A Ride Through the Pumpkin Patch

 Our trip to Chicago for a wedding included a stop at my college roommate’s home. She took me for a ride on a Gator to see the pumpkins and Halloween decor in the farm. 

Here’s the Gator parked by the greenhouses. 

 

 

Dan in plaid and Don relaxing while we were out. They had their turn on Gator too. 

Below is roommate Joyce. 

Recognize this monster? Little Shop of Horrors. 

PEAK!!!

 

Traveling

I am attending a wedding today in Chicago. We have been on the road since Monday, stopping along the way to see family in Buffalo and friends in Ohio and Illinois. Today we head into the city for a late afternoon wedding and Saturday celebrations. 

News continues to be bleak for western NC and hoping Vicki and Barbara in that area are doing ok. 

(Posting using my phone)

Saturday

Granddaughter #2 had her eighth birthday this week and the birthday party for her friends is today.

She asked her Papa to hang the pinata from our maple tree.

It will be in pieces later this afternoon.

I have had two pots of this geranium variety on my front porch all summer.  I'd like to have it next year, too so thought I'd try rooting some stems.

Five jars and five stems.  

They are sitting on the guest room chest of drawers, not in direct sun, but where there is a southern exposure. 

Wish me luck.

A Word from Jennifer

 

The Washington Post September 27, 2024 by Jennifer Rubin The media, political insiders, former Republicans and even members of Harris’s own party have underestimated her abilities to carve policy positions and reconsolidate the Democratic base. Most prominently, she has been consistently criticized for failing to articulate her economic vision. However, in two speeches — one in Raleigh, N.C., last month and one in Pittsburg on Wednesday (where she identified herself as a capitalist seeking “bold, persistent experimentation”) — as well as numerous campaign events, she has delineated a set of serious, concrete policies. These include: restoring the child tax credit; creating a $6,000 credit for the parents of newborns in their baby’s first year; stimulating the housing market; subsidizing first-time home buyers; eliminating unnecessary college degree requirements for federal jobs; subsidizing child care (thereby limiting child-care costs to 7 percent of lower-wage earners’ income); raising the corporate tax rate to 28 percent; and expanding the tax credit for start-up businesses to $50,000 (with the goal of 25 million new business applications by the end of her first term). In Pittsburgh, she added new economic policy positions: become the global leader in everything from artificial intelligence to clean energy to aerospace to biomanufacturing; double the number of paid apprenticeships; reform tax laws to allow more employee profit-sharing; incentivize investment in factory towns; and cut red tape in permitting for construction. This week, the White House announced that “the economy has grown by 3.2 percent per year during Biden-Harris administration — even stronger than previously estimated — and better than the first three years of the previous administration.” Harris has managed to reduce former president Donald Trump’s polling edge on the candidate most trusted with the economy. And frankly, she has left those complaining about her “lack of details” with egg on their faces. To the surprise of even her supporters, she has also managed to thoroughly discredit the radical Project 2025. Hammering at its extreme provisions at the convention and in virtually all appearances, she has made the document so toxic that Trump has attempted to disclaim ownership. A recent NBC poll showed voters hold an overwhelmingly unfavorable view (57 percent disapprove, 4 percent approve) of the right-wing agenda. My Post colleague Aaron Blakealso noted a New York Times-Siena College poll (65 percent disapprove, 13 percent approve) and a YouGov poll (52 percent to 11 percent). If Project 2025 is now considered a “blunder,” as Blake suggested, credit goes to Harris, who helped expose it and relentlessly denounced it. On the political front, we have heard endless reports that Trump was luring away key constituencies from Democrats — Black and young people. (The latter is due to the Gaza war, which actually does not to rank highly on their list of priorities.) The gold-standard youth voting poll from Harvard University’s Institute of Politics shows Harris has a mammoth 31 percent lead over Trump among 18- to 29-year-old voters (better than Biden’s margin of 24 points in 2020) with high levels of engagement. Polls also show Harris clobbering Trump among Black voters (attracting 82 percent compared with 12 percent for Trump among likely voters in swing states). A recent Washington Post-Ipsos pollfound, “Among Black registered voters, 82 percent say they will ‘definitely’ or ‘probably’ vote for Harris ... . The share saying they would ‘definitely’ vote for the Democratic candidate is up from 48 percent for Biden this spring to 68 percent for Harris today.” And NBC’s most recent poll showed, “The share of Black voters supporting the Democratic ticket has also increased, from Biden’s 57-point advantage in July to a 78-point lead for Harris in this new poll.” There are more than five weeks to go until Election Day, although early voting is now underway in some states. The presidential contest remains close. However, whether advancing her own agenda, knocking down Trump’s or recovering critical support among Black and young voters, Harris seems to have defied critics and exceeded supporters’ expectations. Contrary to skeptics, she has turned out to be a remarkably effective campaigner. Distinguished person of the week A batch of current right-wing pundits recognize the threat Trump poses to our democracy yet insist they do not have enough information about Harris to vote for her; many current and formerRepublican officeholders who cannot bring themselves to vote for Trump nevertheless refuse to commit to Harris. They fare poorly in comparison with other Republicans who have the spine and courage to back Harris. The New York Times reported on the latest wave of Republicans to endorse Harris: “More than 700 current and former national security leaders, as well as former military officials, endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris in a letter released on Sunday, arguing that only she had the temperament and values needed to serve as commander in chief.” One of the most heartfelt endorsements came from three past chairmen of the Maine Republican Party. They wrote:

They candidly acknowledge: “Much of the leadership of today’s Republican Party has joined the cult of Trump, and we know that they will care little for what we have to say.” The former state chairs nevertheless call on the better angels of the nature of “many honest, hardworking, principled people who — more than any party label — want what is best for our state and nation.” The group ends by paraphrasing another Republican Harris endorser, former Georgia lieutenant governor Geoff Duncan: “On Nov. 5, be a patriot.”

If nothing else, the 2024 election has sharply delineated the Republican patriots from the cultists, the democracy lovers from the authoritarians and the courageous from the spineless.

Wordless Wednesday

 

Postcards

 I finally got my 100 postcards from MomsRising.org to write a note on to encourage women to vote.

These will go in the mail on October 9th.

These are going to 9 different states: GA, FL, MI, MN, NC, OH, PA, WA, & WI.

p.s. thanks to Vicki for suggesting a message.  I used a version of hers instead of one of the suggested ones.

Some Good News -Don't We Need It?

 

Do You Know Why this Season is Called Fall?

 

Just look at the ground under this tree to answer that question.

Above taken 9/20.

Below same tree on 9/2

Jennifer Rubin says it Best

from The Washington Post

September 20, 2024

by Jennifer Rubin

What caught my eye Former president Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (Ohio), refuse to apologize for their lies targeting Haitian immigrantsin Springfield, Ohio, (who are there legally). After these attacks, a bomb threat that used “hateful language towards immigrants and Haitians” forced hospitals to close, schools to evacuate and civic events to cancel. The list of affected entities grows daily. In a CNN interview, Vance essentially admitted the claims against Haitian immigrants are manufactured. State and local politicians have condemned and debunked the attacks. Yet, Trump and Vance continue their dehumanizing rhetoric. Should anyone be injured or killed because of the havoc Trump and Vance have caused, they will be morally — if not legally — responsible. Now, Trump vows to deportlegal immigrants working hard in their communities . But there is no indication Trump and his sidekick have any concern for the people they imperil. As Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) put in on MSNBC, “He said he will lie to get attention. … If it hurts other people, … evidently, JD Vance just doesn’t care. … That’s the kind of thing that tells you who people are.” Innocent, vulnerable people are props for the Trump-Vance ticket, used to spread hate and fan White animosity toward non-White immigrants. And yet, there will still be Republicans who defend this ticket because they care too little for those affected by deliberate, malicious lies. “When we are willing to see children terrorized rather than stop telling lies about their families, we should step back, forget about our dogs and cats for a moment, and ask who abducted our consciences,” Russell Moore, chief editor of cy, wrote for the Atlantic. Such lies are “going to get people hurt,” Moore warned in an appearance on “Morning Joe.” Haitian Americans are not the only ones whom MAGA bullies endanger for political gain. This week, we learned from ProPublicathat, in Georgia, “at least two women have already died after they couldn’t access legal abortions and timely medical care. … There are almost certainly others.” The report continued: Doctors warned state legislators women would die if medical procedures sometimes needed to save lives became illegal. Though Republican lawmakers who voted for state bans on abortion say the laws have exceptions to protect the “life of the mother,” medical experts cautioned that the language is not rooted in science and ignores the fast-moving realities of medicine. Amber Thurman, a 28-year-old mother, died, thanks to an abortion ban that Trump made possible, the Supreme Court welcomed (leave it to the states!) and state lawmakers passed. She left behind a 6-year-old son. “Amber Thurman’s death was not a tragic mistake,” Leah Greenberg, co-director of progressive activist group Indivisible, tweeted. “It is the logical outcome of the Georgia abortion ban working exactly as intended by horifically punishing women who try to access abortion care.” Perpetuating bans in the face of evidence of their harm makes ban advocates morally responsible for the consequences. If a car company puts on the road a vehicle that it knows has faulty breaks, it is accountable for the deaths that ensue. Abortion bans, in essence, are defective legislative products known to endanger lives. The longer the bans remain, the more women are harmed. Amanda Zurawski, a Texas woman who nearly died from sepsis and now can no longer have children, joined 19 other formerly pregnant woman and two doctors to contest Texas’s severe abortion ban. The Texas Supreme Court rejected their case. Pregnant women remain at risk in Texas and more than 20 other states. Knowing these laws threaten the health and lives of women has not deterred the MAGA presidential ticket, their supporters or their state allies. Trump said the abortion bans are a “beautiful thing.” That’s how little he thinks of American women. Trump and MAGA followers claim to be “pro-life,” but it is hard to see this moniker as anything but a perverse masquerade designed to conceal their willingness to put others in harm’s way. Rarely have we seen politicians, let alone candidates running for president and vice president, so brazenly display their contempt for human life.

Distinguished persons of the week

Seventeen Reagan administration veterans wrote a public letterendorsing Vice President Kamala Harris. “President Ronald Reagan famously spoke about a ‘Time for Choosing.’ While he is not here to experience the current moment, we who worked for him in the White House, in the administration, in campaigns and on his personal staff, know he would join us in supporting the Harris-Walz ticket,” the letter began. The Reagan alumni continued: “The choice between truth and lies demands support for Harris-Walz. The choice between freedom and suppression of freedoms means support for Harris-Walz. The choice between serving the people and serving the few leads us to support Harris-Walz.” While acknowledging their statement is “less about supporting the Democratic Party and more about our resounding support for democracy,” they gave a shout out to alumni of the George W. Bush administration and of the McCain and Romney presidential campaigns who previously endorsed the Harris-Walz ticket. The Reagan alumni concluded: “It’s our hope that this letter will signal to other Republicans and former Republicans that supporting the Democratic ticket this year is the only path forward toward an America that is strong and viable for our children and grandchildren for years to come.” Public statements from batches of Republicans — as well as individual endorsements from Republicans such as former Illinois congressmen Adam Kinzinger and former Wyoming congresswoman Liz Cheney — help us track the list of decent Republicans who might create a responsible, center-right, post-MAGA party. They will have their work cut out for them given the overwhelming number of elected Republicans and right-wing pundits whose moral cowardice and twisted priorities prompt them to stick with Trump, even in the wake of Trump’s defamation against Haitians.

****

If there are any tRump supporters reading this blog, how can you in good conscience still support this man and think he will serve your interests if he is elected? 

Light from the West

 Looking east with the sun lighting up this maple tree in our yard.

I don't think my iPhone camera does justice to the colors showing in this tree.

I even selected vivid but still it looks more muted than it does to my eye.  Is there another setting on the iPhone I need to select?

Some Funnies

Thanks to friend, Marilyn, for sharing.

 

Fruit Flies

 Every year at some time I have to make a fruit fly trap.

A wide mouth jar, cider vinegar, and a cone of paper.

I made this one and within an hour I had fruit flies trapped.

A simple solution!

Jennifer Rubin Says it Well

from the Washington Post, September 13, 2024

by Jennifer Rubin

Two revealing surveys of religious groups in the United States 

What caught my eye The last survey from the Public Religion Research Institute tells us there is a large group of authoritarian-inclined Americans who are overrepresented among Republicans and White evangelical Christians. Republicans are about 2½ times more likely than Democrats to agree with measures of political violence: that “patriots may have to resort to violence to save our country” (27 percent vs. 8 percent); that “everyday Americans will need to ensure the rightful leader takes office, even if it requires taking violent actions” (24 percent vs. 10 percent); and that “armed citizens are needed as poll watchers” (24 percent vs. 10 percent),” the pollsters found in a survey of 5,000 Americans. Using the Right-Wing Authoritarianism Scale (RWAS), a questionnaire developed to measure authoritarian-inclined ideologies, the study also found, “Two-thirds of Republicans score high (67 percent),” compared with 35 percent of independents, and 28 percent of Democrats. Republicans who hold favorable views of Trump are 36 percentage points more likely to score high on the RWAS than those with unfavorable views of Trump (75 percent vs. 39 percent). Similarly, White evangelical Protestants are the religious group most likely to score high on the RWAS (64 percent), followed by smaller majorities of Hispanic Protestants (54 percent) and White Catholics (54 percent).” Whether authoritarian personalities are inclined to certain religious sects or those sects already foster this disposition is unknown. What we do know is that a high percentage of Americans who favor Christian nationalism are authoritarians. (Christians who believe “the final battle between good and evil is upon us” are strongly linked to support for authoritarianism and Christian nationalism.) That makes their attachment to authoritarianism essentially an article of faith, not something they are willing to rationally reconsider. And that, in turn, poses a threat to our pluralistic democracy in which religious and racial supremacy are unacceptable. Just as many Southern Christian churches reinforced and bolstered proslavery ideology, some modern White Christian sects appear to cement fascination with a hierarchical, racist and anti-democratic view of American politics. That makes it more essential than ever that all other Americans (who do outnumber White Christian authoritarians) band together to defend tolerance, civil liberties and the rule of law. At the other end of the political spectrum, Jewish Americans remain as attached to the Democratic Party as they have ever been, despite the MAGA movement’s attempts to lure them by defending Israel’s hyper-ideological, right-wing governing coalition. A new poll from the Jewish Democratic Council of America, a partisan group that supports Democratic candidates, found that Vice President Kamala Harris leads former president Donald Trump among Jewish Americans by a margin of 72 percent to 25 percent, even higher than President Joe Biden’s level of support in 2020. Trump’s antisemitic insults (e.g., agreeing that second gentleman Doug Emhoff is a “crappy Jew”; saying Jews who don’t support him should have their heads “examined”) have not gone unnoticed. “Nearly all — 91 percent — of Jewish voters are concerned about antisemitism in the United States, and Jewish voters trust Kamala Harris more than Donald Trump to fight antisemitism by nearly a three-to-one margin (60 percent vs. 23 percent),” the survey found. “80 percent of Jewish voters disagree with Donald Trump’s repeated insults targeting millions of Jewish Americans, and 84 percent of those voters think his insults are antisemitic.” Historically, Jewish Americans have leaned Democratic, citing the party’s support for social justice, unions, immigration, civil rights, access to abortion and other progressive causes. Naturally, Trump’s animosity toward all of those issues, coupled with his blatant antisemitism, have turned off the vast majority of Jews. America’s support for religious freedom has allowed a wide array of faiths to flourish in the United States. When a significant number of Americans reject pluralism and insist on White Christian domination, our democracy is at risk. Uniting America might require efforts of communal outreach and interfaith reconciliation that go far beyond politics.

Cherry Tomatoes

 The CSA that daughter Emily and I share has a plethora of cherry tomatoes.  I had a bowlful and decided to roast them with garlic, basil, salt and paper and olive oil.  400º for 25 minutes.

It smelled delicious.

An easy supper then with cheese filled tortellini tossed with the tomatoes.  Sprinkle on parmesan cheese and serve.

Dan and I didn't finish all of it so another day I'll call it pasta salad!

"Foliage Experts Predict a Colorful Fall"

 That was the title of an article in Wednesday's local paper.  The reasons given for the high expectations for color are several. 

A good growing season.

No fungal diseases like last year when the rains wouldn't stop.

A mild winter and long season has meant trees have stored up energy.

Ideal weather conditions for foliage include warm days and cool nights which are all in our weather forecasts.

But and there's always a hedge.  If we have storms and heavy winds into the peak the leaves can be stripped.

Photos from my walk on Wednesday morning.  The colors are starting.

My Political Cartoon

 

One Year Ago

 

We were in Spain, specifically Priego do Cordoba, in southern Spain.

Remembering those two weeks and sharing some random photos.

We had an apartment in the Barrio and lived like locals for our stay there courtesy of UnTours.  Everywhere you looked in the landscape were rows and rows of olive trees.  Did you notice them in some of the photos?

***

Today I'm a ballot clerk for our township.  It's primary day.  I'm on duty 8 am - 7 pm while the polls are open.  I don't know if I'll be doing this on November 5th too as I'm taking someone's place who normally does it.