Week's End

Well, it's Friday. Week's end. For the beginning of summer it's been a little hectic for my taste.

Last night I watched an interview with Nancy Reagan about the new book out of President Reagan's diaries. Remember all the bad press Nancy received when she was First Lady? Funny how the passage of time shows a bit more of the person. Her two children didn't turn out to be much to talk about but her marriage to the President was something to admire. I love that he is now shown to be the prolific writer that he was, after all those calling him dumb, a B actor, and all the nasty slings in the press. You would have thought he was the devil himself.

He brought about the end of the Cold War. Not bad.

He also restored dignity to the White House after the fiasco of the Carter years. Which of them looks better in hindsight?

I'm looking forward to reading the book.

It's Hurricane Season, y'all. I notice my name is on the list of hurricane names this year. Lovely.

I begin preparing the pantry for a hurricane emergency in March. That way I don't have to purchase everything all at once. I know the drill. I set aside a section for items that can be eaten without the benefit of cooking. I begin to stockpile bottled water. I keep on top of prescriptions so that I can get by for a couple of weeks, if necessary. I put some cash aside in case of extended power outages - the ATM's won't work. Our generator has containers of gasoline ready for use. I stock extra pet food and supplies. Etc, etc, etc.

I never expect anyone to take care of us except us.

I noted Mayor Ray Naquin's first State of the City speech yesterday since Katrina. Still a piece of work, that guy. Now he demands all debts be forgiven and at least another billion dollars. Of course, the plans for re-building are still not agreed upon, the city is still a trash dump, few schools and fewer medical facilities are open, and they're all still yelling for the hand outs. Here's an idea, how about getting out there and doing some work? Look to your neighboring state of Mississippi for some inspiration, if needed.

And another Katrina 'victim' living here was arrested on murder charges yesterday.

You're welcome.

The wife of the TB terrorist now cries that 'the government' wouldn't send a plane for their trip back to the U.S. for his treatment, so they had to fly commercial. Are you kidding me? He ran like a shaved weasel. He could have arranged private travel via charter jet to get back. He's a young man of privilege. He knew for months he had the disease from globe trotting. He was counseled not to go. When the diagnosis came back with dire results, of course the country he was in demanded quarantine. Then the border guard let him in at the Canadian border even though he was on a list of no admittance.

Don't get me started. He was not entitled to our government bailing his sorry butt out of his travel arrangements. Spoiled brat. The new wife, too. What, when they married she didn't know he was ill? The more I hear of this story the angrier I get at them.

Tomorrow I'm going to buy potting soil from a lovely garden center I support. It's run by adults with functional disabilities. I always find cool stuff there that is made by their community. These adults live in a rural area just outside city limits with a working farm, school, and art center where pottery and goods are made to support themselves. They also have a tea room with some residents serving as waitstaff. The garden center is a separate facility, not far from my house.

I have a new plant and some flowers to try to survive my not green thumb.