(Insincere) Thoughts and (NRA paid for) Prayers

This past January 16^th, I wrote this:

“Our hearts go out to…,” “our thoughts and prayers go out to…” Jesus. These meaningless platitudes, thoughtlessly tossed off after a tragedy by so politicians and clerics absolutely disgust me. On Sunday, stray bullets from a targeted killing fatally hit an innocent fifteen-year-old boy in Vancouver who was in a car with his parents. Platitudes spewed from the TV. The poor kid deserved more than that from three civic leaders.

Now politicians all over the USA are doing the same thing about the dreadful Florida shooting. Click here to see a list of the hypocritical tweets spewed by thoughtless, mindless, callous and self-serving US civic leaders AND how much money each one accepted from the NRA.

My favourite politician of all time, a man who exemplifies the thinking politician is Abraham Lincoln. I went to an exhibition about his Gettysburg Address that was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. And he was murdered.

I got swept up in fandom over both Pierre Trudeau and John Kennedy; Kennedy’s murder horrified me.

Now I find myself wishing someone would put Trump in his sights instead of school children. It’s awful to say, I know, but there you are.

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Wednesday (the day after my fall and my seizure on cement) was full of pain. All I remember about the day is pain — in my hips, wrists and hands and I limped like an old, old man because my hips hurt so much. And my speech was slurred instead of full of stutters.

Then, yesterday came a remarkable improvement after just one night’s good sleep. I still hurt but the improvement made the torture of going to Vancouver for a quick turn around far easier to endure.

Everything went like God was my co-pilot. The waits were painless, I got green lights, I was first off the ferry twice and there was no traffic. I got the new side table and left the old one plus I got a huge bag of giant pinecones near John’s place.

I had a reservation on the Nanaimo ferry home and I’m glad I did. It was packed. And while my car was parked in the line for the Gabriola ferry, I walked across to the mall and got some badly needed large Band Aids for my cuts from the fall.

I was so happy to be home. And I was overjoyed to see how much work Darrell had done on the porch while I was in the city. It ain’t as large as I’d hoped, but it’ll do just fine. He’s such a clever guy, Darrell.

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This morning I feel even better; the pain in my neck last night was severer. And today I will not leave the park. Darrell will be here and I will spend the day with the animals and so some sorting in the studio. I’m excited about all the large pinecones I got yesterday.

The popcorn popper I got came in a cardboard box, inside two more cardboard boxes. Go figure? ! I put the boxes and miles of brown craft paper in the loft and Fred and Ethel absolutely love playing with it. The loft has become a very successful feline-only play park.