About to go to open mic night. It’s been a busy day with dr. appointments, and errands. I got new room darkening shades for my bedroom for when the new windows go in in two weeks. I only have cheap mini-blinds now, that came with the house, and there’s a streetlight out in front of my house. It will be good to have blinds that can block that light.

I got a text from C, who I’m meeting tomorrow night, saying how much he’s looking forward to it. Me too. Still have that good feeling about it. Tonight I’ll see the friend I ran into yesterday, he said he’s coming to open mic to sing. I am sure he’ll sit with me, and my friends. They’ll be glad to see him too. I’m bringing him some cookies.

Got my son’s Christmas package off today. Sent him about 5 dozen cookies, and a bunch of other stuff. I think he’ll be happy!

I’m not happy with the new medication protocal my dr is giving me for diabetes. It’s not doing the trick. I am planning to call him tomorrow and have him get me on something that works. Like my old meds. I hate how drs want to put their own brand on your health. And don’t listen to you. I’ve been diabetic 15 years. I know a little about my own body’s reactions to meds.

I slept last night all night through with no sleep medication, no wine, no nothing. Just relaxed and tired. It was awesome. I am headed in a good direction, since I’ve let go of the things that were causing me aggravation and angst. It took too long to get there, but I’m there. Happy with my life the way it is now.

It was about 75 today. Supposed to be 80’s over the weekend. Crazy awesome weather. I feel for all my friends who are in the polar vortex freezing. My son said out in Denver, he picked up a friend this morning and it was 19. When he got out of his meetings at 2, it was 72. That place is crazy!

I feel like this post is an antidote to the political post I made this morning.  It wasn’t very popular, lol.  But it was something I needed to say.

Keep smilin’. It’s all good. Love and light.

I don’t usually post anything political here, as you know. But this morning, I feel like I have to speak out, speak up, add my voice to the collective voice expressing deep concern over our country’s safety and security. I’m not feeling this is so political, as it is just frightening.

Every morning while I have my coffee, I peruse the news I get in my email, and on FB. The FB news I don’t take too seriously unless it’s from an established valid news source, like the NYTimes or Washington Post. This morning, two articles from the NYTimes caught my eye.  (I’ve put the links for the two articles at the bottom of the post.)

The first was good news. The EPA has reversed it’s decision about fracking causing water pollution. It now believes and agrees that it causes serious issues. This is so important because it is scientific backing, and with Trump coming into office, we need all the help we can get. Trump has vowed to de-regulate fracking, to expand it, because it will, and I paraphrase “untold wealth”. As if wealth is the only factor which should determine whether or not fracking should be allowed.

So, that article made me happy. Even though I know the new administration won’t accept these findings.

Then there was another very lengthy article from the NYTimes, which explains how the Russians hacked us, and why. The thing that most disturbs me is that Trump denies it, that he sides with Putin on the issue. When our own intelligence agencies have actually traced the hacking back to the Kremlin. Trump has so many times expressed what good friends he and Putin are. And I gotta wonder, do they have some unthinkable plans in place for us, when Trump is inaugurated? It’s really really scary.

I am also very disturbed by the complacency shown by those who were hacked, in the beginning. They aren’t complacent now, but when it started and they had a chance to do something, they didn’t. They didn’t investigate the warnings. For instance, they were told by an FBI agent in a phone call that they were being hacked. He called them, because emailing them would have let the Russians know that they knew. The DNC did not really investigate it. They did not have the most up-to-date spyware etc on their servers. It went on for months, before they reacted appropriately. Apparently the amount of documents taken, if printed, would be taller than the Washington Monument.

I also think that we as Americans have a rather false sense of security. Too many of us just leave things for others to do, and assume things will turn out ok. Not even half of us vote. Because we’ve never been invaded, at least, not on the grand scale of most of the world such as Europe during WWI and WWII, have developed this false belief that no one can touch us.

This hacking issue is HUGE, it is cyber warfare of the greatest magnitude.

And now….we have a hacked election, in which the winner did not win the popular vote. We have a president-elect who defies all those who have dedicated their careers to making sure this country is safe. He has formed a cabinet of people who, like him, are part of the 1%, and use only the amount of wealth that can be created as criteria for the value of anything. And he courts friendship with our enemies, with those who like him, seek power for the sake of power and control.

It’s so disturbing. It’s so upsetting.

I have always trusted that the Universe has a greater plan in place than we can see and understand as humans. I am wondering if part of this plan is for us to learn collectively we cannot be complacent in matters that affect us all. We are all one thing. I just don’t know. I don’t know why we had to have Hitler, and I don’t know what the merit of having Trump will be. None, is what I’m terribly afraid of. That I will live to see this country, and the world, plunged into real darkness again.

I hope I am able to regain my trust. I pray that what happens is that the Electoral College will have the wisdom to keep him out of office. I pray that if not, and he’s inaugurated, that he will be exposed by those in Congress who regardless of party, investigate the hacking and maybe he’ll be impeached. I pray that the goodness in most people, regardless of ideology, will rise up and stop this madness.

Love and light, now more than ever.

The links are:

I finished the Christmas cookies. I think. Unless I decide to make one more kind. Candy cane cookies. They are so cute, so pretty on the platter. But they really aren’t anyone’s favorites, and I have like 12 dozen others. Well, did have. I probably just packed half of them for my son, lol. Well, I still may make candy canes. Just because it’s tradition at Christmas to have them.

When I got done, I needed to get out and clear my head, so decided to go down to the waterfront and take a nice long walk. Needed to walk off the cookies I’d eaten, lol. And chocolate I’d licked off the spoon. So good.

I got down there and it was foggy there. Bright and sunny at my house, but at the water, a mile and a half away, it was pretty foggy. And the town was busy. I guess it was afternoon, and to be expected to be busier than my normal time there, in the morning

Foggy Boca Ciega Bay

Sun trying to come out over the bay

I parked close to the waterfront, across the street. I walked to and down the fishing pier. The sun was trying to come out in places. As I got down to the end of the sidewalks, the sun came out. I kept walking, I just wanted the exercise. I turned, finally and came back. I was walking by an open-sided pavilion by the water, and a bunch of people were in it, doing karaoke. I thought I recognized a voice, and looked and it was one of my good friends from open mic night. He’s not been there for 3 or 4 weeks, and we’ve all kind of wondered if he’s ok, where he was. Thought he might be in NYC, where his family is.

I stopped, and listened to him, as he sang “Chestnuts Roasted On An Open Fire”, an old kind of 40’s or 50’s version. He has this beautiful deep smooth voice. After it was over, I walked up to behind him and called his name. He came over and gave me a big hug. We talked and talked there, for about 20 minutes. I told him I was out for a walk, and just happened by while he was singing. He decided to walk with me. So we continued on talking about everything for about a mile, nice long slow walk. He has been busy, it’s just that season. But he talked about his mother, the daughter he lost to breast cancer, how close he is to her kids, his grandkids. How he felt so blessed to have such a big close family. I told him about my family, that it was small, but we are very close. How I had a Norman Rockwell childhood. He says he did too.

We can relate so well. We walked an talked for another hour. He walked me to my car, and we stopped there, and showed each other pics of our family. I said, “You and I are always on the exact same page!” He said, “I love how close you are with your sisters.” We both lost our mothers last year, his was 97, mine was 94. He carries a picture of her in his wallet. He is probably the kindest, sweetest, most loving man I’ve ever met.

He’s married. I think. His wife is in a convalescent home, so my friends say. She has late stage alzheimers. He still wears his ring, I think he will always feel he is married to her. He doesn’t ever talk about her. I think it’s too painful now, she doesn’t know who he is, but my friends tell me he used to go visit her all the time anyway. He’d say, “Well, she’s still my girl.” He’s just that kind of guy. But I just love this man….He’s older than me, in his 70’s, although he looks much younger. It was so good to see him, and catch up with him. He said he’ll be back to open mic tomorrow. He usually sits there with me when he comes.

I came home, packed up my son’s cookies, and put the rest in containers to freeze. If I can find some tape, I will wrap my son’s things tonight, so I can mail them tomorrow. If not tomorrow, then Friday for sure.

My date for tonight was postponed til Friday night. C called me this morning. He has a hip that is nearing needing replacement. It was hurting him a lot yesterday and he went to the dr. Today he had to go into Tampa, which is about an hour ride for him, to get a cortisone shot in it. He said, “I don’t think I’ll be very good company.” I know those shots hurt, because they get right into the joint. Then they make it feel much better. So I of course, rescheduled. Friday actually works better for me, because I wanted to get my cookies finished, and pack my son’s stuff up and get it off to him. And it’s going to be a much nicer day Friday anyway. I’m sure it was foggy over on the islands all day. Friday is supposed to be sunny. C was so nice when he called and worried that I would be upset. I have a good feeling, still, about this date.

Got a message from yet another guy who has a house on the beach in the same area. We message back and forth a bit. This one lives on the beach, and has an RV which he takes up to Cape Cod for the summer. Told him I know that area well, we used to boat up there a lot.

It’s been a really good, productive and happy day. Life is good. Really good.

Love and light all.

I talked to R, the second guy. It was an easy, pleasant conversation. But….I just don’t feel a connection with him. He could be a friend, I guess. He’s just got too many irons in the fire, and I feel like he’s hustling to make them work. Nothing wrong with that, but I am not in that place. I want to relax, I want a laid back life. No hustle. No bustle. And it goes without saying, no drama.

And I think he’s broke. Not that I’m materialistic, but I don’t feel like going to see some guy living in a room in an old hotel, even if they are remodeling it. Not at this age.

I still feel good about tomorrow’s date. I think our lifestyles are way more compatible. I am hoping for a few sparks, and I feel there’s a good possibility of that. But we’ll see.

I realized something when I was at my sisters, last night. I was watching a movie with her and my brother-in-law, after a lovely dinner, and an afternoon decorating the tree, and in the pool and the hot tub. I was so content, and happy. I realized at some point, that this life, now, here in Florida, is the happiest I’ve ever been on a consistent basis. I’ve had moments before, of joy. Of course when my son was born, when I got married, all the life’s moments that are spectacular. But here, consistently, I am happy. No pressure, no drama, no urgency. No negativity on a daily basis. Never freezing. Never driving in snow, or shoveling, or snow blowing.

Just happy.

Just living my life the way I want to live it.

Love and light…..

I got home from my sisters and one of my friends, was driving by as I was driving into my driveway. So she and I had a glass of wine on my deck and caught up til the sun went down. I quickly unpacked, and then saw that I had a message from R, the 2^nd guy, kind of wondering if I’d ever call him, in a very nice way, saying “It’s already Tuesday….”. I get it, we’ve been talking about it since Sunday, but I did explain I was going to my sisters, and had crappy reception there.

So, I sent him a text, saying “ A haiku for you.

I will call you soon.

At seven thirty exact

If that’s good for you.”

So, hopefully, that will tell him I’m sincere, lol. I want to eat some dinner before I talk to him, because who knows how long I’ll be on the phone. And I’m hungry!

My sis and I went Christmas shopping, and I got my brother-in-law a book she thought he’d like, and I know what to get her, and I got my niece, her daughter a gift card. Bought myself some slippers because when it was 50° my feet were cold. And I went to Pier 1 and got placemats for my table, and a wreath for my front door with a gift card I’ve had for about 5 years, lol.

It was a fun day with her. Funny how we both got tired of shopping at about the same time. We can both deal with about 3 hours of it, and we’re done. What a great couple of days we had.

Food is almost done, so I guess I’ll go eat. Hope everyone is well.

Love and light to all.