It is Sunday night
and all through the house all is quiet,
Ken is safe in his
bed and I am cheating on my diet
When suddenly I
remembered, the GAZETTE must be done
How could I
possibly miss out on that fun?
Poet and don’t
know it but alas, my feet show it!
We had a good week and enjoyed our visit with niece, Debbie, from Indiana. We were
sorry when it was time for her to return home to her dear family. She missed her granny’s despite our best
efforts to keep her occupied. Terri took
Monday off and they did a girl’s celebration of Debbi’s birthday and on
Tuesday, Debbie and Ken took the train to Santa Barbara for lunch on the pier
to complete her visit to California. I
was disappointed that a medical situation prevented me from accompanying them
but life is what it is! We sent her
home, hopefully, not looking a day older than when she left, despite adding
another year. Unfortunately, she
apparently picked up a bug during our visit and plans to call her Doctor
tomorrow in hopes of gaining some relief from symptoms that sound like a
cold. I have heard reports of some
inconvenient symptoms from a bug that tend to hang on. We are hoping that we did not contribute to
her current discomfort.
Wednesday and Thursday found us
making routine visit to our Doctors with both of us being referred for further
tests and oversight. I have been having
a problem with my eyes and the Doctor suggested that I should see my eye Doctor
for follow up. Likewise, Ken has been
having a problem that seems related to his throat and he has a further test
scheduled to check that. He also had a lung
function test this week and we await the results of that test. Whatever did we do when we did not go to the
Doctor at least once a eek and sometimes, more than that?
We completed our week with a
lovely brunch celebrating Terri’s birthday served by Marci and Lauren out in
the lovely new landscaped yard at Gary and Marci’s. Gary had a skin cancer removed from the
bottom of his foot and it developed blisters that curtailed his walking so he
was home to join in the celebration.
We have completed this week with
dinner prepared and served by our friends Phil and Sheri. They had invited us to join them for dinner
but Ken has been having some shortness of breath that has curtailed his
activities. I was afraid that it was too
much for us to plan on doing an afternoon out after Church and I was
right. So, since Ken could not come to
dinner, Phil brought dinner to us. Terri
assisted while Ken and I assumed the role of royalty under the guise of “old
age”. Life is good!
Today is Ken’s brother, Don’s, birthday. They are helping some friends move their
furniture from Florida to Arizona and thus, we did not want to call him while
he was driving and this evening when we should have called, we had company. Nevertheless, we remembered him and wished
him a Happy Birthday via Facebook but I am not sure he got that either.
Lauren left this morning for
Kauai, HI. She texted that they were
checked in and ready to enjoy the sights and sounds of the Island. We could not resist suggesting things for them
to do and see while on the Island.
However, it sounded like they had planned their week without our
assistance. We just want them to enjoy
and have a great time. This is her first
trip to Kauai and though we believe it is the prettiest Island in the chain, it
is not the liveliest for the young. We
did try to prepare her for a more subdued lifestyle, but we hope she and her
friend will liven the Island with their special charm.
The election is nigh and I have
my absentee ballot at hand and Ken has completed and mailed his. California has a lot of bond issues on the
ballot and though many sound good and I would like to support them, the State
has no shame when it comes to spending money it’s taxpayers do not have. So far, I am inclined to vote yes on only one
and that is to override a gas tax that is burdensome and ill conceived. I also have a bit of an elitist attitude
(i.e., deciding what is good for people over their own decision-making
attributes) and deciding what is good for others by voting against increasing
taxes that must be repaid by my children and grandchildren. That, of course, may be in opposition to how
they vote but Mother and/or Grandmother knows best!
Below you will find my latest
meanderings of political thought.
Whether you read further or not is solely your decision. Your reading pleasure
is not defined by my rant on a given day.
Have a good week!
The recent Kavanaugh experience has increased my awareness
of just how concerned I think we all need to be for our country and the course
we are on. I am concerned for our
Constitution and the rule of law that supports our rights under its guiding
principles. Admittedly, I have a
conservative view of life. While the
view of others may be more progressive, ambitious or liberal in perception, I
firmly believe that our disagreements are not liberal or conservative but
rather who we want to be and how we achieve that end.
We all see the world from a personal perspective and that
perspective varies in relation to our lifestyle, experiences and expectations.
We see answers to problems from our perspective and experiences. Thus, it is
important that we be introduced to and understand differing and alternative
views if we are to reach a sustainable resolution to our problems in an
understanding that differing views can be a framework to real solutions. In today’s world, idea exchange and respect
for alternative views has been rejected and exploration of ideas is no longer a
welcome endeavor. When our institutions of higher learning cannot or will not
allow people of different thought processes on their campuses, can we honestly
believe that free speech abides there?
Discourse of thought and sharing of ideas as to alternatives
has been reduced to attacks bordering on violence that conveys a vulgar and
tyrannical approach to opposing views.
As I hear the increasingly aggressive rhetoric that encourages hostility
I am appalled. I do not believe any of
my friends or family engage in such actions. However, commitment to a few
broadly shared values and party loyalty
assures their vote to reinforce that rhetoric and my heart breaks. I do not know anyone personally who has
joined the mobs on the street, many of whom wear masks to protect their
identity. Neither have I heard any
outcry or criticism of these actions. In
fact, some of our high placed representatives have gone on record as
encouraging the mob. Do they not
understand that they, by their simple statements of support are sitting the
stage for further violence? The
potential of impact upon our way of life because of not condemning the actions
of a mob mentality is enormous. The “protesters” are paid to convey the views
of an employer(s) who hide(s) from the limelight and risks no liability. In fact, the mob mentality that is active in
creating discord among us is no better than those who we readily identify as
offensive and condemn, namely the Klu
Klux Klan, Communist, Nazis etc. In
fairness, the latter group does not hide behind masks and mislead us as to
their intentions.
I urge friends, family, citizens and responsible people
everywhere to look at the issues confronting our country and consider the
repercussions of your decision on election day.
Whether you are a supporter of President Trump, a “never Trumper”,
Democrat, Independent or one of the new Socialist, look closely at your
candidate’s vision for your country.
Even though we may know our representative as a member of our community,
will he or she vote a vision that is compatible with what you believe and want
for our country. It is not enough to
vote for the man or woman who we know to be a good, honorable person committed
to the principles and philosophy that we believe in. He or she must have an
open mind and a commitment to a way of life in which you can believe.
We need to ask ourselves, will the person for whom we are voting be respectful of
the views of others and willing to consider alternatives ideas? Will he or she
vote the party line as reflected in the current trend for mob rule or support
the rule of law that protects our Constitutional rights?
What do the candidates really believe beyond
that which they think will get our vote?
The votes we cast may determine whether we live in a country governed
by Constitutional rule of law or a country of mob rule. We cannot take our choices lightly. By
ignoring the rhetoric, we may be encouraging further dysfunction and even
violence and is that what any of us want?
We must remain true to ourselves and beyond that, think beyond today or
our children, grandchildren and those who come after us will inherit the
results of our decisions. Go vote but
know for whom and what you are voting.
