16:03 - 11/12/2016
Catch up
So where have I been, dear diary? I haven't gone anywhere really, but I am now receiving nearly 400 e-newsletters from around the world in a few different languages to keep on top of what is happening globally. I then share what I have learned on my social media accounts - Facebook and Twitter. Can't live safely in a bubble, can we? Bubbles get popped at the most inconvenient times. I knew what was going to happen with the US election, but that doesn't make it any easier, does it? There was also the drama at Standing Rock reservation that I wanted to follow. I think the intent was to hide the power/land grab and the tactics used from public scrutiny under the drama created during the political grand-standing. I keep wondering what else was subsumed by the antics of those who have such a lot to gain. I just received a thank you from a person I really respect because of the sharing I was doing on social media. I know of one journalist who has incorporated some the material I offered to expand the news in the pages of his publication. Small steps, but encouraging nonetheless.
Number four son is still living with me. He had some work for about five months, but used what he earned to pay child support, so he didn't manage to build up his own resources. I think he has done the right thing though. One can never get one's childhood back. His children are still badly behaved, but I guess when there is conflict among the adults in their life, they are going to reflect that. Hopefully, they will grow out of that form of coping as they get older. I house/cat sat for one month over the summer. Unexpected issues arose that needed to be dealt with. My oldest son and his daughter came to stay with us for a couple of weeks in September. My grand-daughter is the one who is in the Fine Arts program of our local school system. It was delightful helping her with her homework, which included a photographic journey - to practice her newly acquired skills - through some of our historic communities, as well as, through downtown. Journeys up a few of the skyscrapers resulted in some great shots. My Dad needed emergency eye surgery in October. He is recovering well, but slowly. He has been told he will need two more operations to bring his eyes back up to snuff, but that, at least, is hopeful. I also got news of a new grandbaby due around the time of my birthday in the new year. Great news, isn't it? Went and had lunch with a group of women a week ago. Good food and great wide-ranging conversation.
A+ and I have spent some time together and that has helped me cope with the home-based stress. We delivered fund-raising leaflets for a medical charity one afternoon. In addition to our walks - including a fabulous Jane's walk this year - we have watched a wide variety of movies. Snowden was riveting, Dr. Strange offered a great allegory for the US at this time, Ghostbusters was tremendously entertaining, and Spotlight was just very intriguing. We also watched Eye in the Sky earlier in the year. It was a very subtle story for all the drama and a fine vehicle for Mr. Rickman's final movie. Sigh. We also attended another Chinese Opera dinner which was a fabulous 10 course extravaganza. His business partner invited us to a soiree at the old Star Trek Museum. It was celebrating moving to a bigger venue in a more active tourist area - Drumheller. Dinosaurs and space oddities, both. We attended a lecture, at one of our city's two universities, by an American Muslim author just prior to the US vote. She remarked that she might want to stay in Canada. That is scary and very sad.
I won't even comment on the other potential fallout from that election. It is too dreadful to contemplate and a number of people I know and I have been physically ill since the results were announced. On that happy note I'll go back to scanning my e-newsletters. Talk with you soon, dear diary.
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