March 30, 2017
12:06 a.m.

Twenty-four hours and six minutes ago I vowed not to comment or react to any political posts on social media.

Unfortunately for me, politicians did not agree not to be stupid for the same period of time, and so my vow was really hard to keep! I mean, really, really, REALLY hard. Which may say more about me than it does about them.

I spent years being only minimally involved in knowing what was going on in the world. I was busy, I hated watching the news because it depressed me, I was not all that interested in what made the country tick. I could make all the excuses in the world, but what it came down to was just this: I just didn't care enough.

The last couple of years changed all that; Trump is a scary dude. That kind of power plus ignorance is a bad combination. I got more involved, more up-to-date, more informed because I was suddenly more scared of the future than I had ever been.

So now I am an angsty old lady who worries too much and comments too much and gets really confused about those who still don't seem to care.

I kind of want to go back to the too-busy-to-pay-attention gal. I had a lot more fun.

Ah, the good ol' days!
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12:06 p.m.

Somewhere between then and now, I went to sleep. Now I am going grocery shopping with my Dad. Shopping, shopping, keeps me hopping.

Later!
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9:56 p.m.

I think you should be really proud of me. Not only did I make it over 24 hours, it was more like 36 hours before I commented on anything at all politically charged.

Now I just want to make positive comments. We'll see how that goes.

It may play out something like this: "I am POSITIVE that so-n-so and such-n-such are dumber than a sack of hammers."

Hahaha!

I'll try not to, but...you know...politics.
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10:01 p.m.

You know what? No matter how old your kids get, they still need you.

That's comforting, right?

Right?

Hello?
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11:20 p.m.

I am the only person I know whose bra attacks me by practically puncturing my lung with a broken underwire, and then, when I dare to throw it away, leaps out of the garbage to smack me in the face. My hatred of bras in this moment is without equal.

But--not enough to go bra-less. Just sayin'.
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So...how's your life going?

I think I'll go to bed, and pray the the bra doesn't suddenly appear next to me on the pillow, ready to choke me in my sleep.

Maybe I'll just stay up.

I'll think at you later.

G'night!

March 29, 2017
11:26 p.m.

My time in my hometown is coming to an end. I'll be headed back to Colorado next week. It's time to do all the things I have to do at home--doctor's appointments, dentist appointments, home repairs.

I've been here since mid-December--why does it feel like the time zoomed by so fast?

Since I have been here, I have reconnected with a forever-friend, and we have gone to the movies nearly every week since the beginning of the year--movie nights! I thought it might be fun to do a little look back on the movies we've seen and see how we rated them.

01-03-2017:  Rogue One: A Star Wars Movie        Rank:   #3 by me                                      5 stars

01-10-2017:  Collateral Beauty                             Rank:   #5 by me                                      5 stars

01-17-2017:  Hidden Figures                                Rank:   #4 by me                                      5 stars

01-24-2017:  XXX Return of Xander Cage            Rank:   #9 by me                                       2 stars                                                  

01-31-2017:  Split                                               Rank:   #7 by me                                       4 stars

02-07-2017:  La La Land                                     Rank:   #6 by me                                       5 stars

02-14-2017:  John Wick Chapter 2                       Rank:   #11 by my friend, #10 by me        0.5 stars

02-28-2017:  A Dog's Purpose                              Rank:   #2 by me                                       5 stars

07-07-2017:  Fist Fight                                        Rank:   #11 by me, #10 by my friend        0.5 stars

03-14-2017:  Lion                                               Rank:   #1 by both of us                             5 stars

03-28-2017:  Chips: The Movie                            Rank:   #8 by me                                      3 stars

I didn't make her rate the rest, just best and worst. We agreed on best, but not on worst. I was more okay with a movie that was like watching kids play a video game than I was with a movie that made teachers look like idiots, but we agreed that #10 and #11 were pretty darn bad.

I rated the rest, and the rankings have to do with which I loved best to blechhh!

I also saw a couple more movies, but not with my friend, with family. They were:

03-12-2017: The Shack (with parents, siblings and in-laws)

03-19-2017:  Beauty and the Beast (with sister and brother-in-law)

5 stars for both, and I would tie Beauty and the Beast with #1 and The Shack with #2

I have no idea how others are judging these movies. You can let me know what you thought in the comments, if you like.  All I know is I have had a great time the last few weeks, and that I ususally don't see this many movies in the course of a whole year!

To my friend, Madeline--thank you so much! Not many people are lucky enough to have a friend who, in spite of time and distance, remains your friend over the course of many years. We have gone years without speaking and still fell into step like it had been only days of being apart. I'm so grateful to know that there are friendships like that and that I share one with you.

I'm looking forward to one more movie night and then I'll be gone for awhile. But never fear, I shall return and we'll share a few more laughs.

People, if you're lucky enough to have friends, treasure them. They are priceless.

Goodnight!

March 25, 2017
6:57 p.m.

Question: How often do you feel guilty over things that you had no way of anticipating or preventing?

For me the answer is: All the time.

I don't know why I do it, or why anyone does it. But things happen, and after the pick 'em up, dust 'em off, I always think "Why didn't I stop that from happening?"

So dumb.

It's not a mom thing, or a woman thing, Everyone I know has done it from time to time: assigned blame to themselves for a completely random happening that absolutely no one is to blame for.

I guess I just think I have control over everything in the world because I'm that powerful.

Yeah, right. That's it.

Like I said, so dumb.

But, anyway...sorry I didn't fix that...you know...in advance...or something. Dang it.
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7:57 p.m.

Oh, seasonal allergies, how I never long for you to make your annual appearance!

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad spring is here. I just wish the weeping eyes, runny nose and sneezing didn't come with it.

Ahhhh--CHOO!
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You know what I wish? I wish Democrats and Republicans would quit acting like toddlers in a sandbox fighting over the bucket and shovel and get their butts to work--TOGETHER.

Isn't that what we pay them for, after all? Why is this such a strange concept to so-called grown-ups? Do they allow their children to behave this way?

I'm just shaking my head.
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I'm going to go play with my family now.

Thinking good thoughts for you all!

Later!

No, we didn't "win". We just didn't "lose".

Mach 24, 2017
4:10 p.m.


I'm going to start this off by saying that while I'm glad that the "Trumpcare Bill" fell flat before ever going to vote this afternoon, this is not a de facto triumph for Democrats or supporters of "Obamacare." Whatever either side is saying now, we didn't "win" anything. We just haven't "lost".

Since the thing got pulled before a vote, in reality, it didn't "lose" either. It got taken off the docket.

So, it's a draw, people. Back to work.

Yeah, I know I have said again and again that I didn't want Obamacare repealed and replaced. I don't. What I DO want is to see it REPAIRED.

I have never said that The Affordable Care Act, AKA Obamacare, was the greatest thing since sliced bread. I have always admitted that it falls far short of perfection.

I did say it was better than "Trumpcare". It is. Trumpcare was a plan that lined the pockets of the rich with tax cuts, lined the pockets of Big Pharm and insurance companies and basically left the little guy-- the poor, the elderly, the disabled, the children--in the dust. America was NOT going to win with the plan that was discarded today.

But now is not the time to gloat or point fingers or celebrate or pass the buck.

Now it is high time--actually FAR PAST high time--for everyone to throw off the party titles and sit down together and take what we have and make it better.

Personally, I want a government that can get along with itself, because so far all you're doing is showing the world what it's like to fight in the sandbox. Share your damned toys and get along! Get to work protecting and defending the people you work for and do it together. That's your job, whether you're a Democrat or a Republican, and it's time to get off your high horses, quit crying about who is "right" or "wrong" and do your jobs.

Seriously, the taxpayers are being robbed at this point: politicians are making a lot of money for very little work and a lot of in-fighting. It's time to start earning your place. No one is irreplaceable, and I think the last few months have shown voters that it behooves them to get out and vote against the people who are not doing the jobs they're getting paid for.

I really, really hope Americans have learned a lesson. Apathy got us to this point. Take a stand.

Can we please just remind these people that they work for us?

Also, I don't need anyone to come at me with a lot of hate. I just asked for some togetherness, and so hate is going to be counter productive to my request.

Play nice.

That is all.

Debra DeVries and Stella Doak. Good-byes today. Fly High.

March 19, 2017
12:51 a.m.


Things didn't go so well around here last week, and later today my little home town will be dealing with a double funeral for a great-grandmother and her one-year-old great-granddaughter.

This is one of those times when our sympathies cannot help but be aroused. It goes without saying that tragedies happen; we know it. We can do nothing but accept it and try to move on.

Still, I have to say that this will be a difficult road to recovery for so many. I cannot begin to imagine what the family has gone through, or what challenges they will face moving forward. My thoughts and prayers are with all concerned.

Obituary for Debra Devries, 62:
http://www.sweetwaternow.com/debra-jean-nessen-devries-may-30-1954-march-10-2017/

Obituary for Stella Doak, 1
http://www.sweetwaternow.com/stella-jean-doak-march-9-2016-march-11-2017/

News stories regarding the accident that took their lives:
http://fox13now.com/2017/03/13/police-drunk-driver-crashes-into-family-home-kills-toddler-great-grandmother/

https://www.ksl.com/?sid=43486147

I'm often struck by thoughts that come to me from nowhere I can define, and it occurred to me that Debra slipped away knowing that Stella was going and that someone familiar should be there to greet her when she arrived on the other side. Hopefully there is some comfort in knowing that they are together.

Rest in Peace.

March 13, 2017

6:51 p.m.

I got an e-mail today from the White House. Yep, honest to God, from the White House. Here is the body of the letter I received:  


"Obamacare has been a complete failure since the beginning, and things are only getting worse. 

Today, President Donald J. Trump held a listening session to hear directly from Americans who have experienced significant hardship as a result of Obamacare's poor coverage and rising prices.

President Trump wants to hear from hard-working Americans like you. How has Obamacare affected you? Share your Obamacare disaster story. 

During the meeting, one woman revealed that she had her health insurance cancelled three times since Obamacare became law. Another attendee had her insurance jump from $17,000 a year to a devastating $52,500 a year for her struggling family, while yet another said her health insurance now costs more than her mortgage. 

Obamacare came packaged as the healthcare solution for all Americans. Instead, the country was given hundreds of pages of broken promises. 

Millions of hard-working Americans have been impaired by soaring costs, cancelled plans, and overbearing mandates. As one of those innocent Americans, President Trump wants to hear your story about how this disastrous law has affected you and your family."



I was then invited to click a link and tell my own disaster story. 

I don't have a disaster story. Obamacare works for me and for many other people in this country. 

After a few expletives were deleted from the body of my own text, here is my reply to the White House administration who has assumed that everyone thinks they way they do and that I will back them up on their proposed agenda:



"Today I received an e-mail from you. A really opinionated and frankly offensive e-mail. An e-mail that suggests to me that you've made assumptions about me without knowing anything about me.  YOU sent it. I did NOT ask for it. Remember that, because I'm not going to answer the way you thought I would.
So--really? You want MY opinion? If you want someone to trash the coverage Obamacare provided-- boy, did you ask the wrong person!
I was uninsurable due to pre-existing conditions. Health care for me was unheard of! Regardless of the plans, which I could never have afforded, I had conditions that would forever be self-pay conditions before "Obamacare".
Finally I could seek health care and afford the medications that keep me from being miserable or possibly dying. Finally I could get a tooth taken care of. Finally!
And NOW?
You want to remove a plan that covers my low income family members and friends and my aging parents and replace it with one that won't cover my kids or their children AT ALL and will more than triple the costs to my parents and to me.
Your "plan" leaves many, many more people uninsured. It has far FEWER options than Obamacare. It increases costs for those who have already paid into a system that was put in place for their protection. It takes health care from the people who need it most.  Talk about a disaster! If you really want to do something right, start over and come up with a plan that works for everyone. This benefits no one but the rich--and they can already afford their insurance.
Your health care costs are paid by taxpayers--me, in other words. Why don't you repeal THAT and go on your own plan? Imagine the money the country would save just on that alone! Imagine the  "employees of the people" actually carrying their own weight!
By the way, you're all on your way to age 65 plus if you're not there already. Do you think you'll escape aging just because you're rich and someone else is paying for your health care costs?You've literally made this age group expendable within this plan.  Is this population control at its nastiest?
I don't know how you chose ME to tell you a story, but I'll tell you one thing right now. I, my friends and my family will certainly be at the polls for the next election to get rid of all of you who do NOTHING to protect us or further our best interests. I have become politically active for the first time in my life trying to keep this administration from forming, and I will remain active to see that it goes away.
I guess you should probably e-mail your request to someone who will bow to your agenda. I am not that person."

Then I signed my name and sent it back, along with my e-mail address--which they obviously already have--and my zip code.

And THEN I had to listen to Trump tell me how terrible Obamacare is! How the new plan is going to make me very happy. How it will benefit me, not Washington. 

Oh, my story is not going to make them happy AT ALL.

I regretted the decision to sign and submit immediately. 

I may be doomed. 

Now I need to throw out my microwave, television, coffee maker, cell phone--hell probably the baby and bathwater--to make sure they don't target me and try to claim I'm a terrorist for daring to disagree with them. 

Sheesh! 

I never thought I'd feel paranoid of my own government. But, I gotta tell you--I'm feeling a little creeped out!

So, I don't know. Do you want to visit the website and tell them what you think? Here's the link: 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/obamacare-share-your-story?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20170313_HEA_obamacare_share-your-story

What you say is up to you, of course. You may disagree with me--that's your right! I'm not going to argue with you or hold it against you. Maybe it really didn't work for you. But it has been working for me and mine, and I don't agree with the new plan they are trying now to shove down our throats. They can do better! MUCH better. 

So that's today's story, and I'm sticking to it. 

Have a good night. 

By the way, if something happens to me--well, you know what happened. Don't let them get away with it, okay? 

Okay, bye now. 

March 11, 2017
11:30 p.m.


I've been struggling with this tragedy, because I would much rather be able to tell a happy story with a fairy-tale ending, and it's just not possible. There's no way to understand the things that happen sometimes. There is only confusion and mourning.

I'm so sorry. So very sorry.

The story we know to date is that on the morning of March 10, 2017, a vehicle was driven into the home of a Green River family, badly injuring four adults and a one-year-old little girl.

Later that day, Debra Devries died from her injuries at Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County.

One-year-old Stella Doak, who had celebrated her first birthday the day before, was life-flighted to Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City in critical condition. Today, March 11th, at age one-year and two days, Stella took a second flight, the one that leads to the next realm.

It is a tragedy for all concerned that this beautiful child is no longer with her family. I cannot begin to imagine the suffering of her parents. I cannot express how sorry I am.

One does not expect to be involved in a car accident while sitting in their living room. Our homes are our safe havens. They are the places we go to feel comforted and loved. I'm sure they all expected to sit inside the house and visit with family; perhaps share a meal or watch a movie. Certainly they would have felt safe from any traffic related accidents.

Yet two innocent people are dead, and three more remain in the hospital at this time. Hopefully those three will make complete recoveries.

Something happened, yes--something terribly bad. I don't know how or why. Questions are zooming through the minds of many, I'm sure.

The pain of March 10th is not going away anytime soon; this family will need love, attention, prayers and lots of help in order to heal.

Please pray for all who are suffering at this time. Make a donation, deliver a meal, send a message of hope and love. If you know them, hug the family members and remind them that they're not alone.
This can be a wonderful community, and I hope we can all act like first class members of said community and come together for the good of all concerned.
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March 12, 2017
11:28 p.m.

I didn't have the heart to post any of this last night. I'm not a friend or a member of the families concerned, and so I didn't want to step out of bounds.

But then I decided the family deserves to be reminded that their community cares--that although I don't know them personally, I still care that they have suffered a tremendous loss. They deserve to know that I am only one of many, many people who are praying for them and wishing them healing, strength and love.

If you don't know what or who I am talking about, here's link with some of the story:

http://www.sweetwaternow.com/756-pm-memory-stella-doak/

This story includes a wonderful example of community members coming together to help. It is inspiring to know that people have gotten organized so quickly.

Here's another link to help the family:

https://www.gofundme.com/supporting-stella

Little Stella and her great-grandmother have moved on, but the families will still need help; the bills will still be coming. If you can do so, please help.

Little Stella Doak and her great-grandmother Debra DeVries were well loved by their families and friends and will be greatly missed. We can take comfort in knowing that they are together and will reunite with those who love them in God's time.

In the meantime, they can be remembered and honored by caring for those who remain here without them. Please respect their privacy, refrain from the urge to make hateful comments about the case, and do what you can to help in their time of need.

To family and friends--my condolences. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

Fly high, sweet little one and fly high great-grandmother. Hold on to each other, and FLY.