Week-long Welcomings from Moosylvania: Nov. 5th through Nov. 11th

Welcome to The Moose Pond! The Welcomings posts give the Moose, old and new, a place to visit and share words about the weather, life, the world at large and the small parts of Moosylvania that we each inhabit.

Welcomings will be posted at the start of each week (every Sunday morning). To find the posts, just bookmark this link and Voila! (which is Moose for “I found everyone!!”).

The format is simple: each day, the first moose to arrive on-line will post a comment welcoming the new day and complaining (or bragging!) about their weather. Or mentioning an interesting or thought provoking news item. Or simply checking in.

So … what’s going on in your part of Moosylvania?

NOTE: The comments page will now split off after 20 or so left margin comments with the most recent comments on the current page. To see the older comments, scroll to the bottom of the page and use the link.

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  • Page Two of Comments is here

53 Comments

  1. Hi Meese! It’s 60 F here and clear, but dark. Suddenly it’s autumn! Darn DST. Better in the morning but worse at night.

    V just made it home and I’m waiting for my evening of Strong Black Women to start on TV. I don’t watch Greys but Scandal and HTGAWM are mustsee unless we are heading to the hospital, and tonight we aren’t!

    I’m trying to disengage from DK while at the same time encourage those who are trying to fill in posting for the Village for the first time. I feel the DK Village will be ably served, at least for a while. Whether the energy will be renewed enough to sustain, that’s the we’ll see.

    Love to Moose Pond and the Village wherever it survives.

  2. Good evening! Not a lot to say at the moment but just wanted to stop in and say Hi. Apparently we’re going to be going straight into winter after about a week of fall; tomorrow is highs in the 30s and lows in the teens. Brr.

  3. Good morning, meese! Friday …

    It is 10 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 28 degrees. So there you have it – we will not get above freezing for the first time this season! Sunny skies this morning then cloudy as the chance for snow increases.

    No one who has been watching the Republican Party since the religious right became embedded in it should be shocked to find that one of their politicians is a sexual hypocrite. It is what they do! There will be huffing and puffing but in the end they will all toe the line just like they did when they elected Donald J. Trump. They need the vote to confirm judges who will roll back women’s rights and civil rights and human rights – their jebus says “vote for the pedophile”.

    Meanwhile, Democrats in Disarray has become a bit more muted as people realize that we can win elections without a crabby old man who wags fingers at those who are unpure. The Obama-Hillary coalition is strong and we vote.

    See all y’all later!

  4. Walked again — 1.31 mi. Less cold than yesterday — 50, I think this morning, no wishing for gloves. Oatmeal, tea. Wow, the evangelicals defending Roy Moore….. I don’t begin to know where to go with that. I will just turn up The Blackout louder in my head: when the lights go out, don’t you ever doubt the light that we can really be

  5. Good Friday Morning Meese
    it is SNOWING here in Saugerties NY :(

    From Antonio Paris

    who is a “Planetary Scientist, Astrophysics Professor, Combat Veteran with Bronze Star Medal, and Proud American from Puerto Rico”

  6. Good Freya’s Day morning, Meese! Well, at last we have autumn: leaves littering the lawn, trees changing color—some trees are already bare—newly washed blue sky, across which someone has scraped a few cirrus clouds. Current temp. is 42 F., going up to 45 F. Going to make chicken soup in the slow cooker and an apple pasty (like a Cornish pasty, only bigger, and with a fruit filling instead of meat) for dessert.

    Still feeling wildly happy over the election results. My precinct went 2 to 1 for the Democrats, which is reassuring but not surprising. The population of our local elementary school, as I’ve said before, looks like a pint-sized United Nations.

    Feeling wildly unhappy about what’s happening at the site that shall not be named. After today, I think it’s time to withdraw a bit, or even a lot.

    Back at the ranch, I’m facing a very unpleasant day. Morning at the doctor’s, undergoing various checkups (including the un-fun mammo), and the afternoon at the dental specialist’s office 11 miles away. It’s the 11 miles that bothers me more than anything he’s going to do to me. However, he’s young, cute, and has dimples to die for, so I’ll be able to get through it.

    Wishing a good Friday to all with no bad news.

    • Good luck at the doctor’s!

      I was pleased to see that Barbara Comstock’s district became even bluer than it had been (20 point win for Northam in Loudoun County!). I would not be surprised to see her retire – who wants to put that much time and effort into a losing cause? And, no, it does not matter that she is not a 100% tRump voter – her mere presence as a Republican enables Paul Ryan to ram through legislation that will destroy everything we hold dear. I hope there are some good Democrats waiting to take her place.

      • Getting Dems to run in every race is the most crucial thing next to protecting voting rights themselves. And that’s what is happening – if not every race then a lot more of them. I can’t remember the exact number that’s “normal” for Dems to run in the VA House of Delegates but it was a lot less than the 87 we finally fielded. (One of the things I used to do at DK is publish lists of Dems running in the state lege races, I had one for NJ as well.) When we vote we win is quite true, but the first part is when we run we win!

        • I noticed this year in my NJ district that no race was uncontested on the ballot; a change from the previous time where many races had no challenger to the incumbent. A good sign.

          • {{{Avilyn}}} – yeah, that was a long list to put together (I hot-linked each candidate’s name to his or her campaign site if they were challengers or their office site if they were incumbents) but it felt good to have a Dem running in every slot.

            That’s what I was working on for the 2018 elections – the draft I can’t get to so I can’t even hand it on to someone else presupposing anyone else were interested in doing it – I had all the Senate and Governor races on the list and some House races as well. But yeah. When we run we win.

      • OMG, I’m the only person who doesn’t want to run against Comstock! :)

        Everyone else is and they’re younger than I. I subscribe to a Facebook page called “Dump Comstock” or something like that. I’ll certainly do what I can to help that cause, that much I can tell you. Believe me.

  7. Good morning, 45 and cloudy in Bellingham today. My dizzy head is still spinning but RonK is home now so he’ll drive me to the pool soon and then I hope to be in my sewing room this afternoon. My Dr.Who quilt is all cut out and ready to sew, I have 6 pillows for my DIL ready to cut and serge, and 3 table runners to sew for me. I’ve got all the thinking done for these projects so now I can just sew and that’s relaxing.

    Following (and worry about) the news this week has been exhausting so I hope it’s a quiet restful day for all.

  8. 38 feels like 37 this morning & sunny which I can use. My fingers still don’t want to work but what’s new with that? Got 7.7 KWHs and m-t-d is currently 52 so gaining, slowly.

    Just got back inside from a fire drill – this morning is being interesting. The PTBs (RWNJ legislatures orders to the UA system BoD) have decided to get rid of tenure in AR, to be able to fire already tenured professors on the strength of one adverse review if they wish or put the professor on “probation” at the end of which the professor has to prove how diligently they have worked to improve. They’ve also removed the ability of the professors to defend themselves against any such accusation and/or unfavorable review. The Deplorables are seriously trying to get as much of their agenda as possible in place under the wire before we throw them out again. Which they know we are going to do as we outnumber them. (No comment about similarities to such procedures in other places.)

    Gormless me, it’s finally dawned on me that I have been and am being “stalked” – Jan, you are very wise. I am a ghost on DK and unless they reinstate me I might as well be dead. i can watch but not reach my DK family any more than if i were, I cannot help the folks on the community needs list, I cannot do the Resistance and GOTV work I was doing, nor fill “holes” when a scheduled diary doesn’t show up. But I am very much alive here and at the other Village. I mourn the people and the duties I had at DK. I am very, very grateful for my other families – and thank you again, Jan, for inviting me in several years ago.

    Got a few ASAP things I need to get to – waiting for replies is how I got the minute to finish this comment. :) Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}

    • The rule of thumb is to remember that nothing you put online – even in direct messages, even in “hidden groups” or closed blogs, even in emails – is private and to act accordingly. Never post anything in “private” that you wouldn’t want viewed by everyone who has a computer. This is a lesson I learned the hard way. The reality is that once you hit post or send or submit, your words are there to be block quoted or screen capped and shared by people with agendas or who are simply disrupters – unhappy if others are happy, angry about other’s successes or an imagined slight, harboring a long-time grudge.

      The hurts are real – they don’t sting any less because they are pixels on a screen instead of pokes in the eye. Take some time to center yourself, decide what is important to you, fight for reinstatement or accept it as a gift, 15-20 hours a week that you can reclaim. Is there something you have been meaning to do but did not have time for? When one door closes another usually opens – you get to decide whether to walk through it or not.

      • Many and beautiful were the tributes that poured in for WYGal’s bfitz diary yesterday.

        As for me, I’m going to take steps to disengage from there. I believe this whole thing is a setup.

      • Wise words Jan, thank you…..

        When one door closes another usually opens – you get to decide whether to walk through it or not.

      • Well, I’ve never written anything and published it that I wouldn’t defend if asked. Which I won’t be. I have written things in other sites that I didn’t on that site because I didn’t want to be a “pole” in the polarization of a beloved community. But apparently I already was and just didn’t know it. Which also hurts. I have applied for reinstatement and I know that there are a bunch of people working on that. And including weekends it’s probably closer to 40 hours a week – that was going to be my post-retirement “job”. So I have a whole lot of regrouping to do if I am not allowed back.

        But I sort of invented that job – or rather saw several needs not being met and started meeting them. I’m at very loose ends right now about what will happen next – but something will. The Love has to go somewhere. We shall see what we shall see. Thank you.

        • Our thoughts are with you bfitz, and we know will find a way to continue your caring kind work.

  9. Good morning, meeses! Saturday …

    It is 27 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 34. Cloudy skies with mixed precipitation this afternoon and then freezing rain tonight. I will be having lunch with some online-offline friends and then hunkering down in front of a warm TV for some college sports.

    Nancy Pelosi is calling the Republican tax plan a tax scam. Indeed, after 3 days of “no one in the middle-class will have their taxes raised” from both Ryan and McConnell – lo and behold, there is no free lunch! McConnell said he mispoke, Ryan said “wut, you fell for my faux sincerity again??!?” Turns out that you can’t pay back the donor class without increasing taxes on working people even with the $1.5 trillion with a T debt that accompanies it. Of course the “oops” came on a Friday before a holiday weekend. We need to make sure the headlines on Monday reflect their words from Friday.

    Puerto Rico was plunged back into darkness a couple of days ago as the guys who got the repair contract only because they were pals of Zinke and Trump turned out to be incompetent and the lines broke again. The head of Puerto Rico FEMA resigned – out of frustration, it appears – and people in Washington have moved on. Now what? Goddess only knows.

    See all y’all later!

  10. Good morning Meese – Brrrrrrrrrrrrr
    It’s 22 degrees here in Saugerties NY.

    Been up since around 2:30 AM when it was colder – writing a Veterans Day piece – focused on Puerto Rico.
    Off to go proof and post – will post link here in a few.

  11. This weeks Fighting Back post is on the Republican Tax Scam.

    The Republican #TaxScam will raise taxes on millions of middle-income taxpayers

    There was no Democratic Party Weekly Address because it was the Senate’s turn and they don’t provide materials to the “press” like Nancy Pelosi’s office does so the post is focusing on her presser from Thursday. Leader Pelosi stated unequivocally that the December spending bill will not have Democratic votes unless it addresses the DREAMers. So I included a video from a few weeks ago with Kamala Harris saying the same thing. This is not something that should be pushed to next year – young people are already at risk because of a post office glitch.

    DREAMers and Puerto Rico – eye on the ball, Democrats.

  12. Good morning, Meese, from Aching Jaw, Virginia. Dazzlingly clear and lovely this morning, with a current temp. of 22 F., going up to 40 F. Good thing I’m planning a microwave vegetarian biryani for dinner!

    The dentist did his thing yesterday afternoon and I’m really feeling it. Believe it or not, I have to get a permanent filling in this tooth before a month has passed. Meanwhile, I’m gulping Advil for the pain.

    A mildly weird thing has happened. It seems that a student at Columbia University is working on a documentary for PBS, the subject of which is Betty Smith’s book, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Googling the title madly, she came across a “Books That Changed My Life” blog I wrote five years ago on that book. Now she wants to interview me by telephone today before she departs for Europe.

    Woke up at 2:45, could not go back to sleep, so am expecting the day from hell. Wishing all a good day with NO BAD NEWS.

    • One thing I noticed about tooth pain, at least for me, is that once the dental work is done and the pain from that is over, things get better pretty quickly. I am one month removed from the last brutal assault on my teeth and jaw and things feel pretty good now. I hope you can find time to nap!

  13. Slept in, waiting for Joy Reid’s show. It’s warmer today — 61 right now. I have to make oatmeal this weekend. So after Joy, it’s bank, groceries then home to set the berries to thaw. We’re having our holiday luncheon next week so I’m buying queso fixings — hey, people like my queso. And I am definitely either going to the gym or walking today. Still listening to American Soul.

  14. Good morning from NJ. Currently 32 outside; high of 39 today. I should go out and run errands, but I don’t want to deal with the cold. No big plans this weekend.

    • Good morning, Avilyn! I am going to go visit my peeps and then come back and huddle under my couch blankets. No big plans suits me perfectly.

    • It warmed back up in Austin. Sandals & t-shirt. The forecast for next week – I probably won’t even need a jacket for my morning walks.

  15. omg y’all — if you’re not watching AMJoy, find it online, this 1st hour about Moore, and voting your values, and Frank Schaeffer is totally on fire

  16. Good morning, 44 and mostly cloudy in Bellingham. Another quiet day for me so why rush into it! I finished two table runners yesterday and look forward to doing more sewing today.

    Time to find some coffee. Take care everyone!

  17. 38 or so and cloudy again – just I was about to catch up on production equaling usage. Sigh. Oh well. Had to cancel last night for ordering new glasses and just back from doing it – $440 ouch! for that – they’ll be ready in about 10 days. Seriously holding the Good Thought for Aji getting home from the hospital today – seriously sending her Healing Energy.

    Still in a holding pattern at DK – as in my ticket is open but being ignored. Still a ghost checking on my loved ones as folks who Cross the Bridge frequently do. Still waiting to see a light somewhere that indicates a new door or window opening to a new path. There must be one, new or old. The Love has to go somewhere. (Also wish I knew some way to save or print yesterday morning’s Village diary – The messages of Love are so wonderful, so supportive, I’d like to be able to look at them again in the future when I’m feeling down.)

    Need to find something to eat – and probably moar coffee. Bright the day Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}

    • bfitz, can you copy and paste them into a Word document or whatever word processing software you use?

      I’ve saved blogs and comments before. It’s not pretty, but it’s there. :)

      • Probably – I haven’t tried yet. I don’t have a printer at home but of course I do have the laptop I’m on with a Microsoft Office package. I wish I knew enough about the Cloud – I’m always worried something will happen and I’ll lose everything when it’s just stored on my hard drive. I’ll see about copying into the Word document sometime this weekend. Thanks for the suggestion. moar {{{HUGS}}}

        • The Cloud is not just a gormless cat :)
          We can walk you through what you want/need, and if you have Teamviewer installed on your laptop you can share your screen with someone.

          • This is where I wish you lived closer to me or I lived closer to you! :) I’m more gormless than Cloud when it comes to computer stuff. Remember I had to have someone sit beside me to walk me through downloading pictures into a diary or comment. I haven’t a clue as to whether or not I have Teamviewer on my laptop and wouldn’t know how to access it if I did. moar {{{HUGS}}}

          • All these things can be arranged through the wonders of the telephone and email!

            A mutual friend of ours has saved WYgal’s diary as a PDF and should be emailing it shortly.

      • Another option is to do a “print to PDF”. Basically, print the page but instead of choosing an actual printer choose the one that says “PDF” or similar. It’ll generate a PDF file that contains the entire contents of the web page.

    • The latest update from Aji this morning (about 3 hours ago) looks like she is being discharged, but needs to schedule a follow-up stress test.

      • {{{basket}}} – thank you and heaving a large sigh of relief. I told kishik I think it’s adrenal exhaustion. Which yes can cause heart problems, but in that case the heart problem is the symptom and the root cause is much easier to deal with in one way and harder in another. Namely she needs to get out from under all that stress she’s been living with for the last 7 years, especially the last 2. (And knowing Aji, we all pause to laugh.) Sending her more Healing Energy. moar {{{HUGS}}}

        • Aji replied to Ono that it’s not just due to stress (according to the doctors who examined her) but also the way it manifested as well as her family cardiac history that has them worried. Another reason why she should take it easy for a while…

          • Well I certainly don’t want them missing something important – I also don’t want Aji subjected to unnecessary expensive (in time and money) tests – but I’ll let her make those decisions. Except for the not taking it easy part – I’ll tag team with everybody to keep telling her to take it easy and you can tell her I said so. :) Meanwhile I’ll just continue to send her Healing Energy and stand by to help however I can/she wants me to. moar {{{HUGS}}} to you and Ono & Aji & everybody

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