Wasn’t it only a few months ago we watched…in awe of the civilized British…as Prince William married his beautiful bride, Kate?
And now London is in flames, hoodlums seem to have the upperhand as the rampant looting and unrest goes viral. The flames remeiniscent of the German Bombing Blitz of London during WW II. Hopefully the authorities will bring order and control back to England, however, according to the news reports, it only seems to be getting worse.
And then the stock market panic fiasco. Our soldiers dying in faraway lands that don’t want us there in the first place. So sad. And the unforgettable images of starving African children…
Perhaps it sounds like I watch too much TV news. Actually the Today Show every other day when I exercise and, of course, NPR news while I cook dinner or drive. I don’t think that’s overdosing on news, merely staying informed.
And to be honest, sometimes I feel a bit perturbed listening to or watching the news. The double standard the media uses to scrutinize candidates for public office is appalling. I don’t think it is a party line bias nearly as much as gender bias. Whether you agree/disagree with the candidates or not, watch closely to see the way women candidates are treated by the media. This weeks Newsweek cover of Michele Bachmann for example, how do they manage to turn an attatctive lady into something that scary? Sara Palin has been flagrantly criticized by the media. I wonder why they spend so much time mocking her if they think she is really that stupid? In the last presidential primary Hillary Clinton was roundly mocked for her appearance, choice of clothing, hair style as well as comments made by her husband. And statements women candidates make are often taken out of context and twisted to destroy their credibility. Male candidates are rarely examined to this degree…unless there is a mental illness skeleton in their closet!
Oh well enough of that. I’ve been going through years and years of old famiy photographs. It almost feels like all those years and lives slipped through my fingers…in just one afternoon. The photographs prove I was thin for most of my life. But when I was young, I thought I was fat, since in those days Twiggy set the standard, and I was never that thin! The good news is these days I am feeling thin since I’ve recently lost twenty five pounds. Though, I am still over wieght for my height. Perceptions!
I’ve read several books since my last blog. My two favorites were The Raven by Lenore Hart, (about the life of Edgar Allan Poe’s wife), and The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, (started slow but a powerful story written in the voice of the family dog). Totally different books, but both memorable worthwhile reads. Another book I enjoyed was The Postmistress by Sarah Blake. My favorite unforgettable line from that book was, “He was looking right when he should have been looking left.”
Still busy with gardeninng, grandchildren, family picnics and summer fun. I completed a suvival course with my 15 year old grandson at the Adventure Park, in Holiday Valley, NY. I ached for a week after, had never done zip lines before and was so proud and thankful I was able to do the course, even though I did the beginners and he did the extreme double diamond!
Went on a Paddle Boat ride at Redhouse Lake in Allegany State Park with my 14 year old granddaughter on a windy day and several gusts of wind twirled us in cicrles. It was almost more excitement than we were looking for! We also celebrated my dad’s 89th birthday last week. And yes, I still squeeze in time to write.
Keep reading, my friends and you’ll never be bored. More later…