Plans for 2020

So many times the old saying, “She plans, God laughs” is all too appropriate but what the heck, let’s make some plans:

My number 1 priority this year is to get my BP down by losing weight. I am doing this by cutting out as much sugar as I possibly can. I’ve already cut out my morning orange juice and my daily Coke. I saw in yesterday’s NYT a 7 day Cut Out the Sugar Challenge which is essentially what I was doing anyway.

Plans for Home Improvements:
     Have house power washed
     Refinish my 1961 sewing machine cabinet
     Have master bathroom toilet re-sealed
     New cat flap
     Remodel small bathroom????
     New adjustable bed and bedside tables
     New back porch chair
     1-800-GOT-JUNK
     New door wreath
     Have windows cleaned
     Have LadyBuggy (golf cart) fixed

Read 26 books

Try 12 new recipes

Travel plans are very uncertain since my last attempt was such a disaster.

I want to make 4 new quilts.

I want to contribute to and possibly help with Sri Preston Kulkarni’s Congressional campaign. (Other than voting and his campaign, I plans to studiously avoid anything to do with Politics, namely the Presidential election where I will vote for any Democrat that is nominated.)

     

The End of Ice by Dahr Jamail

The End of Ice by Dahr Jamail

The dedication of this book reads, “This book is dedicated to the future generations of all species. know that there were many of us who did what we could.”

I found this book very fitting to read after The Unihabitable Earth by David Wallace-Wells because after knowledge comes grief. The author takes us from the Arctic to the Amazon to the Everglades and tells us what is already happening and what is most likely to happen within our own and our children’s lifetime. I challenge anyone to read this book with the wrenching grief of what is being lost. 

The last paragraph of the Conclusion:

“While Western colonialist culture believes in ‘rights,’ Indigenous cultures teach of ‘obligations’ that we are born into: obligations to those who came before, to those who come after, and to the Earth itself. When I orient myself around the question ‘what are my obligations,’ the deeper question immediately arises: ‘From this moment on, knowing what is happening to the planet, to what do I devote my life?’”

Around OakMeadows

Aren’t these clouds beautiful!!

Good morning! I hope everyone had a pleasant holiday season!  We had our usual quiet Christmas! Our daughter and SIL made the most delicious Spaghetti Bolognese, salad, and White Chocolate Bread Pudding and invited us over. I am in awe of their cooking. Daughter did not inherit a cooking gene from me because I don’t have one. Lovely evening taking the dogs for a walk around the lake while digesting the Bolognese and coming back for the pudding. 

I have to have a New Year’s Resolution this year. Normally, I don’t do them but this year I must lose weight in order to get my blood pressure down. My father had high blood pressure and had a stroke and I certainly don’t want that. So my first step is eliminating my morning orange juice and my daily Coke. That will cut 2100 calories per week. My basic problem is sugar—I love it....but not enough to have a stroke over. So the main diet emphasis is on cutting the sugar.  Exercise is rather limited for me as I have to remain seated, so my new best friend is Mary Ann Wilson of Sit and Be Fit. Also there is a Chair Yoga and Chair Tai Chi which I want to look into. 

That’s about all the news from OakMeadows for now. Have a safe and happy New Year.  

The Ten Best Books that I Read in 2019

According to Goodreads, I read 44 books last year which is almost 1 per week. That sounds about right since I read mostly nonfiction. Here’s what I think were the best of the 44. BTW, my To Read list is as long as ever hovering around 50 books. I will probably die with 50+ books in my To Read list.

The Ten Best Books that I Read in 2019

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

The Library Book by Susan Orlean

Becoming by Michelle Obama 

The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace-Wells

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Rightful Heritage by Douglas Brinkley 

The Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyes

The Once and Future World by J.B. MacKinnon

Pay Attention for Goodness Sake by Sylvia Boorstein

Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall  

Amity and Prosperity by Eliza Griswold

Amity and Prosperity by Eliza Griswold 

This is one of those books that I simply had to force myself to finish. Not because it was poorly written, uninteresting, or unimportant but because it infuriated me and I feel so helpless and hopeless about the problems and processes described.  It is utterly incomprehensible that we as individuals and as a nation and inhabitants of the one and only place we have to live continue to befoul and destroy the very systems that give us life. This particular book chronicles the contamination of the water supply of 3 families in the western Pennsylvania towns of Amity and Prosperity by hydraulic fracturing.  As if that weren’t bad enough, the very agencies which were supposed to protect the people proved inadequate at best and in the control of the very entities they were supposed to be monitoring and regulating. It is not an easy read but it is excruciatingly important. 

Happy Birthday to Me!!

I recently turned 72. I have more than enough stuff so I always prefer no more stuff.  We celebrated with my daughter and SIL with burgers and fries on their patio and watching our Houston Texans  football team get trounced once again. SIL makes bacon cheeseburgers to die for and daughter makes chocolate chip cookies that are really the best I have ever tasted. Such a pleasant afternoon.

I’ve seen two movies lately that I would highly recommend. One is Knives Out which we saw at our local AMC theater and the other is The Irishman which I saw on Netflix. Both are worth seeing. IMHO.

It is warm enough that I am wearing shorts today but a cold front is moving through tonight. It will probably blow most of my beautiful butterflies further south to the Rio Grande Valley.  However, the good side is that the hawks from colder climes will be moving into our area and JMM love to go driving the back roads and seeing how many hawks we can identify. Our favorite is the small kestrel. So beautiful.

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

Butterflies

Painted Lady

Queen

I don’t know what is going on but we are having more butterflies now than we had all summer. Our Blue Mist is still blooming prolifically which is attracting butterflies and bees.  I have no idea how much longer we will continue to have them.  It is such a pleasure to go out and just watch them.
Today we saw:
     Monarchs
     Queens
     Gulf Fritillaries
     White-checkered Skippers
     Pearl Crescent
     Little Sulphur
     White-tipped Black Moths (Many)
     Fiery Skippers
     Common Buckeyes
     Painted Ladies

   

         

A Beautiful Day

This is the time of year that makes living here on the Gulf Coast in July, August, and September worth it.  We are having lows in the mid 50s and highs in the low 70s.  My idea of perfection. And we have so many butterflies on the prolifically blooming Blue Mist. Just today we saw a White Checkered Skipper which is actually more common further south.  Such a pretty little butterfly!!

I am studiously avoiding all news of the impeachment proceedings. Since there is nothing I can do to have any influence on it, I see no purpose in following it. All that would do would keep me upset. Just inform me after it is all over which way it went. I’ve been a Liz 2020 fan for a long time but even there, I’m not following the race for the nomination because the fact is that I’ll vote for whoever the Democratic nominee is.

Domino’s Veggie Pizza for dinner. Lovely day.

Around OakMeadows

Library Books

As you can see, I’ve been to the library. If you can read the titles you know that I’m looking into Cooking and Quilting. I have a goal next year to make one new recipe each month; I think it is nice to change up the menu a bit. The quilting books are to inspire me to use some of my fabric stash by making some scrap quilts. 

We went to see Knives Out today and it was very enjoyable. One of the pleasures of retirement is being able to go to movies on weekdays when it is not crowded at all. We even had hot dogs and popcorn.  

Yesterday we had our annual physicals. No real issues—I still need to lose weight and my BP is still moderately high. I will stay on my same dose of Lisinopril for BP and Myrbetrig for overactive bladder. JMM gets to decrease his dose of Lisinopril and stop the niacin but he is needs to start tamsulosin for his urinary problem.  On the whole, we are doing quite well for 72 year olds. 

The weather has been a bit cooler which is a welcome relief. I watch the news about the heavy snow in the northern states and am thankful that I don’t have to deal with it. We are still having butterflies (a few Monarchs, Gulf Fritillaries, Queens, and today a pair of Common Buckeyes) on our Blue Mist.

That’s about all the news from OakMeadows where the cats are super affectionate with the coming of cooler weather and the people are stuck in the recliners with sleeping cats on their laps. 

Around OakMeadows

This morning we went to the Museum of Fine Arts to see an exhibit of Impressionists.  I’ve always loved impressionist art.  I was especially interested in the section of Berthe Morisot. 

November Menu

November Menu

1. Out

2. Bacon Sandwiches, Oven Fries

3.Slow Cooker Old Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup

4. Baked Fish, GMP, Peas 

5. Chicken-Sausage Casserole

6. Cutlets, GMP, GB

7. Leftovers 

8. Out

9. Macaroni and Cheese, Corn, Salad 

10. Schwan’s 

11. Tuna Salad 

12. Oven BBQ Chicken, Beans, Coleslaw 

13. Roast and Veg

14. Leftovers 

15. Out

16. Scrambled Eggs, Canadian Bacon, Toast 

17. Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup

18.Baked Fish, Fire Roasted Veg, Salad

19. Chicken Tenders, GMP, Carrots/Thyme

20. Pizza

21. Leftovers 

22. Out

23. CB Hash, CSC, Salad 

24. Schwan’s 

25. Fried Shrimp, FF, Coleslaw 

26. Schwan’s 

27. Spaghetti and Meatballs, Salad 

28. Thanksgiving 

29. Leftovers 

30. St.Wieners, Corn, Salad

Quilting around OakMeadows

This is my latest quilt. I used only fabric that I had on hand for the hearts which I machine appliquéd on to the blocks. I did have to buy fabric for the back and for the lattice strips.

I finished this quilt 2 months ago.

Why Old People Don’t Want To Change Things

Why Old People Don’t Want to Change Things 

I have hated my propane stovetop for the entire 15 years we have lived in this house. Knowing, after years of experience, that things are seldom as simple and easy as you think and always cost more than you planned, I finally decided to change the stovetop and change it to an electric.  Great. You go to Home Depot, buy the stovetop and make an appointment for them to install it after researching whether an induction stovetop is better. (No, it’s not because all my good Calphalon cookware would not work on an induction top and I would have to replace it.) Next we have an electrician ($$$)come out and check the wiring to make sure it is appropriate for the stovetop. (It is.) So the technician comes and announces that there are problems. 1. The old stove has a downdraft but the new one does not which may present a code violation when we go to sell the house. 2. There needs to be a trim to go around the edge of the opening to support the new stovetop but we can order the appropriate trim from the GE website.  He leaves and we will have to reschedule (and repay) when we have the appropriate trim. Fine, except that when JMM goes to the GE website to order the trim, he finds in big red letters that the trim is NOT FOR SUPPORT OF THE STOVETOP.  The website says that GE suggests installing wooden support strips. Do I see a carpenter in my near future. Or shall I put the damn stovetop back in the box and take it back to Home Depot for a refund? At least the old top had one useful burner. aaarrrggghhh. 

October Menu

October Menu

1.  Chicken-Rice Bake, lettuce

2.  Cutlets, GMP, GB

3.  Leftovers 

4.  Out

5.  Bacon Sandwiches, Oven Fries

6.  Slow Cooker Chicken Stew with Sausage and White Beans

7.  Baked Cod/Salmon, GMP, Peas 

8.  Oven BBQ Chicken, Beans, Cucumber 

9.  HB Pie

10. Leftovers 

11. Out

12. Macaroni and Cheese, Corn, Tomatoes 

13. Schwan’s 

14. Tuna Salad Sandwiches, Veggie Tray

15. Chicken Tenders, GMP, Cabbage 

16. Schwan’s 

17. Leftovers 

18. Out 

19. Scrambled Eggs, Canadian Bacon, Toast 

20. Slow Cooker Cassoulet 

21. Baked Fish, GMP, Lettuce

22. Schwan’s 

23. Pizza

24. Leftovers 

25. Out

26. CB Hash, CSC, Cucumber 

27. Schwan’s

28. Fried Shrimp, FF, Coleslaw 

29. Schwan’s 

30. Spaghetti and Meatballs, Lettuce 

31. Leftovers 

Rightful Heritage by Douglas Brinkley

This book is both an exhaustive examination of the conservation movement in the USA, and a biography of FDR.  I have always been a fan of FDR but had no idea that he was a lifetime conservationist. It tells the story of the farsighted people who made possible our national parks, national monuments, many state parks, national seashores, and wildlife refuges. It is a fascinating account of land preservation during the FDR years of the Great Depression and World War II, of FDR's love of trees and 

the Hudson River Valley, and of the people who helped to make it happen. The book also notes the understandable for the time lapses in judgment or knowledge that actually harmed the environment. 

FDR and his team of New Dealers were able to get millions of dollars granted for 

conservation projects even in the midst of fighting both the Great Depression and World War II.

This book is the second in a planned trilogy by Brinkley on the conservation movement in American history. The first being Wilderness Warrior about Theodore Roosevelt’s contribution to the history of American conservationism.  I can hardly wait for the third volume to come out. 

Around OakMeadows

Our new kitten, Tigger, destroys my closet. 

We were supposed to meet P&W&B for lunch at Gringo’s in Texas City last Friday but W is in the hospital. She has “fluid around her heart”” and so they are carefully diuresing her. I suspect that her cardiac output isn’t sufficient to perfuse her kidneys leading to fluid retention. She is on the lung transplant waiting list so she is being closely monitored and everything possible will be done to keep her alive until the transplant.

I watched 2 really good movies lately.  I watched Book Club on Prime and haven’t laughed so much in a long time. It is definitely an older woman hen flick. The second good movie was American Factory which makes it abundantly clear why the Chinese are kicking our butts. 

I had planned to make Veggie Soup and get all sorts of things done today but by 9 am I was sound asleep for a 2 hour nap. Don’t know why I was so tired but I decided to eat leftovers for lunch and get burgers for dinner. 

T and Lucy came for a visit. We are working on insisting that Lucy not jump up on people. 

We read and watched HGTV. It is just so pleasant. We discussed modifications to the bathroom to make it easier for me to take care of necessities safely and easily as this dratted neuromuscular condition progresses.  

That’s about all that’s going on at OakMeadows. 

September Menu

September Menu

1. Bacon Sandwiches, Oven Fries

2. Slow Cooker Chicken

3. Baked Fish, Carrots/Thyme, Coleslaw 

4. Chicken - Spaghetti Casserole 

5. Steak, GMP, GB

6. Leftovers

7. Out

8. Macaroni and Cheese, Corn, Salad

9. Schwan’s 

10. Tuna Salad

11. Oven BBQ Chicken, Beans, Coleslaw 

12. HB Pie

13. Leftovers

14. Out

15. Scrambled Eggs, Schwan’s Sausage and Potatoes 

16. Slow Cooker Beef

17. Baked Fish, Potatoes, Coleslaw 

18. Chicken Tenders, Carrots/Thyme, Corn

19. Pizza

20. Leftovers 

21. Out

22. CB Hash, CSC

23. Veggie Soup

24. Fried Shrimp, FF, Coleslaw 

25. Schwan’s 

26. Spaghetti and Meatballs

27. Leftovers 

28. Out 

29. St. Wieners, Corn

30. Pork, Sweet Potatoes, Spinach 

Small Pleasures

I love Ronni Bennett’s wonderful blog, Time Goes By.  A recent post was about some of her favorite small pleasures so I thought I would list some of my small pleasures. 

My greatest small pleasure is when my daughter and her dog come over on Sunday. We eat Chipotle burritos and watch HGTV home remodels and read or chat or take a nap. We walk the dogs and play with the kitten. 

I’ve been retired for several years now but it still gives me such pleasure to be able to wake up slowly.

Buying things from the Refugee Services of Texas Amazon Wishlist.  

My Housecleaners. 

Reading a good book. 

Whataburgers.

Watching birds at the feeders and butterflies in the garden. 

We are not helpless.

Three mass shootings in one week. Only in America. Really, no other developed country on earth has anything remotely like this. Why? We are awash in guns, semi automatic guns, and large capacity magazines. Why? Because so many of our elected officials have been bought and paid for by the gun lobby. 

In watching or reading the news, I see people expressing their grief, anger, and feelings of helplessness to stop this madness. But we are not helpless. II can be stopped. We do have a choice. The choice is to continue with the same politicians or take a minute to determine your Senators‘ and your Representative‘s stand on gun control legislation. If they have been bought and paid for by the gun lobby, work like hell to unseat them. Find candidates who will pass rational gun laws and support their candidacy— send a contribution, volunteer to stuff envelopes, canvas a neighborhood. IMHO, votes are more effective than thoughts and prayers.

July Wildlife at OakMeadows

Just kidding.

July Wildlife at OakMeadows 

Birds

Red-winged Blacku

Killdeer 

Mockingbirds 

Caracara

Cardinals 

Barn Swallows 

Cattle Egrets 

Tufted Titmouse 

Whistling Ducks 

Mourning Doves

Hummingbirds

Re-bellied Woodpeckers 

Black Vultures 

Grackles 

Blue Jays

Chickadees

Collared Doves

Great Egret 

Snowy Egret

Turkey Vulture 

Crow

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 

Butterflies 

Monarchs 

Giant Swallowtails

Little Sulphur 

Painted Lady

Pipevine Swallowtail 

Queens

Mammals 

Raccoons 

Squirrels 

Deer

Armadillo 

Other 

Green Anole

Eastern Pondhawk 

Blue Darter

Rules for Elder Living

Some advice for people “between 65 and death.” I don’t remember where I found this but I do think there is some good advice here. 

1. It’s time to use the money you saved up. Use it and enjoy it. Don’t just keep it for those who may have no notion of the sacrifices you made to get it. Remember there is nothing more dangerous than a son or daughter-in-law with big ideas for your hard-earned capital. Warning: This is also a bad time for investments, even if it seems wonderful or fool-proof. They only bring problems and worries. This is a time for you to enjoy some peace and quiet.


2. Stop worrying about the financial situation of your children and grandchildren, and don’t feel bad spending your money on yourself. You’ve taken care of them for many years, and you’ve taught them what you could. You gave them an education, food, shelter and support. The responsibility is now theirs to earn their own money.


3. Keep a healthy life, without great physical effort. Do moderate exercise (like walking every day), eat well and get your sleep. It’s easy to become sick, and it gets harder to remain healthy. That is why you need to keep yourself in good shape and be aware of your medical and physical needs Keep in touch with your doctor, do tests even when you’re feeling well. Stay informed.


4. Always buy the best, most beautiful items for your significant other. The key goal is to enjoy your money with your partner. One day one of you will miss the other, and the money will not provide any comfort then, enjoy it together. (For us this should read buy the best for yourself.)


5. Don’t stress over the little things. You’ve already overcome so much in your life. You have good memories and bad ones, but the important thing is the present. Don’t let the past drag you down and don’t let the future frighten you. Feel good in the now. Small issues will soon be forgotten.


6. Regardless of age, always keep love alive. Love your partner, love life, love your family, love your neighbor and remember: “A man is not old as long as he has intelligence and affection.”


7. Be proud, both inside and out. Don’t stop going to your hair salon or barber, do your nails, go to the dermatologist and the dentist, keep your perfumes and creams well stocked. When you are well-maintained on the outside, it seeps in, making you feel proud and strong.


8. Don’t lose sight of fashion trends for your age, but keep your own sense of style. There’s nothing worse than an older person trying to wear the current fashion among youngsters. You’ve developed your own sense of what looks good on you – keep it and be proud of it. It’s part of who you are.


9. ALWAYS stay up-to-date. Read newspapers, watch the news. Go online and read what people are saying. Make sure you have an active email account and try to use some of those social networks. You’ll be surprised what old friends you’ll meet. Keeping in touch with what is going on and with the people you know is important at any age.


10. Respect the younger generation and their opinions. They may not have the same ideals as you, but they are the future, and will take the world in their direction. Give advice, not criticism, and try to remind them that yesterday’s wisdom still applies today.


11. Never use the phrase: “In my time.” Your time is now. As long as you’re alive, you are part of this time. You may have been younger, but you are still you now, having fun and enjoying life.


12. Some people embrace their golden years, while others become bitter and surly. Life is too short to waste your days on the latter. Spend your time with positive, cheerful people, it’ll rub off on you and your days will seem that much better. Spending your time with bitter people will make you older and harder to be around.


13. Do not surrender to the temptation of living with your children or grandchildren (if you have a financial choice, that is). Sure, being surrounded by family sounds great, but we all need our privacy. They need theirs and you need yours. If you’ve lost your partner (our deepest condolences), then find a person to move in with you and help out. Even then, do so only if you feel you really need the help or do not want to live alone.


14. Don’t abandon your hobbies. If you don’t have any, make new ones. You can travel, hike, cook, read, dance. You can adopt a cat or a dog, grow a garden, play cards, checkers, chess, dominoes, golf. You can paint, volunteer or just collect certain items. Find something you like and spend some real time having fun with it.


15. Even if you don’t feel like it, try to accept invitations. Baptisms, graduations, birthdays, weddings, conferences. Try to go. Get out of the house, meet people you haven’t seen in a while, experience something new (or something old). But don’t get upset when you’re not invited. Some events are limited by resources, and not everyone can be hosted The important thing is to leave the house from time to time. Go to museums, go walk through a field. Get out there.


16. Be a conversationalist. Talk less and listen more. Some people go on and on about the past, not caring if their listeners are really interested. That’s a great way of reducing their desire to speak with you. Listen first and answer questions, but don’t go off into long stories unless asked to. Speak in courteous tones and try not to complain or criticize too much unless you really need to. Try to accept situations as they are. Everyone is going through the same things, and people have a low tolerance for hearing complaints. Always find some good things to say as well.


17. Pain and discomfort go hand in hand with getting older. Try not to dwell on them but accept them as a part of the cycle of life we’re all going through. Try to minimize them in your mind. They are not who you are, they are something that life added to you. If they become your entire focus, you lose sight of the person you used to be.


18. If you’ve been offended by someone – forgive them. If you’ve offended someone - apologize. Don’t drag around resentment with you. It only serves to make you sad and bitter. It doesn’t matter who was right. Someone once said: “Holding a grudge is like taking poison and expecting the other person to die.” Don’t take that poison. Forgive, forget and move on with your life.


19. If you have a strong belief, savor it. But don’t waste your time trying to convince others. They will make their own choices no matter what you tell them, and it will only bring you frustration. Live your faith and set an example. Live true to your beliefs and let that memory sway them.


20. Laugh. Laugh A LOT. Laugh at everything. Remember, you are one of the lucky ones. You managed to have a life, a long one. Many never get to this age, never get to experience a full life. But you did. So what’s not to laugh about? Find the humor in your situation.


21. Take no notice of what others say about you and even less notice of what they might be thinking. They’ll do it anyway, and you should have pride in yourself and what you’ve achieved. Let them talk and don’t worry. They have no idea about your history, your memories and the life you’ve lived so far. There’s still much to be written, so get busy writing and don’t waste time thinking about what others might think. Now is the time to be at rest, at peace and as happy as you can be!


22. REMEMBER: Life is too short to drink bad wine or warm beer.

Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall

Prisoners of Geography gives an overview of modern geopolitics. It provides a brief history of the world’s major geographic regions and powers showing how geography has shaped events and current relationships. There are chapters for China, Russia, the US, Western Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, Korea and Japan, Latin America and the Arctic. The book gives an easily readable overview of world and its impact on historic and contemporary events. A good read. 

🔥Resistance. Every. Day.🔥

🔥Resistance. Every. Day.🔥

Postcard to Texas Secretary of State:

Thank you for not using Crosscheck system which leaks citizens’ data and purges legitimate voters from the polls. 

Address: Elections Division, Secretary of State, P.O. Box 12060, Austin, TX 78711-2060. 

Made small donations to FairVote.org (works toward a ranked voting system for states) and Spread the Vote (helps people get the necessary documents to register to vote).

🔥Resistance. Every. Day.🔥

Email to Rep. Pete Olson and Senators Cornyn and Cruz:

I value voting as a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. A Pew Center report shows that a majority of both Republicans and Democrats support automatic voter registration, same-day voter registration, an election day holiday, and restoring the vote to returning citizens. To support expanding voting participation, I would like you to co-sponsor the Voter Empowerment Act of 2019 (S. 549/H.R. 1275).

Called Senators Cornyn and Cruz:

 I value fair and accessible voting. Stacking districts prevents fair representation in Congress. Now that H.R. 1 has passed in the House, can I count on you to support voting fairness as it moves to the Senate? Will you urge Senate Majority Leader McConnell to bring it to the floor for a vote? Thank you. 

Sent a small donation to Equal Votes. 

🔥Resistance. Every. Day.🔥

Made a small donation to Vote.org

Postcards to state Rep. Phil Stephenson and state Senator Joan Huffman:

I support automatic voter registration, especially because it empowers citizens with disabilities to exercise their right to vote. I hope you will work to pass legislation to implement automatic voter registration in Texas. Thank you. 

🔥Resistance. Every. Day.🔥

Wrote letters to Texas Secretary of State, State Senator Joan Huffman, and State Representative Phil Stephenson:

The outcome of the 2020 election hinges on whether U.S. voting systems are trustworthy. Hand-marked paper ballots (HMPBs) are the gold standard for election security. While some congressional leaders and for-profit voting tech companies insist that high-tech alternatives to hand-marked paper ballots are safe from hacking, they are not. Texas voters must be able to hand-mark their ballots (with accommodations for disabled people) and be able to verify their vote is counted. I look forward to hearing from you about how you plan to ensure Texas implements HMPBs well before the 2020 presidential election. Thank you.

Called Rep. Pete Olson and Senators Cornyn and Cruz:

I’m calling to encourage you to co-sponsor legislation that would give DC residents a voice in Congress. Every taxpaying citizen should have the right to elect people to represent their values. Can I count on you to support H.R. 51/S. 631? 

Made a small donation to the League of Women Voters Education Fund. 

🔥Resistance. Every. Day.🔥

Called Rep. Pete Olson and Senators Cornyn and Cruz:

I’m calling to express support for the vote-by-mail system that states like Oregon and Washington enjoy. Voting by mail gives voters time to make informed choices, reduces the expense of operating polling places, and increases security and voter participation. To expand vote by mail nationally, I would like you to cosponsor the Vote By Mail Act of 2019 (S. 26/H.R. 92).

July Menu

July Menu

1. Baked Cod/Salmon, Potatoes, Salad

2. Chicken-Rice Bake

3. Cutlets, GMP, Peas 

4. Leftovers 

5. Out

6. Bacon Sandwiches, Oven Fries

7. Slow Cooker Chicken and Corn Chowder

8. Tuna Salad, Veggie Tray

9. Oven BBQ Chicken, Beans, Salad 

10. HB Pie

11. Leftovers 

12. Out

13. Macaroni and Cheese, Corn, Salad

14. Schwan’s 

15. Baked Fish, Oven Fries, Coleslaw 

16. Chicken Tenders, Carrots/Thyme, Corn

17. Pizza

18. Leftovers 

19. Out

20. Scrambled Eggs, Canadian Bacon, Toast 

21. Slow Cooker Beef Noodle Soup

22. Shrimp Jambalaya 

23. Fruited Chicken Salad

24. Spaghetti and Meatballs, Salad 

25. Leftovers 

26. Out

27. CB Hash, CSC, Salad 

28. Schwan’s 

29. Fried Shrimp, FF, Coleslaw 

30. Chicken Parmigiana, Salad 

31. Schwan’s