Politics

Ever after

~ MaryG ~ 19 Comments

What’s a common misconception people have about happiness?

One thing I know about happiness is that it’s fleeting. There’s really no such thing as “happily ever after.” Things will change. They always do.

Here in the United States, millions had a happy day yesterday. New Yorkers reached a state of high ecstasy celebrating their championship basketball team—the Knicks. And we all got to see our inspirational former leader—America’s first Black President—Barack Obama open the new, magnificent Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. All of our living presidents and their wives were there, except the Incompetent Orange Fascist currently occupying Our White House. He was not invited. There were speeches and incredible musical performances by everyone from Jennifer Hudson to Eddie Vedder.

We got reminded of how far we’ve come and what the future could be, if we don’t give up. Michelle Obama’s speech was so beautiful it made me cry. Check it out here.

Combined with all the World Cup joy in Boston and beyond (thank you Tartan Army) and the successful Artemis 2 voyage earlier this year, I’m reminded that Americans can be happy again.

Also, I just read that the correct guy won the special election in the UK yesterday, which is also great news.

Read President Obama’s speech here. For me, the opening of the Obama Presidential Center was the real celebration of America’s 250th birthday.

NYT Cooking’s Salmon with Avocado and Cilantro salad. This is part of my eat more salad to lose weight quest. Unfortunately I followed it up with a big bowl of freshly baked peanut butter cookies and vanilla ice cream.

Recipe

Moral dissonance

~ MaryG ~ 30 Comments

What is one way you have grown this year?

I’ve grown physically fatter this year. I’m not saying I’m fat, but I’m not thin.

The year started out with a very upsetting situation caused by my family of origin. I lost weight over it. Some people might call that the upside (I wouldn’t), but I didn’t mind being down five pounds.

Now it’s all back – and a little more.

I’ve thought about trying those new weight loss drugs, but I hear they take away your appetite and that doesn’t appeal to me at all. I love food, especially dessert.

So, I’m trying to cut back on portion size and eat more salads. I’ve also been swimming laps almost every day, now that the outdoor pool is open for the season.

I always feel guilty complaining about eating too much when hundreds of millions of people, including tens of millions of children, around the world don’t have enough food.

What’s the name for that feeling?

Food guilt…privilege guilt…moral dissonance?

If you don’t have young kids or grandkids, you might not know Miss Rachel. Rachel Griffin Accurso is a wildly popular American educator and YouTube creator whose gentle, research-based songs and videos teach toddlers language, social skills, and emotional development. Miss Rachel uses her massive platform to speak out against child hunger and mistreatment, including in Gaza, Sudan and US immigrant detention centers.

Follow her on social media: @msrachelforlittles (Instagram)

She is one of the good ones.

You do you

~ MaryG ~ 18 Comments

What is something you wish you could tell your 20-year-old self?

You are not responsible for your sister’s problems. That’s on them. Distance yourself from the dysfunction—now. Pay attention to your own feelings.

Lose the Catholic Guilt. In fact, just bag the Catholic Church church now. You were never really Catholic. You’re a Unitarian Universalist.

I know you think you couldn’t dislike any politician more than Ronald Reagan, but someone so sickening will arise in 30 years, you’re not going to believe it. Pay attention to the seeds of that catastrophe being planted now. Fight them. Observe and use your privilege.

“Welfare Queens” aren’t real.

They’re gonna legalize weed right around the same time as the catastrophe, which will be helpful. Yup, you can just walk in and buy it! And you won’t have to worry that it’s laced with anything.

Go see The Cure live.

Real Passion

~ MaryG ~ 15 Comments

As if to better explain yesterday’s prompt about passion, the universe put me smack dab in the middle of true passion.

Team Scotland is playing their first few World Cup games in Massachusetts and the “Tartan Army” has taken over Boston.

The kilts, the bagpipes, the hats, the songs…these people embody passion.

How adorable is this family from Scotland I met yesterday? It’s blue for home and orange for away, in case you were wondering.

I’m not much of a sports fan, but I do love seeing happy people.

Scotland won, the Knicks won…may the joy of others filter into the collective consciousness—so much so that we completely ignore the trashy spectacle desecrating our White House today.

FDT!

Skip it

~ MaryG ~ 25 Comments
Daily writing prompt
What are the biggest mistakes people make when visiting your country?
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I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but if I were you, I’d pass on visiting the US during the Trump administration. I really don’t think it’s safe for foreigners here at the moment. They’re even detaining the white ones.

I recommend going to Canada instead. It’s spectacular in the summer.

My family in beautiful Quebec City in July 2008

Thanks New York!

~ MaryG ~ 26 Comments

Today is my birthday and I just treated myself to many minutes of watching videos of New Yorkers booing Trump at the Knicks game last night. I watched them line the streets of his motorcade with “8647” signs and one-fingered salutes. And then that epic booing when his fat orange smirk appeared on the Jumbotron in Madison Square Garden. They fucking hate him. His own hometown can’t stand the very sight of him.

Well done New York! Thanks for sending the message from all of us. And thanks for the nice birthday present.

(Mind you, this is coming from a lifelong Bostonian. All bets are off. It’s everyone vs Trump now.)

Go Knicks!

You Gotta Have Art

~ MaryG ~ 19 Comments

In the spirit of trying new things in this new phase of my life (aka Retired Grandma), I performed a full length solo song in a “Café Musicale” fundraiser at my church last night. It was set up like a cabaret with lots of round tables and a decorated central buffet with desserts & apps and twinkling lights and candles. There was a variety of acts, including a couple of bands, duos, trios and two other soloists (one of whom was a professional).

I sang Anthem from the 80s musical Chess. In the show it’s sung by a Soviet chess player who is thinking of defecting. When I heard it recently, it resonated with me in a new way given all that Americans are experiencing with a wannabe dictator in office. I had a fantastic professional accompanist on piano.

I think it went well. I wasn’t overly nervous and I got warm applause and some very heartfelt comments afterwards.

So, as my 60th year is about to wrap up next week, I can truthfully say I’ve already tried some new things in this new decade.

I took watercolor classes and started painting again, successfully performed a solo for a room full of people, and registered for week long Dance Camp.

Oh, and as an update on that art show (where I was disappointed that my painting was hung so high), I found out last night that it was moved and placed at eye level. The organizers apologized for where it was hung originally and said it was one of their favorite pieces in the show! It’s going to travel with the rest of the pieces to a real art museum in October.

Proof of performance. I’m not a professional singer so I’m not going to upload the video of me singing, but it’s a very moving song. You can listen to “Anthem” from the Original 1988 Broadway Cast Album here. The show was recently revived and is currently playing on Broadway.

Undoubtedly the best thing about being 60 has been spending time with my granddaughter. The second best thing has been engaging more in my foundational love of the arts. Painting, singing, dancing and writing this blog have all been so fun and important to me this past year.

As GenXers will remember the old public service announcement: You Gotta Have Art!

Beloved Community

~ MaryG ~ 13 Comments
Daily writing prompt
What’s something you’d love to see in the future, but know you probably won’t live to witness?
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I grew up on Sesame Street, Mr. Rogers, Free to Be You and Me, Zoom and Schoolhouse Rock. Even the rigid old Catholic Church (my nemesis) got a makeover in the 70s as a result of Vatican II. (Think felt banners and folk music). Also, I was a Camp Fire Girl, which was much more “hippie granola” than Girl Scouts.

Camping with the Camp Fire Girls in 1975

Granted Reagan and AIDS in the 80s put a dark tint on my rose-colored glasses, I still somehow believed we were headed toward a more perfect union where the “general welfare” was the goal.

Kids who grew up in the 70s have the Preamble to the Constitution lodged in their brains forever thanks to Schoolhouse Rock!

The election of Barack Obama in 2008 brought those old feelings back. Justice, equality, peace, happiness, community seemed achievable.

MLK’s vision of the Beloved Community resonated strongly with many 70s kids who also loved Sesame Street and other PBS shows promoting those ideals.

I now feel as if I was living in a highly privileged bubble, which has been unequivocally popped.

I’d like to stay positive for the sake of my kids and grandkids, but I just don’t know if we’re going to see anything like that in my lifetime.

We’ve gone so very far in the other direction.

A UFC Fighting Cage being erected at the White House in honor of the nation’s 250th birthday—kinda just says it all.

Sex and the City redux

~ MaryG ~ 13 Comments

I rewatched the first three seasons of Sex and the City while on my treadmill this winter. (The conclusion of the reboot—And Just Like That—prompted me to go back and relive some of the original.)

Now that treadmill season is thankfully over (we can walk outside here now), here are my random observations on the old show:

The women never ever reference their mothers. It’s like they didn’t have mothers.

Donald Trump is mentioned in the very first episode (which originally aired in 1998) and I decided to carry on rewatching it anyways.

Carrie had a zen teacher. (I had a zen teacher.)

Carrie and Charlotte did partner yoga. (I tried partner yoga once in the 90s and hated it. It put me off all yoga for years.)

When the women go to Connecticut for a baby shower, suburbia is like an uncomfortable foreign land to them with baffling things like “Invisible Fence.” (That one made me laugh, because we got both a dog and an Invisible Fence when we left the city.)

There was reference to having baby names picked out before you were even married or pregnant and “reserving” them with your friends. This was funny because I specifically remember my friend Gail reserving “Justine” when we were teenagers. Also, my friend Susan and I were pregnant at the same time and had a negotiation over the name “Henry” which we both liked. I “gave” it to her because it was her deceased father’s name. (It was also my deceased maternal grandfather’s name, so my son got it for his middle name.) For some reason, it was very important for GenX friends to not give their babies the same names.

There were pre-plane crash references to JFK Jr and Carolyn Bessette, which was interesting because I’m pretty sure Sarah Jessica Parker dated JFK Jr at one point, although I don’t think that was mentioned in Love Story.

That feeling of taking pregnancy tests when you didn’t want to be pregnant—remember that?

Palm Pilots – such a big deal at the time

Smoking cigarettes – aaah

And when the worst thing about Rudy Giuliani was that he cracked down on smoking in NYC…

The guest stars:

Bradley Cooper (played a single, straight smoker)

Will Arnette

Jon Bonjovi

Alanis Morrisette

Vince Vaughn (adorable)

Matthew McConaughy (still no)

Hugh Hefner (soooo creepy, but so mainstream and acceptable in the 90s)

Carrie Fisher (RIP Carrie. Loved her.)

There was definitely some dated and cringy stuff, especially around socio-economic class. But let’s face it, all of that inequality has just gotten worse.

Maybe I’ll go back and watch seasons 4-6 next winter. Or maybe not.

Sunday Selfie

~ MaryG ~ 33 Comments

I have been trying to figure out how to do my makeup for an outdoor photo session with my daughter’s family next weekend. I don’t wear much makeup these days and I want to use the products I already have, rather than buy more stuff. So, I did an inventory on the products I already own and made a list. I asked ChatGPT to make recommendations based on the list. It made me a step-by-step guide and I basically followed it.

I’m going to be 61 in a couple weeks and this is what I look like with some makeup. My grey hair is pretty minimal. (I don’t use hair color.) I’ve never tried Botox or had any cosmetic surgery. I did try eyelash extensions once, but that was many years ago.

I think I look pretty good, but I just ordered an eyelash curler. (I haven’t used one of those in decades. Hopefully they’re safer now.) I think that might help boost the mascara a bit.

I could not resist googling which Mar-a-lago Ladies are my exact age (born in 1965) and it turns out that RFK Jr’s wife—the actress Cheryl Hines— is 60 also.

IMO, her face looks relatively natural compared to some of them.

See Mar-a-lago Face