Well, that is if you look at our front view captured in this Kodak moment. I've mentioned that we have 7 pairs of cardinals this winter who frequent our feeders. It seems our front feeder is dominated by the males and the females tend to be having their coffee klatch at the side feeders...
Zoom in below and see how many males you can find...
Did you catch last week's FOTO FRIDAY: DING DONG?
This past week Natureman and I joined a live program with touted expert on Islamophobia, Todd Green, a Luther College associate professor of Religion speaking on "Rethinking Christian Responses to Islamophobia. "
Green characterizes the last two decades of our White Christian nation's dealing with Islamophobia as 'disappointment.' Prof. Green points out that it was under our watch the path was made for the exploitation of fear and hatred towards our Muslim brothers. Several candidates made Islamophobia part of their platform in the 2015-2016 election, using issues like registration and ID cards for Muslims, comments like "Islam hates us" and calling for a shutdown of our borders to Muslims. Trump's most ardent supporters were Christians, White Christians. So as a nation we need to reflect why White Christians were part of the problem rather than part of the solution to Islamophobia.
3 common contributing misunderstandings to combat Islamophobia. According to Green the 3 misconceptions are primarily driven by :
1. Misconception is driven by ignorance which is really racism.
2. Misconception is primarily the responsibility of Muslims to challenge whereas it should be the responsibility of Muslim allies to challenge specifically white christians
3. The misconception Islamophobia is our national response to 9-11 which is not natural but rather contrived for political and financial gain.
Very valid points but I think we also need to look at the role religion has always played throughout history. Has there ever been a time that church and state have ever really been separate? Think about what we all can do to not just help eradicate Islamophobia but to rethink our actions regarding nationalism, racism and yes, religion'ism'... There's a reason it's called white washing.
Even though joining others at public concerts is still sometime in the future, many of us music aficionados are desperate enough to join live on line performances.
Some are free but many also have cover charges but musicians can use our $s too. Just be sure to note which time zone is stated. Whew, almost missed the last eastern standard time concert.
Music can still transform you as if you were there in person. We recently joined in the encouraged sing a longs with 2 very well known seasoned folk musicians Claudia Schmidt and Sally Rogers this past Friday.
Claudia and Sally put on a mighty fine show with their harmonious craft of some old and also new political lyrics with messages of life- yes, even life in the time of a pandemic.
One old tune was Still on the Bridge referring to the Birmingham Edmund Pettus Bridge march which continues to hold meaning with the realization "we need to finish the walk together." Sally wrote a song about Stacey Abrams. There was the wood song which those of us who heat with wood get but even more universal was the pandemic inspired lyrics of Bidet-o due to the lack of toilet paper...
Farewell My Friends was a perfect ending to for a lovely hour of music by two musical greats. " Be well, From our hearts to yours."
Treat yourself to a listen:
Thanks to YOUTUBE and Oldsongs...
Just discovered that the oldsongs posted the entire concert... Lucky us. ENJOY: CLAUDIA & SALLY
They say it's never too late to right a wrong...
It wasn't long ago Natureman and I were discussing how Americans are quick to point a finger claiming 'other' peoples create atrocities, not us here in our country...
Last year we learned of a secret more than one Polish community held regarding their involvement in helping Nazis in rounding up their Jews. Poland is known for its antisemitism and why the Germans chose Poland for its camps.
Radziłów, one of those small Polish towns has been harboring a secret for a long time. History proves their involvement although their descendants feign otherwise. You see, one night the townspeople had rounded up the village's Jews into a barn, barricaded it from the outside and set it afire. There was no way the village residents's could not have heard the screams throughout their village that night.
Jewish tourists to Poland have also been horrified to learn of streets paved by the Nazis with Jewish tombstones...
How could this happen?
Many important African Americans had been buried there but the land had been sold in 1960 and the developer had moved 100's if not thousands of headstones...
Now decades later with this recent tombstone discovery on the shoreline, Democratic Virginia Governor Northam and Republican Senator Stuart have joined forces to right the wrong, coming up with $5 million to fund the excavating, refurbishing and rehoming of the stones to the historic cemetery’s successor, National Harmony Memorial Park in Landover, Md., and create the Harmony Living Shoreline memorial in King George along the Potomac.
Gov. Northam stated “As we reckon with the many impacts of systemic racism, it’s important that we tell the full and true story of our shared past, and the indignities—and worse—that were inflicted on people of color. We must work to rectify old wrongs when we can. The Harmony Cemetery project is one example of that, and I am glad that we can be part of this important work.”
Now only should we not be claiming to be superior to others but we should all take responsibility to right a wrong... It's never too late.
TBT : To all you theater goers, I get it. Among the many activities we used to do in non COVID times was going to theater...
Unfortunately, I had to contemplate renewing our Milwaukee theatre subscription even with Natureman's health issues pre COVID. Then it was decided for us with social distancing theaters would have to close their doors.
Sad for so many- the folks who are theater employees. Staff, actors, and yes, the patrons too.
Live zooming of home presentations can come into our homes but it certainly isn't the same as sitting with others to enjoy live theater.
This photo appeared in my FB feed of some Jazzerbuddies attending a night of theater together.
May those days not be so distant when we can once again enjoy theater together again...
The unexpected visitor repeatedly pushed the doorbell as I scrambled for my coat and a mask. In minus degree weather I was not stepping outside without either. I don't even remember the last time I heard someone ring our bell but his insistence made up for all those other visitors who never used it.
The gentleman must have been so busy navigating the snowy hill he didn't see the neighbor's house. Any how, I directed the fellow back down the road.
Upon returning inside Natureman beckoned to the back hallway where the door bell chime was buzzing like crazy.
Thank goodness for on-line shopping and I opted for a store pickup rather than shipping. It turns out the store had it in stock so it could be replaced without a delivery issue.
Now once snow, mud and virus seasons are over we hope you can come ring our new doorbell...
Last FOTO FRIDAY was VALENTINE PARTIES
Our last visit across the river to Hokah Falls you may remember us enjoying their rushing waterfall as we had sat having a picnic lunch. That bench was surrounded by snow this visit.
The surrounding hillsides had Mother Nature's artwork of what happens to previous melting snow even though this isn't the falls.
Yet even with such extreme cold there is beauty...
Monday Musings have me thinking about chicks. Due to Mother Nature including elements like predators, weather and age we only have 2 hens left in the Coop. If you've been following Life in the End of the Rainbow you know when one needs chicks to restock,they are mail ordered like brides...
Lately in between reading my book club book. I've been viewing FaceBook Watch where popular and not so popular programs like Ellen, Shark Tank, Judge Judy, Returning the Favor etc... are streaming live/ with prerecorded programs. And there are home videoed less popular watches with one in particular called Chicks on the Right where Mockaroni and Day-Z, 2 attractive perfect skin white suburban women who probably never had to lift a finger in their lives talk mostly political smack. They have about 3K followers.
Talking like they have a clue about logic and fact, fill the air with their baseless banter. Manipulating and criticizing media, but not Fox News. Calling folks dumb. Cackling at each other's comments like teenage girls. Maybe they've got their show title right?
Their summary of the impeachment was just dumbed down to a waste of time. What a sad commentary and reflection of women.
You need to tune in and listen and see how insane it is with 100's of comments feeding off their comments. OMG.
Here's to free speech, yet thankful there are other venues.
Okay, I'm glad my hens are chicks no longer and at least they were chicks on the left rather than the right and not henpecking...
Well, this year the only member of our immediate family in the End of the Rainbow Valley who's celebrating is our fur baby Balto.
Here he is in all his glory celebrating with his furry friends. We had to pick him up before the last of the games. He's such a party animal.
Any Valentine pics to share ? Send them this way.
Last FOTO FRIDAY was THE HOT SEAT
Life is filled with many joyous occasions but as we all know there are also disappointments...
Yes, the operative word is 'was.'
Yesterday, the hospital announced that it only had enough vaccine for 80% of its upcoming scheduled appointments in the next week. 20% of other seniors/ with other serious health conditions, 1599 other people also received news that their vaccination appointments had been cancelled.
1600 disappointments... and many more elsewhere.
VACCINES LEAVE MANY SENIORS BEHIND
Cold is relative depending where you were raised. In the South they are freezing when it's in the 40's. We think that's balmy for winter here in the Midwest. Yet, with my southern upbringing zero and below is a 'stay inside' type of day.
This past Saturday I heard a friend talking via Zoom about going skiing. When others confronted her about the cold her reply was the sun was shining. I'm sorry but no amount of sunshine is going to warm minus degrees for me the transplanted southerner.
My neighbor Gail ( originally from the Upper Pennisula) walks around in sandals in winter and proudly shared our Sunday's early morning temp with her hometown family and friends ...
When we first got Balto, our Texan rescue Husky-Shepard, he didn't even want to go outside in winter but now embraces it in all forms. He just plops down in the snow as if it were a blanket.
Now I have to cajole Balto to come back inside as I worry about him being out in the elements too long. Of course, it doesn't help that he has a new found deer hide to work on either.
Personally, I'm not that meshugenah(crazy) to let any food/activity entice me to be outside in sub zero winter weather. How 'bout you?
"Hot Seat"...
Do you have a favorite chair photo from February? Do share.
Thanks Candia for this great 'share/ chair. Some good citizen had commemorated Rosa Parks Day by embellishing a seat on each of our city busses with a rose, a photo and a reserved seat sign along with a folder about Rosa Parks . How cool/hot is that?
Last week's FOTO FRIDAY was BLESSINGS
Join me in learning more about black citizens who have contributed so much to our country. Today we will meet Claudia Jones (1915 Tobago-1964) , journalist and political activist. Ms Jones and her family hailed from Trinidad emigrating to NYC when she was 9 years old.
Claudia Jones's accolades started early when she was awarded the Theodore Roosevelt good citizenship award in junior high. Unfortunately her mother died when she was 14 and never saw the woman she would become.
Due to poor living conditions Ms Jones was stricken by TB at age 20 which plagued her the remainder of her life. Academically bright she had limited possibilities as an immigrant black woman. But even with laundry and retail jobs she started writing a column called Claudia Comments in a Harlem paper.
Ms Jones joined the Young Communist League, supported the Scottsboro Boys, joined the editorial staff of the Daily Worker and by '38 became editor of the Weekly Review, then the Spotlight during WWII and afterwards executive secretary of the Women's National Commission, secretary for the Women's Commission of the Communist Party USA (CPUSA). She was incarcerated for her voice and participation numerous times.
"Jones' focus was on creating "an anti-imperialist coalition, managed by working-class leadership, fueled by the involvement of women." She is best known for her '49 article "An End to the Neglect of the Problems of the Negro Woman!"
excerpt:
The bourgeoisie is fearful of the militancy of the Negro woman, and for good reason. The capitalists know, far better than many progressives seem to know, that once Negro women begin to take action, the militancy of the whole Negro people, and thus of the anti-imperialist coalition, is greatly enhanced.
In 1951 she suffered her first heart attack in prison. In '52 she took the same position at the National Peace Council. In 1953, she took over the editorship of Negro Affairs.
Jones was deported in '55 due to her politics. Her native country Trinidad was afraid she would be troublesome so it was the United Kingdom which became her new home. In spite of being shunned for being black by British journalists, she founded the first major black newspaper in Britain, the West Indian Gazette.
She found purpose supporting the British African-Caribbean community to organizing both access to basic facilities, as well as the early movement for equal rights.[
An incredible determined woman for sure leaving this world at age 49 after a massive heart attack...
A gal born poor in Missouri can go from rags to riches and earn fame in headlines but as Josephine Baker's life proved one can't change the world...
Racism was the reason Ms. Baker after 3 attempts of moving back to the U.S. couldn't break the color barrier and returned to Europe.
Her private life reflected her turmoil and identity with numerous marriages. Ms. Baker ended up adopting 12 children from the four corners of the world forming her own Rainbow Tribe.
There are numerous youtube videos to learn more about this fascinating woman who was a superstar in her own right.
Not all fights are won but the 'heartbeat' is still there as we continue to fight off moving backwards.
To honor Black History Month check out PBS Wisconsin's celebrating our black artists, institution, leaders and everyday citizens.
Here's the Line Up:
Josephine Baker: The Story of an Awakening ( 8 pm Feb 2)
American Masters: Maya Angelou (11pm Feb 5)
American Experience: Goin' Back to T-Town (8pm Feb 8)
400 Years: Taking the Knee (10 pm Feb 12)
American Experience: Voice of Freedom (8pm Feb 15)
Isaac Pope:The Spirit of an American Century (11pm Feb 15)
The Black Church: This is Or Story, ( 8pm Feb 16 & 23)
This is Our Song
Richard Pryor, Icon (11 pm Feb 17)
Kindred Spirits : Artists Hilda Wilkinson Brown( 9:30 Feb 21)
and Lilian Thomas Burwell
Independent Lens: Mr Soul (9pm , Feb 22)
American Experience: Roads to Memphis ( 11 pm Feb 24)
Natureman and I have been talking a lot about... and no, I'm not going to say politics 'cuz that's a given) but something most folks don't normally talk about: quality of life.
Many others also put their plans on hold for the last 10 months too. Perhaps you were among those immunocompromised. Now that the vaccines have arrived relief is in sight although that time is forever gone...
Since Natureman's oral chemo side effects have intensified the quality of life convo monopolized his last oncological consult.
Meds - less meds, more meds, no meds, different meds...
Today was the meeting with the nephrologist (kidney doc) who now handed him the list of foods to avoid with high potassium. Are you ready?
Take a gander at this alphabetical list of no no's:
Apricots & nectar
Artichoke
Avocado
Bananas
Beets and beet greens
Broccoli (especially raw)
Brussel spouts
Canteloupe
Carrots, raw
Chard, cooked
Collard greens
Dates, dried
Dandelion greens
Dried beans and peas
Figs, dried
Honeydew melona
Kiwifruits
Kohlrabi
Mango
Mushrooms ( especially raw)
Nectarines
Oranges
Orange Juice
Papayas & nectar
Parsnips
Pears, fresh
Pomegranates
Potatoes ( especially baked, fried , hashbrowns, French fries)
Prunes & juice
Pumpkin
Raisin
Rhubarb
Spinach (cooked)
Squash butternut
Squash , winter
Sweet Potatoes ( canned)
Tangerines & juice
Yams (baked in skin)
Oh yeah, I almost forgot other sources like : chocolate, nuts, seeds, sports drinks, low sodium baking powder and canned soups and salt substitutes...
If you are a picky eater most of these wouldn't be an issue but our garden contains a lot of these translated a lot of these forbidden foods are normally in our diet...
So, let's talk 'quality of life... '
