Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Around OakMeadows



Around OakMeadows 

DD and SIL came over for Sunday lunch. I made a roast and carrots with Schwan’s garlic mashed potatoes and they brought a pecan pie. (No calories in that meal...Ha!) I was disappointed with the roast because it wasn’t as tender as usual.  They brought their dog Lucy who is the sweetest, happiest dog I have ever known.  Just a lovely, pleasant visit. And SIL set up my WiFi printer so that I can print from my iPad.  Yea!

I finished reading The President Is Missing by James Patterson and Bill Clinton. Great literature, it is not; a good read, it is. A real pager turner political thriller.  

I have an on-going project to buy items from the Refugee Services of Texas-Houston’s Amazon.com Wishlist. This week I purchased a comforter bed set for them.  Next week I plan to send 5 sets of shower curtain hooks. It isn’t expensive and I like to think these things will help a refugee settle into a new home.  

My Coursera class on Epidemiology is very interesting but I am having to re-do Week #2 because I flubbed the Week #2 quiz. Immunology is complicated.  (Understatement)

I watched Extinction  on Netflix. It started off with everyone screaming which I really don’t like but actually had an interesting premise.  Worth a watch. 

Since I finished my third and final quilt for this year, I decided it was time to clear out and organize my fabric stash. I sorted it all by color, then tossed all the itsy bitsy pieces, and pressed everything. Now when I get ready to piece my next quilt, it will be a lot easier. 

That’s all the news from OakMeadows where the cats nap and their humans do too. 
(98 days until the Midterms.)


Monday, July 30, 2018

Plans for 2018 - July Update

Plans for 2018

1. Learn to make Sourdough Bread — not done. 

2. Learn to make something with Butternut Squash. (Mostly this means learning how to  get into it.) — not done

3. Make 2 Scrap Quilts and 1 from new material — DONE

4. Read 52 books — 37 books read

5. Trips:
     A. NYC — done 
     B. National Butterfly Center — done
     C. National Gallery — done 
     D. Pawhuska, OK to see PW’s Merc — reservations made for October 

6. Home Improvements —not going to happen because we had to replace our central air conditioning unit. 
     A. New Stovetop 
     B. New living room furniture 

7. Expand Butterfly garden — done

8. Work on Political campaigns for House and Senate — in progress

9. Self Improvement 
     None. I’m fine. — still aok 

Life Around OakMeadows-July, 2018


Life Around OakMeadows in July

Birds
Barn Swallows 
Blue Jay 
Killdeer 
Cattle Egrets 
Grackles 
Caracaras 
Mourning Doves 
Whistling Ducks 
Cardinals 
Hummingbirds
Mockingbirds 
Chickadee 
Crow
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 
Red-winged Blackbirds 
White-winged Doves
Great Egret 
Collared Doves 
Tufted Titmouse 

Butterflies/Insects 
Little Sulphur 
Monarchs 
Blue Darter 
Northern Two-striped Walking Stick
Gulf Fritillary 
Hackberry Emperor 
Giant Swallowtail 
Funereal Cloudywings
Eastern Pondhawk
Fiery Skipper 
Gray Hairstreak 
Juvenal’s Cloudywings 
Tiger Swallowtail 
Queens 
Common White-tailed Dragonfly 
Black Swallowtail 

Mammals/Other
Raccoons 
Squirrels 
Armadillo 
Possum

Sunday, July 29, 2018

July Thoughts


To live content with small means,
to seek elegance rather than luxury,
and refinement rather than fashion, 
to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich,
to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly,
to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart,
to bear all cheerfully,
do all bravely, 
await occasions,
hurry never........
in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious,
grow up through the common.
This is to be my symphony.


William Ellery Channing

Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Around OakMeadows


112 days until the midterm elections. I will be so glad when they are over so that I will know which way America will be going. If the country throws out the party of caged children and traitorous ties to Moscow, there will be hope. If not and the status quo prevails, we go down a very dark path.

I finished my Scrap 9-Patch quilt top and backing. JMM dropped it off at Quilter’s Emporium for KS to do the machine quilting and binding.  That finishes my goal of 3 quilts this year.  I have put 3 books on Scrap Quilting on hold at the library. I want to get some new ideas for next year and maybe get a head start on the tops.

We are having to replace our central air conditioning unit. They will be doing the installation on Friday. I know I survived growing up in Galveston without air conditioning but I simply don’t think I could survive it now. It is costing $13,385.  I have the money in my emergency fund but we are financing it for 36 months at 0% interest.  My plan is to pay it off early at $1000 per month so that I can leave my emergency fund in tact.

Still reading A Rising Man by Abir Mukherjee. It is excellent! The best fiction that I have read all year. It is a murder mystery set in India just after WW I.  The characters are so well drawn and believable and the plot is just murky enough but what I find so compelling is the history and the sense  of time and place.  Just excellent!

I’m group baking with the 9 week King Arthur Baking Challenge. Our first assignment is a simple Banana Nut Bread.  I have to get KA white whole wheat flour and 5 ripe bananas.  I have a perfectly good recipe for whole wheat banana nut bread but we shall see how this turns out.

It is too hot to go outside from about 9 am until dark. So I am rewatching The Crown on Netflix.  Love it!!



Sunday, July 15, 2018

Thoughts

And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter and the sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.
Kahlil GibranThe Prophet

August Menu

August Menu

1. Steak, GMP, GB
2. Leftovers 
3. Out
4. Bacon Sandwiches, Oven Fries
5. Slow Cooker Chicken 
6. Bakes Fish, Potatoes, Cole Slaw
7. Chicken-Sausage Casserole 
8. Roast and Veg
9. Leftovers 
10. Out
11. Macaroni and Cheese, Corn
12. Schwan’s 
13. Tuna Salad
14. Oven BBQ Chicken, Beans, Coleslaw 
15. Schwan’s 
16. Leftovers 
17. Out
18. Scrambled Eggs, Schwan’s Potatoes & Sausage
19. Slow Cooker Beef 
20. Baked Fish, Potatoes, Coleslaw 
21. Chicken Tenders, GMP, Corn
22. Spaghetti and Meatballs 
23. Leftovers 
24. Out
25. CB Hash, CSC
26. Schwan’s 
27. Fried Shrimp, Oven Fries, Coleslaw 
28. Chicken and Veg
29. St. Wieners, Corn
30. Leftovers 
31. Out

Saturday, July 14, 2018

đŸ”¥Resistance. Every. Day.đŸ”¥

đŸ”¥Resistance. Every. Day.đŸ”¥

Sent email to Senators Cornyn and Cruz:
I am asking you to consider only SCOTUS nominees with a solid history of upholding the rights of women, people of color, people with disabilities, our LGBTQ neighbors, Native Americans, aspiring Americans, and workers. I also expect you to do everything in your power to block extreme, biased, and unqualified nominees. Equality and fairness matter. Thank you.

Thank you note to Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE): 
Thank you for introducing anti-discrimination legislation in response to prevailing American values. Despite the current president’s bias and recent SCOTUS decision on the travel ban, I still believe in an America where everyone is free from discrimination. Thank you for looking ahead to a brighter future.
Address: 1105 N. Market St., Suite 100, Wilmington, DE 19801-1233

đŸ”¥Resistance. Every. Day.đŸ”¥

Notecard to Rep. Pete Olson:
I don’t understand why congressional Republicans are shredding the social safety net for people in need. Shoring up a federal deficit should never come at the expense of our country’s most vulnerable. I want you to oppose cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and SNAP in the 2019 House Budget. 
Thank you.

Thank You note to Republican Members of Congress for publicly opposing child internment in opposition to the current president’s priorities. Immigrants make our communities better.
Addresses:
Rep. Ralph Abraham: 2003 MacArthur Dr., Bldg. 5, Alexandria, LA 71301

đŸ”¥Resistance. Every. Day.đŸ”¥

Called Rep. Pete Olson and Senators Cornyn and Cruz:
I would like you to support the bipartisan Voting Rights Advancement Act (H.R. 2978/S.1419) which ensures that every American can fulfill their responsibility to vote. Thank you.

Thank You note to Senator Lamar Alexander:
Thank you for publicly opposing child internment in opposition to the current president’s priorities. Child internment is monstrous. 
Sen. Lamar Alexander: 167 North Main Street, Suite 1068, Memphis, TN 38103

đŸ”¥Resistance. Every. Day.đŸ”¥

Called Senators Cornyn and Cruz and sent email to Rep.Pete Olson:
  I’m calling to express my support for the FAMILY Act (S. 337/H.R. 947) that provides for family leave. However, this Wednesday, the Senate Social Security, Pensions and Family Policy subcommittee will debate alternate family leave legislation that forces new parents to draw down their earned Social Security savings. I would like you to co-sponsor the FAMILY Act as written, and reject alternatives that compromise retirement. 

Thank you note to Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA):
Thank You for standing up to bullying on behalf of all Americans—even those who don't currently need your help. You inspire me to keep working for justice, fairness, and a better America.
Address: 10124 South Broadway, Suite 1, Los Angeles, CA 90003

đŸ”¥Resistance. Every. Day.đŸ”¥

Sent emails to Rep. Pete Olson and Senators Cornyn and Cruz:
I’m concerned about the president’s new task force seeking to deport naturalized citizens. It’s a dangerous trend: First DACA and Dreamers. Then legal refugees and asylees. Now passport-holding citizens. Our 20 million naturalized citizens are Americans. Why is my tax dollar funding this anti-immigrant, mass-deportation agenda and what are you doing to stop it? Immigrants are my neighbors and friends. You must halt this deportation agenda.

Sent Thank You note to Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor:
Thank you for your dissent of the SCOTUS majority decision allowing discriminatory Proclamation 9645 to stand. I appreciate your thoughtful and passionate attention to this decision and its impact on Muslim communities and constitutional freedoms.
Address: US Supreme Court, 1 First St NE, Washington, D.C. 20543-0001

đŸ”¥Resistance. Every. Day.đŸ”¥

Acting ICE Director Thomas Homan
Address: Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 500 12th St. SW, Washington, D.C. 20536
I believe that our nation has a moral responsibility to protect children and treat them with basic decency, regardless of immigration status. The inhumane practice of separating children from parents as an immigration deterrent must stop. We must reunite these families before the assigned deadline.
As a taxpayer funding this egregious neglect of duty, I urge you to take full and immediate responsibility for ensuring children’s well-being and safety. Keep families together. Stop locking them up. Reunite them immediately.


Thank you note to Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Rep. RaĂºl Grijalva (D-AZ) for introducing the Fairness for Farmworkers Act to provide US farmworkers with overtime protections when working more than 40 hours a week, and eliminate exemptions to the minimum wage for farm workers. Thank you for working to extend basic standards to those who produce our sustenance. No farms, no food!
Addresses:
KH: 333 Bush Street, Suite 3225, San Francisco, CA 94104
RG: El Pueblo Community Center, 101 W. Irvington Road Buildings 4&5, Tucson, AZ 85714

đŸ”¥Resistance. Every. Day.đŸ”¥

Sent letters to:
HHS Secretary Alex Azar
Address: Office of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201
Acting Assistant ACF Secretary Steven Wagner
Address: Administration for Children and Families, 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201
ORR Director Scott Lloyd
Address: Office of Refugee Resettlement, Mary E. Switzer Building, 330 C St SW, Washington, D.C. 20201
I believe that our nation has a moral responsibility to protect children and treat them with basic decency, regardless of immigration status. The inhumane practice of separating children from parents as an immigration deterrent must stop. We must reunite these families before the assigned deadline.
As a taxpayer funding this egregious neglect of duty, I urge you to take full and immediate responsibility for ensuring children’s well-being and safety. Keep families together. Stop locking them up. Reunite them immediately.


Monday, July 2, 2018

đŸ”¥Resistance. Every. Day.đŸ”¥

đŸ”¥Resistance. Every. Day.đŸ”¥

Called Rep. Pete Olson:
I’m calling about Jeff Sessions disregarding international human rights law and turning his back on domestic abuse survivors. We must provide refuge to women and children who are violated or threatened with death—especially when local authorities won’t protect them. Please work to reinstate asylum for victims of domestic violence. 

Thank You notes to Sens. Bob Corker (R-TN), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Pat Toomey (R-PA), Mark Warner (D-VA), and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) 
Thank you for moving to curb executive branch overreach by limiting President Trump's authority on tariffs. I appreciate your bipartisanship and leadership on this issue of international import. Thank you.
Addresses:
BC: 100 Peabody Place, Suite 1125, Memphis, TN 38103
HH: 228 Federal Building, 220 East Rosser Avenue, Bismarck, ND 58501
PT: US Custom House, 200 Chestnut Street, Suite 600, Philadelphia, PA 19106
MW: 180 West Main Street, Abingdon, VA 24210
LA: 167 North Main Street, Suite 1068, Memphis, TN 38103

đŸ”¥Resistance. Every. Day.đŸ”¥

Called, sent email and postcards to Senators Cornyn and Cruz:
I am calling to oppose the practice of separating families as an immigration deterrent. It is immoral and traumatizing to willfully separate children from their parents, documented or not. I’d like you to support Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s Keep Families Together Act (S3036). Thank you.   

đŸ”¥Resistance. Every. Day.đŸ”¥

Sent postcards & emails to Rep. Pete Olson and Senators Cornyn and Cruz:
Your one House rep and two senators (look up).
Script: I am writing/calling to ask that you protect people here in the US on Temporary Protected Status. Specifically, I would like you to co-sponsor the SECURE Act (H.R. 4253/S. 2144) that would defer deportation of these longtime community members. Thank you. 

đŸ”¥Resistance. Every. Day.đŸ”¥

Sent cards to Senators Cornyn and Cruz:
I am writing to express support for the Agriculture Committee’s bipartisan Farm Bill (S. 3042). I would like you to ensure it includes no amendments to weaken SNAP and that it gives our hungry neighbors the food they need. Thank you.

Sent Thank You to Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) for prioritizing the lives of children instead of maintaining a ‘decorum’ that perpetuates silence in the face of child internment. I am so grateful for your voice and leadership.
Address: P.O. BOX 1309, Torrance, CA 90505