January 13

 I was rather discombobulated over the weekend. I think it was partly the hangover from the ruination of the table cloth that my cat helped me erase part of the pattern. I crocheted a bit on a doily off and on but didn't do any sustained work. Then, on Saturday night, I had trouble sleeping and the cats were no help at all being the furry little pests they are. Sunday I spent in a lethargic fog reading, crocheting and weaving without much enthusiasm. Today feels a bit better, I finished several woven squares and put a crochet edge on one that will be a coaster. As a result of my lethargy over the weekend I have a large backlog of e-mails to go through. I might as sell get to it.

I don't spend much time on Facebook but first thing I saw this morning was a post on the Slow Stitch groups: I MIGHT use all my crafting stash in 2025/I MIGHT win the lottery./ The chance for each are about the same.

Stray thought: a lot of commentators have spent a lot of time criticizing Zuckerberg's decision to, for all intents and purposes, end content moderation on Facebook. Most decry the move as opening up the site to "misinformation."I have read and listened to pundits hysterical over the levels of misinformation for years now. What exactly constitutes "misinformation" depends entirely on your political orientation. I think the argument a futile one--on both sides. I don't depend on any social media for information. I mentioned I checked in on Facebook earlier but I am very selective in what I do on the site. I play some of the games although that has declined as the ads have become more time consuming and intrusive. I see what family and friends are posting though I don't repost or follow posts they link to. And I look in on several groups that reflect my interests in needlework and fiber/fabric arts. That Facebook (I don't follow other sites) won't moderate its political content doesn't affect me. I make my own decisions on what is reliable and accurate--even in the mainstream media.

Another stray thought: a history professor, many of whose classes I took, once often said that we Americans often "honored our values (which ever value was under discussion) in the breach than in the observance." It seems to me that is very obvious in our controversies. We honor the "freedom of speech" as long as that speech reflects our own beliefs--otherwise it becomes "misinformation," "lies," etc.

Yet another stray thought: I saw one interview on TV this morning concerning how (and if which) neighborhoods should be rebuilt. The person responding to the questions mentioned 1)new fire resistant building materials and 2)fire resistant landscaping. I remember the news stories about the droughts of the 1980s which were among the most severe in memory and residents were urged to convert their lawns to drought/fire resistant xeriscapes. Experts also recommended a wide area surrounding the house without vegetation to serve as a fire break. Fast forward to about 10 years ago when I read a little book "OFF THE GRID AND FREE" by Ron Melchior. He and his wife moved to the Canadian wilderness and built a home there. They did several things to meet the very real threat of forest fire: 1) fire resistant building materials, 2) a broad band of ground cleared of trees and shrubs (their extensive gardens were planted beyond that band, and 3) an extensive system of fire suppressing sprinklers runs by pumps run on their own generator and tapped into the nearby lake. Melchior recounted one time in their several decades living there when their home was threatened by a forest fire and he spent several days in a boat on the lake watching the fire and making sure the generator remained fueled. Point here: the fires came close but their home was untouched. Most of us don't really consider what might happen if things go threateningly. We never think that such a catastrophe could happen to us or our town. I have been just as myopic often enough in my life. I keep trying to be more forethoughtful.