Daily Archives: October 3, 2015

Politics, The West, US History

Let Sad Make You Mad

Leave a comment

Mabon                                                                            Elk Rut Moon

I got a disturbing call in the early 1980’s. Could I do a funeral for a young woman whose marriage I had performed on the West Bank in Minneapolis not two years before? Of course. How did she die?

Two boys playing in an alley had a rifle. It went off. The .22 bullet was so spent by the time it reached where she stood on the balcony of her apartment that it couldn’t penetrate the back of her coveralls. But it had enough power to stop her heart.

At the funeral we decided that the only way to make sense of her death was to push for gun control. And we did. We lobbied the Minneapolis city council, talked to Minnesota legislators. I don’t remember how long we kept at it, but in the end we failed. Just like gun control advocates all across this country.

I think it’s time three things happened: 1. The NRA gets put on the terrorist watch list as an enabler of domestic terrorism. 2. The second amendment gets recognized as the gun control amendment that it is. 3. Gunmakers, gun controlled lawmakers, local gun use advocates get the shame and the blame each time a shooting occurs, mass or otherwise.

Here are graphics that you might have seen elsewhere, but they’re worth seeing again. If you want to dig a little more into the numbers, go to this website: mass shooting tracker.

gun deaths vs terrorism deathsmass shootings graphic

Aging, Health, Jefferson County, Shadow Mountain, Third Phase, Weather +Climate

Uh-oh. Gotta close the windows.

Leave a comment

Mabon                                                                     Elk Rut Moon

Started physical therapy for my arthritis, scoliosis, muscle tightness on Thursday. Dana, my therapist, is a very sharp woman, maybe early 40’s. She has me tucking my chin into my chest, folding my shoulder blades up, then down and paying attention to the tilt of my head in a mirror. The muscle relaxant I’ve been given is peculiar. It has a sedative effect and knocks me out when I take it. But, each night at 1:15-1:19, it wears off and I wake up. It’s half life goes on a bit longer so I get back to sleep pretty well.

Tonight though, it’s 2:00 a.m. right now, I woke up at 1:15 and noticed a flash of light. Then some thunder. Then the sound of rain drops. Ooops. I’d forgotten to shut the windows in the loft. No. I shut them. No. I didn’t. It’ll be ok. It won’t rain much. You don’t know that. Oh, alright. So up I came. Sure enough the windows were open. Not raining much, but hard to predict.

Kate and I went into Conifer last night for appetizers and every restaurant we tried had 25-30 minute wait times. Unusual. Tourists out for something. People drive away from their homes, even come to stay for a few days, to get to the place where Kate and I live. Sorta neat. Except when the restaurant wait times are 25-30 minutes. We turned around, drove past our house and on down Black Mountain Drive to Brook Forest Inn. Good choice. This old lodge is between Evergreen and Conifer, just like we are, out of the way for tourist traffic unless you’re staying there.

And, the food is good. It’s the local joint closest to our house. We’re semi-regulars there now and are beginning to get to know people. We may go over there on Sunday for the Vikings-Broncos game. Cutting cable means no local channels, so no football.