Good Neighbors and a New Wifi Password
I spent the better part of the past two months going through each entry in my blog to ensure that photo links (previously directed at my soon-to-be-defunct websites) now point to my Google Photos where they should live on indefinitely and at no cost to me. I'm glad to have that job behind me because dead links in any blog, especially mine, cause me to frown.
I was sidelined for more than a week recently with some sort of virus that sapped nearly every last bit of energy from me as my body tried to fight it. Fortunately, that doesn't happen very often to me. Whatever it was has settled in my chest where it's reluctant to give up the fight but I'm doing much better overall. I was laying in bed last Monday trying to get up the energy to go out and vacuum up leaves one last time to have them out for the compost truck the next morning. I heard the sound of a lawnmower outside my window and figured it was our neighbors. I looked out to see that it was Mark working in our yard. I hurried to get outside to help him but he waved me off and insisted I go back in and rest. I put up no fight. Good neighbors are a blessing.
I was finally able to get out for a walk yesterday afternoon and feel the sun on my face. It was nice. And Charlie is happy that we've resumed our walks so he can check his p-mail.
Our country remains in a state of conflict with people choosing sides as we head down the road to the impeachment of Trump*. Congress spent the last two weeks taking testimony from State Department officials and others about what they observed from their positions on the inside while Republicans and conservative media asked us to not believe what our eyes and ears were telling us and to instead focus on a false narrative that Republicans were pushing on behalf of Vladimir Putin—that it was the Ukranian government that interfered in the 2016 election and nothing else appeared to matter. You couldn't script this and expect people to believe it, yet, here we are.
Trump* has blocked key witnesses to his alleged crimes from testifying, instructing them to defy subpoenas with promises of protection for anyone who fears legal retribution. What I don't understand and have yet to hear any of his defenders explain is why a man would work so hard to discredit an investigation that would surely prove his innocence? But hey, it worked for Mueller's investigation.
I was struck by the irony of so many immigrant State Department officials testifying before Congress, seemingly more concerned with our democracy and Constitution than those who looked down their noses at them from their lofty seats in the chamber and castigated them for daring to speak against the President.
I'm also struck by the fact that this is the same Republican Party who impeached Bill Clinton for lying about an affair—that lying about an affair was where they drew the line then but it's a meer yawner when a President abuses his power by withholding nearly $400,000,000 in promised and approved military assistance to a country in exchange for publically sullying the reputation of his chief rival in the upcoming election. I honestly don't know how one gives a pass to that.
I remind myself that there was only 30% approval for Nixon's impeachment when the Watergate hearings began but that number slowly grew over time as witnesses exposed a more sinister side to the man. It's my hope that Democrats have a plan to ensure that there's public testimony from all of the key players in this mess so that when the Senate gives a pass to Trump*, the voting public will have a full understanding when election day comes around for why he and his entire administration should be turned out.
On a brighter note: I finally made it back down into my glass studio a few days ago to knock out a piece for my Etsy store. It was so nice to be down there again losing myself in the process of bringing a piece to life. Temps are expected to be in the mid-40s tomorrow so I'm feeling torn about spending the day working on a stained glass project or possibly trying to battle the wind to play golf or ride. I suppose I could do both.
That's all I've got, well, except for this. 😁 Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.
I was sidelined for more than a week recently with some sort of virus that sapped nearly every last bit of energy from me as my body tried to fight it. Fortunately, that doesn't happen very often to me. Whatever it was has settled in my chest where it's reluctant to give up the fight but I'm doing much better overall. I was laying in bed last Monday trying to get up the energy to go out and vacuum up leaves one last time to have them out for the compost truck the next morning. I heard the sound of a lawnmower outside my window and figured it was our neighbors. I looked out to see that it was Mark working in our yard. I hurried to get outside to help him but he waved me off and insisted I go back in and rest. I put up no fight. Good neighbors are a blessing.
I was finally able to get out for a walk yesterday afternoon and feel the sun on my face. It was nice. And Charlie is happy that we've resumed our walks so he can check his p-mail.
Our country remains in a state of conflict with people choosing sides as we head down the road to the impeachment of Trump*. Congress spent the last two weeks taking testimony from State Department officials and others about what they observed from their positions on the inside while Republicans and conservative media asked us to not believe what our eyes and ears were telling us and to instead focus on a false narrative that Republicans were pushing on behalf of Vladimir Putin—that it was the Ukranian government that interfered in the 2016 election and nothing else appeared to matter. You couldn't script this and expect people to believe it, yet, here we are.
Trump* has blocked key witnesses to his alleged crimes from testifying, instructing them to defy subpoenas with promises of protection for anyone who fears legal retribution. What I don't understand and have yet to hear any of his defenders explain is why a man would work so hard to discredit an investigation that would surely prove his innocence? But hey, it worked for Mueller's investigation.
I was struck by the irony of so many immigrant State Department officials testifying before Congress, seemingly more concerned with our democracy and Constitution than those who looked down their noses at them from their lofty seats in the chamber and castigated them for daring to speak against the President.
I'm also struck by the fact that this is the same Republican Party who impeached Bill Clinton for lying about an affair—that lying about an affair was where they drew the line then but it's a meer yawner when a President abuses his power by withholding nearly $400,000,000 in promised and approved military assistance to a country in exchange for publically sullying the reputation of his chief rival in the upcoming election. I honestly don't know how one gives a pass to that.
I remind myself that there was only 30% approval for Nixon's impeachment when the Watergate hearings began but that number slowly grew over time as witnesses exposed a more sinister side to the man. It's my hope that Democrats have a plan to ensure that there's public testimony from all of the key players in this mess so that when the Senate gives a pass to Trump*, the voting public will have a full understanding when election day comes around for why he and his entire administration should be turned out.
On a brighter note: I finally made it back down into my glass studio a few days ago to knock out a piece for my Etsy store. It was so nice to be down there again losing myself in the process of bringing a piece to life. Temps are expected to be in the mid-40s tomorrow so I'm feeling torn about spending the day working on a stained glass project or possibly trying to battle the wind to play golf or ride. I suppose I could do both.
That's all I've got, well, except for this. 😁 Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.
Comments