I was going to write about darning. You know, the process of fixing or repairing holes or worn-out areas in fabric, woven or knitting goods using just your hands with a needle and thread. It’s something our grandmothers all learned to do at an early age, but somehow it’s become a lost art. During the pandemic I learned a Japanese technique called Sashiko to repair an old pair of corduroy pants. I wore them recently and noticed the other knee was getting rather thin. My knees have the same ‘use by’ date, so why wouldn’t my pants? Of course, I could just let my knee poke out, but I’ve resisted that fashion transgression so far.
And then over the weekend we went to war.
In the middle of diplomatic talks with Iran, Mr T and Mr N of Israel decided to bomb Tehran. And depending on your news source, your point of view, our country is slowly waking up to a new reality. There was no Pearl Harbor, no supposed weapons of mass destruction, no reasoning behind this decision, albeit whispers of ‘regime change.’ The spin from White House sources makes me dizzy, now they are hoping to sell the story of stopping their nuclear program. Period. Instead, France is boosting its nuclear arsenal.
The death toll in Iran is 747, so far.
Let’s not forget, during Trump 1.0, back in 2018, we withdrew from President Obama’s multi-nation Iran nuclear deal. Mr T ripped it up and spit it out because he’s a vengeful man. Abandoning this Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPA) left our allies holding the bag and imposed economic hardship on the Gulf. Now we have an unchecked, unbalanced president willing to put American lives at risk.
The death toll of American service members is 6, so far.
I opened my editor Lisa’s blog this morning. She was planning a trip to Israel to see her grandchildren for Purim, but her airline cancelled her flight. She had baked hamantaschen to bring along for this fun, festive Jewish holiday. Instead she got to video chat with her family sheltering in a bunker. Her grandson asked her if we have sirens here. https://lisakwinkler.wordpress.com/2026/03/02/flight-to-israel-cancelled-again/
The death toll in Israel of civilians and soldiers is 12, so far.
And yesterday, yesterday Melania Trump spoke to the United Nations Security Council in NYC, where she actually lives, advocating “peace through education,” saying: “… that nations should promote the values of tolerance and “empathy for others, transcending geography, religion, race, gender” and denounced “rigid thinkers who embrace prejudice and shun human dignity… When a nation restricts thought, it restricts its own future.” No, I am NOT making this up. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/02/us/politics/melania-trump-un-peace-education.html
The death toll of an Iranian elementary school for girls is 165.
How can we fix this? Can our elected legislators even begin to mend the damage this administration has done? Our journalists need to step up and keep covering the Epstein files. He was allowed to continue his network of influence, bribery, corruption and sex trafficking because seemingly good people stood by and did nothing. Silence and indifference fueled the Holocaust and continue to haunt us to this day. One brave reporter will not let it go, and I recommend following Anand Giridharadas’ “The Ink” on Substack. https://open.substack.com/pub/anandwrites/p/epsteins-network-of-bystanders?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web
I had to stop on my way to the Farmers Market on Saturday. Our newly blooming cherry tree was humming with bees. Tikkun olam.
MountainMornings 