Thanksgiving 2025

I spent 3 days preparing for this holiday. That sounds like I worked myself to death, but I didn't. I stretched out the cleaning, cooking, baking over 3 full days. It worked out well, plus I was then able to enjoy the process. Our daughter brought the dessert and her own stuffing (gluten free), so that helped. Of course, as a retiree I actually had the time to stretch it all out. That's one of the things I was thankful for this year.   

I'm thankful as well for our small family which is not perfect by any means. We are each quirky in our own ways, but we come together with love and acceptance of each other's quirkiness. Personally, I appreciate that lack of judgement, because I'm a bit much. As Carlene Carter once sang, "We are the lucky ones."  

Out and about

You wouldn't know it to look at me, but my husband and I try to get exercise of some kind most days. Maybe we ride our bikes, take a walk, or work in the yard. Occasionally, we'll go to Cosco and pretend that's exercise because it's so damn big to walk around in. 

In the hot half of the year we go out in the morning, as early as we are able, to avoid the intense heat and potential skin damage. At this time of the year we can enjoy our mornings being self-indulgent because it's cool enough to go outside in midday or later. I'm not a morning person, so I prefer the cooler half of the year.

Yesterday we went for a walk at the nature preserve and I took these pictures.

Turtle

Many things on or near the lake

Roots

Vulture

I'm not sure what this is

Lantana

Looks like deadly nightshade to me

What does it take?

I know this world is filled with hate and meanness, but that's only half of it. We exist in duality and we need to also imagine a better world and work to make it better. We can all do something to elevate humanity, to change the world. 

Some have the means to run for office, or give millions to help the poor. Some of us can't. But don't despair, small acts of kindness make a difference, too. There are so many things we could easily do to make the world a better place. Most are not flashy, but it all adds up. Contribute to a food bank. Use less plastic. Vote blue. Don't allow family or friends make racist or sexist remarks in your house. Take a stand. What else?

Patty Smith on the Late Show a few nights ago!!!

Religious prejudice

I come from a long line of working-class Catholics (mother's side) and Protestants (father's side). My paternal grandmother was first a Baptist, but joined a Pentecostal church later. She could talk in tongues and taught bible study for children. Cool, but kinda scary.

My Tennessee Grandma was the best person I ever knew. She told me that she once chased the devil out of her house because he was trying to turn her against Jesus. Yeah, I know, sounds a little fanciful. I'll tell you what, though, if anyone could pull off a caper like that it was her.

She was a die hard Democrat until JFK ran for president - my Grandpa made them both switch to Republican because he hated Catholics. She was raised to submit to her husband as the head of the household. Plus, I'm sure her pastor was raising (un)holy hell over a Catholic trying to get elected president.

Scotch Irish Appalachians have hated Papists since John Knox left the priesthood to follow John Calvin in the 16th century. The Reformation was sadly necessary because of the corruption of 16th century Catholicism. In fact, the Catholics reciprocated and behaved just as badly. Wars were fought, people killed, men glorified, women diminished. If there turns out to be a divine force we call God, I'm sure s/he is perfect. People are not, though. I can't put my faith in religion. Faith is too precious and important for man-made constructs.

It hurt my heart to realize Grandpa hated Catholics, because at time I was a soft hearted Catholic school girl. Grandma found ways to let us know she knew Catholics were still Christian, and that Grandpa was too harsh. Grandma's God was a loving God. Grandpa's was a God of fire and brimstone. As a fully indoctrinated Catholic, this made me think about the limitations of dogma at the tender age of 9. I expanded my concept of spirituality because I loved my Grandma. I found ways to let her know she wouldn't go to Limbo* for not being baptized Catholic, ha. It's ridiculous looking back on these religious prejudices. It's hard to believe they still exist, but I'm afraid they do.

It's the nature of our reality that evil has always existed in this world, and always will. We have to choose to walk away from it in our own lives, but it still exists out there. Sometimes people are fooled if they don't exercise their mind and search for the truth. Grandma might have voted for Donald Trump the first time, because he pretended to be anti-abortion and folks were preaching conservative politics from the pulpit. However, I'm confident she would not have supported him a second time. Why? Because he's a liar and a cheat. He's filled with hate and tries to spread it around. Grandma knew the difference between good and evil.

Sometimes good people come together, regardless of 
propoganda, dogma, or belief systems

*Limbo re Wikipedia: "The unofficial term Limbo /ˈlɪmboʊ/ (from Latin limbus 'edge, boundary', referring to the edge of Hell) is the afterlife condition in medieval Catholic theology, of those who die in original sin without being assigned to the Hell of the Damned."

Paying Forward

I went to the grocery store the other day. I had about $116 worth of food, and went to the check-out lane. A friendly older woman was working the register, and the bagger was a high school boy. We exchanged pleasantries, and then it was time to pay. I reached into my purse to pay and in horror realized I didn't have my credit card. As you can imagine, I was distraught. 

I told them I only lived about 10 minutes away and asked if they could put my bags in the cooler until I returned with my card. They were very sweet to me, but I was humiliated.  

Suddenly, a woman in the next check-out lane walked over and announced she would pay. I tried to talk her out of it, but she insisted. She told me to consider myself blessed. What can one do when confronted by an actually good religious person? I pulled the 3 packages of Halloween candy out of the cart and asked the bagger if he could put them back for me. I would accept her kindness, but I wasn't going to take advantage. I joked that she was for sure going to heaven for this act of kindness, and she laughed. I thanked her profusely, as one does when they are embarrassed. I promised her I would "pay it forward" and do the same for someone else. 

The very next day I returned to buy the Halloween candy. The woman in front of me in the check-out couldn't get her card to work, and was upset. Something was wrong. I uneasily recognized her humiliation. I stepped up and paid her bill. It was $118, almost the same as mine from the previous day. When she tried to dissuade me, I told her my own story and that the amount was virtually the same. She accepted and promised to pay it forward. Wow!   

And if you think this is all about the goodness of white people, think again. The only white people in this narrative were me and the high school boy.  

No Kings, Clermont, Lake County, Florida, 18Oct2025

Me, sitting down on a picnic table in the
back, because I had pneumonia a few
weeks ago.

 

Feeling better

Yesterday was my last antibiotic.  I'm feeling better, but I am Oh So Tired!  I suspect it will be weeks before I feel like myself again.  In the meantime, I sleep.  

Sick and tired

I've been sick for over a week now.  Nothing major, but started with chills, slight fever, fatigue.  I tested negative for both flu and COVID, but still it hung on.  After 5 days I went to a clinic, who determined me dehydrated and sent me to the hospital's ER.  There they hooked me up to an IV of fluids, and started doing bloodwork, scans, etc.  A chest x-ray revealed a spot of infection in my right upper chest which they determined was pneumonia.  This is how my poor mind remembers it all anyway.  I actually had an EKG that I can't even remember having. Which is strange, because I never really felt out of it. I remember the chest x-ray, and I remember a CT Scan. But I don't remember the EKG.  So, I could be explaining it wrong, but this is the best I can do with a muddy mind.  

Pneumonia is a scary word, and for good reason. But if mine were a bad case, they would have admitted me to the hospital.  I'm taking it as a good sign that they sent me home. 

I'm definitely getting better after a few days of antibiotics.  Staying hydrated!!!  I never thought I'd say this, but I look forward to feeling well enough to clean my house.  

Busy

I no longer enjoy being busy, although I was happy being busy when I was a working person.  Multi-tasking, rushing around, talking to a lot of people was all fun.  I was proud of all I could accomplish.  I'm not sure I ever relaxed, because when I came home there was cooking, cleaning, and shopping to do.  Early on there was child-care as well.  It's all a blur.  It was an important time, a time for productivity.  I'm glad it's over.  

The War of the Roses

I have not seen that new "Roses" movie, but I intend to. However, this isn't about that.

Coincidentally, I have been reading a book called The Wars of the Roses: The fall of the Plantagenets and the rise of the Tudors by Dan Jones.  It is a history, not a novel.  I have a sincere interest in history, especially concerning Europe. Why? I dunno. Maybe that should be a separate post.

Jones writes compellingly for nosy civilians like me. The book is action-packed, revealing the nature, intention, and driving force behind actions of flawed yet formidable rulers. Men, and a few women, who knew few (if any) limits to their egos and lust for power. The world benefited from the best of them. Not just in Europe, but across the world we survived the worst of them, but not without historical regression and decreased virtue.

Sounds modern, doesn't it?  Why don't we evolve into wise and just people? The human race could get by making mistakes in the past.  Now, I'm not so sure. 

"Plucking the Red and White Roses in the Old Temple Gardens" after the original 1910 fresco painting by Henry Albert Payne (British, 1868-1940) based upon a scene in Shakespeare's Henry VI, the original in the Palace of Westminster and a later similar painting by Payne in the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, this print marked "copyright 1912 in London & Washington by "The Fine Art Publishing Co., Ltd. London"