Swing In A Tree

Friday, May 31, 2024

“Guilty on 34 Counts

GUILTY

Yesterday ex-president Trump’s New York jury found him guilty on all 34 counts of felony fraud. Trump corrupted elections by hiding information from voters. For me, this moment demonstrates that the attempts of a political party to disassemble the foundations of our democracy took a blow. Supporters of Trump couldn’t wait to get before their fan bases to try to undermine the rule of law.

It’s important to point out that this man, his family members, and his business don’t do well once a judge and jury examine evidence provided against them. I found out recently that some of my Trump supporting friends and family members didn’t even know that he was found guilty of Defamation and Sexual Assault against E. Jean Carroll. Another jury concluded that Trump committed sexual assault and defamation with Trump having to pay $5 million and $83.3 million in damages. These same people manage to spin the $355 million plus interest fraud verdict in New York into proof that Trump’s a risk-taker, which they find admirable.

This same group of people insists that Trump’s being unfairly persecuted when confronted with the pending 37 felony count Mar-a-Lago Documents case surrounding his removal and retention of national security documents. They explain away the Fulton County Election Subversion case because they still want to believe that Trump won 2020. One eighty-year-old relative claimed recently that if he’d been younger, he would’ve been participating in the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. The Department of Justice Election Subversion felony charges, to him, are false claims against true patriots.

What’s next for people like me, surrounded by MAGA madness?

SPEAK.

SPEAK OUT OFTEN.

SPEAK OUT TRUTHFULLY.

Thursday, May 30, 2024

“Rekindling a Love”

San Antonio Zoo 1981

We moved from College Station, Texas to San Antonio in December of 1979, without jobs and on an extremely tight budget. Our finances allowed few luxuries during those first years as an old Honda Civic needed constant repairs, and I still had school loans to repay. We purchased bikes that provided many hours of entertainment. We found a few parks and preserves that offered escapes, all free, from our small apartment. Our favorite splurge, though, became a day at the San Antonio Zoo.

1985

Eventually, parenthood meant even more frequent trips that included train rides and sky rides. The zoo provided rides on elephants and camels during the 1980s as well as a petting zoo that our son grew to love dearly. Our traditions over the years included photographs with the lion sculpture. If family or friends came along, they struck poses, too.

1988

Life took us along different paths that led us away from trips to the zoo as we spent weekends at the family cabin and discovered our love of Renaissance Fairs. Music lessons, art classes along with more demanding careers and aging parents shifted the zoo into an extremely fond memory.

Then in December 2023, my son started wanting to visit this treasured place once again. For our 45^th anniversary gift, we decided to purchase new zoo memberships as we found ourselves falling in love once more with all of the changes entwined with our special traditions.

1990

2023

Wednesday, May 29, 2024

“Sunflowers”

Travel with me over the last few years and watch my sunflowers grow.

Tuesday, May 28, 2024

"Cold Feet"

Notoriously chill
My blocks of unfriendly ice
Make me wonder if I’m ill
With toes that I cover twice
One layer of cozy socks
Must always adorn my feet
Or those frosty digits shock
Anyone that I may meet
I know that their artic feel
Make me seem detached and cold
But that image isn’t real
Kindness guides me to be bold
Overlook my need for heat
And value me for my deeds
I will jump in with both feet
To help you with your needs

Monday, May 27, 2024

“Knees”

In high school, I danced on the drill team during half-times. Our sadistic sponsor forced stretching and exercising workouts on us that make today’s PT specialists fume over the casual negligence of our young bodies. Vivid memories haunt me of the hard gym floor pressing into my chest as my partner sat on my back to force my muscles to stretch, stretch, and stretch. One position required us to fold back our knee on the floor, place the other leg straight ahead, and roll down with hands extended to touch our chests to the extended leg. Then we’d shift to the bended knee to pressure it into the ground. If the stretch wasn’t low enough, my partner pushed against my lower back, or sometimes even sat on me to hold me in place.

No matter what injuries my knees sustained in adulthood, like falling down stairs at work, or slipping and twisting while mopping the kitchen floor, I know every twinge in my knees as I’ve aged began with this torture rendered in high school.

In 2020, my abused left knee gave out while I was walking and required extremely slow, painstaking rehabilitation that I did following a PAs instructions. I never needed steroid shots. Tylenol Arthritis took care of my pain. My life changed dramatically as I let my knee recover. At first I couldn’t walk around our backyard without stopping. Stairs became a one-step-at-a-time process. After months, I returned to walking to the park. Within a year, I challenged myself with treks up “Suicide Hill” in our neighborhood. Then, I blew out my right knee by a combination of walking and raking leaves. Back to slow and steady rehab.

During the time of my second knee recovery, we decided to get a stationary exercise bike. With my left knee, I found getting on the bike at the gym provided a safe way to get my heart rate up while not stressing my knees. Purchasing our own bike put my therapy steps away and removed the barriers of gym clothes and gym hours. At first, my knees protested even on the lowest resistance settings and with only fifteen minutes of riding. Now they sing through thirty minutes daily without nagging at me.

My relationship with the bike is a love/hate one. I dread the thirty minute spin, but love that I can now walk up and down stairs effortlessly. I resent the push against the pedals, but enjoy the satisfaction of sweat. I resent the routine, but understand the need. I envision myself at age 80 with my resistance up and my heartrate low!