Friday, November 29

Well, here it is--Black Friday and no, we have not been and are not going shopping. We haven't indulged in that madness for some years except for once when we ran out of something and forgot what day it was. I saw more post with the caption "Black Friday--Save 100%. Stay home." But, given the stories on the news, ours is a minority opinion.

The weather is now and has been, with brief exceptions, gloomy. It feels colder than the thermometer says it is thanks to the moisture. We have had plenty of rain and a couple of days of high winds. The weather people have pushed back the end of this bleak weather to Tuesday.

We had a nice Thanksgiving with my brother and his family. We managed to not overeat though we had to refuse the pie. As I told one of the guests I was comfortably full but the pie would have left me uncomfortably (and painfully) overfull.

My first seed catalog arrived last week--Totally Tomatoes. Since I have sworn off tomatoes and peppers, which haven't yielded well for the last few years, I doubt I will be buying any of those seeds. I am still of the mind to concentrate on herbs and flowers but am still deciding which ones.

The stevia, lemon grass, and rosemary I brought inside for the winter are doing well so far. The miniature rose has had a hard time, though. When I had it outside the Japanese beetles went for it like it was bug candy. I cleared them all off and brought it inside where it began to come back, until I overwatered it. I think I managed to save it because it is now putting out new leaves. At least until the next crisis. I might add another next year. I can't keep on display in the big window downstairs because the cats also think it tastes good.

I am still ignoring the political news. It is toxic as hell and I am tired of being poisoned by it.

November 11

Happy Veterans' Day

We have snow today. It started about 5am for us and is supposed to continue through out the day. Tomorrow they say will be the coldest day in the season thus far. We, however, are snug and warm with nowhere to go or anything to do--so we won't go anywhere.

Instead it is a day to read and do needlework. Oh, and do several loads of dark clothes.

First up for reading was this piece by Ronni Bennett. I have curtailed my "news" watching because I can't stand more ad nauseam coverage of yet another outrageous action, tweet, or verbal flatulence.

November 8

Quite cold this morning--in the teens. The weather reporter on the morning news said the temps were quite normal----for January. The plants that survived the last cold snap are pretty much gone now. Time to start planning for next season. I just ordered the new Baker Creek catalog. Should be getting several more soon. 'Tis the season.

Speaking of seasons is anyone else bummed out with the Christmas themed commercials that have sprouted like mushrooms? We hadn't even said goodbye to Halloween and the "Black Friday" ads popped up. Are we even having Thanksgiving this year? Can't tell by the ads.

I have become increasingly curmudgeonly (Scrooge like?) about our so-called holidays which our commercialized society has turned into buying orgies. I think Tom Lehrer said it well in this parody of Christmas carol.

Christmas time is here, by golly,

Disapproval would be folly,

Deck the halls with hunks of holly,

Fill the cup and don't say "when."

Kill the turkeys, ducks and chickens,

Mix the punch, drag out the dickens,

Even though the prospect sickens,

Brother, here we go again.

On christmas day you can't get sore,

Your fellow man you must adore,

There's time to rob him all the more

The other three hundred and sixty-four.

Relations, sparing no expense'll

Send some useless old utensil,

Or a matching pen and pencil.

"just the thing I need! how nice!"

It doesn't matter how sincere it

Is, nor how heartfelt the spirit,

Sentiment will not endear it,

What's important is the price.

Hark the herald tribune sings,

Advertising wondrous things.

God rest ye merry, merchants,

May you make the yuletide pay.

Angels we have heard on high

Tell us to go out and buy!

So let the raucous sleigh bells jingle,

Hail our dear old friend kris kringle,

Driving his reindeer across the sky.

Don't stand underneath when they fly by.

Source: LyricFind

We aren't exactly non-participants but we don't use it as an excuse for a buying binge. Especially not for stuff we don't need and (usually) don't want. For Mother's Day and Mom's birthday I usually treat her to a dinner at one of her favorite restaurants. When it comes to other family we opt for modest amounts of cash so they can get what they really want or use it in whatever way they see fit. 

On to other things. This year is the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. David Kaiser has a good take on the event and its aftermath. Morning Joe had Tom Brokaw on for his reminiscences as the only reporter for a major news outlet on the scene. It was a interesting discussion.

November 4

Goodness!! It has been a while since I posted anything. Here it is--day before Election Day. The campaigning has been heavier than usual here. Our mayor of 16 years has opted to not run again though I could bet he would have been re-elected if he had decided otherwise. He has done a good job. The man from his party (Republicans) who is running to succeed him touts his close association with the soon to be former mayor but I am not convinced that is enough reason to vote for him. And I don't see much difference between his platform and the Democrat. However, the challenger is basically running on a "time for change" platform which given the last sentence means not much change. Also he doesn't specify what needs to change (besides the party in office) and what he means by a city government that works for all. Again--not much inducement to vote Democrat. They only strong feeling I have on the matter is that alternating parties is--generally--a good thing. I guess I will wait til I have the ballot in front of me to see how what ever spirit moves me. Given what I have seen of the campaign signs in yards I would place a small bet on the Republican.

The weather has turned decidedly colder of late. It feels like someone (or Someone) flipped a switch taking us from 70s and 80s to 30s and 40s. We had snow on Halloween. Along with hard rain and heavy winds. I think the snow and low high temp on Halloween threatened a record that had been set in the 1880s. The garden is pretty much gone now even though the chives, spearmint, peppermint, dianthus are still hanging on. I have done as much clean up as I intend to do and what plants are left will remain as a protective cover on the soil. The hard rains we have had over the last few years tends to splatter mud all over.

I haven't planned much on the gardens for next year. All I know for sure is that I am striving for one that provides max enjoyment and least work. And which can withstand what has become a brutal summer, partly because we are having more 85+ days and partly because heat tends to concentrate and magnify on the patio where the temperatures can be as much as 20 degrees higher than our official temperatures.

I don't write about politics much and I try to limit my exposure to a lot of what passes for political news nowadays. Some amusing thoughts have passed through my not-quite-fried brain. So many of the talking heads talk about Biden as the candidate votes think will reset our society and politics to something they consider "normal." I think they are living an illusion. Too much has been broken over the last 50 years and the last 3 under #45 are just the tip of the iceberg. Ain't no way we are going back to anything like what we once considered "normal." Finally, this morning on Morning Joe Pete Budiguige (a.k.a., Mayor Pete) said that though in a softer, kinder way. Evidently, according to the pundits, Wall Street is really scared of the prospect of a President Elizabeth Warren. Why escapes me.  After all being elected is no guarantee that she will get her various "plans" enacted. I am glad she is running and that her various criticisms of our current bastardized "capitalist" system are getting more discussion than normal. I still wish Bernie and Joe had decided to sit this one out. Several of the lower tier candidates deserve more than a chance to issue a sound bite. Elizabeth and Pete are the only ones who have been able to get any attention from those two.

I will let this end for now. Just thought I would let the world know I am still here.