Politics, Survival and Exploding Eggs

In the past I have posted satirical poems and pictures expressing my viewpoints on our current president and the politics of the day. And Bush's recent veto on a $12 billion bill for children's healthcare because we "can't afford it" while at the same time asking for $195 billion for the war in Iraq had me spinning in the Batchair.

Under the current regime our country has amassed a debt that my great-grandchildren won't be able to pay off, our dollar is falling, our soldiers are falling, health care is a mess, education is struggling and our country is losing respect around the world.

My illness dictates that I avoid stress, it has a very negative effect on my condition, but how does one do that, especially in the current atmosphere? The answer is we can't, not unless we choose to remain ignorant of the world around us, and that is not an option. And, in the real world, there is always conflict and adversity. From the small day-to-day glitches to the war in Iraq to global warming, to live on planet Earth is to be involved.

So how do we survive? By being involved and doing what we can when we can. By taking good care of ourselves and caring for others. By living life to its fullest, keeping in mind that our time here is short and it is our one chance, and by always keeping our sense of humor.

Which brings me to... Willie's eggs. A few nights ago my husband was boiling eggs for his lunch the next day. He set them to cooking then came in to join me for the evening news. Since he'd had a long day, it wasn't long before he fell into a light sleep, the eggs forgotten by us both.

I was engrossed in the news until I heard a strange popping sound in the kitchen. Figuring it was our cat, I gave it little attention. A few minutes later there was an explosion that brought my husband straight up out of his chair and into a full run. There was a moment of silence as he entered the kitchen and then I heard him burst into gales of laughter. The water in the pot had boiled dry and the eggs had exploded, covering, from what I could discern between bouts of hilarity, a substantial area, including the ceiling. This is the kind of thing that usually ticks my husband off and sets me into fits of giggles. I was happy that, this time, he could see the humor in the situation and let the stress of the day evaporate with his laughter.

Aloft

Since my grandson was busy organizing, and playing in a concert for the benefit of the skate park the day we celebrated my birthday and was unable to attend, I thought it only fitting to share a picture of him hurtling through space at said skate park. Aside from being an excellent drummer and an adept snowboarder, Alex is a whiz on the skateboard and is, this fall, going to be teaching this gravity defying sport to others.

For the life of me, I don't understand how these kids do it. Not only do they defy gravity, they seldom seem to lose their skateboards in the process. Rock on, Alex!

Speeding Through the Universe

In the grand scheme of things in the universe, our presence on planet earth is but a wink in time. Trying to comprehend the vastness and complexity of what is beyond our little island in space is enough to cause a migraine. Trying to comprehend the speeds at which we travel is enough to cause permanent brain damage.

Earth rotates at 1000 miles per hour at the equator while it speeds around the sun at 67,000 miles per hour. At the same time, it is moving, with our solar system, around the center of the Milky Way galaxy at one half a million miles per hour as the galaxy hurtles through space.

If it weren't for the size of our planet and its galaxy and the power of gravity, we'd all be blown into dust and flung into space. Personally, in spite of size and gravity, I am in awe of the fact that, given the numbers, we aren't at least suffering from windburn!

I found the above fractal on the Internet and want to thank whoever created it, it is awesome.

Hard Work and Humor

Here is my husband standing next to 14 cords of wood... give or take. We heat our home with an outside would furnace and now that I can't help, Will has to get all the wood for the winter on his own. From cutting down the trees to removing the limbs and dragging them out of the woods, from cutting the logs into measured lengths and stacking them, it is an arduous but satisfying task.

Willie spent last week's vacation in the woods out past camp cutting and stacking wood, getting it ready to bring home for this year's heating season. Except for some help from his cousin and a friend on Monday, my husband is responsible for the impressive stack of wood you see above.

I used to love helping Will get the wood stacked up for winter...the smell of crisp, late summer days mingling with the pungent aroma of the woods, the sounds of the forest lost in the crashing of trees and the wine of the chainsaw, and the fulfillment of hard work and sweat as our pile grew ever larger. And the camaraderie of labor shared and enjoyed. However, I am secure in the knowledge that I will be warm through the long Vermont winter thanks to my husband's efforts.

And now, a little humor...

Sisters

Introducing the lovely women who are my sisters. Above is my sister Lynn, 10 years younger, 6 inches taller and in possession of a heart that is absolutely huge. She is an artist with material and has her own quilting business along with being a dental assistant. Her quilts are a rush of color, form and texture and captivate the eye. She also creates memory quilts, a combination of her art and client's photographs.

And this is my sister Ann, also six or so inches taller (I think I've mentioned that at 4' 11 1/2 " I am the only short sibling of 5 and, since the tall grass has always seemed greener to me, this has rankled = D ) and 17 years younger. I left for college just after her, and her twin's, first birthday, so, aside from brief visits over the years, we never really knew each other. We are, however, making up for the lost time. She, also, has a kind and generous heart. She is an assistant dean at a college in the east and has been showing her unique and fascinating wearable and material art in a gallery in NYC for twenty years.

Both of these lovely, talented and funny ladies have filled my life with hope, caring and love. They visit when they can and Lynn recently spent almost four days here, a nine hour drive, filling my home with her boundless energy and sunny disposition. They have both helped to make my fight for life easier and have changed my life in wonderful ways. I love them more than words can say.