Origami 101, and Other Things

You may recall from my cruise last year that I participated in two Origami sessions on the ship, and I was hooked.  Regardless of my gnarly fingers, I was able to manipulate the paper to create several incarnations, particularly pleased with my Frog, a good luck symbol for travelers.

So when, months ago, Manager Rhonda was jotting down ideas for activities for the park's 25th Anniversary in August, I volunteered to teach an Origami class.

"I didn't know you knew Origami," hairdresser Katy exclaimed.

"I don't - but we all learned those paper-folding-finger-things in grade school (remember?), so how hard can it be to teach?"

I generally leap before looking, so this wasn't an unusual action for me.  Whenever I'm teaching myself something new I generally purchase more supplies than necessary because I hate discovering mid-stream I'm missing something.  I did the same thing with the Origami.

Over the months I ordered a half-dozen types of paper, a couple of books and got crackin' until I had my supplies and 'lesson plan' together.  Spoiler:  the class was well attended, and a good time was had by all.

But in the meantime, I also agreed to make Cake Pops for the dessert buffet, paint some signs for the park and learn new Ukulele tunes for the staff meeting.  Definitely learned a lesson:  Sure, I'll get everything done, but at 69 why should I overextend myself like that?  Nobody really expects anything out of people my age anymore anyway.

I only have to do this ONCE, a statement I remind myself whenever I'm tackling something difficult, unusual, or just a pain in the ass.

First came Ukulele Time, I can't figure out how to upload the video; but I performed, "On Top of Spaghetti" for my co-workers, who cheerfully joined in.  I'm developing a repertoire, should I need to perform on the street some day.

I also played a bit of, "Tiptoe Through the Tulips," a special request from Bill, that was fun, too, even without mimicking Tiny Tim's falsetto voice.

Following my disasterous cake pop experience, I became nervous about the upcoming fête.  I researched online some more, and bought the spendy but absolutely vital-for-me thinner to add to the coating.  It can be substituted with white vegetable oil, but I bought the Wilton brand and created these pale green Lemon pops.

Made all the difference in the world.  I was told that sometimes the climate affects baking, which I've decided must be true for us here, a block from the beach with our share of fog.  I baked three batches within a week, discovering that the ratio of ingredients I was developing varied slightly from others.

I decided to make my life easier by leaving the pops to harden upside down rather than dripping down the sticks.  I'm not selling them, and people seem to devour them just the same.

I'd have to say that I was most comfortable while painting the signs, of course.  Rhonda had been talking about them for months but we only got going on them a couple weeks prior to the anniversary.

I was never pushed to finish them by a particular date, but I knew it would be nice for the party so I hustled.  Bill cut the boards, Rick shaped and sanded them and I painted 18 of them over the course of a week.  Drying between coats took most of the time.

The managers were delighted with the results, as were the owners.  The final results weren't what anyone expected, but they shoulda known after seeing my teardrop.  These were the first things I'd painted since Christmas and if felt good to be creative again.

So the summer is officially over and we're all thinking, Thank God!  This year we were particularly busy (and shorthanded), and sadly everyone agreed that visitors were nastier than in the past.  We also agreed it's the current climate, not only travellers. Fortunately, after three years of hearing cranky strangers bitch and take out their frustrations on the staff, I was so much calmer and better prepared.

There were times I was quite challenged maintaining my hospitable 'tude in public, but this year I think the worst thing I said was,

"Sir, are you trying to make my life miserable?"

Improvement.

The Best of Lifelong Friendships

My dear friend, Inga, passed away this morning in Germany, her daughter Rega informed me, and I'm heartbroken.  I want to mark the day for my friend.

I previously wrote a story about Inga, if you haven't read it, feel free, she was a dear friend and saved my sanity plenty of times.

Rega and her husband, Mathias, came to visit in June, following the funeral in Arlington for step-father Tommy, who passed away last year.  R&M flew afterwards to step-brother Boris's home in L.A., then flew up to San Francisco, rented a motorcycle, and after riding around some of our country's most beautiful spots in California, Nevada and Oregon, they stopped here for several days.

It was an unexpected, pleasant surprise, for it's been 30 years since I've seen Rega.  Prior to then my visits were with her mother; and, well, Rega just happened to be in the room.

Sarcasm aside, I've always loved Rega and still cherish the little gifts she made for me when she was around 10.  Our reconnection in June was fabulous for us both, and a new kind of bond developed between us, gives me warm fuzzies. 

Bread dough ornament

There's not much to add my original story besides this anecdote which occurred one time while drinking strawberry champagne (me) and Bernkastel-Kues (the best wine from the Mosel) for Inga.  The fact that it was her birthplace had nothing to do with it.

So from my first draft of the story of our friendship, written and sent to her in 2015 but not included in my 2022 piece:

Bet You Can't Guess, "What's a Nabelschnur?"

"We talked about all kinds of things, and found similarities in odd places.  During one of our Mother conversations, I repeated a line my mother told me dozens of times as a young bride:

“Once you got married I cut the umbilical cord.” 

Inga laughed and said her Mom also fibbed about Snipping the Nabelschnur; and some words just stick with you.

So as you can imagine, there is sadness today but also joy for having known such a wonderful woman.  There's no underestimating lifelong friendships.

My heart goes out to you, dear Rega.  Thank you for the open invitation, and I will see you again soon.

From my lips to God's ears.

Trump's 'Pot' Calls Pritzker's 'Kettle Black'

The Pot calling the Kettle Black means a hypocritical situation where someone criticizes another person for a fault that they themselves also possess.  Trump called Pritzker a SLOB who should go to the gym.

I began this post the morning the FBI raided John Bolton's home.  Of course it's payback; Bolton's one more Trump's crossing off his list, he's such a vindictive Toddler-in-Chief.  You may not have heard much of what I'm about to report, primarily because the White House has been systematically relegating reliable news organizations to the cheap seats.  He may allow them (for the moment) to attend his news conferences, but always makes a point of deriding the corrupt/horrible/fake news reporters.  He passes them over while calling on his social media sycophants to ask fluff questions.  No wonder you're not concerned.

I heard a story the other day regarding a Victim Advocate office in Portland which is closing their doors because of budget cuts.  A five-year old girl was to testify in court about what her father did to her; but she was so frightened and traumatized she couldn't even speak her name.  An advocate spoke with her until she was finally able to receive some justice, but now that advocate won't be there for others.  So the victim loses; the advocate's out of a job so their family suffers; the owner of the building needs to find a new tenant; local businesses lose customers; and finally the banks foreclose.  It's easy to scream, "Budget Cut" and "Fire Them" when you don't think past your nose.

That's just one example of what Trump/DOGE is accomplishing while transferring money to the Uber-Wealthy.  My groceries haven't gone down and I'm still paying around $4 a gallon for gasoline.  Now he's trying to get rid of mail-in ballots, something which didn't bother Trump back when HE voted that way; but Putin put a bug in his ear about the subject and whaddaya know?  Trump suddenly does a turn-around, echoing Putin's words like a ventriloquist's dummy.

Trump's turned the country into a place where his 'subjects' are meant to fear his Pretorian Guard. I'm waiting for him to send troops to Portland, as soon as he's finished militarizing Chicago and New York (while ignoring crime in Red states).  We Oregonians won't go down without a fight.  If you're against him you're in danger of something.  In my case I figure it'll likely be censorship.  Once the White House send out little spiders to locate derogatory words or themes deriding the Grand Master, my little blog will simply disappear, like people on the streets.  No use getting upset, and until that time I'll continue to voice unpopular, or Revolutionary, opinions.

My tipping point came last month when I understood that Trump, et al, aren't worried about the next administration reversing their restrictive changes in government, education, legal and business sectors...because they have no intention of going anywhere.  Adding 5 more Republican seats in Texas will help assure that, in case we DO have elections again.

It's happening - we're really becoming a divided nation again.  I hoped that wouldn't happen, but people will start moving en masse to live amongst 'their own'.  However, there's still a bit of hope left in me when I watch Pritkzer and Newsom fighting back; and when I saw a bit of OR Republican Cliff Bentz's 'By Invitation Only' Town Hall.  I'm sure he went in feeling confident touting Trump's Big Beautiful Bill among 'his kind'; but do you know when his loyal constituents turned on him?

While discussing the end of funding for Public Broadcasting, of all things.  His constituents live in very rural areas which depend on PBS for local information.  You know, the little guys. 

Prez is So Full of...

I won't swear...how about Full of HIMSELF?!  Trump did not look like a happy player sitting with Putin, who looked positively giddy.  To me that speaks volumes, as to who came out on top of today's summit.

Maybe Trump can trade Alaska for a cease fire - he'd still call it a Win, as he's calling this wasted trip...how much did that cost the American public?  I'd bet money that any 'deal' he made with Putin has to do with building future Trump Worlds in the soon-to-return USSR.

Trump's not going to do anything to Putin; at least nothing painful.  He doesn't mind playing strong-man to his own citizens, but towards a foreign dictator...a lesser member on the political stage than our own man's supposed to be?

He's selling us all down the river, not just Ukraine.

A Cry for HELP from Foreign Allies

Why are you letting our Bozo push you around?  Just when people like me think there's hope that one of you might call his bluff and stand up to the bully, you fold like our Republicans.  Just like you did when Hitler was rising to power - remember Neville Chamberlain's mistake?

Who the hell does Trump think he is?  Terrorizing anyone who doesn't agree with him (take your pick); threatening countries unless they vote for his buddy (Brazil); threatening to withhold funds from bonafide institutions (universities and FEMA) unless they march to his tune; ordering ankle bracelets for released, non-violent detainees from ICE detention (where are they gonna go, Mexico?); pressuring the one Republican Senator (Josh Hawley),  who joined Democrats to support a bill that would prohibit lawmakers, future presidents and vice presidents from trading stocks thus limiting corruption (from their insider information)...until Trump's call, after which the bill was amended to exclude the current President and Vice President.  Tell me that doesn't sound fishy.  What would you think if it was happening in Ukraine?

He's no money manager - he's declared bankruptcy at least 4 times, and now he's doing it to the United States.  Building a God-ugly ballroom like his golf courses, with lots of gold and tacky fixtures, for 200 million; renovating his 'free' plane from Qatar to the tune of  934 million or so...and today they've just voted to allow him to keep the plane when/if he leaves office; all while slashing every government program, including Medicaid and SNAP benefits for millions who need it the most? "Let them eat cake," is his motto. 

And what should we all think when he either pardons Madam Maxwell or commutes her sentence somehow, you know he will.  But she fits his mold when it comes to Presidential Fitness.  Who can keep track of the reasons Trump distanced himself from Epstein:  first it was because of a real estate deal gone bad; now it's stealing employees.  He honestly doesn't realize, or care, how easily he digs his own holes, since he's manipulated the system so that ALL THREE branches of government will keep him out of trouble...OR ELSE.  Absolutely no concern for the victims.  It's all so sleazy but expected from one such as he.

We don't hear about all the pardons Trump's signing for all kinds of sleaze bags.  He has no compunction allowing people like Maxwell and the Proud Boys loose on our streets.  I really feel badly for young girls and women who are losing all rights to manage their own bodies while fighting off the Manosphere.  Better get used to the idea of staying pregnant.

Speaking of dicks, I can't help wondering the following, not only about Gaza but other places experiencing famine:  When so many of children are already starving, why the hell can't the men practice some form of birth control?  Am I the only one who wonders about that while looking at skin-and-bones infants screaming from hunger?  Sorry, but when I look at them I place most of the blame on selfish fathers whose carnal desires trump compassion and consideration for their future progeny. Can't the men have sex with one another?  So long as we're assigning blame, don't forget the Dicks.  (FYI, I tamed that from my original argument involving farm animals.)

Trump has no intention of leaving the White House until he's good and ready; so to the rest of the world, don't think you can wait him out!  Trump's agreements aren't worth the paper they've yet to be printed on, if ever.  If you don't do what he likes, he'll threaten to jack up your tariffs again, you know that's true.  Stop hoping for the best!

How many times do we all have to be hit on the head before we stand up for what's fair and right?  So go ahead, take the hits with his threatened tarriffs.  It'll hurt everyone for awhile; but many of us across the pond and our northern and southern borders predict the increased tariffs, with the ensuing price increases here, will finally push people over the edge and vote out the current administration.  BUT WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!

Let's see what Canada does, eh?

Whaddaya Gonna Say?

Trump-bump

-Trump pushed Coke to release a NEW Coke made with cane sugar instead of corn syrup.  Still makes you fat and contributes to diabetes; for the same price?  Time will tell.
- Bring back the Washington Redskins, he says.  How much is it going to cost to change all those sports team's names again, plus re-install Confederate statues?
-  Why are we investigating President Obama years later, when the THEN GOP Intelligence Community determined Russia was meddling with the election, but not with the voting machines? (Gabbi needs a ratings boost.)
- WHY are we paying attention to the BEHEMOTH in the Oval Office?

Because it's hard not to.  He controls our fates, now that Congress and the Supreme Court have capitulated before such a beast.  I used to say, "Putin's got photos," of Donald indelicato to explain Trump's fawning of the dictator during his first term.  I still believe it - that's the real reason Putin's been given carte blanche to pummel Ukraine for the next, how long, 40 days?  And then he's going to miraculously QUIT THE FIGHT...right.  He'll get another 40 nights.

But apparently JEFFREY had photos, too - why else would Dumbo be throwing all his mud against the wall to distract from his screw-ups (and cause Congress to flee early for vacation)?

- Whatever happened to that lost uranium?
- How are rural communities going to get early-warning alerts once their Public Broadcasing stations shut down?
- How's that Gaza Humanitarian Foundation going?  If your head's been in the sand, it's something the US and Israel quickly cooked up to provide aid rather than using traditional methods, like the UN.  We're way past the point of justifying everything by saying Hamas (which I don't support, don't throw that back at me; I'm making a point).  Between May 27 and July 21, 766 Gazans were shot around GHF's distribution points.  Who's surprised, especially after Trump wanted to shoot protestors the first go-around; probably still does?
- Will I be able to afford fresh fruits and veggies after my SNAP benefit's cut (not that I really can now); or will I be back to 'lips and toes' hotdogs towards the end of the month?

Stock Market Scarf

Trump and his bullionnaire-led teams are doing a bang-up job decimating government programs with nary a thought to the consequences on real people, particularly the poor.  My grocery bill hasn't gone down and neither is there affordable housing available; but those issues don't matter to our Head of State, I use that term loosely.

But Crypto investors are making a killing, and we did get a new flagpole.  How about spending some of those funds withdrawn from Harvard to bankroll research for MEN TO CARRY THE BABY, instead of laying all those woes on Women?  It's already OK for them to stay home and improve their cooking skills.  I'll bet that would be popular with at least half the population; but the halls of government in every state are still overwhelmingly men.  Ladies, why do we continually vote for these machistas?  Are we watching The Stepford Wives come to life?

By all means, let's focus on banning contraceptives, I predicted that in 2022.  In 2021, I predicted them making M and F the only identifiable sex, and that's already come true. So as a reader, if you think my views are way 'out there' with no chance of coming true, I'll point to my track record; this isn't the first time I've written, 'told you so.

She Sells Sea Shells

In conclusion, I'll make a plea to any Republicans reading:  please buy things on my Etsy shop so I can save up enough to leave the country, that's what you want in the end.  I've got some cool Seashells from Puerto Rico, Hummels from Germany, Scarves from Mom and other interesting items you won't find on Amazon.  Dem's are invited, too.  Thanks!