Morning! My super package arrived from Melody on Saturday. I can't believe HOW much she got into that box! In my amazing "California" box was: ~2 Japanese Balloons for the kids (so cute!) ~a California mix CD. Haven't listened to it yet, but can't wait!The note says these song remind Melody about California :) I Left My Heart in San Fransisco...I love this song! ~Plant stakes ~A Beautiful Flower hair clip. Taylor wore this to school today! Did you make this? It is SO pretty! ~Maxea Plant Food. This is a California Company ~A Cable Car Post Card ~California Note Cards. Printed in Del Monte Oaks, Monterey. ~Ghirardelli Chocolate...another California Company! YUMMY!! ~California Native Seeds: Poppy: Confetti Mix And more seeds! ~Viola: Sorbet Marina Babyface ~Salvia: Forest Fire ~Columbine: Mrs. Scott Elliot ~Nigella: Bridal Veil ~Crocomosia: Lucifer ~Nigella: Persian Violet ~Nigella: Mulberry Rose I really need to look some of these up. I bet they are just gorgeous! Melody, THANK YOU SO MUCH!! This was a most thoughtful and thought out package. Every single part was a special California touch :) Everything was wrapped with adorable fuzzy ribbon and labeled with cute little sayings. This was just so thoughtful! I can't thank you enough! And, I'm so happy to see that my box made it to you. I was hoping you didn't have that daylily already. It seemed fitting since I'm part of the "big apple", lol. :) Have a super day everyone! vina ps. I'm posting October right now. Who's ready for some spooky fun? pss. THANKS AGAIN MELODY!

My husband, 2-year old daughter, and I, were sitting behind this guy at a religious meeting, so after the final prayer, I introduced myself and welcomed him. He was with some friends of ours and it turned out that he had just met them the week before. He had been traveling with his wife and small daughter to move to another state, when a drunk driver hit them head on in the desert fog. His truck was totalled. The baby was in a car seat and was fine. His wife suffered many serious injuries and was taken to our local hospital. That's how he came to meet my friend, who had been called when people of our same religion had requested help at the hospital. Well, anyway....he was thin and stressed and trying to figure out what to do. There was no instant connection--no attraction. I invited him to dinner with us, but he declined. As it worked out eventually, the wife was air-lifted to a hospital in the city where her parents lived, where my (DH) was moving. Because of the wreck, the ensuing lawsuit against the drunken woman who had just chalked up her 4th accident while DUI, and both vehicles totalled, DH lost the job transfer to the new state. A few months later, he was back at my meeting. He had to return to fight the legal battle in person, so got a job in my town. His wife, on finding out that she was getting a nice sum as a settlement for her injuries, decided to stay with her parents, keep their daughter, and divorce him. Within another year or so, I found myself divorced about the same time his divorce was finalizing. I moved into a room for rent as a temporary measure while saving to move to California. He was renting another room in the same house. Somehow...some way.....without ANY prior notice of each other in the preceding 2 years, we became friends. A few months later.....we both moved out of the house...and into our own place as husband and wife! One of the things we both thought was funny as we began dating, was finding out that he thought I was nice to show a concern for him but he never gave me another thought. I felt bad for his situation, but he seemed to have no real personality. Until we started to really talk while living with the family that owned the house, neither had much opinion of the other. Red

Raee, the Chicago area has been working to address these issues here in our city. Just last night, I saw an area college that was opening its now-empty dorms for hospital staff and first responders so they don't have to commute home to their families. The last I heard, the city is also working to make hotel rooms available to the homeless. I'm particularly worried about domestic abuse victims, and children who are cooped up with parents who may not have healthy coping skills during these stressful times.

As someone who deals with facts on a daily basis in addition to the skill of evaluating the validity of research data (I teach science), the idea that data and facts cannot be objectively verified I find puzzling. As I mentioned, we use facts all the time to make decisions, for example, we check the weather before going somewhere to determine how to dress. Weather predictions are made based on facts, measurements and data. But, since weather is a system that is highly variable (many data points and facts affect the system) there is always going to be some level of uncertainty in your predictions. Meteorologists factor that into their weather reports, and usually give a range of predictions, such as 20% chance of rain. That is not zero, btw, so I always carry a collapsible umbrella in my car. But we don't assume that a meteorologist has some hidden political agenda, nor do we necessarily question the need for weather forecasting, particularly those of us in outdoor professions who depend on reliable weather data to make critical decisions. I have no reason to doubt that the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, one of the most respected and admired research centers in the world, would not be working diligently to present the best and most valid data available. Also, since science thrives on constant questioning and examination, they would not rest until more and more "truth" could be determined. I know science constantly refines ideas, I'm comfortable with evolving advice based on the results of more and more information being investigated and newer data coming in. That's why medical advice evolves over time and what was once standard advice, (like taking vit. E protects against heart disease, for example, which has evolved to it being a minor preventative factor if at all, not trumping genetics, and having no benefit in clinical studies as a treatment, in fact in might be a detriment and is no longer supported by the American Heart Association). I not only have confidence in the public health researchers at the University of Michigan and my alma mater Michigan State, for example, I feel blessed beyond compare that I live in a state where such institutions can exist and thrive. I feel the same way about the Johns Hopkins Center, their web site is a marvel of useful and helpful information. As well as the many professional groups I belong to that share "truths" amongst members so we can develop strategies to meet all kinds of situations arising out of real data coming out of the real world. For example, the spotted lanternfly is similar to this covid-19 virus in that it has the potential to decimate dozens of economic fruit crops. No one is questioning the validity or political agendas of folks reporting on its spread, nor on ideas for mitigation and control. That's the irony to me, I live in a state known for having more colleges than just about any other state, (we are number 9 for number of colleges) and yet folks want to refuse the good advice one can find here for FREE! Folks from all over the world come here to convene with some of the best brains on the planet! When it was just "their loss" I was fine with it. Now, when it is my own close family at risk and myself, not satisfied! I have also noted, that in my rural area, there is a movement to not only flaunt social distancing recommendations and rules, but also other laws regarding social conduct. For example, two weekends ago a gang of three wheelers rode up and down the streets in my neighborhood for quite a while, knowing full well that ORVs are not allowed on public roads. It was totally annoying because we were outside trying to enjoy the beauty and peace of our yard. It's happening on a regular basis now, folks going out and engaging in socially disruptive behavior, I guess either hoping to draw folks into conflicts or hoping no one will come out to stop them from the local neighborhood. My friend's husband is a policeman, and this is totally adding to their stress unnecessarily since they are not only having to police serious crimes, but respond to the health crisis as well. So they do not need to deal with things like folks setting off firecrackers, etc.which are totally avoidable. Regarding the three wheelers, eventually they got bored and moved on, but such things are happening on a regular basis in my neighborhood, gangs of trucks and motorcyclists driving around revving their motors, etc. And I'm not talking about groups gathering for socially distancing parties, which we had up the street from us. That was very clear what was going on as the cars all had "Happy Birthday" balloons decorating them. There are several cases of church communities being ravaged by the virus here in MI and some folks have lost MULTIPLE family members. We stopped going to church before it was cancelled, and we intend to keep on participating virtually. The biggest issue for me is how to continue to support local feeding efforts which our church was heavily involved in as volunteers. I am having to remind myself to regularly donate to the food pantry now online with money instead of food, and also not forget to regularly tithe at church.