No Strings Attached

Posted By Kathleen David on November 8, 2020

I rarely express my political opinion here. For me politics like religion is personal.

However, if you know Peter’s politics, then you know mine. 

Yesterday Joe Biden was declared the President-Elect of the United States and I am very happy. Kamala Harris is even a bigger deal being Vice-President Elect as she is a woman, minority, and the child of immigrants. An old white guy being the President is pretty much business as usual.

Caroline said that her anxiety levels dropped by more than half. She was happy and even bubbly about it. She texted her friends and they were talking about this all day. 

In the neighborhood there were celebrations breaking out and people talking to each other about how they felt. The houses that were brave enough to put out Biden/Harris signs were gather points at a safe distance where people were jubilant.

Caroline and I took a very long walk and just enjoyed the day.

I know it was just an election, but things feel different. Caroline said that she had feels of hope for the first time in a long time. She could see a future for her.

She is a little disappointed that she was one month and two days short of eighteen, but she plans on voting from her birthday on.

I feel like I can make plans again. I feel like we will get COVID under control. I feel like we will get our trash economy back up and running again. There will be major changes because of the pandemic and that is not a bad thing.

I firmly believe that the stock market is only an indicator of the economy. We are more than a number. Bigger numbers does not mean that the middle class is doing any better. And it defiantly does not reflect how the poorest in our society are suffering during this pandemic.

I believe in public education and giving every child in this country a chance to better themselves. 

I want to bring back civics classes and home economics including basic life skills like how to rent an apartment. How to budget money. How to open a bank account. How to apply for student loans.

I believe firmly that the Arts should be part of that education. Children who can read music are activating parts of their brains used for other intellectual uses. Art gives them the ability to express themselves. Woodshop give them practical skills they can use for life.

As you can tell, I am big on education and we need to restore what has been stripped away and return to the public schools what has been stolen from them.

I want our military personal to make enough money that they don’t have to take a second job to make ends me. I want good schools for their children too. I want the VA to work for our Vets rather than being an obstacle course to just get basic treatment. I respect and appreciate our military and think we do need to support the people within. I want them to be able to get the benefits promised them when they signed up. I am not sanguine with building things that the armed forces have said more than once they don’t need or want.

I want to help family farms survive. I have no love for the corporate farms who are grabbing most of the money that should go to the small farmers. My mother grew up on a small farm and it was a hardscrabble life. She worked her way from there to becoming a Professor Emeritus of Emory University. 

I believe that Black Lives Matter.

I believe in getting rid of for-profit prisons who have created a business model that depends on the incarceration of our citizens. Those in these hëll-holes are disproportionally filled with the poor, the marginalized, and the young black men of our country. I firmly believe that the Regan Era no tolerance policy towards drugs has done more harm to two generations of black men than just about any other legal maneuver. Drug addicts need treatment not incarceration. They need help to get to the root of why they do drugs and how they can get out of it. 

We need more social workers and councilors to help our population with the fall-out from COVID and the mental toll it has taken on all of us.

We need to help each other. To re-unite as a country and take on the big issues that face our citizens. We need to restore our ability to create and think outside the box. We were an inventive society and we need to get back to that. Again the schools are a big part of this.

We need to restore our country and remember what made us great and will make us great again. 

I think Joe Biden is up to the task and I have hope for the future of our country for the first time in four years.

I am grateful that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won.

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Posted By Kathleen David on November 7, 2020

This morning is just about perfect weather for me. Not too hot or cold. A light breeze and sunshine. The kind of day that makes it worth living.

The cats are enjoying the open windows and the birds and squirrels bouncing around. 

(For the VI: Next to the screen is Mewlan who is a black cat with a notched ear. In front of her is Inky who is a very fluffy white and black cat is in front. They are watching a squirrel eating a pumpkin.)

Peter is off on his adventure for the day. I made the coat and the mask for him. For the mask I took one of our many masks and sewed it into the red cloth so Peter can put the mask on then tied the red cloth around his head. More on that on Tuesday.

The Shadow Knows

(For the VI: This is Peter wearing a red cloth as a mask and a black fedora)

A Costume for the age of COVID

(for the VI: Peter dressed as the Shadow. He is wearing the red mask, fedora, and a black inverness coat with red lining)

Caroline and I have our day pretty much planned out. We are going to walk then run errands then get things done around the house.

I am grateful for days like this.

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Posted By Kathleen David on November 6, 2020

Now that Halloween is over and costumes are done, I can start looking towards getting our holiday sales in place to earn some money to replace the lack of conventions.

We are doing a random graphic novel sale. For $20.00 plus shipping you get a graphic novel that Peter wrote and a signature with personalization if you want it. We have some really rare books in the group too. 

We will also be putting up a list of books for sale which you will be able to pick what you want and Peter will sign and personalize if you want. These are for the most part are $20 per book. There are a few that are a little more expensive.

I have slots open at https://www.nostringsattachedpuppets.com for puppets to be built for you or a loved one. 

Today I am getting Peter ready for his first convention since February. He is making an appearance at <a href= https://www.pulpfest.com/tag/pulp-adventurecon/> Pulp-AdventureCon</a> this Saturday in Bordentown New Jersey. He has an outfit that will allow him to social distance and minimize contact. More on that tomorrow.

Tomorrow is getting Peter off to the convention, errands with Caroline, and my weekly sewing lesson. 

Then I move onto finishing UFOs and starting a couple of things that I need to have done before December starts.

Also, Caroline and I are going to start the next step in the big clean-up we are doing. I have a plan that I want to stick to.

So that’s my next couple of days. I have work Tuesday-Thursday with being on call for Monday and Friday.

Let’s see what I can get done.

I am grateful for a cunning plan.

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Posted By Kathleen David on November 5, 2020

I know I am not going anywhere for Thanksgiving or Christmas this year. 

Which means it will be the first year in my life that I don’t see my parents in person. That hurts a lot. I understand logically why it must be this way however my heart hurts.

We know we are buying a live little tree that we will plant in the spring and we have ornaments to put on it along with lights. 

Mom has pledged to send us cookies this year which we are all happy about.

I do see them once a week as we have an O’Shea Family online meeting. I also see my brothers and sister. We catch up on what each of us has been doing and talk our lives. There are also the in jokes and pun that have been a part of my life. Caroline has learned family history through these meetings as well.

On the plus side, I can tell them at work that I have a clear schedule. 

I am enjoying my job. It is diverse enough to give my brain things to think about. It is also giving me a total body workout as I put out everything we get for the floor in framing. Unloading the truck does the same thing. I just have to keep up the cardio.

As the weather changes, we are figuring out the best time to walk since sunset is at the proper time now. We are going for midday right now depending on when and what school is.

We are also sorting out what we are doing for Caroline on her 18^th birthday which is exactly a month away. Still trying to wrap my mind around that.

Today I am working on two sew projects that are a little overdue.

Tomorrow errands and cranking up the web site to sell puppets. Especially since Karen Gilliam showed off my puppet on a tour of her house.

We are also doing a holiday graphic novel sale and I will have more on that later.

I am grateful for opportunities.

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Posted By Kathleen David on November 3, 2020

I remember that our civics teacher Mr. Morgan made sure that by the time we graduated, we had registered to vote. He emphasized the importance of our various civic duties, but voting was a passionate topic for him. He had walked in civil rights marches in the 60s and seen what the voice of the people could do if united and what happens when those voices are silenced. His voice was to a point since he was a gay man who had to pretend he wasn’t to keep his job. Not my only gay teacher as I found out years later.

My parents made it a point to take us along with them when they voted. They wanted us to see the process and understand the importance of the act of casting a vote no matter if it was a local election or a national one.

Today is Election Day and if you can vote, vote. 

If you have voted by the many methods available to you, thank you for doing your civic duty.

Today is the day to make your voice and concerns heard at the ballot box. 

Don’t skip the various budget and law changes at the end. Those are really important too. Take a little time to refresh yourself on the issues at hand and vote your conscious.

Find out who is running in your local elections and see if they will do a good job.

I have voted on every school budget, library budget, town budget and local elected officials since I moved here. I know in many cases my voice is in the minority where I live but I hope that will change after time. 

I would vote for dogcatcher if it were an elected post.

Voting is your political voice at its strongest.

Do be safe and careful as we navigate our way through voting during a pandemic.

So basically vote. I think that if you can and don’t, then you lose your Internet privilege to complain about the government until you do vote.

Vote, vote, vote, vote.

I am grateful that my parents and teachers taught me how important my vote was.

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