7th Day Surprise: GET FRESH

Plant a seed...

Spring is here and so it's time to tend one's garden.
Starting anew means a fresh start.
Who knows what the outcome will be?
However whatever happens
something is sure to blossom.

CAN YOU DIG IT?

IS IT ME OR THEM?

Full of bull
I'll admit it. I'm a curmudgeon. Or as some of

my more graphic friends might suggest, a rear 

orifice. Taurean by birth I'm full of bull. Thus

once I've made my mind up get out of the way.

Throughout my life change has been anything

but an evolutionary process. Rather I've had to

be dragged kicking and complaining from here

to there. Via crisis, someone else, or any other

phenomena beyond my control. The good news

being that ultimately I adapt to whatever, when-

ever, however. The bad part being that I hold

a grudge. Not simply for years but forever. In

that once my heart is broken - it can't be fixed.

Talk to the hand
Not that I'm a bad guy. In fact I hope that most

who come my way see positive intent. However

if backed into a corner - especially one not of

my choice - I put an end to the foolishness that

bothers me. Better to cut one's loses and move

on. However like every other human being I'm

inconsistent. Hence some folks get a hug while

others are sent to the nearest exit. Said varying

degrees of separation being based on kindness.

You give a little and I'll return the favor. Hence

while reciprocity is not required, it often makes

everybody feel like they've won. The question

being when is enough... enough?

Pros and cons
Few of us like to disagree. Long ago I found

that avoiding the inevitable only makes things

worse. Many try to save things not worth

saving. Rather than embrace defeat they self-

flagellate in order to win at all costs. Like the

current focus of the Republican party. Our red

compatriots opting  to reject both reality and

facts. Compromising not only their ethics and

morality but our democracy in the process.

When did deceit become one of the most key

of conservative Republican principals? Is it

me? Or are they simply fooling themselves? 

Let's hope they wake up before it's too late.

JOIE DE VIVRE

La nuit porte conseil
Lately I've been dreaming in French. For many

reasons it seems my mind is on France. That's

probably due to my addiction. I simply can't get

enough of those youtube vloggers chronicling

chateau restorations. Suddenly plumbing, and

painting, and pruning are fascinating when it's

French. Hence all of my night visions now take

place across the pond in a much more elegant

locale. One where chic rules. And everybody

behaves in a kinder, gentler, and very civilized

manner. Which obviously only proves they are

dreams given reality is anything but that. Well

at least the proverbial American Dream

Impossible n'est pas français
I hate birthdays. At least for me the very idea

of celebrating one's age is nothing more than

an exercise in mortality. Blowing out candles

simply confirms that we might be snuffed out

at any minute. Hence this year I will celebrate

my imminent demise en mode Francaise. By

discreetly refusing to embrace the fact I am

older. An art that most French women have

long perfected. Consider all of the fabulous

French beauties who lived life to the fullest.

And then disappeared. Preferring to live out

the balance of their lives far away from it all.

Out of sight. Out of mind. Out of touch. 

Tout est bien qui finit bien
Which is exactly where I am today. While there

are times when I miss Manhattan - I'm happy to

live in the middle of no where. Each morning

I now walk to the store. During said short jaunt

I marvel at the mountains sitting on the horizon.

Along with enjoying the fact that all that I need

is within walking distance. Somehow the older

we get - the smaller our own sphere of influence

becomes. While some consider such a deficit as

losing ground - I prefer to embrace the idea that

less is more. Especially as the clock is ticking.

Therefore I need to make the most of the little

time that I've got left. So why not live it up?!

Faux pas
Here in America it's become acceptable to

ignore the facts. Embracing fantasy versus

reality. Yet somehow our approach to false

pretenses falls short when it comes to elan.

Some of the chicest parties of the twentieth

century occurred in France over the months

before Hitler captured Paris. Hence maybe

I shouldn't worry about our political schism.

Rather than argue - we should dress up, get

drunk and nibble on pate'. An approach to

obfuscation that I hope to embrace on this

day of my birth. La vie east trop courte

pour boire du mauvais vin!

LOST IN THE TRANSLATION?

La nuit porte conseil
The night brings advice.

Impossible n'est pas français
Impossible isn't French

Tout est bien que finit bien
All's well that ends well

Faux pas

Missed steps

La vie east trop courte pour boire du mauvais vin!
Life is too short to drink bad wine.

HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF

Hysterical context
The adage "how quickly we forget" rings true.

Human beings naturally put things in the past.

Over looking prior transgressions in order to

move on. Yet ultimately time puts events and

actions in historical context. Usurping a rush

of emotion with the reality of facts. Hence all

that is here today might are gone tomorrow. 

A lesson waiting to be learned at a later date. 

When we're finally able to see things for what

they are. Understanding all of the factors that

contributed to whatever happened. Along with

hopefully using said knowledge as a guide to

avoid future errors in judgement.

Heroes amongst us
Our country is now working through a crisis

of truth. Many would have us forget the facts.

Hoping that in doing so they can avoid the

inevitable. Like seeing Donald Trump for the

man he truly is. As former Republican leader

Liz Cheney stated - it's a battle for truth. Fact

versus fiction. Or as many argue good versus

evil. Fighting seemingly insurmountable odds

requires bravery. History shows that few are

willing or able to rise to such an occasion. So

it is always the minority. A very few who lead

us to a better place. Even when that requires

dragging us kicking and screaming.

"It is what it is"

Ultimately all this will come to an end.

Inevitably the truth prevails. Thus every

dictatorship fails when their constituents

finally see the light. Its heroes like Ms.

Cheney who shine bright - even when

they've lost their power. Hence while

I loath her politics - I deeply appreciate

and respect her bravery. And hope that

others of her ilk will join her quest for

truth. History shows that this is just the

beginning. Slowly America will follow

her path. Leaving Mr. Trump far behind.

Which is exactly where he belongs. 

IT'S THE GYPSY IN ME

It's in the bag
All of a sudden it was almost five before

I realized I hadn't written a blog. Obviously

my mind has been anywhere but in the land

of montanaroue. Which is rather odd given

that said forum is thebclearing ground for

my often rather convoluted thinking. Maybe

it was because I started the day off in a bad

place given I awoke post a nightmare. One

in which I'd mistakenly checked my Birkin

with gypsies. Who held it ransom. Which

given it contained my computer, checkbook,

and handwritten record of on-line passwords

meant I had to pay up. So... I did just that.

It's in the mail
I guess I'm still suffering from post traumatic

stress syndrome. While my legal troubles are

now over that hasn't stopped my worrying

that somehow they're just starting. Hence I'm

living life on the edge. Which makes the idea

of gypsies hijacking my man bag  feasible.

Yesterday I got the mail out of our box. And

there was a letter from the I.R.S. Immediately

I thought the worst. So I let it sit for a couple

of minutes as I stewed in my own juice. Then

I opened it. Only to find a letter from President

Biden making sure I'd gotten my due in Covid

relief. And what a relief that was!

It's all in my head
Obviously I'm my own worst enemy. But not

without reason. Within the last year I've been

unfairly sued and a victim of a digital scam.

All while I was trapped in my house. Living

in fear of catching a virus that might kill me.

Meanwhile at least half of America believes

a madman should still be in the White House.

So why wouldn't I assume that a pack of evil

gypsies are waiting to take me for everything?

BECAUSE that's just ridiculous. The fact is

nobody is out to get me but myself. Therefore

I need to stop the foolishness. Relax. And get

on with life. Better late than never!

A MATTER OF OPINION?

Signs of the times?
This week in Washington D.C. the Republican

party will oust Liz Cheney from leadership for

telling the truth about the big lie. The supreme

manifestation of what some term as "cancel

culture". Normally definitive dismissals are

driven by beliefs, principals, mores, or other

violations of rules of order. Said constraints

of which the offending party has in theory

violated. Yet inevitably the need to "cut" is

also the manifestation of other's arrogance,

piety, or ignorance. Hence being shunned can

at times be considered a badge of honor.

Pledge of allegiance?
What's different is that Ms. Cheney's removal

is driven by nastiness. A purposeful punitive

action designed to damage her. And while I'm

anything but a fan of the lady in question - we

must take offense at any group's inability to

engage in a dialogue. It's obvious that some

members of the Republican party aren't willing

to consider alternative opinions. Hence their

ambition to win back the House and Senate is

causing some to narrow their options. Forcing

all to join in Donald Trump's continuing battle

to usurp fact with fiction. And rip this country

to shreds in the process.

Split decision?
As some scumbag once said "it is what it is".

Group denials aside, history can't be changed.

Hence the election results along with events

of January sixth can't be ignored, denied, or

subjugated. The problem is that Ms. Cheney

refused to do just that. Creating a problem

for those revisionists who prefer to proffer

their alternative reality. So will good usurp

evil? Fact defeat fiction? Ultimately yes. Yet

as often proved it takes longer than expected.

Leaving this democracy vulnerable in that

empowering those who purposefully ignore

truth endanger our collective freedom.