family

Been some time…

(I know there needs to be a photo to suck you in, to make you scroll… preferably of a cat, right??)

It looks like democracy,Joe Biden and the lack of the former guy. combined with the resulting sanity must agree with me….I haven’t had a “ranty, get over yourself, grow up and think of others” post for a good long time. Rather than a new blog post a day till I catch up with all the crazy that is running through my head, here is a stream of consciousness stream of ranty thoughts wandering around…

We are now in the Groundhog Day portion of COVID-19…., we’ve had two St Patrick Days with no parades, everyone has had at least one birthday in lockdown, we did two Easters, we are heading close to our second anniversary of Memorial Day where we BBQ in our backyards with a few folks, weather permitting, sans chaos and crowds, masked even if you are amongst those who have been jabbed twice (last date for that second jab has to be around Mothers Day, to provide you the requisite antibodies, etc) You even may be able to visit your mother on Mother’s Day instead of like last year, when you attempted to teach her to Zoom….if you have followed the science.

As promised, a little bit of Alastair the Cat…(and friends Baby Beluga, Ducky and Baby Doll)

As to the doubters among us– you do realize that you are here, alive and hale and healthy in your 40’s? 50’s? 60’s? 70’s? BECAUSE your parents, back in the before times, in the ’50’s ’60’s, 70’s,’80’s–DIDN’T ask your 18 month old self if you WANTED to be saved from smallpox or polio or measles, or mumps, or, or, or…And yes. Some parents EVEN let them test those vaccines on young children, because otherwise children wouldn’t make it to adulthood to give consent. (IF your parents opted you OUT successfully from all vaccines, THANK the vaccinated “herd” around you for having survived without catching any of the above..) Anyway, be glad and thank your parents for giving you a chance to live long enough to complain about the simplest thing you could do for people and wear a mask, let alone thank them for the chance to live long enough to die from Covid 19…

Have been scouring the interwebs and have discovered exactly NO ONE who has turned down (returned to sender) their stimulus money, despite carrying on about whatever communist plot it is a part of –(and of course, the “communist plot/socialism” bits only pertain to the LAST $1400; the first two installments equaling $2600 having been issued under the directive of dear leader, that money and it’s reason for appearing in your bank account is as pure as the driven snow–proof in fact, that the gubbermint CARES for you. It’s the New, Democratic money that is suddenly suspect and a sneaky socialist/communist plot.

The socialist plot trope in these storylines has gotten so out of hand that some GOP reps seem to think Corporate Communism is actually a thing…further proof that our educational system has failed–1, that someone would say such a thing, and 2, that other people would believe it. (of course, option 3 is that person one, speaking, BELIEVES they can FOOL you into believing whatever claptrap comes out of their GOP mouth because Dems are the devil… and remember, if you can’t see the con, you are the mark…)

I mean, look. YOU know you are not as stupid as some of the people you have elected –by choice or by apathy– think you are, right? Their voting records are right out there in the open, but they hope that instead of listening to what reliable news reports tell you about how they voted, or researching it yourself, they instead think their fancy, high-production-value videos of them lying through their teeth will sway you.

But. If you are still only getting your “news” from the insane number of emails that “trmpAndCo* are sending you, and you are STILL sending out $$$ to support the whinging, crybaby, poor little “billionaires” in their attempt to destroy (or their favorite misused and bizarre word –CANCEL) democracy, well, I don’t know what to think.

There is a story in the NYT, early April 2021, which describes in heartrending detail how older, not so internet savvy trmp* supporters accidently approved REPEATED, WEEKLY withdrawals of cash (you offered him $50, or $500, ONCE? and yet, you accidentally approved $50 or $500 every WEEK??) from their accounts, to “support” the poor little rich billionaire baby boy in his fever dream of the big lie, till they couldn’t pay their bills. While most of the over 100 MILLION dollars was returned, it essentially ended up being a huge interest free loan to the poor billionaire who didn’t want to use his own $$ to fight for his seat.

WHAT is bi-partisianship? No, REALLY. What do YOU think it means? Because according to the recent retelling of the GOP, in order for something to be Bi-Partisan, THEY,– the LOSERS, the Minority party,– THEY should have as much if not more say over what happens in the government.

The way that appears to work in their mind is this— THEY could have won election/re-election by ONE vote in their congressional or senatorial seat. They PERSONALLY should be more paid attention to than the others; indeed, their “firmly held” belief is that ANY legislating/governing/lawmaking REQUIRES a 60% YES vote.

Remember, THEY could win their election 10,000 to 9,999 votes… but to actually legislate, the vote total in Congress/The Senate would need to be equivalent to 11,999 to 7999–60/40!–THAT is what a filibuster-proof majority (which, any member can simply EMAIL a message saying they plan to do so… nothing more taxing than 30 seconds during a commercial break of a TV show’s worth of effort..)

Also, did YOU elect Mitch McConnell? If you didn’t vote for him (say, because you DON’T live in Kentucky) does it not piss you off even the smallest amount that HE is telling YOUR representative that THEY may not, WILL NOT vote FOR something that President Biden proposes? (one can only assume the reason is that YOU and YOUR state may actually BENEFIT from said bill, and that would just not do.

Do you like the idea that your representative will simply REFUSE to vote yes on something as basically positive as repairing that bridge into your state– you know the one– only one lane of traffic at a time because it’s gotten so unsafe that the weight restrictions cause back ups all the time??–Your rep MUST vote NOPE, no thanks, don’t need your money, JUST SO BIDEN FAILS.– And NOT because they were elected to say No, or because they truly BELIEVE that is the right answer,but JUST because Mitch TELLS them them must say no. (and equal opportunity complaint– Manchin has outsized influence right now) Democracy is a very fragile experiment, and we need to be as careful with it as possible–and we need to UNDERSTAND and participate.

Where that is taking us is to the unbelievable place where a GOP senator is sending out scary ads talking of THE HORROR of President Biden wanting to dedicate $400 billion to CARING FOR YOUR ELDERY MOM… Yup, the one you FINALLY get to see on Mother’s Day, assuming you’ve both gotten your jab.

Can you even imagine? Remember, early in the pandemic, which political party felt that your elder family members would be willing to DIE to keep the economy open.

It MATTERS who you hire– from local dog catcher on up the ladder of public service. IT MATTERS.

WHO you vote into office matters so damn much that those in power will do almost anything to keep that power-do the people you are voting to put in charge BELIIEVE in SCIENCE?

Do they BELIEVE IN GOVERNMENT?? Do NOT elect anyone who does NOT believe in the power of government, ok? IF they say that private enterprise is the way to go, tell them to go be a CEO, and leave the welfare of your state in the hands of someone who believes in government, and what it can do for people.

I can’t tell you the number of posts I see on Twitter and Facebook, of people I actually know, all around this country, basically crowd-sourcing COVID vaccine appointments–it hurts my heart. But, then, I read the thread, and my heart grows two sizes when I see EVERY RESPONSE is one more idea about where and how in that state that you can maybe find a shot. And there are such things as Covid Angels, who have put their skillsets and time together, who are matching shots on the ground and turning them into shots in arms.

I get my second shot on my daughter’s birthday, and while I will not be seeing her on Mother’s Day, I am SO VERY glad that hugging my granddaughter can be a real thing again…

2.20.2011

2.20.2011. Challenge, WHAT YOU LOVE... I love my family. I love photographs, taking them and looking at them, I love genealogy, and picture frames, and getting to know long ago family members through the magic of film (or digital, as the case may be...) All faces in this photo are family members, going back on both maternal and paternal sides, to my great great grandparents!2.20.2011. Challenge photo this week. Theme, “WHAT YOU LOVE…” I love my family. I love photographs, taking them and looking at them, I love genealogy, and picture frames, and getting to know long ago family members through the magic of film (or digital, as the case may be…) All faces in this photo are family members, going back on both maternal and paternal sides, to my great great grandparents!

Gifts from the Attic Stairs

I think most people have “Aunts”.  They don’t have to be related, and they don’t have to be single, or childless, and they don’t have to be of a certain age, or even, for that matter, female, but they do have to have a love for the children (current and past) in their lives.  They are often that adult in a child’s life who says “Yes” to gooey treats an hour before dinner, or lets you wander around outside in the snow in the dusk, when a ‘real’ adult would be “tsk- tsk-ing” and worrying you to death. (And sometimes, they are the crotchety old woman next door that scolds everyone for walking on newly seeded grass!)

That isn’t to say this person is irresponsible—indeed this man or woman is usually a close friend and confidante of your parents—sometimes, it’s almost like having a bonus set of uber-cool adults who think you are just perfect.

Those aunts in my life were all nearby and I spent a good deal of time with them, and they were all ‘great’ aunts/cousins. Aunts Marse and Edith lived ‘Down Below’ and Aunts Gert and (cousin) Sis lived ‘Up Above’. Then there was of course Cousin Vivienne, in a class all by herself.

When we went to visit Davis Avenue (Up Above, the house my grandfather’s mother lived in –was born in?) it meant we could wander around a huge yard, tromp up and down the street, wave to Mr. Pine next door, and generally be loud and crazy. Or come inside (to this day I could walk you through this house with a scary amount of detail), pretend to play with the huge cabinet radio, crawl under the china cabinet and remove the toys left there for us, or sit in the kitchen with the adults and have “tea”… milky, watered-down tea in a china cup and saucer, with Grandma Elaine, Mary T, Boy McNally, Sis and Gert.

Going ‘Down Below’ (Victory Blvd, the house where my grandfather was born) often meant we had to stay inside, as the back ‘yard’ was really the parking lot for the funeral home. We couldn’t play ball or run about if there was a funeral going on, but if there wasn’t, we could go inside and visit and say “Hi” to Uncle George. But more often than not, it was a time to play with the statue in the living room–“Johnny Get Your Gun”– or play Bride in the huge mirror standing between two windows. Again, the amount of minute detail I could offer up 33 years after the last time I stepped inside boggles my mind.  (and I wasn’t taking photos yet, sadly.)

The upstairs of these houses is sketchy in my memory (but not as vague as the upstairs of Aunt Gene’s, where NO ONE was allowed to go) but I do recall the upstairs of Victory Blvd. At the top of the stairs was a bathroom. Palatial in size, the room had to have once been a bedroom. The toilet was on the far end and the floor slanted and the claw foot tub was on the opposite wall…Then there was a bedroom door, and then, the Attic Door.

2010 dec5

Gifts of LOVE: Many may recognize my “Bride and Groom” from my wedding cake…the little Dutch couple, a gift from Aunt Marse, as were the angels and bunny. The red mirror was Cousin Viv’s, the embroidery Evelyn’s, the sewing basket belonged to my husband’s grandmother. The table cloth is from Mrs. Hayes, and yes, that really IS a toaster from Aunt Gene.

The attic steps was where Aunt Marse would take us on birthdays, and she would open the door, and bring out some manner of little treasure for us to have as a gift. (Oh, to have had a crack at that attic when they moved out. The old photographic negatives of Uncle Henri’s alone make me cry to know they were lost.)

These gifts were given because these aunts were loving, and did not necessarily have the means to be handing out $5.00 bills to every great niece or nephew that came along with a birthday. (Indeed, I don’t know if they did this with all the others.)

Sis gave me a turquoise ring on my 12th birthday, not from the stairs, but something that my grandmother gave her in 1927. It was the last gift she gave me before she died. Grandma was upset, because she was SURE I would lose it. It is on my finger to this day.

Cousin Vivienne gave me a wonderful little mirror that hung in her apartment. Aunt Gene gave me crochet work, photographs, my credenza and a fantastic old toaster (grudgingly, but that is a whole different storySmile with tongue out)

And cranky Mrs. Hayes from next door once gave me a lovely crocheted tablecloth.

Now, Aunt Gael and my mother-in-law Evelyn have continued this tradition.

Gael often gifts me with some trinket or other that she owned, and loved and cared for. Evelyn, knowing I quilt, gave me her mothers little sewing basket, and one Christmas, gifted everyone with embroidered pieces that over the years the women in the family created with their hands.

These gifts, whether made or simply loved by the person giving them, are more precious and should be considered of more value than any $25 gift card to Old Navy, on any gift giving occasion. The connection to family, to place, to tradition, these are the things that make the holidays ‘family times’, that create memories that the next generation passes on.

Cracked, glued, broken, valued. Loved.

(Birthday cakeHappy Birthday to Thomas and my SIL Matt!Gift with a bow)