I may have missed Monday, but Tuesday is nowhere near as busy

 Yep, Monday whizzed past me, sweetpeas!

For a variety of reasons everyone in this house had to be awake early (Gawd, on a Monday, too) and busy with a variety of assignments, so I missed blogging. Well, I wasn't really busy, I was just trying to stay out of the way of the really busy people. So, consequently, my computer and I were estranged for a portion of the day, and when we were finally reunited, I didn't have words to share. Actually, I was too engaged watching The Chelsea Detective and then, reading the NYT. It really was easier mentally to watch a murder mystery than to read the daily horror show scroll by on my screen.

But here it is Tuesday afternoon and I'm sitting across from the MITM watching him moving to beat only he can hear (he's wearing earbuds) as he writes. I guess it's a sign of the times that working at a partners' desk can feel as isolating as an office cubicle when you're both writing.

To be clear this is not a complaint, just an observation.

It's very similar to talking to yourself whilst cooking, but there's someone else in the kitchen who thinks you're talking to them. Proximity assumes conversation, I guess.

Or maybe, I'm just too much in my head right now.

I've been waiting all day for a call back regarding an appointment and I am slightly pissed off aggrieved that I've had to wait.

Huzzah! while I've been looking at my screen, the lovely MITM has opened a bottle of wine! 

So Cheers, loverlies! I'll see all y'all tomorrow!

xoxo

Observations on a Sunday morning

 We're at super nana and Mr. Matrix's house this weekend, so I have a view out the breakfast room window onto a busy street. This morning while I was drinking my coffee I noticed an elderly man stop and look down at something near the edge of the driveway and the neighbor's yard. It was a book. He picked it up and started flipping through the pages stopping occasionally to read a section, then continuing to flip pages. He stood there for at least 15 minutes, moving only when the MITM drove up and parked in the drive. I opened the front door to let the MITM and BGM in and as I did, the old guy looked up, I smiled and said, "Good Morning" He half smiled and waved back. I think he expected me to say something about the book, but I didn't. I'm just glad he took it!

I made the mistake of looking at the NYT online this morning, so seeing and having a pleasant encounter was a very good thing.

Little things are making me smile today. 

Or maybe it was the lemon jelly doughnut the MITM and BGM brought home. 

No matter what I am going to enjoy the little pleasures life gives me and be thankful for them.

Take care of yourselves, sweetpeas

xoxo

Holey Moley! It's The Doc's Birthday!

 No picture this time because I don't have a recent one for some reason! I know, right? What kind of mother doesn't have a picture of her child to share with friends on his (hold on I have to do the math because I forget how old he is today)  49th birthday???

No party, just gifts delivered earlier, funny text messages, and no early morning wake-up call! 

I like catching them off guard with those calls.

So, please join us in celebrating Doc's day and leave him a good wish or two!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DOC!

Al Green - Love and Happiness Pt 2

March 8, 1969 Still the One

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, MITM!

Yes, today marks our 53rd anniversary! The guy-who-thinks-he's-the-boss-of-me have been together an extremely long time and we have the scars 4 children and memories to prove it! All that to say, nothing exciting planned for today, just knowing we're still speaking together is enough!

Here's to love and happiness! 

Help! Blogspot seems to have changed its game on me

 I can't seem to add a new blog to my sidebar! I mean, I added the name and the URL, hit save and for some reason, the newly added blog isn't showing up on the sidebar! What am I doing wrong?

HELLS BELLS! there's more that isn't right on my sidebar! I just found out that another blog I've been following isn't showing up on the sidebar!

WTF is going on blogspot?

Somebody said, "Take my picture and put it on your Bloooogggg

 

Here we are or What's next? Locusts?

 Like many of you here in Blogville, I am struggling to find the right tone, the right words to balance what's happening in Ukraine with our everyday lives. So much, if not all, of what's happening is so far above our paygrades that we're reduced to watching, reading, or listening to what's happening there. America is removed by an ocean, but the unspoken anxiety is still present. The entire world is under pressure, physical and/or mental, from the murderous man in Russia. I wonder how long he has before the Russian people say ENOUGH! 

We will each find our way and I can only hope that it will be peaceful and that we are not watching the beginning of the end of our planet.

Please donate to whichever relief fund is available to you wherever you are. xoxo

Fat Tuesday, March 1st, 2022

 So here we are looking at Spring just around the corner. Right now it's 79F here in Lalaland, sunny, bright and the living is easy. We are, as a friend said on Instagram, so lucky to have been born here. He caught a lot of flack for that from some who read far more into his statement. Folks felt that the idea of luck was "part of a victim mentality" go figure because that's a state of mind I'd never embrace. It is serendipity that we're where we are in the world; a combination of decisions ancestors made or were forced into that have placed us in America. Having grown up during the Cold War practicing drills in event of an attack (seriously, did adults really think that kids hiding under their desk with their arms over their neck would save them?) I can't imagine how anyone in Ukraine is dealing with the attack and events that have unfolded these past 6 days. This time last year, average Ukrainians were living their lives dealing with a worldwide pandemic and still planning for their futures with no hint of what a year would bring. 

I remember listening to Dr. Fiona Hill during TFG's impeachment hearings and wondering how anyone could dispute her words given her background. I can only hope that wiser heads than mine are listening to her now. (You find her words/testimony just by googling her name because I've forgotten how to do hyperlinks.) 

So, what does all this have to do with Fat Tuesday? Today marks the end of the Mardi Gras season and tomorrow will mark the beginning of Lent for Christians. The parallel for me is the end of gestures with regard to Russia and the time for serious thought of what happens next because we are dealing with a man who seems to have lost all sense of reality and unfortunately, has access to nuclear codes. We experienced the madness of TFG, but we had a military that KNEW they swore an oath to defend the United States, not the president. This is not the case in Russia. 

Yeah, I'm lucky to have been born here, but I fear for my friends who are closer to the insanity and the possibility of the entire world being drawn into the calamity that is on the horizon.

I'm rambling and stumbling because I have no idea what will happen in the days to come, except that I will be with my family and I will revel in that certainty.

Stay safe and well, sweetpeas! xoxo

Part 2

 

We gave BBC a handpainted Alice in Wonderland chess set.  The MITM lost.

Hello again and let's celebrate a birthday!

Yesterday was the 10th Birthday for BBC aka Big Boy Chaos aka Hellboy! I posted on that other social media site and was pleasantly surprised and reminded that many of you have been around since his BIRTH and celebrated with us then and every year since here on the blog. 

All of this also reminded me of how much all y'all have become part of my life and for that, I am truly humbled and grateful. There's something about knowing that I can share good times and bad here on the blog, or in an email, or sometimes, even on the phone that makes hard/difficult times easier to handle. Yes, I have my family and friends around me, but having the extra circle of pals around the world makes life just that much more fun!

(Before anyone thinks I'm leaving, rest assured that Savmarshmama ain't leaving Blogville and I plan on being around for a while!)

*******

There will be pics from last night later after Captain Chaos does his director of photography thing, but here's one from the start of the celebrations this past Saturday at Hogwarts in Universal Studios!

BGM and BBC starting the celebrations!

I think I'll post the photos in a new post, so look for Part 2!

2022 means 72 for me

 HAPPY NEW YEAR, DEAR FRIENDS!

May 2022 bring us all things good and joyful!

and Happy Birthday to me!

Once a week, instead of once upon a time

 The lovely Scarlet gave me a great idea of how to shake this languishing off! Instead of trying to write every day and then feeling down for not making it happen...here we are!

It's been strange times around here that I'll share at some point, but for now, there is good news or some fun news to share.

Last night the MITM and I catered and served a four-course dinner party for Captain Chaos and Stretch. The starter was a Louisianna Turtle Soup served with a drizzle of sherry, chopped hardboiled egg, and a sprinkle of fresh chopped green onion. A lovely Pinot Noir was the perfect accompaniment!

The main course was a Northern-Italian Rabbit Cacciatore served over egg noodles, instead of the more traditional polenta. All the ingredients were fresh and some a bit unusual! For the first time, the MITM used juniper berries in a recipe. They've been sort of an inside joke between us after watching a Nero Wolfe episode ages ago and now I understand the argument over the number of berries to use in a recipe. A couple of delicious reds were shared.

Normally, the cheese course would be served now, but it was so lovely that guests helped themselves first. Hat's off to REDACTED for her contribution!

Dessert was also presented by friends, REDACTED, for a gorgeous pear galette and a delicious Chocolate Lava Bundt cake served with vanilla or chocolate ice cream! (I had both!)

It was a grand party and  I'm truly glad the MITM and I could do the catering and clean-up, so they could really enjoy hosting their friends!

Sadly, no one took pictures of the food, but I guess it was because it was too good!

xoxoxo

November 25, 2021

HAPPY

THANKSGIVING!

Today I give thanks for my friends, family, and

especially all of you!

However you celebrate, let us remember those who are no longer with us

and

find joy, love, strength, and peace

together!

xoxoxo

Guess who's 50 TODAY???

CAPTAIN CHAOS!!

This pic was taken last year on his first day back on set after lockdown. I think the wide-eyed wonderment is equally as impressive at the thought of turning 50! He's a great son, a thoughtful brother, a lovely husband, and a fantastic Dad, so I hope y'all will join us in wishing him a fantastic birthday and a wild weekend!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, super nana!!!

Yep, it's that time again!

Today is super nana's BIG DAY! I suppose at some time we should acknowledge her actual age*, so this year I am happy to celebrate, with all y'all, her REDACTED birthday! I hope y'all will join us in wishing her the very best REDACTED spin around the sun!

This is from a few years ago, but it's one of our favorites!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SUPER NANA!!!

* For a few years, the MITM told everyone she was 26! She was not, but looked as if she still was.

Hello, Friends!

 It's been a minute since I last posted, 

BUT...

it's been a very busy time out here in Lalaland. So, let me bring y'all up to date or something like that.

BBC and BGM did indeed start back to in-person learning at school. They're both happy to be back with their pals and away from the olds! (OK, that's how I see it anyway) Their parents are relieved as well! Providing constant entertainment can be exhausting, or maybe that's just the way I felt! 

The MITM had a HUGE family reunion, so we finally had a chance to see the extended family after a few years of separation. The MITM has spent a few years working on his family genealogy so new members from different branches showed up! It was a great opportunity to gather all the various branches together for a genuine Creole gathering and enjoy music, delicious food, and perfect southern California weather!

What else kept me away? Nothing exciting, just anxiety, insomnia, general ennui. You know,  business as usual. 

Sooooo, what's happening with all y'all? Wait, I know that answer, Go read our blogs, savannah, and then you'll know!

I've missed all y'all! 

xoxoxo

A couple of things happened this past Sunday and today!

Today BGM (Big Girl Matrix, if you've forgotten) and the MITM went to the Huntington Gardens in Pasadena and had a grand old time! There are pictures, but I'm sharing only this one today.

BUT, on Sunday the little person in the photo celebrated her 9th BIRTHDAY! There are some pics from the party we celebrated on Saturday, but I haven't uploaded them yet. But, in lieu of that, here's an interesting fact I learned - you can rent puppies for your party! Yep, the theme was "A Puppy Party" and the cutest little puppies were here for everyone to play with for an hour! Who knew, right?

Anyway, I'm 2 days late publishing a 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BGM  

post, so help me out and leave some belated best wishes for BGM!

*********

School starts next week for her and BBC (Big Boy Chaos), so like everyone in schools around the nation, they'll be masked and ready to start in-person learning...we hope!

August 2, 2021 or WTF happened to July?

 Jeez Louise, but I'm starting to think that this languishing is becoming my normal state of being! I keep reading all the articles about moving forward but try as I might, nada as in no go, no show, no nothing! Anyone else still trying to move forward? 

Total aside, but I just found out that the shift key on the right side of my MAC doesn't work and Apple KNOWS it's a defect/problem! They will replace the key, but it will take 3 weeks. It's as if my inconvenience is my problem, not theirs even though this recalcitrant key is their fault! (that exclamation point was done twice-think about how you type and you'll understand my situation!)

I'm going to bed. 

G'night, Gracie

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, STRETCH!!

 Yesterday was the 4th of July and we all gathered together to eat and then watch the big fireworks display. 

But, today is the REALLY BIG DAY because it's Stretch's REDACTED birthday! She's celebrating at the beach with Captain Chaos, The Kid, and Big Boy Chaos! I'm not sure what time things will kick off because yesterday ran really long into the night. 

So, here's to Stretch, may she have many more birthdays! Join us in wishing her the happiest of happy days!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, STRETCH!!

The 4th of July, 2021

For many people, this will be the first time gathering together and watching fireworks celebrating our country's founding. Historically speaking, this is the commonly accepted day that was chosen to commemorate the signing of the declaration of independence. Given the past events here in the United States, the rise of white supremacy, the acceptance of ignorance over science, and sadly, false patriotism, I hope it isn't the last.

I think I have re-entry anxiety.

Stay safe, sweetpeas!

Three posts in April and now it's MAY 18th!!

I don't know what's happened to my blog mojo, but it seems I have lost it.

I'm still languishing even though we're all fully vaccinated here. I've seen my family and we're getting ready for a larger get-together this coming weekend, but I don't know why I can't seem to focus on writing or reading.  I mean, I've even been to Trader Joe's and Target! (wearing a mask, of course)

I have to admit that since the CDC relaxed mask-wearing, I've become more adamant in my stance to continue wearing one when I'm out in public. To be clear, I have and will continue to follow science, but there are far too many people here in Lalaland that seem to believe that they've been lied to and that COVID is a hoax! Not to mention the fact that the CDC is asking me to trust those same people to be honorable about their being vaccinated. What could possibly go wrong with that assumption? 

I don't know what's coming next, so I'm not making any promises. But do know that I haven't forgotten any of you. xoxo

So, how the hell are y'all doin' these days?

420, 4/20, April 20

 Today is an auspicious one. No matter which way you read it or celebrate it, or smoke it, today has been one helluva day!

Waking up and after watching a bit of the news, wondering if the jury in the Chauvin case would have a verdict or if their deliberations would take longer. Then the MITM came in and asked if I'd read the NYT yet. When he found I hadn't, he told me that Idriss Deby, the president of Chad, was dead after a "clash with rebels" near the Libyan border. This is the country that the MITM used to work in (remember deepestdarkestafrica?)  Deby was a dictator and, to my mind, a destroyer, not a savior or a just leader, of his country, so while his death will be immortalized and he will be lauded, the movement to supplant his son, the new ruler, will be quick. 

But, here, in America, the first steps towards healing, justice, and accountability for all came around 5PM Eastern daylight time. This country was prepared for the worst, a not guilty verdict because, sadly, that is what we've come to expect. Today, that changed. It changed so much that even Chauvin was surprised to hear he wasn't acquitted! You could see the expression on his face. I have to admit, but I was among those who expected him to be found not guilty but hoped I was wrong. It is a sad reality for POC to expect, as we say, the short end of the stick when it comes to justice, especially when it comes to criminal justice. So, you know I was pleasantly surprised, as was everyone watching TV or following live feeds on a computer. This verdict will not bring George Floyd back to his family, nor will it erase the trauma experienced by those who stood on the sidewalk and watched, while they pleaded for the police to stop, George Floyd's life end.

I don't know why all of this happened today, but it did. Will Chad have a more equitable future for all its citizens?  If history is any guide, the odds are against it. Will America be better for this verdict? Perhaps, but it is a start and we can not and will not go backwards from it.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

***********

A little levity:

There's a site on Instagram called "Overheard in L.A." and I have one:

Guy: Idriss Deby died.

Gal:  Oh no! That's horrible!

Gal: Wait, wait, I thought you said Idriss Elba died!  Dude, I work in Hollywood, don't scare me like that!                                                                     

Happy Birthday to The Dancing Lady!!

 Today is "The 30th Anniversary of The Dancing Lady's Quinces"  so she has elected on that other social media site to share the following photos with a few sartorial additions this year!

Thirty years ago, well I'll let her tell it:

This time I'm wearing the tiara and nails my Mami wouldn't let me wear the first time around. That's the benefit of being 45!*

I hope you'll join us in wishing The Dancing Lady the happiest of happy days!

Oh yeah, her birthday request, now that we're all vaccinated, is for the entire krewe to gather and share the MITM's famous gumbo this Saturday! There will be pictures!!

xoxo

*To be perfectly clear, I don't think The Dancing Lady has EVER worn nails this long!

06 April 2021

 Checking in with all y'all because I ain't got much to share today which is why this is being posted at 21:55!

Yeah, I've been MIA, I know, but there's a reason (it's weak, I know) that I've been absent. You see, I've been scrolling through that other social media site and ignoring the news, except for what pops up in my email, and I can't seem to organize my thoughts to blog! 

Weird, right? 

Anyway, this too shall pass. 

The MITM is finally getting a new phone and mine has been repaired, so we're all iPhone people now. (Don't judge or try to dissuade us, we've paid the money and that's the end of it.) I don't know why any or all of this is relevant, but that's the way it is around here! 

SweetMarySunshine, I will try and get myself in gear this week, I pinkie promise!

24 March 2021

 I thought I'd date this post so that I'd have an easy reference to how long it's taking between posts these days. I'm not sure why it's taking me so long between posts, but I have a suspicion it's because I've been spending too much time on that other social media site, but not the one you're probably thinking of! Yep, that's right, I finally found tik toc and I am amazed at the volume of things that are on there. It's really insane but strangely fascinating, in that way that Boomers find all things done by other generations. 

What are these kids thinking? 

Yes, ma'am, I fell into that trap of tut-tutting and feeling ridiculously old, UNTIL I read that everyone over the age of 25 feels that way when it comes to tik toc! So, there's that and now I'm back in Blogville, but with the occasional trip to Instagram and its doting mama, Facebook.

I almost forgot my other spot, TWITTER! Now that the orange menace is no longer in the spotlight of social media, it's a far calmer place. I've given up doomscrolling and also watching the evening news, so there is that...

Now I just read the highlights of world tragedy and information in email summaries. If something is important, then I'll do more follow-up, but this method seems to be working for my mental stability. This pandemic isn't over and we are still a ways from the end.

********

The other day I shared a meme on Facebook that said that the greatest threat to our society was white supremacy. Sadly, the only response (the post received many likes and shares) was that the greatest problem was people who rubbed salt in the wound instead of doing something to change it. Then the suggestion was did I have a mirror? My first response (internally to be clear) was to ask for an explanation because I wasn't sure what I was reading. But, then I realized that it was of no use because I knew what he meant and that no matter what I said as a woman of color, he would never see that the problem is HIS, as a white man, to solve, not mine. I'm sharing this here because earlier the MITM shared a story he'd read about Dave Brubeck that brought him to tears as he relayed it to me. Seems Brubeck when he was a kid he lived on a ranch in Stockton, California. His Dad wanted him to work the land with him, but Brubeck wanted to be a musician. Now here's the story that struck the MITM. Brubeck's Dad took him into town to meet a Black man that he knew and then asked the man to raise his shirt to show Dave his chest: it was a brand. His father said this should never happen! That was the reason Dave Brubeck joined the Army and why he always had an integrated band when it was NOT a common thing! As an aside and a great example of people with heart, Benny Goodman once told a white man who questioned his playing with niggers, "If you say that again I'll crack you in the head with this clarinet!"

All of this to say, if we don't face our problems, we will never change our society. Each of us has to deal with those around us, but when it comes to white supremacy, only white people can change that because those folks who believe in the superiority of their skin color will never listen to a colored gal like me!

Dave Brubeck - The Essential

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE DOC!!

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DOC

This photo was taken in 2016 in London at St. John Restaurant! The Doc and the MITM had a brief stopover for a meeting on the way back from deepestdarkestafrica. Since this pic was taken he's grown a very distinguished beard with just a hint of grey!

The Doc reads this blog, so I hope you'll join us in wishing him a 

BIG OLE FANTASTIC BIRTHDAY!

Lauren got TikTok famous but is she bovvered? | The Big Night In - BBC

52 years ago and last year

 On March 8, 1969, the MITM and I were married. 

Last year was the last time we celebrated our anniversary with family and friends. Last night we were talking about all the events that happened before lockdown and how things have changed over this past year. 

There was a baby shower.

The baby is now almost a year old. They live in San Diego now and no longer in New York. We haven't seen them in person yet. 

On the plus side, the MITM and I have received both doses of the Moderna vaccine. Only 2 people in our family haven't been vaccinated yet, so we're close to having our pod expand to include The Doc and The Dancing Lady! Soon the rest of the extended family will be vaccinated which means we're very close to celebrating together again.

I'm hopeful.

This is probably the scariest part of all of this because we're so close and yet, so many idiots out there still think that it's nothing to worry about.

Stay safe, darlings, and please continue to wear your mask, wash your hands, and practice social distancing.

A little levity courtesy of the BBC:

 For some reason, the video won't post, so it's shared in the post above!

That day when you hit the wall

 Watching the news (for the first time today) and realizing that even though 45 is gone, his actions and GOP inactions still dominate the news. Then there's the winter cold snap that's plaguing the country. Looking at images of Texas and reading about their decision to leave the national power grid and the impact that has had on the state is beyond insane. It's a testament to greed and neglect of the needs of the people of Texas. 

I am saddened by the state of this nation. President Biden gives me a bit of hope, but we still have to contend with the fact that there are far too many people who believe in the lies spread by white supremacists and insurrectionists. I facilitate between fear and anger almost hourly.

Yesterday, I watched BBC and BGM play together celebrating BBC's 9th birthday. The Captain, Stretch, The Kid, and super nana sat at the dining room table laughing and talking while the MITM and I took it all in. What is their future going to be?

Today, today I hit the wall.

Today was the day it really hit me.

Lockdown, no lockdown.

Rise in cases, fewer cases.

The escalating death rate, the declining death rate.

It's as if no one is really listening to the science that's saying, 

this 

shit 

ain't 

over

 by

 any 

means.

So I wear my mask, wash my hands, stay home, and when I do go out, I practice physical distancing.

And some days, I just cry.

Happy Birthday, Big Boy Chaos!

 TODAY HE'S 9!*

Join us in celebrating and wishing BBC a wonderful day!

*There will be a picture later after the batteries for his remote control car are charged!

Contrary to the ex-president's defense team, the FIGHT for justice has just begun!

 I've watched the Impeachment Trial since it began and I find it hard to believe that 43 Republican men and women were in the Senate chamber watching what I and the rest of the world saw and still managed to construct an alternate reality that found Trump not guilty. The case for impeachment was made by the images we saw and the words of Trump! The House Managers presented in a clear and logical manner what the world saw and what the members of the House and Senate experienced! How Senators could go from saying on the Senate floor that Trump was guilty and then weeks later acquit him beggars belief. I have to agree that if the vote had been to impeach him on January 7th, Trump would have been found guilty! Sadly, politics over the country won today.

On Mago's blog*, I wrote the following:

My heart is broken because even though the reality of an acquittal was a given, I truly believed that those men and women in the Senate who had to RUN for their lives from the insurrectionists would vote for the good of the country, and for truth, over their party. I can only hope, once again, the DJT will be tried and convicted in federal and civil courts! This is not about vengeance or hatred, it is about justice and the preservation of our Democracy. 

I think that Rep. Jaime Raskin summed it up best when he said that if these actions by Trump did not constitute impeachable offenses, then what did? I don't want to even contemplate what the future holds for our children, our grandchildren, and America.

*https://63mago.wordpress.com/2021/02/13/the-deed-is-done

A BRAND NEW DAY!

Three drafts and nothing published since January 1, 2021

 Sorry, darlings, but I can't seem to share anything positive right now. Too much anger and frustration. 

Just too much.

I'll see all ya'll after the 20th...maybe.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

WELCOME 2021

SO LONG 2020

WE SHALL NEVER SPEAK OF YOU AGAIN

WHEREVER YOU ARE

MAY 2021 BRING YOU PEACE, JOY, AND HAPPINESS!

WE NEED IT FOR REAL!

December 31

 

I had no idea at 18 that I'd see 71 much less celebrate that fact.

HAPPY, HAPPY, DARLINGS!

 

For all of you 

from all of us here in Lalaland

We wish all y'all the

Merriest, Happiest, Wonderfullest

Holidays!

2021 is just around the corner 

and

May It Bring Us All

GOOD NEWS!

Stay safe,

wash your hands,

practice physical distancing,

and

PLEASE wear your damn mask!

xoxo 

Savannah, the MITM, and the Krewe

Looking Death straight in the eye

Watching the news has become similar to glancing at obituaries, something you do almost without thinking. On TV we see maskless people become the proverbial dead men walking, ambling slowly to their deaths. All the while looking death straight in the eye and saying I'm not the droid you're looking for except, in this case, it could very well be them. 

I'm watching people do the most foolish things because they don't believe that the pandemic is real. Or if they believe that it is, in fact, a real thing it isn't going to affect them. No, not for them the overflowing COVID ward. Not for them, the emergency triage set-up in a converted hospital parking garage. These folks think that they are immune because of some convoluted reasoning that exists only in their feeble brains and fuck all the rest of us. Yeah, the chosen ones will survive this pandemic and the rest of us are damned to suffer. I truly do not understand the selfishness of those folks around here that think masks diminish them or somehow impinge on their personal freedom. 

Or maybe, they have resigned themselves to death and are spending their last days on earth doing as they please and fuck all the rest of us. 

I'm just so damned tired of this me-first mentality that far too many people seem to think is appropriate. Trump is just the most visible manifestation of that me first libertarian attitude that too many believe is their own manifestation of American exceptionalism.

I'm just too angry.

********

I wrote a post about combat breathing that I never posted. Part of the reason it never saw the light of day was because I was truly angry the day I wrote it. I'd had only one day of real happiness after the election was called for the Biden-Harris ticket. The next day it was back to WTAF is going to happen now or WTAF is Trumpito going to do now that he's lost.  Combat breathing is basically centering  yourself, slowing your breathing down and giving you time to reset and focus on your goal.* In my case, it was and still is keeping my eyes on the January 20th, 2021 swearing in of Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. as the 46th President of the United States of America.

I sincerely hope that we, as a Nation, can find a way to care for each other and provide universal healthcare, paid leave for workers, and assistance for small businesses. We have to find a way, as other countries have done, to make it possible for people to weather mandatory lockdowns until this pandemic is under control without food insecurity or fear of eviction for non-payment of rent or mortgage payments.

I'm tired of being angry.

*Simply put, combat breathing involves counting to four for each step of the breathing process. Breath in, count to four. Hold your breath, count to four. Exhale, count to four. This process can act as a soft reset for your nervous system and calm the shakes faster.

Hot Sugar Band & Nicolle Rochelle - With Thee I Swing (ft. JC Joyss)

Saturday or two days after my food coma!

Happy Thanksgiving or Happy Thursday!

Happy Thanksgiving! 

The image is a Crefted Turkey plate from the John Derian Decoupage collection. (johnderian.com)

 

Traditions and the newest new thing OR Holy Moley, is Thanksgiving here already?

 It's Monday, and Thursday is Big Eat Day! 

I had honestly thought that this year would be different because every single thing is different, so why shouldn't Thanksgiving follow suit? 

I was wrong.

The Krewe is looking forward to doing the same things that happen every year, just on a smaller scale. I'm not the one throwing the party, so okie dokie, I'll do whatever I'm told to do. So far, I'm making Oyster Dressing and that's it! Stretch and Captain Chaos are doing the turkey and sides. super nana is making a pumpkin cheesecake or a pear cake. The MITM and Mr Matrix are doing who knows what, but I'm sure on that day, they will be busy!

I'll be around and commenting, and I might even blog again before turkey day! If not, for those who celebrate, have a great day how ever you celebrate! If you're not stateside, have a great Thursday! 

xoxoxo

NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 Mission

NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 Mission: NASA.gov brings you the latest images, videos and news from America's space agency. Get the latest updates on NASA missions, watch NASA TV live, and learn about our quest to reveal the unknown and benefit all humankind.

Friday the 13th

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CAPTAIN CHAOS!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CAPTAIN CHAOS!

Join us in celebrating his 49th year!

He's in full COVID gear for the TV show he working on this season. This picture was taken on the first day back on set and he said it was weird being around so many people! 

He reads the blog, so drop a word or two for the Captain and raise a glass or two!

 

Here we are on the cusp of continued democracy or right wing anarchy

 This should be a week of smooth transition and cooperation between an outgoing administration and an incoming one. Unfortunately, it seems that the current administration has decided that putting America in a difficult position in terms of national security is less important than throwing a tantrum over losing. The fact that we have an AG (Attorney General) who has decided that he works for the current president and NOT the American people is beyond distressing, it is an abrogation of his sworn oath to the Constitution. We have members of Congress who have decided that they will still hitch their wagon, so to speak, to the current president, and forget their sworn oath to the Constitution! It seems that the concept of "party over country" has become the major platform of the Republican party. This is a defining moment in our history because if this sort of mendacity were happening in a foreign country, we would be the first to talk about intervention in support of democracy.

The anxiety I've felt during the past four years was momentarily relieved when the election was called for the BidenHarris ticket, has returned. I, like many others, have experienced the smooth transition even when there was a dispute over "hanging chads" that allowed the presumed winner of the election to receive the necessary Presidential Daily Briefings that are so integral to the safety and security of our country. The pettiness of the current president while not surprising can not be tolerated any longer. I don't have an answer or a solution. It seems that the Founding Fathers did not consider the possibility that we would ever have a wannabe mobster, a grifter, a conman, a person totally unsuited to government and its function, to have put in safeguards against that prospect.

So, here we are. A nation of people half of whom need some mental health care to get through this insanity and the other half seem to be happy with the inmates running the asylum.

I'm in that half calling my local mental health agency.

Yes, we can and YES, we did!

Congratulations to 

President-Elect Joe Biden

and 

Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris

Come on Big D FLY - Today reminded me of this scene!

I BELIEVE IN AMERICA*

 I had a short conversation just a little while ago with our 19-year-old granddaughter. Y'all know her as "The Kid" which has been how I referred to her here in Blogville. She did her duty as a citizen and manned the election polls during early voting and on Election Day. Last night she and the MITM stayed up to watch the returns. I stayed away from all of it by watching French detective shows (with subtitles, I'm far from idiomatic French fluent) (sometimes I'm not even idiomatically fluent in English) and interior design shows. 

All my adult life I have always thought that the way for political change to happen was from within. I truly believed that this country, our country, MY country, America, was, while imperfect, constantly striving towards that more perfect Union enshrined in the Preamble to the Constitution, and yet here we are 4 years into the most horrible, backsliding, white supremacist, fascistic, grifter/conman wannabe mob boss scenario anyone could ever imagine! I guess what I'm trying to say is, I always thought, even with all of the injustice that has happened since Europeans first stepped foot on this continent that we had slowly, and painfully for many, had evolved, that we were better people, a better nation, a better place than what has been revealed to not only every man, woman, and child here, but the entire world. I'm not broad brushing here, but it has become difficult to look at people without wondering "Did they vote for him?" I'm not only talking about white people because they aren't alone in supporting 45. I'm talking about Afro-Americans, Asian-Americans, Latinx-Americans, and I think you get the gist of my looking askance at my fellow citizens. Sure, the white supremacists get the headlines, but it's the folks who smile in your face and nod their head saying He's a joke, I can't imagine the people who voted for him, I certainly didn't! The fact that close to half of the voting population decided that the egregious and immoral behavior of 45, his constant lies, not to mention his continued violations of the Hatch Act** or his Impeachment in the House weren't going to stop them from casting their vote in his favor has me, using that most marvelous phrase I learned from my pals across the pond, bloody gobsmacked! I could rant about this (even more than I already have), but I won't. I think you know how I feel.

Also, I'm watching The West Wing and celebrating the best President we never had. I can only hope that at some point this week we have a President we can say makes us proud or at the very least, not so fucking embarrassed every time he opens his mouth.

********

Here's some cuteness!

Prepping clams for dinner!

First day of online classes!

*First line of "The Godfather"

**The Hatch Act generally prohibits Federal employees from engaging in political activities while on duty, in a Government room or building, while wearing an official uniform, or while using a Government vehicle. 

November 3, 2020

 

V O T E

V O T E

V O T E

V O T E

V O T E

#BidenHarris2020

The last day and the night before...

 Everyone around here is handling this day very differently.

The MITM has been baking bread.

I've been watching documentaries and now a murder mystery. I only looked at the news for about 10 minutes this morning and figured it was better for my own mental (and physical) health to just let today happen. Tomorrow is another day. 

Cap't Chaos is working at *REDACTED* on the show, *REDACTED* while Stretch is teaching online. The Kid is working at the local polling location and BBC has the day off from school! 

The MITM and BBC just got back from taking a walk and, yes, before you ask, they were wearing masks and practicing social distancing from anyone they came across. I'm taking the safer route and staying inside and continuing my Netflix addiction watching!

Seriously, no matter what has happened in the past here in America, these are strange and unsettling times. We can only hope that enough people have said NO to fascism and tomorrow many more will say the same thing.

We shall see.

Update to OP: To be clear, we have ALL voted already. 

The Nightmare Before Christmas - This is halloween

It's not too late!

 If you're an American citizen and registered to vote, get your ass to the polls and VOTE! Too much is on the line right now for anyone to not VOTE! Far too many people have given their lives for any of us to abstain from voting. If you have a mail-in or absentee ballot, take it to the secure ballot drop off box or your local polling place. If you want to vote in person, find out where it's happening in your locale and go and VOTE.

This election is about the future of our democratic republic. It is about the quality of our lives now and in the future. It is about what we will leave for our children. 

VOTE

VOTE

VOTE

Happy Birthday, super nana

Today's her day, so please join us, and Coldplay, in wishing her a super-duper happiest day!

I'm back AND with a NEW MacBook super light rose gold computer!!

 First let's get one thing clear: I DID NOT SHOOT THE SCREEN! That was the MITM's attempt at humor! To be really clear, Mr Matrix found out that there was a little tape inside that was loose and that's why it wouldn't start! so, in a way I didn't really kill it, my Mac was taking a break from me! (I'm not sure if that's better than my killing it. I mean, I was dumped by a MACHINE, people!) 

I'm not sure where we, or rather, I left off, but I cast my ballot today! Here in California everyone was sent their ballot and you could either fill it out and mail it in, drop it in an Official Ballot Dropbox or vote in person starting October 24 through November 3. We all opted for the drop off option today. I hope all eligible Americans vote in this election and every election because history demands it and our future depends on it!

*********

I've been thinking about all the posts I was going to write and how much I wanted to share, but honestly, right now, my mind is on "elder lockdown" and I can't remember any of it! I guess that's a hint.

I'm going to catch up on blog reading, so I'll see y'all in your comment sections! xoxox

She's Gone and Done it Again

 

To all the readers of Savannah Marsh Mama's blog, this is to inform you that once again she's killed a MacBook.  She has asked me to let you know that it was not drink related this time.  That seems to be important, but nevertheless, the results are the same.

Look for her to be up and running again in the very near future.  

MITM

A new week brings "what fresh hell" (with apologies to Ms. Parker)

Today is a day that makes me wonder what is happening here. There is an alternate reality that seems to be existing in tandem with the one I'm in. 

We are hopeful.

We are prepared for whatever comes.

But, I haven't been this worried about the future as I am right now.

Tell me something good, darlings. 

I am in need.

A couple of things are on my mind today

 First, who the heck is the scammer who's been commenting on so many blogs, mine included, about hacking ATMs?  Talk about a sorry SOB.

Secondly, I'm watching the Presidential Debate tonight just because I want to see Joe sucker punch Trumpito, metaphorically of course! I'm hoping that Biden doesn't react to any of the grifter-in-charge tricks and just states his plan for getting us out of the pit we're in now. Chris Wallace has already stated that he's not going to fact check anything said during the debate and I'm guessing he isn't going to insist that Donny stay behind his own podium and not try to roam the stage as he did during the debate with Clinton. Anyway, The Kid and I are going to watch and use our MACs to monitor real-time fact-checking on different sites. We're team BidenHarris around here and we all have our plan for voting in place. I hope that all registered voters do the same because we can't sit this one out. Vote as if your life depends on it because it does!

******

I'm back with Captain Chaos, Stretch, The Kid, and BigBoyChaos, while the MITM is with super nana, Mr Matrix and BigGirlMatrix. The Cap't is going back to work soon and Stretch is still working from home while BBC and The Kid are both distance learning. At the Matrix house, they're both working from home and BGM is distance learning. So, the MITM and I are picking up the slack where and when needed. The good thing is that both households are in our pandemic bubble, so there's no quarantine issue. We've been under elder lockdown, so periodic change of scenery is good for everyone, especially the children! 

***************

It's almost time for the debate. As much as I hate listening to Trumpito, I really want to see him fail tonight. The reality of this event is that sides have been chosen and minds have been made up, so this is theater that we all have a ticket for tonight.

Today is Saturday and here's my contribution to the weekend!

 Yesterday I received a DM (direct message) on Facebook from a good friend in New Zealand. She asked if I was on Twitter because she was leaving that other social media site, as it was far too toxic and bottomline too corrupt for her. I gave her my Twitter handle (@savmarshmama) and now we're connected there.

Her comment got me thinking about my own love/hate relationship with that other social media site and what I should do. Lately, I've been just a conduit for political information based on my own support for the Biden/Harris ticket and all things supporting the Democratic Party. I've also succumbed to the whole "Doom-scrolling" scenario, so that has certainly elevated my blood pressure and surely made me angrier than I should be. My friend used to live in Georgia, so she understands the political process here and is deeply saddened by how we've devolved as a Nation. I share that opinion, but I'm guessing that doesn't surprise any of you! As I read somewhere that the only reason to stay is to share how one feels to avoid becoming that which we despise or to be even clearer, Trumpito and his venal cabal of grifters!

I am staying away from to some extent, but using the platform does give me a way to stay connected to many of you who've stopped blogging but post on FB. I did sign up to "Liker" but not as many folks have made that leap yet, so I'm not following anyone there yet. If you make that leap, let me know, please. 

When the Biden/Harris ticket is successful in November, I'm guessing the armchair warriors supporting Trumpito will use FB as a platform for their seditious rhetoric and posturing since there seems to be no serious attempt to stop them, as far as I can see. Miss Daisy (the MITM's mama) used to call people like them lowlife, mouthbreathing scum. I'm prone to agree with her assessment. 

To be clear and not to be accused of denigrating anyone, I'm reminding all y'all of my favorite Southern saying, only the hit dog howls. I'll just leave it at that.

Enjoy your weekend, darlings, and remember to wear your mask, wash your hands frequently, and practice physical distancing! 

quiet, please

 That's it.

That's all I want.

September 11, 2020

Big Girl Matrix asked what the Twin Towers were because her teacher talked about it today.  She's in 3rd Grade and they are doing remote learning via online teaching. super nana, the MITM, and I related our experiences from that day after she saw pictures of the towers before the attack.  

Some things never leave you is even truer as the years pass. 

Happy Birthday, Mr Matrix

 Today is Mr Matrix's birthday! He's somewhere between 45 and 48. He's not sure, or at least he wasn't this morning. The pandemic has put a damper on festivities, but there was an ice cream cake his request, pancakes for breakfast, also at his request, and tonight will be shrimp and grits! No pictures yet.

************

It's hotter than I can ever remember in Lalaland, but what do I know? I spent YEARS in the south where high temps were expected in the summer and everyone LOVED their air conditioners. Fortunately, super nana and Mr Matrix have one, so staying inside is pleasant. There are huge fires blazing in California and a couple are close enough to have prompted air quality alerts, so that's just another reason to stay inside.

****************

Sadly, even with COVID-19 still plaguing Southern California, too many idiots are massing at local beaches, unmasked, and not practicing social distancing. To those fools I say, 

GO THE FUCK HOME AND STAY THERE! 

We will never get past this if folks don't start thinking about others and less about themselves and their own inconvenience! If everyone just followed the CDC guidelines, we just might get past this horrible pandemic!

Sometimes, people just piss me off!

BUT, not all y'all! I love you! xoxo

62 days

I don't know about you, but I'm becoming more and more frightened that Trumpito is going to try and stay in the White House and continue to totally flaunt the Constitution. Where is the Senate? The House? Surely, not all Republican members are beholden to the grifter-in-charge? 

I can't anymore. Even when I try to be optimistic it doesn't work. All I see and read is depressing. I will vote and thankfully, here in California we have mail-in ballots, so I can maintain my elder lockdown status. It is good to see that a number of businesses are giving their employees the day or time off to vote without loss of pay. So, there are bright spots, I just hope there are enough to save our country!

Like the lost sheep, she returns to the fold

 I've been away from this place for too long! At this point in my life, I'm barely making it through the day after reading the news/Facebook comments/twitter/Instagram, much less trying to organize my thoughts to share here. Perhaps, that's a good thing because I think I'm far too angry these days. Or I'm crying because I see a future without hope for my family and friends.

I am at a loss trying to understand what's going on here in my country, much less the world! We have science PROVING that we're in the midst of a pandemic. We have science PROVING that climate change is a real phenomenon. We have PROVEN evidence that Black people are being killed for no other reason than the color of their skin. And yet, what we see is being denied. What we can hear from the liar-in-chief's mouth is being denied. And we are asked, no told, that all of that is "FAKE NEWS!" American institutions are being destroyed slowly, but surely and it seems all we can do is demonstrate, petition, and sadly, instead of knowing, we can only hope that our vote on November 3rd will be counted and rid us of this troublesome man!

WTF, right? As the MITM keeps reminding me, he's the cynic and I'm the optimist! 

It's getting more and more difficult every day to be that person.

Follow-up on BGM's birthday party or It's Sunday not in Savannah

 The party was exceptional.

Isn't that the truth during these times? We're all trying to find a way to bring some sort of normalcy to special occasions without putting anyone in jeopardy. So, there was a quick driveby by some friends and family that surprised BGM (and also her parents who didn't expect as many to be part of it) with horn honking, balloons, signs, and birthday gifts! Social distancing and masks were worn and all presents carefully wiped down as an accepted procedure. Love and friendship in the time of COVID-19.

With every sweet moment, there's a story that just makes me cry. Stretch told us, as we sat outside, that Big Boy Chaos had cried the other night because "he hated COVID because he couldn't see his BGM!" The two cousins are 6 months apart in age and are best friends. This morning at breakfast, BGM asked when she'd see BBC again because she missed him already. We're our own pod, but it has been difficult to get together. Children are resilient, but this isolation is difficult for all of them in ways we'll probably not understand for quite a while.

The MITM and I will be back at the Captain's house the week after BGM starts her online/remote learning. As it stands now if super nana and Mr Matrix need help, one of us will stay here to supervise BGM. Big Boy Chaos starts remote schooling at the end of August. We'll see how this all progresses.

*************

Here's the birthday girl!

Now she's 8!

It's AUGUST!! Holy Moley!

You may have noticed or not, which is OK, but anyway, I've been absent from Blogville since my last post because my computer decided that I was a bitch and it didn't want to work anymore. Today it decided that it was tired of doing nothing and here we are! This pandemic is affecting everyone and everything it seems. 

We're still with super nana & Mr Matrix and of course, Big Girl Matrix! Her birthday is this weekend (she's going to be 8), but with social distancing still necessary out here (and around the world) there will be no friends and family party. Even the plans that had been made in anticipation of the date have been changed to stay in line with the Governor's directives. This is a birthday no one will forget, that's for sure!

That's it for today, sweetpeas! My mind has been blown away by (at this point, you can fill in the blank because whatever you think is probably right)!

xoxoxo