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 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 (right before “Leave A Reply”) and use the Pages Tool to view previous pages, shown here with 3 pages of comments available and Page 2 circled.
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Good Wednesday morning, Moosekind! It’s 48 F. in Ashburn, going up to 53 F., and has stopped raining for the minute. It’s supposed to begin again at noon, heavily. The rain began yesterday afternoon, while I was blearily preparing the roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, and so forth, for dinner.
I am a bit under the weather today because of a slight illness it is better not to describe, so I’m staying in to enjoy the rain. Canceled my plans for the day. I’ll be all right after the appropriate meds and a good long rest this afternoon.
Was trying to tidy the living room a bit, picked up one of the books that’s making it untidy, a battered copy of Reading Lolita in Tehran. My late mother liked the book very much. Her taste and mine did not always coincide. One of the joys of old age is that I no longer feel compelled to finish reading books I don’t like. Anyway, I like Kindle books because I can read them while on the treadmill.
Time to take some more meds and get on with things. Wishing a good day to all at the Pond. Today is my friend Brenda’s 90th birthday!
It’s 33 going to 37 and while it was gloriously sunny when I woke up (late after a rough night) it’s already cloudy again. Yesterday we generated 5.36 KWHs and the m-t-d is 123.7 – we’ll be lucky to reach 130 today. But I’m hoping anyway.
Yesterday afternoon I was very pleasantly surprised by my eldest grandson coming by and bringing me a belated Christmas dinner. Along with the baked sweet potato and green bean (and pecan pie), there was a pound of ham on that platter! So I gave him the stuff they’d left at my house on the 17th and a big hug (yes, we were both masked), put away 3/4’s of the ham – and ate the entire rest of the dinner, including that rather large pie of pie. LOL.
OK, I am very late getting started so I’d best get to it. Holding the Good Thoughts for everybody. {{{Meeses}}}
Good morning, meeses! Wednesday …
It is 50 degrees now, was 37 when I got up and will be 59 later today. Sunny skies.
I spent the morning on must-get-done-before-EOY projects and I am still not done. Making progress though!
See all y’all later!
Good morning, 48 and cloudy outside my windows today. I think/hope I’m finally emerging from my Christmas collapse. Hope the feeling of energy lasts awhile because I’ve for a pong list of must do’s! I go to the lab this morning, then home for desk and laundry chores, then I’ll put some more Christmas stuff away. The dishes and glassware seem to have multiplied this year, so that’s the main task for today. Best wishes to all.
Thursday Meese. 45 and cloudy here in Kingston going up to 47 with rain.Caribbean Matters day for me at DKos – posting a little early (8AM) since I leave home to go to treatment at 9:30.
Glad to see POTUS Joe respond to Nikki Haley:
Puerto Rico
My topic for today’s Caribbean Matters:
Good morning. In the office, oh it was really hard to get up and out. Did my mile, tried to increase my running but I think my longest was still under a minute. So I guess my next goal will be a mile by 60.5 which is June 11. Anyway, eating breakfast & consuming caffeine. Hope today isn’t too crazy.
Posted:
Good morning, meeses! Thursday …
It is 41 degrees in Tucson with an expected daytime high of 61. Mostly sunny skies are in the forecast. This morning I saw the Morning Star appearing to rest on the tip of a mountain peak and had to look at it again as my morning brain at first thought someone had put a signal tower there. The still pretty full (97.5% illumination) moon is beaming into my office from the western sky.
I am having serious tRump fatique. If it had just been him and his various criminal indictments it would be one thing but the thought of seeing his ugly face and reading his ugly words for another year as he vies for the presidency is simply depressing. I am going to limit my news intake to a quick scan of the headlines. I fervently hope that SCOTUS does not grant immunity to presidents for anything they did while they were in office, even planning a bloody coup. It would make a mockery of our Constitution and our Declaration of Independence to install a president as a virtual monarch, not subject to any rules for actions taken before, during and after a presidency. Goddess help us. I feel like 2024 is going to be a real test of our democracy.
I have one accounting project and two promised projects. I did not win the Powerball lottery so I need to get back to work.
See all y’all later!
It’s 32 heading for 38. We may or may not, probably not, get snow this afternoon but it’s definitely cloudy. Lights on, we’ll be lucky to get a whole kilowatt hour today, cloudy. Yesterday we generated 2.9 KWHs and we’re at 126.44 for the m-t-d with 4 production days left.
My sister called yesterday. Her family has been down with flu – which she’s avoided by religiously masking – and she got a real scare yesterday morning. Her husband was feeling better, got up and came into the kitchen for something, and collapsed. She couldn’t hold him, of course, but she managed to ‘ease him down’ so he didn’t hit anything hard. She was afraid it was stroke. Called 9-1-1 and got him to hospital where he was supposed to stay overnight but thankfully not stroke. “Just” dehydrated. That’s all my family’s excitement. That I know of. And I usually know because that’s about the only times my siblings contact me. LOL.
Sinusitis isn’t good but it’s better. Hands are about the same. Off to start my boosting day. Holding the Good Thoughts for everybody. {{{Meeses}}}
Good morning, 55 and cloudy outside my windows today. I didn’t get as much done as I hoped to yesterday, but oh well. I see a med specialist later today re a knee brace, but I can’t remember where to go or what time to be there so I hope I can find the piece of pater I scribbled the info on. I think it’s in my sewing room so time for coffee and then a search.
Whew……Elsa was just here and now I’m thoroughly dogged! She has so much energy, but she makes me laugh and that’s good. Best wishes to all.
Friday Meese. 44 here in Kingston, going up to 48 with rain.
Glad to see the backlash against Nikki Haley and her slavery denialism. Tired of her being painted as a Republican moderate.
She angers me because of her family history – she doesn’t talk about the HBCU that gave her dad a job.
Puerto Rico
That is so outrageous and disgusting that so many women in P.R. were sterilized! They tried out the pill and Depo-Provera on the women of P.R. as well. I suppose the white male medical establishment considered Puerto Rican women just human enough to conduct experiments on to prove the safety of birth control pills and shots. That’s colonialism at its worst.
They tried to bring the program to NYC – to use on PR women there. We, in the Young Lords Party – fought back to prevent it.
GOOD! Sis, y’all did good work.
Nikki Haley is the poster child for clueless Republicans who support a party that despises them and their families. Woman. Check. Woman of color. Check. Immigrant family. Check. The only thing they like about her is her willingness to be used as the face of “inclusiveness” for TV ads. It is no shock that she describes the Civil War as a just cause because it was an uprising against “government regulation” (ie emancipation of the slaves) and intrusion into the commerce of the South (ie free labor). It is no different from DeSantis saying that slavery was great because it taught Black people skills that were useful to them after they were freed. Or any number of Plantation Museums in the South that described how slave masters took such great care of their slaves and that the slaves loved them. Any political party that will attempt to use the horror of slavery as a policy paper for smaller government and no regulations should be burned to the ground and the earth salted where its ashes lie.
Good morning. Another 3-layer morning — 35 degrees, brr! Did my mile, it wasn’t pleasant but I did it. I hope people are too busy with holiday preparations to think about us. I have a nice big mug of tea but I’m still sleepy.
Good Friday morning, Moosekind! It’s 46 F. in Ashburn already, going up to 55 F. Yesterday it was 62 F. This hardly seems like winter! As if to make it up to me, for all the times I haven’t seen Her, the Moon was visible last night from the screened porch—very silvery and shining—and She even hung around this morning while day was dawning! That was a thrill.
It’s a beautiful day here, with the awakening sun shining on the brown pools in the grey woods, which are now looking touched with gold against the pale blue winter sky.
But enough of this meteorological chitchat. Yesterday I had to rush off because DIL and Nora were to meet me at the nail salon. Miss Nora had seen a photo of a French manicure on Tik-Tok and wanted one just like it. After MUCH confusion, both among us three and after we arrived at the salon, everything was accomplished. DiL disappeared to the opposite end of the shopping center to pick up some groceries, while Nora and I had our nails done by Mr. Tony, who, it must be admitted, did a fantastic job. Between my last visit there three weeks ago and yesterday, they had completely rearranged the interior of their salon, there by eliminating the waiting area, which had contained three chairs, a small table with a floral arrangement and bottles of water, plus magazines. I suppose they did it to save money. BIG mistake.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I have not been feeling at al well. This is so unusual for me that it must be a plot by the Trumpanzees. I have masked assiduously, so I don’t think it’s Covid. The Big D (I took stuff to stop that), backaches, headaches, normal temperature, and now slight queasiness. Don’t feel like eating much. Fatigue is part of it ,and anything I eat tastes weird. The chores are piling up even as I write.
BlogGoddess Jan has spoken:
If it had just been him and his various criminal indictments it would be one thing but the thought of seeing his ugly face and reading his ugly words for another year as he vies for the presidency is simply depressing. I am going to limit my news intake to a quick scan of the headlines.
Heard, understood, and heartily agreed with. (OMG, ended with a preposition!)
Well, I didn’t have a good night, so I think I’ll have a rest before I begin my chores. I did get some laundry done throughout my illness.
Wishing a good day to all at the Pond.
From what I understand, the new COVID symptoms are different from the old COVID symptoms – less coughing and more just feeling icky. Did you test? I have been hearing about an increase in COVID all around the country and that our masking is not enough, we have to start staying away from places where there are likely to be unmasked sick people spreading their germs. A friend of my daughter’s just took a plane trip and was double-masked and still ended up with COVID.
Hope you feel better soon Lady D. Speedy healing wishes sent your way
Thank you, ladies! I do feel better this Saturday morning.
It’s 32 heading for 40 and cloudy. We may or may not get sun later today. Yesterday we generated .668 KWHs and the m-t-d at 127.11 is so far off track that it is not possible to reach the 150 necessary to get out of last place for December production. sigh.
Talked to Fineena last night. Can’t say she’s doing better because she’s not but she has managed to reset the heart ultrasound and doctor appointments. So that part’s good. Everybody else is trucking along, as far as I know. Short on sleep. Sinusitis flare just won’t go away. Maybe this stretch of below-freezing overnights will calm it down. I hope. Meanwhile, off to start my boosting day. {{{Meeses}}}
Good morning, meeses! Friday that feels like a Saturday …
It is 39 degrees in Tucson with an expected daytime high of 62. Sunny skies this morning with a scattering of clouds in the late afternoon.
The crazy and unsanitary congresswoman from CO-3 will run from CO-4 because she is going to lose in CO-3. It is quite likely that she will lose bigly in he CO-4 primary because there are many Republicans in that blood red district who will not want to be represented by her. Good riddance.
Most of my clients are off work today and will also be off work on Tuesday, January 2nd. That gives me a 5-day weekend to get caught up on promised end of year projects (including my own end of year accounting) and get a head start on 2024 projects. My 2024 New Year’s resolution will be to not overpromise on projects; I need to start giving clients reality-based deadlines and be willing to say “I am not sure that I will have time for that project until next month.” After 40 years of working to drum up business and frantically trying to pay bills when times were lean, I still have a difficult time turning down work. I now have a pretty good idea about expenses here and what kind of income I will need to maintain the kind of lifestyle I want and I need to start tapering back and turning “semi-retired” into “mostly-retired”.
See all y’all later!
Saturday Meese. 41 going up to 44 and cloudy here in Kingston NY.
Spent quite a bit of time working on Black Music Sunday for this week – which posts tomorrow on New Year’s Eve. A memorial to Black musicians or some who are not Black but played in Black genres, who joined the ancestors in 2023 – the list was so long that the diary is now divided in 2 parts – and there are 20 more musicians I have to cover in comments. May they all rest in peace. Very grateful for the gift of music they gave us.
Puerto Rico
“Grim reality: 2023 closes with 72 femicides In case you missed it: Since 2019, the total number of annual femicides in Puerto Rico has fluctuated between 51 and 79, according to the Gender Equality Observatory”
Sheesh! Chat bots from the New York Times are literally changing the facts in articles from the New York Times. A lot of people despise the corporate media and don’t trust it – this is likely to make matters worse.
It was Germaine Greer who said, back in the 1970s, “Most women have no idea how much men hate them.”
It’s depressing to think that 50 years later than sentiment still prevails. I don’t think women will ever achieve equality until guns are banned.
Good morning, meeses! Saturday …
It is 44 degrees in Tucson with an expected daytime high of 66. It is cloudy now but will clear up later this morning. We are going to have rain and highs in the 50s later in the week so today will the last “nearly perfect winter day” for a while.
I find it interesting that Republican House members are announcing that they alone have the right to accept or deny any electors from any states whose choices they disagree with. They are teeing up another attempt to install tRump when the voters reject him again. I hope everyone sees this and understands more clearly why people are saying that Democracy hangs in the balance in 2024. Not just the presidential election but the House of Representatives which, because of the foolish Democratic Party of New York, turned the US House over to the January 6th insurrectionists. We desperately need to take back the House if for no other reason than to protect the election results.
I have projects I want to finish before the sun comes up because I do not want to spend the day inside.
See all y’all later!
Good morning. Another cold one, but this afternoon will be warm. I bought a can of blackeyed peas. I hate them, but they’re nutritious and it can’t hurt to eat them once a year. Got to walk this afternoon — not only will it be sunny & warm, but I’ve got to make progress on my goal.
Another, I used to incorporate blackeyed peas in a dish called “Meatless Hoppin John.” It was good, but the recipe made far too much for a household of two. I dislike leftovers, so I haven’t made it in years.
Good Saturday morning, Meese! It’s 42 F. under cloudy skies. We’ve had a very wet December, but are still ending the year 8 inches under par.
Feeling considerably better today, thank goodness. Have a lot of desk work to clear out. Dearly administered a Covid test this morning: whatever I’ve had, it isn’t that. The slightly queasy feeling that keeps me from wanting to eat has resulted in a 3-pound weight loss, if the scales are to be believed.
Lots of work, as I said so I’d better get on it1 Wishing a good day to all at the Pond.