Trying to figure out how to blog again. There may or may not be randomness.

See here the sky view from my back porch not too terribly long ago. Everytime I walk out into my yard, I am grateful. For the birds, the grass, the trees, the sky in all its ever-changing glorious drama.

Hey there. It’s been a minute.

It's spring 2024 and we are having a lovely little ice and snow storm here in the Finger Lakes. It is also a blessed Saturday morning so the day so far has been filled with slow coffee time, and lounging in pajama pants with my kids who are living with us presently. I'm gearing this old blog up in preparation for some musings on life and an exciting trip to the British Virgin Islands next week. just an fyi: Saturday snow-days are a great time to put carrots in Kongs for the pups, and catnip out around for the kitties.

Dear World

Don't know who might be following this blog anymore, but I have to get this off my chest.

If you are interested, go back in time with me to read about my experience in Japan. It was wonderful. I made some lovely heart-felt friendships with people from all over the world. Thanks to Facebook, I am still in touch with many of these people. They are in China, Hong Kong, Australia, Great Britain, and Japan. I think the fact that I lived overseas for a short time has compelled me to write the following letter. I feel the eyes of the world on us. Perhaps those insulated from an awareness of other people and cultures- (MANY AMERICANS) don't feel this like I do, but I feel that a few very ugly people are giving Americans a bad name around the globe.

Maybe I'll start blogging more. There are certainly things going on these days.

Here's the letter:

Dear World,
I feel compelled, as an American Citizen, to write you a letter to clarify a few things. I know you are watching us right now with a mixture of amusement and horror. You wonder, how the American government, so famously founded on the principals of “For the people, by the people,” has
turned into a corrupt machine, filled to the hilt with crazy, science-denying, xenophobic, bigoted, vulgar, and obstructionist clown-men and women who seem blinded and misguided by partisan politics. They are the wrong people in power, if you ask me.

Well, if you are not wondering this, I sure am. I would like to assure you that the people you see in the media do not represent most of us. My friends and the people in circles in which I move are, for the most part, well-educated, gentle, thoughtful and kind. We don't boo each other, or push and shove in public places. We are not braggarts, we don't go around chanting “We're Number One!” all the time. We care deeply about the environment, we volunteer, we give to charities, we work for the good of the community. We are troubled by the plight of the refugees in Europe. I am heart-broken by the stories of loss and hardship, and the worsening crisis due to the ravages of war, and drought.

I personally am anti-gun. I would bet that most of my friends do not own hand guns. We see no need to. I have friends who are avid hunters, and they are just as appalled as I at the dangerous culture of gun violence and the lack of motivation on the part of our legislators to do anything about it.

We, like you, believe in the things that matter; the safety and health of our families, our friends, and our communities. We want justice and fairness for all peoples of the world. We believe love is stronger than hate.

There is a disgust and anxiety over the goings-on in the GOP Presidential campaign that my friends and I share. Personally, I am embarrassed and mortified that this immature, poisonous, and dangerous hate-fest is being performed on the world's stage. We are all not like this, I promise.

Just thought you ought to know.

Sincerely,

Alice Ploss, American Citizen

On Sudden Death

I am stunned. My friends, colleagues and many students from Trumansburg Schools are stunned at the untimely death of Matt McLennan, a jovial guy who wore many hats; athlete, friend, colleague, teacher, coach, father, and husband. I was really impressed by the line of people at calling hours today. There were many, many special education students and their parents in that line. Indeed a moving and powerful tribute to Matt's positive impact on the kids he taught and empowered. A young woman I encountered at the local grocery store asked how she could help with the memorial service tomorrow (she thinks I still work at school) and then proceeded to tell me how Matt McLennan saved her life; helped her to believe in herself, gave her confidence and the power to succeed. The reaches of that kind of impact are hard to imagine. Will she make smarter life decisions? Will she be a better parent when the time arises? These are the far reaching consequences of having had a caring mentor/cheerleader/teacher who makes one believe in oneself. Way to GO, Mr. McLennan! Well done. This is your legacy. Or one of them, for I suspect there are many, by the looks of the line going into the funeral home this afternoon.

We live our lives in happy denial about death during long phases of our lives. I suspect the McLennans were in that phase: young, healthy, their own parents around and vital, small children.... We don't often contemplate death or loss, if we are lucky enough to live a healthy life and surround ourselves with healthy folk. But unfortunately it's there, sometimes lurking in a seemingly random, completely unfair and inexplicable way. As my husband likes to say, "Nobody makes it out alive!"

My friend Cathryn who recently received a donor heart and has been given the ultimate gift of new life was feeling terrible survival guilt on the day she heard the news of Matt and another person's death. The other person was a heart recipient who wasn't as lucky as she. This child died. I reminded her that survival guilt is pointless, that
there seems to be an unexplainable randomness in the universe, a cold-hearted and arbitrary nature that snatches away really good people before (what we think is) their time. I am reminded of the people in my life: Deborah, Emily, Sally, Xeno, Paul, Therese, Collin, and now Matt, all taken away too soon. I don't like memorial services. I've been to too many recently.

What, if anything, is the message from all this crazy random and heartbreaking loss? I don't pretend to know the answer for you. I do know, for myself, that when this happens, it reminds me that every day is a gift, every child needs to be loved, everyone I love needs to be be told that- at regular and frequent intervals. I need to be mindful of how I spend my days, how I view my life, how I treat others. I need to be more generous, with myself and with others. I think Matt had a blessed life. He was luckier than some. A happy childhood, a successful athletic, scholastic and teaching career, vibrant social life and a wonderful family and homestead. He will be missed by many dear friends and especially his wife Angela and his
family.

Life each day as if it were your last. Because it just might be.

Rest in Peace Matt McLennan. I wish I had known you better.

All's well that ends well.

Geothermal is cool and refreshing or warm and snuggly, depending on the season. The week we got it all hooked up and finally working, we were in that mid-July 90's heat wave that lasted about a week. I had been at a singer's workshop, and came home to a cool house. Heaven!

Then we had several months of lovely weather, when the system would turn on occasionally, but mostly I had it turned off with the windows open, enjoying being as close as possible to the outdoors.

Now It's the end of October, we've had some really chilly nights, the leaves are almost gone and the heat inside is wonderful. It comes on quietly, blows slightly warmer air than what's in the room but manages to keep things at an even 67 degrees. The conventional forced air heat we had in our first house blasted really hot air at intervals between freezing air settling along the floor and in the corners. It was also very dusty and musty because the intake was in the basement. In recent years, we had so many leaky pipes and problems with our old noisy furnace that every time it came roaring to life, there was a little piece of my mind that talked to it saying, "Hope you don't blow up, hope there's not another leaky pipe, or standing water in the basement, or oil ...." It was a constant cause of stress. I avoided going into the basement because I was afraid of what I would find. NOW when I hear the hum of the new system and feel its gently warming air, I feel a sense of relief and comfort. It's kinda like getting a hug. A lovely, warm, green, gentle, and reliable hug from a cool (hot) new friend.

We received an electric bill for the month of September and it was really low. The system didn't run that much then, but that was the first month we lived here without 2 sons. We were stunned. Then we did a happy dance. In December, we'll have a better idea how much it will cost us to run it, but our friendly installers told us it would be about 100 bucks a month.

Here's a little before/after fun:

York Custom CC Tuba for sale

Almost there...

Tim, my brother-in-law came by earlier today to check out the progress and as he looked into the hole in the wall, said, "It looks like the set designers from Dr. Who were here." It does kinda look like the Daleks have infiltrated our walls.

Then there's the mess in the yard...I know it will go away and in a year it will all be green again and we'll be mowing EVEN more area than we did this year, but.....just look how pretty it was just 10 days ago!

And now we have a moonscape. The dogs love it. I actually saw Wilson hiding behind a mound of dirt today waiting to ambush Gracie. They have LOVED all this dirt to play in. Dogs are just like little boys that way. I can't speak for little girls, since I didn't have any.

Today Robin spent the day getting some of the dry wall up in the downstairs hallway and preparing the hole upstairs to be covered. We call it "peeling the onion," around here whenever we have to do something in this old house that requires opening something up and figuring out how to put it back together. Upstairs? Dealing with lath and plaster and trying to make the new patch look okay. All the walls need painting now. There are some dings and lots of grubby finger prints all over. If I am unemployed this Fall, I will certainly have lots to keep me busy, that's for sure.

Tonight's reward? We burned our huge pile of brush and I made Robin a nice cold lime aid, tequila and tonic to drink while we were eaten alive by mosquitoes.