For the Ages, for Debbie and for mystery

Mystery is the word today.  All the knowledge of humanity is tiny compared to all we don't yet understand... mystery.  How many lifetimes do i need to learn and do all there is to know and do?

The answer to that is one more mystery.

The future is another mystery but one can use what is understood about consequences to understand what the future holds.  The whole Earth Hour thing has me thinking about my contribution to climate change and what positive effect i could possibly have.  Since my grandson was born four years ago, i have tried to think in terms of generations like Native Americans.  

What ever i sacrifice will leave more for him.  That's been my thinking and my motivation to conserve, to sacrifice and to re-think how i do everything.

The problem is i really think the planet and humanity (all life on earth) is in for a long hard road.  i think it's all gone too far.  Humanity has not learned the lesson of the Native Americans.  We live for now, there are far too many of us and we poo in our nests.  We're dirty, indulgent and short term thinkers.  

What we need to do for the planet will probably not be felt by our grandchildren but if we do what we need to do, our efforts could make life possible for the seventh generation.  

I do it for the Ages.  i've got to teach that to my grandson because we will probably not see the results of our efforts.  The audacity of hope, our president would say.  i have to hope my efforts, my children's efforts, and my grandchildren's efforts will pay off.

In other news, my long lost friend Debbie got in touch with me.  i owe her an email but i know she is checking in here so... "Hi Deb! Love you, girl." 

There is too much to talk to her about in this posting so i will control myself.  Oh, and i will now have to join Facebook.  My friend, Wynd is already there and Deb says she has a page so i guess i will have to set myself up now.  i'll keep you informed.

Mi amigos, chickies and roos, it has gotten late while i sat here composing this post, so i must go but i leave you with the picture above and the link to a former post of mine that, i think, explains a lot about me.  

Prodigal parents, Google Earth and snotty Earth Hour rant

The prodigal parents have returned and here they are with my brother, his daughter and Mom and Dad's new dog, Emmie.  i might have that name wrong but the dog is sweet as can be.  Just one tiny ball of love.

i've wanted to post many times since my last entry but could not for one reason or another.  

i still haven't heard from my friend Debbie in Belgium.  Hi Debbie (or Barbara Morgana)!  Yoohoo!  Email me girlfriend.

Earth Hour tomorrow.  Yes, that exercise in global, we are oneness, in the name of spread the word about climate change.  i don't mean to be snotty but it's been obvious to me for a long time that we need to consume less.  First law: Reduce.  Then, Reuse, reuse, reuse. And then recycle, mi amigos.

How 'bout we power down everyday for one hour.  Require it.  Force everyone to purposely power down their life.  I'm not talking hospitals etc. or even your refrigerator but lights, TV, internets.  

i found instructions on the internets for building a solar panel and a wind turbine and i really want to build one.  They each cost less than $200.  i want to build a panel and run P's shed with it. Then build  a turbine to run a heating system for the coop.

i live in the ultimate windy city, right at the mouth of the Columbia Gorge (Google Earth that for a fun time).  The wind blows out of the gorge at this spot on the Columbia River like a wind tunnel.  Perfect for homemade wind turbines.

Google Earth is my new fun friend.  i googled my house, the town i was born in, where i went in Mexico...  Time stood still and i had to be made to stop.  

We have a long rainy weekend ahead and i haven't made a plan.  i like to plan my weekends.  i guess i do want to do the usual cleaning but beyond that i don't know.

Perhaps i will post.

Later chickies and roos.  

The Rand Illusion

Check out the link to Stephen Colbert giving us "The Word". The clip starts with a commercial, sorry, and is about 5 minutes long.  i have never read the book that is the bible of the far right, Ayn Rand's, Atlas Shrugged.

i never felt the need.  i had always heard about it and thought it was a book that would be a waste of time for me... and i think i made the right decision.  Life is too short.

If you want to understand where the right is coming from, or who Ayn Rand is or what Atlas Shrugged is about, then watch the clip.  

i wish i had understood this earlier.  A whole cult like group grew out of Ayn Rand's livingroom, including Alan Greenspan.  Ronald Reagan was also a devotee.  

Sorry, Chickies and Roos.  i don't want to be a downer.  Check out the clip and laugh and learn.

Check out Ricky Gervais and Elmo... Hilarious

John Stewart eats Cramer for lunch

OMG!  Jon Stewart's interview with Jim Cramer (CNBC) was so hard to watch.  The battle began here.  Last week he railed about the commentators on CNBC who are contributing to the world's economic woes and the thing blew up into a huge 'battle' between Stewart and Cramer.

Tonight Cramer went on The Daily Show to defend himself and he was so self-deprecating.  So much so that it came off as desperate.  He wanted off the hook so badly, and i think he thought that if he came on and acted all, 'I make mistakes', 'I should have seen these things coming', 'I'm working with the government to find these criminals', that Stewart would be contented.  

Jon called him on all of it.  Jon aired clip after clip showing just how Cramer gave advice on how to manipulate the market at the expense of regular people's retirement accounts.  He pointed out how we are all told that we should invest our money for the long term, how we should grow our money slow and steady.  But CNBC and the commentators are telling the market players how to make quick dollars in ethically challenged or outright illegal ways.

It was amazing.  Check it out.  And here and here.

Mexico memories

The souls in robes in the plants that grow

i got two blasts from the past today.  Knock me over with a feather!  My friend Debbie from my old 'Warriors of Light' Yahoo group sent me an invite to her page at Windows Live.  I had to sign up for an account (i hate that - now i will get bunches of unwanted email).  My friend Wynd prefers her Facebook page but i don't want to sign up for an account there.  i probably will in the end.  Although, i can call her or go over to her house so i don't feel an urgent need to join Facebook.

The other amazing event today was an email from Kim Antieau after she read an email from me that i sent her over 4 years ago.  She reminded me of an old favorite saying i had relayed to her in the email.  I began following her blog then and still do today.  

i can't believe i forgot The souls in robes in the plants that grow.  i talk to my stuff; my computer, my garden tools, the car etc, as well as plants.  i also talk to my friends and family who have passed.  Don't get me wrong, i'm not John Edward, i just talk to them when they come to mind.  Speaking of, Wynd, Mark has been coming to mind lately.  And i realized that i am mad at him for the grief he caused in his death.  i understand that these things take on a different tone on the other side but i haven't completely put it away.

For now, i await an email from my long lost friend, Debbie and i look forward to Kim's new blog experience.  

Speaking of souls i love, my hens are in for a very cold night.  i thought about plugging in the heat lamp but they dislike it so much i decided not to do it.  i probably worry about them more than i need to.  OK, i know i worry about them more than i need to.  Some days the only happiness i feel is from my critters, they keep me going.

Later, chickies.

Love and kisses.

Hot flashes: surprising climate change cure

i have been having hot flashes almost constantly this week.  i throw the covers off at night and then pull them back over me a few minutes later when i suddenly feel icy cold... Oy!

i probably cursed myself when i had the thought a week or two ago that my hot flashes seemed to be abating.  Should have knocked wood.

Today is a beautiful spring-like day but snow is in the forecast for Sunday.  In the very wintery Montana, where i grew up, a day like today would be labeled false spring.  That is to say, it feels like spring, looks like spring, and even says spring on the calendar but it is NOT spring.

Here in Oregon, we have very long springs.  It starts to come on as early as February and doesn't really end until mid to late June (just as soon as our annual Portland Rose Festival ends).  Winter is rainy but spring is rainier.  As soon as Rose Festival is over the clouds part and summer begins.  We jokingly call ourselves slugs for this reason.  And as a result, we wilt like we've been salted when summer finally arrives.  The temperature hits 70 degrees and we all go running to find our moth-balled air conditioners.  

Actually, i bought my first air conditioner only two summers ago.  i was determined not to get one for so long.  It is a device that is only needed a few weeks a year. To be sure, i am stingy about using it but i still feel sheepish about it.  If the thermometer hits 80 degrees, i turn into a big lazy whiner.

i guess i can't win for losing.  i whine when it's too cold and whine when too hot.  

On another topic, i got my taxes done today.  Yahoo!  That chore is done for another year.  i will see a small refund from both federal and state and as much as i want to save it, most of it will probably get spent.  i do pride myself on spending my meager refunds on my house or on things that have some kind of return.  Last year i built garden boxes and set up my chicken enterprise (enterprise?  like some kind of profit making something-or-another?  Yeah, right).

This year i want to build a reliable, workable compost bin, insulate the floors, get a energy-efficient dryer, build a deck off my back porch, install solar panels and a wind turbine and buy a Smart car.... that's all.  $1000 ought to cover it, right?

A girl can dream.  Oh, and i want the new Brett Dennen album and the new Alexander McCall Smith's, Number One Ladies Detective Agency novel.

Oy!  It's the hot flashes talking.  i'll get the novel and the album and the compost bin and i'll get my old non-energy-efficient dryer fixed.   I will send some more money to Kiva and save some of my refund.  That's the big plan, chickies!  Exciting, isn't it.

i know i haven't blogged much about politics lately.  It is my favorite topic but i've tried to back off just a little.  President Obama is impressive but in no way perfect.  For right now, i am willing to give him room to work.  Our Oregon legislature is now in Democratic hands and they are busy righting the wrongs of the Republican dominated previous decade.  Like Obama, Oregon Democrats have devastating messes to clean up.  It is almost too much to handle.  

i am basically a pessimist (so not suited for public office) but i really hope the optimists carry the day, so to speak.  In my hot flash fed nightmares, it is already too late to fix climate change, my grandson will get an even lousier education than his step-siblings, and the economy is already f**ked beyond repair.  Now there's a insight into my psyche that should keep you at arm's length.  

Beware!!  Hot flashing crone spews her nightmarish scenarios!  Now there's a blog worth reading. Huh?  Excited, aren't you.  

Love you chickies!  i'm off to create some economic stimulus by spending my gigantic refund check.

New toy

Pictures of the girls and two boys.

My grandson Lincoln, Hawthorne the cat, Holley the dog and chickens, Budda, Carmen and Precious.  

The new toy, of course, is the camera.  i have much to learn so i won't bore readers with lots of pictures of my critters.  In future, i will only post photos when they are worth looking at, but i played around with it and used the critters as guinea pigs.  The yard is not photogenic right now.  Winter has scoured and battered her but only three weeks until i can begin planting peas and onion and lettuce.  

Got run.  Lincoln is here for a visit.