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?
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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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– Page One of Comments is HERE!
– Page Two of Comments is HERE!
Good morning, Meesefolk; 27 now with a brilliant sunny high of 46. Rain moves in tomorrow and then the clouds persist until Saturday, so the pattern of mostly cloudy continues.
I’m starting to feel a tiny bit better, although the sense that I’ve been pummeled with a barrage of beanbags persists. I’m going to try some toast and applesauce today, because at this point, I think some of my feeling poorly is hunger. I’m still keeping a Vernors clutched in one hand, and although I risk getting tossed out of the True Blue Michigander club for saying this, I’ll be happy when I feel like I can do without it.
I spent part of yesterday trying to get caught up on and understand the Brexit news; I’m still more confused than not. This seems significant though:
It’s 44-feels-like-40 right now and the sun came up gloriously this morning. We’ll see how long that lasts. Yesterday we generated 19.3 and the m-t-d is 208. Definitely on track for over 300 and sneaking up on last month’s 222. Sneaky kitty Twins slipped out this morning as I was dealing with birdseed and food for the skittish outdoor only cat. Once they’re out, they’re out until they decide they want to come in. Sigh. Oh well, it’s supposed to be a nice day so they should be OK. I need to get collars or something for them though since they’re inside/outside – they need to be wearing their rabies tags.
Aji’s preliminary consult to, among other things, schedule the (first and hopefully only necessary) surgery is tomorrow. Pain, bill collectors, and anxiety make a stress cocktail nobody should ever have to drink but it’s her daily tipple right now. Please continue whatever your Tradition says to do for her.
Compared to Aji, I got nothin’ – but not compared to Aji the spasms in my low back are rather painful. I should have lit the fire last night anyway even if I’d had to open all the doors and windows to do it. Something always spasms if I’m not thoroughly warm when I go to bed. This time it’s my low back. Grump, grump. Caffeine alone isn’t killing it so I’ll grab the Ibuprofen bottle with my next cup of coffee. Oh well. This too is Life. Hope everybody is getting better. Sometimes good is out of reach, but better is always possible. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
Sending good, healing thoughts your way
ty & {{{HUGS}}}
Bfitz, wish you had some CBD cream for your back. It seems to help my husband’s back.
It might be available around here. I haven’t checked. But I really don’t need it that often. As long as I stay warm enough my muscles don’t start cramping or spasming I’m usually fine. Dark – thus the temperature drops – comes an hour later now. (I hate daylight savings time!) That’s the main problem – if I have the fire, I’m warm enough.
Another night of too many wake-ups, so I called in sick to work. Best sleep was between 5am alarm (well, 4:30 un-setting of that) and the 7:45 re-set alarm. Going to get some stuff done today, really I am. Maybe if I get in a good, hard workout, I’ll sleep tonight. Love this Snow Patrol song.
{{{ad}}} – nap, workout, nap? You’ve been dealing with this for so very long I know you’ve tried just about everything – definitely every “easy/trendy/fad” remedy you keep having suggested to you – so all I can really do is send Healing Energy and hope that if there is a remedy out there you’ll come across it soon. moar {{{HUGS}}}
Good morning, 41 and sunny in Bellingham. I’m slow to wake up lately…..must still be adjusting to the time change. Thankfully my concern re coumadin levels was just a worry, because I tested right on target. Adding Aleve to my daily meds has made managing everything that goes along with taking blood thinners more of a challenge. So it’s good to be tested and it’s good to pay attention!
I finished sewing the table cloth project for our daughter yesterday, and the floral print banded with a solid green really appeals to me so I may make a set for me too.
Best wishes to all.
53 with a high of 72 in Fol., CA. My roommate came back from the ER yesterday with more resources for getting home health aides and physical therapists to evaluate her living situation and work with her. She doesn’t want to go back to board and care and I don’t blame her. But that means she has to follow up with calling them and doing the paperwork (another friend and I can help with some of the logistics).
Here’s hoping she can get the help she needs. All of this stress and extra care duty has been hard on you, basket. Please take care for yourself, too.
Holding you both in my heart. Sending Healing Energy to each of you. {{{HUGS}}}
Wednesday Meese. 27 degrees here in NYS going up to a spring-like 55.
Got up and made coffee – and mentioned cyclone Idai to my husband – he had no idea what I was talking about. Brought him up to speed – then turned on NPR – they did finally lead with the story. No mention of that creep in the WH – I guess he won’t be doing anything for a “sh*thole” unless pushed
Puerto Rico
When I was scanning the news earlier in the week, I saw the leader of Mozambique talking about needing help to recover from Cyclone Idai and I did not know if it was a recent event or something from months ago, that is how little attention it got when it occurred. The curated news that the mainstream media chooses for us seems to very often ignore poor countries and countries populated mainly by people of color, places that Republicans consider “shithole countries.” :(
At work, dunno if I’ll stay all day. Didn’t sleep super well last night either — and I’m sore from the workout. Snapped awake at 3-something but I got back to sleep, but adrenaline in the 3 o’clock hour is unpleasant. Anyway, I did get in a workout yesterday, won’t today because Democratic club meeting tonight. Using the happy, energetic Heal Me to keep me going this morning.
Good morning, meeses! Wednesday … Spring is springing in, Blessed Ostara to all!
It is 36 degrees in Madison and will be 46 and rainy when I return there later this afternoon.
The Spring Equinox will occur later today and since the dates and times of the Wiccan holidays are general guidelines (except for Samhain), I will publish my celebratory post tomorrow morning. This keyboard and remote connection are too hinky for anything but basic commenting.
The news suggests that Muellermas is upon us. Rosenstein will delay his departure, Mueller’s team is “busy.” I am hoping for an indictment of DonJr, a presidential pardon of a family member – which should be illegal, and will be made illegal after this mess is over – and all hell to break loose. Maybe Republicans can get as worked about about the destruction of the rule of law as they are about Trump dissing their pal McCain.
See all y’all later!
It’s 46 and raining – system’s not on but we got 19.6 KWHs yesterday and the m-t-d is 227.8 so that’s good. About to head out the door – need to take my friend to work so I can have the car, then bank, co-op, and doctor appointment. That just got set yesterday afternoon. Annual physical 2 months late. I’m fasting for the blood draw so have a headache. sigh.
Aji & Wings may even be on the road already – today’s the preliminary consult and everything will go from there. She couldn’t sleep last night – no surprise – and all of her usual stuff is posted. I’ll boost it later this morning when I get back from running around (and read the Moose checkins & boost Dee’s tweets) as my friend will be here any minute. Healing & Whatever’s Needed Energy to Aji by whatever means & methods your Tradition says.
Be back later. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
Good morning meese, 51 with high of 59. I didn’t get a lot of sleep but I am going to try going to work early so I can pick up my roommate’s meds before she needs them. I didn’t leave work until 9 last night and would like to try and get home earlier tonight.
Good morning, 44 and sunny in Bellingham. My life has been purposefully quiet lately, and while that’s good for me I fear I’m becoming very boring. Easy sewing, some garden time, music, naps, solitaire, and keeping family connections connecting is a days work for me! I’ll mix it up today with doing a bare minimum of desk work :)
Best wishes to all.
Boring is good. Boring is excellent in fact. As long as you aren’t bored, keep on with the boring. {{{HUGS}}}
Back online for a bit while I get some food and coffee into me to get rid of this fasting headache and nausea. The nice young man who was doing my “intake” also tried to draw blood. He didn’t manage it. Quite painfully didn’t manage it. The young woman who did manage it I will try to remember to ask for the next time this comes up, probably next March unless they find something in the blood panels when they run them. I’ve got more errands to run today but I’m hoping it will stop raining. (So are the kitty Twins – they want to go outside.) And I’m planning takeout for either lunch or dinner. I doubt that a barbeque plate dinner is exactly what is supposed to celebrate Ostara but I’m planning on doing that anyway. LOL. Between now and then I’ll boost some signals and bake some cookies. I’m ruminating over a cheese-corn muffin recipe as well. Sounds good but right now most stuff sounds good. Anyway, hope everyone is having a pleasant Ostara however (or even if) they celebrate it. It’s also No. 2 son’s No. 1 son’s 10th birthday so celebrations all around. More {{{HUGS}}} to everybody.
Good afternoon, Meesefolk; 28 this morning and heading to an almost-balmy 46 today. Meh, but it’s March, so meh is pretty much the definition of the month.
I’m back at work today. I still feel a bit rough around the edges, but that’s a vast improvement, and once I’m able to eat fully again I’m sure to feel better. At this point, I really do think that 1/2 of my lethargy is due to hunger. I’m also grumpy as can be, but that’s because I cruised around the intertubes more than usual last night and this morning. Between the GOS and Twitter, I’m heartily sick of hearing about the DNC rigging 2016; Hillary as Janus because money/Wall Street; and St. Bernard the Flawless. Do any of these folks realize that a) it’s not 2016 anymore, or b) that they’re repeating consistently debunked BS? Like I said…grumpy.
On the other hand, last night I started reading Pete Buttigieg’s book, Shortest Way Home: One Mayor’s Challenge and a Model for America’s Future. It’s billed as part autobiography and part primer for Rust Belt renewal, and so far I’m enjoying it even more than I anticipated. Discovering his original family home in South Bend was less than three miles from my great-grandparents’ home (which is still owned by a family member) makes his memories of growing up in South Bend even more relatable. I’ll also be reading Sen. Harris’s book, The Truths We Hold: An American Journey after Mayor Pete’s book. If I decide to go for the trifecta, Julian Castro wrote a book too: An Unlikely Journey: Waking Up from My American Dream. I’m beginning to think the key to knowing who plans to run for president, even when they’re being a bit coy, is to see who has recently published a book that is semi-autobiographical mixed with policy prescriptions. It also looks like these will be serving as my lighter reading for the foreseeable future instead of mysteries; I need lighter reading to balance the other stuff I’m reading, but with a limited number of hours each night, the policy-bios will have to do.
Good day to and for all!
Limiting Twitter and limiting GOS even more are good plans for tummy health. I’ll try and track down the candidate books – especially Kamala Harris’ since she’s already the top of my top 5. I’d kinda gotten out of the habit of reading those. I was reading Hillary’s because they were Hillary’s not because they were candidate books. sigh. Not exactly light reading but lighter – and hopeful. Policy books are hopeful practically by definition. {{{HUGS}}}
I have Kamala Harris’ book and took it on my trip but did not start it. I was a little nervous about buying it, hoping I would not jinx her. I purchased Al Franken’s “Giant of the Senate” (because his books are very funny) and a month later, he was gone! Purchasing Kamala’s book, I wanted to know more about her and show my support – it is kind of like a pre-vote. :)
I am glad to hear you are feeling some better!
Good afternoon, Meese! Couldn’t check in this morning because I had to be on the road early for a dentist appointment in the old neighborhood. The hygienist was ecstatic because she said this time there wasn’t as much stain to clean away. Perhaps the reduced caffein intake has something to do with that.
Tomorrow I’ll visit my friend at Greenspring. I’m not looking forward to driving through heavy rain, but she’s counting on seeing me, so I must go.
Happy Ostara! We have skies of a warm grey color here, with a current temp. of 52 F., going up to 54 F. Tonight is a full moon, called “The Worm Moon.” I’m sure I won’t get to see it as our skies are overcast. Spring arrives at 5:58 p.m. EDT.
Going to have a rest now, then perhaps go for a walk. Hope everyone is having a good day!
Good morning, meeses! Thursday …
It is 36 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 50. Sunny skies are in the forecast. Last night was cloudy and the full moon was not visible but we should be able to see the full-ish moon tonight.
I was glad to see that Andrew Gillum is going to work on voter registration and voting protections in his home state of Florida.
I hope that someone there starts a fund to help pay fines and restitution for the millions of ex-felons re-enfranchised by 64% of the voters who the state now wants to restrict from full rights, essentially requiring them to pay a poll tax. This year appears to be the year of “the will of the voters be damned” with the Republican Party’s undemocratic responses to losses in Wisconsin, Michigan, Utah, and now Florida. Elections having consequences is apparently only if the Republicans win.
Early voting is already underway here in Wisconsin for our Spring Election. A Supreme Court seat is the only statewide race and it is to replace a more liberal member of the court, long-time Justice Shirley Abrahamson who is retiring. We have a very good candidate and the Republicans are running Scott Walker’s personal attorney, a rabid anti-LGBT christianist, and one of the guys who helped write Act 10, the law that stripped teachers unions of their power back in 2011. Election day is April 2nd and we hope that people get out and vote; if we hold this seat, we have a chance to flip the court liberal next year when one of the mouth-breathers appointed by Walker is up for re-election – if we lose, it guarantees a Republican majority for at least two more years. When new district maps are drawn in 2021, it would be nice to have the top court in the state on the side of fairness. City of Madison is electing a mayor so that should bring the liberals to the polls – across the state there will be school board elections, aldermanic races and other “non-partisan” elections.
See all y’all later!
Thursday Meese. 38 degrees here with rain – going up to 44.
ARGH!
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Hickenlooper is a flaming seven-letter word that begins with “a.”
Club meeting last night was good. Several people said they’d donate to my Ride page. My church is going to go be supportive outside the mosque in our neighborhood tomorrow, so I asked for the afternoon off. We’re just going to stand outside & have supportive signs & such. Checking bus routes & such, as mid-day traffic, even on a spring break Friday, seems something best avoided.
I love this song from young Mr. Byrne so much.
You don’t have to sing it right
Who could call you wrong?
You put your emptiness to melody
Your awful heart to song [I think they got this wrong, that he means awe-full]
You don’t have to sing it nice, but honey sing it strong
At best, you find a little remedy, at worst the world will sing along
A little insight into Kamala’s family.
Good morning, Mooseking! Slept so long (it was lovely, BTW) that I’m going to be later than I want to, taking off through the heavy rain. It’s a real Thor’s Day but without the thunder. Currently the temperature in Ashburn is 40 F., going up to 48 F., so winter clothes will be in order for this first full day of spring.
Read a dismaying article in this morning’s WaPo, to wit:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/beto-biden-and-bernie-the-b-boys-and-the-medias-dangerous-self-fulfilling-prophecy/2019/03/19/39411dd6-4a57-11e9-93d0-64dbcf38ba41_story.html?utm_term=.449df0972607
It’s all about how the media simply lahve the B-Boys. This crap convinces me to start donating monthly to Kamala’s campaign. It may not be much, but since I receive requests every day for money from 1,000 organizations, it’ll do for now.
Will visit my friend in Greenspring today. Tonight I’ll continue working on the book, incorporating suggestions from my first (and so far only) beta reader’s report. I must poll everyone on the question of what “going viral” means. I thought it meant everyone was sending the same tweet or video or whatever to everyone else.
Off to get ready. Wishing a good day to all!
B-Boys is good shorthand for these three: Beto, Biden and Bernie. It was obvious from 2016 that the media does not like women – those of us who thought it was just Hillary Clinton and her particular 1990’s baggage found out in 2017 just how hard the (later exposed) serial sex abusers in the media like Matt Lauer and Mark Halperin were pushing back against the entire notion of a woman in power. I know that Bernie is happy to benefit from it, Beto probably doesn’t want to and Biden is still a cypher. A tweet I read yesterday said that Biden is going to need to address every one of his past positions and how he has changed (or not changed!) before he is an acceptable candidate. His love for banksters, his treatment of Anita Hill, his racist rantings about bussing and keeping Delaware schools lily white, his embrace of anti-LGBT bigots like Mike Pence, his embarrassing kumbayism in the face of the destruction of every norm in the Senate that will end up with the overturning of Roe v Wade, his on again off again support for abortion rights based on his inability to put aside his personal religious convictions. There is a basket of deplorable conduct that needs to be dealt with. He may very well turn out to be the best way to beat tRump but as long as he is not the only way to beat Trump, he is going to have an uphill battle to win over big chunks of the electorate.
It’s 40 and sunny in Fayetteville, AR on this Ostara, first full day beyond the equinox. We’re heading for 60 which is nice on a sunny day as long as the wind is down (or light and from the south). Yesterday was cloudy/rainy until almost right at the equinox point so only 6.9 KWHs and the m-t-d is 235. Today should be back up in the double digits unless…(there’s always an “unless” isn’t there).
Aji had her preliminary consultation yesterday. She hasn’t said anything online about it but I’m hoping her Patreon post last night is indicative. In it she comments about the gift of departing in the dark of winter and returning in the light of spring. So prayers and hope and…Ostara Bless. There’s a long road to travel for her. At least one surgery, probably radiation, maybe chemo as well even in the best case. But she’s finally on the road and not shunted off to a siding just sitting as things get worse.
Kitty Twins slipped out when I was taking food out to the outdoor guy. Little twerps. Since I’ll be at work all day, they’ll be outside all day. I’ve talked to the vet tech, she said yes, collars so they can wear their rabies tags – but be sure they’re cat collars. These days cat collars are made to breakaway so the poor babies don’t get trapped & strangled. She also said Frontline is the same formula for dogs and cats so getting a dog-sized vial then using a (no-needle) syringe to give cat-sized doses to the clowder would work just fine and keep my costs down. (As for people twins, my youngest sisters are 60 today. & the youngest called last night. So I’m operating on very short sleep. LOL.)
Anyway, Blessed Ostara to everybody who celebrates it – and Blessed Whatever You Celebrate to those who don’t. It’s out of the womb time. Still a long way before big enough, to not depend on Elders to survive, but getting there. Breathing on our own now. Running our own digestion now. Mobile on our own, no longer carried will-we/nil-we. Energy. Hope. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}