IS TRUMP’S FORTUNE A FIGMENT OF HIS IMAGINATION?

Being a teacher, myself, I can’t imagine how the brains of our precious children can be expected to absorb complex subject matter, eyes glued to computer screens for hours, growing ever mor listless, day after day.  I can see how boredom would drain young brains of energy needed for active absorption that sticks.  It’s a fortunate virtual class of children whose virtual teacher holds each student’s attention by making sound use of intriguing creativity.

Kids of all ages, across the nation, can thank trump for being so self serving as to cause them to miss more than a year’s worth of learning, which could have changed for the better, over the summer, had leadership in D.C. encouraged EVERYONE to wear masks, thus enlisting our help in gaining control over containing the spread of this deadly virus, early on.  90, 000 new cases of Covid diagnosed, today.

90, 000?  In one day?  How is that possible?  Super spreader events.  No masks.  No distancing.

Sadly, we are the living proof of current leadership leading our nation’s good health astray, based in the fact that trump and his narrow minded cronies continue to lie to their cult-like followers, openly demonstrating our president’s contempt for the intelligence of one and all, suggesting that dt could not care less about the future of American youth as long as his personal fortune (does that even exist?) remains intact.  And if his fortune has been blown, as proved true more than once in years past, is that why this consummate liar insists upon secreting his income tax returns from the people who make up the voters within the USA?  If leadership’s lack of fiscal judgement has, indeed, mismanaged his personal fortune, again, then how can anyone trust the workings of his brain to re-strengthen our nation’s sagging economy, most especially during deeply troubled times when so many of us fear bringing Covid to vulnerable loved ones, so in hopes of not catching it, we stay home.  Businesses tank.  And trump blames the Democrats so as to deflect cause and effect away from himself—if he and his trumpers and trumpettes distanced and wore masks, spiking numbers of new cases would decline, hospitals staff would not exhaust, businesses would reopen and the economy would prosper.  I actually believe that by now, trump, having repeated the same falsehoods so often, believes his own lies, inclusive of lies about the size of his fortune ... Hmmm ... 

THOUGH COVID’S NOT YET TURNING THE CORNER, I AM😊

THOUGH COVID’S NOT YET TURNING THE CORNER—I AM

 I’m glad to say no head ache upon awakening, today, though watching trump strut at rallies—uncaring that Covid is spiking while he wastes precious time ridiculing Biden’s masks and Kamala’s name—makes me see ‘red‘.

On the other hand, while watching and listening to knowledgeable guests, interviewed by intelligent journalists and newscasters on CNN,  intermittently, during the day, my positively focus attitude concerning Biden’s win feels inspired to grow ever more hopeful, and if we add my need of less and less pain meds into the daily mix then I feel encouraged by forward movement on both fronts.

(BTW—I chose not to mention last week’s infection until it cleared, so as not to worry loved ones, unnecessarily🙋🏻‍♀️)

I once asked a therapist to describe me in two words.  His immediate reply:

Self motivated—Determined

I liked his professional summation—a lot 🙋🏻‍♀️😍

A PERSONAL. VICTORY!

A PERSONAL VICTORY WITHIN REACH!

 Though my walker and I still get so short of breath, we often feel need to sit down, after taking no more than three or four steps—on an up note, pain—based in nerve damage running straight down the incision made to open my sternum as well as eight inches of nerve damage running across the right side of my back—continues to diminish, so extra strength Tylenol has replaced hydrocodone with the exception of evening, when I take one low dose of Tramadol before bedtime.

Over these past few weeks, I’ve been working toward taking zero opioids, which proves a significant goal, being that I’ve had need to relieve chest pain throughout many months of chemo, pre-surgery, followed by severe pain, post surgery—so thankfully, Sunday proved to be my first hydrocodone-free 24 hour day in more than a year.🙋🏻‍♀️😊

A MAGICAL RAINBOW UNICORN KIND OF DAY

 Each time I absorbed the innocence of Princess Ravi dancing happily on my patio, yesterday, utterly free of care, my headache, which arises whenever the nearness of next week’s election comes to mind, was relieved ... why?  Because children, raised like Ravi, to love and respect everyone, offer us sound reason to believe in the approach of change for the better as our future is bound to brighten once the high principled team of Biden and Harris, having been elected to the highest office in the land, free the people of The United States of America—my country, tis of thee I sing—to send trump and his clone, pence, packing ... the sooner the better for all of you—and me, too!  And on that up note, may I present Ravi, Rainbow Princess of Magical Unicorns 🙋🏻‍♀️❤️🇺🇸

 Following the second presidential debate and with the election nearing, I’ve been awakening with tension headaches, acknowledging so much that’s at stake concerning our democracy while covid spikes and trump holds maskless rallies where he dances as millions of cultists, bewitched neath his evil spell, continue to swallow his self serving lies as if he’s handing out candy while deeper truth, concerning losing our freedoms if he wins this election, flies over the narrow minded heads of his supporters—hmmm—

Tylenol’s effects must be kicking in—headache’s relaxing, and once again, my heart, filling with gratitude over my good fortune to be recovering from cancer surrounded by the healing nature of love, sees my mind painting visions of better days ahead for one and all.  

Hopefully, those of us, who support an empathetic seasoned statesman for president, outnumber those, who remain blinded to reality, by so many millions as to create a landslide win for team Biden/Harris ... 

Stay well, everyone—

And if you’ve not yet cast your ballot—and if you value your freedoms, guaranteed by upholding democratic principles, then without question—vote Biden ... 🙋🏻‍♀️🇺🇸Annie

WHICH PAIR OF CHARACTER TRAITS PROVES VITAL TO PERSONAL GROWTH?

  Dear Friends,

If life is a riddle then—

Can you answer this question:  Over Joe Biden’s lifetime, which high principled, personal trait has our former Vice President chosen to intrinsically absorb into his character, in addition to courage?

Humility—which actually precedes leadership’s ability to muster the courage, while standing on the world stage, to openly acknowledge and honestly admit to having made mistakes in judgement, during years past, as proves true of every person on the planet.

We either learn from our mistakes or we attempt to cover them up and are destined to repeat them.

In short, I am referencing character development, which can, over a person’s lifetime, go one of two ways, depending upon which path we each CHOOSE as our own—the path toward heightening self-awareness or the path toward heightened self-absorption—both of which were clearly seen debating each other, Wednesday night, offering me sound reason to ask—which of these two candidates earned your respect and thus your vote for President of The UNITED States of America—

Will you (or did you) vote for narrow minded Self-absorption, which squashes anyone who proves so courageous as to voice an opinion (or fact) that proves different from one’s own?  Or will you (did you) cast your vote for Self-awareness, which musters the humility to demonstrate the courage to experience growing pains in public ...

Common sense suggests that humility and courage prove to be life’s most vital inner strengths for this reason:  Over each person’s lifetime, the development of every other high principled character trait depends upon the value we place upon those two—suggesting that mustering the humility to air personal vulnerability is no less a strength than consciously developing the courage to seek deeper truth.

Each time Joe listened to his family being slandered, not once did this seasoned world leader stumble over his verbal delivery of impassioned beliefs, which hardly stimulated a hint of his stutter to emerge—in fact, while listening to him calmly reply to lie after lie, I found Joe’s mature mastery of youth’s vulnerability highly admirable, to say the very least.

Hands down, The Seasoned Statesman’s humane demeanor won last night’s debate over the braggadocio, whose lies were the only transparency offer by trump—

I’ll show you my tax returns ...

I’ll show you my beautiful medical plan ...

I’ll show you my bank accounts ...

I’ll show myself to be nothing more than the compulsive liar I’m known to be AFTER I’ve bamboozled you to elect me President, again.

Seriously—Give me a break from—

Lie!

Lie!

Lie!

Lie!

Etc. 

Tis way past time for us to re-unite so as to put dt’s elongating nose and forked tongue into the freezer next to his stone cold heart.

Oh wait—one more thing—if trump is elected, again, expect him to turn his back on hundreds of thousands of us, who will surely sicken, followed by many of us dying of Covid, because, just as is true, right now, our current president will undoubtedly repeat his mistake of having no plan to gain control over anything other than increasing HIS personal fortune—while in office.

And with that clearly stated, I rest my case.

Stay well, dear friends, by disinfecting, social distancing and masking up, and if perchance you’re still on the fence, please help to save our democratic way of life by casting your vote for truth, justice, courage and personal growth. 

Over and out—for now.

🙋🏻‍♀️🇺🇸Heidi

LAUGHTER—STILL THE BEST SELF-HEALING MEDICINE—UNTIL ... UH OH! ...

I hope that you who choose to follow my posts know how deeply your presence is appreciated, especially when my power of intuition, feeling compelled to compose a train of thought that’s ready to tunnel out of my subconscious, directs my fingers to hit keys until its insight-driven completion sees the light of day, and, suddenly, I clearly know what I think, deep inside, until something else emerges that blows my current mindset to kingdom-come, causing me to re-think that which I’d believed to be true about—myself!  LOL!😄

(Thank goodness, I know that she who can laugh at herself, laughs best!}

As my connection to self awareness has continued to heighten, I’ve come to see how often self propelled laughter is my ‘go to’ anxiety-mollifier, and being that tonight is the second presidential debate—surely, you get my drift ...

So, here comes the intuitive thought that changed my mind about what I’d believed to be true about myself until today—

These next twelve days can’t pass fast enough for those of us who make up the portion of “We, the people of The United States of America, who, over these last four years, have grown ever more deeply aware of this fact—our reverence for Democratic principles has been threatened by the number of trumpers and trumpettes, whose mindsets remain utterly smitten with dt’s sudden rise to power in D.C., which has freed his blatant use of vulgarities while millions of us who are aghast remain deeply concerned about unleashed evil sweeping over our nation, burning democratic principles to a crisp as fast as a wildfire smothers sunny California under a carpet of ash—bottom line—the donald’ has amassed a cult, made up of so many millions from sea to polluted sea that the dignity of our democratic way of life will be buried under a mountain of self serving lies unless we vote this dictator-want-to-be and his mindless (elected) cronies out of office by Nov. 3rd, highlighting, yet again, that while laughing on the outside at frivolous political cartoons, the emergence of deeper truth spotlights sound reason for my bravado to be shaking in my boots, exposing my brain’s anxious reaction to my newly conscious comprehension of today’s intuitive, insight driven train of thought, suggestive of the fact that, once again, while writing my thoughts to you, I’m actually clarifying emotional depths that denial hides from me until my power of intuition signals my subconscious of my readiness to muster the courage and humility to see what my mirroring self image has successfully repressed concerning personal fears, which prove as real as real can be ...  my country tis of thee, sweet land of liberty—in the aftermath of this election—let freedom ring—from sea to shining sea.🇺🇸

Ohhhm ...

👩🏻Annie

FRIENDSHIP OVER PARTY AFFILIATION AS A CRUCIAL PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION NEARS

 Good morning—

We’re welcoming patio guests, this afternoon.  As Arlene and Barnett have been our dear friends for more than forty-five years, we’re all eager to see each other.  Though they’d visited each time I was hospitalized—based in chemo landing such low blows as to have weakened my blood cell production for many months—we’ve not seen each other since February when I was so deeply weakened with physical misery that quarantining seriously, pre-Covid, proved vitally necessary.  

For many years, before he’d retired from public office, Barnett was Az’s Assistant State’s Attorney, and his ready wit was well known to the press during many months in which he was interviewed, quite often, on the news and quoted in the daily paper while heading the team of state prosecutors that had successfully impeached our governor, Ed Mecham, who was truly such an embarrassment, elected in a redneck state, that Barry would call us from Tufts, lamenting at having been teased (good naturedly)m repeatedly, by everyone who knew he called AZ home.

Each time we’d go for dinner and Barnett would open his wallet to withdraw his credit card, his huge, shiny gold shield would leap into view, and I must admit to being impressed every time the size of that official shield flashed before my eyes.  His wallet had to be slightly oversized to hold it.

Anyway, Arlene is one of my sweetest friends, and Barnett is loquacious, quick with on-the-spot retorts and much more prolific concerning trump than I am on Facebook, and with the election, less than two weeks away, today’s conversation is sure to be lively.  

Before trump’s shocking, heart stopping reign of terror stunned, one and all, Barnett was clearly a diehard Republican.  However, ever since trump’s mercurial rise to political power, our friend has taken leaps and bounds away from declaring a personal stance in conjunction with matching that of the buffoons who declare themselves yes men every time their ridiculous statements mimic trump’s trumped up, ever mounting, passel of lies.  As Barnett’s integrity could not vote for trump for years back, I’ve had sound reason to admire my friend’s open stance of humility each time politics are discussed—suggesting every time we’re together.

During Obama’s first run for the White House , Barnett’s and David’s polarized political viewpoints would verbally heat up while the two would debate for hours, both hearts racing too fast while sparring to remain seated, so they’d be up and pacing round our living room while their impassioned back-and-forth retorts entertained everyone in earshot, and if Andi and Mike were with us—run for cover, because fireworks were sure to get popping, being that pre-trump, Andi was as red as Mike remains true blue.

Though I’d not call Andi or Barnett newly hatched Democrats by any means, Barnett’s rhetoric concerning trump’s choke hold on the Republican Party proves much more impassioned and prolific than mine.  So you can see why I expect to enjoy today’s wholehearted participation in  a lively tete-a-tete rather than a heated debate with our dear friends, this afternoon.

Anyway, it’s time to groom for the day, so within today’s post, I’m enclosing high hopes that sunshine will offer your smiles reason to sparkle between now and sundown so that light deprecation does not heighten anxiety concerning the outcome of this, our most crucial Presidential election, during your lifetime and mine—Ohhhm  🙋🏻‍♀️🇺🇸Annie

HOW MAINTAIN INNER CALM WITH EVERY FREEDOM REMAINING ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK?

 My mind maintains a restful stance, dear friends, most likely because I feel so assured of Biden’s win that any fear of trump, the infantile grump, gaining from behind, remains mollified unless The Big Event, two weeks from today, proves my current estimation to be wrong ...

With so much at stake—I’m not surprised at anxious states of mind on the rise.  In fact, with every freedom we hold dear on the chopping block, I choose to believe that all of the law suits stacking up in NY will not be in vain as every legal complaint is being prepared by super smart brains.

Seriously—how can this make sense?—trump will either win the presidency for a second term or the crook will actually be seen wearing stripes behind bars, wandering round the exercise yard, utterly dazed and confused at having been jailed, because the person he’s lied to most of all is himself.

If my magic wand is anywhere to be found🧚🏻‍♂️, I’ll wave it over each tension filled head so as to redirect negatively focused attitudes away from the downward gravitational pull toward imagining harpsichords playing self soothing lullabies in hopes of uplifting the entire landscape of your intelligent minds.  Ohhhm ...

 VOTE BLUE!

🙋🏻‍♀️❤️🇺🇸

SINCE ATTITUDE IS A CHOICE, WRITING CAN TRANSPORT MY STATE OF MIND FROM DARKLY SERIOUS TO BRIGHT AND BREEZY IN A FLASH

   Good morning, World!😊

I hope all political headaches, which may have plagued your sense of peace, yesterday, were slept away, over night, so that you and I can feel free to arise, today, with fresh, open minds that prove to be essential whenever presidential elections are two weeks away, and you may still be on the fence ...

Here’s my take concerning our nation’s long lasting debate over current events—During these past 12 years since Obama was first sworn into office, the REP party has managed to run the principles that strengthen democracy into the ground by way of consistently releasing human nature’s most spiteful attitudes, which, mindlessly cut off everyone’s noses, indiscriminately, as if membership in that which has developed into trump’s Republican Party requires blinding oneself to the classic nature of this fact—eventually, everything comes full circle, because everything’s connected.  So just as Bad intentions beget Bad results, given time, Good begets Good; thus, once the team of Biden/Harris has been given sufficient time at the helm to overcome congressional shortsighted denial, we’ll see our nation begin to turn itself around instead of hitting the solid wall that trump tried to build (and failed to force Mexico to pay for).

On the other hand, another wall must be taken down if the leadership of team Biden/Harris is to effectively improve life  for one and all, and that would be the solid wall of Rep votes in the US Senate, which must clearly turn blue if the entrance to the open highway, where change for the better has been awaiting repaving so as to lead us toward carving out roads that we’ll hopefully travel, side by side, regardless of your political affiliation or mine, and once these roads are much less rocky and congested, we’ll experience a lessening of explosive head on collisions, straight ahead.

In order for so blessed a change to actually replace today’s divisive polarity—regardless of your party or mine—tis time for American integrity to brush away soul crushing corruption and paint the US Senate a vibrant shade of blue, not necessarily forever, just until change for the better invites today’s children to grow up in state after state where a rainbow of colors inspires all of the people of The Re-United States of America to freely take each other’s hands so graciously that we work together toward the common good of achieving the mutually proactive goal of embracing the concept of brother/sisterhood neath the compassionate eye of the lady in the harbor so as to thoroughly enjoy watching the melting pot mix blue and red until purple mountain majesty arises sans disparaging words boiling over based in race, color or religion,, at long last.

Then, we’ll all retreat (no tweeting allowed) toward a weekend marathon of films, such as—Roots, Exodus, Westside Story, Harriet, Shindler’s List and a documentary relating to the young courageous life of Nobel Prize winner, Malala Yousafzai.  As for now ...

It’s 11:30 am, time to place Ipad aside, lighten up mind, groom spirit to enjoy a new day, watch a little football with Will (Cardinals play in tomorrow’s Monday night’s game, which, hopefully, while zooming with our sons, we’ll win) and as to this evening, Will and I will eagerly await the arrival of Steven and Ravi, who are coming for a patio dinner at which time fun is bound to be had at sundown, all around.   Annie🙋🏻‍♀️❤️🇺🇸

JUST FOR FUN!🙋🏻‍♀️

Haha!  Gotta love it when the gift fairy suggests a surprise that creates smiles, all around!  Awesome to know these straws are as much fun as The Gift Fairy promised!!  Hooray!🥰💃🏻🕺🏼🧚🏻‍♂️

 

WHAT?

DANG IT!

Not AGAIN!

Well—of course today’s vid of Tony and Ray slurping through straws that ring their eyes like glasses is available, just as is true of the vid of Ravi dipping her hand into the bag of flour and carrying it around the kitchen counter before helping David roll dough ...

This ‘unavailable’ video stuff is testing my patience, peace of mind and personal sense of poise as both of these funny moments in time, Which, having been caught

On film, are supposed to invite your laughter to chime in with mine!

Grrrrrrrr ...

Ohhhm ...

THANKSGIVING TRAVEL PLANS, 2020???

Treasured memories of Thanksgiving 2019

(Typifying high spirited extended family gatherings in preparation of our holiday feasts enjoyed, all together, ever since Will and I chose to move from the Midwest into our Southwestern desert home, over 46 years ago)

Unavailable???

(Humph!  Time for my chosen attitude of Never Give Up!)

Though Halloween has not yet

 Come and gone

I can clearly imagine what

My family and friends must be feeling with

So many loved ones still out of sight at

A time when making travel plans for 

Thanksgiving Day draws so near that

Our hearts feel sad to think of

How deeply our nearest and dearest are

Missed, day in and day out, as

Months continue to pass without

Leadership in D.C. coming up with

A plan to control Covid so that

We can feel safe to go out and about

Instead of feeling as if quarantine will

Last longer than the rest of our lives, which

For most of us is not true, because

Many more of us, who are

Ridin’ with Biden, will be sure to vote by

Nov. 3rd, so that, once

A true statesman wins this

Presidential election, hopefully

In a landslide, we can

Smile as long as our minds remain

Positively focused upon enjoying

Thanksgiving Day surrounded by

Loved ones come November, 2021

And though today’s train of thought

Does not boost a magical way to

Improve upon Thanksgiving Day, 2020

It’s the best that my intuition has to offer off

The top of my head other than to

Add so much love to the ramblings of

My mind, which I wish came equipped with

A wand so magical as to wave away

Every care that we share concerning

On-going need to shelter

Your personal sense of safety and mine until

Ridin’ with Biden has had a sufficiency of

Time to create changes for the better

All around, at long last ... and

Before wrapping up by sending warm hugs

Here, there, everywhere, here are several

Treasured memories of

Thanksgiving, 2019, which I’d love to share

🙋🏻‍♀️❤️🌈🌻🇺🇸

BUSINESS AS USUAL dONALD tRUMP STYLE

 My take on what’s been going on Inside The White House?

Business as usual, dt-style, escalating based upon a cortical high known to elevate mania for which dt has been roaringly infamous, over his entire lifetime ... 🤯

Good golly Miss Molly—I’m actually grateful for each gust of hot wind that flew over the cuckoo nest on national TV right BEFORE millions of ballots were mailed in.

Hopefully, the next administration, being mere weeks away, will remind the American people and the world at large how sanity, placed in the capable hands of intelligent leadership, will plan toward gaining control over the virus pandemic and outbreaks of violence, which I believe will follow on the heels of dt’s loss at the polls ... 

A note to the religious right and

The good old boys club (concerning

Your blatant, self-serving disrespect of

RBG’s fervent request of presidential election

Preceding Supreme Court confirmation)

Tis way past time to put an end to

Tying minorities to whipping posts

Worshipping the gender gap and

The golden calf—once and for all!

👩🏻 Annie

SUSAN’S GLORIOUS TREE MARKS THE BREVITY OF FOUR SEASONS OF LIFE

(Photo won’t show up—as of yet ...  no worries—NGU suggests it’s just a matter of time🙋🏻‍♀️😊)

Breathtakingly beautiful tree of life flaunting its brazen beauty before the inevitable end of fall when winter’s first snowstorm will surely command icy winds to wrap round each vulnerable stem of countless leaves, releasing a shower of crimson to cover the earth until mortals, feeling bittersweet about another year’s timely demise, experience inexplicable need to sweep Mother Nature’s compost into piles filling large black plastic bags—and why this heartfelt poem pushed its way out of my think tank utterly unbidden by the conscious portion of my brain, I have no clue, because this tree in all of its crimson glory is still every bit as breathtaking as is any natural thing of beauty, whose heart stopping maturity is, indeed, impossible to miss, ignore or dismiss no matter how fleeting full blown loveliness always proves to be based in the fact that the circle of life will always present itself within a four season venue, and just as spring has always been first to leap ahead of the lineup, winter never fails to descend, ending each quivering life with a breathy rattle, which proves heart stopping, all around—at last ...

The train of thought, above, which must have been stored within a closet of my mind’s eye, is most likely tied to the trying nature of this last year of my life, because each word, slipping out of my subconscious onto my screen, offered me vivid images of these past twenty-five years in which my precious parents’ maturity arose and then declined until the sad fact of their growing old and passing flashed through the conscious portion of my mind and thus did my compelling need to compose and express this morning’s text to you make sense.  And so, dear friend, whom I’d first embraced wholeheartedly before your blush of springtime and mine leaned in toward the hot days of summer spent happily at the beach with four active little boys, whose innocent giggles wiggled their toes in the sand before my move to the desert saw the autumn of our lives spent far apart though our loving friendship, throughout these 46 years, has always maintained its heartfelt connection, and now that we find ourselves swept into the winter of our lives, how sweet it is to know that over these past fifty plus years our undivided devotion to each other’s well being, having never experienced so much as one icy chill, offers our forever friendship summer’s warmth stoked with maturity’s knowledge, mutually acquired, flowing so freely, back and forth, that our inseparable relationship continues to thrive as does the crimson glory of the tree of life caught by your camera during the winter of our lives, inspiring my need I say ..

I❤️U though every word exchanged, every day, ever since my unexpected diagnosis frightened us both half to death, tells the true story of a lasting friendship that continues to feel deeply valued with consistency, barring complacency, by both recipients of each other’s devotion 

🙋🏻‍♀️🥰

Gosh darned if that tree—which, seeming to have a mind of its own, refused to appear above—has chosen to bless us with its classic crimson beauty, right here!  And that’s the thing about my attitude, grounded in NGU—though I may not know when positivity, patience and plentiful smiles will pay off, positive results are highly likely to shape up, over time (and I just love when that happens!)🙋🏻‍♀️🥰

HOW WE REACT TO THE NATURAL EMERGENCE OF OUR EMOTIONS IS A CHOICE

Over my lifetime, I have felt much more fortunate than not.  While growing up in the Midwest, I’d never doubted my parents’ loving devotion for my welfare, and by high school, I’d had sound reason to develop an in depth subconscious awareness of the importance of nurturing lasting friendships—then, just days before starting college while living at home, true love was mine to enjoy so that by graduating with honors, I’d walked down a petal strewn aisle, a blushing bride. who had made her Yiddishah grandma clap her hands with pride being that my husband, Will, was well on his way to earning his MD.

While we chose to raise our three sons in the Southwestern desert, I was happily busy, literally, from 6am til midnight, tending to a growing family’s daily needs, teaching parenting classes at the college, sitting on boards, volunteering, taking classes, writing my positive parenting column for the magazine, leading our local Brandeis(sp?) book club, polishing my trophy, won while playing doubles tennis in a community league, down hill skiing, socializing, checking homework assignments, driving three active boys, here, there, everywhere, attending their sporting events with energy to spare, shopping, cooking, doing laundry, cleaning up with Edie’s help. (Not so fortunate with sciatica and multiple surgeries).

As three rambunctious boys grew up and left for college, my need to write began to demand more and more time in direct proportion to my need to understand my highly personal contradictions in depth.  And, over time, teaching morphed into soul searching via writing, full time, filling hours with insight-driven trains of intuitive thought, every day.

Over this past year in which days, weeks and months have been consumed with tumor specialists, harsh infusions, hospitalizations and surgeons, thank goodness, my most current need to heal heart and lung by way of absorbing peace and quiet within a cloistered environment has offered me time to remain in close touch with many loved ones, both near and far, by way of —writing—and thus have I welcomed time spent with uninterrupted introspection—though admittedly, my spirit fires up, spontaneously, whenever trump and his millions of mindless cronies come to mind, reminding me of hundreds of thousands of unnecessary on-going deaths while the lethal nature of Covid, unfeelingly, sees millions of wage earners continue to lose life sustaining jobs, and ...

Millions of parents feel wracked while deciding whether to send their precious, masked children to real school or continue with virtual learning at home while those of us who are seriously physically compromised, remain 100% housebound, month after month, separated from loved ones, many of whom live alone, and though I could go on and on, I’ll end by reminding my innermost sense of gratefulness to re-emerge, being that I’m alive with Will’s love at my side, and then, I’ll contemplate my good fortune to swing on my patio, surrounded by natural beauty, greenery planted and tended with care, along with vibrantly colored silk blooms as well as an early afternoon zoom with Cath’s California family, followed by a nap, after which, a late afternoon patio visit with Andi is planned, and with hopes that the sun shines brightly overhead for you, today, I’m sending lots of TLC round the globe from my little corner of the world ... 🙋🏻‍♀️❤️🇺🇸

PS

Did I mention that my right hand gal, for close to forty years, Edie, asked her daughter-in-law, Heidi, to drive her here to visit on our patio, last week?  Edie is experiencing sciatica, and though she looks well, her limp and super slow gait defines the depths of her pain.

It’s cooling off—finally—temps below 100 degrees.

What’s this I spy on CNN?  Fake ballot boxes situated in front of GOP offices, scattered throughout the state of California?  Why am I not surprised?

Go blue!

👩🏻Annie

TRUE STORY OF THE MENTAL BREAKDOWN OF DR IGNAZ SEMMELWEISS

 Though I have posts backing up in drafts, here’s the one I felt driven to pen and publish, today—

True story—

During Dr Ignaz Semmelweis’s lifetime, all too many women died of infections, unnecessarily, AFTER giving birth in hospitals.

Wikipedia—Despite various publications of results where hand washing reduced mortality to below 1%, Semmelweis's observations conflicted with the established (closed minded) scientific and medical opinions of the time and his ideas were rejected by the medical community. He could offer no acceptable scientific explanation for his findings, and some doctors were offended at the suggestion that they should wash their hands and mocked him for it. In 1865, the increasingly outspoken Semmelweis supposedly suffered a nervous breakdown and was committed to an asylum by his colleagues. He died 14 days later after being beaten by the guards, from a gangrenous wound on his right hand, which might have been caused by the beating. Semmelweis's practice earned widespread acceptance only years after his death, when Louis Pasteur confirmed the germ theory, and Joseph Lister, acting on the French microbiologist's research, practised and operated using hygienic methods, with great success.

Many years ago, I found myself in a state of disbelief while reading a biography clarifying the primary reason for puerperal fever following hospitalized childbirths, leading to  Dr. Semmelweis's horrified breakdown and early demise.

Today, Dr. Fauci and every physician, who is not a puppet of dt, clearly concurs—let’s control the spread of this deadly virus, together, by social distancing, washing hands and masking up with due diligence.  Otherwise lock downs will continually be reinstated to save thousands of innocent lives.

Following these medical guidelines is not rocket science, my friends.  This is scientific data so simple as to be readily absorbed by any first grader raised by parents who listen with open minds rather than going about freely unmasked with trump’s incorrigible lies swelling their heads with death defying thoughts so reckless as to believe in—be happy, don’t worry—until the person in need of intubation followed by burial and grieving is loved by you ... 

Semmelweis went unheard for YEARS—please, if you have a brain in your head 🤯make good use of it—now—

VOTE BLUE AND MASK UP!  

Life is too short for voters to allow short sighted blindness to focus so myoptically on Biden’s tax plan as to miss the fact that he will tax only the RICH, some of whom rake in billions while paying no taxes, at all.  

And since life is short, please, let’s mask up, meaning not being so stubbornly closed minded as to extend our need to quarantine for years without end.

Are my impassioned pleas personal in nature?  You bet!  But never to the detriment of anyone who disagrees with my take on dt’s having lost his mind, which is why a certain color stimulates me to whistle a certain song, the lyrics of which go something like this—Mr. bluebird’s on my shoulder—it’s a fact, it’s actual, everything can be satisfactual—once change for the better sweeps Covid into the Red Sea, which is due to part and drown transparent greediness, yet again!

And now I give thanks to my intuitive powers for calling forth poetic license, so this post—my most fervent plea to join me in creating change for the better by painting the presidency and Congress a vital shade of blue—could end on an up note, at last

🙋🏻‍♀️❤️

DID KAMALA RESPECTFULLY AND RESPONSIBLY TAKE PENCE DOWN?

 (This post was penned before the Vice Presidential debate)

As today is shaping up to be a repeat of yesterday,.   my day looks to be just as I like it—peaceful and quiet.

As to everything we’ve seen on PBS News, anger against dt’s photo ops amid his flagrant disregard for the lives of The White House Staff has been driving voters to the polls, and hopefully, his most recent bout with foot in mouth disease will see him lose the election by a landslide, which can’t be easily contested, though I continue to believe that he’s so mentally deranged as to rouse his supporters to fury, thus peacekeepers must be prepared in case violence runs rampant through the streets.

I’ was eager to see Kamala respectfully and responsibly take Pence down, last week.

I had no doubt of that being the case, because she proves so much more truthful than does he.

During last Tuesday’s AZ senatorial debate, did you see Martha McSally’s answers turn a deaf ear to questions asked of her?  Were you repelled each time she resorted to lies and name calling—‘Counterfeit Kelly’.  I believe she shows to be well on her way to becoming a dt want to be ...  This is not new, by any means.  Two years ago, she attempted to bully Sinema throughout their debate, yelling of treason and lock her up, leaving me feeling thoroughly appalled as though trump’s brain had been successfully cloned.

Just answered the phone to find that my Amazon account has been hacked.  After dealing with that headache—

Time for me to swing (literally) from politics and fraud (same thing) to peace and quiet ... 🙋🏻‍♀️

PS

More On MarketWatch

    —Reporter-Schroeder: 

Trump calls off coronavirus stimulus talks until after election

Historian who has accurately called every election since 1984 says Biden will beat Trump in 2020 race

President Trump tweets that he would pass independent coronavirus relief aid

Trump kept mum on Thursday test result and instructed White House adviser who had tested positive, ‘Don’t tell anyone’

In other words,,same old, same old—yet again... 

What’s new?

Called Amazon customer serviceq

No new charges to my account.  The call was a scam to get me to release personal info.

On second thought, nothin’ new about scum making scam calls that waste our time, either.👩🏻

THE DEBATES CONTINUED AS INTELLIGENT SELF CONTROL CONFRONTED CLOWNS AND CLONES

Being that today shaped up to be a repeat of yesterday,.   my day was just as I like it—peaceful and quiet.  That even proved true of football as the Cardinals ruled throughout today’s game while Will and I zoomed for three hours with our sons, which was lots of fun since no one felt need to blow a gasket. 

As to everything we’ve seen on PBS News, anger against dt’s photo ops amid his flagrant disregard for the lives of The White House Staff, will be driving voters to the polls where, hopefully swing states will choose blue over red so that dt’s most recent bout with foot in mouth disease will see him lose the election by a landslide that can’t be easily contested, though I continue to believe that he’s so mentally deranged as to rouse his supporters to fury, and thus must peacekeepers be prepared in case violence runs rampant through the streets across the nation.

I felt deeply gratified to see Kamala respectfully and responsibly take Pence down on national TV.

During Tuesday’s AZ senatorial debate, did you see answers offered by Senator Martha McSally’s turn a deaf ear to many questions asked of her?  Were you, like me, repelled each time she resorted to lies and name calling—‘Counterfeit Kelly’? I believe she’s well on her way to becoming a dt want to be ...

This is not new, by any means.  Two years ago, she attempted to bully Sinema throughout their debate, yelling of treason and lock her up, leaving me feeling thoroughly appalled as though trump’s brain had been successfully cloned.

Just answered the phone to find that my Amazon account has been hacked.  After dealing with that headache—

Time for me to swing (literally) from politics and fraud (same thing) to peace and quiet ... 🙋🏻‍♀️

GLASS BARRIERS DAMPEN FUN FOR MONTHS ON END

 Our precious Ravi, separated from us for many months by the Arcadia door, stands on our patio, repeatedly, staring into our house, acting cutesy crazy while trying to finesse how best to get inside before Covid is vanquished (most likely, many months from now), so she and Gramma and Papa can really play, together, no glass barriers limiting our mutually creative sense of fun  ... sigh.

As for me, other than hospitals and doctors offices, I’ve been nowhere since March, except for those times when I’m alone on our patio swing, catching fresh air and rays until sweltering heat drives me back inside.

Now that my energy is slowly on the rise while soaring temps begin to dive, we’ll eagerly welcome friends to relax on our patio’s well-padded, super comfy, swiveling rockers, and being that adults sit happily while engaging in mutually pleasing conversation, our friends will feel no pressing need to push their noses against our glass door ala Ravi style👩🏻❤️

(Cute photo of Ravi with nose pressed against glass separating us refuses to post—grrrr)

By jove!  I didn’t give up!  And now, I’ve got it!🙋🏻‍♀️🥰

DON LEMON SAYS IT LIKE IT IS

Today, donald trump, a super Covid carrier, left the hospital, helicoptered to The White House, removed his mask (which protects others), created take-two of a photo op so as to give a thumbs up to the American people while lying to the nation by saying not to worry about Covid (no big deal), and then he saluted to—no one and nothing—certainly not to our flag, which symbolizes a governing body, whose primary responsibility is sheltering its citizens neath principles grounded in integrity, dignity and, ultimately, the liberty, safety, well being and education of every man, woman and child, who chose to steer toward our shores in hopes of working to provide beloved families with a better life than experienced ever before.  (If you happen upon the word cages hiding anywhere within this post, please note that my friend, Casper, had his heart set upon journalism before learning that all he could hope to be was a ghost writer.)

When desire to dance with the dark powers of the devil eclipses heartfelt need to set and maintain a high value on each person’s life, every mind that acts mindlessly is so stuck in manic mode as to be medically declared insane, and with millions of Americans stuck in that mental condition, our current pandemic of mindlessness is no less dangerous to human life than is true of the most contagious, deadly aspects of Covid ...

Paraphrasing Don Lemon—donald trump returned to The White House, where he pretends to be president.

Paraphrasing Don Lemon—As we stand by and watch, donald trump continues to turn a national tragedy into a reality show travesty.

It’s vital to remember that compassion is an emotion.  It’s vital to remember that your emotions and mine come unbidden.  Therefore, it’s vital to note that feeling compassion for a man who, given additional time at the helm, aspires to become another Hitler-want-to-be is nothing short of—certifiably crazy.

 It’s vital to vote blue by Nov.. 3, 2020—why?  Because this mentally deranged leader of white supremacy must lose by a landslide, or he’ll tie up the presidential election into tight little knots for months.

👩🏻Annie

ON THE DAY OF ATONEMENT I WAS ELATED

 OMG!  I forgot to publish this post!

I am beginning the New Year feeling truly blessed in the book of life ...

Dr. Ravi, my Houston oncologist, believes my surgery to have been so successful as to determine that additional chemo is unnecessary, as of right now.🙋🏻‍♀️🥰

In turn, I thanked him profusely for being one of the brilliant physicians who literally saved my life.  And I felt deeply gratified at his response:  The calm with which you and your husband approached each crucial step, over this past difficult year, has contributed to the success of your surgery more than you know.

Throughout our heartfelt conversation, it was obvious that Dr. Ravi, Sudha (his PA), Will and I were elated.

🥰🙋🏻‍♀️🌈🌻Annie

DURING QUARANTINE, ONE DAY IS LIKE ANOTHER—UNTIL ...

So Trump has Covid. That is deeply worrisome, but whythe shocked surprise?  And it comes as no surprise to me that this is just the beginning of Covid numbers escalating throughout the cities within the five states that trump and his unmasked entourage have traipsed through, over these last few days.

The only fact that we know for certain is that this is merely scene one of act one of whatever is yet to unfold on the world stage, over these next several weeks—or months—or who knows how long negative consequences will layer up based in contagious stupidity reigning supreme over sanity in D.C. only to spread throughout every red state, which refuses to see that whatever scientists have to say concerning Covid is 110% more credible than the flurry of lies, which are sure to fly out of trump’s mouth, if he recovers, faster than Air Force One can release mr. t to spread new lies concerning this deadly disease from sea to polluted sea ... geez!  Thank goodness for Ambien!👩🏻Annie

THE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE BETWEEN THE UNRULY BULLY AND THE EXPERIENCED STATESMAN WHO REFUSED TO CAVE

Hooray!  My peace of mind survived the most disastrous presidential debate in the history of The USA.

Actually, my spirit cheered to see trump flaunting his own worst enemy while bullying Biden (and exposing the surprisingly wimpy attitude of the moderator) before the wide open eyes of the entire world.  I loved that the supposed leader of the free world openly offered leadership to white supremists in front of our entire nation.  And though Biden did not act boldly while being bullied, our former VP under Obama certainly stood his ground for an hour and a half as though we, the people, knew he could rely upon the host of inner strengths developed by an experienced statesman who’d refused to knuckle under and fold, or lose his temper, even when his family was viciously verbally attacked by a lout whose glass house is about to shatter from rocks thrown from the inside out.  Maintaining his cool took took self control based in courage on Biden’s part.  So, I loved when clown slipped out of his inner outrage ...

Though I don’t believe Biden won the debate, per say,. I know that trump ‘lost it’, again and again!  and I was actually glad to have been one of many millions throughout the world who’d gasped upon witnessing the orange megalomaniac saying—“stand back and stand by”, as though the supreme leader of white supremacy would, one day soon, give the command of readiness for premeditated or spontaneous acts of mindless violence to tear our nation asunder.

So if The Ten Commandments and the tenants seared into The Declaration of Independence and your constitutional freedoms, based in democratic principles, mean anything to you and your children, Please please please—it’s imperative that every able minded citizen of The USA VOTE BLUE by November 3rd. 

Hey!  On second thought—It just occurred to me that the moderator’s ‘inability’ to control trump may have been genius at work, if Wallace chose to offer the bully enough rope with which to hang himself, again and again—hmmm—veddy interesting ... n’est ce pas?

🧐Annie

This following PS was  imposed and posted to Facebook on Friday, following the first debate—before copying it here—

 On third thought, here’s the primary reason why I literally clapped my hands, applauding Biden’s strong display of self control when his one word  gaff—clown—slipped quietly out of his mouth offering voters a mere glimpse of the outrage he’d managed to subdue while on stage .

.. you see, because of Biden’s unwavering mental acuity, the adult, who had offered his emotional maturity to the world at large, managed to speak directly and sincerely to the American people while the tantrumming child spewed forth lie after lie ( inclusive of lies about Biden’s son), and based in that comparison, I belatedly want to clarify why, in my reconsidered estimation, the mindfully calm, collected, presidential presence of Joe Biden most assuredly won the first presidential debate based in the fact that the bully’s mindless self debasement kept trump’s tongue lashing pedal to the metal so as to have rammed headfirst into walls of his own making.  And if I was not horrified while watching this debacle that’s because each time both candidates replied to a question, each one’s answer (or evasion) matched my expectation.  So if sanity and good health mean anything to you and your family—choose not the bully—

Vote Biden. Vote blue.

🙋🏻‍♀️Annie

Post post script

I had no clue that Biden had had to control his stutter while responding to the toughened bully’s constant bluster, because not until I’d listened to commentators following the debate did I learn that the statesman, who has won my admiration, had had to work toward overcoming that specific disability, which could have overwhelmed a person of less integrity while speaking to the world at large.  And just as Biden won the debate, WE, the people of The REUNITED States of America must win back the integrity of our nation, lost upon the day of trump’s inauguration only to worsen during his four year administration..