I wake to the sound of chainsaws in the morning. FEMA drives along our streets, picking up piles of trees with a gigantic claw, like the roadside children’s arcade full of stuffed toys. One day we saw the National Guard cutting up limbs in our neighborhood; I felt conflicted, happy to see them but still wary of their motives because our government can no longer be trusted. We have become a nation where people disappear. We have become a nation with an ICE body count.
The ice storm clean up continues as robins reappear in our yard and the temperature climbs toward 70 degrees today. Finches vie for position at the BirdBuddy feeder, sparrows become aggressive. My phone lights up, seems there’s a party going on – a downy woodpecker is clinging to the side and pecking through the seeds, scattering many below for the squirrels! Then a brilliant red cardinal swoops in, all captured by the tiny camera linked to our WiFi. These are the moments of joy that sustain me. Birds and bunnies…
“THE ONLY THING MORE POWERFUL THAN HATE IS LOVE”
We watched the Super Bowl aka ‘Benito Bowl’ last night with our Nashville family. I made a NYTimes recipe for chicken teriyaki that is loosely associated with Seattle: “In Seattle, teriyaki is omnipresent, the closest this city comes to a Chicago dog.” https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/06/dining/06unit.html You might be asking why a former Pittsfield, MA resident was rooting for the West Coast. My brother Dr Jim told me the Seahawks quarterback was traded from the Vikings, after winning 14 games; it was a stupid move. So this ex-NewEnglandFan reveled in the Washington victory via Minnesota, if you get my drift.
The Bride served Mexican with ALL the fixins; and some of us actually watched the football game. The Pumpkin, a fledgling rock guitarist himself, was impressed with Green Day while I felt tugged back to the 90s with a heavy metal band in my garage. Did you know that Green Day’s front man Billie Joe Armstrong had urged ICE agents to quit their jobs at one of the pre-bowl-super-parties? He said Mr T would drop them like rocks when the MAGA gig was up, and that they should, “Come on this side of the line.”
But Bad Bunny’s Halftime Show brought Latina music and culture home. HOLA! He was brilliant, and his message of inclusivity was apparent to everyone. In between letting dogs in and out and guacamole with tacos, I found myself moving to the beat. I didn’t quite understand how Lady Gaga fit into the scene, but Ricky Martin was a sight for sore eyes. I loved him before and after he came out as a gay man, and I adore seeing him on Apple’s “Palm Royale.” I bet Carol Burnett enjoys working with his sexy pool boy character. Season 2 is a blast people.
Meanwhile, silence is filling the House as Ghislaine Maxwell pleads the Fifth this morning. I’m shocked! She appeared virtually from her clubhouse prison with her emotional support dog where she is serving time on sex-trafficking charges. Her lawyer wrote on X, “Ms. Maxwell is prepared to speak fully and honestly if granted clemency by President Trump.” Which sounds like a Catch 22 if I ever heard one – the guy who wants to shield himself and his friends, the billionaires who frequented Epstein’s parties, is supposed to pardon her so she can tell the truth? Good luck with that.
Tonight the sound of Mahjongg tiles will also bring me joy. I’m starting to get the hang of it and I’m feeling proud of myself, learning something new. Stretching my mind a bit. And I’ve got a little whistle in my purse now, in case I need to put my lips together, and blow.
MountainMornings 