Will I Ever Get It?

December 6, 2015

Well, I've spent a couple of days cogitating....

...and what I STILL can't wrap my head around is one act by the two terrorists who murdered 14 and hospitalized another 17.

They took the time to plan this entire scenario out.
They stockpiled weapons, ammunition, and "assault clothing".
They built pipe bombs.
They came to a country deliberately to murder and cause mass mayhem
They trained to make that move and deliberately targeted people who they worked with and befriended them
They knew the room and building well enough to know to block the doors so people could not escape.
They knew escape routes for themselves.

And they dropped off a six-month-old baby and walked away from her, knowing they'd never see her again.

I GET the total mindf*ck that some religions have on people.
I GET that some people are so brainwashed into their religion they cannot possibly conceive that another human might think another way.
I GET that some people are willing to die for those beliefs, at any cost.
I GET that there are those who are still locked into the "crusades" mentality.
I GET that there are a host of people who are totally ignorant about religions and can only believe what they are told to believe. (Yeah, Jerry Falwell, Jr., I'm talking about you.  And Huckabee.  And Cruz.  And a whole passel of ignorant Texans who just need to go open another case of beer and go away.)
I GET that groups of people - nations- need to defend their shores and their people.

I GET it.
I totally GET that there are young people in my country who are so loyal to the country they will strap on a weapon, go overseas, and fight to the death to defend the ideals of the country.

But.......

-to conceive and give birth to a child, knowing you will be sacrificing her childhood, her eventual mental health, and her life on the altar of your bigotry
-and to abandon that child in the name of whatever god it is that you are worshipping.....or was it the ravings of some lunatic they worshipped instead?

That I don't get.

We've all seen videos of mama dogs, and mama polar bears and mama elephants rushing to save their babies from imminent danger.  That's part of nature.  Dads do it, too.  But mamas have that "mama grizzly" gene that multiplies exponentially.  It's part of the package. I've witnessed it with the mother dogs I care for.  They're my best buddies on Saturday - they give birth on Sunday - and by Monday I am the boogie-man come to harm their babies!!  The growling and the bared teeth were real.  Mama Nature demands that mamas take care of their babies!! You carry the kid around for months, go through hell to give birth, and you are ATTACHED.  Adoptive parents go through their own special hell of trying to have a child - and when that baby is placed in their arms - they are ATTACHED.

What kind of monster do you have to be to hand over your child, pick up your automatic rifle, and walk out the door with one intention:  to go make people bleed?

This isn't warfare.

This is madness.

I don't get it.

If they couldn't obtain assault rifles, could they still plan an assault?

December 2, 2015

re: San Bernardino - LET"S BE CLEAR ABOUT ONE THING HERE:  Whether the people who stormed that office and murderd innocent people at work today were foreign, domestic, or from another goddamn planet, let's call them what they are: terrorists!  Their intent was to foment terror.  Do NOT try to "soften" it with teh words "domestic terrorism".  They are every bit as evil as the thugs who pose in front of a camera with a knife and slice off another human's head or cage and light them on fire.  They are not "mentally ill", "troubled", or "disenfranchised".  They are murdering scum and only deserve to be treated as such.  MY Constitution says the purpose of my government is to "Ensure domestic tranquility."  Well, there are at least 31 families tonight that are ot very tranquil.  They''re freakin' devastated!  Enough!! Enough!! U. S. congress and Presidnt Obama - for the love of God, ENOUGH!! Do something!!

When to Kill the Elf

To “Elf”, or Not to “elf” - THAT is the question.

I remember as a little kid, that Christmas was pure magic. My little family had next to nothing in material wealth, but my parents did the best they could on my dad's meager paycheck. We had an elf who “lived in the chimney” - my mom would go over and talk to it. (note: Invisible elves are easier to break up with than toy elves who sit all over the house.) So where did the magic come from? My insane parents – they tucked us into bed on Christmas Eve with stories of Santa Claus and Baby Jesus – right after we had hung a stocking – and then, after we drifted off to sleep, they began. The tree went up in the living room, candles in the window, sparkly tinsel and wreaths made from the trimmed branches of the tree. Toys that had to be built (insert tab A into slot B) were constructed. They were up ALL night. And when we woke up the next morning, it WAS magic!!! The decorations probably came from the Five and Dime, most of what was on the tree was homemade, boxes of tree tinsel cost a nickel each, but my mom hung EACH strand one at a time so it would look like rain cascading down the tree (No clumps of tinsel on HER trees!) What had been a plain old living room was suddenly Fairyland.

And that brings me round to the Elf. Kids look back on traditions as part of the stability of their childhood. I question if you start a tradition that is obviously going to have an end, then you need to also have a plan on how to end it. How do you tell the kids about Santa? When? How and when do you discuss “the elf”? When you end the elf, are you also ending the other fantasies? Is the little amount of time hiding the elf worth the repercussions of ending the magic too soon?

But I DO remember my mom talking about how much SHE missed her silly invisible elf – I know now it wasn't the elf – it was US and our innocent belief in the powers of said tattletale. And I remember missing the magic of the Holiday - even when I was a little older and helping decorate and doing charity work. We substituted new traditions, but there just wasn't “magic” - at least, not until the next generation of babies came along.

So – choose to not elf if you want – but please, not because you say you have too many other obligations (which reminds me that MY parents and grandparents had just as many – maybe the author of the article should have the kids help with the cookies and the nativity and make the paper chain themselves? She is right about picking and choosing activities, but sacrificing the elf that SHE brought into the house??? C'mon – you can move that little sucker around while you're brushing your teeth!) But after you have begun a long-standing tradition, be wary of suddenly just ending it – have a plan in place. It's a tough call on deciding when to draw the curtain on the magic show. Once you know how the lady doesn't get sawed in half, it's just a pretty, bendy, besequined lady folding herself up at one end and another person hiding in the foot of the box. No magic.

Thanksgiving Day 2015

They left their homeland because the oppression was too great.

They managed a dangerous journey across a huge ocean.

When they arrived on the shores of their New World, they had practically nothing, except their hopes and dreams.

They encountered almost insurmountable obstacles.

They were helped by those who had already arrived in the New World – taught how to fend for themselves – obtain food and manage to live with the elements. Even though the newcomers struggled, the natives gave freely of what they had – both resources and skills – and eventually, the newcomers began to thrive.

Whether we talk about the Wampanoags and Pilgrims, or Americans and new refugees, the story hasn't changed over the last 400 years.

Let us all remember the gift we have been given of lving in this wonderful country – despite its warts, it is STILL a beacon of light and hope. May your tables and bellies be full today, and your hearts be light. God bless us, everyone!

November 25thThanksgiving Travel Day

It doesn't matter if you're on the road or at home.

It doesn't matter if you're with friends and family or going it alone.

It doesn't matter if you're Republican or Democrat.

It doesn't matter if you're old-family or a new immigrant.

It doesn't matter if you have money or not.

It doesn't matter if you live in a big house or a one room walk-up.

None of it matters.

Except peace.

And love.

And understanding.

That we're all in this together.

And that we realize that none of us gets out alive anyway, so we'd better take the opportunity to make what little time we have the best for everyone around us. Constantly.With an open heart.

Wishing you and yours a peaceful day.

Pray for the planet.

Pray for the people.

Be kind to the animals.

Be kind to the Earth.

Go out there and be the person that makes others smile.

Be thankful for what you have.

Be thankful for the desire to do better.

Be the change in the world you want to see.

I see the goodness in all of you.

15 November, 2015

The French struck back today.  With some help from U.S.Armed Forces and bases in Jordan and the UAE - twenty large bombs were dropped on ISIS bases in their "capital" city.  Retaliation will be swift and might.  Made me remember Ronald Reagan when he went after Libya and Qaddaffi for the bombing of the Marines in Lebanon.

I can't help but wonder - if the nations of the free world had bonded together in the beginning - what would the outcome have been?

If we hadn't gone into Iraq on Bush's faulty intelligence, what would the outcome have been?

If we had left the dictatorships in power instead of these rogue "governments" who are stuck in the middle ages, what would the outcome have been?

If Britain hadn't messed up the Middle East early in the 20th century, what would the outcome have been?

Will I live to see the end of this?

13 November. 2015

Another sad day in world history - 


Paris was under siege today - literally, Is Paris Burning?

Watching the news was tough - memories of what it FELT like on 9-11 came rushing back - and I wouldn't wish those feelings on anyone.  So sad to see people so traumatized by the evil around them.  But in the midst of all that evil - bombs, suicide bombers, machine guns - people killed eating dinner, enjoying a concert, at a soccer game - THERE WAS LIGHT!  People opening their homes since their fellow Parisians couldn't get home on a Metro that was shut down  - the leaders of the FREE world stepping up, the helpers, as Mr. Rogers reminded us, helping.  And it brought back the message of my favorite book I read with the kids all those teaching years - A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle - the one where some kids go and fight for their father's life and take on the embodiment of all the evil in the universe.

How do they defeat IT (the embodiment of evil)?  With love.  So simple.

I wonder when those who would destroy the planet through their hate and fear-mongering will get that? Maybe I should send them all a copy of the book.  Or maybe I'll just go reread it myself - it always makes me feel better about the planet.

Je suis Paris!

One of my former students posted a message from her Parisian "mother" (she was an exchange student last summer:  "Nous ne baisserons pas la tête et ferons front contre ces terroristes.”// 

“We will not hang our heads and we will stand up against these terrorists.”