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 (usually Saturday night with a Sunday date). 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?
…
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.
…
– Page One of Comments is HERE!
– Page Two of Comments is HERE!
Good morning, meeses! Friday …
It is 19 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 28. Flurries throughout the day but not expected to accumulate.
I was driving yesterday so I heard news at the top of each hour (since November 2016, I listen to classical music – when it is available – while I am driving to avoid as much political news as possible). Someone was saying that they were not shocked that nothing came out of the Hanoi “summit” – no one had done any legwork in advance of the meeting, no parameters had been set, no test agreements discussed. This is what happens when an “I alone can fix it” person reaches a position of power: all the normal ways that diplomacy are done, with months of lower level discussions and planning, is replaced by a guy showing up and shooting from the hip. So tRump’s photo-op was damaging to himself and to our position in the world. If the Republican Party’s plan had been to make us an unreliable pariah country, they could not have picked a better person to elevate. It is difficult to see how we can repair our reputation this time – you could call George W. Bush an outlier but with Trump, international assholery may simply be who we are. :(
By the way, we won’t have to worry about Joe Biden – he is already Bidening, putting comity above everything at a time where there are clear villains and we need someone to go right at them. Mike Pence is NOT a decent fellow, he has NEVER BEEN a decent fellow and anyone who says that is disqualified. I haz spoken.
Today I am celebrating having outlasted Paul Ryan and Alan Simpson – I turn 65 later this month and so Medicare was still available for me!
I have a lot of queued up projects from being gone most of the day and from a new month starting, so I best get to them.
See all y’all later!
So you think Joe is Bidening his time, Jan? Yes, I saw that. No, no, Uncle Joe.
He needs to take up knitting.
Congratulations on turning 65! My birthday is this month too. Glad you can get Medicare now!
Happy Birthday month! My father, 2 sisters, elder son, and youngest grandson all have birthdays this month. It’s a very good month. ???? & multiple congratulations on getting your Medicare despite all the Deplorables who’ve been working so hard to destroy it. We will survive. & thrive. That’s the best revenge. {{{HUGS}}}
Good morning meese. It’s 48 degrees with a high of 60 today. I’ve been sick the last few days since I came back from Seattle (it might have started there actually) so have not been on, although I’m gradually starting to feel better. There’s another storm system on its way although it will hopefully be not as severe as the last one which had quite a bit of flooding. I need to try and feel better enough to get things done this weekend.
Hi, basket! Hope today will begin the process of your feeling better. Weekends are for pleasure.
(P. S. What are you doing up at this hour?)
{{{basket}}} – lots of Healing Energy. I know you’re getting the purr therapy but don’t forget the vitamin C and garlic soup part. Holding the Good Thought for you getting your stuff done and caught up. Then get more rest without “need to do…” stuff pounding on your head. moar {{{HUGS}}} and Healing Energy.
Another cold morning, but it’s supposed to warm up then cool down again. So very glad it’s Friday, this week has lasted a good 10 years. Maybe I’ll get in a workout this weekend. Hozier’s new album is out today. That young man can write some lovely words, and also he can Sing
Pre-Chorus]You don’t have to sing it right
Who could call you wrong?
You put your emptiness to melody
Your awful heart to song
You don’t have to sing it nice, but honey sing it strong
At best, you’ll find a little remedy
At worst, the world will sing along
There’s another song on the new album, Be — this is a link to the lyrics, which I think are just amazing.
Good morning, Moosekind! We’ve a half-hearted snow on the ground this wintry* gray morning in Northern Virginia. The current temperature is 32 F., going up to 37. Heavy rain this afternoon will take care of the snow.
After dinner at the pub down the hall last night we did panic shopping at Trader Joe’s. I had to have daffodils because the daffodil is the symbol of St. David, the patron saint of Wales, and March 1 is his day. So I bought three bunches from the fertile green fields of Ireland and very pretty they look, too. Arlington County schools are closed, which means Mr. Preschooler is home with telecommuting DIL, but Fairfax and Loudoun counties are opening two hours late. Good thing DIL No. 2 is also telecommuting today, so Miss Pink Cheeks will have someone with her until it’s time to get on the bus.
I am thinking of Churchill’s words: “This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” Seems as if it’s subpoena time!
I met a man who’s been to Kashmir! (Well, metaphorically speaking. Met him at Orange.) He has been to Srinagar, so he told me what it smells like—curry. Okay. Curry smells will be incorporated in Chapter 20 forthwith.
Hoping for a lovely quiet day culminating in a haircut this afternoon. Dearly Beloved spent yesterday at the vet’s office with Monty, who has done something to his foot. We just kissed $500 goodbye (waving it out the window). Without insurance it would have been $850.
Wishing a good St. David’s Day/Friday to all at the Pond and Beyond.
*Footnote: Or, as the TV morons would have it, “wintery.” Let not thy blood pressure rise to explosive heights just because some people cannot spell.
It is more likely that they know how to spell in general but that they have no knowledge of the word “wintry”! “Well, look it is winter and snowy and so it is wintery!” How will we survive the complete destruction of knowledge than seems to be enveloping us?
It was exciting to find out that my Medicare started on the first of the month that I turn 65 – I found it oddly satisfying that I am getting covered “early.” I understand why it would have to work that way – policies have to start on the 1st and if it didn’t start until April 1st, that would not be fair.
We wrapped up February with 222.6 KWHs which ain’t bad considering how we started. Not great of course – I got over 300 in February 2016 – but anything over 200 this time of year is just fine. The system is actually on at the moment – almost 1/4 a KW production even – and I haven’t a clue why. It’s not only overcast and slightly below freezing (cats’ water was an icee/slushy this morning) but there’s a coating of snow on the panels. Gift of the goddess I guess. Or god. “Lady Day” – when the load of taking care of things starts shifting from Him to Her – isn’t for several weeks yet. heh.
The Evil Ones are hanging onto power with teeth and toenails right now. And are as dangerous as cornered rats. Rabid cornered rats. But the constitution was written to protest us from such rabid cornered rats and I’m still with Barbara Jordan on this.
We will survive, we will thrive. And we will find constitutional ways to prevent us from getting this close to despotism again. So. I help what candidates for whatever offices who are doing just that to the best of my ability. Knowing I cannot do it by myself – nobody can do it by themselves – but also knowing how very strong we are together.
Worry about my friends, ah, that I’m not so confident. A nation can continue, must continue, even though it loses individuals. Friendship is all about individuals. So I pray/focus/channel/hold Good Thoughts pretty much constantly and send what cash I can to those whose situations can be helped by cash. Which in our income brackets is all of them/us. Fortunately I can pray/channel/focus… while I’m working & doing other stuff because I need to get back to work. After I get more coffee. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
Good morning, 34 and sunny in Bellingham. I’m slow to start my day, thanks to a restless night and a long early morning nap. But one of the benefits of being my age is that it really doesn’t matter :) So what if I’m “late” arriving at my sewing room!
Time for coffee and a quick news scan. Best wishes to all.
Good afternoon, Meesefolk; 9 when I got up this morning with a high of 34. It’s already warmer than that at the Kiddo’s, so I should be able to enjoy the warmth while I’m visiting. Except for Sunday…they’re expecting a bit of snow, so I’ll probably hit the road by early afternoon to avoid the road mess there. Even though she’s in central OH, the road commissions act like they’re southerners who aren’t accustomed to snow; they rarely send out plows until after the snow has stopped.
I had a great time with my friend at dinner last night. We drank (sensibly), we ate (less sensibly), and we re-envisioned the world in a likeness that made sense to us…which is why having a network of women friends is so important and so powerful. She may even have managed to persuade me to make an appointment to talk to our pastor as part of my decision-making about what to do next re the church. He’s newly-appointed, and I find it difficult, if not impossible, to get a clear read on his theology/politics; so far (because he’s new), he’s treading carefully so as not to offend anyone (typical for a new appointment). My friend is on the leadership committee at church, and she has no more clue than I do, although she does have the sense that he’s “disappointed” about the GC. I suppose in the interests of fairness and listening, I should have a talk with him, but I need to think about it some more. My issues with the church aren’t solely about the LGBTQI inequality; there’s also the tiny matter of my beliefs, which are basically heretical (at least as far as conservative believers are concerned). I need to give some more thought as to whether it’s even worth the ongoing effort to fit my square-peg-self into a round-hole-church.
Good day to and for all!
P.S. Jan, before I forget…I will not be posting on Tuesday next week. My workload for the next few days is pretty overwhelming, so I’m going to post on Thursday, the 7th, instead.
Thanks for the heads up, I would have wondered if you were okay!
I very much appreciate reading your posts here, btw, thank you for sharing.
Saturday Meese. 32 degrees here in the Hudson Valley of NY with light snow – going up to 38.
Going to put up a quick diary about this over at DKos around 7:30 AM EST:
Urgent! Contact your Senators. 1.4 million Puerto Ricans losing food assistance #TakeAction4PR
Good morning, meeses! Saturday …
It is 21 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 27. We appear to have gotten a dusting of snow overnight. Mostly sunny skies this morning with more clouds this afternoon but dry. It will be bitterly cold the rest of the weekend but I can deal with that – I just need a break from the hazardous driving.
I had to review the news stories from yesterday because I remember reacting to them in real time but the details had already faded. Mostly the garbage coming out of CPAC that was not worthy of an ounce of additional brainpower and – JHC!! – he is still at it: Bernie Sanders claiming that Hillary Clinton lost the working class vote. No. She. Did. Not. She only lost the working class vote if you erase all people of color – something that we will simply not let you do, ever. I hope that people realize soon that they are throwing their money down a rathole when they donate to him and find another candidate to support.
The Fighting Back post will feature Elijah Cummings because I was able to find a transcript and a good video (one without any Republican-electeds faces). It was the Senate Democrats turn to do the Weekly Democratic Party address and they no longer publish them on their YouTube channel and their web site only has press releases by Chuck Useless Schumer. I am going to stop looking for their speeches and start making the posts about what is going on in the House and with Democratic Party candidates for president in 2020, but only my favorites because I am that way.
See all y’all later!
Good gray Saturday morning, Moosekind! Last night’s heavy rain made short work of the half-hearted snow of yesterday: barely a trace remains. The sky is gray this March morning, so I’ll have to look at the daffodils on our breakfast bar to cheer me up. Currently the temperature in Ashburn is 32 F., going up to 48 F. later.
Going to get a mammogram this morning, which is not a fun thing to do, but (shrug), gotta do it. Our neighbor across the hall was diagnosed with breast cancer so she’s adamant that every woman needs to get one. She’s gone through the whole unpleasant course of treatment.
Also hoping to finish Chapter 20 (have to get my characters out of that smelly jail in Srinagar) and start on the income taxes. Fun day, eh?
Wishing a nice quiet day to all at the Pond and beyond.
Post up
Got it!
I boosted it & the tweets in it – also used ec’s link for the free fax-by-email to send messages to my bloody Senators. Since they claim to be Xtians, I just said “Jesus told you to feed the hungry” & to vote for refunding NAP. I wish it would do some good. sigh. {{{HUGS}}}
Another cold morning — this cold & gloomy weather is really weird. This is Texas, fer cryin’ out loud. Watching the news & making a grocery list. And once again, maybe I can persuade myself to take a walk today.
It’s 32 and overcast in Fayetteville, AR although at least no wind at the moment. We’re supposed to go up to 41 today. Which will not only be the high for today but the high until next Thursday. We got 3.78 KWHs yesterday, not a great way to start the month, and I’ll be surprised if we get that much today. Early days yet. Our highest for March was 421 KWHs in 2016 so that’s the goal but anything over 350 is good. And otherwise not. We did manage to start banking hours in time for my March statement which actually shows up a few days before the end of February – only the maintenance fee for being hooked up to the grid which is good. The friendliest of the little black kittehs spent last night inside with no problem. His littermate joined him inside for breakfast then wanted out again. I really can’t tell those two apart – both solid black cats with one ear clipped – except by behavior. Friendly one decided out was good about an hour ago and is sitting with the other two on the back step watching the birds. We shall see what happens tonight. I wish I could get all three of them in tomorrow night and Monday night, if no other time, because the temps will be single digits and it’s supposed to snow.
Looks like Aji may be having surgery next week. Not positive, just taking it from her last tweet last night. It’s a 4-hour drive each way – UNM medical center/teaching hospital is where it was planned. She/we were hoping since it is a teaching hospital they’d do the surgery/treatment first and work out a payment plan later. (& even have a reduced cost program Aji qualifies for.) Again, whatever Faith Tradition you hold, getting Aji some help is greatly appreciated. Considering her age and how long this went unDx’d and untreated the prog isn’t great but life and hope go together so…
I need coffee and to check the Dem Fighting Back and Dee’s posts. Healing Energy to everybody everywhere – and maybe some sunshine to make everybody feel better. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}