Pardon Me!

Visions of pardons are dancing in the President's head these days and, of course, showing up on Twitter.  Pardons he has granted so far have been for gross and blatant public corruption, crimes for which the pardoned have pleaded guilty.  With the exception of Fox "News" consumers, I doubt anyone will miss the point of the pardons: He's telling those talking to the Special Prosecutor not to flip and testify against him; if they stay loyal, he'll pardon them.   

Meanwhile, children are still being separated from their parents at the border, treated like the criminals being pardoned and considered for pardons.  Meanwhile, Puerto Rica still struggles to recover from the hurricanes that devastated the island, leaving citizens without water, power, and—worst of all— a far higher death toll than reported by the Trump Administration.  Independent think tanks reporting over 4,000 now?   It looks like our fellow Americans there are likely to get more battering,  in an environment where storms continue to grow more intense.  And at the mercy of an Administration in D.C. that barely acknowledges them.

Meanwhile, I buckle my post-Memorial day white sandals,  putting one foot in front of the other, as if our democracy weren't in jeopardy at all.  On a Friday filled with sunshine, errands, and everyday graces, I struggle to get myself into a higher state of consciousness.  And I pray for Mr. Mueller and his team to work fast enough. 

Memorial Day

Memorial Day 2018, remembering four hometown friends who lost their lives in Vietnam.  Also thinking of those who survived the horrors of war.  Some survivors are navigating life with artificial limbs and other visible wounds.  Some wounds, and scars, are invisible though, and capable of ruining the lives of those who bear them, long after a war is over.  Their combat experiences, and the PTSD they live with, never ends.  Their pain can surface and explode, like an emotional bomb that can affect anyone in its path.  These unexpected blowups are buried in the psyche like land mines.  If you've ever known someone dealing with PTSD,  you know it's a hard thing to describe.  Hard to understand, hard for loved ones to accept. We can only imagine how hard life must be for veterans who survive war.   

Today is the special day to remember, respect, and appreciate those who made the ultimate sacrifice.  Those for whom life on this Earth ended suddenly and too soon.  Today also seems like a good day to pause and remember the war veterans still living among us.  I know, we'll be honoring them in November.  I know. But they're doing their best to cope with the traumas that are with them every day of the year.   

Let's thank them for their service and sacrifices every time we have an opportunity to do that.  No matter the day.  Thank you, veterans.  Thank you, thank you.

Lucy's Back

Someone said Time flies when you're having a good time.  I agree.  Hell, I can tell you it flies even when you're not.

It's been 2.5 years since I've written here at Lucy Left.  A lot of life has happened since that last log-in.  So much, in fact, that's hard to share it all in a linear fashion.  Please indulge me in what's likely to be a long personal-political combo post—intended to catch you up and to remind myself why I'm still weary. I think most Liberal and Progressive Americans are feeling weary along with me, some of us plumb worn out with President Trump and the ethics deficit in his administration.  But let's try not to dip into that today.  We will though. We will.

Everybody knows how the 2016 presidential election turned out.  And I need to ask you this: Would it suit you not to hear ever again how the investigation into foreign interference in that election is all about Liberals or "Hillary voters" being poor losers?  Surely they know better, but that old talking point continues to make the rounds far too often.

I want you to know that in the past year and a half I have put on some weight, thanks to the current Administration and the stress it generates in daily living. (If forewarned, your jaw might not drop as quickly next time you see me.) While some elected officials might walk softly and carry a big stick, the current president carries a big eraser to undo policies implemented by his predecessor.  Mr. Trump is motivated by his hatred of President Obama.  My assessment is that the hatred is radically personal, not in the least about the policies he is undoing. Environmental regulation rollbacks, international relations, good will thrown to the winds,  and breaking the US out of significant agreements (Paris Accords, Iran Nuclear Agreement), recklessly pissing off longtime allies while heaping praise on dictator-authoritarian rulers. I got a little off the mark here: This paragraph was intended to blame Trump, and the anxiety he stirs up, for about half my weight gain.

I consider some of the comfort eating and consumption of high-calorie fruit of the vine to be efforts at grief management.  However foolish, comfort eating and wine intake suit me better than sleeping pills or heavy anti-depressants.  Besides, food and wine taste better.

 The grief surfaced with my mother's death in June, 2017.  But the feelings of emptiness started long before she died—on the day my brother died and Mama slipped and fell in the kitchen, breaking a hip and a shoulder.  Yes, the very same day brother Johnny died.  She was 89 and just out of surgery the day of his funeral and couldn't be there.  So, I've grieved the loss of them both, in addition to missing my father who left this world several years before brother and mother.  After Mama underwent PT at a rehab place, she came home.  Instead of a nursing home. The siblings and I had debated how we could fulfill her strong (and understandable) wish to remain in her own home.  So, after one unfortunate situation, my sister found a woman who would bring on several caregivers to cover days and nights, 24/7 care, with all the challenges, dramas, worrying, energy-draining, etc. that entails.

For three years Mama was mostly, then fully, bedridden; during the first year, she lost her eyesight in a rapid vision decline. Then there was another hip break and hospitalization.  She went through a lot.  Her stoicism was heartbreaking.  And so the long goodbye began.

Mama and I had been close, always, and spent a lot of time together.  We enjoyed each other's company as friends as well as mother-daughter.  Unless one of us was out of the country (which happened very very seldom) we talked daily. Even though her cognitive health was good, especially the first couple of years, the nature of our relationship changed. That was hard.

In the very beginning of our long goodbye, I was living in my version of Paradise on a beautiful lake near the beach in the South Carolina Lowcountry.  After my brother died and Mama was injured and recovering, I was driving back and forth (7 hours round trip) once, sometimes twice, weekly to visit Mama in the Midlands and help make it possible for her to remain at home.  I did one of the "top ten hardest things" of my life, and put my home on the market.  Said goodbye to the moss draped oaks, the cypress trees standing  guard in the lake outside my windows, the egrets and blue herons, the big gator I called "Tank." Will spare you all the hellish details.  Let's fast forward to being thankful (in the end) that it finally sold, after I had moved into a condo in Columbia, 3 hours closer to my mother.  (I'm forever grateful to two friends who offered a loan for buying the condo, so I wouldn't have to wait for the Lowcountry home to sell.)

Not too long before making the decision to move, I was in a deteriorating relationship with a man I cared for, but needed to let go. I'm not sure who let whom go at the end, but endings are always hard for me, no matter how much "better off" I'm likely to be.  So, more stress piled on.
And the clearing out of a home—packing and moving and setting up a new home without the comfort of my beautiful lake that was a mirror for the moon...I will stop talking about that.  And I won't go on about Mama's decline either.  Remaining present to it once was enough.  I have tried to write about it and managed to succeed only once in finishing a poem (ultimately published in The New Guard, Volume V).  If you would like to see it, leave a comment saying so, and I'll share it here.

A couple of months after Mama died, I came to terms with the reality I'd been doing my best to ignore: Condo living was not for me.  In a nutshell, I began looking for a wonderful house I could  afford and finding the right (smaller than envisioned) one after coming to terms with the current market. Had an agent who's also a friend and former neighbor. He helped a lot.  Put my condo on the market and, with my move out, came a slow-leaking pipe (caused by movers not turning off the washer completely) that caused a flood and ruined hardwood floors in 3 rooms.  There was insurance, water mitigation, contractor, replacing flooring to deal with...in the midst of trying to sell it at the same time I was unpacking and giving my all to making a house a home. But the condo sold, so that story had a good ending.

I'm settled in the house now and feeling good about it. It has become home.  After accepting the added expenses, high street traffic, yard care challenges (including a back yard composed of only aggressive weeds and communities of fire ants.  I have just rehabbed the front yard, put the finishing touch out there yesterday:  My "James Smith for Governor" sign!

Lucy's back, y'all.  We have a primary election on June 12 here in SC, and I'm pulling hard for James Smith to win.  We need to replace our current governor, a Trump follower with a record I can't support—especially when it comes to women and the non-wealthy people of our State.

So, check out James Smith's site and learn about his record.  A member of the State House of Representatives and veteran who fought in Afghanistan.  He has a fabulous family, including a talented wife he obviously loves and respects. His record on women's health issues and his policies in general show respect for all people.

Are you registered to vote?  It's current?  If not, hurry so you can vote June 12. I'll be voting for James, of course.  Someone in the opposition column has been misrepresenting his stand on gun safety. You know I wouldn't be supporting anyone who's not for gun reforms.

Meanwhile, I'll be trying to stir up some votes there and across the board for Democrats.  We desperately need them here and across the USA.   How can I help make that happen?  How can you?
If you've read all this, you have an admirable attention span, and I commend and thank you.  Now, tell me what you're thinking about what we can do to get Dems elected?  Leave comments, please!

Take care of yourself and i will do the same.  I won't be gone so long this time! Promise.

Great Point

This is from another Lucy and I salute her!  She nails it.  Here's something we can all take to the Thanksgiving table if Uncle Festus or Auntie Boo declare all "Muslims" are terrorists.  

I will not let anyone equate, in my presence, all Muslims with Isis/radical Islam/terrorism.  And this differentiation is a great way to stop the distorted thinking.

Give Me...Your Huddled Masses....

NRA and many conservative thinkers perpetuate the hypocrisy.  On and on.  And they can't see it.  Won't see it.  Either way, it's hypocritical.  

 

Paris—the city I always think of as love-filled—was hit by terrorist attacks last Friday, November 13.   Nine men in groups of 3 targeted a packed theater during a rock concert , restaurants, and a stadium where the French president was in the crowd. 

It looks like one of the terrorists had ID from or was one of the immigrants from Syria.  That one situation has sent too many Americans into a state of amnesia.  Fear apparently makes us forget that we are a kind, caring, and generous people.  I'd bet many of the fear-motivated people believe in "American exceptionalism."   Maybe we all need to pause and think about what that term means.  What makes us "exceptional" and whether we are. 

No Shortage of Hypocrisy

Besides the hypocrisy factor,  note it's a man who's demanding time with his family as a condition of taking the job of House Speaker—which would make him 2nd in line to become President of the U.S.   Imagine, if you can, a woman making that same demand--even that request!  OMG.   Yep it's hard to imagine because it's something that is beyond unlikely to ever happen.  Ever.  A woman could not get past such a statement/demand and be allowed to serve in any high-level position, much less the one Mr. Ryan just might be occupying soon.

The disparity in expectations is something all too familiar; it's not news.  Just something to note.  And remember.  

Good Point

 

Would be helpful to candidate Bernie Sanders if people understood the difference.

Boo!

The Flood We Won't Forget

Columbia, South Carolina - October 6, 2015

 

We've got a mess here in the Palmetto State.  They're saying a flood like this comes only once in a thousand years.  And that's too soon.  I will have more to say about it, including positive notes about rescue workers, law enforcement, FEMA, volunteers, and more.

 

Now it's after 2 a.m. and I need sleep.  But before I turn off the light again—thankful for having electricity— I need to get something off my chest, calm down enough to turn off the anger noises in my head.  

 

Remember Hurricane Sandy,  the devastation in New Jersey?  Of course you do.  Do you remember how members of South Carolina's Congressional Delegation voted on funding disaster relief for victims there?  

 

 

Fortunately, these Republican men do NOT reflect the generous spirit of most South Carolinians.  These men flap their jaws about "values" but were unwilling to follow the most basic of core values, the Golden Rule.  

 

It's a good thing our Federal Government doesn't forget its mission is to serve all citizens fairly.  Federal employees wasted no time showing up for South Carolina. Thank you, Mr. President,  FEMA, members of the military.   We're damn lucky you don't believe in Karma. 

My #2 Sweetheart

He might have been my #1 at one time, but I figured he might be hard-to-get.  Can't help lovin' Pope Francis though!  Did you note the structure of his visit?  How he puts out his strong message to Congress and the American people, moves on to do the same to world leaders at the UN, goes to the site of  the horrendous 9/11 to show what "killing one another" means.  How he says his piece, hits all the right notes with great tenderness and clarity—and without scolding?   At the UN I heard him say to all delegates:  "I love each of you from my heart."  And you just know he means it.  Did you hear him asking the crowd, stretched far beyond the White House, to please pray for him...and asking those who might not be "believers" to send him good wishes?  He was recognizing that not all humans share his belief...and yet he sees and hears them, too. Does not exclude them from his good will.  

This made me laugh when I saw it on Facebook.

(This image from The Everlasting GOP Stoppers on FB)

Surely people who experienced any part of the Pope's visit must have felt great respect for this gentle, open-hearted man.  So many reasons to appreciate him and what he's all about.  Leaning out of the FIAT as far as possible to get close to the people.  Requesting to go to the 9/11 Memorial  when it wasn't on his original demanding schedule (added to schedule before he arrived in the US); there, after what would have been an exhausting day for a far younger man on Red Bull,  this 78-year-old— with one lung and a bad hip—talked with 20 survivors, spending a brief time with each of them.  Yes, I think most Americans were charmed and warmed by the Pope's visit.  Of course there were some critics (thought hard for me to imagine).  And they were, from all I can gather, Republicans or hard right wingers.  Naysayers to climate change...and most anything else.  In the address to the joint session of Congress,  he talked (along with the climate crisis in our "common home" and peace) about the sanctity of all lives; that's when Republican eyes lighted up.  When His Holiness moved almost immediately to abolishing the death penalty, they got a little twitchy.  

(Meme GOP)

Thought I'd leave you smiling with that meme.  Have a wondrous weekend!

VOTE!

...and we're not in some other states in our "free" country either.   We are negatively impacted by the Republican worldview, their war on women, and their votes in Congress and state legislatures...deeply impacted.  We need to VOTE, contribute, volunteer for Democrats who respect women and our rights.  Think of the Supreme Court.  Think of women's health choices.  Think of your children and grandchildren.  Daughters and granddaughters.  VOTE.  Every time the polls open.  VOTE as a woman!  VOTE as a man who respects women. VOTE!

From 1993!

(Lee Lorenz created this clever cartoon that appeared in The New Yorker in '93.)

Have I been dreaming these past couple of months?  Sometimes it all seems real, that Donald Trump actually is running for President.  As a Republican.  And he is leading in the field of thirteen, yes 13, candidates.  Is it a dream or nightmare?  Unclear.  Either way, it has been stunning.  And sometimes entertaining.  Get this: Docta Ben Carson was in second place—definitely a nightmare.  (I think he donated his brain to a patient at some point.)  Geeeez.  

...and several months ago – even before her email mess— I had a gut feeling that Hillary won't be President.  No clue why.  Given the field of Republicans, well...how could she not?  And then Bernie Sanders came along and knocked our socks off with his no frills, no nuance straight talk.  With policies I embrace...and policies he has embraced for years.  Nothing seems ginned up to make him electable.  (There are a few things on my Bernie wish list— including a strong stand on gun control, greater understanding of our black and hispanic communities...that's the big stuff.)  And I truly like him.  He's authentic; there is no artifice.  And that's delicious!  The crowds he's drawing have been amazing.  Yet I don't see him in the oval office.  Just don't have a sense it will come to pass.

Now I'm waiting for Joe's decision.  And my heart aches thinking of the energy, the life force it would take for him to make it a YES.  If he does, it would be next to impossible not to support him.  I'm not sure there's ever been a candidate with so much of the right stuff—his temperament, the big, inclusive heart, the good sense, and the deep experience....  Most of all, I love him.  I love him enough to be conflicted about his decision, to want what's best for him personally a little more than what might be best for America and the world.  He is with the Unions today in Pittsburgh though and apparently revved up for events there.  Soon we will know what he will do.  He wants to be sure.  But how can he be?  Grief is relentless and unpredictable.  If he runs, grief will be his partner.  Tough, tough decision.

Whatever happens, this Yellow Dog Dem will rally behind the nominee, knowing we'll be better off with any Democrat than one of the cast-of-thousands Republicans.  I want some heart and soul along with intelligence and sound mental health in my candidate. 

Labor Day 2015

You. Are. Not. Her. Candidate.

 

And neither are the other twelve Republicans.  Was it Gloria Steinham who said, "If men could become pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament"?   Yep!

  (Shared on Facebook.  Attribution on meme)

 

August 18, 1920

The 19th amendment was ratified, and women in this Democracy finally were granted the right to vote.   Here we are in 2015 and still fighting for our rights.  The right-wing "War on Women" is no myth.  And we will win if we realize we can't afford to be complacent.  Vigilance, my sisters. And brothers!

Thanks to the Democratic Party for this image.

New England Journal of Medicine

http://samuel-warde.com/2015/08/new-england-journal-of-medicine-planned-parenthood/

   ...shakes up the Planned Parenthood controversy.  A must-read.  

 

 Wish I could win the lottery and fund Planned Parenthood myself.   Let's support them in every way we can!

Simple Sermon

           (From Delta Foundation of Pittsburgh)

Weekend Kickoff

Lucy's been pretty much horizontal for the past week.  I'm diligent about staying well during cold and flu season, but August?!  This gnarly bronchial/ear/throat/cold/whatever came out of nowhere and has barely loosened its grip.  I'm inching my way back to full speed though.  As for you, please take care and have an excellent weekend.

Some memes that got my attention on Facebook today: 

(From Jerome Russell Lewis in Official Animal Rights Activist Group)

(From Forward Progressives)

(From US Uncut)

Powerful

The link below is a video accompanying Langston Hughes's poem, Kids Who Die, read by Danny Glover.  South Carolina's Poet Laureate Marjory Wentworth— social justice advocate and fine author—posted it on Facebook.  She urges us to watch, listen, share and take action.

 

This is one of those times I feel too deeply about a subject to express myself through poetry.  Have tried and just—can't do it justice.  Not now anyway.  Interesting I use the word "justice" here.   I will attempt to share thoughts in prose soon.  

 

http://colorofchange.org/amovementgrows/?sp_ref=141215504.176.15109.f.62145.2&source=fb_sp

Interesting Interview

in the LA Times with Susan Robinson, MD.  A brave woman who has been working half of each month in Kansas at the clinic of the late Dr. George Tiller.  You will remember that he was killed simply for doing his work with skill and compassion.  Murdered by a Christian extremist.  

 

With yet another sting video opening the Congressional doors to "defund Planned Parenthood" — again—this piece is especially timely.  If you've watched any sound-bite size debates on cable news, you probably have noticed that facts don't deter the "Conservative" spokespersons from repeating what they generally know to be false.  They just continue to interrupt, then talk louder than, the Pro Choice person sharing the guest spot. 

 

Here it is:  http://www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-me-abcarian-abortion-doctor-20150807-column.html?utm_source=nar.al&utm_medium=urlshortener&utm_campaign=FB#page=1

 

...and did you see this good news for Planned Parenthood today?

 

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/08/08/facebook-ceo-mark-zuckerberg-donates-millions-to-planned-parenthood-as-gop-tries-to-defund-it/    

Farewell, Jon.

Thanks to the unbeatable New Yorker for this Facebook post, a gift to Jon Stewart fans.  I'm definitely in a grief funk over his departure. How will we get through the campaigns, the elections without his wise wit and clever take on all the outrages, all the craziness?  How can we be without his courage— just about impossible to find in "real" news reports.  And at the moment, the only show I can think of with research efforts as impressive as the "The Daily Show" is Rachel Maddow on MSNBC.  But it's not the same.  Don't get me wrong:  There are a few TV personalities I like.  But there's nobody, nobody, nobody like Jon Stewart.  What a beautiful farewell he gave us last night.   My advice:  Rest up for a couple of weeks and consider it?  No joke, Jon.  Think about it, Mr. President.  President Stewart.  

 

Know why this is unlikely to happen, ever?  Not because Stewart couldn't hold his own  intellectually with any candidate on either side.  Actually he'd run circles around them.  He has the courage, sharp mind, sensitivity, ethics...and so much more that would make him a fine leader.  I think he could raise the money.  Why is this dream unlikely to come true?  It's because of something he lacks and something he has in abundance.  His deficiency is a colossal EGO—his seems normal with some humility.  Not big enough to lure him into politics.   And his abundance of honest-to-goodness family values would also be a huge deterrent.  So...I suppose we should enjoy the fantasy, then set him free from our desires for his future.  

Jonny, we can't say "We hardly knew ye" because we do, or feel like we do.  We feel like you're among our circle of friends.  Thank you for letting us see the deliciously fine human being you are.  Shine on however, wherever; we'll continue to feel your Light. 

 

 

Planned Parenthood

Here's a good presentation on why every person should support Planned Parenthood.  We need to be able to defend this long-time provider of women's health services.  Yep, including terminating pregnancies (aka "abortion").   We all  know (well all Lefties, I'd guess) that Federal funds are prohibited by law from being used for abortion procedures.  That includes those performed (legally, I hasten to add; it's legal!) under the auspices of Planned Parenthood.

 

http://www.chicagonow.com/becoming-supermommy/2015/08/why-every-person-should-support-planned-parenthood/ 

Yes, the video of the lunch conversation was "distrubing" to me, as it was to Hillary Clinton.   The tone of those captured in the video was casual, cavalier...hard.  And hard to hear.  But a crass and misleading video does not mean Planned Parenthood is or has ever "sold baby body parts."  Nor have they profited from any transactions involving fetal tissue.  A nonprofit organization must meet expenses just like a for-profit business.  And from all I've read and heard, fetal tissue is needed for research studies, efforts to eradicate diseases in this country and around the world.  Fetal tissue is is provided to such researchers with the permission of women whose pregnancies have been terminated.  It's an option they are offered.  A choice.  Cecile Richards—where the buck stops at Planned Parenthood—has assured us that fees collected for fetal tissue are for covering expenses.  Surely Republican  business whizzes would understand meeting expenses.  That is, if playing dumb weren't paying off politically.   Have a look at this.

Preemptive Corrections

Thanks, Rachel.  Republican debaters should probably use this fact-checker before slamming the Prez tonight.  

It's Thursday!

That means the red car is in Cleveland!

 

Never thought I'd need to know where Fox Noise is on my telly.  Hope it's included in basic cable.  If not, I'll watch it online.  Big night.  First debate for Republican candidates.  Sure is  early for all this hoopla, don't you think?  Who'd have believed Donald Trump would be in the running—and leading the pack?  For damn sure I didn't.  One of the few political delights in the recent past has been watching Trump create controversy with his outrageous comments, most of which have no basis in fact or truth and no substance whatsoever.  It's not the comments themselves that have been my primary source of Trump-sponsored laughfests—but the fun comes from watching the other candidates (16 now or 17, is it?) scrambling to do something even more outrageous than the fellow who's way ahead of them.  To trump Trump, so to speak.  That way, they can hope to get a few minutes of air/talk/Twitter time.  

(Thanks to friends for posting this.  Attributed to Stephanie Miller Show Fan Club FB page.  Now can't find it to check whether someone's name was attached.  If so, my thanks and apology!)

I have a feeling (as do a couple of talking heads I heard earlier) that Mr. Trump will be on good behavior tonight.  And we will be a little disappointed, won't we?  Yeah, a little.  However it goes, I'm sure Fox's ratings will be higher than ever after tonight.  Surely do hate to add my viewing to their bonanza.   But I won't worry about that right now.  The task at hand is to chill a couple of brews and try not to dip into the popcorn too early.  

Begin— Again?

Long time,  no posts.  If I'd had any idea how long it would take to get back to Lucy Left, I would at least have said "Fare ye well for a while."   I've missed you, Lefty friends.

 

I'll try to skip the most maddening parts of my "journey."   I put my Lowcountry home on the market (after getting it in shape) and got a condo in the Midlands so I can be geographically closer to my mother.  She's 91 and fragile, in bed most of the time, needs help getting in and out of a wheelchair.  She's lost most of her physical strength, but her will and sense of humor remain strong. Thankfully, she has 24/7 care, but there are still things to be done.  I appointed myself "Director of Life Enrichment."  Since the two of us always have been close, it's a good role for me; I know what she enjoys, people she enjoys, etc. I know where her "buttons" are, just as she knows mine.  I drive up 2 or 3 times a week for visits and see for myself how the caregivers are caring for her and how she's responding to them. So far, they're doing a good job, and she likes them all.  She made it clear for years that her own home is where she wanted to spend her last years.  No nursing home.  (I can relate!)  My siblings and I have managed to make that happen.

As I prepared to sell my home—my version of Walden Pond—there were truckloads of emotions to sort and some to heal.  It was there Mother Nature had fed and nurtured my spirit for a decade.  I thought of the Cypress trees in the lake as my guardian goddesses.  I watched seven egrets fly from the Bay across the lake at sundown every single day, and named my giant gator neighbor "Tank."  I will hold all the sunsets I enjoyed in my fondest memories.

 

My mother loved visiting there.  She wanted me to know that if she should die at Belle Isle she would die happy—and if I needed to commune with her, I should look out my bedroom window and know she'd be right there near the massive Magnolia.  I wrote a lot about that home and what it meant to me in Dancing on Mars.  And there I was, about to let it go.  (I did buy a few lottery tickets hoping to be able to have two places, but that wasn't meant to be.) The letting-go process seemed endless and stretched my physical capacities to the limit a number of times; foolishly, I went beyond them a time or two.  But finally I got it all done--and my home sold. I continued to pack and move to Columbia in stages until closing day.  My son came down from PA so he and a generous cousin could help me do the final move with a rental truck for the bigger furniture.  I won't attempt detailing all the work that went into leaving the Lowcountry home and getting the new condo to the point where it might  someday feel like home.  All the while I was doing the sale, the move, etc. I was driving back and forth to my mother's—only 35 minutes from the new place, 3.5 hours from the one I let go.  That part is easier, for sure.

Also during the past year,  a precious friend and mentor who called herself my "other mother" died; my brother suffered through a long illness and passed away.  On the day he died, Mama fell and broke a hip and a shoulder.  There was in-facility rehab for a couple of months, and she did do PT.  She was home and just beginning to use a frame walker when she fell again and broke the other hip.  More surgery but no more PT.  

 

I won't ramble about  other challenges since I last posted because I might never get back to politics and current events, and that's what I'm here to share. Guess I just want you to know I haven't been slack without reason.  Nor am I without gratitude that I'm able to be with you now.   Even now Lucy Left isn't likely to have new posts each day.  Still, I do hope you'll stop by when you can and leave comments if you're inclined. 

 

It's good to be back.  So much has happened, is happening.  Where o where do I start?

Reality: Hunger Is No Game

Full Disclosure: I haven't read the book or seen the movie, so probably I shouldn't be using that particular play on words.  But that aside, games are supposed to be fun, right?  Light-hearted. People who suffer from poverty-induced hunger are not light-hearted.  Let's call out the right-wing myths about the government benefits that offer a hand up to hungry Americans.  Hunger is a tragedy.  A shame.  And a sad reality in the USA.  Time to stop the lies about programs that strive to make the pangs less painful.

 

Thanks to all who work, in the public and private sectors, to eliminate hunger in our society. Yours is holy work.

Ho Ho NO!

(from The Witty Liberal/Facebook)

Posting this after Christmas.  The season has sort of gone that way!

 

The elephant will be a lot fatter come January!  He'll clog up every possible positive opening in Congress.  Hmmmm...maybe that will call for more Executive action!  Fingers crossed.

Aloha, Mr. President

(CBS News/Facebook)

You deserve this break, Mr. President.  One day—when the naysayer, obstructionist Teapublicans are not rewriting reality—it will be known that you took precious little time off during what I believe will be seen as one of the most challenging presidencies in history.

Enjoy your holidays!  (I know you're working in Hawaii, too.  Never a real day off.  Nice change of scene though....)

Truth Be Told

(Sumter County Dems/FB)

Weary of the hearing criticism about our President having a vacation?  You're not alone!  Here are some facts about presidential vacation times past.

Christmas Season Post

(posted by Witty Liberal/FB)

Hoping Santa found a way around the crazy obstruction and filled your stocking.   With all the Republicans coming to Congress next month,  we all might get lumps of coal next year!

 

I've missed being here and hope to be back again soon.  Meanwhile, let's keep the faith and keep informed, Lefties.  We have our work cut out for us after the holidays.

Dear Lefties

Just noticed that several of my more recent posts are missing!  Loyal visitors, please know that I haven't deleted them.  One was "Autopsy" after the mid-terms...and a couple of others, at least.  A mystery I might pursue with Blogspot/Google when I have more time. 

Strange...

I Wonder

(Image from BlueNationReview.com)

Tonight we'll hear some details from the Prez on his upcoming executive action on immigration.  Republicans are now threatening impeachment and even jail time, I hear.  My, my... too many uptight white males in the GOP leadership, eh? 

 

You and I know President Obama has explored and confirmed the legality of his actions with other constitutional experts.  Still, this might get very interesting very soon.  Stay tuned.

Do Mid-Terms Matter?

 

So-called Independents and rational Republicans—and Dems who didn't vote last week, please take note.   The new Senate majority is already planning the regulations rollbacks.  Many and various, no doubt. Mitch McConnell said his top priority is to "get the EPA reined in."  So much for being able to count on reasonable safeguards on water, food, air....everything environmental.  

Mid-terms matter  A lot.

I Agree

I agree.  So many accomplishments to campaign on...and yet the fear won out with too many candidates.  Separating themselves from this President didn't work, did it? 

Yep

Thanks to my friend Tommie for posting this on Facebook.  Strikes a chord, doesn't it?

Thursday Morning Thoughts

A friend shared something to savor and share from Liberal America this morning.   Here's a link.  http://www.liberalamerica.org/2014/11/05/my-republican-dad-emailed-me-this-morning-this-is-my-response/

 

 I listened to the President's press conference in the car yesterday, imagining President Bush trying to respond to 3 and 4-part questions of varying complexity.   Before that, I had heard Mitch McConnell's press conference.  Interesting change of attitude? with Senator McConnell.  From his words and tone, it would be hard to believe his goal for six years has been to defeat any and all legislation proposed—or favored—by this President.   Later, I heard the President sounding as if he believes Senator McConnell will work with him.  Wouldn't it be loverly?

Must share Robert Arial's work today:

 

 

It will be interesting to hear how Friday's lunch meeting between the President and Congressional leadership goes.   Sounds like the President is determined to go forward with his Executive Order on immigration.  McConnell had said that would "poison the well" and  be "waving a red flag in front of a bull."  Hopefully, they will have a productive discussion on the subject, come up with a reasonable plan of action, and a avoid a "bull" fight.  Time will tell.

Autopsy

I just read a Bold Progressives assessment of yesterday's elections.  Their conclusions  resonated with me.  It led me to think about how often I've pointed a finger at elected officials generally, and Republicans in particular, for their courage deficiency.  Now the same can be said for some Democrats who have been running away from their good President and from the very principles that make us Democrats fight for the highest good of ALL Americans.  I was proud of two Democratic women who ran for office here in South Carolina.  They worked hard, articulated their visions clearly and ran honorable campaigns. In one instance, her opponent pulled dirty tricks at the last minute, misinformation (lies) that didn't allow time for correcting.  The old Lee Atwater strategy.   Neither of my candidates won—yet both were successful.  South Carolina Democratic Women's Council worked hard all year; sadly, election outcomes didn't reflect their dedicated efforts.

In the national elections,  it seems there was also a major lapse in communicating with the average voter. Too many voters weren't reminded of the huge gains this Administration has made in restoring a fast-collapsing economy; in getting health care for so many uninsured Americans; defending voting rights and marriage equality.  Civil rights.  Everyone's rights.

 

 I wonder how many "independent" voters, or people who didn't vote yesterday, were aware of  the consequences of a Republican majority in the  U. S. Senate.   A Senate led by Mitch McConnell.  They weren't told that a senator who declares regularly that global climate change is a "hoax" will rule the committee overseeing the environment.  We can anticipate weakened or repealed regulations very soon.   Environmental gains will be set back decades.   We can no longer count on the protection of banking and consumer finance regulations.   Sadly, our economy and our personal finances are likely to feel this change.  And there's so much more.   Keep your fingers crossed for Social Security and Medicare.  It's doubtful any Administration appointments will be approved, thus leaving a vacuum in some agencies.  Good luck if there's a Supreme Court vacancy.

 

More states will have Republican governors, many of whom will agree with signing off on legislative actions to limit women's access to reproductive health, including birth control in some instances.  Gay rights—all civil rights— are likely to suffer in those states. 

 

 Republicans are famous for ranting about government inefficiency and advocating "shrinking the government. " Legislatively, they'll now have carte blanc  to ensure their fabricated complaints become truth.  They'll do that by cutting funding and failing to approve appointments of qualified leaders for various agencies.  (Funding case in point:  Republicans refused funding increases for American embassies, then blamed the Administration because there wasn't more protection in place.  Do average voters connect the dots there and realize it takes money to hire employees?!  Do they know Congress is responsible for approving budgets?  I don't think Democrats made that point effectively enough in the media.  And I think it's time for a nationwide civics course.

 

The Bold Progressives analysis:  http://www.forwardprogressives.com/dear-democratic-party-make-mistake-republicans-didnt-win-lost/

 

Now seems like a good time for deep reflection, dear Lefties.  Mixed with the mourning  And then we will move on, assess and repair what needs fixing.  A lingering question: How do we infuse our Democratic candidates and elected officials with enough courage to BE Democrats.  To be proud, bold Liberals again?

Election Lunacy

(Democratic 2014 and 2016 Campaign for Change/Facebook)

Vote In Your Best Interest, Women!

Betty says it so I won't. But I agree.   I allow for the fact that many people don't keep up with legislative/congressional voting records.   Or watch Sunday morning political shows.  Or C-Span.  Or read a variety of news and commentary.  I know:  I'm a total geek.  But they still need to know that Republicans are no friends to women.  They'd like to take us back decades. Vote for Democrats!  Hurry!

(Posted on Facebook)

Voted Yet?

Notice it's the person on the LEFT who voted.  I hope there's a whole lot of that going on today!  

(posted by the Coffee Party/Facebook)

Voters: Remember the Republican Mindset

Do we want the Republican mindset and philosophy driving public policy that affects our daily lives?  Unless you're a very wealthy human, the Republican agenda—whether national, state or local—cares nothing about your student loans, hungry children, or Medicare for our most vulnerable citizens.  They talk a good game about Veterans' benefits and then cast votes that don't reflect that claim. They want to privatize everything (case in point, Social Security) and ruin it as they have the prison system.  They loathe collective bargaining (unions) because it gives working people a fighting chance to earn a decent living; Republican supporters and lawmakers are far more concerned about their stockholders and board members' making big profits than helping out a homeless person or supporting good public schools for all children, regardless of their parents' income.  Most not only do not want to raise the minimum wage, but many in the GOP would like to repeal it!  

 

The party of the Koch brothers and Dick Cheney claim to favor smaller government, less "government interference."   But all the while GOP lawmakers maneuver like mad in state legislatures and in the halls of Congress to limit women's access to reproductive health care.  Remember the Republican-proposed, government-mandated vaginal probe requirement?  They're beginning to see the Affordable Care Act's  positive impact on most Americans who now have insurance coverage, regardless of pre-existing conditions.  So, mostly they've stopped squawking about repealing the law. They're currently focused on suppressing traditionally progressive votes wherever possible.  In some instances, a return to the Jim Crow mentality, blaming non-existent "voter fraud."  Their dirty trick robo calls will continue to contaminate our voice mails until the polls close Tuesday.   So we have our work cut out for us, dear Liberals.

  (David Horsey via Daily Kos/Facebook)

I know most of you don't need reminding of these things— but too many voters who don't realize they're voting against their own best interests.  Some of those low-info voters just might stumble on this site and think twice about how they vote on Tuesday. 

Meanwhile, we need not only to vote, but also to contact friends, colleagues, and any family members inclined to vote for progressive candidates.  So many forget or minimize the importance of voting in mid-terms.  Let's not let that happen on November 4.  We can offer to drive someone(s) to the polls.  Make some calls; send messages.  Turnout is critical for Progressives/Liberals!

This Lefty won't post tomorrow and possibly not on Election Day.  Instead,  I'll be networking, hoping to help in some small way with voter turnout.  Join me in getting every smart voter you can to the polls.  We don't want to face Wednesday knowing we could have, should have, done more. 

Halloween Fright

This makes me sicker than gorging on Halloween candy ever has.  How about you?  The thought of these guys "owning" our country, increasing their influence through big-bucks at a time—creatively, to be sure—is creepy 364 other days of the year, too.

Let's turn it around on Tuesday!  VOTE FOR DEMOCRATS.   You'll be doing yourself and the Country a big favor.

 

 

 

Trick or Treat?

Don't be tricked into staying away from the polls on Election Day.  Let's treat ourselves to good Democrats on every level of Government.  I treated myself to voting a straight Democratic ticket.  

(Thanks to Kaye Lingle Koonce for posting this on Facebook.)

Christie Needs a Rest from Governing!

Ain't that the truth?  One of the sad, sick reasons homelessness continues to be a national shame.    (from Jobs With Justice/Facebook)

Homelessness Continued...

(Brave New Films: Justice)

Homeless

(Image from Living Blue in South Carolina posted on FB)

Tonight I'm honoring in my thoughts all those who understand that a person who has  no home is first, and foremost, a person.  Not primarily a homeless person.  We share all the same emotions, trials, joys—how can we ignore them?  How can we be fearful of "them?"  Maybe because we're thinking of the people without homes as "other."  

Consider pausing to speak to someone who looks a little world weary...walking along with his or her hump of a backpack...figuring out the next place he or she might "be" for a while without being asked to move along.  But do it only if you recognize the person is your equal...with positive traits and negative.  Flesh and blood like you and me.  Shadow and light, just like the rest of us.  Only without the shell we human turtles call "home."  

 

I'm coming across as preachy and getting on my own nerves here.  Some of these words are for me as much as for anyone who might read them.  I tell myself I care about the horror of homelessness.  What have I done lately to make the plight of homeless humans any better?  I have volunteered at shelters and served on a board at one of them.  But that was a long time ago, and I received as much from the people there as I gave to them.  

 

My small contributions back then are nothing compared to the work of people who devote themselves to eradicating homelessness.  Who spend exhausting days and evenings working for whatever nonprofit they represent, endlessly striving to convince the community that homeless people are not criminals.  Not thugs.  Just humans.  It's okay to acknowledge them.  Okay for them to live a block away.  No one in your house is likely jeopardized by their presence.

Here's to the friends who spend much of a  lifetime searching for solutions just out of their grasp.  To people I am proud to have the honor of calling friends.  To Anita, Paula, Kathy...and others who have passed on and many whose names I do not know, Thank you for giving yourselves to the homeless among us.  To making their lives better. To being the bearers of hope.   Thank you for not giving up.

This and That

"God is not afraid of new things."  And neither is Pope Francis.   He made that statement in relation to  homosexuality and homosexuals, a topic under scrutiny and discussion during a two-week summit at the Vatican.

 

I'm still madly in love with this man.  He's a gutsy fellow who shows that a person can practice humility and still exercise tremendous personal power.  This Pope has already taken the Catholic Church and its followers to levels of social progress that are almost unbelievable.   Who'd have dreamed....?  Stay tuned.  More to come, I feel sure.

 

                                                          *****& That*****

 

I'm wearing something brand new that I wouldn't trade or sell for anything.  A hint:  It's on my lapel.  A diamond broach?  No!  Not my style.  More precious than any gems to me.  Okay, I won't drag this out with guessing games.

 

Early voting isn't permitted in South Carolina.  Absentee voting, however,  is allowed for those qualifying under one of a number of prescribed requirements.  For example, one qualifier is caregiving.  Another is being 65 or more.  So...I voted today.  And I was happy to vote a straight Democratic ticket.  Happy and proud of the candidates I voted for.  It felt good walking out into the sweet autumn air and catching what felt like hope swirling in the breeze around me.  And the brand new bling on my lapel?  An "I voted" sticker.  

 

Go get your own sticker as soon as you can.  Early if you live in a state that allows early voting.  Absentee if you can qualify.  Take someone (or someones) with you!  We must have some  positive changes; it will take all our votes and all the votes we can make sure get cast by people we know.  Let's get it done.

 

Carpe Diem!

In Case You Missed It

By now you've probably either seen or heard about South Carolina's recent gubernatorial debate.  I was behind on that and happy to see someone call out current Governor Nikki Haley on a debate statement that begged for closer examination.  I'll post a video link to Melissa Harris Perry's take on the Confederate flag at the end of the post. 

But first:  Haley says she talks to CEO's quite a bit, and they haven't complained about the Confederate flag flying on the State House grounds in Columbia.  What does that tell us?  It just confirms that Haley's attention and allegiance is to the corporate/business world--and the mostly men who run that world.   Who influence her world.  Her thinking, her focus and her actions.  Most of us voters don't fit in that category.  I keep hearing Vincent Sheheen doesn't stand a great chance of winning the governor's race next month, but I'm not giving up.  I implore you to vote for him.  Get out and vote! I can't imagine any reason I won't be voting the straight Democratic ticket.  And it will give me great satisfaction to vote and then be prompted by the machine to confirm that vote.  It's almost like getting to vote twice!

Here's MHP's "letter" to Governor Haley:

http://www.msnbc.com/melissa-harris-perry/watch/mhp--time-to-take-down-the-confederate-flag-344659011677?adbid=753339028095685&adbpl=fb&adbpr=273864989376427&cid=sm_m_main_1_20141019_34010087

Sick of Ebola?

I'm doing it again—talking back to TV.  About the Ebola coverage.  Especially when they talk about fear spreading like wildfire in America.  As if the media isn't fanning the flames—after serving as fire starter!   Watching Republicans react to the President's effort to educate and calm irrational fears has been entertaining, especially with the heavy cloud of hypocrisy hanging over them.  They complain about not having a consistent message from the Administration, having too many spokespersons.  Of course the appropriate "point person" on Ebola would be the Surgeon General of the United States—but Republicans blocked President Obama's Surgeon General nominee along with any other person or program he has proposed.  Their worn-thin strategy continues to be destruction by obstruction.   AND of course his opponents have gone wild with accusing the President of lagging in his response to Ebola.  Check out this from Occupy Democrats:

Then GOP lawmakers called for someone to lead the "fight" against Ebola and contain the (media-manufactured) panic in the populace.  So, do you think President Obama's appointment of a so-called Ebola "czar" was met with Republicans'  (a) enthusiasm  (b) relief  (c)  criticism.   Yep, "c" for criticism.  There have been far more hateful attacks on the President...One right-wing talker even said President Obama cares about Africa, not America.  He's one of "them" not "us."  When I see clips of fact-free, reason-deficient and hate-filled tirades, it sickens me to think how many Americans tune into these sources daily for their "news."   Trusting the peddlers who pass off snake oil for news is  like opting to ingest poison.  A form of poison that allows the body to live but is sure to damage the brain,  tax the spirit, and keep the "news" consumer in a constant state of anxiety, anger, and agitation.

 

Republicans continue to carry on about instituting a travel ban (against all advice from infectious disease specialists) and some have managed to link Ebola to "border problems."  That could be the most absurd insult to reason of this election season.  it's not over yet!

 

Elections Are Coming

 Right behind Halloween.  I hope we're treated to more Democrats at every level.  I'm about to register in a new city—in plenty of time to vote.  Everybody out there registered?   Check your photo ID, too—I know, we shouldn't need them, but let's be sure we have one before November.

Thanks to Pro-Choice Liberals for posting this on Facebook.