This is a great time in this course of my life, to find the "present moment awareness door". In doing so, I am mostly able to separate this monsters "weave" of crap he's been deluging us for years with. Even a simple moment of focused, steady deep breathing might be a helpful tool in your kit as well. By default, each and every one of us has the backs of the others, some perhaps less resilient, in some way, or another. This is the largest, most motivated and concentrated group of Americans to ever participate in such a massive undertaking. See the day in your mind's eye when trump is but a passing memory. Time ! I know, I know. Breathe. Deeply, Repeat as needed.
Your comment made me think back to some advice I got from my 1st CPO when I was an Ensign; "Always remember the mission" and "Never trade your troubles for anothers because at the end of the day, there are people in the world that are worse off than you no matter how bleak your troubles may appear to you today."
"See the day in your mind's eye when trump is but a passing memory. " The time will come, of course. But we need to minimize the damages and keep the ship floating. We can constantly raise voices against his policies.
Heather Cox Richardson, thank you. I need a night off (more than one). The picture is perfect for the weather in a large part of the country. Stay warm. Rest up as the next month is going to be a wild ride.
I protect myself from yukky experiences such as modern America. I am a well-trained professional trumpet player, classical, and find refuge in works from the Baroque and Renaissance... and Romantic periods... and Rag Time and Jazz up to Dave Brubeck. In Spring I will plant my community garden again...corn, pumpkins, squash, zzzzzucccchini....to make tummies happy... and I grow hay to make horses and cows happy... and watch Canada Geese fly overhead heading to wherever they go...and nestle into thoughts of helping people from wrongful convictions... and my four dogs and my kitty...If you have Netflix, this movie will help: The Only Girl in the Orchestra...oh, and a great family movie, Radioland Murders with Mary Stuart Masterson...and tomorrow, I am making peanut brittle with Spanish peanuts and pistachios for me and friends...and a lamb stew with pearl barley and carrots for dinner. ...and a piano recital on Wednesday for the Billings Music Teacher Association meeting. Stay well and hug yourself and everyone you know and love. ... and plowing snow all day...
To make art is the finest refreshment I've ever known. I'm back to work on a libretto for a one-act comic opera based loosely on "Gianni Schicchi." I've found a classical composer who's interested in writing a score for it. If I hadn't found him, I'd have used Puccini's score with contemporary English lyrics. It's called "Donny Skeezy," and here's what I make of O Mio Babbino Caro sung by Iwanna, Skeezy's spoiled manipulative daughter:
Sounds perfectly delightful, EB, reminds me that a lamb stew would be perfect for this Artic weather! And that I recently removed all the tomato and pepper remains in my garden (I saw that my daffodils are up 2") and I'll be planting again at Mother's Day, which will be here soon enough. I shall watch The Only Girl in the Orchestra. Another great movie for now is Perfect Days, so calming!
So, what do you do in your spare time, Dr. Oppenheim? Thank you for the movie recommendations. We will need relief valves in abundance for the next little while. If you have others, please share them!
In the lull, I’ll say this: I hope it is ok to address you as Heather, so Heather: Your newsletter and insights are a source of daily inspiration and hope in times that are personally and professionally challenging for me, and certainly many, many others. We are in “unprecedented times” in terms of U.S. history, world history, climate change, challenges that are systemic to our democratic republic’s founders vision. And, we are left with unflavorable icing on this cake with complete personal economic & financial uncertainty that evaporated with our innocence a few decades ago. So, I know I am one of many who finds your steady and seemingly unshakable ability to think and write wisely as a huge blessing in my existence, one not to be taken for granted.
I hope you are here writing for a long, long time. I hope you continue to connect events in these times with periods in history where our ancestors had the forbearance, patience, and perseverance to maintain and navigate a course where we’d otherwise have frozen, sunk, been blown up by chaos, or otherwise failed. You’re a brightly shining light! Thank you sincerely for your contributions.
That photograph makes me happier than ever that I live in Southern California. I was brought up on the east coast and went to college in the Hudson River Valley, and never had a problem with cold, snow, ice, and wind. But now, after having lived in SoCal for over 30 years, my blood seems to have thinned.
That’s Molly’s Cove and our house is just out of frame to the left. We’re in the south of France during winter and return in the summer. Heather’s made of sterner stuff.
I was born and raised a ninth generation Connecticut Yankee. I spent thirty years in San Francisco, and then came back home. I just wish I had made a recording of the fog horns.
If you have no Winter, you have no Spring either. I think, I hope, the same goes for politics.
I grew up in northern VT and while I remember some very cold days riding in those old slow chairlifts, NYC is right up there for climactic coldness! Dark, damp, wind off the rivers. Brrr.
Agree. I lived in NYC for seven years, and I think the coldest place I've ever been in my life was subway stations in late February after Manhattan had been frozen since early December!
The fishermen walked out on the lake yesterday morning, stopped, shook their heads, and walked back to their trucks on shore. Happily, today it is 18° (or less!) and will be most of the week.
My late husband always said, Helen, that "there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes." I remember that now and walk most days, partly to get in my daily steps, but have learned to buy light weight warm-as-toast long coats, furry hats, warm gloves, warm socks and boots. My cardiologist suggested using a mask to keep my lungs warm in this very cold spell.
You make an excellent philosophical point. While I prefer the sunshine of SoCal, we also pay a price for it. Wildfires that last for days, and torrential rains that also go on for days, and feral cats that give birth year-round instead of just in the Spring and Summer. I'd move back east, but my wife, who is native to SoCal, would not. Cheers.
My outdoor kitties huddle in the enclosed back porch, which has a heater just for them! They go out after the sun is well up to practice their sun-worshipping religion. I think they were all Egyptian in former lives. :0)
Yes Joel that photo brings back memories of growing up in SDak then young adult years to SoCal where we’ve raised our kids & now our grandkids are young adults. Each place had new adventures and different individuals to recognize as good and worthy family of friends. I’ve come to believe our diversity is enriching. It’s all worth caring about in my 70’s to continue to take part in trying to preserve this experiment in governance for our grandkids to raise their future children and grandkids. So we must appreciate the likes of Heather and the others we have to provide the perspective needed to keep on. Somehow we to will get through this history. I wish all of you and yours a year to remember
Our diversity is indeed enriching, but too many Americans reject it. And while I agree we, the people, will get through what is coming, I'm not sure the country will remain in its present form. As with all things, time will tell. Cheers.
Me too, after 10 years in AZ moving from snowy Nor CA! When the temp here go below 50 I start searching for hats and scarves and heavy coats. Heather’s picture had me shivering!
I encourage you to take more of these snapshot days off because what's coming will be hard. Jan 20 will be hard. Buddy's photos give so much beauty and solace. Yours is the only news I subscribe to and read right now, so when you take a break I get one too. Tell Buddy "thank you."
I have decided I will watch nothing on Jan 20th. It will be a sad day for democracy. We must remain vigilent but let them sink in the deep hatred which will fill their days. They have nothing to offer to better our country.
There are marches planned all over the country on Jan 18. Thr Women’s March committee is sponsored. The Manhattan version will take place in Foly Plaza near the state Supreme Court. Please attend. I have Ben given the green light to perform my anti Trump songs. I am humbled and proud.
Let me know if you need a RESIST sticker to put on your guitar case. I just got one, and there isn't room on my car for more stickers unless I paste it on top of something else.
When Is It Appropriate to Fly the Flag Upside Down?
Civil unrest: Communities experiencing civil unrest can fly the flag upside down to bring attention to the issues at hand.
Political turmoil: Events of political turmoil such as a crisis, scandal, or breach of democratic protocol, could allow an individual or group to protest by flying the flag upside down. One reason for this is they are protesting the actions taken by the government or the implementation of policies that may threaten the values and principles of the United States. In recent years, politically active Americans would often fly the flags upside down to protest the current presidential administration. For example, left-leaning Americans would do this to express their disapproval of then-President Donald Trump. Even political protests for national abortion rights featured upside-down U.S. flags to signal their disapproval of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, including the restriction of abortion laws in conservative-leaning states.
Personal distress: Interestingly enough, an individual may fly the flag upside down on their property. If it isn’t for political purposes, this could signal that they may be facing personal distress. This could include anything from financial hardship, illness, or other danger to life. If you see someone flying their flag upside down, it could mean that they need your help. Consider checking in with them to make sure they're okay. Otherwise, consider contacting your local authorities to request a welfare check on the individual.
That looks like a black and white photo, but it looks like there is a faint hint of color on the hull of the boat. I suspect that it is a color photo and that nature was not offering anything but black and white at that moment.
We need, more than ever, to rest our minds and hearts for the days ahead. Thank you for your steady wisdom.
In life's dance, we need space to breathe,
To gather the peace that moments bequeath.
A little time off, a gentle reprieve,
To dream, to heal, to simply believe...
This is a great time in this course of my life, to find the "present moment awareness door". In doing so, I am mostly able to separate this monsters "weave" of crap he's been deluging us for years with. Even a simple moment of focused, steady deep breathing might be a helpful tool in your kit as well. By default, each and every one of us has the backs of the others, some perhaps less resilient, in some way, or another. This is the largest, most motivated and concentrated group of Americans to ever participate in such a massive undertaking. See the day in your mind's eye when trump is but a passing memory. Time ! I know, I know. Breathe. Deeply, Repeat as needed.
Well said my fellow Shipmate.
Your comment made me think back to some advice I got from my 1st CPO when I was an Ensign; "Always remember the mission" and "Never trade your troubles for anothers because at the end of the day, there are people in the world that are worse off than you no matter how bleak your troubles may appear to you today."
Aloha ... tjb
Good reminder.. & attitude adjustment ! Thank you !💕
Boilerman third class USS Georgetown AGTR-2. 68-70. Sister ship to USS Pueblo. “Research “ they called it. Huh!
My 1st boat was USS WHALE (SSN 638) back in 1984.
"See the day in your mind's eye when trump is but a passing memory. " The time will come, of course. But we need to minimize the damages and keep the ship floating. We can constantly raise voices against his policies.
And, my oh my, have you ever earned it!! This is such a beautiful, peaceful image.....perfect. Sleep tight.....both of you ✌️
High praise from an incredible photographer! Go Buddy!
Heather Cox Richardson, thank you. I need a night off (more than one). The picture is perfect for the weather in a large part of the country. Stay warm. Rest up as the next month is going to be a wild ride.
and hardly just "next month" but gotta remember to take tactical breaks and just divert, healthy walks , activities
Oh, I know it’s more than a month
I protect myself from yukky experiences such as modern America. I am a well-trained professional trumpet player, classical, and find refuge in works from the Baroque and Renaissance... and Romantic periods... and Rag Time and Jazz up to Dave Brubeck. In Spring I will plant my community garden again...corn, pumpkins, squash, zzzzzucccchini....to make tummies happy... and I grow hay to make horses and cows happy... and watch Canada Geese fly overhead heading to wherever they go...and nestle into thoughts of helping people from wrongful convictions... and my four dogs and my kitty...If you have Netflix, this movie will help: The Only Girl in the Orchestra...oh, and a great family movie, Radioland Murders with Mary Stuart Masterson...and tomorrow, I am making peanut brittle with Spanish peanuts and pistachios for me and friends...and a lamb stew with pearl barley and carrots for dinner. ...and a piano recital on Wednesday for the Billings Music Teacher Association meeting. Stay well and hug yourself and everyone you know and love. ... and plowing snow all day...
Wonderful! You sound like a joyous Renaissance man: Doctor, lawyer, musician, gourmet cook!
Wonderful!
The polar opposite of the main MAGAt and his magettes. May you be metastasized all around the land.
I’m going to watch your movie suggestions tonight….after my long, Sunday hike….thanks!
As a horse owner, I sure do appreciate good hay! Every late spring I stress about the weather!
Love your post and ideas EB Oppenheimer. Thank you!
To make art is the finest refreshment I've ever known. I'm back to work on a libretto for a one-act comic opera based loosely on "Gianni Schicchi." I've found a classical composer who's interested in writing a score for it. If I hadn't found him, I'd have used Puccini's score with contemporary English lyrics. It's called "Donny Skeezy," and here's what I make of O Mio Babbino Caro sung by Iwanna, Skeezy's spoiled manipulative daughter:
Oh, daddy, daddykins dearest
Gerry is the hottest thing!
C’mon let’s go down to the pawn shop
So I can buy him some bling/
It’s not about just a quick tussle
If he don’t feel how I feel
I’ll climb that rusty trestle
And sleep tonight with the eels.
I yearn for him in agony
God bring that man to me…
Daddy dear, have a heart, help me!
Dad won’t you please help me!
Very PDQ Bach! Bravo!
Would love to get your lamb stew recipe.
Sounds perfectly delightful, EB, reminds me that a lamb stew would be perfect for this Artic weather! And that I recently removed all the tomato and pepper remains in my garden (I saw that my daffodils are up 2") and I'll be planting again at Mother's Day, which will be here soon enough. I shall watch The Only Girl in the Orchestra. Another great movie for now is Perfect Days, so calming!
So, what do you do in your spare time, Dr. Oppenheim? Thank you for the movie recommendations. We will need relief valves in abundance for the next little while. If you have others, please share them!
In the lull, I’ll say this: I hope it is ok to address you as Heather, so Heather: Your newsletter and insights are a source of daily inspiration and hope in times that are personally and professionally challenging for me, and certainly many, many others. We are in “unprecedented times” in terms of U.S. history, world history, climate change, challenges that are systemic to our democratic republic’s founders vision. And, we are left with unflavorable icing on this cake with complete personal economic & financial uncertainty that evaporated with our innocence a few decades ago. So, I know I am one of many who finds your steady and seemingly unshakable ability to think and write wisely as a huge blessing in my existence, one not to be taken for granted.
I hope you are here writing for a long, long time. I hope you continue to connect events in these times with periods in history where our ancestors had the forbearance, patience, and perseverance to maintain and navigate a course where we’d otherwise have frozen, sunk, been blown up by chaos, or otherwise failed. You’re a brightly shining light! Thank you sincerely for your contributions.
So eloquently written. Yes, we need you.
One thing, Rick, that makes me hopeful, is that more voters, like us, did not vote for DJT but rather for Kamala, 1% less than DJT, and 2% for Others, and the counting continues (see the %s below the Electoral Vote #s:. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/11/05/us/elections/results-president.html
That photograph makes me happier than ever that I live in Southern California. I was brought up on the east coast and went to college in the Hudson River Valley, and never had a problem with cold, snow, ice, and wind. But now, after having lived in SoCal for over 30 years, my blood seems to have thinned.
That’s Molly’s Cove and our house is just out of frame to the left. We’re in the south of France during winter and return in the summer. Heather’s made of sterner stuff.
over there "chilling" eh! My daughter did a 10 day stint on a horse riding ranch a couple years ago, then ... bought herself a horse!
I checked out some images of Molly's Cove online. Looks very nice, and very swank. And, in HCR's photo, very, very cold.
Cheers.
I was born and raised a ninth generation Connecticut Yankee. I spent thirty years in San Francisco, and then came back home. I just wish I had made a recording of the fog horns.
If you have no Winter, you have no Spring either. I think, I hope, the same goes for politics.
"I've never had a colder winter than the summer I spent in San Francisco" -Mark Twain (Sam Clemens)
I had a similar experience - and my family hails from northwestern Maine :)
I grew up in northern VT and while I remember some very cold days riding in those old slow chairlifts, NYC is right up there for climactic coldness! Dark, damp, wind off the rivers. Brrr.
Agree. I lived in NYC for seven years, and I think the coldest place I've ever been in my life was subway stations in late February after Manhattan had been frozen since early December!
The fishermen walked out on the lake yesterday morning, stopped, shook their heads, and walked back to their trucks on shore. Happily, today it is 18° (or less!) and will be most of the week.
Cold does get harder as we get older, like me, but I wouldn’t trade the 4 seasons for anything. ( from Michigan)
My late husband always said, Helen, that "there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes." I remember that now and walk most days, partly to get in my daily steps, but have learned to buy light weight warm-as-toast long coats, furry hats, warm gloves, warm socks and boots. My cardiologist suggested using a mask to keep my lungs warm in this very cold spell.
You make an excellent philosophical point. While I prefer the sunshine of SoCal, we also pay a price for it. Wildfires that last for days, and torrential rains that also go on for days, and feral cats that give birth year-round instead of just in the Spring and Summer. I'd move back east, but my wife, who is native to SoCal, would not. Cheers.
Brrrr! My only reaction to the photograph. Born in California and never left.
Born in Providence, Brrr…
lol, totally understood! No way my half-indoor kitties are venturing into -14C this very chilly morning.
My outdoor kitties huddle in the enclosed back porch, which has a heater just for them! They go out after the sun is well up to practice their sun-worshipping religion. I think they were all Egyptian in former lives. :0)
Yes Joel that photo brings back memories of growing up in SDak then young adult years to SoCal where we’ve raised our kids & now our grandkids are young adults. Each place had new adventures and different individuals to recognize as good and worthy family of friends. I’ve come to believe our diversity is enriching. It’s all worth caring about in my 70’s to continue to take part in trying to preserve this experiment in governance for our grandkids to raise their future children and grandkids. So we must appreciate the likes of Heather and the others we have to provide the perspective needed to keep on. Somehow we to will get through this history. I wish all of you and yours a year to remember
Hi, Pat -
Our diversity is indeed enriching, but too many Americans reject it. And while I agree we, the people, will get through what is coming, I'm not sure the country will remain in its present form. As with all things, time will tell. Cheers.
Me too, after 10 years in AZ moving from snowy Nor CA! When the temp here go below 50 I start searching for hats and scarves and heavy coats. Heather’s picture had me shivering!
my computer puts a label on this picture saying 'may be arctic'.... I guess Maine is part-way there!
An excelent suggestion. Sleep tight and stay warm.
I encourage you to take more of these snapshot days off because what's coming will be hard. Jan 20 will be hard. Buddy's photos give so much beauty and solace. Yours is the only news I subscribe to and read right now, so when you take a break I get one too. Tell Buddy "thank you."
I have decided I will watch nothing on Jan 20th. It will be a sad day for democracy. We must remain vigilent but let them sink in the deep hatred which will fill their days. They have nothing to offer to better our country.
The peace of the photo is like that of Japanese snow prints. Thank you and may you sleep well.
There are marches planned all over the country on Jan 18. Thr Women’s March committee is sponsored. The Manhattan version will take place in Foly Plaza near the state Supreme Court. Please attend. I have Ben given the green light to perform my anti Trump songs. I am humbled and proud.
Sun Tzu in the Art of War says:
"In day battle use more flags and pennants
In night battle use more drums and bells
Drums and bells, flags and bells are means by which one unifies
the ears and eyes of the people."
Let me know if you need a RESIST sticker to put on your guitar case. I just got one, and there isn't room on my car for more stickers unless I paste it on top of something else.
That’s nice of you. I don’t do stickers anymore since my homemade sticker about Nixon saying: “I didn’t vote for him did you?”
Mine said: "Don't blame me. I'm from Massachusetts!"
"Vote NO for President"
When Is It Appropriate to Fly the Flag Upside Down?
Civil unrest: Communities experiencing civil unrest can fly the flag upside down to bring attention to the issues at hand.
Political turmoil: Events of political turmoil such as a crisis, scandal, or breach of democratic protocol, could allow an individual or group to protest by flying the flag upside down. One reason for this is they are protesting the actions taken by the government or the implementation of policies that may threaten the values and principles of the United States. In recent years, politically active Americans would often fly the flags upside down to protest the current presidential administration. For example, left-leaning Americans would do this to express their disapproval of then-President Donald Trump. Even political protests for national abortion rights featured upside-down U.S. flags to signal their disapproval of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, including the restriction of abortion laws in conservative-leaning states.
Personal distress: Interestingly enough, an individual may fly the flag upside down on their property. If it isn’t for political purposes, this could signal that they may be facing personal distress. This could include anything from financial hardship, illness, or other danger to life. If you see someone flying their flag upside down, it could mean that they need your help. Consider checking in with them to make sure they're okay. Otherwise, consider contacting your local authorities to request a welfare check on the individual.
You all be sure to stay warm up there.
Thank you for your work, professor.
That looks like a black and white photo, but it looks like there is a faint hint of color on the hull of the boat. I suspect that it is a color photo and that nature was not offering anything but black and white at that moment.
Fantastic shot by Buddy.
Thanks for doing Letters from An American. That said, I think you keeping your batteries charged is as important as Letters.
Thank you & may I add wishes for a productive year in our fight to keep our Democracy in which you are a vital part Heather.
"You say Elon, I say Felon, Let's call the whole thing o-off, let's call the whole thing off!"
When I hover over the photograph, it says "may be an image of the arctic." Suitable for the weather this weekend, right? Lovely, though.
same on mine. Microsoft AI, no doubt...
Deal.