🔥Resistance. Every. Day.🔥

🔥Resistance. Every. Day.🔥

Called Senators Cornyn and Cruz:

I’m calling from to oppose Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination. I value equal opportunity for disabled people. Kavanaugh could undermine the federal regulations and programs, including health-care, that have advanced prospects and access for our neighbors with disabilities. America needs a fair and moderate Supreme Court judge who truly supports “equal justice under the law.” I urge you to vote against his confirmation.

🔥Resistance. Every. Day.🔥

Postcard to Rep. Pete Olson:

I support reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act before Sept. 30. Since its passage in 1994, this law has increased accountability for perpetrators and received bipartisan support for three previous renewals. I want you to co-sponsor and vote for passage of H.R. 6545.Thank you. 

🔥Resistance. Every. Day.🔥

Sent emails to Rep. Pete Olson and Senators Cornyn and Cruz:

I am concerned about the Farm Bill. The Senate version strengthened SNAP to provide critical nutrition to elders, people with disabilities, and low-income families. When it comes out of conference committee, I’m asking that youonly support a bill that maintains the Senate provisions without work requirements. I want my tax dollar to help feed hungry families.

Sent Thank You notes to Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM:

Thank you for continuing to demand this administration comply with a court order to reunify more than 500 children and their parents. We haven’t forgotten separated families. Thank you for ensuring this administration doesn’t either.

Addresses:

SH: 6500 Cherrywood Lane, Suite 310, Greenbelt, MD 20770

MLG: 400 Gold Avenue SW, Suite 680, Albuquerque, NM 87102

Around OakMeadows

Cleaning out and organizing my fabric scraps with help from Duffy. 

Around OakMeadows 

We really need rain. We’ve been watering trees just about every evening.  So I was happy to get a little rain yesterday and today. Not enough to do the trees any good but enough to perk up the lawn. The irony is that this time last year this whole area had been inundated by Hurricane Harvey with 40+ inches of rain. I’ll take needing to water the trees over 40+ inches of rain any time. 

Our daughter came over yesterday and brought her dog Lucy. That is the happiest most eager to please dog ever. Daughter also brought a Costco Lasagna and salad for lunch. Good, minimal fuss lunch. We took the dogs out for a couple of runs and I just love to watch Lucy with her bounding lope. After lunch everyone was stuffed and so we all took a nap. We watched an episode of The Great British Baking Show which is always pleasant.  So nice to live close enough to visit. 

I spent $2500 to get an electric lift chair.  My legs have weakened so much in the past six months that I really had trouble getting up from a regular chair. I’m going to have to remodel the bathrooms: 1.) the shower will need to be redone so that I can roll up to it and not have to deal with getting over the edge of the pan or deal with the door. 2.) on the small bathroom I need to take out a wall and install a pocket door so that I can get to the toilet. I am so fortunate to have the money to make these modifications.  I don’t know how I would cope without my scooter, van, and lift and now with these bathroom modifications. 

The next quilt is going to be a bit different. It is more Abstract in design, blues and yellows with cream background. I cut out 660 pieces 1 1/2 inches by 3 1/2 inches, now I need to cut 36 3 1/2 by 9 1/2 inches. I have this picture in my mind now we will see how it goes together. Sometimes things turn out as planned and sometimes they seem to have a mind of their own and come out rather different. 

JMM and I are reading aloud to each other London 1945: Life in the Ruins of War by Maureen Waller. It is so interesting. I had no idea how devastating the V1 and V2 rockets were in the last months of the war. The book tells how the people and the government dealt with the housing shortage caused by thousands of houses destroyed and the food shortages. Excellent so far. 

I’ve got a yard sign for my Democratic Candidate for Congress, Sri Preston Kulkarni. I’m trying to get a sign for Beto but the local office is out and I’ll have to wait until next week.  I’ve never put out political signs before because I thought the HOA wouldn’t allow it. Well, it turns out that it is illegal to forbid reasonable political yard signs in Texas. 

I listened to Barack Obama’s eulogy of John McCain and nearly wept with pleasure at hearing him speak in coherent sentences at a post kindergarten level. I really think the funeral was overdone but I think it was nice to focus on an honorable life rather than the vulgarity that resides in the White House today. 

That’s about all the news from OakMeadows for now. 

Life Around OakMeadows - August, 2018

Angie encounters an armadillo. 

Birds

White-faced Ibis

Barn Swallows 

Cardinals 

Grackles 

Mockingbirds 

Hummingbirds 

Blue Jays

Crow

Caracara

Cattle Egrets

Black Vulture

Kildeer

Starling 

Whistling Ducks 

Chickadees 

White-winged Doves

Turkey Vultures

Insects

Little Sulphur 

Queens

Monarchs (very few)

Giant Swallowtail 

Longtailed Skipper 

Sachem 

Cloudless Sulphur 

Black Swallowtail 

Red Admiral

Eastern Pondhawk 

Blue Darter 

Other

Raccoons 

Squirrels 

Armadillo 

Mozart’s Starling by Lyanda Haupt

Mozart’s Starling by Lyanda Haupt 

Wonderful book about human/natural world interactions, It was fresh and well-written.mixing stories of her experience raising a starling with historical material about Mozart's starling, scientific information about birds, and reflections on the nature of pets and our interactions with wild things. And yes, Mozart did have a pet tame starling that flew around in his home, adding to what was a joyful blend of chaos, commotion, and brilliant composition. Parallels and observations are made to and with the author's own beloved tame starling, Carmen. A good read. (Haupt has posted videos of Carmen on Facebook.)

August Poetry

The birth of August is upon us, as the fair haired sun rises in the sky
With songs of the cicada unwinding, the sand hill Cranes sail by
The heat is hovering all around us, we feel heavy in it's grip
To break free from it's bonds, from it's clutches we must rip
Shade gives little relief, to this melting, bending soul
A river full of water, is not enough to quench this foe
Only darkness breaks the curse, that the day could not hide
Relief is but short...and that too must subside
For August is just arriving, her journey's just begun
It's only just beginning; her moment in the sun 

🔥Resistance. Every. Day🔥

🔥Resistance. Every. Day.🔥

Called Rep. Pete Olson and Senators Cornyn and Cruz:

I’m calling today about the national housing crisis due to rising rents. Millions of Americans are paying as much as 70 percent of their income for rent and the construction of affordable housing has stalled. I’m asking you to co-sponsor the bipartisan Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act (H.R. 1661/S. 548), which stimulates housing construction and availability.

Thank You note: Thank you for your pledge to refuse corporate PAC campaign donations. Thank you for placing the voices of your constituents above corporate influence.

Addresses:

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI): 170 Westminster St, Ste. 200, Providence RI 02903

Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT): 1 Church St, 3rd Fl, Burlington VT 05401

🔥Resistance. Every. Day.🔥

Sent email to Rep. Pete Olson and Senators Cornyn and Cruz:

I am concerned about the Farm Bill now in conference committee. The Senate version that passed with strong support strengthened SNAP to provide critical nutrition to elders, people with disabilities, and low-income families. I’m asking that you only support a bill that maintains the Senate provisions. I want my tax dollar to help feed hungry families.

Thank you note to Senator Richard Burr (R-NC):

Thank you for your unequivocal acknowledgement that covert social media interference in American elections by foreign countries, as took place in the 2016 presidential election, is a threat to all Americans and the sacred integrity of free and fair elections. Thank you for your leadership.

Address: Russell Senate Office Building, 217 Constitution Ave NE, Washington, DC 20510

Thank you for your pledgeto refuse corporate PAC campaign donations. Thank you for placing the voices of your constituents above corporate influence.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA): 2400 JFK Federal Building, 15 New Sudbury St, Boston MA 02203

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA): 915 Second Ave, Ste 3206, Seattle, WA 98174

🔥Resistance. Every. Day.🔥

Thank You note to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA):

Thank you for working on sentencing reform that has bipartisan support. Fair sentencing benefits low-level nonviolent offenders, taxpayers, and society overall. Thank you for your leadership.

Address: 721 Federal Building, 210 Walnut Street, Des Moines, IA 50309

Thank you notes to:

Thank you for your pledge to refuse corporate PAC campaign donations. Thank you for placing the voices of your constituents above corporate influence.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY): Leo W. O’Brien Federal Office Building, 11A Clinton Ave, Room 821, Albany NY 12207

Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ): One Gateway Center, 23rd Fl, Newark NJ 07102

🔥Resistance. Every. Day.🔥

Thank you notes to:

Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD): 44 Calvert St, Ste 349, Annapolis MD 21401

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA): 1904 3rd Ave, Ste 510, Seattle WA 98101

Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO): 1220 S. College Ave, Fort Collins CO 80525

Thank you for your pledge to refuse corporate PAC campaign donations. Thank you for placing the voices of your constituents above corporate influence.

August Thoughts

Wear the old coat and buy the new book.

Austin Phelps