It isn’t a crime…

but it should be.

The deliberate obstruction of the proper functioning of government. 

Malfeasance, misfeasance, and nonfeasance are all applicable, perhaps, but maybe it needs to be spelled out more specifically. 

Looking at you, McConnell!

You have flouted the clearly expressed will of the majority of the American people persistantly, usurping control of the Senate’s ability to do the job they were elected to do, making yourself a dictator over what issues can be voted on or not, according to your personal agenda.

You have abused the power of your office.

You have intentionally undermined and obstructed the democratic process in America. 

And this doesn’t even get into the treasons of your dealings with the Russian oligarchy.

I think it is important for the world to know that we, the sane and normal people of America, and some of the weird ones, too, deplore this current administration and live for the day we can vote it out of power, and call it’s perpetrators to account.

It is likewise important for the world to know, we also understand that your governments do not always represent or reflect your decency, your humanity, your good faith and good will towards other real people.

There has never been a time in the whole history of humankind when politicians truly spoke for their constituents, though the occasional statesmen have arisen and fought for those qualities of humanity and decency, good faith and good will, against the seekers of primarily personal wealth and power.

Love’s Not Always Pink

Love’s not always pink–
It’s what you feel and live
not what you think.
Sometimes it’s what you give
or are allowed to take
or nothing you can have
for someone else’s sake.

Love’s not always song–
its voice not always heard
or clear and strong.
Sometimes it’s just absurd
and makes no kind of sense
Or it speaks without a word,
has neither rhyme nor tense.

Love’s not always glee–
It has its moods and swings
and doesn’t always see.
Sometimes imaginings
turn into fear and doubt
or expectation clings
to dreams that can’t play out.

Love’s not always true–
a permanent romance
to nourish you.
Sometimes it is mischance
or timing’s never right
and only fine in sunshine
or only in the night.

Love’s not always whole,
Love doesn’t always win;
Sometimes it wounds the soul
and lets the darkness in,
yet love’s piercing dart,
breaks out as well
the bravest human heart.


2009, revised 2019

Raw: Summer Creek

Silt settles in the summer creek
over hard-wedged wood
and the largish stubborn stones
laid bright and bare
when vernal torrents raged:
ripped raw the bed,
tore out old banks,
walkways
and little bridges–
wild waters
shattered,
scattered…
Recut pathways
and the landscape
in the violence
of season’s change.

The sun is warm now glimmering
over the water where leafy branches
gaze and tease the eye:
The pebbles colorful in many shades
and striped in lights and darks
rest nestled in the silt
that settles ’round but does not yet
obscure them from the sun.
The satin ripples whisper
as they dance together–sunlight,
pebbles and clear-running stream.

I sit now by the summer creek
relieved that season’s passed,
soaking in the sunlight at my back,
and understanding now,
Springtime
meant no harm.

July 2011, revised 2019
photo also by CL Redding, 2011

Trolls

“Rudeness is the small person’s imitation of power.”

There is a troll who occasionally wanders to my posts here, and gives every one of them a one-star rating. This troll probably doesn’t actually read, just has a personal agenda that expresses itself in this petty way.

Please, when you read my posts, if, at the top you see the rating stars, please give me a fair rating for what you’ve read. Enough honest ratings will give me a better idea of what actual readers think of my writing, as they drown out the troll’s pettiness.

The one-star ratings don’t discourage me, I know my writing isn’t that poor. But they are a statement to potential readers that cast my efforts in an unfair light.

Thank you!

Lost

This morning as I woke
I recalled the day of sadness
I could not bring from memories
before her death
my mother’s face.

Not your face
but something of you
as essential and as dear
I cannot bring to mind today
and feel the rift
has widened now
beyond my strength to leap.

Though I can stand and gaze
a while longer
towards an empty shore.

2011

Cash or Card: travel finances & documents

One of the major necessities of travel is money management. As it turns out, this can be quite tricky: I was assured by various sources that nearly everyone in China prefers online payments through a thing called wiipay… that no one wants cash.  This turned out not to be quite true. 

Our hotel only accepted, according to their site, payment by a specific card which is very difficult to set up here in the US if you don’t live in California or New York. We were lucky that they did accept Discover as the same, as the companies are linked. But many restaurants and merchants only wanted cash.

The credit/debit card we used automatically gave us the current conversion rate, charged no additional cash advance fees, and also refunded the atm fees. You can find out what your card offers in this vein when you contact your card issuer to let them know you are traveling out of the country–important to do if you don’t want to suddenly find they’ve stopped your card because you are no longer in Omaha where they know you live. You might have to activate specific international usage on your card.

The thing to watch out for is that there is a daily limit on withdrawals, and whatever card you may be using, find out before you go if your card has such a restriction, and carry a back-up card if you can. And never store them in the same place. I wore a lightweight money belt and also carried a purse, dividing the goods between them, never left cash or cards in the hotel. 

Another note of mistaken advice was regarding passports. What we were advised was to make copies of the passport’s main page and the visa page, and carry that, leaving the passports in the hotel safe.  But in China, at least, you must carry the passport with you at all times. You need it to purchase tickets, for instance, for the major sites if you are a senior, and need to prove it. That got me into the zoo for free, and discounts at a couple of the others. I kept mine in the money belt.

In other countries, hotels may require that you leave it with them until you check out. This is sometimes inconvenient–there was a time I checked out of the hotel forgetting to collect it, and had to go back for it. 

Some countries also require you to carry documentation of your current  immunizations, at least when entering the country. Related to this, if you carry prescribed meds, you should keep them in their original, unaltered, labeled containers. China didn’t actually care about that, but Canada does, so tells me my friend in Niagara, Ontario who works with Canada Immigration. 

SUMMER THUNDER

Heat comes
after the cool of morning
down out of a clear blue sky
that reaches upwards
towards
forever.

Land bakes under
oven-air that parches
grass and flower,
sears the soul
and wearies hearts and limbs.

Over the mountains
building towering
darkening clouds confound
the sunbright heat
lift winds
fling lightning bolts
and grumble
and deluge at last
to bludgeon flowers
into the sudden mud
but the grass
likes it.

Passing,
on their own wind driven,
clouds sail on
towards the next horizon
and clear bright heat
returns
takes back the wet
and the relief
until it chooses to relent
declining in the sky
descending
behind the mountains
where the clouds began.

2011

Recipe File: Harvest Soups

Summer harvest soup: veg broth, yellow and zucchini squashes, corn, onion, spiral-cut butternut squash, and some beans been in the freezer too long, and at the end, some bok choi… goodly splash of Yoshida sauce… And added some firm tofu, too, and a dash of salt–not enough to overwhelm the fresh flavor of the veggies, just enough to ‘warm’ the flavor.

A key thing is not to over-cook the soft vegies. If I’ve misunderestimated the timing, I will take out the soft stuff so it doesn’t go mushy, and add it back in at serving time.

Sometimes I will toss in some frozen shu-mai, or pot-stickers and some ginger powder for a more asian flavor, and some bok choi gives it a flash of green, and tastes pretty good, too–a little more interesting than ordinary green cabbage which I might add if I had any today. Except I do have the bok-choi. (It was pretty wilty a couple of days home from the store, so last night I put it in a pot of cold water and this morning it appears much encouraged.) 

When I do an autumn harvest soup, when the days are chilly, I’ll add a can of Progresso’s butternut squash soup and spice it up with some cinnamon and nutmeg and a bit of real maple syrup instead of the teriyaki sauce. It might also have some chunks of yellow sweet potato, but that cooks faster than you might think and can get mushy if added too early.

note: vegetable broth is just as tasty as chicken, and so much better for the chicken.

A winter harvest soup might begin with a cream of something base, and have chunks of root vegetables and hard yellow squash, and corn. I like the Yukon Gold potatoes, but the yellow sweet ones are good, too. 

Into any of these, if I’m in the mood, I will drop in an egg and let it poach gently, or whip up the egg with a bit of water to help break it up, and dribble it in for an egg-drop effect. 

This works very well for one of my most favorite soups: Greek Egg and Lemon soup: 

The quick way is to use a can of chicken/rice soup, but for vegetarian, you can always start with some veg broth and some pre-cooked rice, (like leftover rice from a Chinese dinner, or a pouch of that 90-second microwave rice).

To the basic can of soup, squeeze in the juice of a whole lemon, then, when the soup boils, slowly drop in the whipped egg, while stirring. Season with salt and whatever else you like, to taste. (For me, I love the Campbell’s chicken/rice base, but it has too much refined white rice for a diabetic, and it is cooked to delicious softness that is such a nice comfort food, but turns to sugar in the blood way too fast.)   (And, of course, there are the chickens to consider.)

California Summer

Summer heat–
sweet relief
in darkened hall
beneath the fan,
the rumbling wind,
the storm
that blew the cool
all through the house…
I’d catch a chill and die,
they claimed.

Disbelieving,
driven out to play,
I’d wait
another chance…

Summer feet–
freed from socks and keds
not always
sufficiently aware
of bees among the clovers
growing green in golden lawn…
Dancing barefoot over
dark macadam streets
all afternoon
but in the dusk
relishing
warm sidewalks
against my soles
before I had to go to bed
the sky still blue…

Summer treat–
popsicles
sweet and cold,
bright and sticky–
one stick, or two
if pleading good behavior
won the prize
and we didn’t have to share…
Eagerly
we waited
dimes in hand,
for merry music dancing
on the summer evening air…


2006