Saturday, October 7, 2017

October Poetry


O hushed October morning mild,
Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;
Tomorrow's wind, if it be wild,
Should waste them all.
The crows above the forest call;
Tomorrow they may form and go.
O hushed October morning mild,
Begin the hours of this day slow.
Make the day seem to us less brief.
Hearts not averse to being beguiled,
Beguile us in the way you know.
Release one leaf at break of day;
At noon release another leaf;
One from our trees, one far away."
-   Robert Frost, October

Thursday, October 5, 2017

đŸ”¥Resistance. Every. Day. đŸ”¥

đŸ”¥Resistance. Every. Day.đŸ”¥

Sent emails to Senators Cornyn and Cruz:
I am concerned about the Republican tax plan. I want to advocate for poor, hardworking Americans who need cuts more than corporations and people earning over $200,000 per year. Advantages like pass-throughs, estate tax breaks, and write-offs for charitable giving only benefit the most affluent. I expect to see your support for an ethical, fiscally-responsible tax plan that helps our struggling neighbors, not Trump Tower cronies. Thank you.

Sent Thank You to OMB Dir. Mick Mulvaney for his memo reminding senior officials to honor their fiscal responsibility to taxpayers by choosing commercial travel over private charters—even when approved and within the law. I appreciate your respect for hardworking Americans.

đŸ”¥Resistance. Every. Day.đŸ”¥

Called Rep. Pete Olson and Senators Cornyn and Cruz:
I am calling because funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program lapsed this Sunday, Oct 1 which risks leaving 9 million kids without coverage. I expect you to act quickly reauthorize CHIP funding and protect kids’ health!

đŸ”¥Resistance. Every. Day.đŸ”¥

Sent postcards to Rep. Pete Olson and Senators Cruz and Cornyn:
The president’s bullying of San Juan’s mayor, Carmen YulĂ­n Cruz, on twitter is insensitive, antagonistic, and disgraceful, especially in light of the climbing death toll. I would like you to make a public statement condemning the president’s words and expressing support for our fellow citizens in Puerto Rico.
P.S. Can you believe he tossed rolls of paper towels to people whose homes had been destroyed?? Just incredible!!

Sent Thank You cards to Sens. Richard Burr (R-NC) and Mark Warner (D-VA):
Thank you for holding Jared Kushner’s feet to the fire on his undisclosed email account. I appreciate your thoroughness and persistence in getting to the bottom of what happened in the 2016 elections, including the role the president’s son in law may have played.

Miss Burma by Charmaine Craig

Miss Burma by Charmaine Craig

I really wanted to love this book but I ended up having very mixed feelings about it.  The history of Burma from just before the Second World War was something I knew little about and today’s headlines about the persecution of the Rohingya people piqued my interest. It gets off to an interesting, well-written start so I thought it was going to be a real 5 Star. Soon, though, I was slogging my way through overthought out, over written introspective prose. Every page has endless description of every facial expression and thought and every change of thought and every thought about the thought. A second and equal problem, perhaps more irritating, is that there is no ending. After three hundred pages with these people, it just ends. No epilogue to explain what happened to this family that you've learned so much about and grew to care about. Most unsatisfactory end. 

Wednesday, October 4, 2017

September Life Around OakMeadows

Yes, this life form is here too. 

September Life Around OakMeadows 

Birds
     Ruby-throated Hummingbirds 
     Barn Swallows 
     Grackles 
     Cardinals 
     Red-tailed Hawk
     Collared Doves 
     White-winged Doves
     Mourning Doves 
     Crows 
     Chickadee 
     Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 
     Black Vulture 
     Sparrows 
Butterflies 
     Monarchs 
     Black Swallowtail 
     Gulf Fritillary 
     Giant Swallowtail 
     Queens
     Little Sulphur 
     Red Admiral 
     Painted Lady
     American Snout 
Mammals 
     Raccoons 
     Squirrels 
     Armadillos
Other
     Eastern Pondhawk 
     Blue Darter 

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Podcasts

Podcasts ( in no particular order) that I like:

Audio Dharma
An Organic Conversation 
KEXP Presents Mind over Matter
PRI: Living in EarthMSNBC Rachel Maddow 
Skeptoid
The Book Review
Open Source
The Frontline Dispatch
Right, Left, Center
Invisibilia 
Stay Tuned
Radiolab 
Pod Save America
Fresh Air
Climate One
TED Radio Hour
Humankind
Nature Podcast
The Atheist Experience
Tara Brach 
Stuff You Missed in History
Hidden Brain
Planet Money
Freakonomics

I can always find something interesting to listen to from this selection. I’m sure there are others that I haven’t come across. If you have a favorite, please let me know. 

Monday, October 2, 2017

Around OakMeadows


Around OakMeadows 

Good news and awful news. First the awful news. 

Another mass shooting and the NRA lobbies for silencers. Maybe the next mass murder will at least be quieter. I’m so annoyed by this nation that I’ll say no more. 

Good news: I have discovered podcasts and Stitcher. Probably old news to many but new to me.  I’ve been listening to individual podcasts but since discovering the app for Stitcher, I’ve found many interesting podcasts and a simple way to keep them in one place.  If you like podcasts, give Stitcher a try. 

That’s all the news from OakMeadows where the cats have decided to let the dog live and the people are wondering when we will stop the madness. 

Sunday, October 1, 2017

October Menu


October Menu

1.  Slow Cooker Beef
2.  Baked Fish, Carrots/Thyme, Corn
3.  Chicken-Rice Bake
4.  Steak, GMP, Peas
5.  Leftovers  
6.  Out
7.  Bacon Sandwiches, Oven Fries
8.  Pancakes and Canadian Bacon 
9.  Shrimp Jambalaya 
10. Chicken Tenders, Beans, Coleslaw 
11. Meatloaf, GMP, GB
12. Leftovers 
13. Out
14. Macaroni and Cheese, Corn
15. Slow Cooker Chicken
16. Tuna Salad Sandwiches 
17. Schwan's Chicken
18. Pizza
19. Leftovers 
20. Out
21. Scrambled Eggs, Canadian Bacon 
22. Potato Soup
23. Baked Fish, Beans, Coleslaw 
24. Schwan's Pot Pie
25. Spaghetti and Meatballs 
26. Leftovers 
27. Out
28. CB Hash CSC
29. Schwan's Beef Stir Fry 
30. Fried Shrimp, Oven Fries, Coleslaw 
31. Stuffed Wieners, Corn