I'm scared too...and I'm really angry that I'm scared. I never planned to spend even a moment of my old age watching a grifting, lying, creep ransack our country. It's a hopeless feeling when the Supreme Court (which I had a certain reverence for my entire life) capitulates to a man who is blatantly and willfully thumbing his nose at the rule of law and ignoring court rulings. And so, I protest at every chance I get. Then I paint....and interestingly, this week I've been working on a painting of poppies! Loved your photos! And with my husband's wonderful veggie garden providing much loved sustenance, I'm pigging out on rice and veggie stir fries every day! Hang in there, little buddy. I desperately hope we live long enough to see America right itself!
Thank you for posting what we all are feeling, but not saying as eloquently. It helps knowing we're not alone! Your flowers and outdoor pics are my religion. Nature is calming and breathes peace into the soul.
I appreciate your posts. You put into words what I am thinking but am unable to express with the eloquence you have. Your pictures are wonderful and remind me that there is still beauty in the world. Yes, I am afraid of where we seem to be headed but hopeful that sanity will prevail.
Thanks Mary, it is a scary time, and I'm afraid it will get darker before enough of us wake up and throw the lot of them out on their ear, and preferably into prison.
These are really dark AND really promising days in America. Yes, havoc is being wrought, no question. Realistically, we cannot stop it. We have some electeds who may save pockets of compassionate governing. But this is the Great Turning, and it will not happen easily. The patriarchy will not die an easy death, but these are its rattles. In the meantime, hyperlocal, that's the way to go. Help stop corporate greed's destruction in our towns and cities and counties. Notice the way local governments and nonprofits are working more and more with BIPOC groups to accomplish positive results closer to home. And join them! That way, when the dust settles, there will be a possibly livable planet. Fear and anger must be processed and let go of before doing good work.
Joy I go to you in search of zooming out and onto peace and serenity. You on the other hand are choosing to not only inject politics but to have a focus of politics? I have commented on this before I am done I am unsubscribing. Reading any and all of this leads to anxiety and away from peace and serenity. Spinning in complaining is not helpful to my state of mind. Done.
Hi Laurie, I totally get it. This was a really grim couple of weeks. I have so many things I’d rather be focusing on—believe it or not, I am not a political writer by nature. Would so much rather write about the beauty around us—art, philosophy, literature—but at the moment it feels like fiddling while Rome burns. For diversion and a longer view of history, if you like art, dig into “All the Beauty in the World” by a guy who spent ten years as a museum guard at the Met.
Seeing and sharing beauty ...It's not "fiddling while Rome burns," Joy. It feeds what needs feeding in order to do the work that needs to be done. The unceasing anger and frustration, and the writing about its causes, is as addictive as substances, and it only feeds itself.
It's a yo-yo ying/yan time, for sure. I swing between hope and despair, laughter and rage, beauty and ugliness. Maybe it's the latters that make the formers so sweet.
Thank you for sharing the good, bad, ugly, and the beautiful. None of them negates the other, so we need to figure out how to navigate them all. Your newsletter, consistently, is a navigation tool!
Just saw this amazing musical in LA..It's been playing in small venues here for a couple of years honing this brilliance. Had the time of my life! NO really !! the best day since the shut in. (I know it's a sad reminder of how we're not quite put back together) It closed here last Sunday, on the way to Chicago and then NY for Xmas.. It will bring B'way to its feet, literally. I share this with because you're a globetrotter ! More fun is needed!! It's a civic duty!! That's what you're doing here!!
Reading your take on what’s happening always grounds me just a little more. You, and Will Bunch and Heather Cox Richardson, to be more exact. These are terrifying, deeply sad times. Always appreciate reading from your mind.
Also fun to see Heather, your color client. ;) I haven’t seen her for years, but there was a time when we’d show up at the same parties and I always enjoyed her. Nice colored you’ve chosen !
What a fun coincidence that you know her... a friend took this photo about ten years ago. I take a picture of every client, but no longer share their photos (at this point hundreds! but looking at the pictures bring each person back to life no matter how long it's been.
As usual, I appreciate and agree with all of your observations and comments. I think Katharine Lee Bates would approve of Eden's new lyrics to "America the Beautiful"!
I am so horrified by the destructive policies of Trump that I can barely stand to read the news. My tendency is to hide under a rock, but your bold and honest summation makes facing it a little easier. What helps even more are your photos of beauty, exquisite beauty in the case of poppies, which have the courage to bloom again each year despite the awful things going on. Similarly, my little kittens inspire me with the miracle of new life, and the courage to be so damn cute.
I'm scared too...and I'm really angry that I'm scared. I never planned to spend even a moment of my old age watching a grifting, lying, creep ransack our country. It's a hopeless feeling when the Supreme Court (which I had a certain reverence for my entire life) capitulates to a man who is blatantly and willfully thumbing his nose at the rule of law and ignoring court rulings. And so, I protest at every chance I get. Then I paint....and interestingly, this week I've been working on a painting of poppies! Loved your photos! And with my husband's wonderful veggie garden providing much loved sustenance, I'm pigging out on rice and veggie stir fries every day! Hang in there, little buddy. I desperately hope we live long enough to see America right itself!
Oooh, I pine to peek at your poppy paintings!
You always leave me in awe with how much you synthesize into your writing, and in such a readable manner!
And the collection of photos…such a treat.👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 thank you for continuing to write
I love hearing from you. You say all the I am thinking but can't get into words. I also love your pictures
The pictures are chocolate therapy for me. I'm glad they cheer you too.
Thank you for posting what we all are feeling, but not saying as eloquently. It helps knowing we're not alone! Your flowers and outdoor pics are my religion. Nature is calming and breathes peace into the soul.
Wouldn't it be great if we could just wander through the poppy fields and not care about what else was going on in the world?
If we wandered through poppy fields indeed we would not care what else was going on in the world, LOL. If only!
I appreciate your posts. You put into words what I am thinking but am unable to express with the eloquence you have. Your pictures are wonderful and remind me that there is still beauty in the world. Yes, I am afraid of where we seem to be headed but hopeful that sanity will prevail.
Thanks Mary, it is a scary time, and I'm afraid it will get darker before enough of us wake up and throw the lot of them out on their ear, and preferably into prison.
These are really dark AND really promising days in America. Yes, havoc is being wrought, no question. Realistically, we cannot stop it. We have some electeds who may save pockets of compassionate governing. But this is the Great Turning, and it will not happen easily. The patriarchy will not die an easy death, but these are its rattles. In the meantime, hyperlocal, that's the way to go. Help stop corporate greed's destruction in our towns and cities and counties. Notice the way local governments and nonprofits are working more and more with BIPOC groups to accomplish positive results closer to home. And join them! That way, when the dust settles, there will be a possibly livable planet. Fear and anger must be processed and let go of before doing good work.
I hope you and I, and our children and grandchildren live long enough to see the other side of this. Agree that local and hyperlocal is the way.
Joy I go to you in search of zooming out and onto peace and serenity. You on the other hand are choosing to not only inject politics but to have a focus of politics? I have commented on this before I am done I am unsubscribing. Reading any and all of this leads to anxiety and away from peace and serenity. Spinning in complaining is not helpful to my state of mind. Done.
Hi Laurie, I totally get it. This was a really grim couple of weeks. I have so many things I’d rather be focusing on—believe it or not, I am not a political writer by nature. Would so much rather write about the beauty around us—art, philosophy, literature—but at the moment it feels like fiddling while Rome burns. For diversion and a longer view of history, if you like art, dig into “All the Beauty in the World” by a guy who spent ten years as a museum guard at the Met.
Seeing and sharing beauty ...It's not "fiddling while Rome burns," Joy. It feeds what needs feeding in order to do the work that needs to be done. The unceasing anger and frustration, and the writing about its causes, is as addictive as substances, and it only feeds itself.
It's a yo-yo ying/yan time, for sure. I swing between hope and despair, laughter and rage, beauty and ugliness. Maybe it's the latters that make the formers so sweet.
Thank you for what you do + today sending me EDEN
Was that not LOVELY? So simple, so moving.
Thank you for sharing the good, bad, ugly, and the beautiful. None of them negates the other, so we need to figure out how to navigate them all. Your newsletter, consistently, is a navigation tool!
I wish there weren't so much bad and ugly. Evil, actually. We keep breathing.
Thank you for reminding me that many people see the inhumanity of our current government, and that there is still beauty in the world!
Sometimes it's so hard to lift my eyes from what I believe is true evil. I tell myself, this too will pass. But it may not be during my lifetime.
Ditto to the previous comments. Special thanks for sharing Elle Cordova's clever and poinant rap and song.
She is amazing...
Just saw this amazing musical in LA..It's been playing in small venues here for a couple of years honing this brilliance. Had the time of my life! NO really !! the best day since the shut in. (I know it's a sad reminder of how we're not quite put back together) It closed here last Sunday, on the way to Chicago and then NY for Xmas.. It will bring B'way to its feet, literally. I share this with because you're a globetrotter ! More fun is needed!! It's a civic duty!! That's what you're doing here!!
https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=trailer+for+44+the+musical&mid=73D16F1A0B84C68E40EE73D16F1A0B84C68E40EE&FORM=VIRE
Wow Marcy, I've never even heard of it! Thanks for sharing!
Reading your take on what’s happening always grounds me just a little more. You, and Will Bunch and Heather Cox Richardson, to be more exact. These are terrifying, deeply sad times. Always appreciate reading from your mind.
Also fun to see Heather, your color client. ;) I haven’t seen her for years, but there was a time when we’d show up at the same parties and I always enjoyed her. Nice colored you’ve chosen !
Let’s keep on keeping on…
What a fun coincidence that you know her... a friend took this photo about ten years ago. I take a picture of every client, but no longer share their photos (at this point hundreds! but looking at the pictures bring each person back to life no matter how long it's been.
As usual, I appreciate and agree with all of your observations and comments. I think Katharine Lee Bates would approve of Eden's new lyrics to "America the Beautiful"!
It is SUCH a beautiful song. I have never understood the affection for the Bombs Bursting in Air one
I am so horrified by the destructive policies of Trump that I can barely stand to read the news. My tendency is to hide under a rock, but your bold and honest summation makes facing it a little easier. What helps even more are your photos of beauty, exquisite beauty in the case of poppies, which have the courage to bloom again each year despite the awful things going on. Similarly, my little kittens inspire me with the miracle of new life, and the courage to be so damn cute.
file:///var/mobile/Library/SMS/Attachments/85/05/8FD43CDB-8F88-4DFD-B5C3-926CE7562100/IMG_6470.heic
I wish I could see your kitty photo--doesn't load for me. (I've noticed that it doesn't seem possible to share photos in comments here....(??)
Hi Joy, thanks for staying with the "fight" and keeping us informed! I always learn something!
Thanks... I stayed off the news today and it's clear I already missed a shit-ton. Or a ton of shit. So evil.