Potholders

Monday, November 11, 2024

Bits & Pieces

It's time for me to re-enter the world, or at least reconnect with this lovely safe community. I've been feeling sad, disbelieving, knitting, baking, napping, and trying to read. These things have restored my center enough that it's time to write a post and I've got a few bits & pieces to share with you today.

  • I have issues with Jeff Bezos and his decisions for The Washington Post, but the Post still has some terrific writers and columnists. Eugene Robinson writes about politics for the paper, and I thought this article was wonderful. 
  • Today is Veteran's Day, a day to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. It's still a federal holiday and in NJ also, but we no longer have a parade or laying of wreaths at the cemetery. My father was in the Army during the Korean War, but he was stationed in Alaska and shot a polar bear. Be sure to express your gratitude to a veteran today. 

  • When things get tough, I tend to bake. I made these rolls to go with the venison stew we had for dinner, and they were just what I wanted. No whole grains, just soft and fluffy dinner rolls. They're also pretty good spread liberally with jam for breakfast or a snack. I've been thinking about a chocolate coconut donut that I used to get when I was a teenager, so when I get some coconut cream at the grocery store, I will be baking this cake. I'll let you know if it lives up to my memories. 
  • Ryan's next door neighbor died about a month ago. Ben was a lovely man and fine neighbor, always ready with a smile and a friendly wave. He had a heart attack a year ago and his health had been going slowly downhill since then. His daughter is here from Salt Lake City to clean out the house and get it ready to sell. They have hired a service to clean things out, and this seems to mean getting rid of much of it in a dumpster. They've filled four dumpsters already and there may be more. We were up last week so John could pick the last of his second crop of snow peas. He was outside when they were cleaning out Ben's shed. They encouraged John to take anything that he could use, so he brought home a lawn spreader, sets of sawhorses, and a jug of antifreeze. John hates to see "good stuff" thrown away, so he was in the right place at the right time. He came inside and said he had a weird question for Ryan, "Did he want a harpoon?" I have to explain a bit and say that if you know Ryan at all, you would know that he has a taste for the strange and esoteric. So, yes, a harpoon would be right up his alley. He had just finished telling me about the new D&D character that he was building, Tom, an old mariner. I thought all D&D characters were young and magical, but Ryan said that he wanted to see if an older character could use his wits to survive in a magical setting. Tom would just have the usual weapons available to a mariner, like a harpoon. When John came in to ask if he wanted a harpoon, we were dumbfounded. So thanks to Ben, Ryan is now the proud owner of his own harpoon. I'd love to know the backstory about why Ben had a harpoon in his shed, but Ryan and I both thought it was far better than a lawn spreader or antifreeze. 


My hope is that for you, these next few days and weeks may offer you a bit of whatever it is you happen to need right now, whether it's cake, a harpoon, or something else. 



15 comments:

  1. I am glad that you've been able to take some time to deal with all the emotions and are feeling up to coming back to this space. I have to admit that I laughed a bit at the line about your father's service during the Korean War! My grandfather served in North Africa during WWII and I have a photo of him looking very handsome in his Army uniform on display in my living room. I do wonder what he and his generation, who fought to defend the world from fascism, would think about what's happening today.

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  2. Okay, the harpoon story is fab! We still have a parade here, I'll be marching it in later this morning with my fellow Select Board members. I miss my father-in-law today, he was my favorite veteran. I'll be back with a post tomorrow, I agree that it's time to re-enter our blog world.

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  3. It has taken more than a few moments to center myself... and I still am a bit wobbly. But I love the story of your dad during the Korean War. My favorite "war story" was my ex's father... he was a scientist and he was stationed in the South Pacific during WWII where he worked tirelessly on malaria, which was a problem for many troops fighting in the Pacific, but... as he said... it was the safest place to be in a world that on fire. Both of my grandparents could not serve in WWII due to medical issues, but I will be thinking today of the kind of service that one gives to a nation... be they grateful or not.

    Welcome back, Bonny!

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  4. Good to see you, Bonny. So far, I have been true to myself by watching very, very little news. No national news, only brief forays into local news and weather. When they begin to talk about the election or the state of races, I turn it off. I don't want to hear any more about the nation going to hell in a handbasket or what anyone thinks will happen. I don't need to borrow trouble, I have enough already. John and I always had a project, and I have been thinking about what my next project could be. I will need some sort of project to get through the winter. My world was already small, but it has become a bubble these days.

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    1. What a self-centered comment! My dad served in WWII in Hawaii. He was a drill instructor. John's mother and dad both served in the Navy. She was a nurse in a military hospital. I will be thinking of all of them today. The harpoon story was wonderful.

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  5. Good to see you back here Bonny. And thank you for both recipes - they both look awesome. I've been easily distracted this past week and not really able to focus much for any extended period of time. I finally started knitting again yesterday. Reading has helped, but only in short doses. I love your Dad story and the harpoon is wonderful!

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  6. It's good to read your post and thank you for the link to the Robinson article. What Kamala Harris accomplished in a short period of time was remarkable. I loved that Robinson said she ran a flawless campaign because it is the truth. I quit reading the NYT's analysis for awhile. I still feel fragile and I don't want to read about all the things that might happen. We've trouble enough for today.
    I love the story about your Dad. The veteran in my family was my grandfather who served in France in WW1. He volunteered to go at 17 so one of his older brothers could stay home and help their widowed mother farm.
    I'm glad Ryan rescued a harpoon. I wonder about the back story of that weapon.

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  7. I am still working on centering myself, but still worried about the future. Thank you for directing me to the Transgender Law Center. I have a niece who is trans and she fears for her own safety as well as the safety of her wife and daughter. My Dad also served in Korea and never talked about the horrors he experienced until later in his life. My grandfather was drafted in WWII at the end of 1943 when they raised the draft age to 45. I think he was about 39 when he went through basic training. He served in the Navy in the Panama Canal Zone. I'm grateful for the service of our veterans!

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    1. I fear for all us of but I'm especially fearful for immigrants of all types and LGBTQ+. I will keep your niece and her family in my thoughts and hope that they can live their lives safely.

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  8. I canceled my subscription to the Washington Post the morning after the election. Trolls were taking over the comment sections and Bezos’ smarmy congratulations sealed the deal for me. They piled on Biden’s age and cognitive ability but sane washed the other guy for months.
    That harpoon is certainly a treasure. I’d have to come up with a whale of a story to go with it.

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    1. That’s me trying to figure out to leave comments on my iPad.

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    2. I canceled my subscription back in March because of the sane-washing. I will miss several of the columnists when my subscription finally runs out but I can't support Bezos' approach to journalism anymore. I've found it refreshing to step away from the news and when I do check it for a few minutes, it's the BBC or The Guardian. That's also a good reminder for me that the US is not the center of the world. (Whale of a story - that's a good one!)

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  9. Oh, this is a wonderful community we have here, isn't it? Thank you for sharing your stories, Bonny . . . especially the one about Ryan's harpoon! I heartily agree that a harpoon is better than a lawn spreader, but I am most interested in learning about the fate of Ryan's new D&D character, once he's fully on the scene. (My son-in-law, Keith, builds very interesting D&D characters, too. I love hearing about them!) Thank you for being here and shining your light for the rest of us! (And I canceled my WaPo subscription, too . . . )

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  10. I have been focusing on what I can control and I've made a list of what I'd like to do in nature and in my crafting life. That alone helps me!!!

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  11. I love the harpoon story!! That's so cool. I'm back to regular donations to Planned Parenthood, and considering ACLU again, too. Trying to limit news, but still feeling gut-punched and full of dread.

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Thank you for visiting and taking the time to comment! :-)