Dusting Off

Saturday, November 16, 2024

My brain is working now to overcome defeat. I can feel it transitioning into fighting mode.

I’ve been in fallout, depressed following the presidential election. It’s because of stress from learning how Trump’s Republicans are surrounding his presidency, from sensing the changes they may try to bring about in the future.

We who wanted Harris to win have joked about moving, to say, Canada, if she didn’t win. Of course, it’s no simple matter in real time to just up and move away. Besides, Canada nowadays also has broiling leadership issues.

In fact, it appears that Trump’s win has put many international leaders in turmoil.

I feel myself starting to think differently than moving away. I’m thinking about “fighting back” and something like this: “Now, we on the Left must show that we can hold onto our very human values solidly; we must demonstrate that we are tough and can gain more understanding of current needs to pivot, as needed, to reestablish and regain our Party’s strength.”

We, the unhappy, can’t simply pop up and leave America to avoid how today’s Republican Party might attempt (or succeed) to govern. We must again become active by reevaluating the current social, economic, and political landscapes. We must reidentify our Party’s goals and employ newer, more effective combative skills.

We can do it: “Get ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and start all over again.”

Dear Friends: We will regain the strength of shared human values for the common good. Diana

Snow Dream

Friday, November 15, 2024

I just realized that my schedule shows me arriving at work by 8:30 today. This must be an oversight, but in case it’s not, I must move quickly. There are lots to take care of before I can be on my way to work.

Last night’s full Beaver Moon, this year’s final Super Moon, was partially behind streaming clouds, a romantic, lovely sight. Unfortunately, a camera wasn’t handy, but seeing it is a pleasant memory.

I posted today’s header photo on FB yesterday. It’s of heavy snow here at home in 2014. That was back when we could always expect at least one significant snowfall here, beneath the Cascades, before Thanksgiving Day. The photo notes how much the local weather has changed; snows these days are more like random events.

I might have figured out how to keep my escape-keen dog confined inside the big open-top kennel with 6′ high fencing that he climbs and goes over instantly. On my next days off, I’ll work to adapt the fence and will photojournal to illustrate.

Dear Friends: With two weeks until Thanksgiving, maybe yet, a snowfall. Diana

Quickie

Thursday, November 14, 2024

This writing platform is behaving oddly again today. Experience has taught me that when WordPress isn’t stable, it will not likely save my drafts.

So, I will say “Good morning” and, for now, add ” Goodbye.” I’ll try to write again tomorrow morning.

Dear Friends: Have an enjoyable day of experiencing and learning. Diana

Woke Revisited

Wednesday, November 13, 2024

I am reading Bill Bryson’s The Body: A Guide for Occupants and Richard Dawkins’ The Genetic Book of the Dead: A Darwinian Reverie. These are making me very aware of being human at the genetic level.

Briefly defined, genes store and transmit information that guides an organism’s development and function. They don’t have brains or consciousness; however, they exhibit “intelligence” in how they respond to their environment and interact with each other. Genes can sense changes in their environment and adjust their activity accordingly to influence each other’s activity.

While absorbing genetic realities, I wish to comprehend the mechanisms that enable humans to self-perceive as individuals. I’m asking age-old questions about a “real reality” existing beyond whatever the genes sense, or in other words, is there “something real” outside ourselves?

It certainly seems that way and requires finding a beyond-the-gene-view.

A genetic perspective is limiting. It reduces our experience to biological mechanisms and doesn’t account for consciousness, emotions, or the subjective experience of being human. I wish to understand more about what creates the human realm of consciousness, awareness, and subjective experience.

The referenced books are easy reads and highly enjoyable. They are pushing questions about the existence of a reality beyond our physical perceptions. Ultimately, questioning “real reality” will prove to be deeply personal and philosophical, and there won’t be right or wrong answers.

I am an individual exploring. I might find myself forced to define my unique understanding of what constitutes “real reality.”

Dear Friends: I’ll keep reading and hopefully will gain more clarity. Diana

Quick

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Yesterday, this platform became unstable and destroyed a blog post I’d spent a long time writing. I was surprised, after not having been heartburned by WordPress in the last year. Around the time AI was erupting, WP’s often rocky platform seemed to stabilize.

To me, almost everything technological about the internet is mysterious. I can’t pinpoint why, when, or whatever regarding this writing platform’s behavior. I’m a simple user, and yesterday, I was angry to find my nearly-finished product disappearing–and was helpless. It was too late to recreate my blog.

Today, I’m a store opener in my part-time job and must soon leave for work. So, after explaining my absence yesterday, this is a quick hello today.

Dear Friends: Here in Central Oregon, this will be a lovely fall day. Diana

Early

Sunday, November 10, 2024

Today, I’m scheduled to help open the store where I work part-time. This is an early-to-work day.

A couple of notes:

Our store has a new top manager, and she’ll be great from all appearances. Fortunately, through the time our store lacked a top manager, its supporting management team was terrific, more than pulling its weight and keeping the sales personnel onboard and involved.

Next week, I will begin transitioning from my assigned role in the Fine Jewelry Department. I will be busier during working hours than Jewelry provides. The upcoming change will have me again working in general sales, assigned to various departments, and interacting with a wider variety of shoppers.

I must start getting ready to leave home and open Fine Jewelry.

Dear Friends: Either side of each day challenges me during the holidays. Diana

Toward Fall

Saturday, November 09, 2024

I have the closing shift today at my part-time job. I will feed my horses a final time this day in darkness. Nighttimes, I don’t feed them inside the barn, and I wear a headlamp while out among them. My horses are easy to get along with–infrequently spooky and running around; but dark-time feeding calls for cautious navigating among the large, hungry, and anticipating animals.

All that will become more so closer to Christmas, as the store will stay open until eleven in the evenings, and I’ll have to work on some late closing shifts. I’ll still be challenged to feed horses in darkness, but later, around midnight. And with my dogs barking.

I let my dogs be outside in their fenced area while I work with horses in darkness. I recognize routine barking, and if the barks become intense, I’m alerted of something non-routine. The barks often tell me a deer is crossing the property.

I dislike nighttime noises that might disturb my neighbors. However, my dogs help me feel safer.

I am starting to plan for transitioning to feeding my large animals on a schedule later, colder, and darker.

Dear Friends: Living on a property with large (and small) animals isn’t dull. Diana

Distance-Shrinking

Friday, November 08, 2024

My long-time friend Linda lives in California. Last night, she and I had a long conversation. We shared our emotions following the election and speculated about possible changes in the future, some of which would probably be unwelcome to many and others potentially beneficial to some.

I needn’t elaborate. We follow the news, are aware, have opinions. Essentially, the citizens have spoken again. Now, it’s appropriate for me to transition and be more accepting, as has happened often throughout my long history.

To that end, I am starting to read the recently published by Richard Dawkins, a British evolutionary biologist, zoologist, and science communicator. He’s one of the world’s great science writers and biologists.

Elaborating on Darwin’s findings, Dawkins explains the remarkable ways in which animals have overcome obstacles, adapted to their environments, and, again and again, through eons, developed remarkably similar ways of finding solutions to life’s problems.

He points to the untapped potential of DNA to transform and transcend our understanding of evolution. He hypothesizes that, in the future, a zoologist presented with a hitherto unknown animal who knows how to read its body and genes will be able to gather detailed descriptions of the world its ancestors inhabited. 

I am attracted to the critical themes of overcoming obstacles, adapting, and finding solutions to life’s problems–coping measures for stressful times.

Dear Friends: I’ll keep you posted. Diana

Rabbit Hole

Thursday, November 07, 2024

Like a gigantic portion of other Americans, I suffered from PTSD and depression yesterday morning. This election outcome makes me think that the world will become crueler.

Mother Nature helped me get back on my feet. In the early afternoon, the weather became warmish and invited being outside. I gathered my horses and dogs and took them to a horse trail. There, we moseyed among the fall colors.

A horse offers perfect therapy. While on horseback, I’m highly attentive to the animal, its attitude, and how it’s moving, as well as to trail conditions and my surroundings. I’m also attentive to my dogs, aware of their activities, all nearby, and looking well. Those attentions disallow the luxury of focusing on anything outside my immediate orbit.

By evening, my mood had improved; my routines felt more normal.

Today’s weather is predicted to be fair again, and I might ride again this afternoon.

Dear Friends: We must accept significant changes, one day at a time. Diana

Riding Out

Wednesday, November 06, 2024

America’s presidential election is decided. The weeks and months ahead will be instructive.

I am off my part-time job today and tomorrow, giving my brain time to refocus. I’ll hang out and enjoy being home.

This will be an opportunity to explore some waiting, interesting-looking books that have escaped my attention.

I’ll also play with the horses and dogs if these are pretty days.

Dear Friends: Hopefully ahead, “It’s [not] going to be a bumpy ride.” Diana