End of June, continent rolled

Busy month of travels and celebrations; first to Sarah Lawrence for my 50th reunion and second to Houston for Sofia's 5th birthday. Behind me is the small class room, stone house, where I studied with Muriel Rukeyser. Wonderful reunion, staying on campus, in dorm rooms with kitchen. Delicious meals with wine and good company, lectures and class (American Literature and Black Lives Matter) and trip to NY botanical gardens. Eloise came out from the city on Saturday, so good, good GOOD to see her. Met new students and recent graduates and felt infused with the spirit of the place in which I thrived for four years. 

Home in Virginia for hardly a week before trip to Houston. Arriving on Fia's birthday and two days later enjoying her party at the Houston aquarium. A heart tonic to see Ezra and Jennicksa and to play with bright beautiful Fia. 

Returned home to be special transporter of Pearl to Children Culinary Camp at the Palisades. Fortunately, Susan was chauffeuring her grandchild, Elliott, so Pearl hitched ride from Blacksburg with her. Stunning in her silver glitter high tops, Pearl is enjoying the camp,  - we all went to dinner at Palisades which the kids had prepared and served. Today is the last day and True and I will pick her up and play at the park if it stops raining. 

Visit from grad school buddy!

What fun, what easy slip into talk, talk that poured from me as from the mouth of those who live alone - and I kept thinking I was talking too much and too loud, but it seemed ok. Old friends, Neal certainly is familiar with my passionate tirades. Talking of times at UVA, poetry evenings at Alan's house when a visiting poet was in town, Neal remembering times I have forgot. It was a wonderful not even 24 hours and I will send him some of my work. I miss that time in my life when friends would drop by for dinner or I might go for coffee with Kearney. 
I worked in the garden after Neal left, planting more peas - throwing weeds to the chickens. It is a warm delightful day; mr lee and I went all the way to the swim hole, flushing two pairs of ducks too fair away to recognize. I should say I walked slowly, my plantar faciitis acting up again. I can't seem to take it easier! 

John Lewis: "When You Pray, Move Your Feet!"

It appears that many have taken these words to heart! Spontaneous crowds (at many airports) formed protesting Trump's latest order to HAULT all Syrian refugees (and others from certain Muslim countries) from coming into US. As Trump moves to make good on many of his campaign promises, the shallow thought that has gone into his orders becomes obvious. He seems to have no ability to account for consequences

to others, nor does he seem to care. PBS debates when to call a lie and lie from the small pursed lips of Donald. 1984 becomes a best seller! And the Chinese year of the Fire Rooster begins. 

Impeach Trump, Convert Pence

There were signs that would have delighted my mom: "Super Callous Fascist Racist Extra Braggadocios!" Today, although I didn't get into my lovely bed until after 1AM, I have hung my apron along with another decorated one in my sight to alert me to put down my cleaver and pick up the phone - call my congressmen. Put down the wooden spoon and pick up the pen. Put off making the pot of beans, or batch of brownies, and send email. Send them every day as Michael Moore advised. 

Resistance is Fertile

More on the Women's March: 750,000 marched in LA, a score in Antartica, thousands thronged the Ann Richardson bridge in Austin (who must be so proud of her daughter Cecil who heads Planned Parenthood), 100's in Gulfport MS and thousands in New Orleans (or course, Mardi Gras opportunity). More and More, sends chills down my arms as I type, and by the tweet of it, Trump is pissed. Oh, petty little hands man. I liked a slogan which I saw in English and in Spanish: Respect Existence or Expect Resistance! 
Here we are again, with our safety rope which was a great hit with the crowd. It did keep us together until a slew of people separated Valen from us, sending Pat after her daughter through the throng. We didn't meet up again until the bus - 1,800 buses all parked at RFK stadium. We had wine waiting for us and cheese and crackers, nuts and apples. We were jubilant. Now to not lose this energy of compassionate awareness. Now to keep a finger on our legislators both state and federal. Now to keep all accountable. Now to register our discontent. Now to  not despair but to act. 

I Have a Vagenda

I am riding the High of the Women's March in DC (over 1/2 a million - 3 million world wide), a recharge to the activist bones, a dispelling of the angst of the day before inauguration, and hilarious fun with good good friends. "I have a Vagenda" was on a sign i missed but was fortunately captured in a blog someone referenced on FB. Some of the signs I did delight in were taking back the "Don't Tread on Me" slogan that the t-party has usurped on bright yellow license plates and flags with the twinning snakes; some women turned the snakes upside down and it looked like a uterus with fallopian tubes. The humor was contagious in all seriousness; we were squashed like sardines, especially intense in the Metro, underground and moving at a snail pace - yet a helpful caring friendly atmosphere. Oh, glorious, magnificent folks!

New spectacles, bluets and garter snake

Picked up my new spectacles yesterday, less than 24 hours after getting eyes tested! Good news that my cataracts are very small and growing extremely slowly - so I can put off concern over surgery. 

Good long lazy walk to the high muddy river, the geese couple still on the island honking at us. Discovered a small moss outcrop with bluets. 

i speculated on the walk up river on the logging road, that a snake might

venture out in these warm days to bask,

delight on the way home to spy a garter snake stretched out,

among the leaves, he didn’t stir as i spoke to him

and hid his head when i took a pictures.

More primaries yesterday; Trump still trumpeting loudly with his hordes and now armed guards. But none of the other Republican candidates are any better, Cruz may be scarier. Hillary bravely carrying on as is Bernie; I'll be working for one of them soon. 

sounds of spring

Dusting of snow this morning that has disappeared. Even in the cool wind, outside has lost its winter grim grip. I am half wanting to rant on the fascist leaning of too many voters and on the other hand, struck silent by the sad futility the endeavor.  It seems Donald backers seek authority out of fear of outsiders and a desire for order. They would rather build walls than discuss avenues to citizenship. An excellent article in VOX, "The Rise of American Authoritarianism," covers this situation in great detail. There is a scarcity of curiosity and of independence.  The article points out that the Republican party in courting the votes of dissatisfied southern Democrats after the integration of public schools, became a party of traditional values ("silent majority" - not anymore!) and of law and order. Drumpf's "simple,  powerful and punitive" message is music to their ears - just as his words raise ire in my feminist bones. I see evidence of the Drumpf appeal to white men who wish to gain control of their world which seems threatened by gays, Mexicans and Muslims near by - one of the houses that flies a confederate flag on route 8, has switched to a large TRUMP flag.  Sobering.

Ventoso - windy

Windy to the point of tornadoes; and, indeed, yesterday three touched down in central Virginia for the first time in recorded history in February. Fortunately, I have spotted no down trees in our walk to the river then up the road to the mail box. Cold; peepers have quieted (I hope snug in the heavy leaf mulch at the bottom of the pond). Cold until Sunday when a warming trend, 60's for 3 or 4 days. A score of gold finch are hanging out at the feeders and in the red bud - I wanted to get a picture, but couldn't get outside without the birds taking off. You can almost note the lumps in the limbs that are birds!

Super Tuesday primaries are this coming Tuesday, March 1st and I am still unsure of weather I will vote for Hillary or Bernie. I'd like to vote for both! I like what Bernie is saying, but I feel like Hillary is more pragmatic. I'm such a core feminist that my allegiance tends to Hillary. But I have strong socialist leanings, want universal health care and, certainly, free state college tuition. I like Bernie's authenticity. I am concerned that it appears people are as fearful of Bernie's social democracy talk as others' fear Trump's Nationalistic (anti immigrant) speeches.  i would like to see real change in the US; I would like to see the middle class thrive again. But nothing will happen if we elect one party and populate Congress with the other party.  A quandary. 

Monday post on Tuesday, because....

It was the abrupt news at the Friends of Planned Parenthood meeting that the B'burg clinic will close on March 31st that set me into a tizzy. I finally realized when talking with friend that what I most cared about was continuing to bring sex education to school children, raise money for indigent women who need an abortion, and insuring access to birth control. I am also concerned that chemical abortion will go with the clinic. I would like to insure access to transportation to Roanoke to those who need it. The reasons for termination were that the rent in B'burg was excessive, clients had dwindled to 50 a month and of those half were referred to Roanoke. 
It was a cold day outside also! Cold walk with doggies to the bottoms. Good news that the DR compound now has wi-fi!

What Was I Thinking

It was a bit cooler and certainly improved the peripheral vision, however, the cow head perched a bit high - besides it might have been better to be unrecognizable. Riner cow in Blacksburg parade! It is almost as if a separate part of me decided to join the Montgomery County Democrats for the 4th of July parade in this costume. That rooster segment, the one that just has to be different when everyone else wore the blue WOMEN FOR OBAMA t-shirts. I suspect that part of me is most likely to arise when seriousness veers towards the dull - and I am prompted to make fun. Nevertheless, it was a terribly HOT time - I poured a cold bottle of water over myself at the end - with little relief.

This Slut Votes!

In solidarity with the woman whom Rush "Limpdick" called a slut, Web 6 ordered these t-shirts! I didn't realize until I was putting the pictures on the computer that the writing would be reversed - ha!

Sitting on an island
in the river
in the sun
with three dogs
When they bark
I know I am here.

so goes my day while the Blue house visits friends in northern VA!

thoughts

woke myself up last night screaming, "get away bear!" Lay in bed remembering my camp nick name, Mary Bear, because I would scare away the black bears banging on a cooking pot on hikes in the Smokies. I loved hiking and spent most of camp (at age 13) on hikes in the mountains of North Carolina; the bears there are larger than the bears around here. In retrospect I would have loved to go back to camp the next summer but for some reason we were not allowed; i doubt it was financial, I suspect my mother's horror when she heard that i'd been on a 5 day hike and had not changed clothes in that time! I was drifting hopelessly away from southern ladyhood!
My camp experience was a seed of my later feminism which was no doubt fertilized and nourished at Sarah Lawrence. I still have a hard time understanding what's not to like about feminism. But I realize my father could easily set me straight on this if i would stop to listen; but my ears clog up the minute he suggests i need to go to a beauty parlor (" I've never know a woman who doesn't like to go to the beauty parlor," he actually said to me).
At a basic level, feminism means to me that I have dominion over my body - hence, I am strongly PRO CHOICE. It means that women have equal rights to men; but this is still far from true. Still not equal pay! I associate feminism with a sensibility that abhors injustice.
This is a subject to which I will return!