July 24, 2021

ever hear of Lovage?

Not more than 3 weeks ago, I heard of Lovage (which I didn't even pronounce correctly at first, not Lowvahj, but Luv-idj) from my sister who showed me a large bush-like plant in her herb garden

Despite not being able to detect any fragrance, I did appreciate its very intense celery taste! Not much is needed for stews and it's easier to grow and harvest than little celery plants.

July 7, 2021

*sarcasm* Maybe refusing to be vax'd is part of the secessionist movement?

After all, they are in more jeopardy of dying from COVID and the variant (and taking their families with them)

June 16, 2021

Taize- Behuete Mich Gott

Here is my rendering (translation) of the German prayer sung at the Taizé Community in France.
During stressful times the music and this prayer play in my head.


Keep* me Oh God, I trust in You.
You show me the way for living.
With you is Joy, Joy in your Presence.

*Behüte= Keep, as in 'protect me within your hut'.

June 5, 2021

Don't be passive about asking your Healthcare Professional if the office staff has been vax'd

Earlier this week was a post about the encounter someone had a the dental office, the hygienist proclaimed she was taking Hydrochloroqine (Plaquenil). As a semi-retired health care professional, double vax'd, it made me think about how I would approach my upcoming doctor appointments.


1) The aforementioned hygienist was taking quite an aggressive stance in her reasoning not to be vax'd.
In return, we must NOT be passive in the face of these absurd actions.

2) I am calling all my doctors in advance of my visits to inquire if those (anyone) touching & treating me have been vax'd and stating I will not allow anyone not vax'd to treat me. (if you don't call ahead and walk out, they will charge you for an office visit)

3) Don't be surprised if the response from the office states that is against HIPPA regulations for anyone to divulge to you their vax status. You then have to make your own decision. Reason I say this is the office I work in, fill-in, will not allow me to wear a silocone bracelet stating I have been vaccinated. HIPPA, they say. sure.........

4) If the office does not wish to tell me of the doctor's/tech's/nurse/hygienist vax status, I might state that I DO NOT want anyone NOT vax'd to touch me. Have them enter your wish into your patient record. IF you discover your wishes had been violated, that is grounds for a malpractice lawsuit.

June 2, 2021

I've always been interested in the APT tax.

Automated Payment Transaction tax - Wikipedia.webloc

Basically, it's a transaction tax on every transaction, but TINY tax, something like a penny on the $100, because the tax is so broadly spread. It would apply to every transaction, from groceries to medicines to payroll to stock market trades to real estate transactions.

The Repubs like a flat tax because they think they can somehow get around it and yet everyone else has to pay the tax. But this way, they can't.
The Dems would prefer a progressive tax but this is because it's based on transactions and the more people with money spend a lot more than the poor.

if it works for the federal government, then it should work for state governments. Imagine, no more 8% sales tax....instead a 0.01% tax. (Instead of paying $8 on a $100 meal, the tax might be 10cents.)

June 1, 2021

Outlived their welcome? *sarcasm*

We hear about some states who suggest that they would like consider seceding from the US. But what about the original 13 states? Is it possible for those original states to decide that some newer states have outlived their welcome and should leave the Union?

May 22, 2021

How about redrawing the state lines to create states with equal population?

The U.S. Map Redrawn as 50 States With Equal Population | Mental Floss.webloc


https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fit,f_auto,fl_lossy,q_auto,w_728/v1555922006/shape/mentalfloss/redraw50.jpg?itok=EwuYDLkg

April 14, 2021

There's a good cop in Fargo, North Dakota

Fargo Police Department

13.April.2021 ·
Today, Officer Thomas Dye was recognized by the RACC of Fargo-Moorhead as a recipient of the Healing Hurt Award. Each year, RACC staff nominate organizations and individuals they feel have gone above and beyond to positively impact those victimized by domestic/dating violence, sexual assault, elder abuse, trafficking/sexual exploitation, and child sexual abuse in the past year. The recipient is chosen because the staff believe they have greatly contributed to supporting the agency's mission to create a society free of personal abuse.

Officer Thomas Dye was nominated by RACC staff for "showing compassion and patience while responding to a sexual assault call at a local emergency room. He did his best to make the client feel comfortable and heard while remaining respectful and diligent in his questioning."

RACC Staff said: “Officer Dye showed this survivor that they mattered - he treated them as a person, a human being who deserved his time, his attention and to be heard. Many survivors don’t come forward out of fear of police response, however Officer Dye’s approach made the reporting easier than it could have been for the clients.”

April 11, 2021

'In the closet' Trump friends

Lately, I have noticed comments from friends & acquaintances who I thought might be non-political, have made comments about Pres Biden's spending ideas. "Infrastructure is only a small portion of the bill", or "Boy, that is a lot of money we're spending". Of course, I retort immediately stating, 'it's about time we took care of our infrastructure- it has been too long' .

There's no follow-up discussion but I now know they are 'in the closet' Trump people who had been very careful in stating their views.

Has anyone else noticed this change all in the last couple months?

March 30, 2021

Taize song, 'Behuete mich, Gott'

Just heard this song on YouTube, sung by the Taizé community. The music runs through my head during this pandemic and season of Lent, (like after visiting Disneyland, "It's a small world after all&quot

Behüte* mich, Gott. Ich vertraue Dir
Du zeigst mir den Weg zum Leben.
Bei Dir ist Freude, Freude in Fülle.

My translation to fit the tempo of the music.

Keep* me, O God, I trust in You.
You show me the way for living.
With You is joy, joy in your Presence.

*my understanding is that the word 'behüten' means to keep/ protect in the sense of 'keep me safe in your hut'