A crappy day. But is it, really? K and I had a nice walk around noon, which we interrupted to drop off wedding band and engagement ring for resizing. To fit the current me.
But it is a crappy day in terms of the Virginia governor’s race. I downright exhausted myself watching Steve Kornacki early in the evening, then checking in on everyone’s hot takes on twitter through the night. (Here’s my twitter feed.)
For me, there are THREE main take aways:
1) racism as a platform works. According to Sherilynn Ifill, a civil rights attorney for the NAACP, we ought to be asking why that is.
2) Democrats won an impressive array of posts last night. Boston elected their first female and first person of color as mayor; Pittsburgh, New York City, and Kansas City all elected Black mayors; Cincinnati elected its first Asian mayor; Virginia elected its first Black woman for Lt. Governor. Good news spelled out here.
3) Democrats need to fight fire with fire. Jesus, how could so much reporting on CRT fail to mention until paragraph 47 that it IS NOT EVEN TAUGHT IN THE VIRGINIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Accountability and results and appropriate (fierce) media messaging are going to matter so much going into the midterms.
I’ve been posting work to Etsy today. Tedious. Measure this, describe that, and for some reason the postage choices were all fucked up.
The oaks across the way catch the late afternoon sun and turn brilliant gold. Maybe that’s the truest statement here!
Your photos capture this time so well Dee…I just hope the decaying of the country can make an abrupt stop.
Yeah. The rot is deep.
With you on all this. Twitterers said a lot of good stuff, but who’s countering the counter productive? I forgot to check AngryStaffer. It feels like blah blah blah and no action for far too long – – yet I contend that is purely the media feeding us fear. It also seems like the Biden administration is making great strides in the proper manner – – oh so slow. I might find new strength from returning to Quaker Meeting.
Your twisted cone flowers sadly saying goodbye to the warm afternoons are gorgeous.
This fall I am inexplicably motivated to get my garden ready for spring. Thinking about doing sedum carpets next year. Yesterday I also cleaned the house (downstairs) down to the woodwork corners and edges, rarely exposed to the damp cloth. I rearranged the furniture and brought in the lemon tree. Anticipating another breath-holding winter? When I got up this morning my whole body revolted at the attempt to stand up straight. xo
I follow AngryWHStaffer but added AngryStaffer to the feed. Good takes. Hope the Quaker meeting does provide some strength. I know it has for you in the past.
As for all that housework – kudos! I’ll admit that even before I got to the end of your comment I was expecting a little pain. 😲
I have no doubt in this day and time that many of my Virginia elementary school library read-alouds would/could be perceived as “teaching critical race theory” since I often used non-fiction books about Freedom Summer and Ruby Bridges along with fictional titles by Jacqueline Woodson and Faith Ringgold (to name just a few) as ways to begin conversations about how much has changed and how much still needs to be done …
but my all-time favorite was Sense Pass King, a picture book re-imagining of a Cameroon folktale about a clever little girl whose wisdom surpasses that of the clue-less old guy (who lies like a rock and bears a striking resemblance to 45) … my kids always cheered, even the fifth graders, at the denouement … I hope they remember and carry that wisdom with them
Liz- your enthusiasm for books etc is encouraging. Here in Maine- the most BACKWARD of the States (it seems) Hydro Quebec has filed in court and is back to work on the Energy Corridor. Even with the vote to stop it-to save the trees. Never mind that replacement energy is from burning coal.
Never heard of Hydro Quebec but it sounds like maybe I should have.
You know Liz, I never forget that you were a librarian but I did forget the Virginia part. What a timely remembrance! I hope those who filled your shoes are doing as much. Just added Sense Pass King to my reading list (by which I mean I found it on Amazon and took a screen shot!)
I am having an election hangover as well. The bad news so seems to outweigh the good news as far as the effect on my spirit. Have to shake it off today with a walk in the lovely sunshine. Thanks for being here, Dee & commenters.