Re-Classify History

I firmly believe that we must exercise the brain as well as the body as we age. Being more honest, I have always loved being a student and liked school and am always looking for learning experiences.

Hubby and I are watching a Great Courses series called "The Great Tours: England, Scotland, and Wales." It is probably a bit of a slog to those who live in those countries, but it is a particularly enjoyable experience to tour from our armchair. A tour that is not just lovely drone photos of famous structures and areas, but also includes a bit of history, architecture and personal experience from the teacher.

A Castle I took a photo of  in Ireland back in 2014.

While watching one of these digital downloads it occurred to me how those of us across the pond romanticize the castles and ancient churches that are going to ruins.  We are lascivious about the people who lead these times, how they dressed, what they ate, who they loved and how they used their powers to change history while moving through these castles and churches.  We rarely think about those who died building them.

A famous church in Ireland, photo taken in 2014.

As I pause the video, I realize that these castles and churches only existed because there was an oligarchy that took advantage of the poorer uneducated classes of citizens demanding a tax from limited resources.  Those citizens (perhaps like our President's supporters) knew their place in society and gave fealty to the oligarchy, and in turn, might look down on other more poor sinning outsiders seeking safety, to reassure themselves they were not at the bottom of the totem pole of resources after all.

Democracies do not lend themselves to castles.  Democratic religions do not lend themselves to preachers with jets and palatial homes or entire protected cities with secret bank accounts and an ability to live by a different set of rules than their worshipers.

Don't get me wrong.   I do not denigrate the wealthy from enjoying their hard-earned wealth...I just want to make sure it was earned on their own backs,  otherwise, I believe in a more socialized distribution of the wealth that is acquired.

Notes on a Journey to the End of Time

My husband has been on an almost two-week long trip. For those of you who are widowed, this may have less meaning to your understanding of my adjustment to living alone.  I have totally given up the meal planning as I am the only person eating.  I have a batch of leftover chili, a few frozen dinners, and a ham and potato casserole which was left by the guys.  

I have made long lists of projects and want-to-do lists that have been rattling around in the back of my head before total freedom from meal planning days.

The first project was to begin to make a dent in my basement.  Boxes of stuff we never opened since we moved here.  Many folks have those.

I found six of these patio votives which I purchased and have never used!

Elsewhere and not yet found are the iron hooks that go in the ground upon which these should hang.

Above is something to grilled crabs that my husband wanted and which we have never used.  It is going to the thrift shop as is the Sushi maker kit he got as a gift and which we will never use.  I would offer on Facebook, but I think it is peripheral to many of my FB friends needs.

Lots of boxes have been emptied of junk and lots of empty boxes have been collected for recycling to the trash site.

I found files of old brokerage statements...decades old...surely I can burn these??

I have managed to clear some shelves!  I still do not know what to do with the electronic wine chiller which was a gift from son and which we have not yet used.  When I have company and open wine it rarely has time to lose its cool temperature!

Just to let you know I do not have a real wine cellar as some I have seen in friends and relatives homes.

I did buy this item below from the behemoth  Amazon while I was cleaning for storage and it arrived in two days.

This Lionel Richie has to be a daughter's album...maybe not.  Anyway, after I fit all the LPs into the metal file it weighs a TON!!

I do feel that I have accomplished a bit.  But I am also needing some mind cleaning.  When I finished today I returned to my computer and I came across this handwritten note on the table below my computer screen (my best translation):

Camfris Airs
1800's
Holiday decorations
Yellow capsules to rend

Obviously this list I made a while back and have totally forgotten what it was for.  Certainly, I recognize the "holiday decorations" part...maybe to put up...maybe to take down?

Well, now I will get one of those bottles of wine open and put a French bread pizza in the oven for dinner.

As Predicted

They said it was going to be a long and heavy snowstorm. I kept waiting on Saturday and nothing really was happening. It finally started at 10:00 in the evening when I crawled into bed. The next morning before the sun was up I opened the front door and saw this.

As the day wore on we got at least 4 inches.

Yes, it is lovely, but I had a doctor's appointment on Monday, and a 400-foot driveway and an absent husband and no snow service. So I put on my camouflage snowsuit and got the shovel out of the garage and proceeded to carefully move and lift the heavy wet snow in at least the first half of the long driveway. It looked like below at the end of the three hours.

I was tired but not exhausted as I got this far so decided to rest at the gate and save the other third or so for the next day. During the early evening, the snow began again and dropped at least another 4 inches.  When I woke up Monday morning this is what I saw.

Frustrated, I called the Doctor's office, waiting almost 45 minutes to get an answer, and canceled my appointment as most others were probably doing.

I am not going to shovel right away today.  There is possible melting this afternoon, so maybe I will wait and see if the sun helps me.  There is always a good side to focus on and that is no aches and pains, so I must be staying in shape!

I have a Question

Your hubby is out of town and returning the next morning. A friend of his is arriving tonight to spend the night before a trip they are taking together. He is arriving between 7:30 PM and 8:00 PM. Do you offer dinner, a snack, or what? You ate dinner an hour ago.

Now for the Good News

It is a new year and I thought those of us who hug trees, believe in the integrity of science and scientists, and need some good news might like the following information.

1. Keystone Pipeline paused
2. Record corporate investment in renewables
3. The resignation of Scott Pruitt
4. New Congress pushing New Green Deal
5. Ozone hole to close in our lifetimes
6. Peru and Chile create new national parks in the millions of acres
7. Latin America signed a landmark treaty to protect environmental defenders
8. Pacific Islanders take a lead in protecting the oceans
9. New Weather Satellite launched
10. POTUS signed the Save Ours Seas Act
11. EPA has regulated emissions from heavy trucks

I got this here if you want the details:  "Rare Environmental Victories"