February 3, 4

 Good morning. Still cold but no new snow and the temperature is high enough that some of the accumulation we have already had is disappearing. I got out and shoveled the path to the gate. Tomorrow morning I should be able to get the trash out for collection. I will get a closer look at the snow around the car. I would like to get into it without too much shoveling so I can start it up for a bit.

Rachel Maddow had a nice bit yesterday which listed a number of cities and states resisting Trump's attempt to establish his own Gulag Archipelago. If you don't know what I am referring to I suggest you read up on the Soviet system of internal exile in distant prison camps and follow it up with some of Alexander Solshenitsyn's work--like ONE DAY IN THE LIFE OF IVAN DENISOVICH. NBC had this story today which covers the same. I refuse to dignify those with the term "centers"--they are concentration camps pure and simple.

04**********************************************

Cold and cloudy. So far no more snow. I think I said a couple of days ago I am so tired of winter. Punxsutawny Phil saw his shadow so, according to the lore, we have six more weeks of winter. That would take us to the Spring equinox. But if Springs plays like winter has we won't be done with the cold and snow til June. UHG!!

I was so disgusted by the news I turned it off real early and started working on the genealogy records. In between I got got a bit of housework done and put in a grocery order.

I saw an interesting post on Facebook. The poster said that in Ireland they say that you leave a part of your soul in everything you crochet and you should make an intentional mistake to leave your soul an escape path. I don't have to worry about that because I have yet crochet a perfect piece. I remember reading that Navajo weavers weave in a line from the pattern to the edge. It is a "spirit line" which allows the weaver's spirit to leave the finished piece before she starts another. I love the notion that there are spiritual elements to the creation of fabrics.

Oh isn't it nice that Tom Homan has announced 700 ICE agents are leaving Minneapolis. Hey, Tom, what about the other 2300 that are still there? And, yes, I am being very sarcastic.