How is it that the more things change, the more they stay the same?  This post aired in April of 2014. Obama was president, and Hillary Clinton was aiming to run in 2016. You all know the end of that story.

By 2014, I’d recovered from a stroke, had a retina reattached, uterus removed, stent placed in a major artery, and aneurysm detected in another major artery. I like to think I was wise enough not to ask the fates, “What else can go wrong?” 

Fast forward to 2018. A few days ago I was diagnosed with (another!) urinary tract infection. The following morning, I was in the ER as the infection had spread into my kidneys. I’m now resting, feeling nervous about getting behind at work, and taking strong, strong antibiotics. 

Four years ago, I set these goals. Today, I reaffirm those goals. I want to turn Wisconsin blue in the fall elections, but I won’t be any good to anyone if I’m too sick to help.

To maintain my physical and mental health, I will NOT:

• sign online petitions. It’s too easy, and therefore often meaningless to those in power.
• forward emails that call themselves Memes. It’s a chain letter, people, don’t kid yourselves.

To further maintain my physical and mental health, I WILL:

• learn about the candidates and become an informed voter
• vote and encourage my family members to vote, too
• remind friends and coworkers to vote (even on FB)
• donate small amounts of money to candidates I support
• for good vibrations, wear my Team Obama t-shirt from fall 2012
• blog!
• keep calm, and garden on. It’s cheaper than therapy, and in the end I’ll have tomatoes.