday, today, will be 91F and it goes down from here—all the way to 74F during the days, and the nights drop from 68F to 53F. While it’s not bring out the down jacket, it may be time for a light sweater when out at night. And for sure a light blanket on the bed, or a summer quilt or two!

Heroes and Hallowed Ground: 
A great cartoon I found on Facebook: shows an old fashioned Catholic Nun in her black habit & white wimple walking down a school hall with a cat following. She had one hand holding the ear of a young Vance and the other hand holding a ruler. The bubble from the Nun says: “We’re going to have a little talk about childless cat ladies.” Love it! 

Another Facebook one I love shows a GI, with all identifying tags blocked, holding a sign that reads: “I have never stood in front of a grave and given a thumbs up with a big smile, but if I live longer than he does it could happen.” And now you know why last week’s post was so short. I was too angry to really write anything light and not angry.

It’s a week later, and I’m still irritated over his desecration of the graves of my family in uniform. Note, I said irritated. I was angry. By the time you read this, I expect the irritation to be mostly gone. There is nothing I can do about it, besides vote against him. And you already know I’m going to do that. Yes, I hope you do, too. But all I’m going to say about that is I encourage you to vote your own conscious, your own character, vote for the best woman to heal our country, just get out there and vote! 

I am not fond of plane travel. I do not like forced sitting that long. But I for sure will wear my WAC Veteran tee shirt and fly back east to have my thumbs up photo taken over his grave. I do intend to live that long! Besides, I pinky-swore with my friend Ann, to never die! Maybe I’ll do a “Fonzie” with both thumbs up, Aaayyyyy!

By the time you read this, I should have the two pins out of my toe and be able to walk more or less normal. At least, it should be my choice whether to continue hobbling or not. I imagine my foot will be a tad bit tender, but still, having the option… I can’t tell whether my foot is swollen or not, but there are times when it feels like there is some swelling under the assaulted toe, but since I can’t put my foot down flat, I don’t know if it really is, or just feels that way because of my current walking on the side of my foot.

Public Service Announcement: 
Getting ready for my road trip, leaving out at 0:Dark:00 on the 21 September. Have ordered some junk food to eat on the road, have ordered some instant coffee to take with, as I will be staying with people who don’t drink coffee, am beginning to figure out clothes, etc. The first week will be a writer’s retreat in Dallas, TX. (It will take me 3 days of driving to get there). Since I’m not writing anything prosy, and will only have my iPad to take, I am printing out a stack of poetry, and hope to maybe put a book together. A whole book, not a chapbook. 

Speaking of chapbooks, remember, Saying Goodbye to Thomas will be ready for pre-order next Feb/Mar. The amount books I sell on pre-order will set my royalty amount. And I want a huge amount. Not for me, but because all my royalties from the book, or any poems therein I sell individually, will be split between End of Life Washington and the ALS Association. So, start putting your list together of people you want to give the book to, and when I post the link, you can pre-order.

For those of you who pre-order, and would like a signed copy, or copies, all you need to do is send me a self-addressed stamped envelope and tell me how you would like it/them signed, and I will send you back individually signed book plates that can be placed in the books. You can email me when the time comes, to get my snail mail address, if you don’t already have it. 😉

Now We Know:
For years now, I’ve wondered when mass shootings happen and people want some honest gun control, not taking all guns, just banning assault rifles and asking for background checks, a certain party that claims family values, and children are important, and … yadda, yadda, yadda … and when the topic comes up, these people who bow to the NRA say, “Now is not the time.” Many of us have wondered if not now, when? Now we know. J. D. Vance told us, and NO ONE from the Republican Party changed or corrected what was spoken. I can’t remember the exact words, but basically, he told us that mass shootings in schools is the new normal and kids, teachers, and families have to learn to live with it. Now is not the time to discuss gun control, not gonna happen—EVER! If they have their way.

I don’t know a single Democrat, or Republican, who fears being deprived of their guns. They just want assault rifles banned. NO ONE needs an assault rifle unless they want to kill as many humans as possible in the shortest amount of time. That is the reason, not one of the reasons, the  reason, those weapons were developed for the military—to kill as many enemy as possible in the shortest time. If you take an AR hunting Bambi’s daddy, and use it, you won’t have enough usable meat to bother packaging and placing in your freezer for later eating. A total waste of good venison!

When ARs were banned in “…1994, it was only for ten years. The ban applied only to weapons manufactured after the date of the ban’s enactment. It expired on September 13, 2004, following its sunset provision.” (Wikipedia) Once the ban expired and the party who loves fetuses, but thinks kids make excellent targets for practice, blocked the renewal of it. 

“After Bill Clinton banned assault weapons in 1994, mass shooting deaths dropped by 43%. After the Republican Congress let the ban expire in 2004, they shot up by 239%. We don’t need to arm teachers; we need to BAN assault weapons again!” —Lee Turner, Democratic Congressional candidate for South Carolina District 04.

As Jeff Tiedrich said in his 5 September 2024 Substack article, everyone is entitled to my own opinion, “shove your thoughts and prayers, we’ve been thinking and praying since Columbine—and it hasn’t done shit.” I couldn’t have said it better. (If you’re paywalled on this one, let me know, it’s worth the read.)

In his Sunday article, “no, you fucking ghouls, school shootings don’t have to be a ‘fact of life’” Jeff has more good words to say. Normally, I’d apologize for the f-word, but y’all have heard it, deal with it. He’s right. And, frankly, if I knew of a stronger word, I think I’d use it. The time is NOW, lets get something positive done.

If you really want to own and fire an AR, then store it at your National Guard Armory, and only use it on their firing range. And for the sake of whatever god you may or may not worship, don’t buy one for your kid!!!

Photos of the Week—use your imagination and see:
   All the empty desks. 
   All the smaller holes dug in hallowed burial grounds. 
   The parents, siblings, grands, aunties, uncles, friends, family of blood and choice who cry.

from the desk of the very sad chihuahua;
mom says I need to write funny, but I’m still trying to picture the photos above. I don’t like what I’m seeing.

Earworm for the week:
Send In The Clowns — Ol’ Blue Eyes and Tony Mottola

MALA
Make America Laugh Again!!

OMG!! Dick & Liz Cheney endorsed and are voting for Kamala!!! 

PIFA
Politics Is Fun Again!!