This morning I read that Warren Buffet is nothing but a Welfare Queen. He is gaming the system just like the insiders on Wall Street. Disappointing because he lost his power to help reform our banking system, his reputation for honesty is gone, lose forever. So is his power for good. Sad.
Blackwater owner, Prince, is being exposed as a murderer. His father's money started a couple right, fundamentalist Christian groups that had a strong impact on American politics. The history of this company and the work they did for the U.S. military is evil. Ranks right up there at the top of the historical list of crimes against humanity.
Why is it that Christian groups advocate for so much that is the opposite of Jesus Christ ? Their rules are the only rules, their reasoning is the only process of thinking about a situation, their Sunday country club is the only membership that is correct. None of it relates to the man that walked the earth and talked about a new way.
There are not right wing Hindus, Jews, Atheists out there shoving their politics into our face, forcing people to adopt a lifestyle or a moral code- they just want everyone to have a choice of living their individual lives.
Modern Christians are so far removed from Jesus and his teachings of the beatitudes that I am embarrassed for family and friends that call themselves practicing Christians. Even is they don't want to take care of the sick let others have health coverage with public option. Christians don't have to sign up! Send back your medicare while you are opposed to government plans, if that is the case.
Now they want to shut down public forms to discuss health care. Wonder what is in their hearts, is it the love of Jesus?
80% of the people that voted for McCain in the last election are the poorest educated in this country. 75% of the best educated voted for Obama. The birthers seem to be those people on the lowest step on the ladder and they can not face the fact that a black man with a scholarship education got to the White House. Who is lower on the step ladder now that a poor, white, uneducated male? Maybe those Mexicans. They can beat up on the them. It is talked about on some forms.
I am afraid that in the next few years the ignorant community listening to hate talkers on radio will assasinate Obama which could trigger a revolution in the streets of this country. There are enough guns to shot up this country population and start a revolution. Maybe it is the cleanse this country needs.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Reflections of a marriage
John was more fun, all things being equal.
I knew 30 years ago I wanted to be marriage again and I had dated many of the eligible men in Green Bay. The reason that John was most interesting to me was that he was fun to be with and had a active for each season of the year. Football games in the fall, cross country skiing in the winter and sailing in the summer, all of them were activities that were fun.
The two most endearing qualities of John are his kindness and loyalty. I knew of generous acts of his before I dated him so I was not surprised by that at all. John also have a reputation of many girl friends so the part about loyalty was a characteristic that on the surface was not known. It was there but only held for his family and his old friendships. Once you made into that level of his life, he was loyal.
I asked John last night if he remember our simple little marriage ceremony in front of my rented cabin 30 years ago in Ephraim. He has lost that picture in his mind. I describe for him how only our families were there. Thirty years ago there were lots of young people in the family. Then there was Dick Steinbrink and his lady friend of the week, who drove up the judge and his wife from Green Bay.
Two things made this wedding special for me. I had gone to Jerry's Nursery and purchased about a dozen red geraniums plants that I placed around the yard. The other little touch was the substitute for the wedding cake.
My sisters Ellen and Mary were living in the cottage that summer with my children. We had made most of the food for a simple table of finger food. I have ordered some small petite cakes from an old German couple that were bakers in Green Bay. I loved the look of those delicate cakes and in my mind it made my wedding a special moment. Those cakes and the yard filled with red geraniums.
Ken never wanted to wear a sport jacket or dress up but he had something nice on for the pictures. Susan always had one nice dress for each season the year that I bought at Alicia Children's Shop in Ephriam at the end of the season. I remember it being grey and tan dress that summer. Both of the children looked dressed for the occasion.
I shopped forever for the right understated dress and surprisingly found it at Al Johnson's shop in Sister Bay. It was a lite peach colored knit with a straight skirt and a v neck with long sleeves. My hair was long and I had colored it myself that afternoon. The color was too dark but I was not letting anything cloud my mind with disappointment so I ignored it and put it up. Only my sisters and I knew that it was too dark. My sister, Kathy, was always good with a camera and I look at those pictures of that day and remember feeling pretty.
John's marriage was a major event for the Murphy family. He had remained a bachelor so long and, even then his mother, was not looking at this event with joy only resignation. His brothers on the other hand were supportive along with the extended family that were not presence.
Over the years I probably have taken care of John more than the other way around. John's decisions making skills were hampered by fear of a mistake. My view of life is that time is limited and I have to make the most of it. I have therefore made most of our decisions in our marriage about our homes, travel or investments. John's loyalty to me allowed this to work. Often he feared change, frequently worried about reaction from his family but in the end, I could calm him down and he was supportive.
Each marriage creates a spirit that is totally new. Early in my marriage I realized that I had to find somethings from other people to make my life full because my curiosity was much larger than John's. I have gathered interesting people at different periods of life to full this need. I have pursued interests and studied to round out those needs.
He traveled the world with me but had little interest in any of it. He has seen far corners of countries, many museums, UN Hertiage Site around the global but in the end, it was the little child standing in front of him that charmed him the most. Maybe that is also the charm of John and why I still find him a wonderful man.
John does not remember our wedding or many details about our history but he still ends each evening by saying, "Well, I had a good day today. Got a couple things done. How about you? Did you have a good day? " After a short discussion, John always finishes the day with, " I love you".
We went to the Daisy Queen yesterday and got a ice cream cone, medium size. We both laughed about how wonderful it made us feel.
I knew 30 years ago I wanted to be marriage again and I had dated many of the eligible men in Green Bay. The reason that John was most interesting to me was that he was fun to be with and had a active for each season of the year. Football games in the fall, cross country skiing in the winter and sailing in the summer, all of them were activities that were fun.
The two most endearing qualities of John are his kindness and loyalty. I knew of generous acts of his before I dated him so I was not surprised by that at all. John also have a reputation of many girl friends so the part about loyalty was a characteristic that on the surface was not known. It was there but only held for his family and his old friendships. Once you made into that level of his life, he was loyal.
I asked John last night if he remember our simple little marriage ceremony in front of my rented cabin 30 years ago in Ephraim. He has lost that picture in his mind. I describe for him how only our families were there. Thirty years ago there were lots of young people in the family. Then there was Dick Steinbrink and his lady friend of the week, who drove up the judge and his wife from Green Bay.
Two things made this wedding special for me. I had gone to Jerry's Nursery and purchased about a dozen red geraniums plants that I placed around the yard. The other little touch was the substitute for the wedding cake.
My sisters Ellen and Mary were living in the cottage that summer with my children. We had made most of the food for a simple table of finger food. I have ordered some small petite cakes from an old German couple that were bakers in Green Bay. I loved the look of those delicate cakes and in my mind it made my wedding a special moment. Those cakes and the yard filled with red geraniums.
Ken never wanted to wear a sport jacket or dress up but he had something nice on for the pictures. Susan always had one nice dress for each season the year that I bought at Alicia Children's Shop in Ephriam at the end of the season. I remember it being grey and tan dress that summer. Both of the children looked dressed for the occasion.
I shopped forever for the right understated dress and surprisingly found it at Al Johnson's shop in Sister Bay. It was a lite peach colored knit with a straight skirt and a v neck with long sleeves. My hair was long and I had colored it myself that afternoon. The color was too dark but I was not letting anything cloud my mind with disappointment so I ignored it and put it up. Only my sisters and I knew that it was too dark. My sister, Kathy, was always good with a camera and I look at those pictures of that day and remember feeling pretty.
John's marriage was a major event for the Murphy family. He had remained a bachelor so long and, even then his mother, was not looking at this event with joy only resignation. His brothers on the other hand were supportive along with the extended family that were not presence.
Over the years I probably have taken care of John more than the other way around. John's decisions making skills were hampered by fear of a mistake. My view of life is that time is limited and I have to make the most of it. I have therefore made most of our decisions in our marriage about our homes, travel or investments. John's loyalty to me allowed this to work. Often he feared change, frequently worried about reaction from his family but in the end, I could calm him down and he was supportive.
Each marriage creates a spirit that is totally new. Early in my marriage I realized that I had to find somethings from other people to make my life full because my curiosity was much larger than John's. I have gathered interesting people at different periods of life to full this need. I have pursued interests and studied to round out those needs.
He traveled the world with me but had little interest in any of it. He has seen far corners of countries, many museums, UN Hertiage Site around the global but in the end, it was the little child standing in front of him that charmed him the most. Maybe that is also the charm of John and why I still find him a wonderful man.
John does not remember our wedding or many details about our history but he still ends each evening by saying, "Well, I had a good day today. Got a couple things done. How about you? Did you have a good day? " After a short discussion, John always finishes the day with, " I love you".
We went to the Daisy Queen yesterday and got a ice cream cone, medium size. We both laughed about how wonderful it made us feel.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
My yard
Partly it was the very hot weather and partly it are the chickens but my yard is changing. It is losing the look of an suburban manicured place to host gatherings. I noticed walking across the straw like grass that there is chicken manure all over the place. Maybe it's this the heat and we spend half of the time outdoors that we normally do but I am seeing a evolution going on this summer. All my lilies are in bloom at one time and the yard is a perfume factory. The lavender on the other side of the area is home to a hundred bumble bees at the moment.
We haven't been putting away tools this past month. Of course, there is a good reason for that, the shed is home to a hornets nest right inside the door at waist high and we are avoiding the trips to visit them. I believe in the balance of nature so it is hard for me to just kill all of them and the man that is professional in this field doesn't return my phone calls. Leaving the hand tools on the sides of the raised beds does save me the time and energy of getting them out each day. This evening between the bumble bees, the assorted other flying pollinators the garden has a concert of tiny noises. I recognize it as a balance of nature but at the same time I am turning over this property ownership to the creatures. May be it is the other way around, I am simply sharing their space.
The issue of the patio collecting these stains of the chickens and tiny feathers that are now floating around offers more of a look for a country home than a city house. I have also added a couple more watering stations to service the birds during this hot weather so the yard has more of untidy look, actually more of the Tuscan rental than a Olympian house.
On the west side of the lot we have put in the three poled t bars for the kiwis. Eventually it will look to the untrained eye like another grape arbor. I have plans to add four more raised beds toward the back of the lot next to the other raised beds. All gardeners know that rotation is the answer to healthy planting and I need more beds to achieve this. My passion for the garden grows with each season.
We haven't been putting away tools this past month. Of course, there is a good reason for that, the shed is home to a hornets nest right inside the door at waist high and we are avoiding the trips to visit them. I believe in the balance of nature so it is hard for me to just kill all of them and the man that is professional in this field doesn't return my phone calls. Leaving the hand tools on the sides of the raised beds does save me the time and energy of getting them out each day. This evening between the bumble bees, the assorted other flying pollinators the garden has a concert of tiny noises. I recognize it as a balance of nature but at the same time I am turning over this property ownership to the creatures. May be it is the other way around, I am simply sharing their space.
The issue of the patio collecting these stains of the chickens and tiny feathers that are now floating around offers more of a look for a country home than a city house. I have also added a couple more watering stations to service the birds during this hot weather so the yard has more of untidy look, actually more of the Tuscan rental than a Olympian house.
On the west side of the lot we have put in the three poled t bars for the kiwis. Eventually it will look to the untrained eye like another grape arbor. I have plans to add four more raised beds toward the back of the lot next to the other raised beds. All gardeners know that rotation is the answer to healthy planting and I need more beds to achieve this. My passion for the garden grows with each season.
Books, egg and heat
I have just finished a book about ethnic American gardens by Patricia Klindienst. I was moved to tears a couple times because of the tales of immigrants and their determination to survive. THE EARTH KNOWS MY NAME is not likely to get a large audience but between the fine writer, she teaches creative writing at Yale and the research she has done for this book, it is a loss for all Americans don't read it, but especially for those that value working in the soil and enjoy the beauty of plants.
The book travels from one coast to the other, from culture to culture using the stories of ancestors, seeds and techniques to frame the common plot of all people. Besides the historical tales of the book, the author's own sensitivity and abilities are what makes this book so unique.
Another book that has caught my attention is SECOND SPRING. It is one of those pick up anytime, to read a few pages, type of book. Dr. Maoshing Ni gives hundreds of natural secrets for women to age healthy and vibrantly. I think I will buy my own copy and use it as a reference book.
A miracle happened yesterday, our first, blue, small egg. It was Autumn, the Americana laying hen that has started our official egg production.
The chickens has been surprising in a few ways. First, I never would have guessed that I would let them roam the yard as much as I do. We had a week of extreme hot weather and they needed to have the cool watered earth to dig into and also often make nesting places for resting. They move around the backyard in a system that shows they are staying out of the heat and bright sun. I also find them nosier that I would have thought. Now I have two families of crows that live in the woods over the fence so I am use to loud birds but these ladies of mine can also be very demanding of attention. The third item is funny but they love to pick at my red toe nails. Now I am on guard about that habit of theirs.
John has a new job because of them, he is on patrol with the shove a couple times a day checking out droppings on our patio. I will not write the monologue that is going on during these times. There are moments that the five of them stand at the back door, looking into the house, waiting to be invited in. That is all we can assume. We find them amusing but really for them to be waiting for that invitation is a bit much! Daisy in the meantime acts as if they are invisible.
Now daily trips to the coop have the added interest of looking for eggs. I will keep you posted on that count.
The book travels from one coast to the other, from culture to culture using the stories of ancestors, seeds and techniques to frame the common plot of all people. Besides the historical tales of the book, the author's own sensitivity and abilities are what makes this book so unique.
Another book that has caught my attention is SECOND SPRING. It is one of those pick up anytime, to read a few pages, type of book. Dr. Maoshing Ni gives hundreds of natural secrets for women to age healthy and vibrantly. I think I will buy my own copy and use it as a reference book.
A miracle happened yesterday, our first, blue, small egg. It was Autumn, the Americana laying hen that has started our official egg production.
The chickens has been surprising in a few ways. First, I never would have guessed that I would let them roam the yard as much as I do. We had a week of extreme hot weather and they needed to have the cool watered earth to dig into and also often make nesting places for resting. They move around the backyard in a system that shows they are staying out of the heat and bright sun. I also find them nosier that I would have thought. Now I have two families of crows that live in the woods over the fence so I am use to loud birds but these ladies of mine can also be very demanding of attention. The third item is funny but they love to pick at my red toe nails. Now I am on guard about that habit of theirs.
John has a new job because of them, he is on patrol with the shove a couple times a day checking out droppings on our patio. I will not write the monologue that is going on during these times. There are moments that the five of them stand at the back door, looking into the house, waiting to be invited in. That is all we can assume. We find them amusing but really for them to be waiting for that invitation is a bit much! Daisy in the meantime acts as if they are invisible.
Now daily trips to the coop have the added interest of looking for eggs. I will keep you posted on that count.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
a banker's view and eggs
John and I talk to a investor banker yesterday because we are moving our IRA's. This guy in his forties repeated things that his boss had been told by a guy higher up that attended a video conference from a talking head from Wharton School of Economics who is frequently on CNBC. A perfect example of the trickle down theory in place. I understood immediately that the gentleman sitting in front of me knows nothing about investments nor does he thinks for himself. He is the same type of the robot that worked for big brokerage houses that sold Madoff's paper, that pedaled stocks that Merrill Lynch pushed or Smith Barney list of top stocks to own.
We, as a society, have lost the ability to reason and question. What items do we make in this country as you walk around our homes? What is it that your neighbors are doing for jobs? Are they happy with pride in their skills or are they working because if they quit they will have no health insurance? The sign of our society collapsing is all around us.
Jim Roger, the investor guru, says most currencies last about 70 years. It take little math to figure out the days of this empire are sliding. Our currency is based on debt now, backed by nothing and the printing presses are rolling at the will of a small group of men connected to the financial markets.
The banker was amazed that I was not believing in the 'green shots'.
I believe in self reliance these days. I am more conservative than my Republican friends, I plan of how I can build a network of surviving in this community with the help of a few family members and friends. That is why I have studied about rotating my vegetable beds, and how many seed starts I need for a fall garden and the best ways to preserve my tomatoes from this summer's garden. I am learning about keeping my laying hens healthy so I have eggs all year around. This is the way, all people lived until the last 50 years. There is nothing new about this.
I did not tell the banker about self reliance, he would not understood.
This banker will not control my investments, he knows nothing about fresh eggs.
We, as a society, have lost the ability to reason and question. What items do we make in this country as you walk around our homes? What is it that your neighbors are doing for jobs? Are they happy with pride in their skills or are they working because if they quit they will have no health insurance? The sign of our society collapsing is all around us.
Jim Roger, the investor guru, says most currencies last about 70 years. It take little math to figure out the days of this empire are sliding. Our currency is based on debt now, backed by nothing and the printing presses are rolling at the will of a small group of men connected to the financial markets.
The banker was amazed that I was not believing in the 'green shots'.
I believe in self reliance these days. I am more conservative than my Republican friends, I plan of how I can build a network of surviving in this community with the help of a few family members and friends. That is why I have studied about rotating my vegetable beds, and how many seed starts I need for a fall garden and the best ways to preserve my tomatoes from this summer's garden. I am learning about keeping my laying hens healthy so I have eggs all year around. This is the way, all people lived until the last 50 years. There is nothing new about this.
I did not tell the banker about self reliance, he would not understood.
This banker will not control my investments, he knows nothing about fresh eggs.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
short car trip
John and I went on a short trip exploring the state of Washington. We focused on scenic roads, points of interest in the state that we had not seen and a leisurely pace.
It was a wonderful to see the summer season across the state with the field crops in place, the mountain roads were clear of snow and the festivals in full swing. We saw mountains with snow caps reflected in high altitude lakes, wheat fields in every direction for 25 miles and fewer than three farm houses or stands of trees in the view. We drove though forests on pines on the other side of the state on the Indian reservation and visited an old Indian school set up in the last century for the purpose of undoing their culture. Read the marker about Chief Joseph and saw the town where he is buried. Sadly, the pine saw mills are closing with this economy and the unemployment is raising in those communities.
We traveled along the Columbia river for miles and crossed it numerous times. Coulee Dam is a mile long with three power generators but the facts that speak the loudest is that is was built during the Depression with three shifts of workers for nine years toiling around the clock. At Rocky Reach Dam we visited the museum that explains the geographic history of the river and the human history connected to the river. On the Columbia River there are eleven dams creating many lakes and much of the power for the west coast.
Two ideas struck me while in that area. The dams make the agriculture possible for much of that end of the state. The water is used in the wheat fields and the majority of the fruit industry for irrigation. All created by the federal government, big projects financed out of D.C. That population votes GOP, they don't believe in big government. The second disconnect for me is the science of geology and all earth science telling the story of landscape in it 's true rawness there. Yet, there are the fundamentals populating that part of the state believing in the seven day story of creation. Park the truck with the combustible engine, turn off the electric lights and stop using modern medicine, all are the results of modern science. There is a link of science and daily life.
I enjoy car trips but John is now confused and stressed by the break of our routine life so I don't think I will be doing any of them for a while. The evening we were in Spokane talking about going out for dinner he asked me how many days we were staying in Milwaukee. At that moment, I realized just how stressed this traveling had become for him and felt it was time to go home.
It was a wonderful to see the summer season across the state with the field crops in place, the mountain roads were clear of snow and the festivals in full swing. We saw mountains with snow caps reflected in high altitude lakes, wheat fields in every direction for 25 miles and fewer than three farm houses or stands of trees in the view. We drove though forests on pines on the other side of the state on the Indian reservation and visited an old Indian school set up in the last century for the purpose of undoing their culture. Read the marker about Chief Joseph and saw the town where he is buried. Sadly, the pine saw mills are closing with this economy and the unemployment is raising in those communities.
We traveled along the Columbia river for miles and crossed it numerous times. Coulee Dam is a mile long with three power generators but the facts that speak the loudest is that is was built during the Depression with three shifts of workers for nine years toiling around the clock. At Rocky Reach Dam we visited the museum that explains the geographic history of the river and the human history connected to the river. On the Columbia River there are eleven dams creating many lakes and much of the power for the west coast.
Two ideas struck me while in that area. The dams make the agriculture possible for much of that end of the state. The water is used in the wheat fields and the majority of the fruit industry for irrigation. All created by the federal government, big projects financed out of D.C. That population votes GOP, they don't believe in big government. The second disconnect for me is the science of geology and all earth science telling the story of landscape in it 's true rawness there. Yet, there are the fundamentals populating that part of the state believing in the seven day story of creation. Park the truck with the combustible engine, turn off the electric lights and stop using modern medicine, all are the results of modern science. There is a link of science and daily life.
I enjoy car trips but John is now confused and stressed by the break of our routine life so I don't think I will be doing any of them for a while. The evening we were in Spokane talking about going out for dinner he asked me how many days we were staying in Milwaukee. At that moment, I realized just how stressed this traveling had become for him and felt it was time to go home.
Friday, July 10, 2009
destine for long service
The small hocked rug in an old kitchen that badly needed remodeling did catch my eye. The peach colored flowers and the pale green leaves that boarded them were beginning to fade but yet it was someone's handy work.
Over the next 25 years the kitchen got remodeled twice, the rug got moved to the more distant corners of the upper bedrooms and corner porches of the big house. Still, I could never bring myself to throw out the rug. It even made the truck for the big move to the west coast.
First it landed as the rug in the garage at the kitchen door, then it found a home in the tool shed adding a homey touch to the new Asian looking structure. The colors can still be identified, it is probably now 50 years old but carries itself with little actual wear. Today it will have whole new service life.
Chickens are raised in most urban sittings for two reasons their eggs and their manure. The eggs, of course, are organic, healthier and at hand. Manure is prize for the compost pile and is used as fertilizer on the vegetable beds. The mixture of fresh grass cuttings, chicken manure, little soil and water need to be covered with a blanket type object to create heat. New carpet pieces would have all the chemicals of the modern world and would undo the mission of organic living. My dear beloved 3 by 5 rug that has been part of my life for over 30 years is being moved into service. It is funny have some items in life connect the thread of our lifes.
Over the next 25 years the kitchen got remodeled twice, the rug got moved to the more distant corners of the upper bedrooms and corner porches of the big house. Still, I could never bring myself to throw out the rug. It even made the truck for the big move to the west coast.
First it landed as the rug in the garage at the kitchen door, then it found a home in the tool shed adding a homey touch to the new Asian looking structure. The colors can still be identified, it is probably now 50 years old but carries itself with little actual wear. Today it will have whole new service life.
Chickens are raised in most urban sittings for two reasons their eggs and their manure. The eggs, of course, are organic, healthier and at hand. Manure is prize for the compost pile and is used as fertilizer on the vegetable beds. The mixture of fresh grass cuttings, chicken manure, little soil and water need to be covered with a blanket type object to create heat. New carpet pieces would have all the chemicals of the modern world and would undo the mission of organic living. My dear beloved 3 by 5 rug that has been part of my life for over 30 years is being moved into service. It is funny have some items in life connect the thread of our lifes.
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