Democracy

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.

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.

How to Care for Others While Surviving a Pandemic

~ debsthoughts

March 13th, 2020 was the day the Covid19 virus officially became a pandemic. Schools closed immediately with little notice to children, parents, or teachers. We are in our seventh week of staying at home except for occasional food or essentials shopping trips. I’m one of millions of sewers making masks. I do this because I am able and because it feels like something helpful and worthwhile during a time that I feel anxious most days. Wearing even a fabric handmade mask feels comforting even though we know they are not the best form of protection.

This virus is new and scientists are doing what scientists do – they are studying and researching and testing to discover what makes it tick. Unfortunately, a few months of research does not provide enough understanding to develop vaccines or cures. This much is known: It is highly contagious and spreading fastest when large groups of people are in close proximity to one another. Therefore, staying at home is wise. It’s not good for the economy though. But neither is masses dying in a short period of time.

People everywhere are exhausted and tired of staying home. We all want to return to some sense of normal. The economy is suffering greatly and business owners are going broke. Which means much of the population is also going broke. So, what are our options? Get mad? Say, ‘Screw it! I’m not wearing a mask! I’m done with this nonsense!’ Protest and call it ‘marshal law?’ Ignore all the experts’ advice? Believe it’s all a hoax?

I’m seeing people do all those things and it is extremely disturbing. Listening to a president who suggests bazaar made-up treatments/cures, like injecting disinfectants to ‘clean’ the insides of a sick person is terrifying. It’s terrifying because people need something to cling to and some will believe the mad man’s insane ravings. Please don’t.

Since March 13th our world and society as we know it has vanished. Are these the end times? Some choose to believe it is. Some of those same people are complaining a lot about hoaxes and fake news. I do wonder if they truly believe God created Fox News as the only truth they can trust. It really boils down to folks wanting to believe something so badly, they align themselves with a source that agrees with their bias – confirmation bias. It’s natural and we all have one. The trick is to recognize it and notice when you feel it. Here’s an example: People deeply want to believe this virus is nothing but the flu, is not nearly as contagious as we’ve been told, or is purely a hoax, voila! Lucky for them their news source of choice just confirmed it!

But there are indisputable facts. This is a brand new virus, undiscovered till recently, with unknown characteristics. It’s not ‘just the flu.’ This thing causes its victims to essentially suffocate and die alone. But the unknowns are many: Is the incubation period truly 14 days? Is it an airborne disease? Is it possible that some of our immune systems already know how to beat it? Is ‘herd immunity’ occurring? We just don’t know because it’s too early to tell.

Confirmation bias is innate and in all of us. God gave each of us a brain to critically examine information. Some of us are more inclined than others to practice critical thinking. It’s natural for each of us to lean toward information that aligns with our desires and beliefs. It also boils down to living in denial, ironically. Deny all truths that do not agree with our beliefs, even if it isn’t logical because it makes us feel better. Don’t we all want to feel better? It’s not helpful though, in the long run. Especially when it divides groups of people, even family and friends. Pointing fingers at each other when we disagree and shouting ‘fake news’ will get society nowhere fast.

I’m tired of all this too. We all are. Like it or not, we ARE all in this together. We are in it for the long haul, until we understand more about this virus and its characteristic behavior. Listen to the experts. Stay home. Wear a mask when you’re not home. These are ways we can express love and show respect for one another. To not shake hands, to not hug right now, these are not signs of fear, they are signs of caring for others. Let’s do that. Let’s care more for each other while taking care of ourselves. And remember to breathe and look up.

Harmony at Our Fingertips

~ debsthoughts

If you’re like me you may be asking (or screaming to no one in particular), “What is happening?” The division, the spewing of hateful words back and forth, the widening tribal gap, the alternative reality that our president lives in, the openly outright lies and gas-lighting – it’s too much to take some days. But the ugliness that happened because of a man named Kavanaugh, that has sent many women (in particular) spiraling into a deep sadness and grief, or for many more, spurred an enraged feeling of knowing enough is enough. 

Thankfully harmony is at our fingertips. For some of us it is found in prayer, in meditation or on the yoga mat. Harmony opens up to us when we seek it. I needed this reminder this week. Continue reading →

A Supreme Matter

~ debsthoughts

The date was January 27, 2016. The presidential primaries were well under way to putting Donald Trump, self-made billionaire extraordinaire, in the White House. I posted this picture on Facebook and wrote the following on that date:

Most of you know I steer clear of political posts because I prefer to appear neutral and would rather not get into heated discussions on SM. But I fear we are headed in a most frightening direction. I have not ‘heard’ one person support the Donald, yet we are told they’re out there. I find it odd that those who support him are quietly doing so, as if even *they* know how absurd the man is. These quiet supporters somehow admire the man for his audacity. I can see it now, if he gets into the White House, there will be a Presidential Reality TV show called: You’re Fired! And hey, why not vote for the wacko — how refreshing it will be to have someone completely out of control IN control. <Sarcasm.

I captioned the image with: Rolling over in their graves. Continue reading →

Chicks and Lambs Live in Denial – So Should We

Blossom the Lamb
~ debsthoughts

If the leader of the free world keeps repeating, “The enemy of the people is the media,” the goal can only be one thing — to convince the people to believe all news is fake news and believe only what he says. Unless of course the media reports flattering news about him, then it’s right on. But here’s the thing:Chicks Pix

The Chicks Don’t Care

We all know he lies blatantly and chronically, sometimes about the most ridiculous things. His form of ‘negotiating’ is to bully and create conspiracy theories about his ‘enemies.’ An enemy equates to anyone who disagrees with him or those who refuse to be bullied, or those who investigate and report facts. These facts can be something he said on camera or tweeted. The most dangerous thing about his lying is it feels normal and acceptable. We read reports that have tried to track the number of his lies and we aren’t surprised, because we all know he lies, but the chicks don’t care. Continue reading →

Selective Color

~ debsthoughts ~ 2 Comments

There’s a technique in image-editing called Selective Color. The way it works is to take a color photo and change it to black and white. Then a part of the image is selected and brought back to its natural color. It’s artistic and cool. While saving the image I was working on, the term selective color jumped out at me, as did the words black and white.

I’ve heard of selective hearing where a person hears only what they choose to hear. My dad was hard of hearing but refused to wear a hearing aid and he frequently said, “I hear what I want to hear.” No denying his selective hearing.

There’s also selective breeding, concerning animals and plants (breeding for the best possible characteristics, for example).

All of which made me think of racism and I wondered, am I a racist and if I am what can I do about it?  So I did some digging and discovered my own lack of understanding about some basic terms I’ve been misusing. Continue reading →

Silence is Not an Option

~ debsthoughts

I don’t know what to say. I do know silence is not an option.

In trying to grasp the magnitude of the events of the weekend I have spent much time reading opinion columns, blogs and social media posts by friends. I’ve read so much and heard so many opinions I’m not sure there is a right thing to say, no matter what our opinions or feelings are.

I’m white and with that brings privilege. White people should not pretend to understand the horror and fear that people of color live with, I’ve read. I’m not supposed to say, “But I’m one of the good ones,” pretending not to be racist or not to have racist thoughts. Because, they tell me, this is not about me and they say it’s not about President Trump either.  Continue reading →

Let’s Not Go Nuclear

~ debsthoughts

The right to bear arms will not help us avoid a nuclear attack on our own land. We are experiencing precisely what many of us feared when Mr. Trump was elected president –  watching him bully his way through a crisis he created, quite possibly with one finger on the nuclear codes – or is he bluffing? Does it matter?

He truly believes the way to negotiate anything, including world peace, is to be a tough negotiator, to bully, threaten, lie and then walk away hoping your opponent agrees to your terms. As we all know threatening nuclear war is not subject to negotiation, however our president does not. Continue reading →