Sunday Stealing

Getting to Know You 

1) Describe yourself in three words. Loyal. Introverted. Short.

2) What's your favorite dish at your favorite restaurant? The chicken parmesan sandwich.

3) Did you set goals for 2026? If yes, how are you proceeding toward them? My New Year's Resolution was to donate/rehome every month, and I was doing so well! Note that "was." Between fall being warmer than usual – which means I still haven't put my summer clothes away yet – and Postcards to Voters taking up so much of time, I skipped September and October isn't looking too promising either.

4) What's something you have learned the hard way? Just about everything. 

 

5) If you could skip one item on today's to-do list, what would it be? Laundry. But it must be done!

 

Cold and warm water, too!

 

 

Photo by Miguel Bruna on Unsplash 

Final total: 238

Now is the time for all good wo/men to come to the aid of their country. In the lead up to Tuesday, November 3, I've done (drum roll, please) 238 postcards.

Through Postcards to Swing States, I wrote to 200 registered Ohio Democrats. If Sherrod Brown doesn't reign victorious, it's not on me.

The Coke bottle is there for proportion, and because I couldn't have done this without caffeine.

Through Postcards to Voters, I wrote 20 for James Talarico in TX, 10 for Roy Cooper in NC and 8 for David Jolly in FL

When people tell me that while they're appalled by Trump and today's GOP, "but there's nothing I can do," I point them to these two postcard organizations. Trump has only been able to flex his Authoritarian muscles because the other two branches of government haven't been holding him accountable. So down ballot races – judges and aldermen through state legislatures and governors up to Congress and Senator – are key. From ICE on the streets to The Kennedy Center takeover to waging war in Iraq without the Congressional approval to Epstein and grift, none of this is legal. All of it could be stopped/slowed if we elect qualified people who will do their jobs. 

My late blogging buddy, Book Mama, turned me on to this. I can never send enough thanks to her in Heaven. I refuse to be helpless! Book Mama gave me this way to participate, to make a difference. We are not helpless!

 

 

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? Murder at the Movies by Alicia Malone. A 30-something Hollywood publicist named Audrey inherits a house and an old movie theater on an island just off the coast of Maine. So she pulls up stakes and heads off to make the theater a success as a revival house, showing the classic films she loves. Unfortunately, on the night of the grand reopening, someone dies. Was it an accident, or murder? (The title answers that for us.)

 

This is the first of a "Movie Palace Mystery" series by my girl Alicia Malone. (There's another coming out this summer.) Alicia is one of my favorite hosts on TCM and has authored non-fiction about film so I know she can write. As cozy mysteries go, she's avoided some potholes. Example, what makes Audrey think she's qualified to investigate anything, much less a murder? Alicia addresses this rather neatly. Also, this book is filled to the brim with movie references, so I'm captivated. I especially like how when she introduces a new character, she says who should play them in the movie.

 

So I'm enjoying this thoroughly. Of course, I'm the target audience. I mean, cozy mystery series AND old movies? I'm so in! 

 

2. What did you recently finish reading? Bill Clinton: Mastering the Presidency by Nigel Hamilton. This book is devoted to the Bush-Clinton transition and the first four years of the Clinton Presidency. I found it fascinating, illuminating, and ultimately very upsetting.

 

Hamilton gives us a Bill Clinton who is highly intelligent and empathetic, who wants to do good, but doesn't know how accomplish it. Hamilton – a Brit – repeatedly blames this on Clinton's lack of military experience. Bill simply didn't have the training or experience to be a chief executive. I'm a Clintonista and willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, but I don't buy it. He was Governor of Arkansas for more than a decade. He had no excuse for the chaotic start to his presidency except that (in my humble opinion) he trusted the wrong people and didn't want to make anyone close to him unhappy. Compulsive people pleasing is the flipside to all that empathy. 

 

Once he got the hang of being President, he was good at it. Better even than I recalled. I knew the economy was gangbusters and I credited his approach to deficit reduction. I forgot how he shored up Social Security and Medicare. In real time I was proud of the FMLA and remain so today. But I forgot how influential the US was on the American stage, and the affection/trust world leaders had for Bill Clinton. He was key to peace in Northern Ireland and the Bosnia and made us a trusted partner in international environmental issues. (Remember, we're still only in the first term here, too.)

 

But his first term was scandal plagued, and here's where it gets tricky. Hillary Clinton was greedy and not always scrupulous with the family finances. Whitewater was all her, and she didn't cover herself with glory. But it also happened when the Clintons were still in Arkansas, and the amount of money involved always was small. (The initial investment was $20,000; $60,000 adjusted for inflation.) Compare that to the grift going on now. From the White House. In broad daylight. The Trump family has monetized everything from Don Jr.'s wedding reception to the President's social media posts. 

 

Then there were the sex scandals. Remember, this is the first term. At this point, the press was unaware of Monica Lewinsky. But there was Bill's offhand harassment of Paula Jones – yes, I believe her and not him – and Troopergate. I'd completely forgotten Troopergate. But Bill Clinton was personally involved with trying to silence the Arkansas state troopers who once protected him by offering federal positions so they wouldn't talk about him getting blow jobs in pick-up trucks (among other places). It was tawdry. It was shameful. It's unseemly how unable he was to control his appetites. But still, shall we talk about Stormy Daniels? Is it time to mention Epstein yet? 

 

While we were unaware of Monica, the affair took place during Bill's first term and so Hamilton covers it.* I feel for her. It's a story as old as time: she was in love and he got laid. A man with Bill Clinton's ability to read people knew she was vulnerable and damaged and he took advantage of her because for no greater reason than that he could. The power differential is completely unacceptable. But she was 22 years old. By her own admission, she made the first move, flashing him her thong. How I wished he had responded to that not with a kiss but with a transfer to another federal building. As appalling as the Lewinsky story is – yes, I believe her, too – it doesn't hold a candle to Epstein. Monica Lewinsky was in the White House by choice. She was not trafficked or seduced. She was not a minor. (My mom had two kids at 22 years old.) 

 

So strangely enough, as I read about the lowest points in Clinton's first term, I felt like defending him and Hillary because they are nowhere near as appalling as Donald Trump. This book was written as George W. Bush was beginning his Presidency, when Donald Trump was still a developer, so my reaction was not Hamilton's intent, but there it is. I'm outraged by our lack of outrage today. What has happened to us?

 

Also, this book made me long for a time when the world liked us. So yes, in spite of it all, as the Fifth Dimension once sang, "Bill! I love you so, I always will ..."

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

 

  

 

*Though not the impeachment.

Sunday Stealing

WHAT? 

1. What are you currently excited about? Nothing. That's not as negative as it sounds. There's next to nothing on my calendar this week and I'm looking forward to a lot of reading, naps, and marking things off my to-do list.

2. What do you wish you had more time for? Reading, naps, and marking things off my to-do list. Like finishing my handwritten GOTV postcards. I committed to 230, and it's taking longer than I thought it would. (I know, I know. Writer's cramp is not a high price to pay for citizenship. I just get angry at my own sloth sometimes.)

3. What would like to do less? Clean the litter box. I love my cats beyond measure, but sometimes it feels like I'm forever wrinkling my nose and then grabbing the scoop.

4. What do you spend too much money on? Everything! Though it must be my imagination, since my President keeps telling me "affordability is a Democrat hoax."

5. What childhood wish never came true? I am not Lady McCartney.

6. What did you do to celebrate your last birthday? Joanna planned a wonderful day for me. We saw a theater production based on Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, then we had a late lunch at legendary Walnut Room. She is so sweet to fuss over me like this.

7. What drives you nuts? That so many people don't see what's happening. We're sliding into authoritarianism. Our President is in Dear Leader mode, slapping his name on everything and building monuments to himself. His Truth Social posts are unhinged, vulgar and cruel and we're all pretending we don't notice. Just like we have moved on from the January 6 riot and our own citizens being shot by ICE in the streets. We are at odds with Canada – Canada, for fuck's sake! – and we act like this is normal. We have a Secretary of Defense who insists on calling it War and is glorifying testosterone while decrying inclusion. We've become so LGTBQ-phobic that somehow this is OK. So many who stubbornly continue to embrace Donald Trump and his self-dealing, self-aggrandizing and bullying loudly, loudly proclaim themselves as Christians. So much for the old Golden Rule. If the November 3rd Blue Wave does help us right our ship of state, it makes me sad that it will be because voters don't like the cost of diesel, not because they are unhappy with any of the above.(Hey, you asked.)

8. What keeps you sane? Humor. I laugh a lot. Often at myself.

9. What historic date is etched in your memory? My sixth birthday. 

10. What one thing would make your life immeasurably better? That Donald Trump allows us to speak truth to power on Tuesday, November 3, without casting doubts on the results ... or worse. BTW, that one thing would make your life immeasurably better, no matter where you are in the world.

 

 

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? Bill Clinton: Mastering the Presidency by Nigel Hamilton. I am a Clintonista. I worked on both of Bill's presidential campaigns and am proud of it. Eight years of peace. Eight years of that economic rising tide lifting all ships. He was a Washington outsider, still just in his 40s. A Baby Boomer taking over the mantle from two WWII-era Republicans. This was going to be our time.

 

I forgot how exciting and messy – incredibly messy – the beginning of his first term was. As I read this book, it all comes back. Nigel Hamilton is a Brit with a talent for writing about American Presidents. His JFK: Reckless Youth is not only my favorite Kennedy book, it's one of my favorite books ever. But Hamilton doesn't do hagiography. I know I'm going to read some less than flattering accounts in this book and that's fine. I want to learn, not adore.

 

2. What did you recently finish reading?  50 Movie Nights by Dave Karger.   The TCM host asked 50 celebrities to name the movie they would recommend for a movie night. It had to be a movie that touched them in some way and made a lasting impression. Their responses surprised and delighted me.

 

CNN's Anderson Cooper chose Apocalypse Now because after he saw it as a kid, he wanted to travel up the river with those men and tell their stories. Ty Burrell chose the Pink Panther and explained how his lifelong love of Inspector Clousseau influenced his portrayal of the lovable goof Phil Dunphy on Modern Family. Now I'm not a big fan of either of those movies, but I loved those stories. I loved all 50 stories. There is affection on every page of this book, and it has given me new movies to look for and familiar movies to rewatch through fresh eyes. 

 

PS So many of these movie memories revolve around going to Blockbuster and perusing the aisles. I didn't realize how much I miss that experience. Streaming curates and makes recommendations based on my viewing habits, which is super convenient, but I miss being able to go exploring.

 

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

 

  

 

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.