Midnight Conversations.....

For some reason I've been waking up in the middle of the night. Not an unusual occurence.... but until recently I always just turned over and went right back to sleep. The last few nights I've been up for at least an hour....trying to shut down the conversations in my head.

I don't seem to have a specific "theme" going on....each night is unique. Sometimes a dream wakes me and I just continue on with whatever was happening while I was asleep. I continue the conversation and the story in my head goes on....and on.

It's frustrating. I can put a stop to it if I grab my pillow and my book, migrate to a couch and read for awhile. Then, turning out the light, I go right back to sleep until morning. I wake to find Fenway on patrol....trying to find me so I can take him out for his early morning constitutional.

While I have finished two books in the past week by using these middle-of-the-night hours, I'd rather take a few days longer to read the book and spend my night-time hours sleeping in my bed.

Midnight conversations......discussions, questions and answers, ideas....enough already.

Some New Language.......

"Walking it back."
"Fake news."
"180 degree turn."
"Chaos in the Oval Office."
"Bigly."

I am saturated. Waking up each morning to have news coverage on both radio and television about the latest series of very "presidential" tweets and misstatements is just too much. The grammatical errors, the inability to speak without causing major confusion and head scratching. I find the information, repeated and repeated, and analyzed and discussed just puts me in a sad/bad mood....probably affects my blood pressure and stress level. And his statements frighten me.

So I'm trying to just stop - stop listening, stop watching, stop...stop....stop.

I know it won't be possible to ignore it all. But I'm going to try. I will try to scroll past the Facebook posts. I won't keep my radio on PBS all day....I will listen to music. I will walk out of the room for the nightly news and probably not start my day with one of the morning shows. At least for awhile.....until I can strike a balance. I know I need to stay informed, but if his "handlers" cannot keep him on track why should I waste my time trying to sort through the confusion?

And if only the news professionals would try to do the same for a few weeks. Just cut him off....don't give him the soapbox or the publicity....he thrives on it.  So ignore the man. Cover the NEWS. Cover what's actually HAPPENING.....cover the final DECISIONS.

Just stop covering the sad/ridiculous/unqualified crapola that originates with 45.

Just stop.......

Three + Grands....Who Knew!?

We've been lucky to be able to do a lot of traveling. Some of it while Dave was working and I could accompany him on various business trips. It was pretty special being able to visit a Colorado ski resort, San Francisco, Arizona, Orlando and Boston for various conferences. Now we take ourselves at a slower pace....using our little RV to drive to spaces and places we want to see.

The first time I saw the Grand Canyon it was out of an airplane window. Way down below was this long gold/red/rust/purple "gash" with a blue stream of water meandering down the center. At first I wasn't sure what it was....pointing it out to Dave he's the one who said "That's the Grand Canyon!" From the air you get a wonderful sense of just how huge it is.

Now we've driven to visit the south rim and stood looking down - up close and personal.

And then someone said you need to visit the second largest canyon in the country - Palo Duro Canyon State Park in Texas.  So we did.....

And then there was the trip that included a few nights camped near The Black Canyon of the Gunnison in Colorado. Dave saw it featured on a PBS documentary just before we planned our excursion. Amazing....and black!

We've seen beautiful canyons in Utah and vistas throughout the West. Each curve in the road bringing another "ahhhhh!"  But I was surprised, on our way home from a recent trip to the Adirondacks and New England to find that Pennsylvania has it's own Grand Canyon near Wellboro. It's not as big or impressive as THE Grand Canyon and we didn't have the best light for a photo.....but still. Pennsylvania's Grand Canyon

The power of Mother Nature.....wind, rain, water. Beautiful carvings in the land......

Getting Harder to Read......

It can't be age. It just can't be. It can't be the prescription for my glasses....they are brand new. It can't be cataracts....I had surgery earlier this year.

I know what it is. Map makers are using smaller and smaller print. It's their fault.

And Yet Again.....Those Famous Words....

“The deadliest mass shooting in recent American History.”

7:10 in the morning......in from Fenway’s quick walk....plug in the coffee pot and hit the remote for the small kitchen TV. Starting the day with Good Morning America. And yes.....what a good morning again in America.

This time a country music festival in Las Vegas.....and hundreds of shots ringing out as Jason Aldean sings on stage. At this report hundrds of people hurt and at least 50 killed. Mass hysteria. The shooter dead....his story yet to come out.

And so it begins.....the listing of the other incidents we’ve seen unfold on our TV screens. And the talking heads analyzing the event.

And once again....let’s celebrate that damn second amendment. “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”

A few of the phrases that hit me....”well regulated Militia”......”security of a free State”....neither of which ever seem to apply in our mass-shooting events. So yes, our founding fathers were intelligent and educated men....for their times. They had goals for our young Country that are reflected in the documents they created.

But now? There are so many “holes” in any safeguards designed to put guns in the hands of responsible individuals that the rules created just don’t work.

You want to own a gun and be part of a well regulated militia? Drive down to the nearest recruitment office and join the armed services.