Plot Twist!!!

Hi!

Ok, 

I didn't have wildfires taking out iconic, historic buildings in Jasper, Alberta on my bingo card for this week... I mean... at all.

The person in charge of the Province of Alberta wants to blame our Prime Minister, because of course she does, but as it turns out, she needed to let the Federal government KNOW they needed federal help by asking for it... out loud, and not be so incredibly immature and ignorant in her hate that she literally let it burn rather than go through the channels that have been in place for literal decades for these kinds of crises. She is shitty at her job and needs to be fired. 

The information coming out of the region is horrifying. The destruction and loss... I mean... it's hard to wrap your head around it, honestly.

To think that it just didn't have to get this bad if she had just... 

But she didn't.... so here we are.

Firefighters from all over are volunteering, being flown in, and putting themselves in jeopardy to help. Shelters for people and animals alike are popping up everywhere. Humanity is rallying.

Not all angels have wings.

Another thing that was definitely NOT on my bingo card? A strong black Gen X woman strutting with well-deserved confidence and conviction into the American Presidential race, immediately scaring the shit out of no other than the Grand Orange Cheeto himself.

Talk about a plot twist!

Joe is an incredible human, proving, as always, his savvy in his timing, true to his character, putting service before self. Now, it's the Prosecutor v. the Felon. Literally. Captain BoneSpurs decided to take on as his running mate a guy who has changed his name a few times, has some sort of weird hatred for women without children, likes dolphin porn, and may or may not have had sex with a couch. I mean, it makes "I can see Russia from my house" lady seem completely sane!

She must be this racist misogynist's worst freakin nightmare. Strong, black, female, smart, competent, sharp as hell, young, beautiful, joyful, hopeful....no emails, no stutter, no age issues, no health issues.... uh oh....

He's already backed out of one debate, and I'm sure he'll find excuses not to have others. He knows he'd be blown out of the water, be utterly humiliated, and be exposed for the moronic fraud that he is. I mean, most of us have known for years, but there are still a few who cling to the hype of a twenty-year-old reality show. The fictional successful business man who never existed in real life. It was all smoke, mirrors, and Daddy's money. Grifting was, and still is, the true family business, as has been proven time and time again in courts all over the land. 

Joe made strides many thought would be impossible, considering the mess he inherited, forging a path for the next generations to follow, lighting the way. He is humble enough to know when to pass the torch, and enough of a patriot to do so. I am more hopeful than ever for our neighbours to the South.

Where the US is concerned it is going to be an incredibly fascinating 100 days or so...

Where the wildfires are concerned... I hope earth-quenching rains fall without lightning, and everyone gets home safely. 

On a lighter note... the Olympics are just beginning... proof the human spirit can accomplish great things that seem impossible to most.

*****************************************************************

 

 

Keep Your Eye On The Ball...

 Hi! 

 

You know that phrase, "sleep like a baby"? Yeah, ditch it. If anything, I'd like to sleep like a 10-year-old in the middle of a growth spurt. 

Leisurely sleep-ins, hanging out by the water, and discovering unusual treasures like a heart at the tip of a little feather, are the small things that add to the memory banks of a summer well spent. 

It's easy to get lost in the simple things, the slip-n-slides, the popsicles, the water fights, the bike rides, the watching of movies when the mosquitoes just get to be tooooooo much. It's easy, but every now and again you have to poke your head out into the ether and see what's going on outside of your simple-things bubble.

My phone began popping off last Saturday night with notifications about what went down in Pennsylvania that evening. There are so many unknowns as of yet, and the facts that are coming out make little sense. The guy was a registered Grand Cheeto supporter, and had signs that proved it in his yard until fairly recently. Was he actually aiming at Orange Jesus, or did he actually mean to hit the people that he hit? Was Epstein's bestie just collateral damage hit by a piece of flying shattered glass? Regardless, lives were devastated that night, but not the one that has been throwing the "look what a big boy I am" shindig for himself ever since. No, not his.  

Too much is unknown to be able to form any factual conclusion. There are absolutely no medical reports out that show the extent of Sir Bone Spur's injuries, or what they even were, exactly. The next day he was out golfing with no bandage in sight, but then, at the Comicon for Crazies Convention he showed up with a diaper on his ear. I've asked, and not one medical professional was able to explain that weird... whatever it was. 

The night of, he was pumping his fist and yelling "fight!" and posing for photos instead of.... oh, I don't know... leaving the platform? Some are trying to convince us the hesitancy to leave was bravery...... As he has shown absolutely no hints of courage before...ever...in his entire life... I doubt that's what it was. More likely... he was clueless as to what was going on, like he often is.

Then, for sure the first and second nights, and maybe more to come, of the Ban Everything BrouHaHa, after many took the opportunity to mimick his injury as an homage.... yeah, not culty at all... as they clamoured to kiss the ring... among other things... the self-proclaimed tough guy took a big 'ol Grandpa nap in his chair. He tried to fight it... there's video proof... for as long as he could, but the nighty-nights took hold, and out he went.

Now, this is a venue with a fair amount of very loud, obnoxious people in it who love to chant idiocies at the drop of a hat, always at FULL volume, while dramatic elevator music plays in the background. They are there for HIM. Aaaaaand he naps. 

Time will pass, and the facts about what happened will surface, they always do. In the meantime, he's gonna ride that pity pony 'til it dies. He's going to try to keep the attention on his "look at my ear!" to keep people from researching that horrific blueprint he and his ghouls have put together that will lead our neighbours to the south through some sort of backward portal that leads directly to Gilead.

Don't fall for it.

Progressive thinkers all over the world are doing things that will help mankind move forward in the best ways. Inclusivity, the environment, equal rights for EVERYBODY, feeding the hungry, putting an affordable roof over people's heads, taking care of those that need it most. I'm not sure what the endgame goal is for people who want to go backward.

If the working poor don't catch a break soon, our workforce is going to consist of people whose bodies and minds are unable to function. They are at max capacity. They are working longer hours than ever in modern history and are rewarded with not making enough money to pay rent AND eat. How long do you think they can keep it up?

The upcoming generations are watching this and putting their proverbial feet down. Yes, they have attitude. Yes, they take very little, if any, shit off of anyone. Yes, they are spicy as hell. They have zero intention of walking in the exhausted footsteps of their millennial parents. They want the same opportunities their great-grandparents had. When minimum wage could build a pretty decent life for a family of four. A SINGLE INCOME household with one minimum wage job. It was the reason minimum wage was put into place in the first place, to try and eliminate the poverty that plagued the world in the 1930's. A poverty we may very well revisit at its hundredth anniversary if we're not very careful. 

So, we will have to play a bit of wait-and-see while our hearts break for families once again devastated by a culture that worships flying bullets. 

The truth is a stubborn thing that can rarely be ignored or suppressed for too long. The trick is to remove the heads of idiots from the buttcrack of the Grandpa napping champion long enough to see it. Trying to stop progress isn't an option. Women are powerful. The young are energized and pissed off. The rainbow community is getting stronger and more confident, as are the voices of reason when it comes to the climate issues at hand. 

So as the Gilead enthusiasts gather to worship their Diaper-Headed leader this week, keep your eye on the ball. 

 

This Is About Them...

 

HI!

When I think about the state of our world, tech, the environment, how humanity treats each other, the future, I think of the precious beings in these photos. Yes, they are mine, but I think of not just them, but the entirety of their generations and those that follow.

Now, don't get me wrong, my grandbabies are not growing up in the lap of luxury, their Millenial parents are hustlers, working hard to pay the bills, often running out of money before they run out of month. They are delicious blends of brown, neuro-spiciness, dyslexia, queer fabulousness, with a little ginger thrown in. But... and it's a big but... they are still incredibly privileged. 

Privileged, because they have a multi-generational, strong, safety net of love supporting them, making sure they feel safe being, and growing into all of who they are. They know that no matter what kind of ignorant, poisonous arrows are thrown their way, they have a steadfast, unwavering, unconditional army behind them, ready to fight with them, and for them. That gives them a certain confidence as they walk through this world. 

Not all kids have that. Some kids go their whole lives searching for that soft space, that safe space, that space where they can exhale without negative consequence. That safety net. 

There is a whole swath of humanity that is determined to drag societal norms backwards all while it's being proven every single day through the actions of these Neanderthal thinkers that we still have sooooo far to go to assure actual equality for all. They want to strip away my grandson's right to marry and be a dad, if he so chooses, they want my granddaughters to give up their right to determine what happens to their own bodies. They want to refuse to dismantle the constructs and institutions that were put in place to feed white privilege, and continue to do so. No, we aren't responsible for our ancestors' horrorific acts, but we are responsible for keeping intact the institutions that continue to perpetuate the ideals they used to justify those horrors, the institutions from which we still unfairly benefit.

This swath wants to out kids to their parents with absolutely no regard as to what that may mean for them. So many of these kids are disowned, thrown away, becoming homeless. They end up in a love-deprived, dangerous life that worsens at every turn. Addicted, abused, causing self-harm and having to do things we don't like to think about simply to survive. They grow up to be the bodies we like to step over on the streets, and want swept up and moved out of sight. 

This swath wants to dictate, be in the room, and force childbirth. They want to decide whether or not you can have access to contraception, and a multitude of other kinds health care that are absolutely none of their business, all while they can't seem to find a way to prosecute rapists and pedophiles without inflicting even more trauma on survivors, if they prosecute them at all. As long as any hint of the questions of "what was she wearing?", or "was she drinking?", "was she alone at night" or any of the other idiotic stupidity are even remotely floating in the ether, we have unmitigated proof that we have a  looooooong way to go. 

As long as there are racist, queerphobic, ignorant slurs being given oxygen through flying toxic banners, or trashing rainbows, becoming bolder with permission given, usually under the guise of religion. As long as there is even a threat of banning queer books. As long as equal rights for all are questioned. As long as denial of our actual history remains even the smallest part of what any of our politicians want to make part of policy or legislation. As long as the term 'climate change denier' exists. As long as even one of these exists, we have a loooooong way to go. 

This can't be a two steps forward , one step back type of scenario. We need to press forward... only, always, and in all ways. 

This is about them. It's not about antiquated ideals driven by privileged egos and greed. 

The people who want to drag us backward are dangerous on many levels. Those who want to help us move forward may not be perfect, but they are moving in the right direction even if imperfectly. 

This is about them. Their education, their healthcare, their rights to thrive in all of who they are.

You are not required to understand. You are not required to change your mind overnight. You are not required to be comfortable. You are not required to give up... anything... really. Your only requirement is to not stand in their way.

These are the generations that will be running the world when we are sitting in a corner drooling in our soup. We want them to be compassionate. We want them to be caring. We want them to be kind. We want them to be critical thinkers. We want them to be educated. 

Let me appeal to your sense of self-preservation. We want them to be kind world leaders, driven not by the same greed that threatens to bring us to our knees, but by the compassion and inclusivity that will save us all. 

This is about them.

How Time Flies Under Ice Cream Skies...

 

Hi!

My how time flies!

Covered with ice cream skies we celebrated our 37th wedding anniversary. This year marks 39 years together and 37 married.

We met when we were 19 and 21, had four kids before we turned 25 and 27. We only knew each other for 3 months when I became pregnant with our first daughter. I came from a pretty strict Catholic family, so, to say there were some challenges when it came to family approval, would be an incredible understatement.

I'm telling you this for a reason. Statistically, we shouldn't still be here. Not as a happily married couple, anyway.

Has it been all rainbows and unicorns? Absolutely not! We have had every kind of struggle you can imagine. Loss of loved ones, money issues, parenting differences, just to name a very few.

We've grown up together, butting heads at times, getting through, coming back together, slowly discovering the healing we have been able to provide each other from our own childhood traumas. We've done our best, and continue to try our damndest not to poison our children and grandbabies with the fruits of those traumas. 

We have done some things consistently that, I think have helped a lot. 

We have always prioritized our relationship over jobs, over outside influences, over location, over everything. Maybe that stems from the "us against the world" start we had.

When we fight, we do so with purpose. Arguing toward a real solution and not in circles. Never calling names, or spewing garbage words that serve no purpose other than causing pain. 

We say the words. Never assume that the other just somehow knows what we are feeling, good or bad. 

It's been simultaneously, a lifetime, and the briefest flicker of moments. How time flies under ice cream skies. 

Relationships are really just a series of decisions. You have to make the ones that are right for you, both individually, and together. You have to know what's worth fighting for and when to cut bait.

You should never hold on to a romanticized fantasy version of any relationship. To be successful, reality, honesty, and trustworthiness have to be at the forefront... always. 

You should never have to be anything less than your complete and authentic self. You need to be able to be all of who you are, never having to shrink yourself or dull your shine. You will never love every eccentric quirk, but patience and acceptance are a thing, and besides, the bits that annoy you the most, someday, will also be the ones you miss the most.  

Nobody's perfect. Cherish the imperfections, forgive gaps in humanity unless they cross the line of actual cruelty.

Your partner should never make you feel worse in their presence. They should be your soft place to fall. Your safe space in the world. Your closest friend. The one you trust above all others. The one who lifts you when you need it, and keeps you grounded. They should be your partner in mischief, fun, and adventure, helping you to never take life too seriously. 

So it boils down to this...

We all have the power to inflict the most pain upon the ones who trust us most. Love means never pulling that trigger... no...matter...what. 

******************************************************************