As a little girl growing up in England I had it pretty well. As I said we had a Gardner, Mrs. Coates, and a Nanny, Sophie, who came all week and bandaged small injuries, fed us breakfast, and dinner ( which was the biggest meal) and lots of love and Mom, or Mummy (of course)as we called her cooked and baked, took us to ballet classes and to preschool and the convent ( where Nuns with cold hands taught us everything including the catechism ) and grand parks where we played hide and seek and "tracking" which was a game I didn't really understand but just tried to make sure I didn't get lost!
One day while playing with my sister and some friends, they decided to ride around the block, and I tried to go too. My hobby horse just wasn't keeping up so I went back home to get my scooter and headed back out after them. By the time I reached the corner everyone was gone and as I continued to try to find them, I got more and more lost. I ended up at the little row of shops we frequented every Saturday to spend our sixpence, allowance, which we always spent on sweets. I went to the bakery and asked them where my sister was and they gave me a doily! Not sure how that was supposed to help but it kept me calm while they called the police. When the Police arrived, they put me in their car and asked me some typical questions..."what's your name little girl?"..."Sally"...I didn't know my last name! "Where do you live Sally?" ... "at home" I replied! So with all that information thoroughly documented, we headed out to find home, but I couldn't see over the dashboard! We drove around to find something familiar but by this time I was very frightened and everything looked strange to me...I was clearly no help. Just when all hope was about to be lost, a woman waved down the Police car to explain she had lost her little girl and just like majic, there I was!!! After hugs and Thank You's were over I was able to go home and all was well with the world, but I never quite relied on my hobby horse after that!
Most of our extended family, Aunts, Uncles, cousins and my Grandmother on my Fathers side, lived in Sheffield north of us, so we saw them less frequently, but my grandmother and grandfather on my mothers side, lived close by, and we saw them regularly. They were a large part of our lives.
My Grandmother was the most wonderful woman in the world! She always had time for us, was amazed at everything we did, and was always prepared to play with us whether it was making things with cards she had saved ( she saved EVERYTHING), or playing games with us, or colouring, reading to us, whatever we wanted. My grandfather was equally attentive to us and loved us to sit on his knee and tickle us. My sister wasn't as open to this as I was and in reflection my need for affection and physical love was what made me a perfect target for what was to come. I continued to have many wonderful experiences as a child, which I will continue to share, but there was a growing unease and confusion in my little mind as to what was happening to me and I was very confused as to how to deal with it. My life was in a transition, as so many little children face. Things were about to change for me...a fork in the road from which I continue to grapple with the consequences.
Wednesday, May 31, 2017
Trump is "tired" ...I know how he feels!
This United States President and his arrogant ways have brought me to the point of exhaustion! He NEVER STOPS demonstrating how ignorant he is about the world and common decency. For example the bumbling fool Trump stands with Israels prime minister Netanyahu and states clearly that "he (Trump) never mentioned the name Israel so you got another story wrong"! The only thing is the press NEVER mentioned Israel on their stories and no one had asked him about his revealing classified information...he brings it up himself...draws attention to it...like a toddler explaining " I didn't do it" to his parents! Tillerson says Trump is tired. Well Donald the whole world is getting VERY tired and would like to move on.
There are far more troubling things scrolling quietly on the bottom line of the CNN news and other news programs.
The war hasn't stopped in Syria, people in America are still worried about their jobs and whether or not they will have health coverage. What about his promises to the miners and their widows to extend their medical pensions to the end of their lives and on to their wives?
Now a huge cut of 800 billion dollars to Medicare and food stamps has been leaked about Trump's new budget. What happened to campaign Trump?
There are far more troubling things scrolling quietly on the bottom line of the CNN news and other news programs.
The war hasn't stopped in Syria, people in America are still worried about their jobs and whether or not they will have health coverage. What about his promises to the miners and their widows to extend their medical pensions to the end of their lives and on to their wives?
Now a huge cut of 800 billion dollars to Medicare and food stamps has been leaked about Trump's new budget. What happened to campaign Trump?
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
My life, in the beginning ...
I was born! This much is obvious, but for most of my life, up until recently, I thought I was born in England. You see I was adopted at the age of 3-5 months old and so the first few months of my life are a bit of a mystery, at least to me, known only by my birth mother. ( I have tried to find her but have been unsuccessful but that's another story). So, I was born, and then adopted, and raised for my first 8 years in a beautiful Tudor style house in Kent. I loved that house.
What I loved most really was the garden. It was a magical place, and our gardener, Mrs. Coates, ( yes we had a gardener) knew all about every flower, every creature, and special ways to cure wasp stings you got from picking up your conkers without looking first to see if they were otherwise occupied! Conkers are really just chestnuts that you put a hole in and thread them onto a string and hit each other with them. I'm not certain that the original idea was to hit each other with them, but that's what my sister and I did. Yes I had a sister, also adopted, but 3 years earlier than me. My father later told me that he had really wanted a boy (what man doesn't) but my mother wasn't sure she would know what to do with one, so they got me instead!
Anyway, back to the garden! It had a magical Weeping Ash tree whose branches grew like a willow right down to the ground, but they were stiff branches, so when you went inside you were in a whole separate tree world! The branches didn't sway so no one knew you were there! It was truly a beautiful thing! We would play house inside for what seemed like days.
Then there were the hedges all around where the hedgehogs lived, of course, because otherwise where else would they live!
There was a fox that would appear from the back of the garden near the compost pile, the garden shed, and the swing.
At the front of the garden there were pebbly pathways that were surrounded by roses, and after a rain the scent of them was almost overpowering. I would walk around and around the sodden pathways while my galoshes ( rubber boots) squelched and splashed and got me wet.
Our neighbour, Mr. Penny, grew masses of pansies and you could smell them too. He would
let my sister and I come over and pick a posey of pansies! I loved their sunny faces and deep scent. We always felt very special when we got to pick our own flowers and have our own vases of them in our bedrooms. Once my sister collected a bunch of twigs and went about the garden planting them strategically in the soil. My father watched her carefully then replaced the twigs with bulbs! My sister was delighted when all her twigs grew into beautiful little flowers, and marvelled at her success!
Sweet Tudor stories, and in reflection, when I returned to England at age 13, the house seemed so much smaller than I remember but the memories are so large, and it became the longest place in which I lived from 1967 to 1992! More memories to follow.
What I loved most really was the garden. It was a magical place, and our gardener, Mrs. Coates, ( yes we had a gardener) knew all about every flower, every creature, and special ways to cure wasp stings you got from picking up your conkers without looking first to see if they were otherwise occupied! Conkers are really just chestnuts that you put a hole in and thread them onto a string and hit each other with them. I'm not certain that the original idea was to hit each other with them, but that's what my sister and I did. Yes I had a sister, also adopted, but 3 years earlier than me. My father later told me that he had really wanted a boy (what man doesn't) but my mother wasn't sure she would know what to do with one, so they got me instead!
Anyway, back to the garden! It had a magical Weeping Ash tree whose branches grew like a willow right down to the ground, but they were stiff branches, so when you went inside you were in a whole separate tree world! The branches didn't sway so no one knew you were there! It was truly a beautiful thing! We would play house inside for what seemed like days.
Then there were the hedges all around where the hedgehogs lived, of course, because otherwise where else would they live!
There was a fox that would appear from the back of the garden near the compost pile, the garden shed, and the swing.
At the front of the garden there were pebbly pathways that were surrounded by roses, and after a rain the scent of them was almost overpowering. I would walk around and around the sodden pathways while my galoshes ( rubber boots) squelched and splashed and got me wet.
Our neighbour, Mr. Penny, grew masses of pansies and you could smell them too. He would
let my sister and I come over and pick a posey of pansies! I loved their sunny faces and deep scent. We always felt very special when we got to pick our own flowers and have our own vases of them in our bedrooms. Once my sister collected a bunch of twigs and went about the garden planting them strategically in the soil. My father watched her carefully then replaced the twigs with bulbs! My sister was delighted when all her twigs grew into beautiful little flowers, and marvelled at her success!
Sweet Tudor stories, and in reflection, when I returned to England at age 13, the house seemed so much smaller than I remember but the memories are so large, and it became the longest place in which I lived from 1967 to 1992! More memories to follow.
Friday, May 26, 2017
"Decoding Daesh" And why i.s.i.s. doesn't like it...so why don't we use it!
Over the past few years, with all the focus on isis, its recruitment techniques, and actions, I had heard them called Daesh, and knew that this name was an insult to them. I had no idea why it was insulting, but it was insulting enough to make them change it... and I didn't really understand why, if it was "insulting", we weren't using it instead of Isis!?
I found this article by linguist Alice Guthrie, " Decoding Daesh: Why is the new name for ISIS so hard to understand?"Decoding Daesh: Why Is The New Name For ISIS So Hard To Understand?ecoding Daesh: Why
She explains, in great depth, the Arabic and English translations and why isis members HATE the term Daesh. This article was scribed in 2015 but the information remains relevant and the idea of insulting isis, just as attractive. Below are some highlights from this article and the link to it so you can read it all, as my summary does not do it justice!
https://www.freewordcentre.com/explore/daesh-isis-media-alice-guthrie
"Over the last few months, there has been a concerted effort by several senior global politicians to give a new name to the group known as ISIS, or Islamic State, IS or ISIL. That new name is ‘Daesh’. If you’ve followed coverage of this attempted official linguistic sea change, you’ll have gathered that the new name, although it’s just an Arabic acronym equivalent to the English ‘ISIS’, apparently delegitimises the organisation, mocks them, and thus drives them to threaten taking violent retribution on anyone who uses it."
"So the insult picked up on by Daesh is not just that the name makes them sound little, silly, and powerless, but that it implies they are monsters, and that they are made-up." ( they are "monsters" but unfortunately not made up although their interpretation of Islam IS made up)
The article is long and sometimes confusing since I am not a linguist and not familiar with Arabic. In
summary what I understand is that Daesh, in Arabic, sends a negative impression of isis. So again why don't we all call them by this name...I know President Obama used this term on occasion but not consistently....why? It's not as if they're going to murder people more heinously if we call them Daesh...they're pretty well maxed out in that department!
What do you think?
I found this article by linguist Alice Guthrie, " Decoding Daesh: Why is the new name for ISIS so hard to understand?"Decoding Daesh: Why Is The New Name For ISIS So Hard To Understand?ecoding Daesh: Why
She explains, in great depth, the Arabic and English translations and why isis members HATE the term Daesh. This article was scribed in 2015 but the information remains relevant and the idea of insulting isis, just as attractive. Below are some highlights from this article and the link to it so you can read it all, as my summary does not do it justice!
https://www.freewordcentre.com/explore/daesh-isis-media-alice-guthrie
"Over the last few months, there has been a concerted effort by several senior global politicians to give a new name to the group known as ISIS, or Islamic State, IS or ISIL. That new name is ‘Daesh’. If you’ve followed coverage of this attempted official linguistic sea change, you’ll have gathered that the new name, although it’s just an Arabic acronym equivalent to the English ‘ISIS’, apparently delegitimises the organisation, mocks them, and thus drives them to threaten taking violent retribution on anyone who uses it."
"So the insult picked up on by Daesh is not just that the name makes them sound little, silly, and powerless, but that it implies they are monsters, and that they are made-up." ( they are "monsters" but unfortunately not made up although their interpretation of Islam IS made up)
The article is long and sometimes confusing since I am not a linguist and not familiar with Arabic. In
summary what I understand is that Daesh, in Arabic, sends a negative impression of isis. So again why don't we all call them by this name...I know President Obama used this term on occasion but not consistently....why? It's not as if they're going to murder people more heinously if we call them Daesh...they're pretty well maxed out in that department!
What do you think?
Sitting under the Apple Tree
Finally I was driven away after multiple mosquitos drained my blood supply and then started on making a meal of my face.
I just wish you all could have been there to enjoy this magical moment with me.
Wishing you all magical moments from God's YouTube channel!
Good night.
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Olivia found deceased
Just checked Twitter and found out that Olivia had been found but she is deceased. Heartbreaking.
Nothing to say but to her family and friends...I am so very sorry. I don't understand the minds of these deranged murderers that they could take these innocent lives with no cause. Unfathomable.
Nothing to say but to her family and friends...I am so very sorry. I don't understand the minds of these deranged murderers that they could take these innocent lives with no cause. Unfathomable.
Where's Olivia?
Last night, during the chaos of the Manchester Terror attack, CNN's Don Lemon took a call from a mother who was desperate to find her daughter. She spoke to Don about how excited Olivia Campbell had been about going to this concert with her friend Adam.
Since the bombing, Mom ( Charlotte ) had been calling both Olivia and Adam, but the calls went unanswered.
It was heart wrenching to hear this poor mother so desperate and feeling powerless to do ANYTHING to make this nightmare disappear. She kept saying " I just want her home". I thought about this family all night and watched CNN and Twitter today for news of Olivia and Adam.
Through Twitter I found a post that Adam was in hospital...I hope the same Adam although any Adam not killed is joyful...but Olivia is on the MISSING list. Her Uncle has been searching hospitals and hotels but nothing.
I can't imagine how devastated Charlotte is. I think about them both especially because I know some of their story,, have heard her mother' pleas for help...he daughters picture haunts me. Yet I know there are dozens or more Olivias and Charlottes in Manchester tonight who are struggling to stay sane, struggling to put and end to this nightmare. Ending the nightmare could be another nightmare in itself.
Something else to recover from.
I pray these families can hang on to hope and lean on each other for comfort.
The world is with you all...with you Charlotte and Olivia...though the unimaginable is almost impossible to grasp you will get through this.
I don't know how,
but you will.
Since the bombing, Mom ( Charlotte ) had been calling both Olivia and Adam, but the calls went unanswered.
It was heart wrenching to hear this poor mother so desperate and feeling powerless to do ANYTHING to make this nightmare disappear. She kept saying " I just want her home". I thought about this family all night and watched CNN and Twitter today for news of Olivia and Adam.
Through Twitter I found a post that Adam was in hospital...I hope the same Adam although any Adam not killed is joyful...but Olivia is on the MISSING list. Her Uncle has been searching hospitals and hotels but nothing.
I can't imagine how devastated Charlotte is. I think about them both especially because I know some of their story,, have heard her mother' pleas for help...he daughters picture haunts me. Yet I know there are dozens or more Olivias and Charlottes in Manchester tonight who are struggling to stay sane, struggling to put and end to this nightmare. Ending the nightmare could be another nightmare in itself.
Something else to recover from.
I pray these families can hang on to hope and lean on each other for comfort.
The world is with you all...with you Charlotte and Olivia...though the unimaginable is almost impossible to grasp you will get through this.
I don't know how,
but you will.
Monday, May 22, 2017
Suicide bomber attacks Ariana Grande concert in Manchester...
England , what evil demon could choose a group of teens as their victims. The chaos, the screams, 19 killed 59 injured, statistics likely to rise. It's unbelievable and heart rending to watch the videos with tweens dashing down to the exits where terrified parents watch and wait for their child to appear. An overwhelmed and desperate mother calls into CNN to talk about her daughter Olivia and her friend Adam, are now missing, not answering their phones...there are many more parents in the same situation. Horrific.
The bomber waited for the concert to end as some 20,000 teens began to leave when an explosion rocked the concert hall and panic ensued. It appears the bomb exploded outside the safe zone at the exit where kids were gathering to meet their parents to pick them up.
Some will never go home.
My heart breaks for all the teens and their families who will forever be changed by this vile act.
No one has laid claim to this act as of yet.
The bomber waited for the concert to end as some 20,000 teens began to leave when an explosion rocked the concert hall and panic ensued. It appears the bomb exploded outside the safe zone at the exit where kids were gathering to meet their parents to pick them up.
Some will never go home.
My heart breaks for all the teens and their families who will forever be changed by this vile act.
No one has laid claim to this act as of yet.
Best tiny design for me!
My dream tiny house
This is the most fantastic tiny house I've seen...I think I would use the second loft as a living room with daybeds with storage or IKEA modular sofas with storage and guest room capabilities. I drew like every time I watch this video...it goes too fast for me! I love the stairs and the whole concept.
Do you like it?
This is the most fantastic tiny house I've seen...I think I would use the second loft as a living room with daybeds with storage or IKEA modular sofas with storage and guest room capabilities. I drew like every time I watch this video...it goes too fast for me! I love the stairs and the whole concept.
Do you like it?
Saturday, May 20, 2017
Tiny House Nation
Friday, May 19, 2017
White House's continued crisis...can Trump survive?
Every day there's a new disaster occurring within the White House under President Trump. It's so confusing I'm not sure if anyone can get it straight but I'm gonna try. Let me know if I've missed something!
Today as Donald Trumps' plane left the runway for his international tour new allegations reported in the New York Times states that Donald Trump, during his unorthodox meeting with the Russian's Ambassador and intelligence officer, not only did he reveal confidential information, he also told them that he had fired Director of the FBI Director Comey, calling him a "Nut job", and that it would take the pressure off the Mike Flynn and Russian investigation!
(In the midst of this crisis, Attorney General Sally Yates had approached the White House to inform them that she had concerns regarding the new National Security Officer General Michael Flynn. She reviews information with the White House and is then asked to returns the next day where she offers to arrange an opportunity where they could review the documentation she had...this meeting never happens because between this meeting and the future meeting to review the information she is fired!)
During the furor of the revelation that Trump revealed highly classified information, Putin offered to release transcripts of the meeting, which was summarily ignored, but now you have to wonder whether that was a threat towards Trump that more than the revelation of classified information could be released!
So recap...Trump invites Director Comey to dinner alone ( making Comey uncomfortable) confirms
Comey will keep his job, then asks Comey for complete loyalty which Comey replies he will give
him honesty and loyalty to the constitution, not exactly what Trump asked for.
During Comey's testimony on the hill, about the Russian involvement in the Clinton campaign, Comey is asked about his decision to release a letter regarding reopening Hilary Clinton's
investigation and that it made him slightly "nauseated" to think he might affect the result of the election. This statement angered Trump's thin skin.
Today as Donald Trumps' plane left the runway for his international tour new allegations reported in the New York Times states that Donald Trump, during his unorthodox meeting with the Russian's Ambassador and intelligence officer, not only did he reveal confidential information, he also told them that he had fired Director of the FBI Director Comey, calling him a "Nut job", and that it would take the pressure off the Mike Flynn and Russian investigation!
(In the midst of this crisis, Attorney General Sally Yates had approached the White House to inform them that she had concerns regarding the new National Security Officer General Michael Flynn. She reviews information with the White House and is then asked to returns the next day where she offers to arrange an opportunity where they could review the documentation she had...this meeting never happens because between this meeting and the future meeting to review the information she is fired!)
During the furor of the revelation that Trump revealed highly classified information, Putin offered to release transcripts of the meeting, which was summarily ignored, but now you have to wonder whether that was a threat towards Trump that more than the revelation of classified information could be released!
So recap...Trump invites Director Comey to dinner alone ( making Comey uncomfortable) confirms
Comey will keep his job, then asks Comey for complete loyalty which Comey replies he will give
him honesty and loyalty to the constitution, not exactly what Trump asked for.
During Comey's testimony on the hill, about the Russian involvement in the Clinton campaign, Comey is asked about his decision to release a letter regarding reopening Hilary Clinton's
investigation and that it made him slightly "nauseated" to think he might affect the result of the election. This statement angered Trump's thin skin.
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Dog love
I have yet to see the movie "A dogs Purpose" but I know I'll love it if there are dogs in it, which I assume there are!
My history with dogs has always been profound and more stable than those with people! Their love is unconditional and they are always so happy to see you even if you've only been gone for a few minutes! I am ill so I'm at home most of the time. I suffer physical and emotionally painful periods
of time and my dogs are ALWAYS there to comfort me. We are the three Musketeers cuddled up on the love seat ( small but we all fit kind of!) keeping each other warm in winter and sweaty in summer!
Every move I make I am shadowed by my terrier Zimos...get coffee he's there...go to have a bath
( very small bathroom) he's there, go to the toilet he's there! I am part of the pack but not sure if I'm the pack leader according to the dog bibles of Cesar Milan but what the hell...it works.
A number of years ago I had decided that it was unfair to keep such a high energy dog with me being unable to run him everyday, resulting in him getting fat like me, and a little stressed out, also like me!
The answer was to rehome him somewhere he could have everything he needed.
Reluctantly I began the process to find a family for him and a lovely couple came into the picture. After sharing conversations and getting the answers I felt were conclusive, Zimos went to Westport to live by the water and be walked everyday etc. When they left with him I cried and cried but felt I had done the right thing.
That night I imagined the new life he was living and convinced myself that he was much better off. Later the next day I got a phone call to say that Zim had cried and howled the entire time they had him...he was miserable and they didn't feel he would be happy there...could they bring him back? BRING HIM BACK? YES YES BRING HIM BACK!
The reunion was joyful and according to this couple began the moment they turned onto our street escalating in intensity the closer they came to our house!
I love him, he loves me and we'll just have to get fat together!
Vengeance is mine sayeth Donald Trump...
With all the turmoils swirling around the White House I think there's one thing that's quite telling and that is not that Trump simply fired FBI Director Jim Comey, but HOW HE FIRED HIM!
It is well known that when Trump doesn't get his own way he behaves like a toddler in a never ending, uncontrollable, temper tantrum, lashing out in many ways.
He devises whatever vengeance and cruelty he can to humiliate anyone whose challenged or insulted him.
Trump asks Comey to drop the Mike Flynn investigation and gets no satisfaction he's mad...when he listens to Comey's testimony where Comey related that it made him mildly "nauseated" to think he had played a part in the results of the election again, he makes Trump MAD. He's asked the man for personal loyalty and doesn't get it...he's FURIOUS.
So does Trump fire him immediately...no. What he does is HE WAITS until Comey is out of town, then has a letter hand delivered to Comey's office where he knows he isn't !
He doesn't call him, no heads up, so Comey learns over television that he's fired during a presentation in las Angeles, and even has to find a different way home because he's stranded, as he can no longer use the government plane!
Trump didn't just want to fire him...he wanted to devastate Comey to the best of his ability.
So why? Former FBI Director Comey REALLY PISSED HIM OFF! Nothing to do with Hilary Clinton!
Hmmmm!? What else about Comey made him that mad?
It is well known that when Trump doesn't get his own way he behaves like a toddler in a never ending, uncontrollable, temper tantrum, lashing out in many ways.
He devises whatever vengeance and cruelty he can to humiliate anyone whose challenged or insulted him.
Trump asks Comey to drop the Mike Flynn investigation and gets no satisfaction he's mad...when he listens to Comey's testimony where Comey related that it made him mildly "nauseated" to think he had played a part in the results of the election again, he makes Trump MAD. He's asked the man for personal loyalty and doesn't get it...he's FURIOUS.
So does Trump fire him immediately...no. What he does is HE WAITS until Comey is out of town, then has a letter hand delivered to Comey's office where he knows he isn't !
He doesn't call him, no heads up, so Comey learns over television that he's fired during a presentation in las Angeles, and even has to find a different way home because he's stranded, as he can no longer use the government plane!
Trump didn't just want to fire him...he wanted to devastate Comey to the best of his ability.
So why? Former FBI Director Comey REALLY PISSED HIM OFF! Nothing to do with Hilary Clinton!
Hmmmm!? What else about Comey made him that mad?
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
Did President obstruct justice?
The New York Times has reported today that in a private meeting between President Trump and FBI Director Comey, Trump asked Comey to "shut down" the Mike Flynn investigation " he's a nice guy"
Comey was upset by this interaction and documented this interaction, as is his typical behaviour apparently, and wrote a number of memos and has distributed them with people he trusts as well as in his office to ensure he had covered himself.
This interaction could possibly result in a charge of obstruction of justice by Prresident Trump which is criminal but not prosecutable for a sitting President. Impeachment would be the first action followed by a criminal trial.
Trump is due to be released out onto the global stage within days!
What will happen next?
Comey was upset by this interaction and documented this interaction, as is his typical behaviour apparently, and wrote a number of memos and has distributed them with people he trusts as well as in his office to ensure he had covered himself.
This interaction could possibly result in a charge of obstruction of justice by Prresident Trump which is criminal but not prosecutable for a sitting President. Impeachment would be the first action followed by a criminal trial.
Trump is due to be released out onto the global stage within days!
What will happen next?
McMaster's unpress briefing!
National security adviser McMaster leaves press uninformed following his briefing to the press today. He suggests that any information shared with Russia is globally known information which leaves one to wonder then why did Trump feel the need to tell them if they already knew!?
The story now is Who is the "leaker"? Well according to Twitter we all know who the leaker is...Donald Trump!
There is so much spin on this story I'm dizzy!
McMaster read a long list of countries that The Donald will be visiting next week and my mind reels at the potential for global disaster that could occur during this trip...DONT GO!
The story now is Who is the "leaker"? Well according to Twitter we all know who the leaker is...Donald Trump!
There is so much spin on this story I'm dizzy!
McMaster read a long list of countries that The Donald will be visiting next week and my mind reels at the potential for global disaster that could occur during this trip...DONT GO!
Monday, May 15, 2017
White House denies Washington Post story
Denials all around by the White House intelligence officials, but New York Times now reporting similar story. White House claims Information about ISIS was discussed but intelligence says only common knowledge information was revealed, however ally sharing this information will be severely hesitant to reveal any further information with the United States, as will all other allies. Again, Trump denies revealing code information. Allies will be dumbfounded that an ally has revealed information to Russia, NOT considered an ally! Suggestion is that Trump was boasting about how great US intelligence is!
Trump is clearly unfit to hold the position of President of the United States.
President Donald Trump reveals classified information to Russians The Washington Post Report
The Washington Post reveals that...
"The president’s disclosures to the Russian foreign minister and ambassador in their Oval Office meeting last week jeopardized a critical source of intelligence on the Islamic State — an information-sharing arrangement considered so sensitive that details have been withheld from allies and tightly restricted even within the U.S. government, current and former U.S. officials said. Trump appeared to be boasting of the “great intel” he receives when he described a looming terror threat, according to an official with knowledge of the exchange. As president, Trump has broad authority to declassify government secrets, making it unlikely that his disclosures broke the law.
Chihuahua Love!
I have loved many dogs, most large but a few small, and I must be honest in saying that I had never seen myself as a Chihuahua owner! Big dogs seemed to fit my lifestyle better. Firstly, I loved to be outside hiking or skiing on the trails that are right behind my house. If I had lived here as a child, I think I would have gone out on the first day of spring, and not returned until late fall! I would ride my nospeed bicycle quite a distance in the blazing summer heat, to chase butterflies in the fields next to the rail lines. My dog in my childhood was first a cocker spaniel, Simon, who was lovely as long as you didn't move your feet during dinner and risk losing a toe! He died suddenly at 1 year old, leaving me devastated for more weeks than even my parents could tolerate, and finally gave in to aquiring a beagel/labrador mix called "Pickles". ( actually my parents euthanized Simon, but I didn't know that until last year at age 57!) But I digress...the point is that I have had Labs; Pit Bulls; Golden Retriver and retriever mixes; poodle mixes; schnoodle mixes...but the smallest dog I have ever loved is Ollie! All 6 to 10 lbs of him! He is full of character and bosses me around all the time, even now, at 17, he lives to play "bark and scruff" with me...he barks...I bark back...he scruffs his back leg at me...and I scruff my hand at him! We keep going until he gives up and comes close to me for a good scratching of all those bits he can no longer reach...he's fat now!
Thanks Darlene for forcing him on me ( she kept asking and asking for me to take him until I finally gave in ! ) I love him more than I could have ever known I would!💓
Sunday, May 14, 2017
Carrie Fisher my favourite bi polar actress!
So I once was considered bipolar 2, that's the crappier one, more lows fewer highs (miss the highs...it was like being Samantha in the show Bewitched ... You could do anything! But not everyone likes it and meds suck so you're just flat...no fun...I miss fun...Any way Carrie Fisher proved that even bipolar sufferers can lead successful lives...that maybe our interpretation only, but I love this woman and mourned her death, suffering a major heart attack on a plane, and her mother, Debbie Reynolds dying the next day of a stroke...they were that close! ( you have to read the book or see the movie Postcards from the edge) which is quasi autobiographical!
Here she is with Gary and Steven Colbert.
Carrie Fisher and Gary with Steven Colbert
https://youtu.be/R1E6IexeSrQ
Mothers Day
Today is Mother's Day, and I wish Mothers all around the world a Happy Day with your families'.
My Mother passed away several years ago and as each year goes by I understand her more and more.
It's a sad statement of truth, that we don't really KNOW our parents until we are older ourselves and start to question who they are as individuals, not just as our parents. Sometimes we never know but it's because we forget to ask the important questions about the essence of them, rather than no questions beyond their specific relationship with us. What were their hopes and dreams? My Mother adopted me at 3 months of age. What was that like for her? My biological Mother named me Dymphna, the patron saint of mental illness....I found this out just a few years ago. Was she sending a message to me, and to my parents? I'll never know. My adoptive family were British, so never really talked about feelings, or deep issues. There are so many things I'd like to talk to my parents about now but it's too late.
Don't let it be too late for you!
Here is a picture of 3 generations of Mothers!
Happy Mothers Day to all our Mothers
Saturday, May 13, 2017
Who cares about the donald? Syria is what's important. What now?
What about Syria?
We are drowning in Trump drama! Have we forgotten what the REAL stories are?
Who cares about tweets and made up tapes and stories...make the man work and stop messing around watching tv and playing golf and tweeting ! People are dying.
PLEASE DONT FORGET THAT.
Sign the petion at Change.org found on the left sidebar...nearly 10,000 people already have so please be one of them.
Thank you
Sign the petion at Change.org found on the left sidebar...nearly 10,000 people already have so please be one of them.
Thank you
Syrian gas attack April 2017
Video of what sarin gas does...can't find CNN video from last night but though images less graphic you get the picture of what it is to die this way. We must take a stand....US must STOP playing footsie with Russia who are supporting Assad's use of chemical weapons...we all know this yet the deniers were taking pictures in the Oval Office this week?
Syrian gas attack April
SARIN GAS ATTACK ON INNOCENT SYRIANS... 92 dead...
... including many children. The images are sickening, heart rending and finally UNACCEPTABLE!
Why do we remember the Holocaust every year, then watch it occur again and again and DO NOTHING?
Small acts are no longer acceptable. The images of small children gasping slowly, agonizingly, for every small and last breath while they writhe in seizures, while they foam at the mouth along with their family members, lying and dying in the street. Their clothes torn from their bodies in an effort to remove this demon gas that draws life from these innocents.
I AM FURIOUS!
I am so SICK of this. What is wrong with this world that we can watch these slaughters but remain seemingly unmoved enough to act.
"EVIL PREVAILS WHEN GOOD MEN FAIL TO ACT"- Winston Churchill
When CNN warns you these images are awful to watch it is true...but WATCH THEM ANYWAY.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE WORLD KNOWS WHAT IS HAPPENING...AGAIN AND AGAIN.
Trump blew up a few buildings and made some holes in runways...BIG DEAL!
Who CARES about idiot trumps latest tweet?
DO SOMETHING FOR GOD's SAKE
Why do we remember the Holocaust every year, then watch it occur again and again and DO NOTHING?
Small acts are no longer acceptable. The images of small children gasping slowly, agonizingly, for every small and last breath while they writhe in seizures, while they foam at the mouth along with their family members, lying and dying in the street. Their clothes torn from their bodies in an effort to remove this demon gas that draws life from these innocents.
I AM FURIOUS!
I am so SICK of this. What is wrong with this world that we can watch these slaughters but remain seemingly unmoved enough to act.
"EVIL PREVAILS WHEN GOOD MEN FAIL TO ACT"- Winston Churchill
When CNN warns you these images are awful to watch it is true...but WATCH THEM ANYWAY.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE WORLD KNOWS WHAT IS HAPPENING...AGAIN AND AGAIN.
Trump blew up a few buildings and made some holes in runways...BIG DEAL!
Who CARES about idiot trumps latest tweet?
DO SOMETHING FOR GOD's SAKE
Friday, May 12, 2017
To have more...desire less!
This is going to have to be my mantra if I am ever going to make it into a tiny house. I am very sentimental and have ALOT of little trinkets that's were my mothers' fathers' grandmothers' and other family members. I'm not big on clothing or shoes but books and CDs are plentiful. Living without a library would be tough. In addition I make jewelry and scrapbook ( although since I've been ill not so much.) PHOTOGRAPHS are a passion. Old, new, tiny, large....don't know how to deal with that...these computer images just don't qualify compared to a great 8 x 10 black and white. I used to knit and crochet so lots of yarn." Having more by desiring less" is gonna be tough, but I'm going to have to do it sometime soon, I'm 58 and this house, though small, is too big for me to maintain so why NOT do it now when I have something to look forward to. I don't like apartment living, or living in someone else's house...I love nature and my dogs...I want to be surrounded by it as I am now, not having to take an elevator down God knows how many flights to get outside!
The TinyHouseTalk newsletter has a great article that I'm going to try and link this post to to help myself and anyone else wishing to free themselves from too many possessions so here goes let me see if I can successfully link it up!
The TinyHouseTalk newsletter has a great article that I'm going to try and link this post to to help myself and anyone else wishing to free themselves from too many possessions so here goes let me see if I can successfully link it up!
http://tinyhousetalk.com/downsizing/
Trump just keeps digging his own grave...it's funny right?
The Donald appears to have NO understanding of the trail of bread crumbs ( more like loaves) he's leaving for the FBI to follow...he just can't keep his mouth shut...someone should take charge, take his phone from him and put him on the naughty step for 70 hours ( 1 hour for each year is appropriate child management!). Apart from a tirade directed about Jim Comey, threatening him directly about "taped conversations" trump continues attacking journalists and now comedians...watch this Steven Colbert clip from last night...
Indigestion or heart atttack?
Last night I had another very painful episode which lasted about 30 minutes using 6 nitro sprays. It WASNT a panic attack because I wasn't scared I simply wanted the pain to stop. It started in my back and I have fibro and had been messing with hoses and sump pumps yesterday as my basement flooded again but it radiated into my chest and mid to right sternum. I've had 2 heart attacks and many panic attacks all at home. Most of the time women are misdiagnosed (as I was) and I hate calling for help because everyone assumes you're either wrong about what's going on or faking it! I know this seems like a poor excuse not to call an ambulance but I've spent a lot of time in emergency rooms only to be sent home...with the exception of 2 years ago when they checked my cardiac enzymes and I was admitted...scheduled for a bypass, then had that held over, upon which time I visited my son in Burlington and ended up in the Hamilton General Cath lab ( amazing place with the capacity of an army of us heart blocked folks) and they cleaned me out! So I'm still alive, still feel like hell, and think I'll try to see my Family Doc today and get blood work done to see if my enzymes are elevated. In the meantime I'm going to let the professionals deal with my ever flooding basement ( my main sump pump quit after a huge rainstorm event )! So if my blog goes dark, that means the news wasn't great!
Thursday, May 11, 2017
Kellyanne Conway vs. Anderson Cooper over Comey firing
Kellyanne Conway looks as if she's been through a windstorm as she tries to "conflate" her answers around the firing of FBI Director Comey! Her trademark "stepford wife" demeanour continues despite her looking as haggard as I've ever seen her. There are moments where she appears to be sizing up Anderson as her last meal, just waiting to strike until she blinks and we see that sarcastic smile but her jaw hasn't dislocated so Anderson's safe for the moment, just don't interview her face to face as you may end up being her lunch!
Kellyanne vs Anderson Cooper
Kellyanne vs Anderson Cooper
Wednesday, May 10, 2017
Alive could be an overstatement!
Since my initial mission for this blog was to try to be consistent in something you can see that has been a dismal failure! My apologies.
As I sit here pondering my existence and my future I must concede finally that I am not equipped to carry on. I lack both the physical and mental abilities to manage my life, and spiritually I have lost that full knowledge of Gods promises to me and the strength that gave me even when faced with death.
Anyone with a chronic illness knows that it's not just the patient that suffers, but all of those around them, and as time goes by it becomes taxing on them to the point of exhaustion, and not surprisingly desensitizing to the serious nature of the problems. Even I have still to learn when I'm in deep trouble. It's hard to ask for help in a world where everything moves so quickly, lives so full of family and friends, all the special moments go by in a flash and they're gone and I've missed them.
I've made so many mistakes in my life and lived the consequences by blundering through and not dealing with the real issues.
So in closing I just want to urge anyone whose struggling to reach out and find one advocate who will stand by you and help you to stay afloat when your drowning in this muddled up mess of mental illness or any illness.
Sometimes you have to give up in order to get up. Not an easy thing to do!
-SMG
As I sit here pondering my existence and my future I must concede finally that I am not equipped to carry on. I lack both the physical and mental abilities to manage my life, and spiritually I have lost that full knowledge of Gods promises to me and the strength that gave me even when faced with death.
Anyone with a chronic illness knows that it's not just the patient that suffers, but all of those around them, and as time goes by it becomes taxing on them to the point of exhaustion, and not surprisingly desensitizing to the serious nature of the problems. Even I have still to learn when I'm in deep trouble. It's hard to ask for help in a world where everything moves so quickly, lives so full of family and friends, all the special moments go by in a flash and they're gone and I've missed them.
I've made so many mistakes in my life and lived the consequences by blundering through and not dealing with the real issues.
So in closing I just want to urge anyone whose struggling to reach out and find one advocate who will stand by you and help you to stay afloat when your drowning in this muddled up mess of mental illness or any illness.
Sometimes you have to give up in order to get up. Not an easy thing to do!
-SMG
Tuesday, May 9, 2017
Trump fires FBI Director Comey
Apprentice President Donald J Trump appears to be carrying on his role as "FIRER IN CHIEF" continuing to fire key persons in the US government namely now the Director of the FBI.
Director Comey, who was actually investigating Russian involvement in the 2016 election, is the latest victim of Trump's power grabbing tactics as he slashes away at any persons he considers a loyal Obama employee, regardless of their service in prior administrations. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, who Trump fired following her effort to make the White House aware that Trumps National Security officer Mike Flynn could have been compromised by the Russians, elicited little activity by the WH to secure Flynn from sensitive meetings until they became aware that the Washington Post was about to release an article on the issues surrounding possible collusion between the Russians and the Trump campaign!
Minority leader Chuck Schumer calls for special prosecutors to continue what FBI investigation has started.
Jeffrey Toobin, CNN's senior legal analyst, reminds us that in the history of the United States, the only other president to behave in this manner is President Richard Nixon.
Trumpers will have many excuses as to Trump's actions and why Trump included in his firing letter that he is NOT under investigation by the FBI, another obscure act by this bizarre man who has accidentally ended up in the Oval Office.
This man is not only the farthest image of a world leader ever to be seen, but a very dangerous man whose election has turned their rose garden and our global affairs upside down.
Those individuals who will be approached by Trump to take Comey's place should remember that Nixon cronies who were sucked into Nixon's web went to jail...Nixon did not.
(Watching Kelly Anne Conway on CNN ... She looks like hell!!)
Director Comey, who was actually investigating Russian involvement in the 2016 election, is the latest victim of Trump's power grabbing tactics as he slashes away at any persons he considers a loyal Obama employee, regardless of their service in prior administrations. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, who Trump fired following her effort to make the White House aware that Trumps National Security officer Mike Flynn could have been compromised by the Russians, elicited little activity by the WH to secure Flynn from sensitive meetings until they became aware that the Washington Post was about to release an article on the issues surrounding possible collusion between the Russians and the Trump campaign!
Minority leader Chuck Schumer calls for special prosecutors to continue what FBI investigation has started.
Jeffrey Toobin, CNN's senior legal analyst, reminds us that in the history of the United States, the only other president to behave in this manner is President Richard Nixon.
Trumpers will have many excuses as to Trump's actions and why Trump included in his firing letter that he is NOT under investigation by the FBI, another obscure act by this bizarre man who has accidentally ended up in the Oval Office.
This man is not only the farthest image of a world leader ever to be seen, but a very dangerous man whose election has turned their rose garden and our global affairs upside down.
Those individuals who will be approached by Trump to take Comey's place should remember that Nixon cronies who were sucked into Nixon's web went to jail...Nixon did not.
(Watching Kelly Anne Conway on CNN ... She looks like hell!!)
Monday, May 8, 2017
What I miss about driving around!
My car radio has recently become possessed by demons....you might think I'm crazy but whenever I try to turn the radio on ( or sometimes just turning the car on works too) this high pitched squealing along with a sound similar to nails on a blackboard ( that made you squirm right? Cause it did me too : 0 ) starts to ring out and surround me. I turn it off... nothing ... still screeching ... I pull over the car and press every button on the dash and still nothing...I have to literally turn off the car and wait ( if you just restart it too soon the demons still have possession ) so when I saw the above video I just had to share it ...it's so much fun! https://youtu.be/ln3wAdRAim4
And I miss it just as much as Michelle does ( I have to admit here that I sang along too...did you? Admit it if you did!) and for more fun
Sunday, May 7, 2017
Teeny tiny video...
I've been thinking...dreaming and talking tiny for about a year now and while I was doing this research I found this wonderful true life video. When you have a quiet moment (!) please watch this video. I found it so moving and hope you will too.
https://youtu.be/ZLoBWpiOczQ
https://youtu.be/ZLoBWpiOczQ
All things tiny...
seem to be cute right? Well that seems to hold true to Tiny Houses as well, at least I think so.
Tinies come in all shapes, sizes and styles from a simple caravan to a mass of shipping containers, to a tiny cottage, or a house on wheels so that you're always home no matter where you roam!
They cost less to build , although luxury houses can cost more than my present small old house ( 134 yrs old ) . They cost less to maintain, allowing owners to do more of the things they love rather than being a slave to a mortgage, and they cause you to take stock of what's really important in your life without the focus being on acquiring more "stuff" and the effect that has on your time. I wish for a tiny house on wheels so that no matter where my family is (presently 5 hours away), I can up and move closer in order to be a part of their lives rather than a mere visitor. I miss my children and grandchildren, and that's a big driving ( no pun intended) force in my interest in going tiny. So have a peek at this movement that is sweeping North America ( most prevalent in Portland Oregon ) and think about whether or not you could live tiny...maybe even off grid!
http://tinyhouselistings.com
Tinies come in all shapes, sizes and styles from a simple caravan to a mass of shipping containers, to a tiny cottage, or a house on wheels so that you're always home no matter where you roam!
They cost less to build , although luxury houses can cost more than my present small old house ( 134 yrs old ) . They cost less to maintain, allowing owners to do more of the things they love rather than being a slave to a mortgage, and they cause you to take stock of what's really important in your life without the focus being on acquiring more "stuff" and the effect that has on your time. I wish for a tiny house on wheels so that no matter where my family is (presently 5 hours away), I can up and move closer in order to be a part of their lives rather than a mere visitor. I miss my children and grandchildren, and that's a big driving ( no pun intended) force in my interest in going tiny. So have a peek at this movement that is sweeping North America ( most prevalent in Portland Oregon ) and think about whether or not you could live tiny...maybe even off grid!
http://tinyhouselistings.com
Friday, May 5, 2017
You can build more houses but you can't make more land...
Which is the point of a new petition which made me aware that the government is talking about grabbing back the green belts for future development.
The problem is that at some point this drive to build bigger a bigger houses in bigger and bigger housing developments is going to crash and burn when the house you paid 1/2 a million dollars for is only worth $250,000, and the yard that house is on leaves only a shred of garden area for bees and birds and butterflies and squirrels and rabbits to live in and they start to vanish from our brick clad landscape!
What are we doing when we must drive 20 minutes to find a government funded piece of grass with a swing and a slide on it...as Cat Stevens so eloquently sang...Where do the children play?
I'm tired of the SUV ads that depict these gas guzzling vehicles climbing mountains and driving through streams when really they're all parked at the grocery store 15 minutes from their homes!
Why are there rules that say you CANT live in a house under 400 square feet...there's lots of people doing it and leaving a tiny footprint on our lands but the rules say NO! Why? Get involved
by putting our names to petitions that will help to save our greenbelts and wetlands...our nature
Wow, glad I got that off my chest and I apologize to all SUV owners...but it's true!
Cat Stevens - Where do the children play?https://youtu.be/HMv7M2wuqw0
The problem is that at some point this drive to build bigger a bigger houses in bigger and bigger housing developments is going to crash and burn when the house you paid 1/2 a million dollars for is only worth $250,000, and the yard that house is on leaves only a shred of garden area for bees and birds and butterflies and squirrels and rabbits to live in and they start to vanish from our brick clad landscape!
What are we doing when we must drive 20 minutes to find a government funded piece of grass with a swing and a slide on it...as Cat Stevens so eloquently sang...Where do the children play?
I'm tired of the SUV ads that depict these gas guzzling vehicles climbing mountains and driving through streams when really they're all parked at the grocery store 15 minutes from their homes!
Why are there rules that say you CANT live in a house under 400 square feet...there's lots of people doing it and leaving a tiny footprint on our lands but the rules say NO! Why? Get involved
by putting our names to petitions that will help to save our greenbelts and wetlands...our nature
Wow, glad I got that off my chest and I apologize to all SUV owners...but it's true!
Cat Stevens - Where do the children play?https://youtu.be/HMv7M2wuqw0
Thursday, May 4, 2017
It's raining again! ...
All day my body has been screaming at me .... P...A...I...N...I know it's gonna rain! Matt kept telling me " it's sunny out its not raining" ....but now it's raining and everything hurts...EVERYTHING! Oh well typical fibro body stuff. Otherwise I made some jewelry for my tiny house! I can't work so money is limited and making jewelry doesn't require too much physical labor although I can't sit for too long. So if I make enough and try to save I can pursue my tiny house dream...I did mention that I'm dreaming of building a tiny house on wheels and maybe by the time I can afford it they will have changed all those nasty rules that say you can't live in a house that's under 400 square feet...what a stupid rule!
Anyway speaking of tiny houses, here's a super video that I came across that is truly magical...lets see if I can figure out how to embed the video...hmm!
I did
Anyway speaking of tiny houses, here's a super video that I came across that is truly magical...lets see if I can figure out how to embed the video...hmm!
I did
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
And now for something a bit more uplifting!?
WOW...that was a bad bad day in my last post but as you can see I'm still very much ALIVE! But had a few close calls in between...more heart attacks, more pain issues but now I'm just accustomed to taking each day as it comes...some good, some bad, but I'm not on a boat fleeing from a war torn country clinging to my starving children so I'm good right? I have to update my pic as my son is now 20 years old ( how the hell did that happen) and I'm still 29!!!NOT! Illness has aged me beyond my real years and those wrinkle creams don't seem to work on me! (I love the fact that all the ads use 20 yr. olds! )
Presently I'm stable on anti depressants but unstable on my feet! However I have a current fascination with going "tiny". Not my body, although there are quite a few parts I wish were tinier, but I mean tiny house living. If you haven't heard of this movement it started anew in 2011 when people began to realize they were slaves to there mortgages and possessions and decided to live a more simple existence...this is a BIG movement in Oregon especially and though it sounds romantic the realities are more impactful than dreamy. Keep posted for my dreamy plans.
Presently I'm stable on anti depressants but unstable on my feet! However I have a current fascination with going "tiny". Not my body, although there are quite a few parts I wish were tinier, but I mean tiny house living. If you haven't heard of this movement it started anew in 2011 when people began to realize they were slaves to there mortgages and possessions and decided to live a more simple existence...this is a BIG movement in Oregon especially and though it sounds romantic the realities are more impactful than dreamy. Keep posted for my dreamy plans.
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