Pen-demic

  Mother Earth is hurting and in distress.  She cries out in pain,  warning us to stop polluting her body and soul.  Telling us to stop  killing her beloved animals and fish . Causing her body to get warmer and warmer  as her distress grows.   But we don’t listen. We continue to exploit what she has so graciously and lovingly provided  by polluting the air, ground and water.  We disrespect the people around us  causing more pain.   Trying desperately to warn us, s he sends lightening to start fires; tornadoes, dere chos and  hurricanes  to level the buildings  along with  floods  and tidal waves , trying to get us to start over .   Shutting our ears to  her cries of pain, we  rebuild but ignore her lessons as we  continue to pollute her skies with the exhaust of our cars and trucks, trains, planes and machinery. We fill her oce ans with oil spill s  and plastic debris killing her pre...

  When I was growing up, my father would tell me to always patronize the small businesses in the area.  He repeatedly told me that if you don't, then the day you need them, they won't be there for you. I think of his words now, as I drive through the business sections of town and look at all the signs reading "Temporarily Closed", "Permanently Closed", and just "Closed".  I wonder how many of the small businesses that I have patronized over the years will be gone when this is over.  How many will still be there, but will be "different".  I look at the empty storefronts and wonder if anyone will move in once this is over, or if they will remain empty for years to come.  It's  not just the small businesses that are dying though.  The paper lists major department stores that have been around for over 50 years as closing, many because of people shopping online, a trend that was causing issues for the department stores before the pandemic ...

I stopped by a store yesterday, Aug 29 th , it was filled with Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations for sale.  I realized, that the year has passed in such a pandemic induced fog, that we essentially lost all the holidays since Valentine’s Day.  We may have done a few things at home with family, but the big celebrations were kaput along with annual seasonal activities like going to baseball games, football games, swimming at the municipal pools, Memorial Day trips to cemeteries, Family reunions and get togethers, summer concerts in the parks, Fourth of July fireworks, summer vacations  and so much more.   St Patrick’s Day, Mardi Gras, Easter, Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, and Father’s Day were just tiny blips on the radar of our existence rather than events to bring the community out. The upcoming holidays, Halloween, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years will probably follow suit.  The stores may have decorations to sell, but ...

 by Judy Richardson  September 1, 2020  There is so much to cry about today. It seems that joy is out of reach  I hear tears from a society torn asunder by racism, lies, corruption, hate and fear-mongering  I hear tears in the families of lost and dying children  I hear tears in the loss of Black men and women accosted in the streets and shot in their beds  I hear tears in families unable to work and feed their families.  I hear tears in food bank workers when they run out of food to give the needy  I hear tears in the police and the military called to attack unarmed protestors  I hear tears in the governors forced to issue mandates which neighboring states ignore  I hear tears in teachers forced to teach in person and risk their health  I hear tears in medical teams trying to save dying COVID patients  I hear tears of businessmen forced to close businesses that were their life’s dream  I hear tears in the loss of bel...