After many months and a few years of not blogging regularly because “life happens” I am reviewing how to access my site and what almost cost me to lose my two sites (Livfully.org and Livfully.org/wordpressblog/)
I have continued to write Letters to the Editor at Connecticut’s The Lakeville Journal which is celebrating its 125th this year, including with a gala (yes, I decided to attend) at The Town Grove (Lakeville Lake) Saturday, Sept. 17th, 2022 at 5pm. Meryl Streep and Sam Waterston are honorary chairs of the event (so not sure if they’ll be there but hope so!)
I’m sure a lot of great folks will show up there (and I represent the many who’d like to get there but can’t for one reason or another…) and at tonight’s SalisburyForum.org event where fellow Sharon CT friend (from over the years and neighborhood) Brian Ross will interview three journalists or media experts at 7:30pm at The Hotchkiss School also in illustrious Lakeville!
Register (for either event) and Bring your COVID ID for tonight’s free talk or see past talks online! Both endeavors appreciate Donations of Any Amount to keep their shows (and democracy) on the road!
I have seen them both before about town, Meryl a few times and Sam at a Christmas Eve service when I happened to sit right next to him by chance. I also met the actress who played Truly Scrumptious in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and yes, Kevin Bacon (at playgroup, the local store and running from a storm at our local lake…)
So those highlights remind me and many that we are all actors of sorts and hopefully have a clue about what play we are in, roles and scripts.
Maybe we could have more people going around with large Cue Cards to help us remember what would make sense to say (for our times and systems which are few but mighty at times, and then we may more and more ‘transfer people’ to other places for medical, psych, legal or criminal reasons..and basically people are priced out of much of life just because of inflation but also because of predatory investing that can literally drive people from their homes with rents raised or leases revised or not renewed.
I read a bit about that in The New Yorker magazine. I learned a lot I am eager to record so I don’t forget and also help others take note of what’s shared and can take an hour or two to focus on (or much more time such as what went on with the Ukraine War.)
I had a friend glued to the tube for months about a lot of things I would not normally watch but I caught the gist of things and would factor those into my letters to the editor.
She would write to Congress and The President of the US about supporting Liz Cheney, about safety for inmates during COVID when precautions were not followed by staff and about animal protections and more.
I would hope many have been moved to advocate for people’s health including the option for abortion before 12 weeks or even after that if there are medical or other reasons that were legal to do so after that time.
Only in the last few months has it become illegal not to do so after 6, 10. 12 or another number of weeks in many states.) CT has kept it legal to allow for abortion as have some other states, but basically in the USA we should have comprehensive ways for people of all ages and genders to have the medical care they need and deserve without regard to their zip code, geographic location or ability to pay.
What we see now is that men rule and pregnant people of any age have to ‘sit on a stool’ in the corner, with no say what happens to their ability to choose to keep a pregnancy for the three or even more months that were typically what most people had available to them for the last fifty years.
The numbers of lives lost or changed in challenging ways without a person’s consent will be quite high. The need to adopt infants out to appropriate parents with programs to support them will be extreme and in need of great funding. We also need to find ways to support people who would want to keep a pregnancy and rear a child reasonably with practical and financial support.
So I wrote the above while on a call with a helpful fellow from Bluehost.com and got my sites up and running again (thankfully nothing was lost in cyberspace….)
I will spell out more as I better understand how that important stuff works, but at least I am tuning in with a call at 888-401-4678 to the company and after speaking with someone I think I’m getting somewhere!
PS I wanted to give a shout out to the GoshenBusinessCircle.com of CT for their wonderful gathering Sept 14th, 2022 under a nice large tent at Sunset Vineyards just over the Goshen line in Litchfield CT on Route 63.
All who turned up tuned into the business and other pressing issues the people in government or pursuing a role in that discussed as part of panel for about two hours!.
They’ve done this a few times now and it’s impressive to hear how devoted and knowledgeable are such as Democrats Maria Horn and Eve Zimmerman. I’d be knocking on doors for them but trust this will inspire more to look closely at ‘what’s what’.
There is a budget surplus and while the two Republicans said ‘cut costs and give some money back to the people’, the Democrats said “Look at the long view of paying down teacher pensions debt and plan for the long haul, ideally with programs that can deliver needed services.’
Apparently one Republican Steve Harding who is in office did not support hybrid meetings but now was saying zoom may be a helpful thing going forward. He may not have been supportive of funding community college but was indicating maybe he would be open to such ideas now.
The overall ‘winners’ of what was not a formal debate but was enlightening were Maria Horn with her extensive knowledge about the committee she chairs, Environment and Technology, and Eve Zimmerman who is a great advocate for working families and people in the caregiving field.
There was a recording made of the event and hopefully there will be highlights shared. Last time around I took extensive notes planning to share so will look for those as I am settling into having more free time to do the things that call to me and keep more people filled in as though they were right there too!
Best to all and thanks for everyone’s service. I met some wonderful folks too who have served as teaching fire school and had worked for town crews so let’s not take the safety and privilege of being able to travel in the countryside and on the big highways too for granted.
Kudos to all formally recognized and those ‘in line’ and along the way. All efforts are appreciated to be part of the winning, daring, sharing, caring team!
Why not see what is happening with the NW CT Crop Walks in and about the lovely, friendly towns of the state of CT this weekend and donate during the month of Sept. For one team, see The Falls Village Congregational Church.
Thanks in advance for spreading the word and keeping everyone in a positive light of kindness and remembrance of those who have journeyed on ahead with love from above!