Melissa, what precious work you are doing. I think we are all blue yellow disturbed too. Life is hard enough without these traumas. I also know we all were relieved Covid was receding and now this. That would be a blessing for any refugees to be in your care.

I am so underwater with all my garden tasks that I take great heart in your carrying on through the seasons of life. We just have to dig in and keep going even if it is never ending.

I finished checking emitters on roses, thankfully, since it is difficult crawling under ramblers and replacing clogged ones.

I love hearing about your trees and perennials too. You are writing a book I would buy.

Melissa, my mind follows your descriptions of your gardens and tries so hard to re-create the pictures in my mind. But I fear my mind pictures don't do your descriptions justice...how I would love if you could send pictures!
God bless you for opening your home to refugees. I am sure they will be grateful.

"I estimate our total precipitation for 2022 so far at about 1 1/2".

If it makes you feel better, our so-called "rainy" season running roughly from November through February -- OUR total rainfall here on our hillside, was 1.17-ins.

It's so dry on our hillside that the California Poppies are wilting before they can bloom, and I'm not seeing ANY of the Scarlet Pimpernel that usually crawls all over. Even the oxalis is somewhat subdued.

Melissa, I couldn't enjoy your post, though it is as interesting, evocative and well-written as always. I was too busy fuming over the censorship. Everyone knows I have very little tolerance of How-uzzlezz's antics, and this is yet another indictment of their heavy-handedness. I am ANGRY, and can't imagine how you must feel. If they must regulate the topic, then they at least need to do it with a human, not an algorithm. Your innocuous mention of your anxiety over the situation should not by any stretch have triggered censorship. If they want to flag any mention of *you know where*, let it go to a human to make a decision on whether it crosses any red line of the TOS. If it doesn't, it shouldn't be touched. Of course any post that encourages violence, or endorses war should be flagged, but my gosh, your post is as far from that as imaginable!

OK, I'll get off my high horse now. The elevation is giving me a nose bleed.

Your biggest fan,

John

That's so kind, John, but don't get so mad it hurts you. I agree with you, but there's enough woe in the world as it is. You take care, and my suggestion is, go out and work in the garden. That's my own medicine for unhappiness.

Thanks to all for the comments. Jeri, I just wanted to add that your rainfall level is awful.

FB's censorship is really stupider, but THIS startled me. And I agree with John.

Oh gosh Melissa. Yes, it IS awful. That is the lowest recorded rainfall for the area in a century. The LAST time CA had a protracted drought, it destroyed the Rancho cattle raising economy. Only the Good Lord knows what it will do this time.

"This man, as me, even so, have the evil days o'ertaken,

And, like as a cape sea-shaken,

With tempests at earth's last verges

And shock of all winds that blow,

His head the seas of woe,

The thunders of awful surges,

Ruining overflow..."

Words for our times. ( from 'Oedipus at Colonus', trans. A.E. Houseman)

Why the heck was my post cersored out???

Melissa, I hadn't read 'Oedipus at Colonus' in many, many years. But you're right, that bit describes the state of our world that "have the evil days o'ertaken".

Hopefully, "hope springs eternal".

Who, doomed to go in company with Pain,

And Fear, and Bloodshed, miserable train!

Turns his necessity to glorious gain;

In face of these doth exercise a power

Which is our human nature’s highest dower:

Controls them and subdues, transmutes, bereaves

Of their bad influence, and their good receives:

By objects, which might force the soul to abate

Her feeling, rendered more compassionate;

Is placable—because occasions rise

So often that demand such sacrifice;

From 'The Happy W*rrior' (see if that gets past the filter. HA!), by Wordsworth.

It was written in honor of Lord Nelson, who led the British against Napoleon. But it describes an awful lot of heroes today, in conflicts both international and personal.

Is anyone out there seeing my posts??????? Please respond-someone!

@bart bart Bart, the only ones I'm seeing are the ones of you asking if anyone is seeing them, but I see two of those on this thread.

Agree with Fig, Bart. We need you here. Never leave.

bart the only one i see is the one of you asking if anyone can see your posts

I realize getting censored is different than leaving. They are both horrible.

@bart bart Melissa's original post has appeared now (with all the supposedly "offending" words intact, lol). Maybe your post will eventually show up

Bart, I hope your post shows up. Sounds like John's fury and indignation has had an effect.

I hope it does, too. It makes me feel a bit paranoid,like someone's got it in for me personally,and is flagging my post. I'll wait a few days to see if it will show up; in case it is just bot rot that is making it un-seeable, I can just re-write it (and will do so)-I even saved it elsewhere so I can copy it in case it disappears. Not that it is of any importance as far as content goes, but one just shouldn't bend the knee.

In the mean time I'll put it up on "the other forum"-paranois makes me shy about naming that, too!

I've had posts disappear and then reappear numerous times. I think it's just a glitch myself Is mine had nothing to do with anything controversial. Same thing with typing. Sometimes I can do it other times it repeat Things endlessly.

@Vaporvac Z6-OhioRiverValley Yes!! That text repeating thing is beyond annoying!!

And the "oops, something went wrong" message when you're typing and for no reason whatsoever you loose the whole message!! So frustrating!

Yikes! At least I've never had that happen. LOL! I used to have issues on my phone a few years ago where it would not let me edit anything after I posted the idiocy that it had converted my writing to. I think people thought I was illiterate. When I read my much older posts they're so cogent and well formulated in comparison. Now I'm afraid to write too much and have some glitch appear. I wonder if it would be better on my laptop. I use my Kindle fire with a keyboard or my phone. At least its not censorsoring them.

Update: still no word on refugees coming to stay. We called yesterday. The Catholic charity Caritas has gotten involved with helping to place those now in Piacenza. I heard there were nine hundred and something of them, arrived from You-crane by way of Slovenia.

Melissa, God bless you and your willingness to open your home. If you do get selected to host a family, and there's ANYTHING we can do to help, let us know. There's no need for you to bear the load alone when you've got us to help.

I've donated to a few different funds (Red Cross-You-crane appeal and the UN Refugee Fund for You-crane and the UN You-crane Humanitarian Fund). For those who would like to help, those are all vetted and reliable charities.

Again, thanks, John. The situation is so grim, and getting grimmer.

No, the book's new to me. I suspect there are going to be a lot more you-cranian refugees as the weeks pass, so it's good governments seem to be taking the situation seriously and working together.

Yes, it is amazing to see all of the volunteers meeting trains, etc. Still trying to get my head around seeing scenes reminiscent of 80+ years ago.

Jackie

Good luck Melissa, and good for you for opening your home to folks in need. That is important work. I'm hoping that something changes for the better soon with the "yellow blue" situation. The current news is just horrendous.