Windy Days and Knitting

I don't like it when the wind blows, it makes me nervous and wears me out. In Oregon this is the time of year we get a lot of wind. Makes it feel frigid when it's actually around 40 degrees.  I'm ready for these days to pass. Plants are being blown over on my patio and making a mess.

The wind blows worse in Kansas where they plant windbreaks of poplar trees. In Texas the sand flies when the wind blows. I don't remember the wind blowing when we lived in Louisiana. I do remember the air being so still any clothes you hung on the line looked exactly the same when you brought them in as when you hung them out. Not even enough breeze to move clothes on the clotheslines.

This is the time of year when you become tired of all your clothes but it's too soon to break out spring clothes.

Plants are looking bad but it's too early to plant new ones.

By March I will have had all I can stand of cloudy rainy days but know there are many more to come. Hard to keep motivated.

So, I'm knitting some just because I find it soothing. I don't knit in the summer so I'd better do it now.

 Some projects take a long time and teach me patience.

Some go much quicker and reward me with instant gratification.

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A chance to use your voice by joining AARP as they oppose repealing Obamacare. You might want to give this some thought.

There is news tonight of rumblings among Republicans about "repairing" Obamacare. That works for me. "Repair" was always the magic word. No one ever said it didn't need more work. If Republicans had "repaired" it before they voted 60 times to repeal it all this nonsense would not have happened.

This is one place where public outrage definitely makes a difference. Republicans have heard the public outcry and they are reluctant to have the repeal of Obamacare on their record. We need to send a message if they mess up Obamacare they own it. We have to keep calling the offices of elected officials and marching in the streets. It's the only voice we have. Republicans control all three branches of government.
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Encouraging news:

Eyeing the House, Democrats move to hire operatives in 20 GOP-held districts. An article you should find interesting.

Liberals are the new Tea Party. There seems to be new activity in a lot of places.

Fired Up

I went to bed with a heavy heart last night but am recovering this morning as I read Twitter and news sources.

Where we are today is where Republicans were at this time in 2009 after the election of President Obama. Out of the unrest of that time rose the "Tea Party," and the take-over of the House and Senate in 2010 with right wing Republicans. We can do this. Now is not the time to grow weary. Keep working and keep your eyes on 2018!

Last year I took some time to study the Republican Party. It seems today there's no place for moderate Republicans, they've become Independents.

What's left of the Party is split into several factions, all about monetary gains, property, big business, and power. The faction of the party that was about people is gone.

Once people were out of the picture the Party became harsh and power driven. They're a suspicious and paranoid people these days.
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It seems to me Independents are now composed of conservative Democrats and moderate Republicans. Perhaps its time for them to stop swinging in the wind and unite. I'm open to a new party, though to be honest, I don't see that happening.

Matthew Dowd is a person I follow on Twitter. You may catch him on TV as he's on some of the panels there, ABC, I believe. He's been a Democrat, he's been a Republican, he's now an Independent. Most of the time I like what he has to say on Twitter. He's considering running as an Independent in Texas to replace Senator Ted Cruz in 2018. I would certainly support that.

He has started something called "Listen To Us" following through on his belief both political parties are broken and we're going to need new parties.  I encourage you to read what he has to say.

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Through it all I usually find something to make me smile. This morning it was from the blog "Murmurs." You seriously need to read it.

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For me it's always about

Civil Rights, Human Rights, Voting Rights & Religious Freedom.

Since I'm seeing no thought of those issues in the Republican Party these days I must work through the Democratic Party.

Insanity Reigns

"Mr Trump. Steve Job's biological father's name was Abdulfattah Jandali. He came to the US as a student. He was from Homs, Syria." -Thomas L. Friedman on Twitter 1/28/17
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With every good intention I set about to put my life in order this morning. I took a nice walk to clear my head of the cobwebs (politics). I took all the yarn out of my closet and laid it on the bed to organize.  All was well until I checked my iPad, and it was all over, I was again glued to all the news.

We're now something like nine days into this administration. I thought by this time I'd be able to go on with my life but not so. It's like a firehose spewing out crazy things. Congress is having a hard time finding their voice but last I checked there may be hope.

Don't tell me people taking to the streets and flooding Congress with messages of protest is not working.

I graduated in 1960 and lived in a little town of 300 in Texas. I missed all the chaos of that time. When it came time to protest the Vietnam War I was probably in support of LBJ.

Now that I'm 74 I'm finding some of these protests interesting and some are beginning to call to me to participate.  I am concerned though about this one on immigration. I worry that it could easily turn violent.

The March for Science seems to be coming along nicely. I was amused last night reading about their idea to come up with a "Thinking Cap" for knitters to knit.

To this one I said, "no," far too much i-cord for my liking. If, however, you would like to knit one I went to Ravelry.com and typed in 'Thinking Cap' for the pattern. This one, and another one like it, popped right up so you're free to knit your heart out.

One comment was not to make them pink like the 'pussyhats' but perhaps grey. I don't much like grey. I don't think thousands of grey hats will make a statement.  Time will tell what they choose but I doubt it will be this pattern.

If you enjoy Garrison Keillor you might enjoy this article in the Washington Post.

A Mix of Things

The view from my patio.

Isn't snow supposed to melt? This morning I made an attempt to order groceries from Safeway's Home Delivery Service. Not going to happen. Their schedule is booked solid. We are out of a lot of things but not yet to the point of going hungry. May try takeout delivery if we're unable to get out in the next couple of days.  Bob had an appointment with the cardiologist this morning that we rescheduled for February. Enough already!

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I've been reading like crazy these past few days. It's no secret there are many things I admire about President Obama. One is his appreciation for reading. Here's the link to a fascinating article: President Obama on What Books Mean to Him. I encourage you to read it.

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Another interesting article is from The New Yorker: The Music Donald Trump Cannot Hear. The recommendation for this one actually came from a conservative journalist.

I found the closing paragraph powerful:

There's no point in studying history if we do not take some lesson from it. The best way to be sure that 2017 is not 1934 is to act as though it were. We must learn and relearn that age's necessary lessons: that meek submission is the most short-sighted of policies, that waiting for the other, more vulnerable group to protest first will only increase the isolation of us all. We must refuse to think that if we play nice and don't make trouble, our group won't be harmed. Calm but consistent opposition shared by a broad front of committed and constitutionally-minded protesters--it's easy to say, fiendishly hard to do, and necessary to accomplish if we are to save the beautiful music of American democracy."

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From what I'm reading the email inboxes of Congress are full. That is apparently not the best way to register your opinion. Phone calls, even if you have to wait, and letters are more effective. We must make our voices heard.