Waiting

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

December 1 2005 tomorrow is


holidays..........
a new beginning....almost as exciting as Spring.........

the photo here is a practice run on putting photos on the blog-

i don't know what the hell i'm doing so hopefully- the next page will have a real photo

Sunday, November 20, 2005

family and friends

It's a good time to get in touch- what with turkey on the menu this week and all...
Spoke to Rosie B in Oregon this morning-
....they will host a crowd for dinner on Thursday. Ruby and Joe were there- cleaning in prep for company. Tom was making pancakes for everyone......
R & T arrived in Fla days after hurricane - visiting family- a very old very huge banyon tree came down with the wind in front of a brothers' house....they are on the Atlantic coast..
fortunately power went out for a short time- and no other damage.
They will spend Christmas in Bflo- where the 5 grandchildren live.
SmW and SrW won't be home til the 6th of January- then we'll have our
birthday celebration for SR and mini-Christmas- in time for the European gift exchange,
traditionally - the Epiphany. In the meantime we can celebrate the 21st- the WinterSolstice and Christmas Day and Boxing Day, our wedding anniversary, the NEW YEAR-
December 10th is set aside for our neighborhood potluck- 8th annual. It is our turn to host - there will be 14 of us and I hope to pull out a Pictionary game - fun for all.
I am told there are different versions of this game & that we have the original which gives the advantage to 'old' people.
These potlucks can not be rivaled in the deliciousness of dishes offered. Our neighbors are all great cooks-or at least have wonderful recipes. Lisa B is the dessert queen; chocolate plays are large role in her repertoire.
Ordered a 20lb Amish- farm turkey- which means no preservatives, etc.
1.79/lb for the larger sizes. DH shopped for the trimmings today at Joe Randazzo's, our bargain produce market, which caters to the many nationalities in our communities- there is something for everyone from Bangkok to New Delhi to Baghdad to Naples to San Jose........Joe has it all. A couple of weeks ago we had fun at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's- out on the border of AnnArbor/Ypsilanti-
and we are still enjoying the dolce from Belo Horizonte- and now Girl Scout cookies...
can't say we aren't well fed.
Looking forward to seeing Sophia- 2 1/2 now- and talking more and more.
Hope the weather is just like today- sunny with temps in the 40's......
Enjoy your holiday dinners- if you are not with the Natives you love- love the Pilgrims you're with.
~~

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

ON THIS DAY
On Nov. 15, 1969, a quarter of a million protesters staged a peaceful demonstration in Washington, D.C., against the Vietnam War.

Friday, November 11, 2005

ON THIS DAY
On Nov. 11, 1918, fighting in World War I came to an end with the signing of an armistice between the Allies and Germany.

Thursday, November 10, 2005

keepin' it clean

Dear NRDC Member,
Fantastic news! Late last night, after months of intense pressure from millions of pro-environment activists like you, the House leadership dropped its plan to allow oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as part of the budget bill.In the end, they were forced to retreat after some 22 courageous Republican Congressmen stood their ground and promised to vote against their own party's budget if it sacrificed America's greatest wildlife refuge. With every single Democrat also opposing the budget, the leadership blinked.It was the kind of showdown at high noon that restores one's faith both in democracy and the sanctity of America's natural heritage.Make no mistake: we must now remain vigilant. Senate and House negotiators could still revive the Arctic drilling provision when they hammer out a final budget measure next month (the Senate version of the budget includes Arctic drilling).If that happens, we'll be calling on you to shore up Republican moderates in the House who have promised to oppose and defeat any such last-ditch ploy to sneak Arctic drilling into the final budget legislation.But last night's development is a stunning setback for President Bush, for Congressional leaders, and for the oil lobby -- all of whom vowed that 2005 would be the year they finally pried the Arctic Refuge out of the clenched hands of the American people.And it is a huge -- and I mean HUGE -- victory for all of us in the environmental community.Just one year ago, Washington insiders were saying that Arctic drilling was a done deal. President Bush was claiming a post-election mandate to industrialize the Arctic Refuge, and the pro-oil contingent of the Republican Party had just tightened its majority grip on both houses of Congress. You couldn't find a pundit anywhere who would give us a wisp of a chance.But millions of people like you did the impossible! Petition by petition, phone call by phone call, contribution by contribution, you helped us turn the tide in one of the toughest uphill political battles of the past decade.Although this battle may not be over, yesterday was a red letter day for the Arctic Refuge -- the greatest day since it was first protected by Congress 25 years ago -- but it is much more than that, too. It is a triumph for America. November 9, 2005 was the day that nature prevailed over corporate greed, that beauty triumphed over a dead-end energy plan. It was the day we reminded Washington that preserving wilderness is a core American value -- and that we intend to keep it that way.I know we can count on your help next month if Senate and House leaders dare to bring Arctic drilling back to the floor for a vote.
Sincerely,John H. AdamsNRDC Action Fund

Friday, November 04, 2005

Twenty - six years ago

ON THIS DAY
On Nov. 4, 1979, the Iranian hostage crisis began as militants stormed the United States Embassy in Tehran.

Thursday, November 03, 2005

Holiday shopping

Gone are the days when anyone (really ) appreciates a homemade gift of jam or needlework. Those of us who do this work appreciate the time and care involved
and treasure that type of offering. Most folks don't have the time or talent or interest. Below is an excellent shopping guide- if you must "'Buy"
This holiday, as everyone agrees, has become the only consumer event fueling the economy. I read that Ramadan is becoming a commercial holiday as well.

Budget conscious "Christians" will likely be paring down the lists this year.
After all- do we put gas in the car or turn up the thermostat?

Our Buffalo Cousin, A.M., is looking at a double by-pass, docs say: asap.

I have a new cd of lectures by Joseph Campbell- nothing 'new ' so far- but am only on the 2nd track. It came with our donation to public television. 1/2 of the donation is tax deductible in michigan.
On Nov 15th we will be attending a fundraiser at a popular restaurant here- Howard Dean will attend. I am looking fwd to meeting like minded neighbors.
Yesterday,via tv, I listened to all of the speakers at the Grace Temple Church located on 7 Mile in Detroit - You all know "8 Mile" thanks to Eminem- cute kid.
It was a learning, moving and encouraging 6 hours.
At the same time I managed to crochet most of a 'new-baby' blanket.
Rocky ( GR/chow) really gets needy around 6 30 pm- needs to play and run ...
it's his routine and that routine is sometimes undone by the absence of DH at that time. Rocky is too heavy ( 70+lbs) and curious for me to to handle on a walk.
Anyway- he does not allow me to SIT after the dinner hour- he expects me to leash him up and walk him- when I am the only human in sight. Need more chew toy distractions on those occasions.

http://www.buyblue.org/company/ranking/donations
enjoy this day............

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

11/02/05 global warming

Hello dear readers,

Weather here ( midwest - west of Lake Erie usa )unseasonally mild.
Sunshine is no stranger to us in the fall and winter- but the temps are higher and October was the driest on record....
To anyone who may still be unconvinced of the 'global warming' theory- it doesn't prove anything.......does it ?
I have learned that titles here (blogworld) are important..
Good news from Midland TX- our friend JvB is able to reconnect with the outside world via the Public Library. That he can read and write e mail is essential to his progress/recovery. JvB had been in a coma Jan 2005- recovered and has had a long row to hoe to get to this point. Congratulations and happy birthday to you, J.
We will be hosting a Turkey dinner here on the 3rd Thursday of this month.
An American Tradition.
I have made small progress on the gift list in honor of the December Event.
We are planning to install a wood burning stove inside the existing fireplace.
The plan is to heat with wood by day, and hardly at all by night. The less the furnace runs, the better. OTOH- creating more Co2 in the air doesn't seem like a very good idea, either.
I say I can spend the winter in AZ- and not have to deal with the high gas prices at all.
The problem there is .. water ......is there a place on earth that does not require compromise? I know Brazil is doing a pretty good job of using alternative fuels in their automobiles - climate delightful- no major natural disasters, except severe frost, occasionally. Burning wood for heat there: not necessary.
Loggers are still illegally cutting and selling, from along the Amazon....mostly to the US for hardwood floors to be installed in McMansions.
Halloween was fun. Our little angel costumed as a giraffe- and she was terribly assertive in shouting 'trick or treat' and then wanted to ask for '2' of everything!
The night ended early- but we enjoyed some tasty snacks afterward and the rain didn't fall until all of the neighborhood kids were safely inside. ( In this subdivision - the police come by at an appointed moment and chase every one home, hmmm -kind of like Fascist Italy under Mussolini- when the trains always ran on time.)
OK- no political observations here this morning *_*
enjoy your day
~~

Carter, Jimmy 1976

ON THIS DAY
On Nov. 2, 1976, former Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter defeated Republican incumbent Gerald R. Ford, becoming the first U.S. president from the Deep South since the Civil War.