Tag: – Just sayin

Suspect in Custody – but…..

  Those were awesome words sprawled across the CNN screen last night.  SUSPECT IN CUSTODY.    Relief absolutely.  No one else was hurt or killed, the city of Boston can return to life as they usually know it.  Suspect No. 2 is now in custody and hopefully will survive his injuries to face judgement day.  People were literally cheering in the streets, chanting USA, waving the American flag.

 Inspiring as that moment was, there is little consolation for the families of the victims.  What’s done is done. The losses are permanent and lives are altered or erased forever.

   For what?

   Here’s the big problem. That was just one pair of extremists.  There are many many more.   Is that what they were? We don’t even know yet, do we. I think the 19 year old was dragged down into his brother’s dark world of Isl*mic extremism out of some loyalty he felt for his brother.  Sad, this.

   As the nation watched, riveted to the images on the screen, the endless (ENDLESS!!) banter of hyperventilating newscasters giving us minute by minute verbal vomit about every detail over and over again…. I was thinking about what might be running through the mind of that 19 year old on the run.  Just a kid, really.  Did he even know or fully understand or BELIEVE in whatever the reason is going to be for this hideous terror act he and his brother had committed?  Now that Brother was gone, and hey, he ran him over in his hasty retreat, that’s not gonna be an easy pill to swallow…  what was left for him?  Did he feel he accomplished something? and what would that be?  Was it worth giving up the good education, the quality life he was building here in the good ole US?

  For these extremists, there is no sense to their brand of violence. So we’re never going to find it, or make them “see the light” and reverse their radical ways. They use their religious beliefs to justify their actions.  As Suspect No. 2 said to a friend.. “it’s not terrorism if the cause is justified”.    How do you reason with that line of thinking? 

   You can’t.

   And so this issue isn’t going away any time soon.  As much as I hate the idea of racism or ethnic profiling, those who are radical extremist Musl*ms have made us all weary.  Trust.. it’s like a piece of paper. You can hold the piece of paper fresh, crisp… then crumple it into a ball in frustration. You can open up that piece of paper again to give it another go, but it will never be the same… the inevitable lines and crinkles will remain.

 When you heard about the bombing, what was your immediate thought as to who might be responsible?  And when you first saw the pictures of the “persons of interest”  what was your immediate thought then?  Exactly.  And I HATE that I felt that way but it’s not because of my own closed mindedness or ignorance.  It comes from experience, lessons learned.

 I love the idea of a world where all can live together peacefully – practicing their own set of beliefs, living their own way of life…coming together in areas of need and working together when necessary. It’s totally possible.   I don’t ever want to judge a person by the color of their skin, the slant of their eyes, the prominent nose or their freckle pattern, the God they worship.  We are all inhabitants of this earth with a right to live by our own ideals.

 But the as*holes of this world have tainted our ability to do so.   And yeah, you better believe I am wary and weary of  the followers of a religion that states we are all deserving of death if we don’t follow their leader.

Excellent article in the Boston Globe I agree with whole-heartedly can be found  HERE.   Thanks Susan.

*sigh*

Lucky Egg

A rather large egg was found in the hen house the other day…
Me:… which chicken do you think laid THAT egg??

Him:  The one that’s walking funny.

Regarding eggs produced at home…
Notice the rich deep orange color of the yokes?
Compare them to the color of your store bought eggs.
If they are from a chicken factory, not local or organic, you will see they are pale in color.
Did you know, that in two weeks time the yolk begins to lose it’s nutritional value?
Mass produced eggs age varies. Their expiration dates tell you that they can sit
in the grocery store for weeks, and that’s after they’ve been delivered.
Also, the conditions those chickens live in is pretty horrifying.
The funny thing?  My mother in law is grossed out by home raised chicken eggs.
So is another friend of ours. Both are egg eaters and health conscious. 
Now, I keep a clean coop and run, and my chickens are healthy happy girls.
Who’s egg do YOU trust to eat…
theirs?….
or theirs.
Just sayin.

Defining marriage

   We’re all aware of the national conversation taking place over the last decade or so about marriage, and in particular, gay marriage.  In 41 states, marriage is defined as a union of two people, a man and a woman.  9 states and the District of Columbia have declared gay marriage legal.  There are, of course, rumblings on either side of this issue. 

   My personal view is very simple… to each his own.  It’s not my business who someone else is attracted to, who they want to share their life with,  or what they do in their bedroom.  If you are a religious person, meaning you believe in God  our Creator,  are you of the belief that all are created equal?  One is supposed to believe that God loves all his children. How, then, could that possibly exclude those who are gay?  If two people of the same sex fall in love and want to live a life bonded in marriage and family, what gives us the right to deny them?   And this brings me to another issue – I don’t think gay people have a choice, anymore than I have a choice that I was born heterosexual.  I’m grateful that I am heterosexual, actually… because I don’t have to live with the prejudice that gay people still deal with on so many levels.

  You might wonder why I’m bringing this up today. Every now and then I see yet another article on this subject, and I keep wondering why it’s still such a big issue. There are so many BIG fish we need to fry in the national conversation, why is THIS still one of them?   I happen to know two gay couples who live  much more harmoniously and are more giving of themselves to their community and the world at large than many heterosexual couples I know.   As for the debate on whether or not they can be good or “qualified” parents… I can’t say I’m an authority here, but my belief is that in today’s world, if a child has two adults who are loving and nurturing and provide a quality life consisting of love, healthy living and education, what more could you ask?  So many children who were mothered and fathered in the “traditional” way,  go without. SO many.   

  I realize I am taking a risk by posting on this subject, because it’s controversial.  Hell, just the other day we had controversy over the issue of cell phone use,  knock me over with a feather!    I could make this blog conform solely to hearts and flowers, inspirational quotes, recipes, chickens and horses and fairy tales. Just to keep it safe.   I like all of the above mentioned things, but I want to talk about the Grit in life, too.   I think that’s why some of you come here, because we’re keeping it real.    I may offend some readers because your opinion may be very different than mine, that is not my intention.  I have no problem with differences of opinion and that you might want to share that opinion in the comments section here.  I believe that kind of conversation represents growth.   What I ask, though, is that you show respect and  refrain from putting down others.   If we could all just learn to communicate without insulting each other, we’d clear one of the World’s major hurdles and there would be a better understanding  and tolerance all around.

Just sayin.

Not again….

  I don’t know if this Connecticut story has made national news – Last night as I was watching a movie with my daughter, an Amber Alert was issued and flashed across the screen for quite a while.  The situation, apparently, was dire.  Sadly, there was a relatively quick end to the search…  and not the ending people were praying for.  See story HERE…  for more indepth details.

   In short, A 47 year old grandmother with a history of mental illness, bipolar disorder, etc.etc.   picked her two grandchildren up from day care,  boys ages 2 years and 6 months… and brought them to a remote area where she shot them both dead and then took her own life.

*sigh*

Two things come to mind…

Why is a woman with a history of mental illness in possession of a gun?  Was she issued a permit?  Did anyone do a backround check that would include history of mental illness before giving her that permit?  I’m sorry, but I don’t care if that would violate her right to medical privacy.   It should be mandatory.  Perhaps it was the gun of a family member.  Well, time to wake the fuck up.  If you’ve got a member of your family who has a history of mental illness… ANY mental illness, whether it’s depression, severe anxiety, bipolar disorder, autism,  etc. etc. etc..  there should not be guns  in any location that they can have access.

 Case in point – Sandy Hook.   What was that mother thinking?!.. she knew her son was autistic and suffered depression and did not get along with his peers.  So.. take him to a gun range and teach him how to use assault weapons?  It’s the reason I don’t feel sorry for her tragic demise.  It was probably a blessing, because I don’t know how she could have lived with the knowledge that her son had done such hideous harm to all those innocent children with the gun she had taught him to use.

Why is a woman with a history of mental illness allowed to pick two very young grandchildren up from daycare in the first place?

My thoughts this morning are with the mother who will have to find a way to go on without her two precious sons, knowing they died at the hands of her own mother.

MENTAL ILLNESS needs to be addressed even more vigorously than gun control in my opinion.  It’s the mentally ill that are doing the most harm.  I don’t mean this as an assault on those who are afflicted, they didn’t ask for their illness any more than a cancer patient wants their disease.   I, too have suffered from anxiety issues.    This nation needs the same consideration for the mentally ill, we need facilities that are equipped to properly treat these people,  we need treatment that is affordable to all, we need to  humanely house those who can’t live on their own safely.  It’s for their safety as well as the rest of the population.

 A woman with bipolar issues had a problem with someone blaming the bipolar conditon on this tragedy.   She said she is bipolar and she would never commit those crimes.   Well, SHE apparently has her illness under control, but there are no guaranties.  I don’t think she should ever possess a gun given her diagnosis.

 Another sad day in Connecticut, and we don’t have to ask WHY, in my opinion. That’s not the question.  WHEN… is more appropriate.  When will we wake up?

  If you have a different opinion on this subject, I welcome your viewpoint in the comments section. I only  ask that you keep it respectful.

A very dreary, rainy, windy, grey day, this is…. in more ways than one.

Nemo

Well now.. this oughta be interesting. 

So you just know I made the obligatory trip to the gas station and grocery store…
along with everyone else and their brother, sister, cousins thrice removed,
and I’m pretty sure I even saw Elvis in the peanut butter isle
 and Jimmy Hoffa buying lottery tickets.

Come … sit…

… have a cup of coffee with me and lets talk about stuff.

 It was 7 degrees this morning when I walked out to the coop and barn to feed and clean.  Holy frozen fingers, Batman.  The horses aren’t much bothered by the cold, blanketed as they are. The minis have a thick winter coat that keeps them insulated. It takes until summer for it to fully shed out.  The chickens?  They looked at me when I opened their door to the run and said emphatically, NO.  So I closed it back up. They have a heat lamp in their coop that keeps them comfortable.  I gave them their morning oatmeal and leftover salad greens… spoiled, they are…and they don’t even know it.

Donald Trump is trying to buy the New York Times.  You can read about it HERE if you’re so inclined.  I don’t know about you, but I can’t stand the man. He is the most arrogant, rude, conceited, pompous, selfish, self-righteous idiot I have ever come to dislike.  I guess he’s not a complete idiot, though, because the dude has a lot of money.  And.. I can’t ignore the fact that there are still enough people in the world who like him enough to validate his ginormous ego. 

My husband and I don’t quite see eye to eye on the subject of Big Money People… I’m referring to the ones that aren’t all that generous.   I’d never make a proper Big Money Person, I’ll admit it.  I couldn’t live the Big Life and not feel terribly, terribly guilty about it.  Five houses?  Staff at each home to take care of the places you’re not  living in?  a Fleet of Cars? Chauffers!  Multi-Million dollar boats with paid crews  wearing matching outfits and your boat name that you might use 10 times during the year to entertain? Helicopter launching pad at your Hamptons residence just so you can get into the city a little faster and avoid all that traffic.  Do those people every really enjoy all that stuff?  Don’t they worry about it when they’re not around?  After all, you can’t be five places at once.  How can they not think about ALL that MONEY going to waste, … just to indulge their occasional whims? I think of all the homeless people, the disease research, the animal shelters, the community centers, etc. etc. etc…. that could benefit from some of that extra cash wasted on “waiting on“.  

I realize this is a charged subject. Mike would say “Hey, if they were smart enough and worked hard enough to make all that money, they’ve earned it and deserve to spend it however frivoulously they choose to”.     And it’s true. I don’t feel I have the right to dictate what should be done with someone elses money, I’m just saying… well, that wouldn’t be me.   And Mike would then say with a half-hearted laugh.. “You’d die a poor woman”…      Maybe, but a fulfilled poor woman at peace…. because  I was not just a taker while I occupied this world, I was a giver too. 

In getting to know so many of you here in blog land, I see that none of us are the Trumps of the world.. but we are all givers in one way or another, regardless of what we have or don’t have.  I’m glad you stop by here now and then and we get a chance to share and commiserate. 

My dogs are following the sun as it moves through the house on these very cold days…

..and I bought this at the grocery store for $5. to cheer my chilly self up.  
Reminds me of my grandmother, she loved everything china blue and white. 
I’ll plant the bulbs in the ground come spring thaw.

Stay warm, all – I think I’ll go make another cup o’ joe.
Light, no sugar.

A Gift.. it is….

….How very lucky we are
to have the ability to form these awesome relationships
with dogs.
When at the beach the other day, I met a woman
out for a walk with her cattle dog. No leash required..
he was at her side without it.
If you pay any attention at all…there’s no question, the intelligence of dogs.
They are far more forgiving than humans.
Love… unconditional.
Breaks my heart that so many are abused and mistreated
as if they were throw-aways.
These two had such a bond.  Just a look from his person
and he understood.. come this way…lets go over there…
stand with me and marvel at this vast ocean of life…

12 degrees

It got down to 12 degrees overnight here in CT.
 That’s a big drop from the 40’s and ooooh how my bones feel it.

  My husband is always talking about that log cabin up on a hillside in the Vermont woods. He comes back to this same fantasy now and again…     and to be honest we both love the countryside. Vermont and it’s people have a certain laid back vibe….we savor the whole idea of sitting by the fire eating pancakes with fresh Vermont Syrup while gazing out over a snow covered  mountain off in the distance (probably full of skiers).  It’s definitely appealing… but reality bites.  We’re not skiers, and as we get older we’re not tolerating the cold as well as we used to. It’s colder there than here.   And my thoughts always return to this…

1. We’re not the Rockefellers.

2. We don’t go away very often at all.   When we DO get away, wouldn’t it be nice to see new places now and then?  If you’ve got a second home, even a little cabin, wouldn’t you always feel obligated to go THERE instead of anywhere else?  Because, you know.. you’re paying for it anyway.

3. What would I do with the dogs, chickens, horses?  Bring them all? Even for short overnight stays?  Oh, I know you can hire people to come take care of your animals, but how often are you willing to do that?  And at what cost?

4. We’re at the stage of the game where the kids are grown up and almost grown.  They don’t want to hang around with mom and dad, and most likely will stay home more often than not to be with their friends, blah blah  whiney blah.

5. We’re not the Rockefellers.

SO… on this very cold morning as the Mr. is putting on his layers
 to head out to the job site, he mumbles…
“Forget Vermont. It’s too f-ing cold.”
I might have sent up a silent prayer of thanks at that very moment.