Week-long Welcomings from Moosylvania: February 18th

February 17, 2024 JanF Community 67

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 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.

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34 Comments

  1. Good “morning”, Motley Meese! The week begins …

    Morning low of 46 degrees in the Desert Southwest 🌵 with an expected daytime high of 73. Sunny skies are in the forecast.

    Have a great day, all y’alls!!

  2. Sunday Meese. 21 degrees here in Kingston, NY going up to 37.
    Celebrating the 200th addition of Black Music Sunday today!

    The plan is to issue a final report with recommendations, but so far, the document includes the complaints made during the 2023 hearing on how Puerto Rico’s colonial status can fuel racial/national discrimination, limit voting rights and political representation, and access to federal government programs.
    “The Insular Cases have established a constitutional justification for the consolidation of different and unequal norms that have determined the indefinite relationship between the territories and the United States,” the commission said in the memorandum, dated December 12.
    The Commission noted that several panelists agreed that the Insular Cases “were used to legitimize colonialism and create the legal framework to govern the territory, based on anachronistic concepts, since several of the judges who participated in the Downes v. Bidwell also participated in the Plessy v. Ferguson decision, which established the discriminatory practice in the United States of treating people ‘separate, but equal.’”
    For example, Professor Charles Venator Santiago of the University of Connecticut pointed out that Downes v. Bidwell, which is at the heart of the Insular Cases doctrine, allows the United States to govern a territory as an external jurisdiction when it is convenient, and that the justices thought it appropriate not to apply the Constitution fully to the new territories acquired after 1898 because they were “distant ocean communities of a different origin and language from those of our continental people”

    There were quite a few posts celebrating poet Julia de Burgos, who was an Afro-Puerto Rican, though none mentioned it.

    An Afro-Puerto Rican posts a reminder:

    • Again, one asks the age-old question: why do men hate women so much? They wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for us. We are the bearers, the nurturers, the producers of cannon fodder, so why do they kill us?

      I think that patriarchy trains them to regard women as property, as subservient animals, like cows or sheep. I wish there were a planet that contained only women, so women would no longer have to endure abuse and murder.

      • They hate us for the same reason white men hate successful BIPOC. They’re mythology/propaganda says they are superior and we (women or BIPOC of any gender but especially women) are not supposed to be able to do what we’re obviously done – and better than them. They cannot bring life no matter how much they boast. Only death. So they beat, torture, rape, & kill any time their sense of superiority gets kicked. For any reason. They take it out on the nearest woman or BIPOC.

  3. Good morning. Wow, it’s cold – near freezing, which after Friday being t-shirt weather is pretty extreme. Today’s agenda: just remember to leave for church early, because it’s marathon day. I sorta miss my marathon days. Not enough to do another one. Anyway, happy Sunday.

    • What a lovely way of putting it, Sis: “…joined the ancestors.”

      Another phrase I like, although I forget who said it: “Walking each other home.”

  5. Good Sunday moaning, Moosekind! What are we moaning about today? The forefinger of our left hand has a little pillowy place on it that hurts. It’s not a burn—a quick application of Burn-B-Gone would take care of that—it just hurts. ‘Tis a mystery.

    Another mystery is the hillside covered with snow outside our screened porch. Everywhere else around The Home the snow has melted, but not on this hillside. It’s almost always in shadow. This morning the Metro section contained a long, earnest article by one of their tame meteorologists, explaining why we didn’t receive the 3 to 5 inches of snow forecast by the European model. It is not an apology, he hastened to assure us (of course not), just an explanation. Duh.

    Well, that’s that. Today the sun will set at 5:44 p.m.! The coming week and the week after will have highs in the 50s. Yesterday’s high stayed resolutely in the 30s. It’s 30 F. right now, so I’m glad of the coffee I’m drinking.

    Will today finally be the day when I can finish the taxes? Dinner will be a no-brainer and I did the laundry yesterday, so why not? Tomorrow, instead of joyfully buying a mattress on sale (George Washington would have wanted me to), I’ll have a tiresome photo session in the morning (for my article on the Catered Living part of the Home), and a tiresome rehearsal in the evening.

    Have rattled on long enough. I hope everyone will enjoy this sunny Sunday. Talked to Fineena yesterday afternoon, and she seemed more or less okay. She has too much stress to deal with, and not having an animal companion to cuddle makes things worse.

    Wishing a good day to all at the Pond!

    • Good luck on the taxes. I can’t do mine until my TIAA 1099 gets here. I’ve already called for a duplicate and IT isn’t here yet either. sigh. {{{Diana}}}

    • I am waiting for two 1099-NECs before I can finish, they were received at my mail forwarding service and will arrive here tomorrow. I don’t need them for the actual amounts being reported – they don’t total up to anything that matches income – but because there is a place on the return where the total reported to me on 1099s has to be entered. I will comply with that directive then I will be able to finish.

  6. It’s 32 heading for 52 and sunny. Yesterday we generated 13.2 KWHs for the first time since early September. The m-t-d is 143 and definitely on track.

    My son came over yesterday planning to finally replace my kitchen faucet so I can have hot water in the kitchen again but he couldn’t budge the bolts and was afraid he’d break the pipes if he tried any harder. Fortunately he now knows a plumber we can trust so we’ll get a pro in here on this. Sooner than later but I’m not sure when. He brought me some LED lightbulbs that are going to have to be taken back. GE bulbs flicker enough to bring seizures. I haven’t had one in 50 years and I don’t want to have one again. Even if I didn’t, the bloody flickering causes headaches and I don’t want those either. Sigh. Checking online it seems Philips LED bulbs claim to be flicker-free. I just have to find them.

    Anyway, I’ve done my Sunday chores, am eating my oatmeal, and had best get my boosting day started. Holding the Good Thoughts for everybody. {{{Meeses}}}

  7. Good afternoon, 35 and mostly cloudy in part of the PNW. Thanks to doing nothing to stress my legs I’ve had a comfortable morning, but it’s time to get busy doing something more than reading, computing, and listening to music. Lots of choices so I’ll see what happens. Best wishes to all.

  8. Good morning, meeses! Monday with no banking and mail …

    It is 50 degrees in Tucson 🌵 with an expected daytime high of 73. Sunny skies in the morning, with a few clouds rolling in later in the afternoon. We might see our first 80 degree day tomorrow. I feel like we have are close to officially moving from jeans weather to shorts weather.

    Are there really people who will buy and wear a tRump gold sneaker? Good lord, what a stupid cult.

    When I went out on my deck this morning, I saw the moonlight on the greenspace. Sure enough, she was shining into my office window (on the other end of the apartment) from the west-northwest at about 77% illumination. That is how I like to start my day.

    See all y’all later!

  9. Good Monday Meese. 31 going up to 36 here in Kingston.
    Puerto Rico

    • Dee, how is your treatment going? When will they check to see if the chemo and radiation are doing what they are supposed to be doing?

      • Thanks for asking – won’t know anything till after I’ve had an MRI and other tests – will start testing next week.

  10. Good morning. Happy President’s Day, it’s nice to have a day off. I do have to go up to the doc’s for the h.pylori test, and today’s running plan is 5 x 4 minutes run, 2 walk. Yikes. But this morning, there’s astronomy and yummy tea. 

  11. Good Monday morning, Moosekind! It’s another beautiful day here in Ashburger, although quite cold. It’s 35 F. outside, going up to 49 F. After that we’ll have a mild week of 50s and near-60s. So much for winter.

    Just want to say good morning before I have to get ready to go out. I have a photo shoot in Catered Living this morning at 10:30 to go with the article I wrote, Our staff photographer is taking the pictures, thank Goddess. Then Dearly and I may drop off the rest of Nora’s birthday presents before heading to Anita’s for tacos.

    After that I hope to go to the gym and lift weights (I kinda overdid it last time), and this evening there will be rehearsal. I keep getting so lost in the music that I forget I’m supposed to be writing down the blocking and cues. I never want to be an assistant director again, thanks very much.

    Don’t know if you all ever read Trevor, the Liberal Librarian, but I have shared his post of the day on Twitter and Facebook. It’s a counter-argument to “Joe is too old.” What these people are really afraid of is who would step from the role of VP to POTUS if something happened to Joe. They are afraid of her melatonin levels and her female genitalia. Oh, oh! A Black woman president! Oh, oh! Where’s the fainting couch?

    Tell you what, I’m going to finish that short-short story I’ve half-written and post it here, very soon.

    Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I saw the beautiful half-moon yesterday evening when I left the gym, and this morning Dearly brought me Early Morning Tea in bed, so my day has already been made.

    Wishing a good day to all at the Pond!

    P.S. It’s Presidents’ Day! Don’t forget to rush out and buy a mattress!

  12. It’s 36 heading for 58 and sunny again. Yay! Yesterday we generated 14.55 KWHs! We haven’t done that since last August. The m-t-d is 157.3 and definitely on track for over 200.

    Talked to Fineena last night. She was dealing with pain and fatigue and on her way to bed. Her main complaint though was she didn’t know why Joker could get her TV to work but she can’t. Sound but no picture. Very frustrating. I thought of aitchdee/Harper off and on all day yesterday. It was the anniversary. A whole year since she’s been gone. Nothing new that I know of with anybody. Which is kind of depressing considering the old that’s going on. But we’re still here and that’s good. I think.

    Off to start my boosting day. Holding the Good Thoughts for everybody. {{{Meeses}}}

  13. Good morning, 35 and mostly cloudy outside my windows today. I see a new PT this afternoon so I hope he can help me better cope my creaky joints. We have started pruning the winter burned leaves from the plants around the patios but I need some guidance re what is wise to do and what is not. I want to stop at a bakery on the way home for a slice of cake…..my reward for being a grown up! Best wishes to all.

  14. Tuesday Meese. It’s only 12 degrees (brrr) going up to 37.

    Puerto Rico


    “La Junta”
    “About 115 people were evaluated for the first seven positions that would make up the Fiscal Control Board, a closed-door process about which very little was known. Until now. Read the investigation by journalist Luis Valentín.”

    • All I can say is, Goddess help the poor souls who see Flori-duhh as the land of opportunity. It’s a nasty, racist, woman-hating state, at least as long as Rethuglicans control it. Perhaps it’ll get better one day, although I doubt it. The loathsome state of Alabama has just declared that frozen embryos are human beings—human beings who can presumably vote in elections.

  15. Good morning. I went to the gym to get in my walk/run. Made it to 3 rounds of run 4 minutes, walk 2. Four minutes is a very long time. Anyway, will try to make 5 rounds tomorrow, that’s what I’m supposed to do this week. Now it’s time to work.

  16. Good Tuesday morning, Meese! Blue skies, sunlight, and 29 degrees F. are what we have here in Ashburn. When I stepped out onto the porch early, hoping to see the moon, I could hear birds chirping. Are they cray-cray? It’s freezing! There’s still frost in the woods, and traces of snow remain on the hillside outside our screened porch. I suppose the sunlight today will finish it off. It won’t get up to 50 F. until 3 p.m., but to make up for that, the wind is only 5 mph.

    Went to tea at Younger Son’s house in the afternoon yesterday. Nora was at the movies with her boyfriend (“This one’s better than the others,” her mother said disdainfully), and Karl was visiting a friend down the street. Apparently Miss Nora, who was 15 on Friday, succumbed to boy craziness completely when she began high school in September and her grades plummeted like a meteor to Earth. She’s working harder now, thank goodness. Her younger brother is now reading his way through Nora’s set of “Warrior” books (about tribes of warring cats), and is highly regarded by his teachers.

    In the morning the photo shoot was more fun than I’d expected. The ladies were delighted to be arranged in poses by the photographer as they engaged in various activities like completing a puzzle together, having a morning snack in the common room, watching TV in the living room, and so forth. John, the photographer (he’s a resident too) cheered them on, addressing them as “our supermodels,” which they much enjoyed. In the summer they have “balcony parties” with costumes and beaucoup booze. I’m glad they enjoy themselves—at $11,000 a month for Catered Living, they should!

    Dearly has driven to Younger Son’s house again because Stupid Old Maw left her phone there. It’s been a long time since I did anything quite so idiotic.

    Wishing everyone at the Pond a good day!

  17. It’s 39 heading for 69 and sunny. April in February. I probably won’t have an evening fire again until next week. Yesterday we generated 13.85 KWHs and the m-t-d at 171 is very promising.

    Nothing new that I know of. Will bake a pork loin roast this afternoon for a week’s worth of protein. Possibly schlep some of the wood from the tree work onto the carport to “season” – and get it off the ground and away from my walls before it starts to rot on the outside & draw bugs. Meanwhile I have boosting to do. Holding the Good Thoughts for everybody. {{{Meeses}}}

    • Bfitz, if your cherry tree is dead, can you have it cut up for firewood? I know applewood is great for fires, but I’m not sure about cherry tree wood.

      • I have had the larger but reachable limbs cut off & up. But dead & cured aren’t always the same thing and the tree hasn’t been dead that long. So I am burning the limbs that have been dead long enough & trading my neighbor at least some of the rest because he’s got a friend who smokes meat & while fruit wood burns fine as firewood it’s even better for smoking hams.

  18. Good morning, 35 and cloudy outside my windows today. My PT consult yesterday was encouraging and I’m still digesting the tasty cake so it was a good day. I have a set of basic leg strengthening exercises to do while waiting for scheduled appointments beginning in April. He is very busy but he knows what I need to learn so waiting for his time and attention is ok with me. I have some desk work to do this morning and hope too do a bit of salal pruning this afternoon. I can see all the new buds now so it’s time to clip away the winter damage. Best wishes to all.

  19. Good morning, meeses! Tuesday …

    It is 70 degrees in Tucson 🌵 with an expected daytime high of 77. Sunny skies are in the forecast. The local weather guys say that it will get to 82 degrees at the airport.

    A measles outbreak in the third world country that Floriduh is turning into. Sorry, Barack, but there is definitely a red state blue state divide and I, for one, will choose to NOT live where disease deniers are in charge of state government.

    I ran an errand, took my walk and now I need to decide if there is time to do anything productive or if I should just call it a day.

    See all y’all later!

  20. Wednesday Meese. Pretty cold here in NY – 16 degrees, going up to 40.

    Puerto Rico


    This is what some people call organizing support for Palestine?

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