I had to rub my eyes and pull my ears to open my ear canals to make sure I was reading and hearing this correctly: The most fanatical expression, I think, of wanting to deny history of the U.S. is that of those who would like to 'demote' Thomas Jefferson from his position as a "Founding Father" of the U.S.A. and as founder of the University of Virginia, among other accomplishments. Some have said they would be willing even to scrap! The Declaration of Independence in order to reverse or expunge his influence -- all because Jefferson was a slave owner and he might have fathered at least one child (perhaps more) with his slave Sally Hemings (who also happened to be his deceased wife's half-sister). In some minds it is settled: recent DNA testings of Sally Hemings's male descendants indicate someone in the line of Peter Jefferson (father of Thomas) fathered at least one of Sally's sons. It is very possible it was Thomas, but it's also possible that it was Thomas's brother or either of two nephews who were known to be in the vicinity. So the evidence is not conclusive. Is that reason enough to negate everything else Thomas Jefferson did? These same fanatics would like to see all monuments and memorials to Thomas Jefferson changed, including Mount Rushmore. They have floated the notion that the heads of Jefferson and George Washington, another slave owner, should be re-carved to represent more worthy presidents. The four with the most mentions are Franklin Roosevelt, John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, and Barack Obama. I doubt that anything will come of it -- the hoopla has since died down a bit from about five years ago when I first got wind of it. I would say that nothing ever will be done that drastic, but now I'm not sure that redress seekers for grievances will ever completely let it go.

I'm not in the age range considered 'older' yet, but we all get there at some point! I buy most of my clothing online, only items that have reviews (I look at the 3 stars, that's where I've found the most helpful and reality-based reviews on everything from electronics to clothing. If there aren't any 3 star and its all 5 starred reviews I look elsewhere just as I do when it's only 1-2 star). If you can take your measurements accurately (helps to have someone to assist in this) then you can generally determine whether a given article of clothing is going to fit. If looking for bras, check out the reddit /abrathatfits for a more detailed list of measurements you need to properly determine size. I do know how to sew, which makes it easy for me to alter instead of sending back. Mostly the issues are in the waist area - GG/H cup 32 band and junk in the trunk but only 5'1.5". Tunics to wear with leggings can be quickly altered with a couple well placed darts in the back so that I don't look like I'm wearing a tent but am not hiding my figure 'assets'. Ordering online has the benefit of finding clothing for little money - also spending less for something tends to make it easier to not freak out when the garment inevitably starts to fall apart. Do I wish that the simple cotton tees or knit dresses were made with the better, thicker materials like they were back in my not-so-long-ago college days? Absolutely. But wishing won't make it happen. We've traded more sturdy and long lasting retail goods we bought precisely because they would last for 'fast fashion' that meets customer demand for cheap and on trend with the disposable quality that keeps retailers in business. The same thing has happened in nearly every category of retail goods - appliances, home decor, etc...We've been convinced that we must consume and buy the latest tech, the latest trend. Sometimes I can still find high quality clothing, but it comes at an equally high price - my Lands End all-weather coat would be one of those purchases. Same for my skirt suits for work bought at Nordstrom (which I like because they will do free alterations on clothing purchased at one of their locations). When paired with my latest crop of trendy cheap knit tops, the fact that I only have a few of those more expensive components like the skirts/pants/jackets is unnoticeable.

I was a military brat. One aspect of that, which everyone understands, is the moving about. Leaving friends, making new ones, lather, rinse repeat. The other aspect that isn’t acknowledged as much is that military kids don’t grow up around extended family. No aunts, uncles, or cousins. Grandparents you see at Christmas and maybe once during the summer. And to top it all off, I was an only child for my first 12.5 years, when my brother came along and began his own odyssey into de facto only childom. All that to say that I have always been comfortable with my own company. I’ve never seen anything wrong with it. I find Facebook has been helpful in at least allowing me to keep up acquaintance with folks from different patches of my life. Some from high school, a handful from college (true to form, I did 2 years at a jr. college and 2 at a University, never really being in either place long enough to establish real friendships), a few from my longest-tenured workplace as an adult. My closest friends are two women who lived in the neighborhood where I bought my first home when I was in my 20s. My time with that group of friends was wonderful. We all had so much in common and were working to revitalize an amazing little neighborhood. When I moved out west 4+ years ago I made it a point to actually WORK at maintaining my friendship with these two, and by association another woman who became part of our little group. We have a secret Facebook page where we can say whatever we want without fear of causing permanent family strife over politics. We’re unapologetic smart asses. And we typically try to get together at least once, if not twice a year. It usually involves me getting on a plane, but it’s worth it, even if we only sit on a screened porch, eat BLTs and comment on The State Of Things. These are the women I imagine growing old with, and they with me. One of our hobbies is scouting locations for a compound where we can all reside in our dotage. We’re not the kind of friends who talk on the phone daily, weekly or even monthly. But we’re good friends. i haven’t been good about making new friends since I got married 16 years ago. My husband doesn’t really have friends and relies on me for company and entertainment. I do have a couple of girlfriends here who I’ll occasionally have lunch with, but I’d like to do better by them, as well.

I've finished "Scorched" by Jennifer L. Armentrout, a story about a girl with problems and her love/hate relationship with a young man. Her life is rapidly spiraling out of control, he tries to help, she slips away. It is written alternating between 'her' story and 'his' story, both written in the first person. I would have liked it a lot more if he were able to speak without using the f-bomb in every sentence. That is a big turn-off for me, but I didn't have anything else to read handy, so I stuck with it. I think the author was trying to present a message of hope, of sorts, but the language was very off-putting. Then I read "The Secret Hour", by Luanne Rice. She is among my favorite authors, and I enjoyed this one as I do most of hers. It is a story of love, loss, and second chances. A defense lawyer in a very controversial capital murder trial, raising his two children alone, and a woman searching for her sister. It was hard for me to put it down. I started "Lost Roses" by Martha Hall Kelly. I'm not very far into it, so don't have a 'feel' for it yet, but I'm pretty sure it's going to be much slower going than the last couple of books have been. Rusty