You might live in Wisconsin if you find yourself driving along next to a truck that announces “It’s the cows!”
The secret of Kemps –
Sing it with me: “I hate to start a battle, but those other cows are cattle!”
On that note, I think I’ll go make some ice cream. Peppermint, maybe. Or eggnog. ‘Tis the season.
Like the rest of the world, we had a hard time last week, listening to the news coming out of San Bernardino, California. Two circumstances brought it close to home: that the shooting was in a center that served adults with developmental disabilities, and that a school for the blind was directly across the street.
News folks talked to a leader at the center from the blind, announced that no one there was hurt, and they had in fact sheltered some who ran from the shooting site. We felt a small amount of relief.
Then we took a collective deep breath and went on with our lives. Amigo put on his costume for the Barbershop Bistro show, and we headed out of the house. Chuck and Amigo left their phones behind. I set mine on vibrate and tucked it deep in my purse. When we arrived, we set the sad world news aside for a little while.
The show had a 1940s theme. Here’s Amigo.
Just a few weeks earlier, we’d been at the local museum for the Festival of Trees. Can you find Amigo in the group? At first, neither could I. He fits in very well.
Jingle, Jingle, Jingle!
Music soothes. It can’t take away the violence, but it can take us out of the big bad world for a little while, lower our blood pressure, and celebrate being together with those we love.
I had to read this three times before I really believed it was on the air, in the crawl at the base of the screen on a local shall-remain-nameless evening news show.
The Wisconsin state assembly passed a bill doubling the limit on campaign contributions and allowing candidates to coordinate with shadowy special interest groups without debate.
I’m not sure which is worse: the obvious bias or the split-all-to-heck descriptor. No, I take that back. The worst part of this sentence is that it’s true. The state assembly passed, without debate, a bill raising the ceiling on campaign contributions, among other changes. Meanwhile, voters are still waiting for a response to Russ Feingold’s proposal, The Badger Pledge.
I guess I’ll just keep going to work, grading essays, teaching students how to coin a phrase better than our local news folk.
I tried to ignore Trump’s latest show of prejudice and ignorance. I couldn’t do it. This one, mocking a disabled person, hit too close to home. Follow the link to the result.
Who Needs a Bully in the White House?
Ah, yes. It’s time to remind myself (as if I needed the reminder) of my personal rule: No New Wrapping Papers. I give in on ribbons, invisible tape, and a few other basics. But as for wrapping paper, I dig in my heels.
Wrapping paper is:
I am lenient on the re-use of gift bags – key word, re-use. I stuff the aforementioned bags with reused and reusable tissue. Sometimes we even decorate a plain bag with small scraps of re-purposed wrapping paper.
Keep sending the old fashioned snail mail holiday cards! Besides enjoying them, we reuse many cards as gift tags. I cut circles out of cards to make decorative tops for canned goods (pickles and jams, especially).
My family still gives me a hard time when I carefully unwrap big packages in order to re-use portions of the paper. That doesn’t stop me from doing it.
I ran into a dilemma yesterday. What about buying wrapping paper at a thrift store? Well, that kind of purchase doesn’t waste as much money, and the purchase price often goes toward a good cause. However, gift wrap purchased elsewhere is still rarely recycled or recyclable, and still not suitable for fireplaces. It’ll still fill the garbage bin, too. I decided not to buy it.
Readers, can you help me expand on the environmentally sound wrapping wisdom? Comment if you can.
Subtitle: The Tunes and the Stories – The Christmas music CDs and the stories they bring to mind.
I did some sorting today. Here’s the result – or most of the result. I think a few are missing. I have La Petite’s She and HIm. Maybe she has my Michael Buble. And where’s the Josh Groban?
It’s beginning to sound a lot like Christmas!
I sorted through our Christmas music collection and organized it – as best I could. This brought conversations like the following.
John Denver goes after the Ray Charles, or maybe I should file this under M for Muppets. Does Charlie Brown Christmas belong under C for Charlie, B for Brown, or G – for Vince Guaraldi? Mannheim Steamroller almost needs its own section.
Pentatonix, the Blenders, Rockapella – and then a random compilation of a capella performers. Sting, Taylor Swift, the Swingle Singers, Take 6. Oh, and after Mannheim Steamroller come the Nylons and Olivia Newton-John. Wait a minute. Newton-John comes before Nylons.
Amigo enjoyed reminiscing, too. I ran into a Malt Shop Memories CD – lots of oldies, lots of fun. He remembered that Jan and Dean had a great Frosty the Snowman on that collection.
Chanticleer, Charlie Brown (for now), Burl Ives, Al Jarreau, Spike Jones. That one must be Amigo’s. It goes well with his Dr. Demento collection, which includes the adorable ear worm “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas.” You’re welcome.
Chuck sorted through the collection many years ago looking for background music for something he was doing at work. In the process of sorting, he realized we had 10 covers of Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. Just for fun, we decided to burn a CD of all Rudolph. Before we could do that, we needed Burl Ives. We found him (he’s filed next to Al Jarreau, see above) and then found out we really needed Gene Autry. We found Gene Autry in an odd place for music – an office supply store. Years after creating the CD I call the Rudolph Compendium, we’ve found a few more. The Temptations? Really? Cool.
Ella Fitzgerald and Michael Franks fit in after Gloria Estefan – one of my favorites. Just think – Gloria came to the United States as a young refugee from Cuba.. She and her family were safe from persecution here, and she found her way into a career that brings joy to many. In fact, I think I’ll bring her “Christmas through your eyes” CD to school with me tomorrow.
It’s time to fill the cubicles with music.
Readers, do you have favorite songs around this time of year? Is there a story behind the song, or a story behind one special cover by one special performer? Please share.
Dear Governor Walker;
I am concerned and rather embarrassed that the governor of my fair state has followed the Republican pack and denounced refugees that might seek a home in our state. Demonizing displaced Syrians is no way to lead.
Sincerely welcoming Syrians, Daisy
Dear Speaker Ryan;
Using your newly acquired soapbox to encourage prejudice and bigotry does not make you look strong; it makes you look uninformed and weak.
Seriously doubting the Speaker, Daisy
Dear #12 (Aaron Rodgers, if anyone needs a reminder);
In your position as award-winning NFL quarterback, you often have opportunities to speak to many. In denouncing the rude person who shouted anti-Muslim sentiments during the moment of silence, you used that opportunity to make a strong statement. The teacher in me loves that you used the phrase “prejudicial ideology” – the human in me loves that you took a stand.
Packer stockholder and lifelong fan, Daisy
Dear Senator (not for long if I can help it) Johnson;
I’m really getting tired of the misleading third-party commercials. If you can’t control them, you could at least show your disapproval by signing and honoring the Badger Pledge. Unless, of course, you approve of those negative ads – or enjoy their twisted support.
Decidedly Democrat, Daisy
Dear Russ (Feingold, that is);
I respect and appreciate your grass roots strategies. You are reaching out to everyday, ordinary people, and that’s where you’ll learn what Wisconsin citizens really need. That’s also how Wisconsin citizens will get to know you again and vote you back into the Senate where you belong.
Progressively Yours, Daisy
The rain barrels are emptied and turned upside down.
The cushions are inside.
Onion and garlic are planted; we’ll see if they come up in the spring or if the winter critters dig them up. I saved a few bulbs and cloves, just in case.
The lawn and the leaves got mowed into mulch one last time and dumped on the garden plots.
Lawnmower is in the shed, and snowblowers are in the garage.
Winter jackets are in the mudroom, and the windbreakers have been through the wash and put away.
Gloves and mittens sit in the back hallway where the baseball caps used to be.
I have pumpkin spice coffee in the coffeemaker.
I’m ready, Winter. Bring it on.
One of the biggest trending topics from the recent debates was this: the wifi passwords at each venue.
Username: RNCDebate
Password: stophillary
They thought they were clever – forcing every member of the media or other attendee who wanted wifi to type “stophillary” into their devices.
Ha-ha. The decision makers forgot a key detail: Democrats had a debate coming up very soon. Predictions, anyone? Results:
Network name: 13MillionNewJobs
No Password. The Democratic Party is the party of inclusion and we believe in expanding access and economic opportunity for all.
There you have it, readers. The Democrats stayed classy. They resisted the opportunity to attack any individual, and instead restated their own agenda.
Taking the low road with tacky humor points: Republicans.
On the high road with positive attitude and strategy points: Democrats.
I know which organization I’d rather support. Now, please, can we move on to serious issues? You’re welcome.
