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Week-long Welcomings from Moosylvania: Nov. 23rd to Nov. 29th

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Welcome to The Moose Pond! The Welcomings diaries 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.

In lieu of daily check-ins, which have gone on hiatus, Welcomings diaries will be posted at the start of each week (every Sunday morning) and then, if necessary due to a large number of comments, again on Wednesday or Thursday to close out the week. To find the diaries, 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?

…


Categories: Uncategorized.

/ 137 Comments

137 comments

  2. Diana in NoVa

    This seems a perfect day to stay home, clean house, and make beef stew followed by apple-walnut cake for dinner.

    Just saw at Orange that Marion Barry has died:

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/…

    He’s been around for so long that when one thinks of D.C., his name comes to mind. He did some good things but they were overshadowed by his mistakes.

    It seems that’s a flaw with most of us, Lance Armstrong and Bill Cosby being among the most famous and most recent. How I wanted not to believe anything bad about those two! I never considered them to be “heroes,” that overused and misapplied word, but I did admire Armstrong because of his victory over cancer and Cosby for his heartwarming family show in the 1980s.

    These unwelcome revelations have caused me to review my own life. I’ve made mistakes too. (Quick, burn the diaries!)

    Hope everyone in Moosylvania will have a peaceful day doing what she or he wants.

  4. anotherdemocrat

    Eating breakfast, watching Up. The Republican in the 1st segment was actually civil. He’s an R, so he was wrong, but at least he wasn’t yelling. Today: clean house, since I didn’t yesterday – I just listened to the rain & napped. It’s going to get up to 80 today. Yep you read that right.

  5. princesspat

    We finally have the family Thanksgiving plans sorted out so I’ll start cooking today. I like to make a big pot of stock, using roasted chicken or turkey parts and vegetables. Then I can make the gravy ahead of time and use the stock to baste the turkey and stuffing. I’ve finally mastered a tasty gluten free stuffing, so I’ll be making that too…and the cranberry/rosemary sauce and a gluten free dessert.

    We’ll be with our daughter in Edmonds this year. Between their work schedules and the new puppy who is making progress but is still not ready for a large gathering they need to stay home, so we’ll do the driving this year.  

  6. bfitzinAR

    it was supposed to be chilly and drizzly all day (which it was yesterday), instead somewhere around 10 – well after I’d lit the fire and hung all the laundry on wooden racks around the wood stove of course – the sun came out and it actually got up to mid-60s!  We do have rain heading back in but whatever we get it will be over by morning.  Just as well.  I’m not sure my system is going to generate even 100 KWHs this month – I’ll need full sunny days all next week to make it.  Lodger’s in a snit.  Maybe I was supposed to have said something about her compressor finally being removed from my spare room, but since she just replaced it with a case of sweet potatoes, 5 lbs of very strong onions, and a bag of canned goods I didn’t examine, she really doesn’t want me to say anything.  She’s lucky I’ve just kept my mouth shut and mostly ignored her – she’s very close to getting the Order of the Boot.  Oh well.  Next week is Thanksgiving and I’ll be at my son’s house for at least half the day.  There’s much to give thanks for in my personal life.  My sons and grandsons are healthy and at least making ends meet.  I’m relatively healthy and I actually own this house so my QC income going away won’t be a problem (maybe a little uncomfortable until I get used to it again, but that’s all).  And lots of friends – although most of them are online, they’re still friends.  I had a dream come true with the PV system.  Lots to be thankful for and I am.  {{{HUGS}}}

  7. JanF

    It is 44 degrees in Madison and the temperature is dropping to the expected daytime high of 37 degrees. Moderate sized winter storm on its way, due to hit around 9am. 3-5 inches of snow predicted. I was going to travel today but now I will stay put. I am not sad about that.

    Lots of ugliness in the news. I wish John Roberts would pull his head out of his hindquarters and read the news. Incoming (now not-going-in) Nevada state speaker and his “darkies” comment, former mayor Guilliani’s belief that black people killing each other is the only reason places need cops, and Ferguson! JHC!! Let’s bring in an army and barricade everything assuming that there will be a riot. How insulting. Then more on how President Obama’s lawless presidency, a right-wing storyline actually started on January 20, 2009 and screamed by Fox News and the Wall Street Journal and from George Will’s empty head ever since. It ebbs and flows depending on news items and right now they are in high dudgeon over the latest PROOF that the president has exceeded his authority. He has obviously exceeded the authority given a black president because his use of executive actions is mild compared to his predecessors. And what happened to BENGHAZII!!? I was expecting apologies from Fox News to Susan Rice and Hillary Clinton. Well, not really, but complete silence?

    Busy day. See all y’all later!

  8. DeniseVelez

    Tamir Rice, Cleveland – dead from police bullets.

    Their police force has already been under investigation by DoJ

    Weather here is gloomy, snow on the way.

  9. Diana in NoVa

    today…then snow on Wednesday? Huh?

    Waiting with dread to hear the grand jury’s verdict in Ferguson. I expect that police officer will get off scot free. That’s what always happens.

    In addition to all the other health problems, yesterday I sprouted a cold sore. It occurred to me that what with the health problems, the housecleaning prep for Thanksgiving, and the anxiety of trying to get the book done, I might be a tiny bit stressed. After Thor’s Day I’m just going to relax for a bit.

    Hope to come back later to catch up with news diaries and posts; in the meantime, hope everyone will have a good day!

  10. anotherdemocrat

    And back to cold again. Yesterday it hit 80 degrees, this morning it is in the 40s. Craziness.

    Awful night’s sleep last night. Kinda surprised I’m here (at work). I remember waking up around 3-ish because my legs were itching. Really?? That’s something to wake up for? Anyway, drinking tea, wondering if I can last the day. Earworm has gone back to California. Happy Monday.

  11. Portlaw

    the Iran nuclear talks have been extended.  Have to admit that I wonder if there would be more push for diplomacy if we had a universal draft.

    Hope it’s a good day for all.

  12. Portlaw

    our over Obama and immigration and talking about the imperial presidency.  It ends like this

    As Paul Ryan put it in 2012, the president’s policies put us on a “dangerous path,” one that “grows government, restricts freedom and liberty, and compromises those values, those Judeo-Christian, Western civilization values that made us such a great and exceptional nation in the first place.”

    Senator Tom Coburn upped the rhetoric last week, suggesting to USA Today that there could be a violent reaction to the president’s actions:

    “You’re going to see – hopefully not – but you could see instances of anarchy.”

    He added, “You could see violence.”

    This is not completely unlike the language used by Joni Ernst, just elected senator in Iowa, who spoke during a 2012 N.R.A. event of her gun and the “right to defend myself,” possibly “from the government, should they decide that my rights are no longer important.”



    Make no mistake: This debate is not just about this president, this executive order or immigration. This is about the fear that makes the face flush when people stare into a future in which traditional power – their power – is eroded, and about their desperate, by-any-means determination to deny that future    .

    bold mine

    http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11…

  14. princesspat

    Well I lost my T Day focus…..didn’t shop, cook, write lists, or do anything productive yesterday. I just read, solved a sewing problem, talked to my kids, and relaxed…..on a Sunday!

    So today I will either get my act relatively together or not.

  15. bfitzinAR

    which one wouldn’t think considering it’s a 3-day work week, 2-day class week (and at least 1/3 of the students have left town already), and no QC at all.  But I’ve got half the dept coming back from a conference and need to process the travel reimbursements before the end of the month/week/Wednesday 4:30, still getting Spring 2015 priority registration issues to deal with, just starting the planning for classes for the rest of 2015, and a request for reimbursement for an IPhone from the Jones Chair from Jones Chair funds just got bounced back in my face.  Sigh.  Still hanging on to thankfulness this Thanksgiving week – thankfulness settles the tummy, among other things.  🙂  {{{HUGS}}}

  16. DeniseVelez

    Got very little sleep.

    Have my last classes before Thanksgiving break today.

    Will drag in – lots of students emailed me that they were up till all hours watching the “non-indictment” bullshit.

    At least they weren’t fooled.

    59 and cloudy.  Snow tomorrow.

    Need more strong coffee.

  17. JanF

    It is 21 degrees in Madison with an expected high of 25. Cloudy skies giving way to sunshine later in the day.

    I am not surprised by the St. Louis County grand jury’s decision and, really, no one should be based on the history of that particular prosecutor and the history of police shootings in our country. It is nearly impossible to get an indictment anywhere in the country and completely impossible there.

    That said, I was sorry to see that some people took the bait laid out by law enforcement and were involved in violence. I hope that it was a few bad apples taking advantage of the situation rather than the protests turning violent (it is not clear from news reports). I am not a racial minority so I can’t fully comprehend the rage (although I have plenty of it related to the murder of Michael Brown and the gestapo-like response of the police in St. Louis County). But as a member of an oppressed majority (women), I do know that when you play into the stereotypes you give your enemies a powerful weapon to use against you.

    There are still two avenues for some justice: Eric Holder has not ruled out a civil rights violation lawsuit against the policeman; and the family can still file civil suits against the Ferguson police department and the soon-to-be-rich Darren Wilson. There was wrongdoing that day, those young men were targeted for harassment … and the disrespect with which Michael Brown’s body was treated was not “business as usual”. I hope that one of those avenues is successful because it would be really difficult to imagine someone profiting from this.

    I am off in search of a palate cleanser and will probably listen to video of the Presidential Medal of Freedom award ceremony from yesterday. See all y’all later.

  18. Diana in NoVa

    The rumor of snow will make the lines at the grocery store even worse.

    There will be no thankfulness on Thursday for those whose children have been murdered by the the institutional racists known as the police in this country.

    This latest development in Ferguson confirms my theory that this country has not advanced at all. Oh, there have been cosmetic changes–I saw that with a film many years ago called “Jumping Jack Flash,” in which Whoopi Goldberg got the guy, who was Caucasian. That’s when I realized that the great color divide was coming down, at least as far as Hollywood was concerned.

    But since then? We’re more like the American South after Reconstruction. We haven’t made as much progress as we’d fondly believed. No “liberty, equality, fraternity” for us, folks.

  19. anotherdemocrat

    Well, Gov. Nixon & the mayor & police chief got the riot they wanted. I hope they, at least, are happy.

    Weather here is nice – cold mornings, sunny afternoons. I gave myself an earworm of U2’s One Tree Hill by talking about how I can’t listen to it because it is too painful. So now I’m playing The Miracle of Joey Ramone in my head really loud to make OTH go away. I said in the Grieving Room diary that I don’t just not do my own loss well, I don’t do anyone’s well – OTH felt like a knife in my heart even before I had actually lost anyone myself, the sadness in that song was way too much for me.

    Days like yesterday make it easy to think we should just throw in the towel. What’s the point of working for a just society when people are determined not to have one? When elected Democrats orchestrate things ideally for there to be a riot. But giving up is the response they want. Like we say at my church after every time the church as a whole fails to include LGBT folks, if we quit, they win; so we have to keep working for change & find new ways to get our message across.

  21. bfitzinAR

    in Fay., AR.  Lots of stuff to do, but not sure of the likelihood of getting it done as the Powers That Be have instituted changes that have both added steps and require approval at every step for practically everything I do – and now of course have taken vacation to pad the short week as “nobody will be here anyway”.  I have so many projects stuck in one stage or another waiting for approval before I can do the next step – well, it’s part of proving that public workers are incompetent and is also why many of our formerly loyal “they’ll have to carry us out of here” employees are bailing as soon as they hit their magic retirement number.  I’ll be another of them if things don’t change in the next 3 years.  And they haven’t found a way to force me out first.  Sigh.  Oh well, it is a job, a good and worthwhile job, and I will be thankful for it as long as I have it- and for having had it as long as I do.  {{{HUGS}}}

  22. princesspat

    I share a sense of gray and gloom with all of you today. It’s a time to be aware and consciously thankful, but last night’s dismal performance by the powers that be in Ferguson and the pervading feeling of hopelessness their decisions invoke are very real as well.

    Our Thanksgiving plans changed again yesterday. The pain and swelling Ron has been feeling in his foot didn’t improve with a weeks course of cortisone and the (finally) ordered x ray  shows a broken bone in his ankle. So he is now hobbling around in a boot and hopes to see his orthopedic surgeon asap. This means that between the two of us lifting, packing the car and driving is just to difficult. So our daughter, her family, and the nervous new puppy will come here instead.

    The groceries we managed to haul home in the pouring rain yesterday had best start turning into food today!

  24. JanF

    It is 9 degrees in Madison on its way up to 30. Partly sunny skies in the forecast.

    It is Wednesdayish because it feels a bit like a Friday because of the upcoming 4 day weekend (for everyone but retail workers). Kids are off school today and I will go hunting-and-gathering for the T-Day meal. It feels odd with Thanksgiving being so close to the end of the month … Monday is December!! And I am not ready for that.

    The news!! Goodness, gracious!!! Rich guy Chuck Schumer thinks that giving millions of people the right to health care was a waste of political capital? Ted Cruz rebranding as “not that conservative” to woo Jewish donors? ABC selling its soul for ratings by giving a killer a national platform to tell only his side of the story? Jay Nixon surprised that getting people riled up for over an 8 hour stretch of time and having a controversial figure make a controversial announcement at 8pm would cause overnight violence? Makes me want to go back to bed.

    Some good news, though, lost in this mess. President Obama is not only not going to cower after the midterm elections, but he is aggressively implementing his agenda. Yesterday, the NY Times announced that he is moving forward on implementing new ozone emission restrictions. The controls will be announced today. Thanks, Obama!

    See all y’all later!!

  26. Portlaw

    look for some good news in the various media though my heart is still heavy.

    As for Chuck Schumer, Jan, the joke is that the most dangerous place in Washington is the space between him and a camera.

    Hope it’s a good day in Moosylvania.  

  27. Diana in NoVa

    Washingtonians will be driving hysterically to grocery stores in quest of milk, bread, toilet paper–oh, excuse me, we’re supposed to call it bathroom tissue–and, ah, turkey!

    Will be looking after Baby for half a day today, then the other half is for all the chores I haven’t finished. Another little toof is pushing painfully out of his lower pink gum. We go through five bibs a day, and that’s just while he’s here.

    Trying not to think about the news, it’s so bad. ABC should be ashamed of itself. It has really deteriorated. I’ve always rather liked David Muir, but he seems as unquestioning of the status quo as all the others. Guess that’s the normal POV for an affluent New Yorker.

    Wishing a nice Thanksgiving to everyone in Moosylvania, and healing to those who have suffered losses of family members. Although, really, the violent death of a loved one leaves a hole in the heart that nothing can ever fill.

  28. anotherdemocrat

    it’s in the 40s, which isn’t cold to some of y’all, but Sunday I was wearing sandals

    Eating breakfast, drinking tea. I like this “savory oatmeal” thing, will make it again next week. Maybe not shiitake mushrooms, maybe the button ones. And more nutritional yeast, I like the cheesy taste.

    Hoping that people think we’re closed today. Not a lot of other thoughts. Still trying to cope with the latest manifestations of breathtaking racism in this country Ferguson & the Marissa Alexander case in Florida, which shows “stand your ground” only applies to white men.

  29. bfitzinAR

    I am trying to concentrate on things to be thankful for this week so I’ve stayed totally away from the news.  Next week I’ll go back to worrying about how much my beloved country currently resembles Italy in the 1920s or Germany in the early 1930s.  Next week.  And one of the things I can be thankful for is that I have that choice.  Michael Brown’s mother doesn’t.  But blessings are not a zero sum game.  I would have been even more blessed if Michael Brown’s mother did, even if I’d never heard of Michael Brown.

    So.  Maybe I’ll be online the rest of the week and maybe I won’t but I’m here today and will check back before I leave.  Happy Thanksgiving to all who visit the Purple Pond.  {{{HUGS}}}

  30. princesspat

    It’s so wet outside! The rivers are all nearing flood stage, but fortunately we still have some wet lands for the excess water so there shouldn’t be much damage. I was soaked several times yesterday though.

    Ron is discovering the joy of the boot this morning….his ankle doesn’t hurt as much but everything else hurts more! His is just mid calf high so he’s more mobile than I was, and he can drive so the remaining shopping errands are on his list today.

    The kids and the grand kids are excited about the holiday, so we need to remember to not grumble and be grateful they are all well and happy and enjoy being together. Everyone, except Erica and her family, will be here for breakfast on Friday, so we will call her via face time and pass the iPhone around. She’s only 6 hrs away, but it’s a long drive and their busy work schedule means they need to stay home.

  31. anotherdemocrat

    : D

    Neil Gaiman retweeted

    Ferguson Library ‏@fergusonlibrary 57m57 minutes ago

    We are OPEN regular hours today. 9 am – 8 pm. There is no damage to the library and we are ready to welcome patrons. #whatlibrariesdo

  32. JanF

    It is 21 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 19. Clouds this morning, sunshine this afternoon.

    I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving Day and the opportunity to gather with friends and/or family or simply enjoy a day off. Whether or not you celebrate the specific First Thanksgiving, taking time to give thanks for the blessings you have received is always a good thing.

    When I think of Thanksgiving, my thoughts turn to those who don’t have enough to eat or a place to live or enough money to pay the bills. I hope that there will always be people with big hearts, like those in this photo, to help make their lives a little better.

    See all y’alls later.

  33. Diana in NoVa

    We are very proud of our whopping 1.6 inches of snow, as measured at the airport. Gray and cloudy today with the prospect of a wintry mix–or, as the meteorologists from Whither-the-Weather University say, “a wintery mix.” Is Stranglish part of the graduation requirements?

    Was surprised to hear that there were Ferguson-related protests even outside the American Embassy in London. I don’t think the outrage over this travesty of justice is going to go away any time soon.

    Must get going as Younger Son the ex-chef is coming at 8:30 to put the turkey in the oven. Next year we may go out to eat. This is just too much work for old people. My poor husband is 84 and doing the work of a 60-year-old, running around everywhere and hauling tables and chairs from the garage. He’s resting right now.

    Wishing Meese everywhere a peaceful holiday with family and friends!

  34. DeniseVelez

    Spent yesterday cooking – watching the snow fall.

    We are lucky – only got about 5-6 inches, but we now have a tree down in the driveway.

    Had about 4 power outages and now my hot water heater isn’t working so am boiling water on the stove to do dishes and bathe. Got a plumber in – he charged $170 to start the heater – then he left.,  3 hours later – no hot water again

    Have a happy 🙂

  35. anotherdemocrat

    Slept in – my brother & I are going to meet up over the weekend instead of today. So I’m hanging out at home.

    Earworm – Beautiful Day. Dunno where that came from, I haven’t listened to any music today. But it was playing in my head when I woke up.

    Just gonna hang out & maybe empty the dvr today. Wasn’t planning on doing any shopping tomorrow, but I have to switch out my cable boxes & there’s stuff on them I want to keep, so I may go to Best Buy tomorrow & get a recorder. But I’ll wait till late afternoon, the craziness should be over by then.

  36. anotherdemocrat

    I follow (I don’t know if I found her because of the physics or the pro-choice-ness, but she is way cool):

    Sarah Tuttle @niais  ·  8m 8 minutes ago

    Hey y’all. Happy Thanksgiving. Watch some giant balloons, eat some pie, hug your family. Gotta be fueled up for the revolution.

    and now my earworm is World Party’s Private Revolution, though I call it after the chorus’s line “we are the revolution”

  37. princesspat

    Thanksgiving, 2014

    The view from my sofa yesterday afternoon….the kitchen is busy, my desk is finally presentable, flowers are ready…..and everyone wants food too! My creaky knees and BCH leg are complaining, but my heart is happy because my house will soon be full of family.

    May we all enjoy a relaxing and fun day.

  39. bfitzinAR

    Just logged on to wish everyone a good Thanksgiving.  Weather thingy says sunny.  Weather thingy needs to look out the window 🙁 – I’ll be heading over to my son’s house in about an hour.  Blessings to/for/on everyone.  {{{HUGS}}}

  40. JanF

    It is 14 degrees in Madison on its way up to 27. Snow giving way to wintry mix. I hope that people don’t have to travel today and can wait until Sunday when the weather will be more hospitable. I have to get to my bank and will take side roads away from the Black Friday crowds. Although I seem to remember that last year, because many stores opened on Thanksgiving, the Friday traffic was not so bad.

    The funniest thing I saw on the Internets over the last couple of days is the “threat” that the Republican Congress will not invite President Obama to give the State of The Union Address. The voters may say they want divided government (I am not convinced of that) but they surely don’t want dysfunctional government. The last time the GOP floated this idea, was in 1998 when we had another Democratic president. Coincidence? Of course not. Democratic presidents are illegitimate and should be impeached and disrespected. I hope they do it.

    See all y’all later!!

  41. anotherdemocrat

    An intersting morning here. Some idiot went around shooting at several downtown buildings overnight – the Federal Corthouse, Mexican Consulate, a bank & finally APD headquarters. He is, of course, dead now. He had a vest of some kind on, so they are checking his van & apartment for any suspicious stuff. Sigh.

    I swear I’m leaving the house today. Not getting in my weekday workouts is really slowing my progress. But for right now, I’m eating breakfast & watching the news.

  42. Diana in NoVa

    cloudy, going up to 37 F. Thanksgiving day was fun and I enjoyed it but Dearly and I are exhausted! He’s doing some of the clean-up now. After that he is under orders to lie on the sofa and do nothing but watch telly the rest of the day.

    Don’t think we’ll be doing this any more. It’s time for things to change. We’re just getting too old to do all this work. ‘Nuff said.

    DIdn’t know about the Austin shooting until I read it here. Before that I was throwing hissy fits at this morning’s grammatical errors. On “Good Morning Merrycar,” which we idiotically persist in watching while we drink our early morning tea, they said Burt Reynolds has fallen on hard times and is therefore selling his “momentoes.” MOMENTOS? Ye gods, TV people are stupid.

    The Washington Poop, having fired all its editors and proofreaders, offered the following this morning in its story about Food and Friends, something like, “Departing from its usual nutrition-conscience menu, Food and Friends…”

    Oh, mah Gawd. This was the paper that didn’t hire me 40 years ago because I misspelled the word “guerrilla.” I left out one of the “r’s” but later found that “guerilla” was acceptable in some circles.

    Guess what, we are getting snow flurries. Weird! Hope everyone will have a restful Friday and that Denise has her hot water back. Jan, please be careful driving on the icy roads!

  43. princesspat

    Everyone is waking up and finding coffee so I’ll join them soon. Yesterday was a nice day of cooking and eating, visiting, walks, and football, and fun with Finn the new grandpuppy. He is doing remarkably well…..after the inevitable poop in the living room moment! He got that out of the way fast, and now knows to go to the back door, thank goodness. It’s nice to see how well he is responding to his training and how much secure and relaxed he seems. Rescue dogs can’t tell us (in words) what has happened to them, but he is clearly wary of being touched on top of his head. A hand out to sniff, and a scritch under his chin makes his tail wag though.

  44. bfitzinAR

    Hope all your Thanksgiving dinners went well and tasted good.  Mine was interesting, as in not what I’d expected – “traditional” (since the 1960s traditional) but no gluten in those traditional dishes.  Even the famous green bean casserole – my son made GF fried onions and cream of mushroom soup for his MiL to use to make it.  (That soup was wonderful – there was a little left and I ate a cup of it straight – yum!)  The pies had a nut crust instead of pastry.  (Actually didn’t need pies – the sweet potato casserole his MiL made as a side dish operated very well as a pie!)  He stuffed the turkey with chunks of citrus fruit and pearl onions.  There was a cranberry-apricot chutney to go with it – much better than gravy which we all voted not to bother with as there was so much other food.  And of course the “relish” tray – pickles, raw veggies, cheese, etc on the side.  My gall bladder isn’t particularly happy with me – when Lang is in chef mode he goes through a lot of butter 🙂 – but it all tasted great.  (I’d expected to be able to eat the turkey and stuff from the relish tray but not much else.)  I’ve got “a plate” of leftovers my DiL sent with me – it will probably take me most of next week to finish them off.  Admittedly I’ll be adding fresh fruit and/or steamed veggies to them but still.  We sort of had a Skype visit with my younger son – we could see and hear him but he could only see us.  Still not 100% sure of what was going on but we think it was the Windows 8 at Lang’s house not liking a camera that works with Windows 7 which is what is at my house.  (Lang doesn’t have a camera so I took mine over there not realizing…)  We’ll try again with the Skype visit in a couple of weeks when everybody is over here to decorate The Tree.

    Didn’t look at ANY news items yesterday and not planning to do so today – probably not until Monday when things go back whatever passes for normal these days.  (Although the PQ is right – normal is nothing but a setting on your washing machine!)  It’s not that I don’t care or that I don’t want to know.  I know and I care.  I just don’t want the specifics right now.

    Have a wonderful rest of the holiday weekend.  {{{HUGS}}}

  45. JanF

    It is 28 degrees in Madison on its way up to 40. Partly cloudy skies in the forecast.

    I did a quick scan of the news and it can be summarized with this snippet from a BBC news story covering Black Friday in Manchester England: “a woman was hit by a falling television.”

    Ray Rice will be able to play football again (assuming that he can find a team that will be able to “withstand” the 10 minutes of bad press they would have to “endure”). There is probably relief at NFL headquarters because they really did not want to have to keep running the “No More” commercials on football broadcasts. Embattled NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will say something Republicanish about “judicial activism” and will go back to running his business the way he wants to: without any accountability for the actions of his bosses, the owners, or the people who they employ.

    See all y’all later!! No presidential weekly address today because it was moved up to Thursday as a Thanksgiving Day greeting. Speaking of which, it is NOT disrespectful for Sasha and Malia to roll their eyes at their dad’s jokes. It is a beautiful family interacting with each other. Maybe in Republican America, young girls must be seen and not heard but in Real America, teenage kids can love their parents and still think they are embarrassing (at least I hope so!!).

  46. Diana in NoVa

    Yesterday it was bitterly cold and windy when I went out to get my nails done.

    Looked at Dearly Beloved yesterday evening, sitting cosily in the family room with the woodstove sending out warmth and a delightful woodsy scent, and wished I could stay down there with him. Had to come up here to my office, though, to spend a long, long session on the Mac with Apple Support and then BookBaby. Apple makes things more complicated than they actually are: after two hours of frustration I found out that incorporating files into one long document is very much the same in Pages as it is in Microsoft Word.

    So that was okay. Then I tried uploading the manuscript to BookBaby. It wouldn’t take it. Stumped, I went back to the document and “exported” it to MS Word and uploaded it again. This time BookBaby took it. Then there were two parts of the author form that didn’t seem to have hot spots to click on and that drove me crazy. Finally I gave up and went to bed.

    Well, evidently Goddess approves of this new book, because when I got up this morning the missing screens showing those parts of the author form magically appeared! I filled them out and signed the digital contract, so now both BookBaby and I can get on with things. Had to make a 60-second video for the Web site designer saying how great his company is–giggle–I’m an ugly old bat, not a professional actress. I’d be surprised if he gets any business from that!

    Hope everyone will have a nice, relaxing Saturday! I’m having lunch today with two of my Circle sisters, and I’m really looking forward to it.

  47. DeniseVelez

    Exhausted after Thanksgiving. Trying to get back on track.

    I see we are starting the post-midterm election polling for 2016 🙂

    ICYMI: Quinnipiac poll of 2016: Jeb Bush 14%, Chris Christie 11% and Ben Carson 9%

    http://www.saintpetersblog.com…

    Hugs to you all – hope you are enjoying leftovers.

  48. Portlaw

    in Madison! I still haven’t gotten out my heavy coat and am beginning to wonder if I will need it.

    I don’t think I could ever switch to a Mac although that seems to be the laptop of choice at Starbucks!  I admire Diana for making the big leap! I have a hand-me-down iPad and I can only do basic stuff. I need a right and a left click!

    Am thinking of upgrading my cell phone. I would like one that takes pictures.  Right now all I have is one of those old clamshell types. Not sure what to get, Samsung of iPhone. But I just don’t want to become one of those people glued to the screen. I see them on the bus and subway all the time. Even see them in concerts. Don’t know how they get so much mail. Maybe they are on twitter which is much too complicated for me!

    Have a good day!

  49. anotherdemocrat

    I had the worst night’s sleep I’ve had in weeks. Turned off my alarm the time I woke up in the 4am hour. So I skipped my workout, since I actually slept between 4 & 7. I don’t know about meeting my brother in Waco, I’ll text him later.

    Watching Up, gonna have some tea later. Few thoughts in my head.

  50. princesspat

    A chilly north wind is blowing so the windows are all frosty and foggy…..looks like a PNW winter day. I wish the outdoor lights were magically sparkling in the trees. Where are the elves when we need them!

    It’s our 47th anniversary today, and per usual we are tired from all the Thanksgiving fun so we’ll celebrate with a nice lunch at a restaurant by the harbor. The fireplace and the view of the water will be cozy today.

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