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On health care, vaccines, and community

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Medical decisions by untrained, uninformed fiat.  This whole situation about the vax schedule for kids, for the availability of medical care being decided by AI bots, for the cutting and gutting of funds for everything from research to school nurses and everything in between-- what is the end goal, really? I do not for one minute buy the idea it's about personal choice. Or parental rights. Or about unnecessary costs. People, from birth to old age, are going to-- are already--dying, due to the grossly incompetent mismanagement of health care in what should be one of the more advanced nations in the world. How is a dead and dying population any benefit? Parental productivity will plummet (hey, that alliteration works), and thus the workforce is impacted precariously (sorry, couldn't help myself). But in all seriousness, a proposed 22 visits in just the first year of a child's life? Copays for each visit? Time off work? And the actual needle fear that will be the obvious side ...
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What to do with an August Monday...

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Yesterday was a good day. Church was good, we ended up having breakfast at Starbucks (so many tourists in our usual spots), and G helped me out with two cleaning projects that I needed a bit of assistance with. The day was hot and sunny, and neither of us had outdoor chores to battle through. The reading at Iron Furnace went really well, and dinner there was simple and good.  Sorry the Sox lost. Sigh. Maybe they'll kick it back into gear this next series. It's August, it's hot, and everyone --ballplayers and Memeres alike-- are tired.  Today, we do not have swim lessons. Holly completed the whole summer and she learned a lot; the "test" is Wednesday, and the final "fun day" is Friday. But today, we have a day to just hang out. That may or may not be as easy as it seems, but I have a couple of fun things in mind. I've promised a picnic at the park and she can play on the swings, slides, and so on. And we have a birthday cake to bake. Meg is coming hom...
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Sunday stuff--

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Sunday morning, warm, damp from the gully-washer and on and off rain last night. The garden is happy. I'm happy that the pool cover didn't get swamped in.  I made a simple enough supper last night: shrimp cocktail ring and a sort of bruschetta. I can't have a lot of garlic right now (tummy hates me sometimes), so I got nice Tuscan white bread, then slathered it in butter, sprinkled a little garlic powder on it, then topped it with diced tomatoes (our own!) and diced zukes that I'd marinated in a little olive oil, oregano, and basil. This I covered with shredded cheddar and parmesan, and popped it all in the oven for about 15 minutes. YUM. Next time, I think I'd head out to the herb garden and get fresh basil and oregano, but it was a little wet out there when I thought this whole thing up.  Anyhow, it was good. And tummy-friendly.  Today, church, breakfast, then clean the downstairs shower. woot.   Then, off to Iron Furnace to hear my good friend Meg Kearney rea...
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Reminding myself to be okay with being just okay... and it's okay to take things slowly

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Today, I have a few quick chores and groceries to attend to, and then I hope to be reading/sorting/arranging poems in the not-even-really-close-to-being-a-manuscript. I have two weeks left of flexible time. My house is still in need of a really thorough deep-cleaning, but that is hard to do when the only day there's no one else in here is Saturday. And that means packing one day a week with days/weeks/months-worth of chores and projects. Ain't happening. It can't. I wish I could justify paying someone to come help me get things under control, but the going rate is pretty steep (most charge 50/hr., with a minimum of two hours). Not that they wouldn't earn it, but I just can't see spending almost a week's worth of groceries on house cleaning. Sigh. So either I figure out how to get it done, or it's not getting done.  But not today. It's going to have to be enough that mostly the house is pretty okay. And there's just some things that will never be more...
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Blessings amid the not-so-good stuff

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Thirty-four years ago, at 3:17 am, Meghan Kathleen appeared on the scene-- almost 6 weeks early, and ready to roll. She's been a delight, an interesting companion, and one of the very best humans I know. And it's truly a wonder and a blessing that she's our daughter.  She's working through until Monday evening, so we can't have her traditional meatballs and spaghetti dinner this year, but my thoughts and best wishes are with her. Well, they always are. I'll see if she wants to do dinner on Tuesday.  Holly and I will go to swimming lessons, then home for lunch. After lunch, we will spend some time working on a gift for Meg. Maybe pool time after that, weather depending. I hope it's a good day. Holly misses her mom, especially when she's working a 6 day stretch without being able to come home. Working on the project will be something to keep her happy and engaged and not "spicy"-- she had a rough day yesterday, and we need a good reset.  I'm ...
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Things are good, but some things are not: how cryptic can I be?

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Yesterday was pretty good, too. Sunny, not too sticky, and Holly did well at swimming lessons. We also spent 90 minutes in the pool in the afternoon. And picked tomatoes and green beans! Today will be some errands, some baking, and probably more pool time. Why not squeeze as much summer out of each day as we can?  Tomorrow is Meg's birthday, and she's working away until Monday. Holly and I have plans to make something for her as a gift. That'll be tomorrow's plan. And I will push grocery-getting to Saturday (time to get back on track), and I will work on my manuscript as much as possible.  Ah, the manuscript. I got a small inkling of what might be a much better organizational principle for the book, and I sorted out poems that didn't fit that narrative yesterday. I'm itching to get back to it again, but Holly has limited patience for me doing solo, quiet work. What is the controlling idea? Hint: I ordered an hourglass. Not only will it tie in with the arc of the...
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Go see Rent at Weathervane if you are in shouting distance!

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Yesterday turned out quite lovely. I got chores and calls done early, and Meg, Holly, and I spent a really nice day mostly outside on the deck. Holly was in the pool for three hours (with a few snack breaks, of course). And then Meg and I went to see Rent at Weathervane in Whitefield-- what a show. It was fast, complicated, and truly a tour de force. A lot to think about, a lot to unpack.  We've both seen the show before, so it was an interesting conversation afterward on the way home to talk about what thread of the narrative that the director chose to highlight. The show debuted in 1993, and since then, some of the issues that are present in the play have waxed and waned a bit in the public eye. My take-away from this production was a focus on the marginalization of those who are homeless, and a bit of how true art is being forced to the side by "cyber creations." Of course, the omnipresent problems of drug use, AIDS/HIV, and the persecution of those in the queer commu...
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