Such a weekend!

I mentally wished everyone Godspeed, then went to bed Friday night. I knew I could not watch for the march on television Saturday morning, just like I could not watch the inauguration. I’d wait to day’s end, and be ecstatic or crushed.

Beth stopped for a couple of hours Saturday morning. She was the weekend mom for Francis’ rock climbing group. Beth is a direct descendant of my grandmother and my mother. Just a month ago she was helping a friend who has a shop in the old, and now trendy, section of Cleveland. She fell down the last four basement steps, careening off the stone walls and landing on the concrete floor. She broke her right shoulder, tore muscle and tendon from the elbow and shattered her radius and ulna.

They waited several days for surgery, to assemble the three surgeons required to repair the damage. I imagine her in three times the pain of my broken shoulder, but Saturday was her rotation to ferry the load of rock climbers, so she did. She sat on my sofa and did her exercises for two hours.

Later, Laura and I went grocery shopping, then to visit K at the old house, with cookies and our Christmas puzzle. Late afternoon my phone buzzed a text from Beth: On Facebook there are posts from all over the world. The march is all over the world! It is so amazing.

We wrapped the puzzle at six, and came home. I looked at Facebook. I spent until bedtime, reading all the posts. I want you to know, I cried. Four million women, children and men all over the world. There is a voice for human rights and equality. We must not lose that voice again.

In my news feed this morning, Politico says potus fumes over the inaugural crowd size. Were they turned back at the gate, I wondered. In the news, seas of pink and placards. Did you see the four in Moscow, with signs, and posting Strolling with you in Moscow. Marches are banned. John Lewis in Georgia, “I know something about marching!”

Back to business this morning. The Washington Post announcing potus has bombed the health care markets. Remember, Don’t Mourn; Organize. 

The weekly newsletter, Actions for Democrats, Independents &Republicans of Conscience is in my mail box, and this week a device after my own heart. A checklist! I thumbed through the links to finding information, and they are good.

I live in an extremely gerrymandered district, giving me three representatives to chose among according to my zip code. I know my representative because it’s my job to know this stuff. But this link goes on to refine the search by zip plus four, and there’s my representative.

There is a search for senator, for phone numbers, email addresses, and mail addresses. There are explanations of strategies that work well. And, this week’s activism list includes a good old fashioned Mr. Smith Goes to Washington tactic. “Get a pile of postcards (or sheets of 110lb cardstock to make your own); get stamps; a book or two of 34-cent stamps for postcards.” Signing you name on an email petition is far less effective than writing a few lines of what you are objecting to. Actions for American of Conscience has many you can research and follow up on.

I’ve printed my worksheet, and will have it filled in before we go back to finish the puzzle over supper tonight. Tomorrow morning, as my grandmother said, “Pull up your corset strings, girls. We have work to do.”