Some More . . .

Nota Bene: As I was contemplating my subject for this blog, I decided to continue amusing Jill, and all my other wonderful friends by writing some more diary pages just for entertainment! It might also serve the additional purpose of having my son make a comment like: No fire and brimstone rant this morning, Mum? I know he will say something sassy like that, and I am already thinking: Shit! Maybe I’m losing my mojo? Mellowing? Me? It must be the hamster effect!

Saturday, March 31: Startling news from the Gaza borders today as peaceful protesting Palestinians are slaughtered and many hurt by the criminal Israeli military and the deplorable government that supports them. Amongst the Palestinian people: Indignation, Frustration, Anger and Grief. Until bloody when? The Israelis are saying that the Palestinians used projectiles and, therefore, they deserved to die, which evokes a saying by Joseph Conrad: “Words, as is well known, are the great foes of reality.” Yes, they are, because they can be skewed any way that serves wicked purposes. It is happening here in our own US where there is nothing left “un-skewed,” and has been happening in Israel since the criminal idea of occupying and colonizing inhabited Palestine was germinated. Those famous tablets that Moses brought down? The Universal Declaration of Human Rights? Nah! What for? Words! Only Words! Painful!

Family and friends coming over tomorrow to celebrate Easter. I have a bit of preparing to do; finishing up tomorrow: Rice hashwe to go with my daughter’s fantastic leg of lamb (which I taught her, but on which she now outdoes me by far), pasta bechamel because all the kiddos love it, green beans salad with plenty of lemon, garlic and olive oil dressing, my mother’s very special shrimp salad, a must at every holiday meal, and my son’s Middle Eastern barbequed chicken with garlic and lemon juice the way his Dad used to make them. Nice!

In the evening, my son-in-law, daughter, my two grandchildren and I drive to the Reston Community Center to see a sold-out performance by the incredible Maysoon Zayid! The woman is amazing! Not only is she hilarious, but she also boldly tackles social and political issues (she spoke of the current ongoing slaughter in Gaza); taunts the probably present CIA and FBI Agents in the crowd (a must appearance at every Arab gathering); makes fun of her parents and herself and the fact that she has many issues – Palestinian, Woman, Muslim, growing up in New Jersey – all of which are much more (facetiously) encumbering than the fact that she has Cerebral Palsy! Terrific woman! It was a great evening!

Getting into my bed, I tossed and turned for a long time trying to reconcile my emotions: the grief of Gaza and all Palestinians; the tragic bloodshed in the region; the anticipation of sharing the day with friends and family tomorrow; spending an evening of laughter with Maysoon! It takes a lot of fortitude to stay balanced and to compartmentalize, sift through and quickly change channels between one occurrence and another. Quite draining!

Woke up to use the loo around midnight and heard the hamster going on his wheel like a whirling dervish!

Sunday, April 1: Sixteen people: teenagers, middle-aged and old (me) gathered at our home chatting, drinking, feasting (the food was delicious!) and playing one of the newer party-games, Catchphrase. It’s a cute game, however, I managed to bungle up my part royally – I just couldn’t get it! – incurring laughter and teasing from all for my inadequacy! At the end of the day, my granddaughter and grandson were gently consoling me for blundering so badly: “It’s okay, Teta, don’t feel bad. There is a Generational Gap here. We have gotten used to doing things fast, thinking faster, pressing buttons on gizmos easily and you haven’t.” Sweethearts! My games were slower and involved Dice, Tokens and Tiles, not computers and gizmos!! Looks to me these days that this is just one aspect of the Generational Gap – and there are many! Nevertheless, it was a fun and joyful day.

Hamster gets a choice piece of Romaine lettuce to munch on. He loves that!

Monday, April 2: A quiet day, recouping from yesterday and putting the house and myself back together again. Enjoying my solitude after the noise of yesterday. It was chilly, and by evening I was ready to snuggle into my warm bed and continue reading: Britt-Marie Was Here by Frederik Backman, the delightful author who introduced me to Ove with whom I fell in love!

Russian Television (RT) has been taken off the air! I can still get it on my computer, though! It seems that we are now truly living in “1984,” “Brave New World,” “Animal Farm,” “The Circle,” and “The Handmaid’s Tale” The American people will get only one point of view on TV, and the brainwashing will continue apace since all the other channels babble practically the same hyped superficialities! Dark, very dark days ahead!

Tuesday, April 3: Gym and back home to prepare my lunch and catch up with my online readings. Now, hamsters are nocturnal animals. However, this cute thing, somehow knows that I will be making my salad sometime in mid-morning, so he stays up and waits on the top floor of his cage until I give him a piece of lettuce, a small slice of apple, or a teaspoon of scrambled egg after which he retires to his chambers!!! He caught on to the rhythm of the household. He’s so smart!

News Talk and Gibberish Today: Trump invited Putin to a meeting, and he said that getting along with Russia is a good thing and only “stupid” people don’t agree to that. I agree with him, actually! Very stupid! However, in the same breath, he then becomes belligerent. Nothing seems to be making sense anymore!

An Iranian woman went into the YouTube offices, shot at people and then killed herself. Every day, it seems, there is another shooting somewhere. Disgruntled people go on a shooting spree and end up killing innocent citizens, themselves, or being killed. Are we living in the Wild West? Gangster Land? How will all this end? Very disconcerting and dangerous!

Wednesday, April 4: No gym today. We have an early photo-shoot. My grandson, the professional videographer, is making a promotional clip for his mother’s business. I am to pose as a client. Fun! Anyway, the weather is dismal with Winter, though in its last gasps, holding on viciously as Spring cowers around the corner. Come on, Spring! Emerge already!

Martin Luther King, Jr.: 50 years after his assassination and resounding message, where are we? Blatant discrimination marches on. How tragic! How unfair!

Watched a pre-recorded “Roseanne” episode. I just needed to know what the fuss overtaking the airwaves was all about. I found that I still think it’s trashy.

. . . Hamster seems to be upset again! Moody fellow!

Thursday, April 5: Eye doctor appointment this morning. Blurry eyes for hours! At our make-up Book Club meeting earlier in the week we were discussing: We Need to Talk About Kevin, an unsettling, depressing read, but apt for today’s “shoot-em-up” world. Anyway, the subject of Emotions came up and whether today’s youth are more sensitive and drama-prone than our older generations. One member said: “Nobody asked us about our emotions, so we didn’t think of them and moved on.” Are we making too big a deal about the emotions, feelings, perceptions, awareness, dramas of today’s young? Are we walking on eggshells all the time? Is that better than it was for us? I don’t know the answer.

Friday, April 6: A promise of snow for Saturday and Monday from the Weather men and women who seem to think that they are super-stars and that their forecast should have tension, excitement and a cliff-hanger (we’ll tell you when we come back!) before they fucking tell me what I need to know! Jeez! Do they think that I’m going to plaster myself in front of the TV all morning until they’re done hyper-ventilating? Better check the phone from now on. Going grocery shopping with my daughter.

Saturday, April 7: More people were slaughtered in Gaza yesterday. Unbelievable! Hey, JC, it’s been 2000 years already! Orthodox Christians will be celebrating Your Rising tomorrow, which is the correct time, since the Jewish hierarchy of those days signed Your death sentence after celebrating Passover and because they did not want a Rebellious Rabble-rouser to threaten their coziness with the Roman Empire. So, maybe You can surprise us all and really come back to fix this mess we’re in? Can You give us a time-line at least so we can, perhaps, keep on hoping?

No snow. Phew!

Going to the Gym to work off my frustrations!

Hamster is doing great this morning!

Sunday, April 8: My heavy winter clothes are arranged in neat piles on my bed: Dry cleaners, Washing, Goodwill Store, Fold and put away for next year (if I’m still around). Brought out my demi-saison and summer clothes. I felt slightly disgusted with myself as I hung them up. “If you see me buy one measly five-dollar T-Shirt, just shoot me,” I told my daughter. Truly, most of us around here have way too much! In fact, many people don’t even use their garages for their cars anymore, but rather as storage rooms. Many others rent storage units – plentiful in my area – and pile them up with stuff! And all those people live in big – some huge – homes. We are all gluttons!

Postscript: On April 15 I will be celebrating five years of starting this blog and posting on the 15^th. and 30^th of every month. It’s been so much fun!

 

(Credits to Depicting Life Photography for helping with image assets)