Yammy, nipple massage, a pop up book

 I bought a Yam. But is is a sweet potato.

Looks like someone removed a  plump bothersome organ. Having been warned about  the health benefits of more vegetables instead of biscuits and sausages, I went to the CoOp and bought this magnificent thing, as well as fresh beet root bundles- to see if they can calm my blood pressure.  I wanted to buy oranges- not an orange in the shop!  Florida got too cold I guess. 

For the past three days I have felt janky, defeated, the lead blanket of WTF.  Feeling what the entire nation is feeling I suppose. What kicked it off  for me, was Michelle Obama's speech, Remembering clearly  the reality of Obama's  dignity and intelligence , and heart- Leading the nation along a positive path, lined with flowers and a veggie garden. Not all of it was sunshine and lollipops , mind you, there was Sandy Hook and there were drones bombing the shit out of Syria...but generally , the Obama's leadership was light in the darkness. 

Stella and  I were traveling then- as Americans we were treated like their beloved relatives, like we were good, like we belonged . There were many photos of Barack posted on walls  with affection and admiration. We thought that finally America got it right, America would move forward to  be the world's  good steward... a friend to all.

Expectations , Buddhists  do not do expectations...just sayin' we might be better off if Buddha  came to chat at our table.  AND it is odd how "normalized" trumps insanity has become, how we all just roll with it. It takes a toll.

 

John Hopkins Bloomberg School tells us what we already know-

"Millions of Americans are experiencing collective psychological strain, with national polling and clinical studies showing record levels of stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms. This environment is heavily driven by intense polarization, relentless digital media cycles and systemic economic uncertainty".  

So yes, there are millions in the same psychological sinking ship, I am not alone, you are not alone.  Little  happiness fixes are helpful- the orphans , the oddly shaped vegetable @ the CoOp and the raccoons on the deck. This morning one of the little mothers came to air out her nips- she napped  for a little over two hours,  ate cherries , drank  cool fresh water and massaged her milkers.

The massage- if you have nursed babies you know this activity. As they say, if you know, you know.

Airing and stretching- sans babies  demanding more than one little mother  can give. I am so glad that the deck provides the moms a safe respite.  There were two yesterday at the same time,  exposing their nipples to the  cooling breeze.

A book came today, I thought I would give it to Flora for her BD. but NOPE, it is not for a five year old or a baby brother. It is incredibly fragile. See-

Every page is a magnificent pop up! Pretty cool ! If I live long enough Flora may get it when she is double digit old. 

 Love vegetables, nuts count as well...Fruit, of course , but no oranges today. 

 

 

 
 

 

ART and more art, orphans mellting, Vitamin Michelle Obama

Stella and I went to the harbor for fish and chips. There were many cars in the parking lot. Only one was decorated, made an art piece by creative gulls. Stella's car...made us feel so special. I must say that the gull (s) responsible did admirable art. Especially the middle picture. Well done. Stella was not entirely pleased so we went to the nearest gas station to wash the windows. 

I made Jook for Trudy who just got out of hospital and is recovering from an explosion. Her appendix ruptured- ER , nine hours of intensity before surgery, a week in hospital and ten days on intravenous powerful antibiotics. DAMN ! She was nearly well when she told me but I made Jook anyway- the best healer of all soups, but maybe not everyone's cuppa.  I left it on her porch along with A Thunbergia  plant, comical little flowers. Kicked the parrot out and  gave Thumbergia  a lovely  cagey home.

We agreed that vitamin Michelle Obama , her speech at the opening of the Barack O center, was just the medicine we needed.  Her delivery , her words, her sincerity and dignity, her faith in the good of democracy and the people therein, made my throat lumpy , tears came from somewhere. Her speech outshone the day-  a close second in shinyness was Stevie Wonder . Love the dude! 

His was the first concert we took Erik to in the eighties...Erik was a larvae of four months under my shirt. He did kick and rock and when I played Stevie  for him when he was out of the oven, he responded enthusiastically. Stevie is the MAN.  At the end of the concert he talked to the audience so sweetly and invited everyone back to his place...he said that he would drive...

Orphans in the glorious sunshine today, a picnic in the splinters-

sun so bright so hot  - nearly an orphan melt. They survived . Shade is better

Anna's elf joined them for about five seconds, just long enough to get her picture taken. 

Our other artist of the day- Ms. Flora Jane , ambidextrous but truly favors here left hand. The chosen colors are in harmony- I love her art.

 -0-

 

Cringiest thrift day, fleurs, beautiful dog

The first clematis flower, mid June. weather has been slowing progress. 

The first cosmos flower- "hello"

 On suday afternoon going a little bit stir crazy, wanting to leave the country, sand in my shoes  restlessness, I spun by the thrift tore and found enough amusement to fit the bill temporarily.  Weird day.

Best find of the day, so cringe that I very nearly bought it- OMG...I remember back in the early eighties/ nineties (?)  it seemed that couples were doing "glam" shots and calendar girl type . This photo of the "happy" couple must be from that era.

There were soft shoes - a line of them looking rejected and sad, not sad. 

A large table cloth ouija board design. Nearly bought - common sense did not allow- ouija boards used to be fun until they got  spooky, opening  the door to  mental illness , superstition and all of that bad ju-ju. Anyway I thought it was a cool table cloth. 

Hats- a dead one on the floor.

Hair-  overall a very "Ewww, David " day at the thrift palace.

Baby in a bag- I was compelled to  tear a  hole in  front so that it could breathe. Ms. Mary Moon would understand  this  bagged wrong done to plastic baby,  and would have  also  taken measures to insure its comfort-not many would have given it a thought.  Mary would.

Last evening was summertime perfect- temperature @ 70, mild breeze, flowers happy on the deck.  One eyed mother coming to rest for a minute, while her babies slept in the forest. I got so close to her, she didn't even mind- that is how tired she was.  I stepped right over her to get back into the house.   You may remember this raccoon- she has been coming her since before covid ,when she was but an itty bitty   baby. When she was a teenager she came to show me her injuries and her blood filled eye. Seeking help? I don't know. I didn't think she would live, the injuries were so severe.  But there she is, mother of many, slowing considerably but doing well. I love her.

The sky put on  a pageant - sun stayed in the sky until 8:45. Summer is on its way.  I am not wholeheartedly banking on it, though. Weather is weird, unpredictable, I blame the Orange fkkwad, because, sure, why not.  

 

So....shhh-shhh 

Good night, go forth into dreamland.  Peace.

 

 Reminds me- I had a toy when I was wee. Coolest thing for a child ever invented- It was on an easel with a frame, behind the frame was a length of paper in a continuous loop, cranking the handle the picture would change in  the  frame,  crank the handle -  move to the next picture and so on. All of the pictures were lovely. Useful memory  to have in my tool box . When thoughts are  bothersome I pull  it out of my memory bank  , cranking  into the frame a continuously rotating  vision of  painted beauty.  Better than counting backwards to relax an over stimulated brain.  I could very easily dwell on the shocking horror happening in the world of man,  sleep is  way more important to me, the world of man can go eff itself.  Glad to have kid tools  available  in the memory zone.

For desert- found this dog on instagram, loveliest dog in the universe. She has a following. she lives in London, in Hampstead I think...Steve should see if she has a sister.

 

 

 

 

Mish mash life, Monster party, living in the USA

As the re-cycle truck charged down the street, this flew out, Dennis caught it. Well appropriate, but the orphans are a  bit nervous.

Posting these from local email, things happening this week end- because I like the graphics, will attend neither.  

The only adventure I am having is you tube travel vlogs, Geology from East of the Mountains videos,  and the most adorable Mother and child videos from Japan Zoo. 

This baby is her third, a little boy. The sweetness of these videos just about undoes me. I sent them to Emily stating that IF she should have another baby to please make it THIS! Gorilla Mom is the BEST mother ever! She is so in love with her son.

Other than wrestling with my C-Pap machine that is  trying to drown me  ( my fault, I cranked up the humidifier thinking it would ease dry mouth) -and sitting , too much sitting,  watching videos- I did venture out - spent most of my time @ the Japanese dollar store. I left nothing unseen , unturned  or unconsidered, some purchases were made , of course.  For Flora- A pink ukulele, a bunny in a banana,  unicorn erasers, Hello Kitty work kit, Pocky stix, two flavors and a Mug for Dennis. He broke his favorite mug but I found one that will do the job. It is prettier, too.  Check these q-tips compared to ours-They look like drumsticks, and are a lot more bang for the buck- fluffier, no plastic. Quality Q-tip delight.

I use them for all sorts, mostly for scooting paint and pastels but also for cleaning tight spaces ,like cracks . 

There is a wall of  Japanese paper- the best kind for collages. I can't even fold a piece in half accurately  so  its origami  purpose goes wanting in my stash. It is great for scissoring and gluing, though, and that is how I  use it.

solid color strips- used for edging.

Tariffs have not made a dent in my international  shopping skills- treats are still reasonable and varied. Einkorn biscuits from Italy, Mochi from Japan,  Fish from Sweden,Pur  sugarless mint gum from Switzerland and dark chocolate from Belgium. I can not complain!   Well, I COULD complain, about a lot of things ,but really- life isn't unbearable with treats such as these, a cup of tea, a warm breeze off the Sound, a happy man in the garden with a new mug. He has garden injuries- fell in the bushes scraped a gash into his arm and bonked a hole into his head from a branch. Gardening is trying to do a murder, yet Mr. Man is content.

It is only when I go online and find independent accurate journalism that I get swept under the tidal wave of WTF . Found the best sources on Insta, substack,  and You tube. Of course every article is supplied with sources, dates, facts , history and evidence. No spin, no corporate news bs, just the facts, Mam'. Knowing is knowing. Does it help to quell the overall confusion and depression, the anxiety of being in the USA- no , it does not. I liken it to being children living with alcoholic, abusive  parents- depending on them for survival, for a sandwich , a crumb maybe,  never trusting them or knowing when they will explode irrationally.  Or to battered wife syndrome. Similar.

Just  reading independent journalism  , not being gaslit, is a relief. 

On that happy note I leave you with a photo from NextDoor- rainbow  blob across the bay.  The rain has gone away for the day, possibly through the week. There may be actual HEAT!

 Just now a   blurry hummingbird in the cherry, and a goldfinch on  the flower pot-

And  daughter in law - Cheers to retirement!