Week-long Welcomings from Moosylvania: May 8th

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?

NOTE: The comments page will 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 (right before “Leave A Reply”) and use the Pages Tool to view previous pages, shown here with 3 pages of comments available and Page 2 circled.

31 Comments

  1. Good morning, 52 and mostly cloudy, but I do see some blue sky. I’m feeling awake and rested this morning, a welcome change! So I may go to the fabric store and find a binding fabric for the old quilt I’m restoring. I’ve washed it and the stains came out, the sun damaged pieces in the blocks are repaired, and now the frayed edges need to my covered. My grandmother had used the backing fabric for the binding so I hope to find a fabric that blends with it. Best wishes to all.

  2. Thursday Meese. 48 going up to – wow – 82 here in Kingston NY. Headed out this afternoon to start prep work for this weekend’s ceremonies – which mostly consists of collecting, and singing over herbs which are key in our religious practice. Glad to have great weather.

    • Enjoy yourself. You’re doing Good Work in the world in this. (Also in your more mundane practices, of course.) {{{HUGS}}}

  3. Puerto Rico

    Elise Stefanik, number three in the Republican minority in the House of Representatives, raises funds in Puerto Rico –

    • These people are really embracing the term “ultra-MAGA”? That seems a little dangerous – there is a lot of garbage they are going to have to own. It is not like “deplorable” which is a personal thing and could be a badge of honor, like Wisconsinites embracing the intended derogatory term “cheeseheads.” But “ultra-MAGA” is political and means being against Social Security, Medicare, wanting to tax the poor, and hating bridges roads and dams.

      • If Rick Scott is voted out of office, he could return to the Everglades, fall into a swamp, and be swallowed by an orphaned Burmese python. I understand that idiots in Florida buy Burmese pythons thinking they’re just darling—and they probably are, when small—but then they get BIG and have to be abandoned in the everglades. Gawd.

        • Rick Scott is one of the physically ugliest men in politics and that is saying a lot! He has presidential ambitions which makes him twice as dangerous. I hope his Pathway to Senate Majority programs turn out to be his undoing. I really really want his Florida pal, Marco Rubio, to lose his seat this year – I wish I had money to give to Val Demings.

  4. Hear wave continues. Probably not a wave, just summer is early. Working from home is going to become complicated, we have to turn in our laptops soon and use our own. Mine is waaay too old, I’ve never even been able to update it to Windows 10, though I’ll try again this weekend. I have a tablet that T-Mobile gave away years ago, I’ve only ever used it for a sleep sounds app, I’ll ask the IT guys if it will work. Or I’ll go to the Goodwill computer store. With school winding down, maybe they have some laptops.

  5. Good morning, meeses! Thursday …

    It is 55 degrees in Tucson with an expected daytime high of 82. Sunny skies are in the forecast.

    So Senate Republicans and Republican-ish Joe Manchin voted against protecting abortion rights in America. Not shocking. I am glad they did not take up the Collins-Murkowski version which would have codified that states can add their own anti-woman rules if they want to. Their bill was not going to get 60 votes either and would just make it look like women’s reproductive rights are just another bargaining chip. No. Women’s reproductive rights are rights. Period, end of sentence.

    I took some time for a walk in the botanical garden yesterday so I have a few projects that were deferred that I need to get to.

    See all y’all later!

  6. Good Thursday morning, Meese. Our lovely sunlit early day has been taken over by clouds. We may even have a shower late at night, when we can’t enjoy the sight or sound or smell of it. Right now in Ashburn it’s 63 F., with winds 5 to 10 mph. When I took Monty out just now it was so cool and windy I was glad I’d worn a jacket.

    Going to be busy this morning getting ready for this afternoon’s Writers’ Group meeting. There’s one guy that hasn’t shown up for the last couple of meetings, and I regret that. He’s one of the best writers in there. Oh, well, I’m sure we’ll have a good time and stay over our allotted hour and a half. Haven’t been to the gym all week, partly because of feeling bad and partly because I had to get something done.

    Relieved and exhilarated that I finally managed to post Chapter 9 at my website! I don’t think I’ve posted there in a year! As soon as I can, I need to put up an ad.

    Tomorrow I must get going hot and heavy on the articles for the quarterly. We’re having a meeting next week.

    Miss Pink Cheeks is back in school, I hear, and wishing she could wangle another “remote learning” week. Younger son will be awarded his A.A. in Social Sciences with Education Orientation in a week or so. I’m proud of him. When young he thought he wanted to be a chef, and was one for a while. However, that job is incompatible with family life. He really likes his current job but yearns to be a teacher and baseball coach.

    Wishing a good day to all at the Pond.

  7. It’s 70 heading for 91 with a heat index in the upper 90s. Yesterday the haze mostly burned off, mostly. We generated 18.3 KWHs and the m-d-t is 134 – a small gain is still a gain. And as long as I can avoid turning on the A/C it is a gain.

    Had a minor scare last night. Freddie (one of the twins) slipped out just before dark yesterday and wasn’t back by the time I finally gave up and went to bed. But he was sitting by the backdoor waiting to be let in when I got up. And since I hadn’t fed anybody yet, nobody made a break for it when I opened the door to let him in. Cats.

    As far as I know everybody/everything is pretty much the same as it was yesterday. And the day before. And. . . Nothing’s resolved, everybody’s hanging from their own rope, but they’re still hanging on.

    I’ve done my treadmilling for the day (and washed off the sweat thus generated). I need to close up the house before it gets any warmer. We’ll see if I get up the energy to do anything else. LOL. Off to twitter and Dee’s diary. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}

  8. Good morning, 48 and cloudy outside my window today. I didn’t go to the fabric store yesterday so I’ll try again today. But I’m listening to music and trying to avoid the news this morning, so time for more coffee and a few solitaire games. Best wishes to all.

  9. Friday Meese, it’s 59 going up to 78 here in Kingston NY.
    It’s Stevie Wonder’s 72nd birthday today – he’s speaking out

    Also check out this new video – VP Harris

  10. Puerto Rico


    The irony is that she used to be the Secretary of Justice.

    • Reparations should be paid to the Puerto Rican women who were used as human guinea pigs. I suppose Pincus thought their lives were of even less value than white women’s lives, so if a few died, what the hell.

  11. I’m reconsidering going to the abortion rights really tomorrow. It will be a million degrees, downtown will be full of trumpers, they have an event at the convention center. Supposedly the Golden Calf himself is coming to town. So I’d take the bus, no way am I driving my bumper sticker covered car where there’ll be lots of trumpistas. All that walking and standing will make my feet swell. And hot. And trumpistas.

    • Yes, the party of “hands off our Supreme Court justices!” has no qualms about attacking and disrupting pro-reproductive rights protesters. My days of active in-person protests are done – I will watch in solidarity.

  12. Good morning, meeses! Friday …

    It is 54 degrees in Tucson with an expected daytime high of 91. Sunny skies are in the forecast. We keep the windows open overnight to cool (then seal) the house down in order to avoid air conditioning until late afternoon. Usually that works pretty well but this morning it worked a little too well – it was 69 degrees in the living room! I shut the windows to get us back to about 72 but will open them a little later. I think the breeze from the east was a little stronger than usual.

    Elon Musk – hahahahaha! What a fool.

    I have to get back to project work. See all y’all later!

  13. It’s 71 heading for 87 and the heat index isn’t supposed to get above 90 so both a bit cooler and less humidity. This is good. Unfortunately there’s cloud cover to with it. Yesterday we generated 19.6 KWHs and brought the m-t-d to 153.69 – not on track but gaining. Holding the Good Thoughts we’ll get at least 15 today and not lose ground again.

    Folks seem to be losing ground elsewhere. Health. Money. Wildfires. Bureaucracy. sigh. I’m doing what I can with emotional and financial support. What’s left is prayer. A forlorn hope that. But it’s the only one left and hope is hope.

    I did manage to get the HVAC filters cleaned yesterday. They needed it. Also the ceiling fan blades. I’ve done my treadmilling and the lawn service is here. Which I can pay because the water bill hasn’t come in yet and payday is next Wednesday. Anyway, off to twitter. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}

  14. Good Friday morning, Moosekind! I like Friday the 13th! Thirteen is a lucky number in my religion.

    This morning it’s 65 F. in Ashburn, which is experiencing a sunny spell between showers. “They” say there may be thunderstorms this afternoon, Good, because we’re half an inch under in rainfall for the year. Last night my husband said there was a waxing moon to be seen outside so I rushed out to have a look. It’ll be full on the 16th, do hope I’m able to see it.

    It’s already nearly 10 and I have done not a thing! Made a complete balls-up of the hot cooked breakfast this morning, better luck another day.

    Younger Son reported that little Karl received the birthday present I sent. The sun and all the planets in the solar system were represented by chocolates. He’s very interested in the planets and stars, so I thought he’d like that. Reportedly he was very excited.

    Yesterday I conducted the meeting of the Writers’ Group. We had a really good session. One woman wrote a poem called a “padoum” (the form originated in the 13th century in Malaya), and it was so moving I lost my mojo and actually choked up. I’m too emotional to teach anyone anything, really. Anyway, next session I’m going to introduce them to the difference between the first and fifth versions of Fitzgerald’s translation of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. I never realize how much of what I read in my younger days has become part of me until I reread it.

    Well, Moosekind, it is a few minutes to 10 a.m. so I MUST get a move on! Wishing a good day to all at the Pond.

  15. Good morning, 45 and partly sunny outside my window today. My computer is getting old and cranky, just like me. It is slow to connect to other sites and keeps losing the internet connection, so annoying! My first attempt to comment this morning is floating around somewhere but it’s not here. Oh well, it’s all magic anyway. Best wishes to all.

  16. What, no one is up and about on a Saturday? Good Saturday morning, Meese! Here in Ashburn it’s 67 F., gray and gloomy. Rain expected on and off all day. Our high will be 75 F.

    I can’t find anyone from here going to the abortion rights march and I’ve learned it’s best not to go to these things alone. Anyway, I am too old and too frail. Just read about a way to reduce the possibility of getting Alzheimer’s: lift weights for 1 hour a week. I’m sure one could break it into two sessions. Sounds good to me.

    Have way too much to do this morning, anyway. Order a magenta cartridge, return something to Amazon, write a condolence card, figure out something for dinner, bla bla bla.

    Feeling disgusted with beastly old Christofascist patriarchs this morning. If we can send one man to the Moon, why can’t we send them all? At least we could send the patriarchs and leave the good ones here where they’re needed.

    Wishing a good Saturday to all at the Pond.

    • I was up but the comment I started 30 minutes ago did not get finished until just now. Some mornings are like that!

  17. Good morning, meeses! Saturday …

    It is 68 degrees in Tucson with an expected daytime high of 97. Sunny skies are in the forecast.

    It is incredible to me that Texas refuses to punish Republicans for their mismanagement of the power grid. Hundreds die in a man-made catastrophe built of hubris and grift because of “record” cold and hundreds more are poised to die from the same man-made catastrophe which was ignored by the Republican governor and his legislative lackeys. It is truly a death cult – the unwillingness to save one’s own life in order to “own the libs.” I hope companies thinking of moving to Texas for freedom from the “tyranny” of regulation realize what they are getting into.

    The infant formula shortage is an example of what happens when critical products are controlled by one or two for-profit companies. When their plants are shut down because of unsafe production, they have no fall back and the government does not require them to have a fallback. If we learned any lessons from the pandemic economy, we should have learned that things that we need to survive can’t be left to the vagaries of the “free market” or put in the hands of rapacious corporations whose interest is in the bottom line and who could not care less about product safety or “doing the right thing.” The fines are too small for them to care about the damage their failures can do. “Billion dollar fine, no big deal, we will just raise prices.” Grrrr!

    This weekend I need to clear my to-do list: finish up all the little projects started and mostly finished. I have too many dangling threads and they need to be either completed or put in one big calendar item reminder to deal with next month.

    See all y’all later!

  18. Good morning. Summer weather. Really re-thinking going to the rally because of the weather, and the trumpistas here for their rally. Currently watching the news & eating breakfast. Downloaded the bus app in case I do decide to go. I’m definitely not driving my bumper sticker covered car to an area likely to be filled with Q people.

    • {{{anotherdemocrat}}} – do what you think best – but I wouldn’t. Either the weather or the Deplorables could get you hurt. Healing Energy & moar {{{HUGS}}}

      • Yeah, my feet also hate me standing/walking for long periods. They’d swell up huge & hurt. And it’s 73 degrees already at 8:30. So I’m really thinking no.

        • No sounds very wise. You always vote. That makes more difference than rallies. As hard as that is to remember sometimes in our respective bloody-red states.

  19. It’s 70 heading for 87 with no heat index to speak of but “partly to mostly” cloudy skies that I hope will clear off. Yesterday we generated 15.65 KWHs bringing the m-t-d to 169 – we didn’t lose ground but we didn’t gain any either.

    I’m very groggy this morning. Start stuff get derailed, forget, remember, start over. sigh. Oh well. The cats are fed, the treadmilling is done, and I’m finishing the comment I started earlier while I eat my breakfast. LOL. I haven’t been to twitter so I haven’t checked on anybody yet but as of last night everybody’s still hanging on. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}

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