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Monday, April 15, 2013

Spring: happy cheerful, or does she have a mean sense of humor?

Discuss. 

Also, Happy Tax Day to the U.S. Pixies.  Yeah, grumble grumble about doing the forms; kick of self if one's estimates were off.   Heck, yeah, there would be some different priorities if I was Queen of the Universe (or if you were).  But on the happy cheerful side -- this is the grand civic exercise that keeps the place running.  We collectively provide schools and libraries and hospitals and courthouses; we build roads and bridges; protect wonderful kids and our elders and core rights and hopes and dreams; we pay police officers and teachers and firefighters and engineers and scientists and safety inspectors and researchers; and on and on.   We could do even more, if the fattest cats were doing their fair share (in my opinion), but that's no reason to disrespect the tremendous good that millions of us do together, every day and every year.

57 comments:

kathy a. said...

boston.

esperanza said...

Yeah Boston.

AW: hiking with friend today in nearby state park. Got lost and everything.

W: came home to bad insurance news. I detest phone calls to insurance companies.

Liz said...

Boston.

kathy a. said...

oh, esperanza. yay about hiking, but i'm all saddled up for a good cluesticking. and sending hugs.

Anonymous said...

oh my god.
so sad.
stood with my kids for 2 hours along marathon route earlier today cheering for runners as they went past. Many have names on shirts/arms. Now my kids (and I) are wondering if they are ok.

Friends who we know were running are ok.
cannot process.
have no words.

-Neighbor Lady

--Neighbor Lady

kathy a. said...

((( NL ))) so glad that you and yours are OK. there just are no words... xoxo

Sue said...

(((((NL))))) glad you are safe.

esperanza said...

Oh, NL. So sorry. Hug those kids tight.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the hugs!!!
Definitely extra hugs in our house tonight!
--
Neighbor Lady

kathy a. said...

hugs for everybody.

Liz said...

Sister and nephew were invocation yesterday looking at colleges. Both are fine, for which I am profoundly grateful. Am also grateful I didn't know they were there until I heard that they were okay.

Liz said...

(((NL))) am glad you are okay!!!

Liz said...

I keep hearing on the news about the heroism of the ex-football-player in the cowboy hat who kept going back and helping. And I hatehatehate myself for wondering...did he maybe do it? Mostly because of the hat. Because it's so very visible, you know?

Anonymous said...

Grateful that we were never in danger ourselves, and that our friends (some of whom were about 100 yards from the blast) are ok.
Thoughts with all those injured or grieving.
--NL

kathy a. said...

i accidentally looked at comments to an article about the bombings. considering that nobody knows who did this or why, there are an awful lot of scary opinions about ethnicity and motives of perp[s], who to bomb in retaliation, why it is the president's fault, etc. etc.

of course, we are all wondering what twisted, horrible ideas were behind this destruction. but, it's more important to get it right than to "solve" it quickly and incorrectly.

liz, there have been cases of people doing horrible things, then acting like a hero -- the arsonist firefighter; the killer participating in the search for a missing person. i remember a backpack bomb at a parade in coeur d'alene, but not the motive. there are any number of possible motives: it was income tax day; mile 26 was dedicated to the newtown victims; who knows?

we're wired to want answers, all of us. what scared me about those icky comments is the hatred and the certainty behind them -- from opinion jockeys armed only with their own agendas.

kathy a. said...

there must have been dozens and dozens of heroes when those bombs went off in boston. over 150 injured, some very badly, and only 3 people died. the immediate response, evacuation, triage, and treatment were amazing.

people were tightly packed on the street and in bleachers, but i heard no reports of trampling as they went to escape. the runners who were turned back stayed calm. then, all the reports of kindness -- bostonians helping confused runners, offering food, offering places to stay. many many good people.

kathy a. said...

many hugs to our redzils, who was at virginia tech on that terrible day.

Anonymous said...

(((redzils)))

--NL

Anonymous said...

Thanks, all. I'm grieving today and it's still hard, six years out. I lit 32 candles for those we lost - and one for Boston - this morning.

I appreciate you all, and am holding you and yours in the light today.

-redzils

kathy a. said...

from phantom: http://phantomscribbler.blogspot.com/2013/04/marathon.html

Anonymous said...

Phantom's words, as always, are so eloquent, so beautiful. You captured the day exactly.
--Neighbor Lady

esperanza said...

((redzils))

Too much sad. I even had sad dreams (about something else entirely).

kathy a. said...

comfort foods -- ideas? we are in need. i've got mini apple-chicken sausages wrapped in crescent dough. (sure to win daughter's heart.) plan to do some homemade mac/cheese. maybe a bake with diced taters + shaved onion + bell peppers. we're missing greens, here...

what works for your family?

Anonymous said...

Neighbor Girl just had her last two baby teeth extracted today, so we are in the realm of soft foods---we are doing potato and onion pierogies. Maybe steamed carrots? LOVE the sausages in crescent dough....yum. Also love the taters, onions, peppers.
I am currently uninspired in the kitchen, but your dinner sounds lovely..
Usually I would say something cheesy, but I can't do cheese anymore, so.....I got nothin'.
--Neighbor Lady

Anonymous said...

For greens, I do happen to love sauteed swiss chard with caramelized onions (or kale) cooked a little while, with a hint of barbecue sauce thrown in at the end...

--Neighbor Lady

esperanza said...

Hubby uncharacteristically was craving BBQ (national comfort food of Texas. Yes I said national). So he brought home brisket, mac & cheese, potatoes and green beans.

AW: I e-mailed the state board of education (which, if you want to be horrified, g**gle the Texas version thereof) late last night with the question: can she wait for kindergarten. Very nice man CALLED me back TODAY. Answer: state law neither requires that it be allowed nor prohibits it. You have to work it out with the school district. Let's hope he knows what he's talking about.

Liz Miller said...

Talked to my sister this evening and she and my nephew were at the site 10 minutes before it happened. TEN MINUTES. She talked to law enforcement last night because of something she saw.

TEN MINUTES.

esperanza said...

wow, Liz. That's a heavy load. Hugs.

kathy a. said...

xoxo

Anonymous said...

(((((liz)))))
-NL

Sue said...

Thinking of you redzils.

Phantom's post is beautiful, as always.

Liz - 10 minutes! Oh my goodness - I'm so glad they are safe.

I'm kind of glad I wasn't the only one who wondered about cowboy. He has lost two sons, both of whom fought in Iraq. One died there and the other by suicide after returning home. Reason for anger?

I'm sure the authorities have checked him out.

Yay for swiss chard! I like it with a bit of fresh parmesan sprinkled on at the end of cooking, but I'm all for trying the BBQ sauce.

kathy a. said...

from our friend, YT: http://yankeetransferred.blogspot.com/2013/04/next-to-heaven.html

kathy a. said...

esperanza -- fast response about your school question! also, you're in the running for mullet with "national comfort food of texas." ;)

fortunately, my beloved does not like the sausage/crescent combo, because the kids snarfed them all before he got home.

esperanza said...

I was shocked to get any response at all, much less one within 12 hours.

kathy a. said...

so, now you just need to figure out who the go-to person is. you might start with the local school, and not even need to go to the district. both might have informative websites. the doctor might also have some insights from working with other kids in the community.

esperanza said...

Well, I was hoping for a statewide response. We are fine with this local school and district here in smalltown. Odds are more than 50-50 that we'll be moving this time next year (hubby's job moves them around at will. Whole nother whine). So, a different district might not be so easy to convince. But, the doctor will definitely back us up wherever we end up.

New whine: fridge out
AW: caught it before food ruined
AW: we don't have to pay for replacement (belongs to church)
W: that requires some committee approvals, etc

kathy a. said...

Memo from Pixies:
Dear Committee(s) -- is there something you do not understand about 2 young kids, 2 ministering adults, and the need for a functional fridge? NOW? Good.
Love, Pixies

the district a year from now will have to live with what the current district does. it'll work out! (except, the whine of a potential move is totally righteous...)

Liz Miller said...

If the committee doesn't approve it, the posse is a-comin' for them.

Liz Miller said...

Got a heads-up from the Pimple Twins that Aunt Flo was on her way. Brought a pad with me into the washroom. Found clean underwear. Shrugged. Then I wiped, and found that lo! The Twins had spoken truly.

So yay?

kathy a. said...

liz brings the zits, the fluids, and that "be prepared" attitude. lookin' prizeworthy!

Liz said...

22 days since aunt flo's last arrival, if anyone's counting. Which I am.

kathy a. said...

NO FAIR!

Sue said...

Ugh. Totally unfair Liz. Good for you for being ready though.

Kathy a - the sausage rolls sound delish!

Add me to the school and fridge posse!

W: a clergy group I belong to hosts a big event every year. It's sort of a combined education and fun thing. This is year 7. The event has only happened on land once, back in the second year. I attended that one and it was great!

Every other event has been a cruise. A Circus Fun cruise, now famous for its disasters at sea. Ya. That won't be happening. I do not like boats and I certainly won't pay to be on that one.

It's a small thing, I know, but darn it, I feel excluded. I'm not alone on this, others feel the same, but still it's the floating Petri dish from hell year after year.

Wah ,

esperanza said...

Fridge posse can be called off. Man Who Doesn't Let Grass Grow Under His Feet found a loaner fridge. New one will be ordered tomorrow, delivered next week. That's the way of the world here in smalltown.

kathy a. said...

OK, cross the fridge off, unless this gets messed up.

Sue -- a cruise is not one of those inclusive kinds of get-togethers. Nevermind the stuck on a boat where bad things happen part of it -- there is the getting to the boat part, and the cost of the boat part, and the bizarre boat rituals part. Many people in your particular profession are not over-paid, ya know? And this is not exactly a central location, let's make it easy for everyone to attend kind of plan. In my opinion.

esperanza said...

I would be with you on the cruise whine, Sue, had I a continuing ed budget to even worry about. Someday...

Sue said...

Esperanza, that's the other problem. I could not sell my Board on an education event that takes place on a cruise ship. Ever.

Good points kathy - for me, the cost of getting to the boat would be more than the cruise itself. There is also something elitist about it all. I know that lots of people enjoy cruises, and the ships employ people, but something about the whole thing makes me uncomfortable.

It's too bad, because the one land event was really good. We had a great speaker and it was fun.

Ah well, maybe someday....

esperanza said...

oh, man, this explosion in West is terrible. I'm nowhere near it, but we drive through there every time we go to visit grandparents.

Sue said...

How awful - keeping the people of West in my thoughts. Such a sad, sad week.

Anonymous said...

so sad--thoughts and prayers for people in Texas.

AW: I am enjoying the new Maisie Dobbs novel
(Liz, did you see it's out?! I am so grateful to you for turning me on to this series!!)

--Neighbor Lady

Anonymous said...

so sad--thoughts and prayers for people in Texas.

AW: I am enjoying the new Maisie Dobbs novel
(Liz, did you see it's out?! I am so grateful to you for turning me on to this series!!)

--Neighbor Lady

Sue said...

I adore Maisie Dobbs!! Yay!

kathy a. said...

i'm so angry at the senate and their puppeteers that it's the next day, and i'm still having a head 'splosion. background checks are not the road to the devil, you fireplacing geniuses.

ahem. in other news, the comfort food express moved on yesterday to little meatballs rolled in sauce and panko, then baked. (little crunchy outside; tender inside.) today, i think cole slaw and pasta salad.

Anonymous said...

Comfort food=pecan pie
--Neighbor Lady

Anonymous said...

And, yummmmm meatballs!
Also, breakfast food. of almost any sort.
--NL

Miranda said...

More Boston. Wow. A colleague's son goes to MIT. I'm sure the son is okay but I know my colleague and his wife are probably full of worry.

Thinking of you, Phantom and NL, this morning.

kathy a. said...

yes, thinking of everybody.

from the onion: what a week . thanks to elizabeth.