Thursday, February 26, 2009
Max Was Right
Shame on me for doubting (just a little) my son Max when he told me he heard treefrogs last weekend. I was chastised by a commenter who advised me never to doubt my son. And last night Jerry asked me to come to the back yard with him; after whining and putting on shoes, I stepped outside and stopped--I heard the peepers too. Strolling to the back yard, I could hear them more clearly from across the road. So it's official: Spring is almost here, despite forecasts for snowy rain this weekend. I'm ready.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Spring IS Coming
As soon as the new year begins, I start to think about spring and especially about Santa Monica. I accompany my husband to a trade show there every April, which gives me an excuse throughout the winter to shop for new clothes "for Santa Monica." But right here at home I anticipate certain signs of spring that mean as much to me as the annual California trip--like when the red bud trees sprinkled through the woods around the house light up the scenery with misty touches of pink. I also marvel at birds' nests. In the spring I love to see birds flying around with sticks and leaf stems and pieces of plastic in their beaks. How many trips does it take from the nest to the lawn or patio or woods to create a cozy nest? I took this picture last spring, of an amazing nest inside one of the many O's in the sign for DOWNTOWN BOOK & TOY in Jefferson City. My office is in the same building so I got to see these babies from egg to gone. They made quite a racket. I'd see them sitting on the edge of the nest, a little wobbly, before they took off one day.Above all, when spring's on the way I listen for the tree frogs. That could be my favorite sound in the universe. Last week my son Max told me he heard the tree frogs around See Tal Lake in Hermann, Missouri. It's a little early, but maybe he did. He's tuned in to it, I suppose, because I always made a big deal out of it. But I hope he considers the joyous sounds of these tiny frogs one of the songs of his childhood.
My Sarah Palin Story
More than one blog today has a post about US News magazine's poll asking, "Who'd run the best daycare?"--Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi or Sarah Palin? What the hell, as Digby says. I'm sure the writer of this nonsense, and his/her editors, thought it was just howl-arious. I don't have the heart to go to the actual US News website because I'm certain Sarah Palin is "winning," whatever that means.
In the 2008 presidential campaign when John McCain chose Sarah Palin, I truly had some moments of panic. His announcement took all the attention away from the Democratic convention and Obama's awesome acceptance speech. Briefly, it looked like McCain scored a real coup. That was until Sarah Palin opened her mouth, and one scandal after another tumbled out of Alaska and into the national news. Once Katie Couric got hold of Sarah Palin, that was that.
As her appearances turned increasingly nasty and aroused the primitive hatred of blacks among her white fans--and John McCain did and said nothing--I was fearful for Obama and for our nation.
At the height of the hysteria, just before the election, Sarah Palin paid a visit to Jefferson City, Missouri, where I work. She was scheduled to speak in the morning at the Capitol steps. With Matt Blunt in the waning days of his pathetic administration, that was no surprise, although it was "in my face" that this majestic, historic building would be used for something so ugly.
It bothered me that she'd be live, in person, spreading her hideous lies and making her not-so-subtle racist comments precisely one and a half blocks from my office.
I was already agitated as I walked from the parking garage to my office door. Seeing the crowds of mostly older couples and women, the majority dressed in red, white and blue, streaming toward the Capitol, really distressed me. My colleagues invited me to go hear the speech, "just for the heck of it," but I couldn't face the spectacle. I didn't want to hear her, see her, be anywhere near her so I stayed behind and seethed in my office. It upset me enough that she was in my city, on my street, unleashing her un-American nastiness. There are only a couple of times I can recall when I was disturbed like that, experiencing a physical reaction and emotional irrationality: when Bill Clinton was impeached, and when the Supreme Court annointed George Bush.
After a while my colleagues returned and said I didn't miss much. I knew that all along.
In the 2008 presidential campaign when John McCain chose Sarah Palin, I truly had some moments of panic. His announcement took all the attention away from the Democratic convention and Obama's awesome acceptance speech. Briefly, it looked like McCain scored a real coup. That was until Sarah Palin opened her mouth, and one scandal after another tumbled out of Alaska and into the national news. Once Katie Couric got hold of Sarah Palin, that was that.
As her appearances turned increasingly nasty and aroused the primitive hatred of blacks among her white fans--and John McCain did and said nothing--I was fearful for Obama and for our nation.
At the height of the hysteria, just before the election, Sarah Palin paid a visit to Jefferson City, Missouri, where I work. She was scheduled to speak in the morning at the Capitol steps. With Matt Blunt in the waning days of his pathetic administration, that was no surprise, although it was "in my face" that this majestic, historic building would be used for something so ugly.
It bothered me that she'd be live, in person, spreading her hideous lies and making her not-so-subtle racist comments precisely one and a half blocks from my office.
I was already agitated as I walked from the parking garage to my office door. Seeing the crowds of mostly older couples and women, the majority dressed in red, white and blue, streaming toward the Capitol, really distressed me. My colleagues invited me to go hear the speech, "just for the heck of it," but I couldn't face the spectacle. I didn't want to hear her, see her, be anywhere near her so I stayed behind and seethed in my office. It upset me enough that she was in my city, on my street, unleashing her un-American nastiness. There are only a couple of times I can recall when I was disturbed like that, experiencing a physical reaction and emotional irrationality: when Bill Clinton was impeached, and when the Supreme Court annointed George Bush.
After a while my colleagues returned and said I didn't miss much. I knew that all along.
Moral Dilemma #1 (because more are sure to follow)
The local newspaper is a hideous rag but the weekend edition contains coupons which I save and actually use at Schnucks for double the face value up to $1; I really do save money. I also like to browse through the weekly Target flyer (is Isaac Mizrahi on sale?) and Walgreens flyer (Rimmel cosmetics are frequently two-for-one).
This newspaper's editorial stance is as predictable as it is reprehensible--far right-leaning, Republicans-can-do-no-wrong, liberals are communists at best, Nazis at worst. The editorial cartoons are insulting and a lot of the time, simply not fact-based. The recent Obama cartoons typically have a racist undertone. Instead of covering more local news or events, the editors pull wire-service copy about what's happening in Hays, Kansas, or someone's ballpoint pen collection (also located in Kansas).
The online commentary is a horror story. Sometimes I visit there just to see what people are saying and I always end up fleeing in terror. The forums have been taken over by a handful of self-righteous right-wingers who, like the gnome under the bridge, wait for someone to come along who disagrees with their anti-evolutionary, the-Bible-tells-me-so worldview, so they can unleash their rude, uninformed, misspelled and wrongly punctuated accusations. Of course the poor commenter, just trying to express a sane opinion, is urged to leave the city, the state or the God-bless-her USA. It's hard to have a dialogue.
It's the type of newspaper that honors parents with way too many children, regular church-goers.
But what would you expect in a state capital full of big families, churches, politicians and REAL Americans?
So what should I do? I hate supporting this offensive publication. But I enjoy the coupons and ad flyers. How would you solve this daunting Moral Dilemma?
This newspaper's editorial stance is as predictable as it is reprehensible--far right-leaning, Republicans-can-do-no-wrong, liberals are communists at best, Nazis at worst. The editorial cartoons are insulting and a lot of the time, simply not fact-based. The recent Obama cartoons typically have a racist undertone. Instead of covering more local news or events, the editors pull wire-service copy about what's happening in Hays, Kansas, or someone's ballpoint pen collection (also located in Kansas).
The online commentary is a horror story. Sometimes I visit there just to see what people are saying and I always end up fleeing in terror. The forums have been taken over by a handful of self-righteous right-wingers who, like the gnome under the bridge, wait for someone to come along who disagrees with their anti-evolutionary, the-Bible-tells-me-so worldview, so they can unleash their rude, uninformed, misspelled and wrongly punctuated accusations. Of course the poor commenter, just trying to express a sane opinion, is urged to leave the city, the state or the God-bless-her USA. It's hard to have a dialogue.
It's the type of newspaper that honors parents with way too many children, regular church-goers.
But what would you expect in a state capital full of big families, churches, politicians and REAL Americans?
So what should I do? I hate supporting this offensive publication. But I enjoy the coupons and ad flyers. How would you solve this daunting Moral Dilemma?
Friday, February 20, 2009
In the beginning...
...a blog had to be written. Many things had to be said. I'm hoping some of you will read my humble blog and think, "That's exactly (or sort of) how I feel about such-and-such," or at least, "That's interesting." When you become middle-aged it's like reaching a landing on a zig-zagging stairway going up into the clouds. I'm on that landing, looking out below me at the panorama of my life so far. I'm reviewing what I did right, what I did wrong, what I didn't do that I wish I had done, or what I did that I shouldn't have. And oh my, there's a lot to see down there. As I told someone recently, I know I'm getting older because I have so many more memories than I used to--and I know I've forgotten a lot of things too. I have a friend who always says, "Pam, do you remember when we (fill in the blank)?" I always have to say, "Nope, I don't remember that." She's always a little disappointed when that happens. It makes me I wonder if I forgot whatever it was because it wasn't as important to me as it was to her.
Another reason for a blog now is because the election of 2008 is over, Obama won--we won--and I don't feel compelled to read every political blog and analyze every word by every Republican and get all hot and bothered by it. I have a lot more time now as a result. And so I blog!
Another reason for a blog now is because the election of 2008 is over, Obama won--we won--and I don't feel compelled to read every political blog and analyze every word by every Republican and get all hot and bothered by it. I have a lot more time now as a result. And so I blog!
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