Quiet Morning

Quiet here this morning.  Had a big crew here yesterday for eats.  This lower level easily accommodates a crowd..  My new buddy Frank came as well, absolutely thrilled to be here.  Even with his childish habits, I still love him in all his goofiness.  Andi, Steph's daughter is a pleasure to feed.  Been bombarded with nutritional videos on my FB reels.  Really don't know what to believe.  Are these just talking heads or people with actual qualifications? 

We visited this girl at the Nature Center in Troy recently.

Social media is flooded with Spartans and Wolverines posts.  MSU always opens with Western Michigan University and soundly defeats them. Michigan beat New Mexico.  Too much chest beating on both their parts.  I am not amused.

We have been consumed by Hostage on Netflix.  It is a British drama, well acted with a continuing developing plot line.  have a couple more episodes to view. 

I really need to get back to my walking routine and lifting my weene weights.  Have been lazy.

thats it

 

Food Choices

 

We all make poor food choices at times.  As a Type 2, I eat too much bread and too many bagels, mostly out of convenience and less cleanup.  Sweets aren't really my downfall but chips and salty snacks are.  I don't eat enough greenery or drink enough water.  Went yesterday with my buddies from Oxford Towers to a place that offered a 3-6pm half off appetizers during the week.  I judicislly scanned the abbreviated menu for something that would be to my liking.  These choices are absolutely dressed up junk food on plate rather in a wrapper.  I chose high carb, salty selections  feeling guilty but proceeding anyway.  These foods have little nutritional value.  However, my emotions took over and I got my "treat meal", feeling guilty even while I was consuming the fare..  They called. it "Station Nachos".  Basically it consisted of deep fried egg roll wrappers bathed in some kind of cheese with banana pepper rings and some diced tomatoes; not great but filling.  I wasn't that hungry and could not eat much of it.  These are the left overs not too appealing

on the second day so it got tossed.  The guilt I harbored has almost dissipated.  

We are all mourning the loss of life and injury caused by a shooter in Minneapolis at a Catholic Mass yesterday morning.  These events occur far too often.  There seems to be no end in sight.  I hesitate to attend cultural events with crowds for fear of being in the middle of it. There is much anger in our country and far too many firearms.

thats it

Constant Fury

 

How do we stop being so furious all the time?  I wake up mad and put my head on the pillow mad.  The statistical data from the federal agencies is now being tainted by the great leader when it doesn't go along with his opinions.  The weather isn't the weather and the jobless rate isn't presented accurately.  Even though we counted on this information to inform our lives, we will not be able to trust it. It's becoming more Orwells Ministry of Truth where the facts are changed at the whim of Big Brother and history is constantly being rewritten. Further, I reiterate for the umpteenth time, we are just getting started. 

It's the first day of school for my high schoolers in this household.  Judy is about to greet them in their first day finery and take the photos.  Moods are apt to range from sullen to anxious.  I hear movement which means progress in their departure.  They are both firmly entrenched in their teenage years and moods and anxiety.  I love them both and hope the day is good.  My little guys I think are starting next week in Middleville.  Wish I could see more of them.  

On to tomatoes; We had 55 degrees last night.  These plants do well in hot nights, not so much in these temps.  I have lots of green fruit. It will be cooler for the next few days. Martha Stewart says to place them in a paper sack with a banana that releases ethylene gas that actually ripens them.  Gonna try this.  

thats it

Rambling

 

It's 7:11 on a Saturday morning.  All is quiet.  Finished my first of coffee and thinking about breakfast. Got a couple of new shirts for half at the Goodwill store down the street. They have remarkably good merchandise there at really reduced prices.  Don't really require new clothes anyway, not that I need them. Brighter colors seem to suit me. And, not really attending any formal dances in the near future.  Mostly it's me watering the flowers and cutting the gras, interspersed with doctor visits.  

Took books back to the library.  This is a wonderful huge facility about 10 minutes from the house.  Really haven't begun to explore this place.  I need to reestablish my ability to concentrate and get lost in a book.

Livingston Taylor is the younger brother of singer James Taylor.  Without the acclaim (well deserved) of brother, he is an accomplished song writer and performer in his own right.and a teacher at the Berklee College of Music. One of my favorite tunes  is his duet with Carly Simon, Best of Friends, If you can find it on Pandora or other source, and you have best buddies of 50 plus years, it will hit home.  It was probably recored with James was her husband;

Another one is the theme from The Unforgotten, a British crime drama on unsolved murders.  The Brits make these shows complicated and once you get past the dialects and the lingo, quite intriguing. This theme is All We do from an English duo called Oh Wonder.  The lyrics capture the tenure and pace of the show.  It's probably available on some service.

Heading to a reunion with some of my cousins at Kensington this afternoon.  They always greet us warmly even though our paths don't usually cross except these days at funerals.  Generally speaking I am usually the oldest one there.  I have great-great nieces and nephews in the mix which will probably not recognize me. Supposed to be reasonably pleasant weather wise. 

Have to get some stuff for the event at Meijers this morning

thats it

Frank Caprio

Judge Frank Caprio of Providence RI died yesterday  after a long battle with Pancreatic Cancer.  Known as the kindest judge in America,  he meted out justice with compassion to those that appeared before him.  There was a local TV show, Caught in Providence, snippets of which found their way into my Facebook feed on a regular basis.  Some of his decisions and his compassion brought me to tears on more than one occasion.  The world is a poorer place without him in it.

These small views brought me happiness on dark days.  I felt compelled to mention him today.

thats it

It is Difficult

 At times it is difficult to find the inspiration to put words on paper or on screen.  This is one of those days.  However, I am racked with fury over the gift Trump is about to give Putin.  The president of Ukraine is showing up a the White House today to probably be told to cede a portion of his country to Russia to stop the war that has been going on for over three years,  commencing with an unprovoked invasion of Russia on their sovereign territory.  Lest we forget this was an invasion seemingly due to the whim of Putin to recreate the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.  This now action completes the moral bankruptcy of our leader.  

Andrew made us a lovely dinner using produce from both of our gardens, including summer squash,  Bruschetta made from my tomatoes and wonderful homemade pasta. Needless to say, it was delicious.  Afterward, while he was cleaning up the dishes, we had a discussion.  I shared that I woke up most mornings filled with self loathing and a touch of anger at the world we have created.  He was comfortable stating that America has an end date that could be foreseen in actions of our so called leaders.  Everyone is mad almost all the time, only lightening up with there are smiling kids around laughing.  When they go home, we are back to anger again.  Occasionally there are pretty flowers or TOMATOES or the Tigers win or some sports hero gives back to the community.  But then, we are back to mad again. Drivers are being rude and impatient nearly causing accidents.  The phenomenon  seems to be cyclical.  We cannot be too happy too long. 

It still quiet here.  Finished up an egg breakfast.  Gonna go to Trader Joes for a few things this morning.  

Thats it.

Black Ferns

I was never an athlete.  With poor vision in my right eye, I couldn't hit a baseball to save my life, all due to the flood of oxygen into my incubator when I was a newborn.  Not big enough for football and too chubby to really be a track star, these couldn't be my pursuits.  None the less, I carried on. Boys had hero's like Al Kaline or Jim Bunning or Gordie Howe, or Bobby Layne.  I did too.  Detroit was and is great sports town and has been for decades.  

Those of us that post in and favor Meta's Facebook get short Reels that come up in the normal course of things. Our viewing history dictates the subject matters that show up.  Mine are mostly left leaning commentators and folks that are telling me how to cure Type 2 diabetes.  

Recently, however, film shorts on rugby matches are showing up.  I really don't know much about this sport only that is is rough and tumble, a version of football with no pads or headgear and a ball with rounded rather than pointed ends. At the beginning of play, there is a scrum, players locked shoulder to shoulder, to determine possession of the ball Once that is established, it is passed laterally from player to player to get to the goal. The recipients always seem to be ready to get the ball and move forward only to pass to a teammate moving toward the goal. Some of the defensive moves, mostly straight ams, would be illegal in the NFL.  If a player is injured, but not incapacitated, they are patched up and bandaged up then returned to the battle on the field.

Ilona Mahar is our American hero of the sport. She is part of the US team that earned a bronze medal in the last summer olympics.  She is living proof that big can be beautiful, last seen throwing around her little partner on Dancing with the Stars.  

But back to rugby. New Zealand has a national team called the Black Ferns.  There are female and male squads.  Before each match, the team performs a Haka, which has Maori origins and is a demonstration of strength and unity with loud voices and menacing facial expressions.  To a casual observer, it's pretty impressive.  These players are thick and strong and fast.  Female players with hair tied back, and legs churning, they present as no nonsense competitor.s

These are truly tough and strong women that support each other.  In terms of their strength and tenacity, I would put them up against any division one American football team if you removed their pads and their helmets.  Very impressive.  If you are interested, look them up.

No politics today.

thats it