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Monday, September 4, 2017

Thankful for, in this week’s sadness


We went to Grandma Ruth’s for a Labor Day picnic. I don’t see these two grands often; in fact, not since being in the hospital, and incoherent. Francis is the focused kid who rode his bicycle from Pittsburgh to Washington, DC, to collect his passport that I transported. Long story. Caroline is the other young lady in the DC pictures. I think she will round out next summer’s vacation pictures well.

I needed a picture. Here are four in a row, of goofy people lining up for grandma’s obligatory picture.







As plates were passed at the table, I mentioned we needed to be grateful to those who were and are responsible for Labor Day. To my pleasure, grandchildren returned words like mining and car industry. Francis is also grateful for a vintage Vespa scooter he scored and has restored, including vintage paint. Caroline is not happy with the blue.


Compliments of France, for Joe and all the guys who like mopeds.

Like Laura, France is working on his driver’s license. He’s two weeks younger than Laura, actually, and about that far behind her in driver’s education classes. Laura has one in-car session left, and almost all three’s on her last class. Three is the best mark for the twenty odd skill categories tested. France has started none of the testing, yet, and was a little on his mother’s nerves, advocating starting at once. Competition is good.

Caroline will be fourteen in January, and eligible for a moped license. If I knew how I would post a large “grin” emoticon here.

During the evening, Grandma Ruth’s daughter called, from her home in Sacremento. That family is leaving and going north for a while, to evade the smoke and smog. This morning I checked blogs I follow, to find a levee near Ellen Abbot’s home and studio broke. We hadn’t heard Stuff fromEllen’s Head recently, and I’d checked up on her by email. All was well then, and yesterday she and Marc were rescued by air boats.

The president’s termination of DACA is another unspeakable this week.  The Rep from Iowa, Steve King, announces ending DACA will restore the rule of law. What’s wrong with these people? Nearly eighty percent of American voters support DACA. I hope it shows at the polls. Vote this November. Vote next November. Vote in your primaries. You are in charge of selecting the people you vote into office. Always vote.


36 comments:

  1. Beware mopeds. Beware grazed legs. Oh well, we all have to fall off at some point. Better when young I suppose.

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    1. I fell off a Cushman moped. The passenger seat just separated. Road rash for me. Two bags of groceries intact.

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    2. I used to ride big British bikes. I got so fed up with falling off that I bought a sidecar outfit, then I got fed up with getting wet so I swapped 4 wheels for 3. Bliss.

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    3. Since it's true confessions day, my husband and I had the Cushman. My mother had nightmares of me delivering my first child in the middle of Euclid Ave, on the way to the hospital. She provided our first car, a black Ford, three speed manual, on the steering column.

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    4. My dad had a Cushman that he rode on trips around the neighborhood. He car pooled to his regular job at the air force base. When it was time for the Cushman to go, he sold it because he felt it wouldn't be fair to give it to one of the grandchildren. If I'd known he was selling it, I would have worn a disguise and sneaked in to buy it. It was red.

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  2. I want a picture of the Vespa!

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  3. Hari om
    Definitely vote...before the planet's blown apart. Meanwhile keep life moving as normal as can be. It's what builds hope and sanity. Love your new topsidd shot Joanne:-) YAM xx

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  4. Great pictures. I vote, but this is such a conservative state my vote doesn't count for much.

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    1. Yes, it does! Someday my blue vote will change red Ohio.

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  5. Oh dear! Thanks for the update on Ellen Abbot. Good to know they're okay, but I wonder about the property they left behind.

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  6. Love the smiles despite the sadness and the ugliness.

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  7. It's so nice to have young people around, isn't it? Especially well behaved ones like your lot. It's always nice to have family dinners. We often have family dinners but now that I'm the one to cook them I skip holidays here and there. We never did have family dinner over Labour Day though as everyone is generally busy with end of summer plans trying to fit them all in before the "new year" officially begins.

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  8. Anytime you refer to France, I smile. It was the name for Francis in my mother's family. I don't hear it often any more.

    What a great looking bunch of grandkids, Joanne.

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  9. Wonderful new profile picture of you, Joanne.

    And ... is Francis tall or are all of you ladies just short? :)

    And I echo EC - thanks for the smiles in a week that had few.

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  10. I like your new photo and the caption. It shows you are determined to move forward.

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  11. DACA?
    That's a nice looking bunch of happy kids.
    I've been seeing some of the floods on the news here, but don't watch a lot of TV, I hope all that weather calms down so people can get on with their lives soon.

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    1. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. It is meant to end the automatic deportation of children who were brought in illegally, too, as children. They would be returning to a country they do not know, a language they may not know, customs they may not know, a standard of living they are not accustomed to. The business leaders of this country are begging our president to leave these kids here; they are among the brightest and best of our future.

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    2. Thank you. I have similar worries about being deported to a country I know nothing about, just because I was born there, (Germany) in the event another world war should break out.

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  12. Great pictures of the grands! Yep, I agree, always vote!

    betty

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  13. I love seeing you all looking so happy.
    As for DACA, it shows the heartlessness of this administration.

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  14. wow, France is tall; what a nice family picnic you had, as for DACA the president has no choice since it expired and it was illegal in the first place; so for him to continue it would be continuing making a law which president's aren't supposed to do, the congress should get off their duffs and do something instead of constant vacations, they are the ones who are supposed to make the laws; what a bogged down and inefficient bureaucracy our government is; term limits would fix a good deal of the problems I think.

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  15. I've just picked myself up off the floor after reading you can ride a moped at 14.

    I always tell people to vote as well, though the results of voting around the world are not too brilliant at the moment. Live in hope.

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  16. You can't drive in PA till you are 16 and must have your permit for at least six months before taking the driving test. I don't know if that includes a moped.

    Those pictures of you and your grands are wonderful. It looks like you all had a very good time together.

    With the frightening news that is out there, I worry that we might not make it to another election.

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  17. I'm surprised you didn't take a picture riding with France on his moped.

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  18. Love your goofy people. Not enough goofy people in the world.

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  19. Nice to see those happy pictures of you and the grandkids. They must love you a lot! You will be the Grandma they tell stories about to their grandchildren. Working hard in Florida to flip the state blue. Lots of Dreamers down here.

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  20. Love the family pics, Joanne. It's hard to get the kids to take them sometimes. Usually takes grandma to push them into it.
    And as for the Vespa, I like the blue.

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  21. As one comment pointed out - the DACA fix really should come from congress. Problem is the congress during Obama would not pass a fix. So he did what he considered within his powers to help the situation. Donny John at one point said he cared about these young people but now it seems he doesn't. I can't figure him out.
    Hope the other drivers on the road can see the moped. Nice pics of the family. Yes vote. Not voting is just being too lazy and not caring.

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    1. Congress has had a bill under consideration for at least five years. In the meantime, these kids names are going on deportation lists because the people who care are powerless.

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  22. That moped looks like something I could get around on. It's almost a motor bike and I miss my motor bike. I'm not willing to go through all the hassle of getting a licence again though.

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  23. What a fun post. Yes, this current administration has lost their minds. I will be venting and voting every time the polls open!

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  24. Trump has given Congress three months for RACA reform. Really Congress needs to get off their partisan butts and be proactive.

    great family photos. those are the precious memory photos for family.

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