A-HA!

The lightbulb went off first thing. This morning at church, our service opened with a prayer that advised us: "Choosing joy is a holy act of defiance." 

 

It's hard in the Age of Trump. MAGA has co-opted my Christian faith and pretends it is about xenophobia, homo/transphobia, and casual cruelty. That does not remotely represent the Jesus of my heart, and this makes me want to shake my fist at the clouds. It leaves me rebellious.

 

Then I heard the prayer. A-ha! I get it now. I'm not going to deny the ugliness of our times. That would be delusional. But I'm going to rebel, to defy MAGA by being a happy warrior. By choosing to face forward and joyfully work on change with love. Yesterday I posted about how my favorite most Cub always seems so passionate and happy in his mission to help pediatric cancer patients. He's like a golden retriever puppy in human form. Maybe he already knows what I'm trying to learn: that choosing joy in the face of sorrow and fear is "a holy act of defiance."

 

Then there's our prayer at the offertory: "May we be transformed by our giving, and may the world be transformed by our gifts." My giving is not limited to money (though money is important). It's my time and my gifts and my spirit, too. So this week, as I write my Letters Against Isolation and my Postcards to Swing States, I want to be more intentional. That way my acts can bring me joy and solace as I change my country around me. 

 

It's getting deep

I pay little attention to Zohran Mamdani. The nice thing about being this old is that I know that, no matter what, the Mayor of New York will not have a major impact on my life here in Chicago. When I was a little girl, John Lindsay was all the rage. Batman even featured a character based on him. Remember when Bloomberg and Giuliani were going to be President? It was all much ado about nothing.

No mayor of any major city has ever become President. In fact, no mayor has been President since Coolidge, and he held higher office before ascending to the Presidency. Not that Mamdani could be President anyway. I know my Constitution.

So why is my aunt obsessed with Mamdani? She lives in a small town outside of Tampa, for fuck's sake. He has no power over her. Yet she follows his public statements so she can share her outrage.

It's because he's Muslim. "Can you believe that New York City elected a Muslim?" She posted those very words, with pictures of the World Trade Center. How ridiculous is that? Mamdani was 10 years old in 2001. By the way, Muhammad Ali was a Muslim. Was he involved in 9/11, too?

Now her Facebook feed is abuzz because Mamdani had the temerity to ask New Yorkers to use power wisely.

  

Notice that was a request. It's not like masked agents would be knocking on doors demanding to see your thermostat. (As opposed to the ICE agents who ... don't get me started. You have no idea how ugly, dispiriting and scary it was here.)

And it sounds like commonsense to me. Preserves the grid, makes sure we all have comfort during a heatwave. Here in Chicago, ComEd pays us to do that. During peak times, if we reduce our consumption we get a break on our bills. (I saved $3.00 last week.)

But according to my aunt, Mamdani is Communist who is placing an unreasonable burden on his citizens. "This is how it starts," she says. Her friends agree. Creeping Socialism in on the way! (Wait, weren't we talking about Communism? Oh, never mind.)

My aunt is grateful that she lives in The Land of the Free – Florida! Where Ron Desantis is governor!  She seems blissfully unaware that just weeks before, the Florida Public Service Commission — chosen by and answering to Gov. DeSantis — issued the very same suggestion that residents to set their AC units to 78º degrees in the summer.

If I were to ask her, I'm sure that she'd say "Ron" (whom she adores) is civic minded. He's looking out for the people who elected him.

Don't you agree we're about hip deep in bullshit and hypocrisy?

She's my aunt. She's one of two people left on the planet who held me as a baby. She's my last direct tie to the grandparents I adored. I respect and treasure that connection, so I bite my tongue and keep the lines of communication open.

But here's the most disturbing part. She's my godmother. When I was downstairs in Sunday School in the church basement, learning about Jesus and His love, she was upstairs in a pew. Same building. Same Jesus. When I was a little girl, I remember she had a framed photo of JFK in her bedroom. But now she seems to get satisfaction not from brotherhood but from knee-jerk negativity about Muslims, gays, blacks, and immigrants. 

While my aunt's rants gets lots of "thumbs up" from her Tampa buds on Facebook, she no longer hears from one of her sons and two of her grandchildren. She has a great grandchild she has never held. If it wasn't for me, she'd never have seen a photo of my niece's daughter, Violet.

I hope living in a Fox News bubble and spouting the glories of living in "The Land of the Free – Florida" is worth what it's cost her.

 

 

Gratitude Challenge: Day 22

I first took this challenge in November 2014 and I think now is a good time to revisit it. Click here for a list of the Gratitude Challenge prompts.

Day 22: Purpose I do what I can, when I can. On Monday I did a pair of Letters Against Isolation cards and wrote out Postcards to Voters. Over the weekend, I made a political contribution and supported the public library book sale. 

My purpose here is to make my country a better place. There's something grating about MAGA believing that they own patriotism. I am grateful that I am able to work toward making ours a more perfect union in my own way.

 

Gratitude Challenge: Day 18

I first took this challenge in November 2014 and I think now is a good time to revisit it. Click here for a list of the Gratitude Challenge prompts.

Day 18: Something that fills me with hope Today I am overflowing with hope because:  

•  The Obama Presidential Center is opening. I love it when all eyes turn to my city to watch us party. This Center has been in the works for more than a decade, providing jobs and a Chicago Public Library in a part of town that will blossom with the attention. And oh! the Opening Ceremony! It was so inspirational, at once nostalgic and at the same time hopeful for our future. My favorite musical moment was when Bono crooned to the former First Lady, "Michelle, ma belle ..." because –

•   It's Paul McCartney's 84th birthday and he's on the charts with new music. That he's still relevant fills me with hope. In my classic movie nerd world, so much attention is being paid this month to the beautiful tragedy that was Marilyn Monroe. I love to take a moment and celebrate the beautiful survivor.

 

 

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Accidentally in Love (2004)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) In the video for this song, a young man dances alone in the kitchen while making breakfast for his lady love. When no one's looking, do you often bust a move? It has been known to happen. But I am an awful dancer.

2) "Accidentally in Love" was featured in the animated movie Shrek 2.  In this video, a plushie from the movie is shown on their bed. Do you have any plush toys in your bedroom? There's a bear on either side of the dresser, beside the mirror. One is beige and he wears a yellow shirt that says, "Someone at FKCC loves me." That bear was a gift from my late friend Henry, who was a professor at Florida Keys Community College. The other is a green Beanie Baby that says, "Give Peas a Chance." It was a gift from my Mom because of the nod to John Lennon. I miss them both, but I was lucky to have their love in my life. 

3) The lyrics liken falling in love to strawberry ice cream that he just can't resist. What sweet treat would hit the spot right now? There's a brownie in the kitchen that is not going to last much longer.

4) He sings about lightening. Astraphobia is the fear of thunderstorms. Have you ever suffered from astraphobia? Nope.

5) This song is about falling in love when he wasn't looking for it. Has this ever happened to you? Or have you usually found romance while actively seeking a partner (dating sites, blind dates, etc.)? I have always just let love find me. Maybe that's why I'm so bad at romance. Perhaps I should have put more work and planning into it.

 6) This week's artists, The Counting Crows, got their start in San Francisco. A famous quote, often attributed to Mark Twain, says, "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." How has the summer weather been where you are? Last week was pretty rough – storms, high winds, high humidity. It left me grumpy.

7) In 2004, when this song was popular, Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook. Have you checked Facebook today? Yes.

8) Also in 2004, we lost President Ronald Reagan. Before entering politics, he had a decades-long career in Hollywood and appeared in 53 films. Have you ever seen a Ronald Reagan movie? I've seen four. He was good in this one, where he played the most popular but also the wildest young man in a small town. There's another one, Juke Girl, also with Ann Sheridan, where he's effective, as well. Reagan and Sheridan were quite the romantic duo. As I answer this question, it occurs to me that Republicans are the ones who complain about "Hollywood" types getting involved in politics but they're also the ones who elected a movie actor and a reality TV star to the nation's highest office. I suspect it isn't that they don't want to hear from celebrities when it comes to politics, it's that they just don't want to hear from anyone who disagrees with them.

9) Random question: Describe your favorite pajamas. It's an oversized bright yellowy-orange (or orangey-yellow?) t-shirt that was a gift from my friend Henry. It's very soft.

 

 

WWW.WEDNESDAY

 

WWW. WEDNESDAY asks three questions to prompt you to speak bookishly. To participate, and to see how other book lovers responded, click here. 

PS I no longer participate in WWW.WEDNESDAY via that link because her blog won't accept Blogger comments. I mention this only to save you the frustration I experienced trying to link up.

1. What are you currently reading? Conversations with Kennedy by Ben Bradlee. Ben Bradlee and his wife Toni were pushing a baby carriage down the street near their home on N Street in Georgetown. They ran into their new neighbors, Jack and Jackie Kennedy, who were also pushing a carriage. They ended up having drinks in the Kennedy's backyard and a friendship was born. The men – a Senator and an editor at Newsweek – had a lot in common. Their wives liked one another. Their kids were the same age. This foursome hung out from that day in 1959 until the President's death in 1963. They vacationed together in Palm Beach, Virginia and Camp David. They dined together upstairs at the White House. Bradlee was a pallbearer at the President's funeral. 

 

JFK and Jackie obviously knew Ben Bradlee was a newsman. He told them he was taking notes. He promised Kennedy he would not publish anything about their personal relationship until 5 years after JFK left the White House. He waited more than a decade until after the President's death, writing this while on sabbatical from his job as editor of The Washington Post after The Post broke the historic Watergate scandal. 

 

I know from Bradlee's memoir (see below) that he gave Jacqueline Onassis an advance copy of the book and she was so offended she never spoke to him again. I read this book decades ago and didn't understand why she was pissed. I'm almost 50 years older. Perhaps I'll get it now.

 

Even if I don't, this is a view of JFK you seldom see in biographies. Bradlee was not a member of the Kennedy Administration or family. He was never a relative, coworker or an employee. Also, he was a friend of the couple. Kennedy was known for his ability to compartmentalize, and few of the people who knew and then wrote about him saw him socially as Jackie's husband. Maybe this will give me an idea of what they were like when they lived in The White House. 

2. What did you recently finish reading? A Good Life: Newspapering and Other Adventures by Ben Bradlee. It strikes me funny that Bradlee, who edited Woodward and Bernstein at The Washington Post during the Watergate scandal, could write a memoir that so clearly cried out for the steady hand of a good editor. The middle of the book – Bradlee's years in Washington with the Kennedys (see above) and then Watergate and the Janet Cooke scandal – was exciting and fascinating. But the beginning, about his childhood and Navy years, was boring and the end, after his retirement from The Washington Post was embarrassingly self aggrandizing. 

 

I was ruefully amused by how relevant this book, originally published in 1996, is today, when it's fashionable for MAGA to bemoan "what the media has become."  Oh, for fuck's sake! Bradlee mentions that FDR didn't understand why the press criticized him so, that JFK was so angry at one of the New York papers that he cancelled the White House's subscription, that Nixon resented  The Washington Post after Watergate and The Pentagon Papers, that Jimmy Carter thought it was reckless, that Reagan hid behind "national security" to try to get them kill stories ... when exactly did the media "become" bad? If you visit the Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield, there's an exhibit devoted to unflattering political cartoons published during the Civil War. Grow up and grow a thicker (orange) skin. That friction between a free press and a president is one of our greatest assets. Don't bemoan it – appreciate it. (Or just watch Fox News. Don't get me started about the Dominion Voting Systems scandal.)

3. What will you read next?  I don't know

 

  

The Podcast Post

I mentioned that I listened to many podcasts, and both Country Dew and Kwizgiver asked which ones. I've never listed them out like this before, and as I review them it looks like a lot. 

Here they are, listed by how I prioritize them. 

The Daily Beast. I love Joanna Coles, chief content officer for The Daily Beast. She's replaced Nora Ephron as the sister I believe the universe meant for me to have. She knows fashion (former editor of Marie Claire, and I love how she pairs graphic tees with blazers), pop culture (former editor of Cosmopolitan), politics and media (New York magazine). She's so smart and sophisticated and witty and I wish she would take me under her wing over happy hour at some chic water hole. These podcasts make me feel I'm getting the inside stuff about Trump's America from the most connected people.

The Lovable Reunion. My all-time favorite-most ballplayer and all-around 14K human begin, Anthony Rizzo,  is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Cubs World Series win by interviewing all this teammates, coaches and manager Joe Maddon (see below). Rizzo tells the story of how the Cubs went from "lovable losers" to world champions the way he does everything: with joy and good will. I'm surprised by how often Rizz says "fuck." I'm not judging, considering I toss f-bombs freely. It just always gives me pause.

The Book of Joe. Former Cubs manager and genuinely original thinker Joe Maddon and SI's Tom Verducci talk baseball ... and how analytics dominate all aspects of our lives ... and Seinfeld reruns ... and whatever pops into that funhouse that is Joe's head.  

The Rest Is Politics (US). The Rest Is Politics has been a popular podcast in the UK for a while, and Katty Kay and Anthony Scaramucci have launched it here. Katty Kay is well-informed and polished. Anthony Scaramucci cracks me up (though I don't know that he intends to). I believe I understand the world better after I listen to them.

Two Angry Men. Harvey Levin of TMZ and superlawyer Mark Geragos take on legal cases in the news. I am always surprised by how smart and sensitive Levin is and I appreciated his coverage of Nancy Guthrie and Rob Reiner.

Please note: I am not recommending these podcasts. While I find them entertaining and credible and quality, they reflect my passions, and I don't expect everyone to enjoy them.

 

Does she want to be alone?

I thought I was writing an inoffensive email. I was touching base with my aunt/Godmother, who has had health problems lately. I wanted to make her feel supported. I also wanted to show her a photo of Violet, my grandniece, with Violet's cousins, who had come to Michigan over Spring break to meet the baby. 

I used this TV theme song as my entrée. If you're a Boomer, you know it. Patty Duke portrayed "identical cousins," which is, of course, genetically impossible. This theme is as memorable as the show was stupid. 

I was chatty. I talked about how the lyrics to this theme were running through my head all week:

•  First with the Oscars and Sinners. I reminded her that I've been madly Oscar obsessed since I was a little girl and remain so, so naturally I saw Michael B. Jordan's winning performance for playing twins. I mentioned how amazed I am by how far the technology had come since the 1960s when Patty Duke played COUSINS, identical cousins! I asked her if she remembered the song.

•  Then with the photo of Baby Violet and her California, which I attached. I knew if it wasn't for me my aunt wouldn't see it because she has MAGA'd their mothers to death. They no longer communicate with her because my aunt is legit unable to converse without shoe-horning her hostile politics into every conversation. (Spoiler alert: she's about to do it to me. Keep reading.)

I closed the email with an update about the resolution of my problems at the card shop. I was happy to report that I'm able to sit during my shifts because of my bad back, and that Corporate HR couldn't have been nicer about it. "Of course they are. Because I'm a senior citizen and they're afraid I'll sue." I was joking, of course. I made $4,800 at this job in 2025. I'm certainly not about to sue anyone over this!

Auntie answered right away.  No mention of The Patty Duke Show, which made me sad because I was sure that shot of nostalgia would have made her smile. 

But she didn't watch the Oscars because the political posturing of Hollywood turns her off, and she doesn't want to see what the celebrities "are wearing, or most likely, not wearing." My comment about HR reminded her of "all the woke garbage" when she worked for Motorola, where "a black woman engineer was automatically golden." She liked the photo of Baby Violet and the California Cousins and said she kinda misses her only cousin, Sandy, but she hasn't heard from Sandy since last May. (Gee! I wonder why.)

She went on to detail her medical problems, which included a recent trip to the ER for vomiting and stomach pains. She's OK now, but I appreciate that this must have terrifying.

She will be 80 in May.* She is estranged from her oldest son and his kids because she can't stop being, in her adult granddaughter's words, "a racist homophobe." She has a great grandchild she's never held. My kid sister and my niece don't want anything to do with her since she called my niece and nephew "freeloaders" for their participation in Biden's tuition repayment plan. 

At least she still has me. But for fuck's sake, can't she remove her red MAGA hat for the half hour it takes to respond to my email? She didn't have to slam the Oscars, which she knows I watched and enjoyed. I gave her The Patty Duke Show off ramp. She could have just said she was happy for me, getting the stool at work. Or she could have asked what was wrong with my back. But no, she went with "the woke garbage." (BTW, I had referred to myself as "a senior citizen" because that usually makes her laugh. "You're my sweet baby niece and Goddaughter! How can you be a senior citizen?")

I have news for my Auntie. Come Mother's Day and her birthday in May, she can count on gifts from one person, and it's not Donald Trump. 

I am stubborn and I refuse to let her go. But I wish she'd stop tempting me.

I know that our President likes to chide people like me for Trump Derangement Syndrome, but it's MAGA that takes over people's lives. I don't go to the blogs of right-wingers and tell them why they're wrong, yet people have done that here. I don't tell my aunt I don't respect her beliefs, but she can't resist slagging mine. There's an inherent lack of respect, a need to make enemies out of others, that MAGA inspires. 

I can see that my aunt is lonely and I know she's not stupid. I just don't see why she can't connect the dots.

*Or maybe 79.  

 

This is not normal

Banners depicting Donald Trump now hang outside the USDA and the Department of Justice in Washington DC. No President has ever done anything like this before.

Photo by USA Today

 

Donald J. Trump is having a coin struck in his honor. It's a gold commemorative coin. No President has ever done this, either. He is also trying to have his image replace Sacagawea on the silver dollar. This is likely not legal. Whatever. She's a chick and she's not white so who cares? (Dismissing a Native American woman is such a great way to prove you're not WOKE.)

The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts is now the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. The word "memorial" here is key. Legally, and by an act of Congress, The Kennedy Center is a memorial to John F. Kennedy the same way the Lincoln Memorial immortalizes Lincoln. Will "Make America Great Again" be carved into the marble in that Memorial alongside the Gettysburg Address? Don't roll your eyes and dismiss this as Trump Derangement Syndrome. The Kennedy Center is closing in July for "renovations" and I predict that when it reopens there will be no JFK left. (And hey! How about that East Wing of the White House where our modern First Ladies made so much history? What do you bet that massive ballroom will be named for Donald J. Trump, as well?)

I don't know where you went to school or what was taught in your social studies, but I bet you were told, as I was, that we don't put our living elected officials on stuff like postage stamps or money because they aren't sovereigns or monarchs. This is part of why we fought that Revolutionary War, remember? Yet MAGA mocks us when we march in No More Kings rallies. Okeedokee.

Trump's SAVE Act disenfranchises married women. If you took your husband's name, you better never move. Because if the SAVE Act passes and you relocate, you won't be able to register to vote without proof of citizenship – likely your birth certificate, and your birth certificate doesn't have your married name, now does it? So you'll have to produce your passport. If you don't have a current passport, you'll have to apply for one. That takes four to six weeks. Oh, and after you get your passport, you'll have to contact your State Board of Elections and find out where to re-register in person. If the SAVE Act passes, there will be be no more online voter registration. If you think this is designed to stop illegal aliens from voting, well, bless your heart. It's to make it harder for married women to vote. Makes sense, since only 44% of women voted for Trump in 2024. 

Think this is Trump Derangement Syndrome again? Ask yourself how hard it will be for a man to re-register to vote if he gets married or moves. (Or me. At times I am quite grateful to be a spinster.)

Of course, instead of the arduous SAVE Act, we could just require voters to re-register by presenting the Real ID they got so they could board a plane. They had to prove citizenship to get that, so the screening is already done. That would be more efficient for the government – remember DOGE? – and it's already in your wallet. But what fun would that be? After all, we're talking about a punitive  Administration that thinks it's completely acceptable to have ICE agents ask citizens to produce "their papers" on our streets, just because of skin color or accent.  

I know this President is becoming less popular, but it's not because of authoritarian antics. It's because people are paying more at the pump and even the most Trump-y red state driver cannot possibly still blame that on "Sleep Joe" Biden, too.  Somehow that makes me sad. I wish Americans cared more about America than their wallets. 

My friend John once said of America during the last Presidential campaign, "In Berlin before the War, they didn't know they were living in Berlin before the War." He was so right.

 

Not unhappy

These have not been the best of days. Our President has plunged us into a war of choice with Iran, so people will die to keep us from mentioning The Epstein Files and that word he maintains was just made up: "affordability." No matter that between cuts by DOGE and cuts by the FBI we have lost a shit ton of the institutional bureaucratic infrastructure that keeps us safe from foreign terrorism. The important thing is that the electorate is distracted, just the way Dear Leader likes it. We must never forget that it's all about Donald Trump.

Photo by Sasun Bughdaryan on Unsplash  

And my back is killing me. It started out as a nagging pain in my heel that made walking difficult. Now it's a radiating pain across the small of my back. If I am still, I am fine. But moving is hard. I've seen the chiropractor twice and have another appointment scheduled. I am hoping to feel real improvement soon.

So it would be understandable, I suppose, if my mood were dark. But really, it's not.  

Things are better at the card shop, and I predict they will get better still.  Emily is our temp – and rumor has it, soon to be permanent – store manager, replacing Helena. Emily is, as Belle Watling said of Melanie Hamilton, "a human being." She has commonsense, compassion and leadership qualities. She is in charge of hiring Caroline's replacement, and I trust her judgement.

Also, Emily is a Hispanic lesbian of about 35 who is helping to raise her niece. Kamiliah, the shift manager I've been working with most lately, is a thirtysomething black woman with whom I have bonded over our love of our cats. One of Kamiliah's felines is diabetic and has food allergies. Early in our working relationship I could tell she was embarrassed to be taking phone calls from the vet during her shift. I told her there was no need, that I admire her for making her cat a priority. We've been comfortable and rather fond ever since. There's Mayuko, the lovely sales associate who is working to pay for her IVF treatments and has shared her journey with me. Most of all there's Zoey. A journalism major at Columbia (and a massive Beatle fan), she loves bouncing ideas off me and I enjoy encouraging her as she heads toward a writing career.

Their demographics are important to me. One of the things I missed most about my life in advertising was the diversity. Knowing people with different life experiences, of different faiths, races and ages and different sexual orientations than mine, enriches me and lifts my spirit.

 

 

Shecky is in the house!

The National Prayer Breakfast has been held in Washington DC every year since before I was born. Billy Graham was a force in its early days, helping to convince President Eisenhower to address religious, social, and business leaders from around the world. Christians, Muslims and Jews gather to talk about faith – in one another, in community and in a higher power. Mother Teresa used the National Prayer Breakfast to condemn abortion as "a war against children." Bono spoke about how his personal spiritual journey led him to Africa to fight disease and hunger.

Want to know what President Donald Trump spoke about on Thursday?

•  He mocked Joe Biden's cognitive abilities. When the response was awkward, he went on to joke that Biden "had no idea he was President so he doesn't take it personally." 

•  He dismissed Rep. Thomas Massie as "a moron." Massie is one of Congress' most vocal advocates for the victims of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

•  He repeated lies about the 2020 election being "rigged" and admitted he had to win the 2024 election to salve his "big ego."

This was a prayer breakfast, not Don Rickles at The Sands. There was nothing humble, compassionate or reflective about his remarks. (OK, he did joke about whether he would make it to Heaven.)

He didn't take this opportunity to share firmly held beliefs because he doesn't seem to have any, except that he deserves praise and his enemies deserve derision. 

Don't take my word for any of this. Here is a transcript of your President's self-aggrandizing remarks. 

That was Thursday. But no one was talking about the Prayer Breakfast any more on Friday. Do you know why?

Trump's racist post about Obamas is deleted after backlash despite White House earlier defending it.

Isn't that a knee slapper?

Just to recap: He lies at a prayer breakfast where he celebrates his own ego and uses terms like "moron" to diminish others. He is unable to keep a civil tongue in his head for 30 minutes out of respect to religiosity. Then he shares a post where the Obamas are depicted as apes but insists he's done nothing wrong. That's just two days! I'm exhausted just watching him. I guess bile gives him stamina.

But at least he is cruel to people of color and the LGBTQ community. I guess as long as he hates who they hate, that's enough for 35% to 40% of our fellow Americans.

When are his "devout Christian" supporters finally going to have enough of this charlatan?

In the meantime, the rest of us have to stay alert and active. It's so easy to feel beaten down by all this hate. But we can't afford to. 

Combat Donald Trump with love. Let his supporters be motivated by fear and anger. I'm going to act out of positivity. I'm finding mid-term and special election candidates to support, giving money to organizations that protect the civil rights of those ensnared by ICE, and strengthening my ties to my own community.

My church has placed a refrigerator and a cabinet on the porch of the rectory. This is unrelated to the local food pantry. This is for those who can't/won't fill out the paperwork at the food pantry. They are either homeless or undocumented. Since ICE invaded Chicagoland, many have been afraid to go to their jobs and so food insecurity is a real issue. Now whenever I go to the grocery store, in addition to the beans or pasta I pick up for the food pantry,* I add ramen for the pantry on the porch. It feels good.

Don't let Donald Trump and MAGA beat you down. Live your faith. Find ways to respond that lift your spirits.

 

*Our food pantry serves people who are un- or under-employed and seniors for whom Social Security just isn't cutting it. This is important work and I'm happy to support it with cash and canned goods. But there's paperwork attached to getting the food. Clients need a photo ID with an address.

Not the first time I've been this wrong

In January 2020, I was sure that Harry and Meghan stepping away from Royal duties would be the biggest news story of the year. Then everything shut down for Covid. 

I had another Great Moment in Wrongness on January 24. Elaine had invited Will and me to meet her at the deli next to the Music Box Theater. The plan was bagels at 10:45 and Barbara Stanwyck on the big screen at 11:30. I'd have to leave my home around 10:00 AM. No biggie, right?

I was surprised when I woke up later than I'd intended. Usually the cats don't let me sleep in because they want breakfast. But on Saturday, January 24, nobody was walking on me, purring and willing me awake. I padded into the kitchen and found out why.

Roy Hobbs has somehow managed to get past the childproof lock and climbed into the kitchen cabinet.  He ate through the bag and gorged himself on Connie's prescription cat food. There was kibble everywhere. For good measure, he vomited. 

So I had to wrap what was left of the cat food bag in Saran Wrap and encase it in a paper bag. And vacuum out the cabinet. And clean up the puke, all before my shower. I was running short on time. I was stressed.

Elaine was in a weird mood. I thought the movie was rather trippy. On the way home, I stopped for a burger and reflected on what a crappy Saturday it had been. I got home about 3:30, sure the worst was behind me. I'd curl up on the sofa, watch Columbo reruns, and shop Amazon for containers that lock to keep Roy Hobbs out of the kibble.

Then I turned on the TV. Alex Pretti had been shot in the back by ICE agents. While he was on the ground. Just weeks after Renee Good had been shot after telling an ICE agent, "I'm not mad at you, dude."

I remember Kent State. This image is seared on my soul. Here we are again. This anguished girl is all of us right now.

 

What the ever loving fuck. Our government is shooting our citizens in the street. Their crime? Disagreeing with the policies of Dear Leader, Donald J. Trump.

Do not tell me that Alex Pretti spat at an ICE agent and kicked out a tail light. That happened more than a week before the shooting so it's not relevant. And even if it was, those are not death penalty offenses. The officers should have arrested Pretti, not executed him in the street.

Don't you dare mention that Pretti was carrying a gun to a protest. The GOP has been arguing for decades that we all have a Second Amendment right to bear arms. And Donald J. Trump pardoned rioters who brought bear spray, zip ties and, yes, firearms to the Capitol on January 6.

I have not been the same since January 24, and no, it wasn't the kibble incident in the kitchen. Alex Pretti happened. After ICE agents here in Chicagoland haunted school parking lots and loitered outside The Home Depot and (wait for it) the children's museum in search of "the worst of the worst." After Renee Good. After five-year-old Liam Ramos was shipped away to a detention center in another state.

OK, so what am I going to do about this?

I'm sending incremental money to the ACLU. I'm working on Democratic voter registration in red states. I'm concentrating my efforts lower ballot initiatives and special elections. 

I still believe in America. I still believe in the system. 

But we are broken. Approximately 35%-40% of Americans still approve of Donald Trump. They are so afraid of the LGBTQ community and people of color that they excuse his cruelty and disregard for the rule of law. And they so often do it while wrapping themselves in my Christian faith!

Whatever happened to, "whatever you did for the least of my brothers and sisters, you did for me?" I guess they found the loophole, which is, of course, that you don't have to love brothers or sisters who are trans or brown. After all, Donald Trump has made terror and cruelty OK. Patriotic, even.

So prayer is important here, too. But I won't pray to change the hearts of  35%-40% of Americans. I have to concentrate on my own heart and not let myself get too exhausted by this blanket of unremitting ugliness.

 

PS I truly believe that ICE began entering Blue State cities as a political calculation, to change the headlines away from Epstein. Just like Greenland and Venezuela and the Kennedy Center and the East Wing were designed to distract us from Epstein. The shenanigans in Georgia are meant to rig the mid-terms and protect Trump from Epstein. I have no idea what's in those files, but he must believe it would shake the faith of his loyal 35%-40%. I want those files released, if only to put an end to the desperate self-preservation measures of Donald J. Trump.

 

These people vote, drive & buy guns

While researching the veracity of a factoid for Saturday 9, I came upon this little "joke," which was posted last week.

 

Really? Shouldn't your ass be named DJT? After all, it was President Trump who turned the White House lawn into a Tesla showroom and said he wanted to buy one of Elon's sedan EVs.

Of course, that was back in March. 10 months ago. I guess that's a long time for MAGA supporters with short memories. Though the woman who posted it does seem to remember to blame Joe Biden for whatever she doesn't like, and he's been out of office a year.

I suppose I'll just never understand the mind of a cultist.  

 

I'm sorry he's upset, or maybe I'm not

I've long known Will's politics are different from mine. There were clues on his social media – like when he was effusive on LinkedIn over his former employer's publishing a children's book devoted to Amy Coney Barrett, or his X post about Governor Pritzker. I've never engaged him. It's his social media, these are his opinions, and this is where he should express them. 

Will is the founder/moderator of our movie group and members of the group have been very outspoken in their criticism of Trump. As long as it somehow ties to the film we're discussing, Will doesn't weigh in. I've always respected him for that. 

From cnn.com

He knows where I stand on things, as I'm very outspoken on Facebook and we are friends on one another's pages. When Trump changed the name of the Kennedy Center,* I posted: Dear Leader is at it again. Who thinks this is a good thing? How soon before he begins naming airports, schools and roads after himself? I bet the first act of the privatized postal service will be a Trump postage stamp. When will be the penny be reintroduced with his face on it?

 For some reason, Will decided to respond: Plenty to get upset about. This isn't it, in my opinion.

First of all, I wasn't crazy about the tone. I don't need Will's permission to "get upset." Especially not on my own Facebook page.

Secondly, you don't have to know me long to understand that there are three topics I have down: The Chicago Cubs, the Beatles, and the Kennedy family. 

Lastly, Will used to work for a scholastic publisher. He worked with historians. If he doesn't understand the propaganda implications of Trump naming shit after himself, he should.

My response, while civil, reflected the second and third points. I let the first, more personal one, go.

Ever since, I've heard from Will over and over and over again. More than ever before. Now he thinks my Facebook posts are brilliant. In our text chain, he ❤'s that I'll be joining him and Elaine at a Barbara Stanwyck screening later in the month. He made me aware of another classic film on the big screen and offered to go along with me. Just now he sent me a link to a revival of a play he knows I like.

I feel like telling him it's fine. We're fine. He doesn't have to work so hard to repair damage because no damage has been done.

Except he shouldn't have done it. Condescending to me like that on my own Facebook page is rude. Same with this blog. If you disagree with me, fine. That's what your blog is for. Do not come into my (cyber) living room just to be provocative.

 

*Technically, he allowed it to be renamed, though if you believe he wasn't behind it, well, bless your heart. 

A candle for Henry

I attended Christmas Eve service this evening from my hotel room in Grand Rapids. I admit it was kinda neat to be in my pajamas, propped up by pillows, worshiping. I've attended Zoom church before, but I've never been this casual about it. At home, I'm always at my dining room table, and I'm never in my pjs.

The informality made it easy for me to be distracted. For example, when the choir began singing "Veni, Emmanuel," I opened another window and checked my Facebook feed. I flashed back to all those Christmas Eves I worshiped with Henry in Key West. He would not have approved of my flippancy. Raised Catholic, schooled by Jesuits, he respected all aspects of a church service and loved a hymn in Latin. When I didn't bother to stifle a yawn during the homily, I could feel Henry's side eye from above.

When we got to my favorite part of the Christmas Eve service – when the lights go down and we sing "Silent Night" by candlelight – I was rapt. But again, I was thinking more of Henry than the Christmas story. We sang the verse three times: first in English, then to show solidarity with our neighbors besieged by ICE we sang in Spanish, then we closed in English. Yes, from my tummy in my hotel room, I sang along. "Brilla la estrella de paz," or "the star of peace shines." 

Our minister told those in attendance: "As the candlelight in the sanctuary increases, so does the hope and courage and love that we bring to one another." In 2026, as we approach the midterms, I must do what I can to bring hope and courage and love to my fellow Americans. To see that the star of peace shines. That was my Christmas Eve takeaway. It may have been more obviously about Henry than the birth of the Christ child, but then again, who brought Henry into my life in the first place, and who is Henry with now? So it's full circle. It goes back to Christ exactly the way it's supposed to. 

When I'm away from home on Christmas – which has been more often than not these past 15 years – I always pack a teeny-tiny nativity scene for my nightstand. I will say a prayer tomorrow, as I do on hotel Christmas mornings. 

But that's Christmas morning. Tonight, Christmas Eve, is about candles and light and hope and courage and love. And Henry. His goodness and his example. I miss him desperately, but am grateful I knew him and am grateful that he's in Heaven and grateful I can carry him with me.

  

Photo by Kabir Tamang on Unsplash 

Religion and legislation

A young (20something) man in my movie group is a devout Jew. In addition to movies, we both follow baseball* and politics. He has educated me on what his religion has taught him about the LGBTQ community, explaining Jews are called to "acknowledge the sacredness of every human being and rededicate ourselves to creating a world where every person can live with dignity, safety, and pride." 

His rabbi has told him that abortion must be seen not in absolute terms but reviewed on a case-by-case basis. My friends Nancy and Mindy, also Jews but of my generation, have said that they were taught once a fetus is born, it's a baby. Until birth, the mother's life and decisions are honored.

The First Amendment states Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, ensuring the right to practice any religion or none at all. 

You know where I'm going with this: Why does the Religious Right feel it can/should pass laws that go against the sincere beliefs of other established religions? What about the rights of Americans who don't believe in God at all? Why is this group so willing to celebrate the Constitution yet so eager to blur or downright ignore the separation between Church and State?

At a time when Tucker Carlson is comfortable giving Nick Fuentes a platform, and Donald Trump defends Tucker for this – while demanding Jimmy Kimmel be taken off the air – this looks darker and darker. 

America should belong to all of us. Our tent should be big enough for everyone. As a Christian, I have no problem with inclusion. After all, my faith has taught me about love and activism. If I believe abortion should be rare – and I do – that's what sex education is for. That's what adoption advocacy is for. That's not what legislation is for. 

Apparently Catholics are the wrong kind of Christians in Trump's America, too. Immigrants being held here in Chicagoland are not only deprived of due process, they are not allowed to take communion. Convicted prisoners on death row get to observe their faith, but not detainees here. Maybe I'm wrong about this. Perhaps it's easy to ignore the human rights of people who have yet to be found guilty of anything not because they are Catholic but because they aren't white. Either way, I find this chilling. And more than a little hypocritical. 

I also am not for telling consenting adults what they should be able to do in the privacy of their bedrooms. Denying tax-paying gays the legal rights that come with marriage? How can that possibly be fair? What's next? Denying gays jury trials because you don't like their lifestyle? Maybe transsexuals should no longer be allowed to vote because some (by all means not all) Christians don't "approve."

To me, this is the scariest thing about MAGA: It's made us comfortable with intolerance from people who claim patriotism, but aren't willing to live it. We're complacent and don't see where we're headed. As my late friend John liked to say, "People living in Berlin before the war didn't know they were living in Berlin before the war." Of course, he was gay, so why should we listen to him?

 

*He and I disagree on the AL MVP, though. Fond as I am of Aaron Judge, I'm just in awe of what Cal Raleigh was able to accomplish with his bat this year while playing more than 120 games as catcher. What a player!

Happy Birthday to Me, Part 2

My aunt sent me a big box of teas again this year. It's very sweet, really. Since she moved to Florida decades ago, she recalls Chicagoland as an arctic tundra and wants to help me ward off the cold. The thing of it is she sends me more than I can ever drink. So I will go through the box and what I know I won't consume, I'll either donate to the food pantry or give to Will and Gregory when we meet for Thanksgiving dinner. 

She also included a festive little Christmas pin. I mentioned on Facebook that I lost one last year and was bummed about it. Again, it was so sweet of her to remember that after all this time and act on it.

What's sad about this is how small her world has become. Like many who are MAGA (or MAGA adjacent), she just can't resist telling the rest of us how very wrong we are. And reveal what a racist homophobe she is. Her oldest son, my sisters, and her adult grandchildren are all estranged from her. She has a great grandchild she hasn't seen. She's been enduring health problems – as people knocking on 80 will – and is hurt that they don't check on her. The only Mother's Day gifts she receives anymore are from me (she's my Godmother). 

I wonder if the cold comfort she receives by "being right" about Trump is worth it. 

I prefer to focus on the fact that she's one of two people left on earth who held me as a baby. I choose to treasure that she loves me and is my last tie to my favorite grandparents.*

And I cannot wait until this MAGA fever breaks and I can celebrate my birthday without Donald Trump intruding on it!

*My grandmother never missed church and was very active in the congregation and the Girl Scouts. She was every inch a lady. My grandfather was a German immigrant who was outspoken in his support of unions and Democrats from FDR to Jimmy Carter (<<< President when he died). They would be appalled by MAGA.

 

Photo by Olena Bohovyk on Unsplash

 

All is not lost

It's so easy to get depressed about the way things are going in this country. I can't believe that a full 42% of Americans have a "favorable" view of Donald Trump. It makes me sad, as much as it made me sad to hear my countrymen dismissively say things like, "If Trump thought he was a king there wouldn't be any No Kings protests." Don't these people ever stop to reflect on tea in the Boston harbor and why we don't speak with a British accent?

Well, I do.  I believe in Madisonian democracy. I follow elections. I work campaigns.

It took me three months, but I wrote 225 GOTV postcards for the Pennsylvania judicial race. Judges at the state level are important. Because these races are often off year and/or down ballot, they don't get much attention or voter participation. That makes it easy for big money and corporate interests to insinuate themselves. That's where I come in. I'm unpaid labor! I can't sing or dance, but my one talent is my penmanship. It's attractive and legible and I'm ready to use it for campaigns that that don't have money to spend.

On Tuesday November 4, my efforts were rewarded. The judges I supported were retained by the good people of Pennsylvania. It was very satisfying. 

I want to give a shout out to Postcards to Swing States and Postcards to Voters.  They have given me a way to serve and make myself heard. All it takes is time, stamps, and the willingness to contribute.

This matters. Not only to my country but to my peace of mind. 

 

My wildest dreams

 My sleep has been disturbed by vivid dreams for weeks now. I think I know why ...

I haven't been blogging daily for more than a month. I've been feeling a little too overwhelmed. Operation Midway Blitz continues to weigh heavily on my community. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem likes to say they are focused on deporting "the worst of the worst," but it's not true. The people ensnared by DHS are our neighbors. ICE has staked out the parking lot of the children's museum and detained parents at the elementary school. Landscapers have been pulled off ladders and collected from front lawns, so local teens have volunteered to rake leaves and cut grass for free – that way we can cancel scheduled yard services but still pay the bill. (After all, these workers are not only scared, they're cash strapped.) Restaurants are struggling because back-of-the-house employees are afraid to go to work and service suffers. The card shop where I work has a protocol to follow if I feel "threatened" by federal officers, who are not allowed to enter the store but can stand directly in front of the front or back doors. 

The above is just off the top of my head. I could write about pepper spray and zip ties. I could notate how detainees are denied due process. I could talk about how we're encouraged to keep our whistles and phones with us at all times, so we can first alert our neighbors to ICE and then document their excesses. 

Between undocumented workers and unpaid federal employees, the demand at the food pantry has grown to nearly unmanageable. 

This is no way to live. It's oppressive and it's with us all the time. 

Yes, I know illegal immigration has grown to unacceptable proportions. But this response is illegal, excessive and cruel, just as it's intended to be.

Donald Trump has coarsened us. He's cost us our compassion, civility and dignity – the destruction of the East Wing is an apt metaphor.

Now he's costing me my sleep, too. 

I used to think that posting about these things could become tiresome. I once worried that I was releasing malaise into the blogosphere.

But at 4:30 AM I realized that this is where I work things through. This brings me a certain level of relief during a stressful time. So I'm returning to blogging. Not only about politics and current affairs but my life.

After I post this, I'm rolling over and hopefully going back to sleep.

 

 

Photo by S L on Unsplash