Blogging Thoughts

Over the years, commenters (and bloggers) have come and gone; I try not to get too attached to anyone. (but I do anyway) They become friends through their supportive, humorous or insightful comments. Plus, being a curious sort, I always wonder what happened to them or what they've been up to! Thankfully, I've been fortunate in my blogging circle; when I've posted anything political or controversial, which I don't often do, those of a different viewpoint have been tactful and thoughtful, no name calling or insults. Not everyone is as lucky. Anonymous on a site I read excoriated the blogger who criticized a relative wearing a see-through wedding gown with black pasties and underwear while also showing LOTS of cleavage. I shuddered because it reminded me of the last years of teaching when we were accused of body shaming if we objected to seeing our students' butts, bellies and boobs. I'm not talking females only and I don't just mean cleavage; very exposed body parts are an embarrassment to a teacher on many levels. Every year it got worse and worse until finally...I escaped retired! Speaking of school, the latest shooting has me again frustrated, discouraged and flaming mad. Can we really do NOTHING about this? We are so in love with weapons in this country; I wish we were as enamored of our children's right to live without being gunned down. There are countries that have found solutions, places that also have poverty and mental illness. Yet we somehow can't make any progress forward. :( And so the violence will continue...along with more "thoughts and prayers" that do not work at all and in fact feel like a slap in the face or a big F-U. Now I'll climb down from my soapbox and go back to my normal fluff. 

For the past two days, I've been helping with a sick toddler. Today we thought he felt better until he awoke crying from his nap with bright red cheeks and a fever of 103 or so. Poor little guy! Unfortunately, Older Daughter has these in her home, and I wish I'd never discovered them. They are addictive--the perfect mix of sweet and salty. I've gone from wishing for a Trader Joe's near my house to thankful that it's too far away for regular trips. 

John has been enjoying the beautiful weather and some sights (Midway) of San Diego while staying with his niece and her boyfriend. This was their celebration after finishing the work on the 1976 Porsche 914; the brothers now THINK it's road worthy. 1,200 miles of road worthy? Gulp. 

Here is John's brother with the car which hopefully will behave on the long trek home. My week includes: a hair dye job, a lunch out, a couple of Mom appointments, some lawn mowing/yard work and a whole lot of nothing, except trying to clear up this UTI. So far, it's being quite stubborn. :( I slept about three hours last night, so I'm blaming the grumpy tone of this post on my lack of sleep, then my lukewarm mocha this morning. Also making me crabby: there was a woman changing lanes on I-5 South while texting on her phone; I can't even text while walking! Crazy stuff. 

Comments

[Bruce]

Hmm, you seem to have a lot to comment on today. I think I'll leave it someone wiser than myself. I'll just say I hope your tomorrow is better than your today.

[Marie K]

Poor little guy. Hope he feels better soon. You know, if you get off the freeway at a different exit, Trader Joe's would be right on your way to Older Daughters...just sayin'

The shooting is...I can't even think of a word. Most schools do not have reliable security, unless they were built in the last 10 years or so. Our bulletins often had the message, "Don't forget to lock the back gate," meaning we were not "protected". It's all so senseless.

[[email protected]]

Blogging friends are a new category of friendship. I've wondered myself what happenes to people who suddenly fall off on comments. I even worried that one gal, an older blogger who has had health issues in the past, may have died. She didn't -- whew!-- she just quit commenting on my blog. Maybe politics? Who knows.

[Ed]

Wow, you left a lot to unpack in your opening salvo! Yes, bloggers unfortunately come and go. There are many that I really miss still after all these years of having gone silent. Others, not so much. I've come to learn that blogging in a sustainable fashion is definitely not for everyone.

I think how you respond to differing viewpoints on your blog dictates the sort of responses you get. I comment sometimes on other blogs that respond with the same tired name calling and cheap shots and things get heated at times. Others like yours, do a lot of biting your tongue and trying to see things from someone else's perspective even if you don't particularly agree with them. I try to go this latter route. Finding other bloggers that try to do this as well becomes another blogger I treasure.

Not having been a teacher, the dress codes of today have suddenly sprung up on me. What my kids wear (and it labeled as overly modest by today's standards) would have got them sent home back in my day. Every handful of years, school uniforms gets brought up and I'm always very much in favor of them for this and other reasons, but have come to realize I'm in a minority.

It is sad to see another school shooting. I can't imagine what those parents are going through. But they will keep on happening because all we can do as a society anymore is bicker at applying band aids. Someday I hope that we realize that this problem just didn't come along gradually and with the invention of modern guns. This has been happening for several generations as our parenting standards have shifted. Instead of parents doing the parenting, we are asking our neighbors, babysitters, school teachers, etc., to teach things once taught at home and instead of time spent at home teaching those things to our children, we are sitting our kids in front of electronic screens watching shows full of violence or playing games that practice using violence. At least from my perspective, I see no countries with solutions to this problem. All I see are countries that are just behind us by a generation but are on the same path we are. I think it is pretty evident that violence is increasing worldwide, not just here. Until we undergo some paradigm shift on how we raise our kids, I think we will continue to see stuff like this, only in changing forms as we stop one would with a band aid.

[Maureen]

The violence not only in schools, but any gathering spot has made me cautious and saddened for our society. Even though it is not in the cards right now, I do keep looking at other saner, more peaceful countries in which to spend my time and money in the future.
My daughter was a common fever child and the bouts would last a week. Always a challenge to working parents - they are so lucky to have you to help.

[AC]

I didn’t run into the clothing problems that you had to deal with. We did have a rudimentary dress code that seemed to work.

[Pam J.]

I had a Porsche 914. Bought it in 1973, gave it away (!!!) to a friend/first child's babysitter in 1983. Regretted it ever since. My heart jolts every time I see one.

[DrumMajor Linda in Kansas]

Okay girl, you may want to consider to keep taking your bladder relief orange medicine pyridium (one of the over the counter AZOs) until the antibiotic is finished. No use being miserable just because that is an option. I presume the 103 degree fever with the baby was mentioned to the doc? Many kids go to the ER with 103 fever. The shootings will keep happening until the assault weapons ban is in position again. Interesting little Porsche. Both boys look too tall to "wear" it. My Mom's 2-seater Mercedes felt like a metal bra trying to get into it. Just Say No to that fancy chocolate! Good luck, Linda in Kansas

[Susan]

I love chocolate too and your TJ's chocolate sounds addictive. My Functional Medicine doc told me to switch to Endangered Species dark chocolate (70%), if I must have chocolate. School shootings are diabolical. Once again, this tragedy signals we need change. Mental illness is surely a factor. Gun laws and ownership needs to change. Dress at school is quite shocking. Why do parents think showing skin at school is ok? Not only is it inappropriate, it is distracting. I feel for teachers today. The Porsche is looking good. If John and his brother can keep it running well, all should be good. I hope N is feeling better today.

[Doug M]

Margaret, so sorry to read about your sick toddler (and ongoing UTI) but you have me drooling over that chocolate bark with the sea salt! The sexy wedding getup sounded funny and intriguing, but I am absolutely clueless when it comes to what kids are wearing to school these days. I'm staying with my sister this week as you know, my niece is a senior in high school and I've noticed she wears leggings to school which surprises me a little. But my sister insists all girls wear them. As for the awful Nashville shooting, why won't this country wake up and realize we have no business owning all these damn guns! 😔

[Deb]

I suppose I should encourage you to look for positives- given that I am also supposed to be searching for the same, but f it, sometimes things just aren't all that positive and it makes no sense to seek out futile attempts to be cheery. I will say the car is very cute (can cars actually be cute?) and would be great fun on a coastal adventure, but only if there was no worry about breakage. Your little's seem to be in that stage where illness outranks everything else and sadly there is no end in sight. It is a constant in the life of a young, working and growing family and so hard to deal with.

[Luftmentsch]

I also get attached to other bloggers and commenters and then wonder what happened when they disappeared.

There are countries that have found solutions

Other countries don't have the Second Amendment and the NRA, though, or gun culture in general. Mental illness is just a convenient scapegoat.

[Pam Donaldson]

Oh, poor baby. I hope he's feeling better.

Guns - American gun laws are totally bewildering to British people. You're allowed to have guns?? Why?? Well, I know why but it doesn't at all seem a good reason. We have some knife crime here, but you can't kill masses of people with a knife.

[PipeTobacco]

Yes, the shooting is horrendous. But... IMO.... the new method of reporting with scant analysis of the motive/background/history of the assailant is IMO actually making the problem worse. I think the thought was (when information about MBH of the assailant started to become quite limited) that it would make the crime less "glamorous" to other potential assassins. But, I think the lack of the psychological issues related to these events is further numbing folks to their horror. Now it is is becoming somewhat of a number.... sort of like a lottery number... nothing more in a lot of folks eyes. It is very sad.

John's beer looks like it may be especially good! Is it a small batch brew from that area?

The chocolate looks wonderful (and addictive). And that Porsche is wonderful! It would be fun to ride in even if there is a bit of ambiguity of its long-term drivability. :)

PipeTobacco

[StoicWannabe]

It's always hard when bloggers you've been following a long time go, especially when there's not much explanation or any way to stay in touch. It always leaves me wondering if they're okay and what else has happened in their lives.

I have peeked at the headlines, but they're so horrific and I'm feeling like I can't handle it right now. I will see them later. I think our founding fathers would be horrified if they knew what the right to bear arms would lead to. It was such a different time and tone back then that apparently they couldn't have foreseen what tragedies would be taking place now.

I hope you feel better soon. Those UTIs are miserable and can linger. I used to take concentrated cranberry capsules to try to help ward them off.

[Ally Bean]

I miss so many bloggers. I write something, think how they'd like it, then realize they'll not be reading it. There were a few years when I knew everyone who commented and looked forward to seeing their comments, reading their posts. Now, I barely know who comes and goes from my comment section. Many are strangers really. It's no longer a bunch of friends getting together over drinks to dish on life.

[Wendy]

What a cute little car. I hope its road worthy too! Yikes!
So sorry little guy is sick. This year has been the worse here than I have ever had
in daycare for sickness. Not fun for the little ones, parents or the back up help to
watch them. So gook that you are able to help out. That is a GREAT reward to being there,
that dark chocolate candy. ;-)
I'm sure you think someitmes that I am gone, and I usually am for a couple weeks at least. Sorry.