Month: November 2020

A New Day Has Dawned

~ debsthoughts

Hold on for One More Day

Beautiful Sunrise

The sky was on fire this morning when I first looked out the window. A new day has dawned. It’s such a blessing to be able to roll over in bed and catch a glimpse of a beautiful sunrise. To see the incredible range of colors early this November day seems harmonious and calm, although I’m having trouble holding on to the feeling. But it is a new day and feelings, both good and bad, are fleeting. They don’t control me. And for that I am grateful. On Saturday, four days after the 2020 election, most networks ‘called’ the election for Biden/Harris. An hour before, one of my daughters reminded us of the Wilson Phillips song, Hold On (for one more day). So my daughters and I listened to the song from our respective homes and it was profound. We only had to wait one more hour for the news we’d hoped for.

The Stock Market is Happy Today

Colorful Clouds

I’d like to think the stock market skyrocketed this morning because of the spectacular sunrise, but I know better. It was more likely triggered by the news from Pfizer this morning that their Covid-19 vaccine is showing positive outcomes. There is also the chance the financial markets are pleased with the election results, but that could be wishful thinking on my part. I personally won’t rest completely until January 20th, 2021, at noon Eastern time. Until then I will continue to hold on for one more day and look for beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Of course, we can all rest assured that someone else will take credit for a great economy, even if it has nothing to do with him. (I prefer not to use his name. If you find that disrespectful, well, you are allowed to have your own fleeting feelings.)

Seventy-Two Days

Only seventy-two days remain until a new day will dawn for a new administration to start the truly difficult job of leading a very broken country in the middle of a pandemic.

Speaking of broken countries, last night we watched the movie, The Trial of the Chicago 7. For those who are old enough to recall the violence at the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago, these were some difficult times for our country. There was certainly a Dejavu aspect of watching this movie. What goes around comes around. Hold on for one more day. Because there’s nothing new under the sun. Although, 1968 offered plenty of turmoil, at least there wasn’t also a pandemic to deal with.

Speaking of Pandemics

Sunset

Covid-19 has taken its toll on far too many humans. In my region numbers are skyrocketing. While one close friend tested negative yesterday, another friend lost his father today. These are trying times indeed.

Hold on to that hope one more day. If you miss the sunrise, as I do on most days, watch for the sunset. Sometimes it’s worth stopping what you’re doing, forget the schedule, get outside and go see and simply stare at something astounding, like the sky changing colors.

For most of us a new day will dawn tomorrow. Let’s hold on for one more day if we are able. Let’s hold on to the best of the fleeting feelings, like joy and love. Allow the rest to fall away – which may require some conscious inhaling and exhaling. Breathe in, breathe out, repeat.

The Count Goes On (and on, and on)

~ debsthoughts

The Vote Counting Continues

Rika using body language to communicate.

My dog, Rika, is helping to count the votes. She just needs me to take off my sock – you know, because toe counting makes it easier. She is pretty clever and she did get me off the couch, but it was her intimidating stare, not the paw-pressure, that did it.

Look Up!

I still cannot tolerate listening to all the possible outcomes of this election. I kind of wish I could stick my head in the sand until the counting is over. However, this is no time to choose to be in denial, folks. This is really happening: Millions of manual handwritten mail in and early drop off votes must be manually counted. We can’t rush the process. We must be optimistic. Whatever that means to each of us, we must be that. For me it means remembering to look up, because even on the worst political days, this is beautiful.

Where We Are Right Now (it’s a nail-biter)

It’s a nail-biter alright. Or, if you prefer, it’s a frisbee-biter. If you’d like to see where we are right now, here is a map of current votes counted per state, as of about one hour ago, by NPR.

If this frisbee was sanitized I’d give it a go myself. It seems to pacify Rika when she’s overly excited. Her stare is unnerving though. I think one of us needs a sedative.

Reflections

One day, way off in the future of this country, all the votes will have been counted. Americans will have time to reflect on an election gone bad due to a global pandemic and a crime family that cheated its way into the White House.

This year has been horrible for far too many innocent people. Surprisingly, the blue wave did not occur. Too many in this country are willing to believe conspiracy theories being shouted and tweeted by the president himself. It’s disgusting to contemplate how many Americans are still eager to vote for a person who promises walls to protect them, but instead builds walls to protect himself from the people.

The pandemic has put a wrench in our politics because the current man-in-charge has intentionally politicized it and used it as a campaign message. Remember back in February when he called it a ‘Democratic hoax?’ “He has weaponized the word “hoax” throughout his presidency, using it to belittle and discredit former special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian election interference as well as his impeachment trial.” -NBC News Feb. 28, 2020

It’s Thursday and the count goes on, and on, and on. The count will soon be over and I am certain all of us, here and abroad, will gladly welcome calm, still waters where we can reflect on these intensely emotional times. But let’s not forget. Let’s continue to mourn lives lost during this pandemic. And let’s not forget the freedoms this administration has so desperately tried to rip away from us. Reflection is good. Awareness is good. In the meantime, keep counting those votes and remember to look up occasionally.

Count ALL the Votes because All Votes Count

~ debsthoughts

Traits of Great Leaders (on the Farm)

All votes must be counted, regardless what the guy, pretending to be a leader, says. Count ALL the votes. Every. Single. One. I’m not watching the election results play out; instead, I’m appreciating all the beauty of farm life in my own backyard. I still believe goodness WILL prevail; but the fact that this election was not an immediate landslide election for Biden is mind-boggling. However, ALL votes must be counted. Nearly one hundred million early paper ballots received across the nation, will take time to count. A great leader understands the process.

Farm Life Joy Number One

Rika, Border Collie Extraordinaire

Rika has a ‘Border Collie’ personality. She is different – all her doggy friends say so. Her intelligence is mind boggling. She can move mountains with her quiet, intense stare. She’d make a great leader because she can count all the votes.

Farm Life Joy Number Two

New egg

I adore raising egg laying chickens. I love my hens almost as much as I love my horses (the horses didn’t make it into this farm life joys post. Weird that a couple of eggs did, right?). The egg on the right is a first egg from a young hen. Our first egg from the new flock. I usually refer to this as the $500 egg. Because lots of time and money goes into getting to this point. The hen who laid this is leading her flock by example.

Farm Life Joy Number Three

My Rusty boy, Rusty the Magnificent, Best Cat in the Whole Wide World – are some of his names. He found me in the woods. He trotted right up, meowing and purring. He was tiny, hungry, loaded with fleas and worms. But today he is healthy and king of his jungle – loving and ferocious. He is a great leader. Just ask the other cats.

Farm Life Joy Number Four

There are so many joys living on this farm, too many to list here. But I am extremely grateful for my family and friends who make me laugh on a regular basis. And, by the way, I’m fine. Everything is fine. Joy number four: Laughter.

Traits of a Great Leader

  • Ability to count all the votes
  • Lead by example
  • Seek a balance of love and ferociousness
  • Appreciate humor and remember to laugh

A Free and Fair Election

~ debsthoughts

A Free and Fair Election is what the American people deserve, however, will it happen? Your guess is as good as mine. But a free and fair election is what democracy is built on. So a free and fair election is what we are counting on today — election day, 2020.

Optimism

I woke up feeling optimistic; I admit, this is unusual for me lately. I’m going to listen to my gut today and rejoice over the possibility that the ugly, horrible, immoral humans occupying the People’s House will soon be somewhere/anywhere else. If they lose they will not lose with dignity, that’s for sure. There will be lies (obviously) and conspiracy theories from them and the far right extremists. I pray there will not be violence, but if there is, it will be the current president’s responsibility. And since he only knows how to pour gasoline on the fiery chaos that he alone creates, it won’t be pretty. But this is:

Peak Fall Colors

The Pandemic Politicized

Fall in Michigan has provided intense color and beauty. While natural disasters are occurring far and wide, including political strife around every turn, no one expected 2020 to bring a global pandemic as well. I had a horrible gut feeling way back on New Year’s Eve 2019 that 2020 would be very difficult from a political standpoint, not knowing a pandemic was on the horizon. However, the current president and his cronies have politicized the pandemic and are now pretending like it’s over, even though the numbers of cases and deaths are on the rise. The majority of us accept the fact that nothing the president says is likely to be true, but far too many of his loyal supporters do. That has been perhaps the most disheartening thing to witness during these trying times. Critical thinking skills are lacking in far too many people.

Of course, I admit I would cherish the thought that the pandemic is no big deal, that the worst is behind us, that a fully tested, proven safe, and peer-reviewed vaccine is coming soon. I’d also like to believe I’m still 30 years old and have my whole life ahead of me to take any career path I desire. But I choose to be a realist and not live in daily denial, even when it’s really hard.

Goodbye Leaves, is it a Sign?

Peak fall colors have become a memory. November 3rd is here and I think it’s a sign that the leaves are nearly gone. Perhaps a new leader will be overwhelmingly voted into power today. Imagine . . .

Fall leaves disappearing

Leaves, going going…gone.

A Country in Need of Healing

This country needs time for healing. There has been a lot of human suffering since this administration took control of the People’s House. Lots of emotional and physical suffering has occurred and will continue for a long while. If the polling is accurate at all, Joe Biden will become the 46th president of the United States. If he, and his stellar choice of a VP candidate, win this historic campaign, they will have their work cut out for them. The damage done has been astronomical and will take years to clean up and make right again. Especially the racial divisions that have risen to the surface under 45’s racist team of ‘advisers.’

First Order of Business – Dealing with the Pandemic

The racial divide has brought out the worst of the worst in us, and that will be a difficult challenge for a new administration to take on. But the first challenge is saving American lives, which will not be easy by any means. It will require a national mandate that we know will not go over well with the covid-deniers in our midst. If only we’d had a national plan back in January, we could already be on the other side of the worst of it. Potentially hundreds of thousands of lives might have been saved.

Praying for a Peaceful Transition of Power

But these are empty words. All that matters today is #VOTE. I pray for a peaceful transition of power. I pray for red states, like Texas and Florida to turn blue as an historic sign that goodness will prevail in America. There will be evil in this world, however, it should not be leading our country. And it, like the leaves of Fall, will soon be . . . going, going, gone. I feel it in my gut.