Well, where to begin? Since my last post approximately a month ago, we are now at war with Iran - we being the aggressor, along with Israel. Both countries are controlled by two elderly criminals who will burn it all down to stay out of prison! I really underestimated trump as I didn't think even he would be foolish enough to ignite things in the Middle East. Silly me! And I love how, when he feels it in his bones, he'll just put that genie right back in the bottle!! God help us.
I was reading The Sisterhood about women in the CIA, and there was a part about the first Gulf War and the bombing of Khobar Towers. I was there at that time, and we were awakened in the middle of the night by the explosion. We later saw the remains of the building. It brought back a lot of memories of being close to a war zone, hearing scuds fly by, flying out on a military plane, etc. And a week later, the Middle East is aflame again! It has really put me in a funk, and I feel sad for our country. When you think about it, we have no government! The republican controlled House, Senate, and Supreme Court have handed our republic over to a soulless madman. They have abdicated their oath to the Constitution and neglected their duty. We are rudderless....except for the madman! I hope I'm wrong, but it's difficult to see how we can ever recover if anything is left by the end of the trump era.
As though I wasn't in enough angst, I just finished Kamala Harris's book 107 Days! It was an audiobook, and she narrated it. It brought back the hope we had felt and clearly showed the contrast between her and what we wound up with. I think how (positively) different our nation would be if we had elected intelligent women when we had the opportunity! I'll stop there.
One very timely event I attended was a conversation with Ben Rhodes held at Presbyterian College. He was a speechwriter and National Security Advisor for President Obama, and is frequently seen on MS NOW. Needless to say, the first question was about Iran. He helped negotiate the agreement with Iran that trump trashed! His basic feeling was that the longer it goes on, the worse it will get, and the more we will feel it. I wouldn't argue with that!
On a positive note, there are signs of Spring. In fact, this is the second go-around! Color was beginning to show very early when we had a weekend of ice, followed by a weekend of snow, which killed everything. We've had lovely temperatures and things are peaking out again, but there's still time for a cold wave. It is good to see the color and feel the warm temperatures. My hope is for a nice, long Spring!
Things have been pretty busy around here as we are preparing for the Presbyterian Communities' Olympics! In April, all 6 communities will get together in Columbia to compete in Bocce ball, miniature golf, cornhole, a quarter-mile speed walk, and a 3-dimensional puzzle. So, each week we get together and "train." I'm doing the walk. Every other day, the guy who is competing and I get together to do the walk to increase our speed. Bocce ball and cornhole would be much easier, but I've never played either, and my play is very erratic. They are fun, and I hope we continue playing them after the games are over.
We've also had a fine dining evening where our chef shows his stuff. He is excellent! We also welcomed newcomers with an Irish-themed dinner, and we'll have a special lunch for St. Patrick's.
I had to take my car to Greenville for servicing. It was time for a regular checkup, but there was also a recall to be corrected, which meant it would take longer. I was pleased when they offered a loaner, which allowed me to pursue my search for Indian food. Maria, Mark, and I had tried Persis, which was our favorite Indian restaurant in Savannah. The one here was good, but not quite up to our original. Since then, I've been to Saffron, which is a very attractive place, and the food was very good. This time, I found Hocco Indian Kitchen. It was more basic, with lots of people coming in for take-out. The food was also very tasty. So, now I feel I have a choice - if I want take-out, it will be Hocco. If I have company and want something nice, it will be Saffron. If anything else comes across my radar, I'm perfectly willing to give it a try, too. My next genre to explore will be Thai food.The only other thing to report is that I've become addicted to Sudoku! I always had a book around, but would just do one every now and then, focusing mostly on crosswords. Since our two winter weekends of ice and snow, as well as the state of our nation, I've finished a complete book!! I've done them to the point of feeling I'm in a stupor!
On that note, I'll close. I hope all is well with you, and that you're finding some silver linings!
