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 (usually Saturday night with a Sunday date). 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?
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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 One of Comments is HERE!
– Page Two of Comments is HERE!
– Page Three of Comments is HERE!
Good “morning”, Motley Meese! The week begins …
Morning low of 25 degrees in Madison WI with an expected daytime high of 39. Cloudy skies are in the forecast.
Have a great day, all y’alls!!
Here’s Dee’s quick post from yesterday:
Righteous rant, Sis! If millennials are lucky one day they, too, will be old.
I blame bernie for this attitude.
Thanks Jan!
Good Sunday morn Meese. 25 going up to 45 here in the Catskills. Possible snow tomorrow – two days ago it was 70. Weird.
Puerto Rico
Good Sun Day morning, Moosekind. The view outside reminds me of a song:
“When you lift your eyes and
See the sun arisin’
On the far horizon
Early in the mornin'”
(Thanks, Kingston Trio c. 1963.)
After so many days of gloom it’s nice to have a sunny day, even if the outside temp. is only 37 F. going up to 53 F.
Yesterday I had to rush through early morning cores in order to go to the clubhouse and pick up copies of Around the Ponds, to which I had contributed three articles, and distribute it in my building. Reading it later I flew into a slit-eyed fury at the depradations that the editors (people who used to be rill good at basketball in high school) wreaked on my writing. This is such a first-world complaint I will save the long version of it for my long-suffering friend at Greenspring, whose only joy nowadays is email from friends. Her son is not allowed to visit her—he used to come at least once a week to chat and take her shopping—so this is even harder for her than for most people.
Anyway after that I grimly tackled the task of cleaning up my Awful. Finding a place to put all this crap very nearly amounts to a Herculean challenge. One more big push and it’ll be done! Then I’ll have the space to exercise in front of the computer screen once I find a YouTube vid of how to pull those elastic band things. I’ll have to find another vid of what to do with free weights.
I’m not sure what a “zombie apocalypse” is, but is that what we’re living through? The Executive Director of this place robocalled yesterday to say that so far we do not have a single case of COVID-19 in our community of 1,400. I saw my next-door neighbor waiting for an elevator yesterday. She informed me that near her summer home on Long Island there is a retirement community of 300, which has already has three cases, and one of them has died.
We can only hang in here and hope that our civil liberties don’t disappear during this crisis. Have you heard what Barr-Barr wants to do? I mean, as if things weren’t frightening enough, he wants to be able to arrest and detain people indefinitely without a trial. Thank GODDESS for our Democratic House!
We FaceTimed with Elder Son and Mr. Preschooler last night. While we chatted Mr. P. put on four different head coverings (pirate, lizard, and others) and showed us his latest toy truck. Being an only child he really misses his friends at preschool and is too young to understand why he can’t have play dates with his best friend.
We coulda had Hillary, Meese. Hope everyone will have a nice day baking, sewing, growing flowers, and watching a Tom Brady marathon on TV. Ainsi-soit-il.
Sunday Sermon
Another chilly morning, but later this week it’ll be in the 90s. Crazy Texas weather. Yesterday, the singer from Snow Patrol wrote a song online with fans. It was adorable. My favorite line: “come dance with me even though we’re miles apart”. He said something about maybe getting a producer & releasing it as a charity single and within minutes both a producer & a famous session drummer signed on, so they’re going to do that. People are doing good things. And if I understood him right, he’s going to write more songs with the rest of the ideas people gave. Church online again today, and they’re planning an online Easter service. We’re all learning patience.
Good morning, 38 and partly sunny in Bellingham. Our son is finally recovering! He called me yesterday and we had a drive by hi moment on the porch, talking on our phones while he and Heidi were parked in front of the house. I felt like a mountain of boulders were lifting from my worried mind. We will have to stay quarantined for who knows how long, but seeing him and hearing less congestion makes a huge difference.
Being outdoors helps too. Yesterday we drove through the daffodil fields in Skagit County. We stayed in our car but seeing the blooming fields of flowers was encouraging.
Our Oregon grand daughter is enjoying violin lessons via Zoom. The teaching violinist has international connections so Sophia feels very fortunate to be included.
Ron is grocery shopping now during the early morning senior only hours, so we will be ready for another week of staying home and as safe as we can be. As always, my best wishes to all.
{{{princesspat}}} such good news! more Healing Energy, moar {{{HUGS}}}
So glad to hear this good news about your son and that you were able to see the daffodils, princesspat!
Yesterday in my walk around the campus I passed by Hummingbird Square and saw two cherry trees in full, beautiful pink bloom. What a heart-lifting sight!
Cloudy and rainy again in Fay., AR. sigh. It’s 45 heading for 55, maybe. Yesterday was too chilly to be out in (well, other than feeding birds and that kind of thing) but it had lovely sunshine. We generated 16.8 KWHs – the most in a single day since early last September. Of course the m-t-d is only 204 so this is not being or gonna be a good production month. But such is Life. Considering that this is electricity and even my smidgen is helping the environment I’m not gonna call it a “1st world problem” but my life and well-being don’t depend on it so I’ll just leave that there.
My son brought over milk last night after I went to bed. (He’s got a key to my house and I found the milk in the fridge this morning.) He had to cover both shifts yesterday so didn’t have time to do anything else. Apparently just got to the dairy store before it closed. Bless him. I wish others of my friends had help. Some are golden but many live alone and don’t have relatives at all much less helpful ones within their state. I wish I had more candles. What I have will be gone by the end of the month and I haven’t a clue whether the woman I get them from is doing the Winter Market even if I could get to the Winter Market.
Anyway, I’ve got all my Sunday chores done and am about to go read Dee’s Sunday Sermon (& boost the twitter roundup of course). Healing/Helping Energy to everybody. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
bwahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Morning, meeses! Monday …
It is 30 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 46. Mostly cloudy skies are in the forecast.
The $1.8 trillion Senate giveaway to Donald Trump and his cronies was stopped dead in its tracks. Self-quarantining Republican Senators means that Mitch McConnell does not have the votes to push anything through without the help of Democrats – even if we didn’t have the House firewall. Turns out that “thinking a virus is a hoax” is not the best way to keep from getting infected! I am glad that I live in a state with a Democratic governor who both believes in science and cares about people. If we still had Scott Walker, we would be the disease vector that Florida and the Gulf coast has become. Our tourism industry is shut down and our southern border is the stay-at-home state of Illinois and our borders with Minnesota and Michigan are blue. Most people in western Iowa (our other border) are not as stupid as their governor and are unlikely to be traveling unnecessarily. Two more states will be shutting down: Ohio and Louisiana. Unfortunately for Louisiana, they shut the barn door after the horses all left – letting huge Mardi Gras celebrations proceed, like letting spring break continue – is going to turn out to be a huge mistake for states who refused to shut down tourism and cancel large events. Fools. Actually, murderers.
I have one trip out of my containment zone that I can’t put off and will be hitting the road in a couple of hours, returning by noon if all goes as planned (there are some iffy roads right now but time for them to get cleared). I am hoping it is the last time I will need to leave the house, except for short trips in my general area, until the crisis has passed. I am glad to be living in Madison where there are world-class hospitals, lots of smart people and engaged state and local government. And that my immediate family is in good health. Goddess keep us safe!
See all y’all later!
Monday Meese. Light snow in the forecast here in the Catskills of NY.
Puerto Rico
May be going back to work tomorrow. Or some kind of work from home thing. They’ll tell us the plan later today. It’s supposed to warm up today — to the 80s. Might get in a walk this afternoon now that the rain has stopped. Happy Monday, y’all.
Moon Day, Moosekind! It’s rainy and 39 F. here in Ashburn, a truly gloomy day, literally and metaphorically.
HE was on TV at 6 yesterday when we were eating dinner. We had the picture on but we can’t bear to listen to his lies, so we muted the sound.
We’re OK so far. The three days’ worth of meals the masked teenagers delivered to our apartment yesterday have turned out to be quite peculiar. Smashed blueberry muffins (I tried a bite or two and it tasted more like cake than a breakfast muffin), and chocolate muffins. Chocolate? For breakfast? Breakfast is, like, porridge or low-sugar granola or egg and toast, not chocolate anything. The poor dears are doing their best to take care of us, so I appreciate that they’re trying. However, we are going to end up with a perfect mountain of oatmeal-honey granola bars, which we do not eat.
The meatloaf wasn’t bad and I gave Dearly my mashed potatoes. We have chicken for tonight. I reverently thanked Hestia, Goddess of home and hearth, for whispering to me to pick up some dry gravy mix. I can make chicken gravy to go over that pale, unappetizing-looking chicken.
Future President Biden will speak at 11:30 and our Guv will address the Commonwealth at 2 p.m. to discuss the schools. Younger Son, with whom we FaceTimed last night, said he doesn’t expect the schools to open until September, if then. I hope he can teach Mr. Kindergartener to read. TigerMom (DIL) always buys workbooks one grade ahead for our grandchildren, so perhaps there’s a first-grade workbook sitting around for Mr. K. I know she bought a kindergarten workbook last year while he was still in preschool.
The other night when we FaceTimed with Elder Son, DIL reported that last week Mr. Preschooler came home, where Mommy has been confined for more than three weeks because of pneumonia, and asked, “Mommy, do you have the granola virus?”
Daughter-in-Austin and SIL have turned their family room into a yoga studio as they can’t attend yoga classes now.
Isn’t it tragic that we are living through one of the worst, if not the worst, crises in American history while the worst POTUS ever is in charge?
With that thought I’ll express the hope that everyone will stay safe while we shelter in place. Good luck on your business trip today Jan, and I hope you don’t have to go out any more!
It’s 52 heading for 64. It started with some sunshine but the clouds have come back. sigh. I hope they’re just passing through but there’s not a full sunny day in the foreseeable forecast. sigh. Yesterday we generated 7.5 KWHs and the m-t-d is 211.5 – maybe we’ll get over 300 by the end of the month. I’m not sure it’s even possible to get up to 350 which would still be in last place for March generation.
Anybody with a few prayers/invocations to share – Pat’s got kidney stone surgery this morning. And Amelia doesn’t have her meds yet – by the time she gets them her “rent” for the motel will be due again and the gods & goddesses only know how that’s gonna get covered. The person who’s done it the last 2 months can’t afford to do it again. Neither can I. And even though the +/- $1800 for the month is actually less expensive (because it includes utilities, cable, and internet) than renting any apartment in the LA area, because it’s a motel Section 8 won’t cover it. So lots of prayers or whatever for her, too. Aji’s been having those “episodes” she calls them as severely as she did in the beginning. & last night she didn’t do a Patreon post – like 1st time she’s missed in over 700 days. So yeah, more prayers/invocations. I know the rest of us have health issues and financial issues too. Not even counting the national emergency (due to a deliberately botched response to pandemic) there are so many people, people I know personally…Healing/Helping Energy to everybody. And safe travels to everyone who has to be out and about.
Orange molasses muffin bread just came out of the oven and I think cool enough to cut. I think I’ll take advantage of Murf having just hopped off my lap to go do so. And coffee. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
Good morning, 41 and raining in Bellingham. RonK is keeping a more normal schedule than I am and seems to be doing better coping with our stay at home life. I’ve always had a tendency to nap during the day and then be awake at night and I’m drifting into the old pattern again. So this week I’m going to try to keep more regular hours.
My grand girls are painting their kitchen cabinets with their mom so they are busy, but miss seeing them! The Ragfinery, where I donate textiles, is organizing a medical mask sewing project so I’ll see about getting us involved. We can sew together via face time or some other magical connection.
Best wishes to all on this quiet Monday morning.
Austin lockdown begins. I wonder if work will want us to process applications at home. I don’t like the idea of having paper from the general public in my apartment.
https://twitter.com/KXAN_News/status/1242185552167948288
{{{anotherdemocrat}}} I understand that very well. Any way the paperwork could be changed to pdf and emailed to you instead? Healing Energy and more {{{HUGS}}}
Morning, meeses! Tuesday …
It is 39 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 36. Mostly cloudy skies are in the forecast.
Well, here I am at 2am – at my computer! I woke up around 12:30am and could not get back to sleep. Once I am awake, my brain runs through COVID-19 scenarios and worries about how to protect my family and maintain somewhat of a normal life. Wisconsin’s governor will sign his Safer-at-Home order which will close more businesses. A lot of businesses have already chosen to close their offices and send their employees home – the highways yesterday during rush hour felt like a Saturday morning.
Cable TV needs to stop airing The Trump Show live. I get that it is the only thing on TV these days with sports shut down and that it has high ratings because it is like a train wreck – with fatalities! – that people can’t avert their eyes from. But he is promoting junk science and literally killing people. His latest idea is to “reopen the economy” and recommends that everyone go back to work – and book rooms at his hotels! Fortunately, the stay at home orders are coming from the governors and no amount of foot-stomping by the toddler in the Oval Office will change that. Does he really want a red-state blue-state virus, where “his people” get sick and die at a higher rate than people with Democratic governors (or the Republican governors who believe in science)? He is a sociopath so “people dying” really has no impact on him but at some point he has to care that his voters will be hard hit.
I have Nancy Pelosi’s version of the coronovirus response bill #3 up in a tab and it puts workers first and changes Mnuchin’s slush fund for Donors and Donalds to loans with strings attached. It sends a ton of money to the states since it is now obvious that we have no federal response to the pandemic. It also requires states to set up voting by mail for federal elections as an option to all their citizens. All states already have absentee voting for the military and many have “no excuse needed” absentee voting. That would need to be expanded to all states – if you want to mail in a ballot, request one and it will be sent to you. I did for the April 7th primary and Supreme Court election – it took two minutes and it included the option to get one for every election, not just this one. I am sure that Republicans will have a problem with that because it means that long lines on election day – their favorite way to suppress the vote – will go away. I hope our side holds firm on that; if we can’t vote the bums out in November, we can’t fix the terrible mess we are in.
I just did a quick scan of the news and came back to this comment. As long as I am up, I may as well crank up my pot of coffee and a few things done.
See all y’all later!
Yikes, Jan! Have a good day!
Tuesday Meese. 35 degrees going up to 52 here in Saugerties NY – which should melt the 2 inches of snow we got yesterday
Here’s what’s happening in my county
Puerto Rico
We got a couple of inches of snow overnight Sunday. It didn’t last on the ground long but it did make the roads a bit slick for people driving in the early morning hours. I despise Daylight Saving Time – there is no reason that it needs to be dark at 6am just so it can be light at 7pm.
Heard and heartily seconded! I hate DST too!
Thirded! 😁🌞
Waiting for the announcement of our shelter in place. The news said it might be 2 weeks. And it’s supposed to be in the 90s the next couple of days, so on goes everyone’s a/c. I got in a walk yesterday & will again today — exercise is specifically allowed as long as you stay 6 feet away from anyone you pass. Glad I have plenty of food, there’ll be another run on grocery stores, even though they’re designated essential businesses. And the local chain is hiring, I hope all those restaurant & bar workers get work. I’ve been sharing the song the Snow Patrol guy wrote, here’s one from Bono. Let Your Love Be Known. (he can’t actually hit all the notes, but it’s a good song)
Here’s a cleaned-up version of the song, where the singers actually hit the notes:
https://youtu.be/lz-DoaHi3zo
It’s 55 heading for 65 and has been raining since about 7. There’s some blue sky peeking through to the west so even though the forecast is for cloudy all day I’m hoping for the best. We got 9 KWHs yesterday and the m-t-d is 220 – whether or not we’ll make it to 300 by the end of the month is iffy. But I’ll hope for the best there too.
Pat’s surgery apparently went OK. She was home and back on the internet by evening anyway. Aji uses anger for the energy to keep going through pain, frustration, and depression – and goddess knows there’s enough fuel for it. She just did a rant on idiots spreading misinformation about hantavirus and other severe health issues that require not just sanitation but also protective gear when doing that sanitation. Amelia…prayers/invocations. None of these “no eviction” helps through the COVID-19 emergency will keep her in that motel. But she is too scattered and down without her meds to do a coherent “ask” of her FB friends – that’s a Yale alumni group who most certainly have the money to help but they never remember from one ask to the next why she needs it (suspicious from Yale graduates but…) – and is just managing self-care right now. And of course there are others – folks who need surgery but aren’t gonna get it any time soon for various reasons. Folks who’ve had what medical help is possible but can’t work so are existing on SSI and SSDI with the sub rose help of their friends. And that doesn’t get into the immune-compromised folks this emergency/new normal is hurting. (Folks like Dee & her husband who need to move but…) Healing/Helping Energy to everybody.
I need to get some stuff in the oven and get some more coffee/Ibu for the pleurisy (which is already easing up and I expect it to be gone by tomorrow). Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
Hope you get to feeling better really soon, bfitz! {{{Hugs!}}}