Saturday, September 10, 2011

Somewhere over the Rainbow...

This afternoon, we are blessed to be able to attend the civil union of a couple of friends of ours. I am excited at the prospect, as this is the first of several invitations we've gotten from around the country that we can actually go to. This has been such a tragic long time coming, and I know that the celebration today won't just be for Lynne and Robyn, but for every gay couple everywhere that has wanted to legalize and sanctify their love.

  I feel honored to be an observer to this historic time.

  I think I will make a small gift basket with jellies in it for them...they have everything in the world. It's either that, or a donation to the local animal shelter, which is near and dear to them both.

****************************

  I was thinking about all the things we take for granted...being Caucasians, being heterosexuals, being Americans.  Simple little things like marriage and opportunities and freedom.  Coming up on the anniversary of 9/11 we are being saturated again with all the media blitz.  I don't minimize the horror and the anguish of the people who lost family and friends in this event. But there are countries in this world of ours that live this kind of horror every day of their lives. War is the daily occurrence in some places. Bombs and death and hunger and fear. DAILY.  We have our tree rattled by one event and it's like nothing that ever happened to anybody else in the history of the world. I know there are probably some who will brand me as a heartless bitch for saying this. I am not, I assure you. When this thing happened, I was fresh home from the hospital, unable to walk or get out of bed without assistance, and had nothing in my little world but the television and my books to keep me from cracking up. Believe me, being assaulted by these horrific images and the godawful fear that this was only the beginning of it nearly pushed me over the edge.  And then the days passed and nothing else happened. But the media didn't stop. The continued blitz of the same images over and over and over...well...at some point I was numb, like a lot of other people, I'm sure.  And now, 10 years later, it's still like it happened yesterday.  

 But it didn't happen yesterday.  And the fear mongering has not stopped. 


 I don't know. Funny how one little statement about things we take for granted can trigger such a missive. lol

 **********************************

  We went to the movies last night, after a Chinese buffet, and saw Contagion. It stars Gwenyth Paltrow and Matt Damon and Kate Winslet and Laurence Fishburn.  It is an excellent movie and scary as hell. And it is a really well made description of the nature of fear and human beings. As we watched one particular part, where the looting is starting, I was mentally ticking off the state of my pantry and what things I probably needed to include. lol   The other thing that became apparent to me was that, the best a person can do to keep themselves ready for any possibilities of  food shortages is probably not going to be enough. But you can do what you can do, and hope for the best. 
 I recommend this movie and give it 5 stars! lol

 ************************************
I took a header off the little porch in my neighbors garage yesterday morning.  Only about 4 inches high, and I stumbled trying to regain my balance and fell flat on my face.  Both knees and wrists took the brunt of it, along with my chest and shoulders. Crikey. Today I feel like I've been beaten with a baseball bat. "I hurt in the places where I used to play" to quote Leonard Cohen. lol  Turning into 'old lady who falls'.

I have peaches to get sliced and peeled and even if I don't get the jam made today, I can get it tomorrow. I need to get off the computer and get down to find a basket. Life is good and still busy here on Honeysuckle Hill. 


I hope everyone has a great weekend, and don't take things for granted. There are a hundred things to be grateful for every single day.



Namaste.

16 comments:

Teresa Evangeline said...

I'm so glad for the people who live where civil unions are being recognized after what has been a long struggle for what should be just basic rights for all.

I also want to thank you for saying what needs to be said: what happened to us in one day happens all over the world for a large number of people every single day. Your honest assessment is refreshing. And that's all I'll say about that.

The tumble off the porch doesn't sound very fun. That you were able to call up some Leonard Cohen lyrics to offset it is, well, I chuckled just a little. sorry. But, I could relate.

I sure do enjoy reading your blog.

Namaste

Lo said...

Sorry about your tumble.....why didn't you pay attention when I ordered everyone to Not Fall
Down. I am glad nothing broke.

I must applaud your comment re the "glamourization" of 9/11. I have been saying the same thing for years. I am not denying that it was a terrible loss for the victims and their families, but the fact still remains that we in the US are so lucky that wars have not been fought back and forth across our land with huge loss of life and real devastation. To continually moan about the attack makes us look like spoiled, pathetic whiners.

Rita said...

I'm always glad when people choose and recognize love over hate and condemnation any day. Congrats to the couple and I hope they have a long and happy life together! :)

You seemed to be reading my mind about 9-11. I do always think of how there are people all over the world whose lives are immersed in perpetual war and fear...and yet we hang on to, cling to, and perpetuate the fear and pain of that day--almost glorify it. Makes no sense to me, even if my heart breaks for the people directly effected. My heart breaks for the people in all those other places in the world, too, who live with a regular diet of loss and fear and heartache. I am glad you said it. Needed to be said. I will honor those dead tomorrow, but I don't need a 24 hour reliving of it to do that. It does feel like fear mongering to me, too.

I do want to see that movie. The actors alone would have me watching. Glad to hear you gave it a thumbs up.

So sorry you fell off the porch...but you cracked me up with the Leonard Cohen quote! ;) Hope you feel better tomorrow and have a peaceful Sunday filled with gratitude! :)

Rubye Jack said...

Like the others, thank you. Thank you for saying that 9/11 is just another day in the lives of so many people worldwide. If only we could put our energy into somehow helping those who continue to suffer on a daily basis, our country might be a more content one.

I'm afraid I take gay marriage so much for granted any longer having lived in San Francisco that it is funny to me when someone finds it unusual. Regardless, it is good to know the midwest is catching on--finally.

You have a great weekend also Annie. And be careful of garage porches.

DJan said...

I am going to see Contagion this coming week, thanks for the five stars! I always expect to be entertained when Matt Damon is in anything. And I so agree with you about the media messiness going on about 9/11. We don't need anything to make us more paranoid, but something to bring us together.

Be careful out there, Annie. Watch out for the ground coming up to quickly! :-)

Judi said...

Tomorrow I think I'll just link to your blog and post "what she said"! You wrote what I feel eloquently.

P.S. Be careful out there!

Linda Myers said...

Just found you through Teresa Evangeline. Glad to be here!

Three years ago, I fell a couple of times in a six-week period, so of course I figured I was developing some disease. Nope. Just at the age where I need to pay attention to where I'm walking. I'm not as fast as I used to be, but I haven't fallen since.

Cloudia said...

what a rich post!

Enjoy your weekend - and NO more falling



Aloha from Waikiki;


Comfort Spiral


> < } } ( ° >

Akannie said...

Thanks everyone for your thoughts....it's funny-I was worried that [once again] I was speaking out of turn...thank you all for letting me know I'm not going nuts all by myself. lol

TE--It was a beautiful ceremony, and I found out something I hadn't know: these two women had been together for 31 years! Falling isn't nearly as much fun as it used to be. lol

LO--I must have missed the memo. DAMMIT!!!! LOL I'm with you, sister...


Thanks Rita. And def. see the movie. It was good.

Towanda...I know. And having lived in CA over 20 years myself I still find the rest of the country to be backwards in all things gay. lol (BTW--Staying away from those garages.}

Djan--Agreed! On all counts. I love Matt Damon, and he was excellent in this.


Thanks Judi--how's life since football started? :)


Linda--Thanks for stopping by. I know...I told someone the other day I have bruises on me all the time that come from just not paying attention! I just came back from visiting your blog too!


Cloudia-- If only I had soft sandy beaches to fall on!!!! lol Maybe I should move to Hawaii !!

Beth said...

Excellent post. I applaud you for the comments on the civil union and 9/11. I agree with you 100%.

I am glad you weren't seriously injured in the fall.

My brother lives near ST L. Are you in that area?

Beth

LindaM said...

Yours is the second review I have read about Contagion that said that the movie was really good. The other said it was realistic.
I confess to being a prepper. When your pantry runs out, you have skills. Thats the answer. A full pantry means nothing. Skill and opportunity is what counts.
Congratulations to your friends! I wish them many happy years.

Petit fleur said...

I agree with everything you said... I take the 911 one further and believe that at least one of our agencies knew it was going to go down. I think it was Lenin that said, "look at who benefits" Bush's ratings sky rocketed following 911... Hmmmm?

Anyway, I hope you have a lovely time at the wedding and that you feel better!

This was a particularly thought provoking post. Thanks for that.
xo

Akannie said...

Morning, glories...

Hi Beth..thanks for coming by. Yes I do...I live about an hour...over the river and through the woods from St Louis...an hour south of Springfield,IL

Linda M--you're right about that. We have a little piece of dirt here, but utilize it fully. Chickens, vegetable gardens, fruit trees, berries...and probably could/should do more. Hoping to get our beehives up in the spring...we had them for years before we moved here. And I can do a LOT of things...and the list gets longer all the time.

Little Flower--hiya darlin' ! It was a lovely wedding, and the bride and bride were glowing. lol Weddings always cheer me up, even when I spent most of it sitting in a corner because standing too long hurts lol. And I think we are all going to be surprised [not] one day when the truth comes out about it all...

Lovely day, loved ones....

Murr Brewster said...

The worst of it all, for me, is not just that we are being enjoined to pick off this scab every day forever, when, as you point out, so many others have lost more skin, but that it is so clear we are being manipulated by those with crass goals of their own that have nothing to do with honor and respect.

Mary LA said...

Love you Annie and hugs to your friends Lynne and Robyn. I'm with you on the 9/11 travesty too.

Jess Mistress of Mischief said...

love the rainbow of gratitude and love I read here! :)