Summer

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What is Juneteenth and Why Does it Matter: A Short History | Journey to ...

 From Heather Cox Richardson's Substack today... 

Her Substack: Letters from an American

 LET FREEDOM RING!!! 

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The Church of What's Happening Now

Up, down, one side, then the other, back, front,

Air, water, flora, fauna, oceans, continents, Earth.

Us.

Spirit.

All.

Chaos.

Shhh. Be still...and know...

What happened?

Where did it start?

When will it change?

How does it end?

Who will stop it?

We do not know.

Shhh. Be still...and know...

Turn down the volume

Find truth

Share with kindness

Love with no conditions

Look! that eyes may see

Listen! that ears may hear.

Rise! with each other...

Part the curtains of chaos...

Soar with Eagles.

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Waging Aging: Are the orange peels in my kitchen trash can attracting gnats, or am I seeing eye-floaters?

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Of Dreams and Daymares

Everything is upside down and backsliding

Come out from under your bed and quit hiding

Stop the destruction

Of our Constitution

Throw the bums out, then bring in good tidings

I need a good song right now...   Bread and Roses

*About the song and poem...

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Music and Art Matters

Why I hate vacuuming: It drowns out Capprecio Italien coming from the app on my smart TV. Why I don't hate dusting quite as much as vacuuming: I can listen to all of Bolero while I dust this small apartment. That's how long it takes... one rendition. But only if Keoni isn't playing in the orchestra, since I sit down and watch for the camera to focus on the violists for a moment or two. Ah well, I can tune in The Pines of Rome to help me finish. (I can also iron two men's shirts in one rendition of Pines, but I don't iron anymore.)

Then there's grocery shopping. It's fun to pick out what I need and look at stuff I don't need. But then there's the haul home. I'm tired, and driving home is ahead. That's when Siri keeps me alert and tunes my car radio to Boogie Wonderland, followed by Funky Town. I feel kinda cool 😎 thumping into a parking space at my senior apartments. But if traffic moves slowly or I have to wait for the SEPTA commuter train to get out of the way, I can sing along to Down to the River to Pray. 

Lately, and I mean late, I do laundry down the hall and bring my sketch book with me instead of asking Siri to time the load, then going back to my apartment. Time flew as I sat there with pencil and pad. 

Sometimes, if I'm feeling a bit down, it's great to hear Waylon and Willie appreciating a Good Hearted Woman. If I still need a lift, Hallelujah Chorus can step in. 

Tuesday, I sat in on a drumming group up on the third floor of a part of this senior establishment. I had high hopes for it, but it was disappointing except for the view of trees out the window, so I went to my group of Tuesday artists. I was late, but managed to make an image for today. Say, hello to Rose...

Ry Cooder gathered together The Buena Vista Social Club (full album) players, who, by then, were of advanced years. When I'm getting ready to go out to a concert or something special, I like to hear Pueblo Nuevo's ancient player rendering this piece of Cuban jazz. He reminds me that age doesn't matter when the strings of our hearts are strummed.

All around us, strumming happens. Each day, we get to find out where or when or how or who or what, and that's the adventure.

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100 Days Later

January 20th, 2025

In Silicon Valley
there was a shout,
“Move Fast. Break stuff!”
so something else
might (might!) be built.
Drunk on that ethos brew,
breaking our government
of,
by,
and for
The People
commenced.
What!? There are other people!?
People!?—There are too many kinds!
Government!?—Too many laws!
Civil Servants!?--Too many. Fire them!
Spirit!?—That's for suckers!
Compassion!?—What's that?
Forget common sense
generosity
friendship
neighbors
helping
justice
free expression
safety
health
art
our good Earth.
Forget all that!
But hang onto...
greed
ego
power...

April 1, 2025
The auditorium fills with people
eager to learn...
yearning, angry, hoping,
questioning, and listening.
They want
and I want
to know how
to stop the breakage
of our country's foundation,
the harm to Earth
its people
our people
to everything.
How to stop the cruelty
the corruption
the arrogance
the lying.

April 5, 2025
We are The People!
We remember!
One hand
joins another hand
and another...
still another.
The crowd in the meeting hall
spills over into the street
until there are streets
filled with people
and signs
and spirit
and caring
even love!
Courage leads.
Truth is told.
Many hands
of many kinds
reach for each other,
their selves seen
in each other's eyes.
A song breaks out,
a spark flares...

Illuminates!

The way forward
becomes clear.

            --JM

 

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Waging Sanity in a Bonkers World

We need...

...and...

(Aidan's brain child.)

From Wendy.

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