My God.
Hegseth:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/03/us-israel-iran-war-christian-rhetoric
Trump appears to be rotting before our very eyes:
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/02/us/politics/trump-rash-neck.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur&fbclid=IwdGRjcAQUZ1hleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwzNTA2ODU1MzE3MjgAAR4OzIbz3AnD7FOq4ZCyLHTJSFYrJVngUHnRN68CcyF6HysoJzAc-FFv6GTtcQ_aem_NUkYi-7cBz4hR5H7ablarA
Gas went up 20 cents a gallon over night.
I am a bit overwhelmed by the big picture lately. I am sure everyone is.
In local news:
I had a trip planned to spend time with my son and his family. The weekend before I left I got hit with quite an intestinal bug. I will spare you details, but I really, really was afraid that I would have to delay the trip.
I got over myself the day before I was supposed to leave.
I strongly advise any overwhelmed person to borrow some kids to rebalance your soul.
The youngest wanted me to come to her art show. I wanted to see it. She was so proud. She likes to give gifts. A painted rock last time. This time it was a plastic heart on a keychain she'd won at preschool. She brings these things to you in cupped hands as if she is presenting you a treasure, and the only response is to cup your own hands and to receive her offering with all due reverence. I immediately clipped that heart to my purse and assured her that I will love it always. I will, too. Her art show was grand and I loved watching her confidently striding through her preschool showing us around.
The oldest is 7 and we have our own little thing. Our fairy tea parties have become increasingly fancy. Her six fairies gather around a table set with fancy miniature china. They carry on polite fairy conversations as quiet fairy music plays in the background. We sit in the middle of her room and have the most wonderful imaginary adventures. The last evening, the fairies, all six of them, told me how sad they were that I was leaving. I told them that we would have a grand party when I returned and that I would have tiny fairy gifts for all of them. My grand daughter was thrilled at the thought of a party of this caliber. She lined them all up in a row to bid me farewell, and I promised to miss them all until we met once again. Then they went back on her window sill, all in their assigned place.
Such sweetness.
My son and his wife got two date nights in a row.
I hit their Amish store, which is huge. They had, of all things, cranberries. You know, I had to resort to canned cranberry sauce at Christmas. I could not find the bags of berries to save my soul. After Christmas, I usually buy them up when they are heavily discounted. The bags are tossed in the freezer and pulled out one at a time. I like cranberry relish on my toast. I like it stirred into my homemade yogurt. At 35 cents a bag, a dozen of those went into my cart as quick as a wink. Tim likes blueberries and they had pints of organic blueberries for 75 cents. I also love their cheeses. So many different kinds. 5 lbs of cheese made its way into the cart ss well. No meat this time. We really have so much venison, pork and poultry in the freezer. A good problem to have, to be sure.
My daughter in law showed me how to make tortillas. An old dog learned a new trick. We had a beautiful day. We got in a family hike. We tried to fly a kite. We went out for lunch. We did crafts.
It was a beautiful weekend, and I needed that.
Funny story: the morning I was supposed to leave. I could not find my car keys. My oldest granddaughter said 'I hope you don't find them and you can't go home!' It was so fervent that it really touched my heart. It also made me wonder if she had hid them. (She had not. They had fallen out of my coat pocket in their car. )
I am once again home.
It was too cloudy to see the lunar eclipse. We started the day with freezing rain.
My sister is coming over to make tortillas with me Sunday. We are going to have fajitas. One old dog reaching another old dog.
I found a cream colored lurex sweater to deconstruct to make my moon for my planned weaving.
I got a letter from gz, which was exciting.
I got the perfect haircut.
If it wasn't for the fact that we have a lunatic for president, life would be pretty okay.
I am behind in blogs. I will have to catch up.
Eh, sit a while! Lovely what kids will do. I am listening to an audiobook that is quite devastating at the moment in regards a child - not Epstein level devastating, more there is no right answer for this situation devastating - but oh so beautifully written and delivered.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see you back and better health wise. Your grandchildren gave you a grand time. Absorb the news and work round the edges. Peace seems such a laughable goal at the moment but as usual that man has upended the world, we need a little time to assimilate the latest.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a lovely time with your grandchildren.
ReplyDeleteStay safe out there in this crazy world.
Good to have you back...I was getting worried ! Your grandchildren sound delightful. my current 4 grands live within 20 mins drive, but I don't see them very often. Used to love it a few years ago when I got the older ones from school once a week, but they are now at secondary and are able to get themselves home! The families are too busy with work/school etc. so no time to pander to us oldies! It is how it should be.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful antidote young children are in these disturbing times.
ReplyDeleteThe president says that the special relationship isn't what it was. No, at the moment it is an abusive relationship based on coercive control - "Do exactly what I want or I won't love you anymore!" He says that Keir Starmer "Isn't a Churchill". Churchill said "Jaw, jaw is better than war, war," something which Starmer certainly believes to be true.
ReplyDeleteI will now climb down off my soapbox, take a leaf out of your book and go and see if I can borrow someone's grandchildren!
I was starting to wonder where you were - and all the time you were having a splendiferous time with your wonderful grandchildren.
ReplyDeleteGlad the collywobbles cleared up in time for the trip!
I think you had the best weekend possible. And now the weather begins to improve.
ReplyDeleteI do believe you experienced magic on that visit.
ReplyDeleteWhat a marvelous visit, fairies too! I like cranberry sauce on toast or yogurt, too, works like jam.
ReplyDeleteThe irony of the US bombing Iran for a regime change. Hmmmm.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you had such a wonderful visit with your family.
I was thinking the exact same thing. Gigi
DeleteYour time away did you the world of good. What sweet granddaughters you have.I hope you manage to find something delightful for those hospitable fairies.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely visit with your grandkids! Just what you needed. Welcome back.
ReplyDeleteGlad to have you back ... glad you had a wonderful time with the grands ... you know you were missed! ♥️
ReplyDeleteDon't worry about being behind in blogs although I miss them.
ReplyDeleteGlad you got some quality grand time in! I'm still chuckling about what the knights in white sat in....
ReplyDeleteWelcome back, great visit with your family, we've missed you. Meanwhile the shitshow rolls on and gets worse by the day......
ReplyDeleteYour fairy tea party sounds so fabulous! What a wonderful weekend, I am so glad you were well enough to visit!!
ReplyDeleteI had trouble finding cranberries after Thanksgiving, too. 35 cents a bag! Great deal!
I'm glad you got a break from the nightmare.
As you might imagine, the internet has theories about the neck rash. Long term syphilis and shingles were the leading contenders. Then we bombed Iran and it dropped off the news cycle. Sounds like you had a great trip.
ReplyDeleteA beautifully written post today
ReplyDeleteLunatic for president and fellow crazies who support him...it's terrifying and discouraging. I can't believe we're where we are in this country; instead of getting better, everything is worse. :( Getting away with family, tea parties and art shows are healing and wonderful. We need those breaks from the harsh reality.
ReplyDeleteSeeing family is nourishment for the soul.
ReplyDeleteThe US has never been very good with separation between church and state, and it's only getting worse when someone starts mouthing off that God is on their side.
What a lovely family visit. Surely even the most diehard Trumpists must be starting to see through him by now - or are they all fruitloops too?
ReplyDeleteGlad you struck lucky at the Amish store.
Jaycee - collywobbles is an expression I use too!!
My best friend Trish and I played Knights in White Satin over and over in her bedroom until the black record was WHITE from playing . . . I shall be singing that all day now.
Good to see you back, Debby. Your time with the grandchildren does sound like magic! I'm sure it was much needed in these crazy times.
ReplyDeleteMy grandsons are men now but I remember the fun we had when they were little. I took the oldest one to the Netherlands when he was ten and on the plane coming home he said to me “ I want to go everywhere and see everything” and that is what he is doing now that he can run his business remotely. This winter he has been in Thailand, Bali, Viet Nam, and back to Bali. He is now going to Argentina for a month. He says he can live over there cheaper than renting in Toronto, so why not. He was going to go to Panama but with the rump shooting boats out of the water in the Caribbean, is staying away from there. He wanted to do the Middle East as well but the fat fake christian messed that up as well. Maybe next year he will no longer be in power and the world can try to get along again. Can’t wait to read his obit. Glad you had fun with the girls, they grow up so fast. Gigi
ReplyDeleteIt’s amazing how a 7-year-old’s fairy tea party can provide more stability than the national news cycle lately. Receiving a preschool treasure in cupped hands is definitely the best soul-rebalancing therapy I’ve heard of. Glad you made it through the bug in time to enjoy those 35-cent cranberries and the grandkids. Take care, Debby.
ReplyDeleteI am trying to catch up with blogs too, so just zoomed through your last 3. Like you i am sick that we are in another war. One stupid thing after another. But at least Noem is gone. Good riddance
ReplyDeleteYour grands sound adorable. Don't you wish they could stay young forever! But i have enjoyed mine at every age. Now all are in their 2ps and 30s and we can talk adult to adult which is pretty cool too.