Armistice Day

 

Luther

 Martin Luther was born on Nov. 10, 1483.  He was a reformer of the church and a reformer of education. He changed the Christian church and society. He wrote a letter to the mayor encouraging boys AND girls to go to school. His influence is felt today as much as it was almost 550 years ago. 

Two women

Two women to whom I have looked for wisdom and leadership: As a child, I watched Eleanor Roosevelt, a diplomat, activist, and humanitarian through her political and social activism. Her passions included human rights, civil rights, and supporting underprivileged communities. After FDR's death, she worked at the United Nations, a leader in drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. As an adult I have followed Nancy Pelosi, elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1987. She became the first woman Speaker of the house in 2007. She is smart, strategic, and extraordinarily effective. 

Birthday

Today I turn 87. This is a picture of me--Norma--when I was seven, 80 years ago. 

 

Long Lines

 The lines were long. Courage and commitment were evident. Across the nation Democrats, Republicans, Independents and those in between turned out in major elections. They have major concerns about the present national administration. People used the vote to preserve the vote and democracy. 

ELection today

Today, Nov. 4, is Election Day. You may think you are too busy. You may say you don't care about politics.  You may say your one vote doesn't matter.  BUT IT DOES!  Vote as though your freedom depended upon it.  IT DOES.   

Nigeria. Trump the "war" president

 I ache for Nigeria where Trump threatens to "go in with guns-a-blazing" because Trump saysNigeria is persecuting and killing Christians.  The President of Nigeria said that there have been killings in his country, but the country is almost equally divided between Muslims and Christians and dedicated to freedom of faith and religion. Donald Trump craves the Noble Peace Prize, but he actually is a president who seeks war to show he is "strong." This shows in his changing the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War. 

All Saints

 "Give Thanks for Saints" Give thanks for those whose faith is firm when all around seems bleak. Give thanks for saints of ages past and saints alive today. 

Malala 1

 "Instead of focusing on eradicating terrorism through war, we should focus on eradicating it through education"

Malala

devastation in Jamaica

 

There is no exempt area from Hurricane Melissa's devastation in Jamaica; The hurricane made a direct hit as a Category 5 storm, causing widespread damage, including widespread destruction, power outages for hundreds of thousands, and significant damage to hospitals and infrastructure. 

Food Prize

The 2025 World Food Prize was awarded in Des Moines to Brazilian microbiologist Dr. Mariangela Hungria for her work in developing biological seed and soil treatments that improve crop nutrition and yields. Her research has significantly helped make Brazil a global breadbasket. Attendees at the October 2025 World Food Prize forum included Dr. Mariangela Hungria, the 2025 World Food Prize Laureate, along with government officials such as the President of Ghana and the Vice President of Ghana, the Minister for Food and Agriculture of Ghana, and the Ambassador of the United Republic of Tanzania to the U.S.. Leaders from over 75 countries, researchers, innovators, and agribusiness leaders also participated in the various events. Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack is now chief executive of the The World Food Prize Foundation He served as the 30th and 32nd United States Secretary of Agriculture from 2009 to 2017, during the Obama administration, and again from 2021 to 2025 during the Biden administration.

Hurricane

We pray for the people of Jamaica as the Hurricane approaches. Forty inches of rain are predicted in some areas. We love the people of Jamaica. We were there twice, once for a Diakonia Conference, and once to teach at the United Theological College of the West Indies Kingston. We also pray for other people in the Hurricane's path. 

Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays scored 9 runs in the bottom of the sixth to go on to win the first game of the World Series. 11-4. Very cool! We cheer the Blue Jays and Canada!

Voted

 My husband and I just voted. By going to the Court House for early voting, no lines.  The person at the security gate was thorough and kind!  Both are important! (My mother was deputy county recorder here before women were able to vote!)

White House

 The White House is the people's house. It does not belong to Donald Trump.  Demolition of the East Wing is a slap in the face the people of the United States. The East Wing of the White House is where the first lady's office and staff are located.

 The ballroom, which will be used for events that on occasion will include heads of state, is intended to hold 999 people, up from an initial estimate of 650. Mr. Trump said it will have bulletproof glass windows on all sides. 

 The addition was originally planned to be 90,000 square feet, but that figure is likely to increase. The ballroom, which will be used for events that on occasion will include heads of state, is intended to hold 999 people, up from an initial estimate of 650. Mr. Trump said it will have bulletproof glass windows on all sides. 

Leaves

 The leaves keep falling, all weekend.  However, I can now again see the old Mason City High School building from which I graduated in 1956. It's just across the street from where I now live.

 Huge crowd at the No Kings Day Rally and March in Mason City, Iowa

Protests

On Saturday, October 18, there will be huge protests across this country, in large cities, small cities, and towns. The First Amendment to the U.S.Constitution grants the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.  We ARE grieved about what this administration is doing within the U.S. and around the world. May the government learn! 

Cuts to Special Education

 The Trump administration landed another blow to the U.S. Department of Education, this time gutting the office responsible for overseeing special education. The reduction affects staff members responsible for roughly $15 billion in special education funding and for making sure states provide special education services to the nation's 7.5 million children with disabilities. Children with disabilities matter! With special education they become productive adults.

 In Canada, Thanksgiving Day takes place on the second Monday of October. Thanksgiving Day in 2025 will be celebrated on Monday, October 13th, coinciding with the end of the fall harvest in the Northern Hemisphere.

Iowa

 The Ioway (Iowa) people, is the Native American tribe for whom the state is named. The indigenous peoples of Iowa include the Ioway, Meskwaki (Fox), Sauk (Sac), and the Dakota (Sioux), among others who lived in the area or were relocated there. The Meskwaki are the only tribe to have successfully purchased and retained land, preserving a significant cultural presence in the state today.  

Oct 11

 

Oct 11 is Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples' Day but because Oct. 11 is this Saturday, the federal holiday will be recognized on Monday, Oct. 13.

Indigenous Peoples' Day, challenged Columbus' legacy due to his role in the colonization and violence against Indigenous people in North America.

President Donald Trump has signed an order that he won't recognize Indigenous Peoples Day. We need to! 

Where next?

 Where next? The current administration is sending troops into cities across the nation: Chicago, Portland, Memphis, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New Orleans. Where next? Everywhere and anywhere, cities and states are in danger of being invaded, militarized. It is not a matter of it "might happen tomorrow," but it is beginning now. Fall is coming. The plants on our deck are still alive, but for how long? Inevitably they will wither. When? Soon, very soon. The plants will be gone. What else will be lost?

Gaza Oct. 7

 "It looked like a war zone," people say after a fire or tornado.  You have seen pictures of Gaza today. Here is a war zone that looks like the country will never be able to rebuild at all. On Dec. 7, 2023, Hamas killed 1,140 people in Israel and took about 200 people hostage. Since that times Israel has killed over 67,000 people in Gaza and wounded over 169, 680. Stop the killing! Work for a two-state solution.

Jan Goodall

 I am saddened by the passing of Dr. Jane Goodall, the pioneering primatologist and world-renowned conservationist, at age 91. Her curiosity, dedication to science, and commitment to the natural world redefined our understanding of animal behavior and inspired a global movement to environment stewardship.

GOV shut down

 A government shut-down! The military training for combat on people in U.S. cities!  Health care lost! What else is Trump doing? Lecturing our military leaders.  Refusing to be a global partner.  What can we do?  We must resist. This is a tree I see out my window. It stands tall in all its various colors.  We can too.

National Day of Remembrance

. For 150 years, over 500 Indian boarding schools operated in the United States, where Native children were forcibly taken from their families and communities, prohibited all expression of Native language and culture, and required to perform manual labor, with a goal to "kill" the Indian in them.“ Religious organizations collaborated with the federal government in operating more than half of these federally-funded schools.

We wear orange on September 30, the National Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools, marking this day in worship, and learning more about Truth Seeking and Truth Telling Initiative on Indian Boarding Schools.

Sons Day

 Our three sons: Mark, Joel, and Kirk, Pictured in 1972: 9, 5, 3.   Pictured in early adulthood.  National Sons Day.

DMPS arrest

Des Moines Public School Superintendent Dr. Ian Roberts was arrested by ICE Friday. He was born in Guyana, but grew up in New York. He has a doctorate in education and has served in public education for over 20 years. Some accounts say Dr. Roberts was fleeing ICE, had a gun and a knife in his car and is a public safety risk.  Others say Roberts was stopped for a traffic violation and is a hunter.  Dr. Roberts was the first DM Public School superintendent of color. Now he is in jail.  What do you think? 

Revenge

 Revenge     Resentment       Retribution

Restoration    Resilience     Reconciliation  

United Nations

The United Nations was created 80 years ago in 1945, following the devastation of the Second World War, with one central mission: the maintenance of international peace and security. I remember! The dedication I wrote for my 2004 book, "Church Conflict: From Contention to Collaboration" reads, "To all people who address conflict not through violence, but through collaborative means of justice, shared power, peacemaking and partnership in interdependent communities locally and globally, particularly the United Nations." 

        The United Nations is "we" not "you." I am deeply troubled that the current president of the U.S. scolded the U.N. at the General Assembly in NYC today. He was not only rude, but wrong, insulting, and arrogant. This United States has supported the U.N. for 80 years and must so in the future.

Jewish Holy Days

 Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins the evening of Monday, Sept. 22, and lasts for two days, the beginning of the High Holy Days.

The High Holy Days are a time for repentance and reflection. The daylong fast of Yom Kippur is a week after Rosh Hashanah. Yom Kippur, the annual day of atonement begins at sundown of Wednesday, Oct 1st and ends at nightfall on Thursday, October 2. 

Just in: The U.K., Canada and Australia have just recognized the State of Palestine. 

COVID Fauci

 

Burton and I had our COVID-19 booster shot this week. Just a small prick--could not even feel it. It will protect us, our family and neighbors. Dr. Anthony Fauci played a pivotal role in the urgent development of the COVID-19 vaccine in 2020 and by publicly assuring Americans of the process's integrity. Pres. Biden made sure the vaccines were distributed. Now, there are opposing opinions in regard to the COVID booster.  We need to work to help people in every state receive the vaccine. 

Rain

Years ago our cat saw that it was raining outside the front door. Disappointed, she went to the kitchen door to see if it was raining there too. Yes, of course!  That happened to Burton and me just now. But a different outcome. Looking one direction off our deck, we saw it was raining hard; however, looking straight ahead no rain at all. That went on for about 15 minutes. Rain and no rain! (The pictures don't show it well)

Trust

This is Constitution Day, Sept. 17. I taught a class today at North Iowa Community College "Lifelong Learning" on "Trust: Building a Trustworthy Environment. in Challenging Times." We live in challenging times in our country and globally. Whom do you trust? Whom or what do you not trust? What do we do when trust is broken?  The group had engaging conversation about how to build trustworthy environments to be different together.

Holy Days

 Sunday is the Holy Day for Christians, a time to worship, and teach about the faith. Friday is a holy day for Muslims. Shabbat is a holy day for Jews, starting at sunset on Friday and ending at nightfall on Saturday. People of other faiths and atheists nurture their beliefs at their particular time. In a time of Christian Nationalism we need to remember the First Amendment to the U.S. constitution, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Public schools need to be open to all in a pluralistic society. They may sponsor the study of religion but not not sponsor the practice of religion. The school may expose students to all religious views, but may not impose any particular view. The school's approach to religion is one of instruction, not one of indoctrination. The function of the school is to educate about all religions, not to convert anyone to religion or any specific religion.

Women's Basketball

 With the Indiana Fever win over the Minnesota Lynx last night, the Fever will be in the playoffs. The WNBA Playoffs state Sunday, Sept. 14. Women's basketball has become as rough as men's football and the women play without helmets or shoulder, thigh and knee pads.  Not so rough when we played girls' basketball in high school. (I was a guard.) 

Florida to lift all mandates on being vaccinated. I remember before we had the polio vaccine.  I and my mother and sister almost died from whooping cough because there was no vaccine. Children died from measles.  And now we had a rise in measles, RFK Jr.'s testimony is disturbing. He will not listen to the CDC. Will people be able to get the COVID or not? RFK Jr. will not say that vaccines save lives. What else?

"We're going in" is a commonly used term for going into battle (although actual commanders would use clear, tactical terms). Trump's "We're going in" sends a message to Chicago and all of us that he intends to take over cities and states that he doesn't like and rule them as a military dictator.  What else?

States Historical Library

 The Iowa State Historical archives, established in 1857, holds irreplaceable materials, but plans to close in Dec. 31, citing budget shortfall. The amount in question accounts for 0.00008% of the state's budget. The state now deems the thousands of historical documents, including the history of pain can be replaced with a fictional history. The state will save less than 40% of the holdings, with no plans for what will be saved and what will be destroyed. We need to call our legislators to preserve history. People in other states would do well to see about the plans for their full history.

Labor Day

Labor Day began as a movement to work toward better working conditions and fair wages. The first Labor Day was in New York City Sept. 5, 1882. It has been a national holiday in the United States since 1894 to recognize and honor the American labor movement.  

Today Labor Day Weekend is often recognized as the unofficial end of summer, a time to go to the beach and for Labor Day Sales.  What will you be doing this Labor Day Weekend?

CDC

Trump may say he's making America Healthy again, but he is not.  With people leaving the CDC and with RFK Jr. in charge of Health and Human Services, we are deeply in danger.  Will we be able to get COVID shots?  Will we have health care? Will we be able to see our doctors and have the medicine they prescribe?   

Gaza

 Gaza, Gaza, Gaza.  

The children, the children, oh, the children.

Starvation, devastation.

Netanyahu, No! No!

gerrymandering

 The Texas State House Republicans tonight, August 20, have passed a gerrymandered map. The vote in Texas to redistrict mid-decade was demanded by Donald Trump to hang on to power during the mid-term elections. Gerrymandering manipulates boundaries of an electoral constituency to favor a party and/or socioeconomic class. 

HIstory Smithsonian

 

Hey Friend,   President Trump has escalated his efforts to reshape cultural institutions. This week, he turned his attention to the Smithsonian museums, pressing them to downplay the history of slavery and “remove divisive narratives.”  This is an attempt to "white-wash" black history, neglecting to tell the whole story of black history, including accomplishments of people of African descent and the wretchedness of slavery.   The Smithsonian’s leaders have long said their mission is to help Americans understand the full scope of our history, including both the triumphs and the painful chapters. Now that mission is under political pressure.   This is how democratic institutions are weakened, not all at once but gradually, when leaders decide which parts of our shared history the public is allowed to see.

Women's Equality Day August 26

Women’s Equality Day is today August 26th when U.S. Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby signed a proclamation behind closed doors at 8 a.m. on Aug. 26,1920 in Washington, D.C, ending women's struggle for the vote that started a century earlier. August 26, 2025, is the 63rd the wedding anniversary of Burton and me. Here we are on our "Music Man" bridge in Mason City.

The simple answer is that even when a constitutional amendment has been ratified it’s not official until it has been certified by the correct government official. In 1920, that official was U.S. Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby. On August 26, 1920, Colby signed a proclamation behind closed doors at 8 a.m. at his own house in Washington, D.C, ending a struggle for the vote that started a century earlier.

The New York Times ran the story about the document’s signing on its front page and noted the lack of fanfare for the historic event.

Colby had been asked by women’s suffrage leaders Alice Paul and Carrie Chapman Catt to allow groups in Colby’s office for the document’s signing and to film the event. Instead, Colby told reporters that “effectuating suffrage through proclamation of its ratification by the necessary thirty-six States was more important than feeding the movie cameras.”

The Times explained that Colby was concerned about the rivalry between Paul and Catt and wanted to avoid a public scene at the signing.

“Inasmuch as I am not interested in the aftermath of any of the friction or collisions which may have been developed in the long struggle for the ratification of the amendment, I have contented myself with the performance in the simplest manner of the duty devolving upon me under the law,” Colby said.

A package of documents from the state of Tennessee had arrived by train in Washington around 4 a.m. It included the official ratification document from the state legislature.

How Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the amendment on August 18, 1920, was a story in itself. Congress had passed the proposed amendment a year earlier, and it was supported by President Woodrow Wilson.

By the middle of 1920, 35 states had voted to ratify the amendment, but four other states—Connecticut, Vermont, North Carolina and Florida—refused to consider the resolution for various reasons, while the remaining states had rejected the amendment altogether.

So, Tennessee became the battleground to obtain the three-fourths of states needed to ratify the amendment. Harry T. Burn, a 24-year-old legislator, was set to vote against the amendment, but switched his vote on the Tennessee state house floor at the urging of his mother, assuring the 19th amendment’s ratification.

Yet, even after Burn’s deciding vote, anti-suffrage legislators tried desperately to nullify the previous vote.

In 1971, Representative Bella Abzug championed a bill in the U.S. Congress to designate August 26 as “Women’s Equality Day.” The bill says that “the President is authorized and requested to issue a proclamation annually in commemoration of that day in 1920, on which the women of America were first given the right to vote.”

As a footnote, the amendment certification process has changed since 1920. Now, the Archivist of the United States, who heads the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), is responsible for finalizing the ratification process.

Back in 1920, Secretary Colby’s attorney reviewed the documents that arrived from Tennessee. Today, NARA’s Office of the Federal Register reviews the documents and writes the proclamation for the Archivist of the United States to sign.

Section 106(b) of the United States Code spells out the finality of the process:

“The Archivist of the United States shall forthwith cause the amendment to be published, with his certificate, specifying the States by which the same may have been adopted, and that the same has become valid, to all intents and purposes, as a part of the Constitution of the United States.”

Celebrate the U.S.A.?

 As this country prepares for the 250th anniversary of its founding, how can we celebrate without being uncritical of its history? Princeton Professor of African American history Eddie Glaude Jr. says we have a MAGA embrace of American Civil Religion. Rather, the U.S. has always been on the road to a more perfect union. Cohesion can't come at the expense of diversity and the erasure of people in favor of a lily white America. It's a fantasy to think the foundation of the USA stands outside of history being a divinely sanctioned nation. 

Riverwalk

 Enjoying the new Riverwalk District in downtown Mason City. Burton and I walked there with Bishop Christopher deForest from NE Penn. Beautiful cylindrical light sculpture at dusk.

Walk after the rain

 After weeks and weeks of oppressive heat and humidity, after a storm passed through this morning, this afternoon we took a walk in East Park. Beautiful. 

Indigenous Peoples Day

  International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples

On this International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, we honor the diverse histories, cultures, wisdom, and spiritual traditions of Indigenous communities across the globe.

We acknowledge the enduring presence and leadership of Indigenous peoples—and lament the harm caused by colonization, including the Church’s complicity in the erasure of Indigenous identity and sovereignty.

We are committed to listening, learning, and walking alongside Indigenous communities as part of the Spirit’s work of justice, healing, and reconciliation.

Today, we pray for Indigenous leaders, scholars, theologians, and communities. May their stories be heard. May their voices be honored. May their wisdom guide us.

Moon

 Stunning moon last night. 

  Sixty years ago, on August 6, 1965, President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Finally all U.S. citizens could vote. However millions of people have been removed from the voter registration records in recent years. Meanwhile Trump thinks he is entitled to 5 more U.S. Congressional seats because he won Texas in the 2024 election. Either he is ignorant of the constitution and U.S. history, or he intentionally refuses to know so that he can impose his will.

Baptism and Bombs

 August 6 is the 80th anniversary of the United States bombing Hiroshima which caused the immediate death of an estimated 80,000 people. I was baptized August 6, 1939. Son Kirk was baptized August 6, 1969. Baptism and bombs! Here we are in 2025, living with nuclear weapons. We continue to live in a dangerous world. Today we also remember our baptisms, joined to Christ's death and resurrection and called to create communities of peace. 

Texas redistricting

 Texas Republicans are following Trump's desires. Governor Abbott will call a special legislative session to redistrict Texas to gain 5 added Congressional seats for Trump. This gerrymandering would make the Texas map one of the country's most racially discriminatory maps even worse. 

ELCA for the sake of the world

 The ELCA Churchwide Assembly has concluded. One of the final decisions was approval of the edited Social Statement, "Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust." Another was approval of implementing resolutions for the Social Statement "Civic Life and Faith," including repudiation of Christian Nationalism and support for voter registration and access to the vote. Truly this assembly took seriously "Ministry for the Sake of the World."

ELCA for Palestine

 

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in assembly this week,passed a strongly worded resolution calling on members “to petition U.S. leaders to recognize and act to end the genocide against Palestinians, halt military aid to Israel used in Gaza, and support Palestinian statehood and U.N. membership.” The resolution, called a memorial, passed overwhelmingly, 742-38.

ELCA church colleges and universities and seminaries

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has 28 colleges and universities. At the churchwide assembly the Network of ELCA Colleges and Universities leaders were recognized and Waldorf University, Forest City, Iowa, was welcomed back into full membership. Valparaiso (Ind.) University was included as an associate member. Rebecca Ehretsman, president of Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, to delivered a governance report. Wartburg’s governance requires the churchwide assembly to act as its college corporation. The leaders of the seven ELCA seminaries were also recognized.

ELCA Civic Life and Faith

The ELCA at the Churchwide Assembly in Phoenix this week is discussing the adoption of a new Social Statement "Civic Life and Faith." It includes the topics of God's acts for the well being of all, God's calling for us all to have a robust engagement in society in the midst of our differences, politics, the U.S. Constitution, the First Amendment to the Constitution, and pastors' and congregations' relationship to civic issues. 

 

FEMA money

 Trump has announced FEMA will hand out 600 million in grants for states to build migrant detention facilities.  FEMA has enough money to build concentration camps but does not have money to help communities rebuild after floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and wildfires?

disabilities

Multiple sources report that on July 24, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order, titled "Ending Crime and Disorder on America's Streets," aimed at addressing homelessness, according to The White House (.gov). The order has drawn criticism from civil rights organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the National Homelessness Law Center, who argue that it criminalizes individuals experiencing homelessness and those with disabilities.  

National Parks and more

 What can be undone? We CAN continue to call the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of Mexico. Republicans want to name the Opera House at the Kennedy Center the Melania Trump Opera House.  A different Congress and president could refuse that naming.  We could restore funds for the National Parks System. But the damage will already have been done. How much more damage will the Trump Administration do?

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NPR

 What an absolute loss to the country for the current administration and Congress to cut funds for public broadcasting, including NPR and PBS.   Filmmaker Ken Burns tells the nation we need public broadcasting. 

Ice Cream

 Cousins Jackson, Aimee and Jennaya at Birdsall's ice cream store in Mason City, Iowa.  Four generations of our family have enjoyed ice cream there. Birdsall's opened in 1931, 94 years ago. It has looked the same inside all these years. All the ice cream is home made on the premises. My favorite is a Hot Fudge Sundae.

Ice Raids

 ICE raids. ICE raids everywhere! And now people who protest the raids are in physical danger. 

ICE raids everywhere. Is no where safe? A crime to provide sanctuary? All of us need to be engaged. ICE raids, ICE raids everywhere!

family

 Family gathering in Mason City: Back row: Son Mark from Phoenix, Rachel and Joel with Dad Burton in between. Front row: Mark's daughter Aimee, Norma, and Joel and Rachel's daughter Jennaya

It's the children

 It's the children. We care about the children missing in the floods in Texas. We care about children who will be hurt by cutbacks to food stamps and health care and medicaid. We care about children across this nation hurt by cutbacks to the Department of Education, particularly children with disabilities. We care about children around the world who will die because of cutting USAID.  We are a global village called to care for all children.

No tax on tips rips people off.

No tax on tips?  Only if you make under $25,000 a year and itemize your deductions.  If you itemize your deductions you lose the $15,000 standardize deduction, which means you have been conned.

Disability Month

 July is Disability Pride Month in the United States. It is a time to celebrate the achievements and contributions of people with disabilities, raise awareness about disability rights, and promote inclusion and accessibility. 

USAID

 USAID officially shuts down today.  Very sad.  Studies show 14 million lives could be lost.

Retention centers

 The Senate passes the "Big Beautiful Bill" which is ugly, harmful to so many people and terrible for this country. Meanwhile Trump trumps an "Alligator Alcatraz" retention center in Florida.  Trump says he would like to see more detention centers in more states.

Canada Day!

 HAPPY CANADA DAY. We love Canada and Canadians.

Depression

 If you rearrange the letters is DEPRESSION

you will get "I PRESSED ON."

Phone Book

I'm not in the phone book anymore. We lived in New Haven, Ct. for nine years where the phone book was invented, along with the frisbee and other things.  Everywhere we traveled traveled we checked out the phone book. It's size signaled the size of the city of town.  But now, with the proliferation of smart phones, those of us without a landline are no longer in the phone book.  Ours is now nearly a sliver and mostly adds.

Bombing Iran

On June 21, 2025, the United States launched strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan

. President Trump announced the strikes and described them as a "spectacular military success," Those who are intoxicated with making war, seek personal power. May we become peace-makers for the sake of the world.

Longest day