What Now?

The Sun Came Up  Tomorrow

Election night is over, it was over rather early with results that surprised a large number of people and left people either jubilant, sad, mad, scared and pondering. Already there have been tears, jeers, insults, compliments, promises, threats and protests all around the country like nothing I have ever seen. So many thought that even when the election was over, it wouldn't be over and that is coming true. Facebook (and Twitter and all other types of communication) is alive with "pros and cons" (a nice way of stating it) of the results of the election.

I woke up this morning with an overwhelming feeling of sadness. It was really reinforced when I saw how my Granddaughters were affected. I honestly didn't think that they paid much attention even though this was the first time they have been able to vote in a Presidential election. But I found out that the results were indeed important to them. Their reactions were of anger and tears, disappointment and fear. We all want our children and grandchildren to have more than we did, have the chance to grow up without the fear of war and strife hanging over their heads. In the case of daughters and granddaughters we want them to know that they are strong, they are worthy, they are important and valuable.  Momentarily at least, I feel a sense of unease with the climate. Maybe I am just being a bit of a drama queen and I can only hope as days pass I will feel differently, and I will take heart in knowing that they did and do indeed care.

"Feminism isn't about making women strong. Women are already strong. It's about changing the way the world perceives that strength." —G.D. Anderson

Election Night 2016

Nerves jangled
Stomach fluttering
Teeth grinding

Hair pulling
Votes being counted
Black vote
Hispanic vote
Women's vote
Cuban vote
Puerto Rico vote
College Educated White vote
Non-College Educated White vote
Percentages reported
Map Red and Blue
Endless analysis
Breakfast for dinner
Seven people in one house
Glued to two televisions
Polls closing
Will it be over quickly?
Or go long into the night?
Tomorrow?

Are We Coming Apart or Will We Come Together?

Election Year 2016


It goes without saying that the 2016 Presidential election has become the most contentious, preposterous,  tumultuous, chaotic, ludicrous, divisive, uncivil,  nasty, disturbing, threatening,  depressing, embarrassing and sad time in our history. I wonder what other countries think of this process; I can only hope they are not listening, but it is hard to ignore.

 The 2008 election was historic for electing America's first African-American President. I felt hopeful that perhaps we had turned a corner, that we had finally broken down a barrier. In 2016 we could perhaps break the gender barrier by electing our first woman as President. Whether you agree with her policies or not, it would be a momentous event. But it is dispiriting, discouraging and depressing that it could be tarnished by the current rhetoric.

What will happen in 17 days when it is over and one candidate or another has been elected? In our country there has been a peaceful transfer of "power" since 1797 and it would seem that might be about to change, or is it all bluster and show? Is it an attempt to threaten or intimidate? Or is it a more insidious effort to incite some to rebellion or even violence? Or could it be something more innocuous, like an endeavor to garner publicity for some future venture?

I confess to having a great deal of distress regarding one of the candidates, but perhaps even more distressing is some of the discourse I have read by supporters of both candidates. It's a good thing to be passionate about your beliefs, but at the same time I think we all need to have the same passion for the right of others to have their own beliefs. Is it necessary to rant and rave and rail against "the other side"? I am probably living in a dream world wishing that we could have a respectful  passionate dialogue.

In all ways, this election is unlike any other in our 200 plus year history and I can't help but think that Lady Liberty is crying. After it is over will we come together in national unity or has the chasm too wide? I am worried.

Another 4th of July Experience

When I first thought about writing a blog about 4th of July experiences I was thinking of many times that I celebrated it along with my parents and several of their friends. At the time Baby Bird (remember her? we first started out to write a blog together, a sort of back and forth type  between Mama Bird and Baby Bird. Not to far along the line, she gave up posting as she was just too busy) was not yet a teenager and really had no choice but to accompany us to these gatherings. Thank goodness my youngest brother was closer to her age than he was to mine or my parents so she someone to commiserate with. I was remembering days spent outside in the yard sitting around sipping drinks, talking and laughing and of course eating.  One thing that Baby Bird and I wanted to resurrect from those days was the chocolate cake that was referred to as "Tommy's Chocolate Cake".  I don't know who "Tommy" was but I thought he was a relative of one of my mother's friends, but maybe somewhere along the way I just imagined that--perhaps it was some other "Tommy", a baker perhaps? I remembered that cake as being so dark, chocolatey, moist and delicious. For some reason I thought it had no flour in it and that it was so different than other recipes. 

This past 4th of July, Baby Bird was telling one of the Grand Baby Birds about the cake and we decided that for "old time's sake" we would find that recipe and make it for our celebration. I had the recipe on my computer at one time, but I thought I remembered printing it and then deleting it.  Sure enough, I had deleted it from my recipe folder.  I was determined that I still had it somewhere in writing and made a trip to the basement to search through all kinds of recipe piles I had saved in actual file folders. It took sometime, but I finally came up with it. In addition I found old family photos documenting some of these "Friends and Family" celebrations. It was amusing to see these examples of all the fun times we had (or does it just seem like "fun" now as I look back nostalgically at those times?) )

Those were definitely times when people spent time talking to each other, laughing with each other 

complaining to each other and consoling each other face to face. There were no electronic devices for everyone to be absorbed in (though maybe Baby Bird and my brother wished there were), ignoring any attempts at conversation.  As for "Tommy's Chocolate Cake", I compared it to other recipes I found for old-fashioned chocolate cakes and found that the recipe was pretty typical of all those other recipes with ingredients like sour cream and/or buttermilk, cocoa (I had erroneously remembered it as using baking squares), eggs, two sticks of butter and yes, flour.                                                                                                

I guess it just an example of the memory sometimes being sweeter than the actual event, but I still do believe that those were better times (and better cakes!!).  We tried this recipe this 4th of July and it really did not turn out as I remembered it, perhaps because the cakes I remember had always been baked at sea level and we did not adjust for high altitude. Well, it sounds like a good excuse anyway!                                                                               

                                            TOMMY'S CHOCOLATE CAKE

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon soda
Pinch of salt
Combine above ingredients in a large bowl. Melt the following sauce ingredients and allow to cool:
2 cubes of butter or margarine
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 cup water
Bring to a boil, stirring often. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Add to dry ingredients, stirring thoroughly but do not over mix. To this add:
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Blend thoroughly again, do over mix. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.

Feeling Sad

Feeling sad today because it is the anniversary of the death of a good friend 2 years ago. I know she is "in a better place" and all that, but I miss her cheerfulness, her enthusiasm, her positive nature (though at times I didn't feel like being positive and the "things could be worse" would make me cringe!). I know she had a very strong faith and I guess it is cheering to me to realize she must have accepted what she knew was coming. She became my guardian angel and today I feel as if she might be somewhere close trying to cheer me up. 

I have been moving my large collection of books from two bookcases and the basement to three new bookcases and as I look at them all and think "how did I get this many? I'll never be able to read them all", I remember her asking me about once a month "how many books do you think you have? About 100?, more?" Well yes Dear Angel, I think more!! 

Though I only knew this friend for several years, she became and still is a big part of my life. I saved a phone message I received from her when she was in a nursing home and sometimes I listen to it and sometimes I can't bear to hear it--even though she was only weeks from passing it was cheerful and hopeful and you couldn't tell that she had a worry in the world by the sound of her voice.  

I know there are lessons to be learned from her, I just wish she was here in person to teach them to me.

                  When a close friend unexpectedly leaves us, a piece of our heart is                                                                        broken forever.

Bastille Day 1789 and 2016

I subscribe to several e-mail Newsletters one of which keeps me informed about different celebrations and days that have been designated as "National Days"; for instance National Ice Cream Day, National Pancake Day etc.  In the list of Celebrations I noticed that July 14th is Bastille Day;  curious to know more I searched the internet for information. I already knew that Bastille Day was similar to our 4th of July and I had the phrase "Storming of the Bastille"-- Built in 1370's, the Bastille was a fortified fortress that often housed political prisoners or those who had angered  Royalty.  According to Wickipedia the reasons for the French .Revolution are "complex" and still debated by historians but storming of the Bastille signaled the start of the French Revolution . Bastille Day is generally recognized as the end of the monarchy and the beginning of the modern republic.While searching the internet for information I found a list of cities around the word that also celebrate Bastille Day, of those listed these stood out to me: Paris, New York, London, Orlando, Boston  and Liege, Belgium--while I know there is no connection between these cities celebrating Bastille Day and the recent terror attacks, it is a startling fact.

Bastille Day is a French National holiday ,usually a day of good summer weather when families gather outdoors for picnics and viewing fireworks. So sad that this day was probably chosen by a terrorist or very sick person to kill as many people as he could; 84 people, 10 of them children and leaving over 100 injured, 53 critically--"so sad" are inadequate words to describe this day, but I am at a loss--

BOOM! BANG! POP!

4th of July, in the United States--it is the signal--the "banner on the outward wall" for sins and shooting  crackers, pedantry and pinwheels, oranges and orations, sky-blue toilettes and sky-rockets. A day when patriotism pops and bursts about like so many bottles of sillery.~Henry Harold Paul, "4th of July in the United States"   1851--It's certainly the day for shooting of crackers, pinwheels and sky-rockets!                                                                                                                                                                                                                

                                                                                                                             
When did the 4th of July become a day for buying and shooting off illegal fireworks until well after
midnight? Fireworks that shoot feet up into the air, like those at a professional show, startling not only neighborhood dogs, older people, but military veterans who have faced the perils of war? Last night my neighborhood was ablaze with fireworks from all sides, a constant barrage of cannon and gunfire like sounds as the cat hid under the bed, the dog cowered on the bed now and then barking at then noises, and I contemplated opening the door and yelling at the top of my lungs ENOUGH!! Or perhaps getting in the car and driving around telling people I was going to call the police! Instead I just try to endure it~I might just be a crabby old lady, but I prefer a professional firework show to the up close and personal sights and sounds of the neighborhood "shows"~~Why not enjoy fireworks at a family picnic, in the park or overlooking a lake, harbor,or ocean surrounded by family, new and old friends?

"The 4th of July,when we get to play our favorite guessing game--fireworks or gunshots?"--Author Unknown
                                             

When I think about the 4th of July I think of The Declaration of Independence, "We the people", The Star Spangled Banner, the Red,White and Blue~~I think of those who have fought and those who have given their lives to protect not only our shores and freedom, but those of other countries as well~~

We on this continent should never forget that men first crossed the Atlantic not to find soil for their ploughs but to secure liberty for their souls~~Robert J McCracken

An item in the news last night caught my attention: a teenager built what amounted to a bomb by gathering a large number of sparklers into a bundle, then using another partially pushed down into the center, acting like a fuse~~it exploded making a large hole in the sidewalk or driveway causing life changing injuries to his body; loss of fingers and a foot as well as probably his eyesight~~I wonder if the Big Bang was worth it?