The snow is gone. The temperature rose to between 45 and 50F. That pretty well took are of all the snow and slush. We have an appointment today so the clear sidewalks and streets are welcome. I got my two new embroidery projects set up and started. They are small table cloths so I might finish them by the end of 2025 or, more likely, in 2026.
Well, Trump has already picked a new candidate for the Attorney General slot after Matt Gaetz pulled out. It seems there are some senators who do have a limit to what they will accept--enough that only a few can sink his agenda. I wonder if those Republican senators would have swallowed the sex with under age girls (for which he paid a hefty amount) at drug fueled orgies if he had been even marginally qualified for the job. At least the new nominee, I will remember her name if she is confirmed, has practiced law for more than five minutes and was Florida's Attorney General.
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I didn't have much time after the appointment yesterday and Mom wanted to stop by Michaels to see if there was an embroidery project she would like to do. We found one that is fairly simple since she hasn't done any needlework for about 20 years. It is cloudy and cool--not yet quite cold though that is coming. I spent about five hours on one of my table cloths while mom tried to make sense of the pattern kit she had. Michaels has changed again and I am deciding whether I like. They don't have any needlework pieces for me because I don't like kits and I prefer working more advanced pieces. But they have brought back fabric on the bolt and sewing patterns. That might be interesting.
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Yesterday was Sunday soccer--two Premier League games and cooking. I did a nice beef roast and a cake. Part of the roast was put into containers in the freezer for future meals. I got some more done on the cross stitch table cloth. However, it was a "do as little as possible" day. Today is a bit different. I put away the clothes we washed over the weekend and straightened up more in the What-Not Room. I can actually use the table now. I have a new winter wreath in mind so I needed the space to lay things out. After that I have some quilt pieces that have languished for some time. I want to get it started again.
Reading list:
Ugo Bardi has a few things to say about "green bashing." I think that people can be relied upon to follow business as usual until it goes off the rails. It is difficult to change an established pattern. We have been trying to shift away from plastic but it is difficult to do. Almost everything at the grocery store is in plastic containers. We have managed to eliminate most bought plastics. We also reuse what packaging is suitable. However, eventually we run out of room to store those containers. The plastic grocery bags we use to clean out our cats' boxes and line our trash cans. We push our set pattern beyond their usefulness or fail to recognize changes that make them no longer useful. Bardi is also right to observe that when things go wrong we tend to look for scape goats. No one wants to admit that they might be part of the problem.
Stray thought on the end of the COP29 talks: the delegates finally negotiated a "deal" that doesn't mandate a shift away from fossil fuels (a Saudi demand) and "commits" the developed countries to pay $300billion/year and gives them til 2035 to make good on the promise. Too little and too late. (Side note: That was what the initial summary was of only two of the major issues. More may come out later.)
Another stray thought on the end of the COP29 talks: the most vulnerable nations and developing nations wanted a guarantee of somewhere north of, I think I heard, $3trillion. The advanced countries offered only $250billion which sent the opponents into a snit. I noticed the reporters on BBC (note: the U.S. news media barely mentioned the meetings) reported that many of the so-called rich countries are having financial problems. The incoming administration is proposing a department of "government efficiency" dedicated to cutting "waste" (which isn't specified.) I read that the Canadian government is planning measures to relieve its citizens of some financial pressures. EU countries are also having various fiscal difficulties. Where the money is going to come from is a good question. "Rich" is a matter of perception and most countries aren't feeling rich right now.
I am calling it day. I am having a very hard time with my e-mail feed. It is slow and sometimes refusing to load the items.
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