A Day Off

 Took a day off from the monotony of the endless junipers (and bad news) and took a hike with Leon to San Gregorio Reservoir, a lake in Rio Arriba, near Cuba New Mexico. We were hiking at an elevation of approximately 9,400 feet. And my knee was good...no pain and that alone was a miracle. The lake is located in the Jemez mountain range.

There were fields of wild iris (most were just past their prime), lots of wild flowers, fir trees, aspen trees, scrub oak and lot of other green growing things...and NO JUNIPERS! 

(I may have mentioned that where we live there are endless junipers and prickly pear and cholla and not much else. I find the landscape really gets me down sometimes. So it was a treat to have a change of scenery and see a real green forest - very much like our old haunts in Vermont).

Here are a few photos:

Music for Pride Month 2025 - Where Are We Headed?

Something I've not heard before:

 A somewhat obscure song from Queer as Folk "PROUD"

 

With all that's transpired at the direction of the current administration I am not terribly optimistic about the future of LGBTQ+ rights and freedoms. But I will not present you all with my half-baked thoughts on the subject. Just a reminder of where we've come from Before Stonewall.

My Comment on "I Should Be Laughing"

I commented in reply to Bob's post about Scott Pelley, speaking at Wake Forest University’s graduation, urging the graduates to take a stand.

So let me repeat my rant here this morning, just because I really need to:

It is encouraging to hear those who are vociferously speaking truth to power. It is also discouraging that we have come to this point in history. There are all kinds of political and social analysts trying to explain how we got here, but explanations are not enough. And speaking out seems courageous but also does not seem enough. I'm not sure what we can do.

The powerful seem to be implementing their plan of attack from multiple directions, attacking every democratic institution, program, ideal and structure that has made this country what it "was" and what we believed it would always be. These fascists are dangerous people.

At the age of 77, I can say I have marched and protested and voted and worked in the forefront of the AIDS crisis, the LGBTQ liberation movement and the anti-war movement, mental health and for the homeless. As tired as I might be, I plan to be protesting again on June 14 against the Dictator/King in the White House.

May he and all his fascist entourage get what justice demands and soon. I have never wished harm or evil on anyone, but I am tempted to make an exception for the narcissist-in-chief and the power hungry entities who are using him as a convenient tool to their evil ends. May God, if there is a God, help us.

 

A Temporary Win for Federal Employees

 Hubby Leon, Wilderness Park Ranger, still has a job as of today with the Bureau of Land Management, Department of Interior, and will be employed for the foreseeable future, at least until further litigation resolves the issues. See story below.

        One of Leon's duties is to maintain the "Shooting Areas", removing debris which can include targets like microwaves, refrigerators, furniture, dishes, tires, pallets, etc. He also repairs fencing, is responsible for signage, parking areas, rest rooms, gates, truck maintenance, and working on cooperative projects with indigenous nations, among other things.

Some of the Trash Leon Has to Deal With

From the Government Executive website May 22, 2025: (BOLD type is my emphasis)

A federal judge on Thursday indicated she will issue a longer-term injunction that bans the Trump administration from implementing layoffs, suggesting those actions were unlawful and in violation of the Constitution.

President Trump, the White House and the Department of Government Efficiency have all exceeded their authorities in requiring agencies to develop and implement layoff plans, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston said. She made her remarks at the outset of a hearing in San Francisco on a lawsuit challenging the reductions in force and one day ahead of the scheduled expiration of a temporary freeze she previously placed on the layoffs. 

“I do believe the evidence before the court suggests that plaintiffs will likely succeed on the merits of their claims,” Illston said. “I believe injunctive relief, preliminary at this stage, remains necessary to preserve the status quo and protect the power of the legislative branch.”

She added the evidence strongly suggested that “the recent actions of the executive branch usurp the constitutional powers of Congress.” 

Her existing temporary restraining order, which she earlier this month put in place for two weeks, prevented agencies from implementing their Agency RIF and Reorganization Plans. Those plans were required by the Office of Personnel Management and Office of Management and Budget, as well as President Trump’s executive order that precipitated them. It applied to OMB and OPM, as well as the departments of Agriculture Commerce, Energy, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Treasury, Transportation and Veterans Affairs. It also applies to AmeriCorps, the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Labor Relations Board, the National Science Foundation, the Small Business Administration and the Social Security Administration.

Illston said every large-scale government reorganization effort in recent memory, such as the one Trump is undertaking, has required congressional approval. 

“The president may not initiate a large-scale executive branch reorganization without partnering with Congress to hold otherwise would be telling nine presidents and congresses that they misunderstood the Constitution,” Illston said. “I do not have that level of self confidence.” 

Much of the remainder of the hearing concerned the scope of Illston’s potential preliminary injunction, though attorneys for both sides also debated the merits of the case. 

The Trump administration has defended the layoffs by arguing the president did not issue mandates for specific actions and OMB and OPM only provided guidance for how agencies should conduct RIFs. Andrew Bernie, a Justice Department attorney representing the government on Thursday, said OMB and OPM do not view their roles as “substantively second guessing agencies determinations.” He added the RIF blueprints were just planning documents and agencies did not have to follow through on them. 

Danielle Leonard, an attorney for the plaintiffs, countered that her team had presented evidence of OMB and OPM overruling agencies that submitted first drafts of their RIF plans. 

“They are saying what to cut, when to cut, where to cut,” Leonard said. 

The Trump administration has largely complied with Illston’s order, though some reorganization actions—such as the Interior Department’s efforts to consolidate functions—have continued. Agencies have also moved forward with the re-firings of employees in their probationary periods. Some agencies have notified employees subject to layoffs that those efforts were paused. 

Going forward, Bernie suggested if Illston were to issue an injunction it should be limited to only employees who are part of the unions bringing the cases. Illston suggested she was looking to expand her order to apply retroactively to benefit those already laid off, though she said she may immediately pause enforcement of that part of the order so employees do not “ping pong” back and forth. 

The judge added she could require agencies to reinstate to full working status those who have received RIF notices but are still on paid administrative leave waiting for their terminations to take effect. Agencies generally must give 60 days notice before RIFs are finalized. 

Doing so, she said, “makes a lot of sense, because it doesn't make sense to have employees sitting around not working.” 

The Trump administration has already appealed the judge’s restraining order to both the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and Supreme Court, though neither entity has issued a ruling. 

Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought, who has helped orchestrate the Trump administration’s federal workforce reduction efforts, told reporters on Thursday all of the RIFs across government were conducted legally and predicted the administration would ultimately prevail. 

“They've been an effort to scale down the federal workforce with care, with wisdom about what's necessary to statutorily conduct and operate agencies,” Vought said. “And I think at the end of the day, wherever they're at, they're going to be successful when they get to the Supreme Court." 

The administration has also faced more targeted setbacks: on Thursday, a federal judge in Massachusetts issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Education Department from carrying out its mass layoffs. Other judges have paused RIFs at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Institute of Museum and Library Studies. The legality of layoffs at the Health and Human Services Department is currently being litigated.

When he's not in the office, the views are expansive.

 

This is too good not to share.

 

Habemus Papam

 

Pope Leo XIV (Robert Francis Prevost) gave his greeting of peace to all people and made it a point to be "inclusive"of the world. 

He has done missionary work, was a bishop in Peru. Seems to have a heart for the poor and marginalized. 

He has made a few mis-steps from what I've read. But I think he will do good. I feel relieved that it was not a doctrinal conservative. 

I don't like to make predictions, but I have a sense that he will be a thorn in the side of our felonious dictator. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Leo_XIV

 

Utterly Disgusting

Trump posted a picture of himself as Pope on the official White House account. I can’t stomach reposting it here. 

The depth of his deprivation and disrespect is unfathomable. 

Every Catholic who voted for him should do penance for the rest of their lives. 

Winding Down

 

An Old Demotivator Poster - Always Liked the Concept

To my Blogging buddies, especially Russ, Debra, Mitchell, Mark, Bob: 

I don't know how you all do what you do so consistently, so profusely, so creatively. 

As you may have noticed, I'm not posting much of late, as I've been feeling uninspired. I have pretty much run out of energy and enthusiasm and find I have little to say, or little I care to say, anymore. 

My Personal life: Ho hum, nothing to see here.

Politics/Breaking News: It's been reported, said, written, video recorded, memed, shared, re-hashed and bait-clicked already.

Travel: We don't.... or we've been there, done that and took photos already.

Pop "culture": Doesn't interest me at all

Cooking/gardening: Just go to YouTube. It's all there.

Health: Do you really want to hear about my aches and pains?

Sex: Isn't it available on about 79% of the internet?

My reticence extends to commenting on your blogs as well as writing posts on Reluctant Rebel. I'm more reluctant than ever...but may do a post now and then or then.

Please don't take my lack of commenting on your blogs personally. I will still check in, even if I don't comment. √

Pope Francis

 

I'm not sure what I can say about Pope Francis except that he was probably the right Pope for our troubled times. Much closer to the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi than other recent Popes, he was challenged to straddle the progressive and conservative forces and factions within the Church - factions which, like in the political spectrum, have the potential to drive people apart. I think he was able to prevent schism and unbridled animosity and keep the peace, however fragile. And dealing with the sexual abuse scandals was a particularly difficult part of his journey - and one of those that where any action came with "damned if you do, damned if you don't" reactions from the world of critics.

I am dismayed by some of the vitriolic criticisms of Francis that I have read in other forums. Like all of us, he had his flaws. But providing guidance, instruction and discipline in a religious-political arena which includes not only the Catholic Church, but the larger, multi-factioned political environment is not an easy or a "black and white" task. Perhaps only the saints among us can fault him for not being the perfect Saint Francis.

May his spirit and compassion continue to guide the Church in the coming days.

https://www.newsweek.com/pope-francis-us-catholic-church-ideology-faith-1822802

Repreive: The Last Station of the Cross

 

 I wrote a blog post back in April of 2012 and a revised version April 2013. (The first versions were addressed to a Catholic audience and one was actually published in a progressive Catholic journal). Today, thirteen years later, I feel compelled to offer another revision for 2025. This time addressed to anyone who calls themselves “Christian”.

“The Last Station of the Cross: Jesus Turns Over in His Grave”

Perhaps I am depressed.  I know I am tired.  I am weary of the world and all its petty squabbles and all the ego-trips and political posturing and religious hypocrisy.

It seems this year has been exceptionally brutal in many arenas and I find religion, and Christianity in particular, virtually silent in response to all of the social (in)justice issues and other global issues that face societies in all parts of the world today.  

Virtually silent (there are faint voices) about the things that Jesus talked about - what are called the Works of Mercy in particular: feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give drink to the thirsty, shelter the homeless, visit the sick and those in prison.

So called “christians” have been disturbingly silent on matters that cry out for love, justice and compassion but have been disturbingly vocal on issues that promote divisiveness, hate and repressive ideologies. 

Christians are silent and do not speak out on behalf of Mother Earth or condemn the waste, the wanton disregard for the environment and the obscene use of limited resources by the few.
    - Instead they celebrate every attempt to reverse laws and policies that were put in place to protect the earth and the biodiversity of life and the water and air so they may plunder every resource to enrich themselves.

Christians are silent and do not speak out on behalf of the poor and needy, though they profess to believe in the gospel that requires they serve the least of these.
    - Instead they watch idly while those in power actively cut off the funding and personnel which serve the poor and needy, effectively cutting them off from life-sustaining food and medicine and services that are not available to them through other means.   

Christians are silent and do not speak out on behalf of those who cannot afford health care, though they profess a belief in the value of all human life.
    - Instead they applaud the plot to limit or disrupt the healthcare system, allowing companies to profit obscenely on medications and insurance premiums; terminate employees who are critical to providing care; deny science and medical research in favor of crack-pot conspiracy theories and pseudo-science. And to ice the cake, withdraw health insurance from illegally terminated federal employees.

Christians are silent and do not speak out against those who are driven to amass obscene wealth on the backs of the struggling working classes and the poor though they profess to believe the words of Jesus that it is harder for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven than for a camel to go through a needle's eye.
    - Instead they justify enriching both the wealthy and themselves, legally or illegally, by pointing to the behavior of the oligarchs who hoard and acquire wealth aggressively, unashamedly, blatantly and provocatively with no regard for ethics or society.

Christians are silent and do not speak out against the blatant weaponizing of government to punish and retaliate against those it perceives as disloyal to a person of questionable ethics and morals.                          - Instead they delight in seeing their enemies unjustly persecuted and deprived of livelihoods without due process or any consideration of legality.

  Christians are silent and do not speak out against the infiltration of religion into government though they profess to believe the words of Jesus to "render to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's".
    - Instead they actively pursue draconian laws and policies that they justify by couching them in “religious freedom” while quoting biblical texts or junk science or erroneous opinions, all with the subversive agenda of making government an arm of their particular religious sect at the expense of those who have different beliefs or none at all.

Christians are silent and do not speak out against the growing prejudice and discrimination towards persons who they perceive to be “the wrong color” or who are immigrants or refugees, though their bible admonishes them in more than one place how to treat the foreigner, e.g. “The Lord proclaims: Do what is just and right; rescue the oppressed from the power of the oppressor. Don’t exploit or mistreat the refugee, the orphan, and the widow. Don’t spill the blood of the innocent in this place.”
    - Instead they adopt a mob mentality in their eagerness to deport immigrants and refugees and non-christians, and put “undesirables” into detention (concentration) camps without due process.

Christians are silent and do not speak out against the actions of those in power to erase the “inconvenient” parts of history that show the pain, suffering, patriotism and contributions of diverse groups of persons of color or of indigenous origin or gender identity.
    - Instead they support and promote false narratives, the editing and rewriting of history to suit their ideologies, the destruction of monuments, the banning of books, the censoring of art and artists, the excluding of journalists, the stifling of free speech and diversity, equity and inclusion (under the guise of protecting free speech and diversity).  

Christians are silent and do not speak out against the pedophile ministers, priests, pastors in their midst.
    - Instead, they protect and often hide the perpetrators who continue to victimize vulnerable children and in their embarrassment and shame and silence actually "normalize" abusive behavior on the part of their abusive leaders while at the same time fail to make meaningful amends to all to whom they caused pain and suffering.

Christians are silent and do not speak out to embrace gay and lesbian and transgender children, too many of whom take their own lives because of judgements passed by religious leaders who condemn them.
    - Instead they actively ridicule the very existence of LGBTQ+ citizens and wish to strip LGBTQ+ citizens of their hard won civil rights and, in some cases, make it a crime to declare, act on or profess one’s sexual orientation, gender identity or status. They would end marriage equality and the right to love the person of one's choosing.

Christians are silent and do not speak out to condemn the deliberate dismantling of of our democracy and the wanton disruption of the the global economy which causes undue suffering and hardship to many in this country and abroad.
    Instead many so called “christians” are not only supporting such irresponsible actions but are celebrating the ripping apart of traditions and institutions we have held sacred in the misguided belief that all is in the service of their god and his plan for the end of times. (It may very well signal the end of times, but god has nothing to do with it.)

So during this Easter season, I cannot help but imagine that if Jesus Christ could see the hubris and hypocrisy of his "followers" today....... He would certainly "turn over in his grave" so to speak.

The passion of Christ lives on in the poor and oppressed and those in service to others, but Resurrection seems highly unlikely.

Post to Myself

 I am sitting in my recliner, back aching because I'm too stubborn to know when to quit gardening and take care of myself. It's been three days of alternating indomethecin, naproxin, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, methocarbamol and topical creams. Not helping much.

Hubs is off with visitors from Vermont, showing them the well kept secret petrified forest in his Bureau of Land Management "office".  It is not a "tourist attraction" - just part of the BLM wilderness that he patrols. I've posted about it before. 

I'm pretending that the corn chips next to me, to which I added extra salt, are potato chips for which I've had a craving for weeks. (Have you seen the price of potato chips? 8.5 ounces for $5.99. I can buy a 10 pound bag of potatoes for $3.99.) I'm not crazy about corn chips. For some reason they stick in my throat kind of like popcorn does. It must be a thing with corn snacks.

I am listening to Romantica Radio from Salerno, Italy on the Radio Garden App on my iPhone playing through a Bluetooth speaker. Radio Garden lets you listen to radio stations from around the world - for free. Adds will pop up on the screen, but they don't interrupt the music.  

Romantica Radio plays nice music, mostly in Italian, but they play English language songs and artists quite often. My other favorite station is Bossa Nova Brazil from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Bossa Nova can be a bit repetitive, but I don't mind. I find it relaxing.

Despite the back issue I made eggplant parmigiano for dinner. It meant being on my feet while preparing it, so the back is complaining about that too. It will go with the pork chops and broccoli and cauliflower and homemade bread. Can't have the Vermonters going to bed hungry.

Do I obsess about food? It does occupy much of my waking hours and of course my sleeping hours are fewer and fewer. Planning, grocery shopping, prepping, cooking, using leftovers creatively. Not to mention the mess and clean up. And thus the garden also comes into play: having fresh vegetables when those Mexican vegetable prices skyrocket.

The problem is growing vegetables in New Mexico has to be more of a challenge than farming in Mexico. We are in high desert. The atmosphere is thin at this altitude which allows the sun to make our veggies very unhappy and sometimes reluctant to bear fruit. 

"Prendi questa mano Zingara" is playing on Romantica. "Gypsy, take this hand" is an old song from the '69 San Remo Music Festival.

Take this hand, Gypsy.
Tell me also what fate I will have.
Speak about my love—I am not afraid
because I know that by now
it does not belong to me.

....more....

 
Take this hand, Gypsy.
Also read what my destiny will be.
Tell me who loves me.
Give me hope—
this is all that matters to me now.

 

It's a pretty song. I remember the song. I was in Italy in 1969. At Loyola University Rome Center for my Junior year in college. It was literally almost three quarters of a lifetime ago. I may still not know my destiny or my fate but at least I do know who loves me.

 

 

The song reminds me of studying Italian: one of the quirks of the language: the word for hand is "mano" - ordinarily words ending in "o" are "masculine" but "mano" is "feminine" and takes the feminine adjective "questa". 

It also reminds me of a story my grandma told of the time her younger sister went to see the Zingara - the fortune teller. Grandma scolded her sister and then she went to the fortune teller herself: to get her sister's money back. Which she did. You didn't mess with grandma.

While watching "Dream of Italy" on PBS there was an old guy who philosophized about how, when you are old,  there is less of the future to anticipate, to look forward to, to wonder about; but there is a lot more of the past to recall, to think about, to wonder about. Take this hand, Gypsy. Also read what my destiny will be. Tell me who loves me. Give me hope—this is all that matters to me now.

The recliner is helping my back some. The corn chips and the music are just adjunct pleasures. I do wish I had potato chips.

Today Was Bread Day

 

Three Loaves

12 Rolls

Am I an Atheist?

 I recently posted the video of Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood singing John Lennon's Imagine at Jimmy Carter's funeral. In one of the comments the song was referred to as the "atheist anthem" (I'd never heard that before) and it got me thinking. Am I really an atheist?

First of all I find the song Imagine to be deeply meaningful and even spiritual. And yes, I am "a-religious", if not entirely "anti-religious" although I can find plenty of reasons to be anti-religion. I probably have a deeper understanding and appreciation of religion, particularly Catholicism, than most who profess to be anti-religion and that, I think, gives my opinion some authority.

As for the "theos" or the "theoí" - there is little I can add to the millennia of preponderance on the topic. I've said before that I don't necessarily not believe in the same god that many who call themselves atheist don't believe in or for the same reasons. My disbelief or non-belief is more sophisticated than not believing in the god that a six-year old believes is watching them while they steal a piece of candy at the 7-11.

But with that said, what I will offer is a re-post of something that appeared on this blog back in December, 2011. It was my Christmas entry (I did not do one this 2024 holiday season as I have less and less to say on this platform and fewer to say it to.) Anyhow, for what it's worth:

Saturday, December 24, 2011

I Can Say Nothing Of God Except...

Last year my sister, who is a Sister of Mercy, sent me a prayer she had written about the things and people in her life that gave meaning to the celebration of Christmas.

Each line began with the words, "I can say nothing of God except..."

This prayer reminds us, whether theist, atheist or agnostic, that we can really say little meaningful about God.  That perhaps our belief in God's existence is about as meaningful as another's belief in God's Non-existence. The fact that so many people today claim to know "God", the "will of God" or who or what or which country has "God's favor", is, if nothing else, awfully self-righteous and arrogant.

Perhaps we can say nothing of god except ... what is available to us in our own unique, concrete, quotidian experience. This year I offer my version of my sister's prayer:

I Can Say Nothing of God Except... (c 2019, edited 2025)

I can say nothing of God except the serenity of a walk in the woods on a clear December morning

I can say nothing of God except the surprise that the Bird of Paradise gave me when, after fifteen years, it bloomed in the sun room one February

I can say nothing of God except skiing down a mountain on a sunny winter day

I can say nothing of God except the good food we have to eat and share with whoever enters our home

I can say nothing of God except the seniors who think it is a miracle to make digital photos appear on the computer screen

I can say nothing of God except the shared company of long-time friends

I can say nothing of God except airplanes have taken me to fascinating places

I can say nothing of God except the memory of my mom and grandma and aunts makes me happy when I make manicotti or escarole with beans or cookies

I can say nothing of God except the paintings on the wall that my dad made when he was seventeen

I can say nothing of God except walking up to the rim of the Grand Canyon very early one morning and being speechless for fifteen minutes while my tears flowed spontaneously

I can say nothing of God except sleeping on the beach while listening to Sergio Mendes

I can say nothing of God except an old Valentine from my honey I came across while cleaning drawers

I can say nothing of God except the vastness of the sea and a sailboat against blue sky

I can say nothing of God except the touch of, and touching another man 

I can say nothing of God except I am sitting in the living room with the man I love while the dog sleeps on the couch and Christmas music plays softly

 

One More Netflix MUST SEE - Five Star Movie

Hubs and I just watched a wonderful movie on Netflix this afternoon. This is a movie I think every American should see, should be required viewing for every politician, every congressperson and all military personnel. 

This made me aware of the fact that our country is so close to going backwards while it has barely stepped forwards.

Six Triple Eight has left me practically speechless. It brought tears to my eyes more than once, more than twice, practically throughout the movie. Superb acting throughout. Excellent screen play, directing and filming. Kerry Washington and a great supporting cast.

If you watch anything on Netflix, put SIX TRIPLE EIGHT at the top of your list.

Some Wintertime Netflix Pics and Network TV

I started this post Tuesday but then I wasn't feeling well....Except for aches and pains that come with age, I haven't had so much as a cold or flu since 2019.  But my luck ran out (or I let my guard down) and tested positive for COVID yesterday after one really miserable night. Leon and I were very careful when traveling a month ago and always wore masks in the airports and on the plane. But I was getting over confident back here in New Mexico...even then I can't figure where I picked this up...an uncrowded restaurant? the grocery store? Friends? I was able to get the Paxlovid Rx yesterday and I am feeling tolerably miserable today.

And I just want to share this before getting to the main topic of my post. One of my favorite songs of all times performed by Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood at President Carter's funeral. How fitting and appropriate.

 

Anyhow here are a few suggestions for entertainment on cold winter evenings. All are on Netflix except Brilliant Minds on NBC network TV. I think some full seasons or episodes can be seen on YouTube.

KAOS - A very creative retelling of Greek mythology, set in modern, contemporary times. Defying Zeus is a theme here. The serious story plots are interspersed with macabre humor. No one seems able to escape their "prophesy" or their fate. The gods communicate with land line phones, the Furies ride motorcycles. If you know something about Greek mythology, you may find KAOS entertaining.

 

No Good Deed - House for Sale with secrets. The first few episodes are a bit slow and you're kind of like "Where is this going?" But it gets better.

 Man on the Inside - A little contrived but entertaining. No violence.

 

 The Diplomat - Suspenseful, good acting, international relations and political intrigue.

The Resident - Has to be one of the all time addictive medical soap operas. Blood gushing everywhere. Some very unlikely scenarios - like surgeons staffing the ER and preposterous medical procedures. Did I mention blood gushing everywhere and that it's addictive? We questioned our taste and sanity but couldn't stop watching. Interesting characters. Some socially redeeming story lines around serious issues.

White Collar - Convicted felon and white collar criminal Neil Caffrey (Matt Bomer) works with the FBI to catch other white collar criminals. The first few seasons are good but I kind of lost interest after a while.

 

Lincoln Lawyer - Some interesting story lines and good acting. Legal stuff that lawyers do (on TV). The trailer is not a very good sample:

 

 The Sinner  - I would call it a kind of dark investigative/mystery series. The first episode, from what I recall was a bit difficult to follow.

 

 Made in Italy - A "feel good" movie with nice scenery of the Tuscany region of Italy. I think the story has been done in various versions before.

Dark Winds - Intriguing, disturbing western native American crime series set in the 70s. The scenery is what I see every day so maybe that's part of what I find disturbing.

 

Network TV - Brilliant Minds - Somewhat eccentric Dr Wolf (Zachary Quinto) plays a gay doctor who along with his exceptional team of doctors diagnose and treat mysterious diseases and conditions with exceptional skill and sensitivity. Episode 7 was excellent. Hubby and I both cried.

 

 

Unfrosted - Don't waste your time. Competition between Kellogg and Post Cereal over Poptarts. Silly. Stupid.  Every possible cliche from the 50s and 60s. I fell asleep.

Some Past Recommendations:

I Care A Lot

Turn of the Tide

Nuovo Olimpo

Inventing Anna

I Learned Somethings I Didn't Know About Italians and Their Relationship With the Catholic Church

 I didn't know the history of the Italian Unification vis-a-vis Rome and the Vatican. I did have a strong sense of both the secularization of Italy and it's underlying Catholic morality and this video is quite informative about these complex issues. 

Even though I'm American-Italian and over 70, I relate to the group of those who have become secularized.

My Holiday E-mail

Greetings to You and Your Loved Ones:

Just a note to wish you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Season’s Greetings, Happy New Year, Winter Solstice    ….and to let you know that even though we did not send out cards this year, Leon and I are alive and well (enough). We Thank you for your Cards and Holiday Wishes.

AGE catching up to me, Leon’s busy WORK schedule, and the general STATE of AFFAIRS, has made us both less inclined to engage in the HOLIDAY RITUALS…so we are having a very minimalist Christmas this year.  Even many of those traditional cookies and foods are missing from our house! (we are enjoying other people’s cookies however) We’ve made donations to the homeless shelter, LGBTQ non-profits and other charitable causes in lieu of gifts. Much less stressful and more in keeping with the Spirit of the Season.

The often mindless frenzy of the season as promoted by commercialism has always struck me as rather profane and a source of existential angst. I often find even the expectations based on religious or cultural tradition to be sometimes a source of stress and guilt rather than a source of joy and peace.

But I’ve always been a outlier, a reluctant rebel, a contrarian, a sceptic, proudly gay and mostly “woke.” And perhaps in my OLD AGE I am beginning to own those parts of me along with the aches and pains. 

Don’t get me wrong, I am, we are, Leon and I, also so GRATEFUL for all that we have: we are not lacking any necessities (there's at least one too many vehicles in the driveway), we have great FRIENDS and RELATIVES (you among them), wonderful MEMORIES (Leon has more memories than I do!) and just our being together, and, here in New Mexico lots of SUNNY DAYS (although we had a freak snow before Thanksgiving - 12 inches - see photo above) .

In all of that we find our JOY and PEACE.

Wishing JOY and PEACE to You, too.

While this missive is mostly “FRANK” 

“LEON” sends his LOVE as well.

Frank and Leon

P.S. I do not have email addresses for every family member or friend. Please pass on our Greetings to your loved ones and friends.

Baking Day

I must have had a few good hours of sleep last night because I was industrious today.

I made a double batch of Jim's Apple Muffins today and Italian Bread.

Apple muffins: 

    1 1/2 cups grated (McIntosh) apples 

Mix together:

    1 egg 

    1/2 cup milk 

    1/4 cup Crisco (or canola) oil  

Add the above to 

    1 1/2 cups flour

    1 cup sugar (I use 3/4 cup)

    2 tsp. baking powder

    1/2 tsp. salt

    1/2 tsp cinnamon (and a dash of pumpkin spice)

Mix until all is moist and put into 12 large muffin tins (or 2 small loaf pans)

Topping: 1/3 cup chopped walnuts, 1/3 cup sugar

Sprinkle topping on each muffin before baking

Bake at 400 F for 25 to 30 minutes (a bit longer for loaf pans)

 

 

And then there's the bread. Because there is no good Italian bread in New Mexico. So I have to make my own at least every two weeks.

 

Water, yeast, sugar, salt, flour.  

 

It's all the same.... but oh so different depending on hydration (proportion of flour to water), rise time, oven temperature, steam. This was one of my best crusty, light texture breads yet. High hydration. I think it was about 70% or slightly higher. A very soft sticky dough. Like focaccia or ciabotta dough. 

Leon and I already ate half a loaf.

One Last Thing

 Click to enlarge