Welcome to The Moose Pond! The Welcomings posts give the Moose, old and new, a place to visit and share words about the weather, life, the world at large and the small parts of Moosylvania that we each inhabit.
Welcomings will be posted at the start of each week (every Sunday morning). To find the posts, just bookmark this link and Voila! (which is Moose for “I found everyone!!”).
The format is simple: each day, the first moose to arrive on-line will post a comment welcoming the new day and complaining (or bragging!) about their weather. Or mentioning an interesting or thought provoking news item. Or simply checking in.
So … what’s going on in your part of Moosylvania?
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NOTE: The comments page will now split off after 20 or so left margin comments with the most recent comments on the current page. To see the older comments, scroll to the bottom of the page and use the link.
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Good morning, 43, foggy and still very dark in Bellingham. Sometimes the PNW seems out of sync with the rest of the country. I’m trying to decide if it’s time for coffee or if I should just go back to sleep and wake up when it’s finally daylight!
Seems like snoozing is the plan because my eyes keep closing. Best wishes to all.
49 heading for 70 in Fay., AR with 92% humidity. Got 9.4 KWHs yesterday and the m-t-d is 192 – so if we get as good today, we’ll top 200 and the rest of the month we’ll see how close we can get to 300. Mine was the 1st ballot at the Courthouse yesterday and the report took my picture. basket found it and sent it to me and I tweeted it out, just for posterity or something. LOL. Anyway, I’ve posted it below. I need to get out the door to work. Healing Energy to everybody shaped to the need. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
https://twitter.com/bfitzinAR/status/1054539107899228160
I obviously don’t know how to post tweets on Moose. Oh well, the link works.
You have to choose Embed from the pull-down list and then copy the code.
Thank you. ❤ On another topic, I’m getting a warning that Moose is not secure – have been for the last several days – and since I never noticed it before was just wondering if I’m doing something wrong or had I just not noticed it before. Thanks again. ????????????
We do not have an SSL certificate for the site so we are running just as http versus https. Since we don’t do any eCommerce and the only thing “secure” is the password you enter – and we don’t allow random posters – there is little reason to add another layer of security. My browser simply shows the lock with a slash through it on the address bar because I told it at one point that I didn’t care. There should be a way for you to choose to bypass getting the pop-up warning.
Ah. It’s not a pop-up, just a warning on the address bar. I’ve been doing Edge for months hoping to stop the laptop lockups (helped some but not a lot) but I’m back on Chrome at work and I guess I just noticed it. Thanks.
It’s a bright and sunny 72 in Costa Mesa. As you see I’m in the land of the living again. My sinuses didn’t like me yesterday. They were swollen, I could hardly heard and I swear I went through half a box of tissues. At least today I can hear and my sinuses have quit bleeding. Yuck.
Glad you are back and sending more Healing Energy. {{{HUGS}}}
Good morning, meeses! Wednesday …
It is 28 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 52. Sunny skies are in the forecast.
I think that it would be wise for all of us to start blocking out polls – I am not 100% sure what is going on with them but they are distracting to say the least. This morning I find – on the same page – that we are crashing and burning in the Senate races and Jon Tester is up by 9 points. They can’t both be true! We had an uphill battle to get the Senate back and that has not changed but we are looking good for keeping all of our seats except for North Dakota. Early voting has started and votes are being banked all across the country – lines are long, people are excited. We are still in pretty good shape to pick up the House and if it isn’t a wave it doesn’t really matter as long as we get to 218. More importantly, we are going to win some governors races in key states and we are going to increase the number of Democratic seats in state legislatures, both of which will help us break the gerrymanders after the 2020 census. And even more importantly, we have a good chance of energizing the youth vote which will yield big bonuses in 2020. Eyes on the prize, stay the course, avoid the highs and lows – if we vote, we win.
See all y’all later!
I’m ignoring the polls Jan. They have no way to factor in first time young voters. They aren’t going to catch the people who have never voted, or those who are changing the way they vote. Bobby told me about a family member in Florida who is a lifelong Republican – who has already voted – for Gillum. I know this is anecdotal, but if a hardcore, older, Miami Cuban who has always voted Republican, can change – change is in the air.
We just have to keep supporting GOTV efforts.
Wednesday Meese,
43 going up to 51 here in Saugerties NY.
On the caravan:
The Orange sh*tstain is at it again
Good Woden’s Day morning, Moosekind. At 7:15 a.m. it’s still pretty dark but what’s visible of the sky looks clear. The current temp. in Ashburn is 41 F., going up to 55 F.
My lovely mother would have been 98 years old today if she hadn’t died from that wretched cancer. I’ve put her picture on the shelf outside our flat for the day.
Yesterday Younger Son and DIL closed on the wonderful new house they’ve bought. This one has 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, and a large, finished basement as well as the living room, breakfast nook, and family room upstairs. If we have to go live with them because of decimated Social Security and Medicare, there will be plenty of room for us.
M’Daughter, husband, and chihuahua are making their way back to Austin. Apparently Austin is expecting even more rain, this time from Hurricane Willa. We won’t get it until Saturday.
I have to finish my “Vote Forward” letters to recalcitrant voters today. They’re to be mailed October 30. Will try not to pay too much attention to the polls. According to the WaPo, only Rethug voters are excited and voting early, of course.
What a place this is for wildlife! In yesterday’s pre-dawn darkness, Monty and I saw a rabbit scampering down the slope of the courtyard. There’s a rather good-looking toad and a tiny, coily snake living out in the courtyard as well. Yesterday, while tidying the living room I happened to look out the window to the woods and saw two young deer moving through the long, late-afternoon shadows. I like that.
Wishing a good day to all at the Pond.
I love the description of your wildlife! When I am ready to settle in for the “duration”, I would want to have views of nature and the goddess’ creatures. I doubt that my retirement income will allow anything very fancy so I will probably have to make due with critter videos off Twitter. :)
Do not believe WaPo! I saw an opinion writer there suggest that Democrats should not investigate Republicans because they would “come to regret it.” JHC on a pogo stick!! Why do Democrats have to give Republicans a free pass for the “good of the country” but Republicans are allowed to burn our government down to the foundations with impunity?!!?? And Jeff Bezos is sending donations to Republican Senators for 2020 campaigns! Bastid!!!
Now I shall toddle off and accomplish many things – or not.
There’s a 100% chance of rain here today, but at least it’ll be light, they’re not expecting more flash floods. Most of the news is the proper technique for boiling water (at least 3 minutes of rolling boil for it to be safe), clean produce — bleach water then rinse in boiled water, and begging people to take shorter showers & otherwise conserve water. All the silt is very hard on the water plants, we might have to boil our water for 10 days to 2 weeks. When I say there’s a lot of silt, these pictures are what I mean.
Beto O’Rourke will be here today for several voting rallies. I don’t know where the man gets the energy. And someone painted a mural of him in east Austin, pic at the bottom of this diary: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/10/23/1806750/-TX-Sen-Esquire-Ted-Cruz-R-Is-Now-Truly-the-Devil-s-Advocate
Here’s my boys with Patti Smith doing People Have The Power to help us remember that we do.
I checked my e-mail just before the phones here went off night service, and saw there’s another $100 match today, so I threw together a diary at the orange place: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/10/24/1806791/-Another-matching-day-for-AIDS-Walk-Austin?_=2018-10-24T05:50:05.592-07:00
Tweeted & kicked in a bit. Can’t let a match go unmatched. ????❤????????????
Thank you so much!
Good morning meese. 48 with projected high of 74 and still no rain in the forecast. It’s forecast to get up to 80 on Friday. eek.
I’ve not been online much because I’ve been busy at work and with personal things (mostly about other people). Right now I’m getting ready to take my cat Belle to the vet to see if they can figure out what’s going on with her. She’s not eating all her food and is vomiting more often than usual, so an ultrasound will be taken this afternoon to check. She also needs to take Gabapentin before going to try and calm her down, we’ll see how that goes.
Been distracting myself by reading more Agatha Raisin, I think I just finished book 18. When one of the books starts off with the sentence “Agatha Raisin was bored” you know it’s going to be good. I want to give the long-suffering Mrs. Bloxby a hug, and even though I think she would secretly like it but outwardly be annoyed, Agatha too.
{{{basket}}} – so glad to see you – I get a bit concerned when you go radio silent. (OK, I’m a mother duck, right?) Holding the Good Thought and sending Healing Energy to Belle. And you. Next time I’m at the library I’m going to see about Agatha Raisin. I wasn’t impressed by the author’s other series back in the day (I even forget the name of it) but I’ll give her another chance. (Heffens know I’m not fond of several of Mercedes Lackey’s many series and she’s my favorite “dependable” author.) Definitely moar {{{HUGS}}} and Healing Energy.
Basket, so glad you are enjoying Agatha Raisin! You’ll like Hamish MacBeth too. Rhys Bowen’s Royal Spyness mysteries are a tremendously fun read, as is her Evan Evans series. The latter drove me to go to Snowdonia for a vacation, years ago. It lived up to its description!
48 feels like 43 with 100% humidity more or less sunny at the moment. Yesterday got 9.6 KWHs which took us over 200 for the month so far – so from this point on we’ll see how close we can get to 300. Last year we made 275.8 and if we get enough sunshine we can meet or beat (although not by much) that this year. I’m ignoring polls and I’m even more ignoring OMGHOF reactions to polls. I feel good about the election overall, not as good about the AR seats, but we shall see what we shall see. My vote’s banked. I’ll be staffing Dem HQ this weekend and next. And Channeling Healing Energy to our nation and the people in it. Again we shall see what we shall see. Healing Energy to everybody shaped to the need. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
Good morning, Meesefolk; 34 this morning, with a chilly, but sunny, high of 45 expected. I just saw the breaking news that suspected bombs have been addressed to Hillary, President Obama, and now CNN. This makes me so blindingly angry; whether it’s a RWNJ “inspired” by 45* or a LWNJ trying to cast blame on the right, it’s far beyond our supposed norms…and I fully blame 45* for that.
On the lighter side, yesterday I had a very productive day. Inspired by the renovation blog I read over the weekend, I decided to refurbish some of the furniture I am taking down to The Kiddo. She has a bunch of pieces from over the years that she’s gotten for next-to-nothing; some from the home of my best friend’s parents after they passed, and some picked up in antique malls. They’re all very solid and from the 30s and 40s but showing their age. I have long advocated for refinishing to preserve the wood (either professionally or by us), while she has opted to do nothing because “they tell a story.” Through the blog, I found some recommended products that are the middle ground by restoring without complete refinishing. I figured it was worth a try, and it was a resounding success. I did her coffee table last night, which had a lot of wear where folks had rested their feet on the edges…now it’s still a bit worn, but stained to protect the wood. I also did my grandmother’s footstool, which we’ve kept because she did the needlepoint top but had significant wear and nicks on the legs. I used the restore product and then a feed ‘n wax product by the same company. It looks amazing now. Tonight I’m going to do an end table, and over the weekend, I want to tackle a Queen Anne “lady’s desk.” I’m so impressed with this stuff and once I get her furniture done, I’m going to start on my own furniture. It’s so much easier than refinishing and has barely any fumes, so it can be done inside. Even The Hubby, who is generally oblivious to the state of furniture, said, “Wow!” With all the curtains I have to sew, I should probably not be taking on these projects, but the improvement is so impressive that I can’t help myself. And it sure beats watching the news at night…
Good day to and for all!
Wow, please tell us the names of these products and what they do! I have lots of things here that could use some TLC but I dread the thought of refinishing.
You sound as if you’re doing a marvelous job! Good for you, it’s so nice to think of someone lovingly restoring furniture instead of carting it off to the landfill.
Ok, here goes…
First step is to wash the furniture down with TSP (trisodium phosphate). I bought the powder form, and a little goes a long way…per the directions, I dilute 1/4c per 2G water in a plastic bucket. There are alternatives you can use, from borax to baking soda, but TSP aids with adhesion, which is what I want for staining. I do wear gloves when I use it, because better safe than sorry. Absolutely keep it away from metal surfaces; it can create permanent stains on metal.
After washing the furniture, I let it dry (which doesn’t take long, since for the TSP stage, you’re wiping the furniture with a damp cloth, not immersing it in water). After the furniture is dry, I use Howard’s Restor-a-Finish (http://www.howardproducts.com/product/restor-a-finish/). It comes in a variety of stain colors, so you can match it to your furniture. You can either apply it using a soft cloth or, for areas with more wear and/or damage, they recommend using 0000 steel wool. I’ve been using the steel wool. Even with the steel wool, you’re wiping it on not bearing down and trying to sand the furniture. Then you wipe off the excess with a clean cloth.
After about 30 minutes, you can apply Howard’s Feed-N-Wax with a soft cloth(http://www.howardproducts.com/product/feed-n-wax-wood-polish-and-conditioner/). This stuff is really thick, so I rub it into the cloth a bit, and then just go over the whole piece of furniture. I switch to a clean cloth to wipe off the excess. That’s all it takes. Because The Kiddo wants to retain “the story” of the furniture, this does not fix all gouges, etc. But it makes them a part of the story, rather than THE story. I don’t know how to upload photos for comments, or I’d provide some pictures of the table I did last night. (Why I can’t figure out how to upload photos for comments is going to bug me all day. I do it for posts all the time; this shouldn’t be an issue for me. Or maybe it’s not me? That’s what I’m going with unless Jan says otherwise…)
Thank you so much for these instructions, DoReMI, which I am carefully copying into my files. I want to do this one day.
You’re welcome. It’s really remarkably easy, and there’s enough payoff to make it look like you worked really, really hard. ????
Good morning, 50 and partly sunny in Bellingham. I’m wishing for a windy day so the leaves will blow away. They are so dry and dusty this year, making my eyes itch and burn. I think the cold I thought I was afflicting me is just allergies.
Yesterday I opened the totes with the best of my clothing sewing fabric, yards of linen, silk, fine wool, and rayon lining. I was overwhelmed with memories and packed it back away but I know I need to find a new home for all of it. I’m open to suggestions.
Best wishes to all.
Just to clarify (it’s me, not you ;D), are you looking for sewing suggestions or donation suggestions?
Sorry I wasn’t clear. I’ve got lots of sewing plans, but sadly more than I can accomplish now, so the fabric needs a new home. I can donate locally, but I would like it to go to someone who appreciates quality fabric. It was hard for me to part with my years of Threads magazine, and it’s hard to accept that garment sewing, as I was doing, is over too.
I have been donating to Ragfinery so that’s a local option.
I am sorely tempted to throw my name in the hat, despite having a stash that is going to outlive me by decades. But you said my two favorite words: silk and rayon lining (yes, I know that’s three words; work with me!) Alternatively, and certainly more worthy, perhaps there’s a theatre company with a costume designer on staff who would like a chance at some fine fabric?
Perhaps you could send it to DoReMI for costumes?
Another clear and sunny day in Costa Mesa with temperature of 73. On Sunday I did manage to do more canvassing. According to the Mini-Van app I have now canvassed 26% of my precinct.
Hope 73 is a good temp for you – clear and sunny sounds nice (wish mine was ????) – & 26%? W00T!!! Hope there are other folks helping with the other 74% – but your precinct probably hasn’t had this good a coverage in a bunch of election cycles. {{{HUGS}}}
This is the first time the Canyon Dems have tried to do any canvassing. The organization is 10 years old and we’re located in red territory (not bright red like it used to be). It’s just to be canvassing. It’s even odder when someone comes to the door they are doing canvassing for Dems (Republicans have been canvassing here for as long as I’ve lived here. Katie Porter (D) for CA-45 has people out canvassing and I l think either Indivisible or Swing Left is also canvassing here. When I’m canvassing I keep running into Katie Porter flyers left at the door. Sunday the people who answered the door said I was the third person canvassing for Dems/Katie Porter. The Republicans have pulled their advertising on tv. I suspect Mimi Walters campaign polling looks terrible. We’ll see.
That is awe-inspiring, MVgal! You’re making a difference. Wow!
Thursday Meese
39 going up to 48 here in the Catskills.
Feel wrung out watching #MAGAbomber news come in…now Joe Biden…Robert De Niro
Pushing back against Trump – This ad targeting Latino voters is going up on Fox News
What is the translation of trumpadas? Is it trumpers (his supporters or his administration) or Trump himself?
Trump followers – also ““Trumpadas,” a play on the Spanish word “trompada,” which is a slap or punch in the face.”
Joe Biden should take his botoxed face and “both sides do it” bullshit and retire. He is the wrong person with the wrong message for our times.
Good Thor’s Day morning, Moosekind! Enjoyed looking at the shining silver moon last night and in the predawn darkness this morning, when I took the dog out for his “business” meeting. The sky is clear and there’s a golden glow on the horizon, which means a nice day.
Got a long day ahead because I’m going to visit my friend at Greenspring. Always feel drained by these visits because four solid hours of conversation does that to me.
Why does the Moose keep telling me “Bad Request”—the header is too big for the server? Duh. I have to leave the site completely and then come back in from somewhere else.
The temperature here in Ashburn is 33 F., going up to 54 F. H’mm. Autumn is here and the leaves are even beginning to turn.
Jan, not only should Joe Biden sit down and shut up, so should Dana Milbank with his “both sides do it” in this morning’s WaPo. Since when did Democrats ever send bombs to major Rethug pols? H’mm? And when did they ever march carrying tiki torches and screaming “Blood and soil” and “Jews will not replace us”? I hate Rethugs and make no apologies for doing so. They vilify George Soros and somehow neglect to mention the Kochs, that Adelson person in Nevada, and Robert M.—can’t think of his last name—who give so liberally to radical Rethug causes.
Hoping this will be a quiet day at the Pond and that no one gets bombed.
Robert Mercer – funder of Ted Cruz and other nazis.
Joint Statement from Leaders Pelosi and Schumer on President Trump’s Remarks on Suspicious Packages Sent to Democratic leaders, CNN
Good morning, meeses! Thursday …
It is 39 degrees in Madison with and expected daytime high of 52. Our string of sunny days has come to an end and we will have clouds with occasional breaks today and a chance of rain into the evening.
There is not much one can say about the bombs targeting Democratic leadership – not just Democrats but the leaders of our political party. There is no doubt in my mind that it was fueled by the orange vomitsack sitting in the White House and that it is his intent. I dislike when people, especially politicians, declare “we must put a stop to this” because it sounds like just a bunch of words. How’s this: we must go out and vote to take control of some part of government, more states, more House seats – a majority – more Senate seats.
My local newspapers are filled with photos of the vomitous pile of rubbish visiting central Wisconsin and ginning up the rabble there. The outright lies about protections for pre-existing conditions shows that Republicans both know that they grabbed the third rail of politics – taking away people’s health care – and that their only hope is that people will believe their lies and get sucked in again. I think (hope!) Wisconsin is not tricked by this – the ads and newspaper coverage of the issue have been pretty good. People think that Wisconsin voted for Trump in the 2016 election but they really voted for anyone but Hillary because so many had their brain cells berned out. Trump got 46%, more than any other candidate but hardly West Virginia like numbers. This year Hillary Clinton is not on the ballot and the vote should be on the issues not on the personalities. We shall see! Goddess help us if we don’t put up a firewall.
See all y’all later!
This thing with the explosive devices has me feeling like I did back in the spring when we had the bombings here. Glad that no one has been hurt by this round, yet. I worry that a postal worker will be, though.
Still have the boil water notice, but at least there was no flooding yesterday, no rain for the next several, and the city said that while water usage is still too high, it has gone down.
Comfort music this morning: U2’s Ordinary Love.
Thanks, another! My daughter and SIL reached Austin late last night and went for barbecue in the rain. Daughter claims they don’t need to boil water because they live in The Hills, not in Austin proper. How far away from Austin is The Hills?
If they don’t get their water from the city, but from a utility district, they’re ok. City boundaries are squiggly, so they don’t have to be way far out to not have city water. One of my co-workers moved just a few blocks & is in Hays county.
43 feels like 38 and 100% humidity in Fay., AR – also overcast which moved in yesterday midafternoon and looks to be staying til Saturday. Got a bit over 6 KWHs yesterday and the m-t-d is 208. Unless the sun comes out we won’t get that much today. Only 7 more days of production for October. We shall see what we shall see. I’m doing what I can as far as the elections are concerned. I’ve already banked my vote. Just have to keep praying/channeling Healing Energy – and hope. The only way to stop the violent ones is to get the Rs out of office. As long as “law and order” means violence against BIPOC & any Dem this will get worse. When “law and order” means no violence it will get better.
(Called Womack’s office yesterday about Social Security – apparently he’s getting a lot of calls on that. I doubt it will change his votes but at least I’m not a lone voice crying in the wilderness on this issue. I just wish I thought this issue would get folks voting for Josh Mahoney instead. sigh.) Healing Energy to everybody shaped to the need. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
Good morning, 60 and mostly cloudy in Bellingham. Between election nerves and tRump angst I feel out of sorts this morning, so time to find my coffee and a more positive attitude :)
Hope it’s an ok day for all.
Good morning, Meesefolk; a frosty 27 when I got up this morning, with an expected high of 50…but sunny, so it already feels warmer. Or maybe it’s because I dug out a winter sweater for the first time this season.
I’m still maintaining a [mostly] news blackout for the sake of my sanity and my focus. I did have Rachel on while I was restoring a table last night, and she did cover the bomb story at length. Like her, I am reasonably confident that the terrorist will eventually be caught…at least the one who is sending the packages, not the sh*tstain in the WH who is encouraging the acts of terror. And I did DM with my friend from Open Society last night, and he’s more pissed than afraid, so that’s good to hear too.
And for those who love theatre and Lin-Manuel Miranda (not necessarily in that order), there’s this:
Diana, because it’s easier for me, I’m going to update my Sears post from Tuesday with the photos of the table last night. That way you can see if the products I use are still something you want to consider.