What do I have in common with the people living in Kugluktut Canada? (Kugluktut, with a population of about 1300, is a Canadian community along the Arctic Ocean, north of the Arctic Circle.) Last night and today, we, here in Middleton Wisconsin exactly tracked the temperatures of that hamlet.
Henry and I went out for a walk when it had warmed up to -7F/-22C.
But what about last night? Have we been evicted yet??
Well. It's as if the weekend had never happened. Yesterday, there was no movement in the hallways after 9 p.m.. Henry was mellow. No woofs at all. He followed me to the bedroom, as in the old times, and went to sleep at the same moment that I went to sleep.
Of course, before I rejoice too much, I have to acknowledge the fact that Henry still does not like sounds and movement just outside my door, especially at night when the world is otherwise quiet. I can't assume that there will be no repeat of the weekend evening mess. And speaking of mess, when I was tidying up this morning, I saw that over the weekend, obviously at the time of his greatest agitation, he had an accident on the carpet in the spare room. That's a first, and it speaks volumes to the degree of his agitation then.
This morning? Calm as ever.
(In his warmest jacket, which is a pain to take off -- both he and I know this!)
Breakfast, lovely.
A hug and a cuddle...
And off he goes to doggie daycare, while I head to Barriques Cafe to contemplate the events of the weekend, the events of the week to come, and, importantly, my younger girl whose birthday it is today.
She had sent me over the weekend a photo of herself, sitting next to me.
I was then 40 obviously, she was 8. One last time playing around with curls for me, one last time playing around with bangs for her. Has she changed much since then? Have I? Well of course, in the obvious ways that growing and aging will provide. But in essence -- no. She has the same good heart, sharp brain, artistic inclination, quiet demeanor. She processes everything, but you'll likely not know about it. Like her sister, she is a great advice giver to me (and their advice is the same only 50% of the time, so I get different perspectives!). She is extremely generous with me in letting me write about her and I try to honor and respect that (for both daughters!) by not crossing boundaries of privacy.
I hope she is happy today. I know she is happy in life. May it always bring her joy and deep satisfaction! Happy happy birthday, sweet child of mine! With endless love and a fabric twinkle in my eye. Different that we are, nonetheless, we are so much of the same fabric.
I also think about the fence at Steffi's House. The one I want to build before I move there this summer. I'm getting a lot of pushback from the HOA, despite the fact that it is exactly the same as fencing on other properties. Same area, same style, same everything. I've thrown at the developer (who basically runs the HOA) all my best legal arguments and still, he balks. We are on round 862 it seems. I persevere!
So where am I heading with the dog, the potential eviction, my life? Well, as my older daughter pointed out, there have been no complaints to management thus far and so it's premature to start packing. Enduring elevator rides may have to be our burden for the months to come. But why speculate about that. One day at a time.
As for my life -- I'm leaving on a trip I had planned way back in the summer. I had been going to the French Alps in January for several years now. Snowdrop would very much like to go back. But I said a hard no to that. Not this year, when so much else is going on. Judging by the number of avalanches they have had in the Swiss and French Alps this year, I can't say that I have great regrets!
But I did put in a trip for myself, just to France and not to the mountains. And though I would like to save money given every unexpected expense under the sun I paid for it a while back and I decided to stick with it. It's been a while. The longest break for me since I got divorced, now more than 20 years ago. American that I am, Europe is very much a part of me too and I don't know how many more trips I have before me. So I'm off, on Wednesday.
I do realize that I am going to Europe at the height of hatred for Americans. If you read the comments to the daily stories of our imperialism and disregard for, and downright hostility toward just about everything that's good and right about this world, you'll see that most, written by Canadians and Europeans, are seething with anger. Not only at our leadership, but at us, all of us, because fury tends to spill over like that. We are in fact viewed now as a failed country with a political apparatus that put in place those whose greed and power threaten to dismantle all the progress made toward peace, environmental conservation, human rights. We always have had a far reaching power to aid and along with it -- power to destroy. It seems we're using it mightily now. So much destruction, causing suffering and frankly panic.
If you think that their wrath is unfair, that "you didn't vote for him," well I disagree that it's unfair. We've paraded proudly the Great American Idea as if it were our own for decades now. Should we shy away from taking responsibility for the chaotic mess that we have unleashed? I remember all too well as a postwar kid living in Poland how deep was my antipathy toward Germans. All Germans. Because in some fashion I felt they seeded the rise of the Nazi party. Hitler also did not get the majority of the popular vote. His party peaked at 44% in 1933, when suppression and intimidation were at play. After that, well, there were no other parties to vote for. Clever dude. Nevertheless, I bristled at the sound of the German language, long after World War II.
I'm stepping into that world of distrust and dislike for Americans now, equipped only with shirts and a cap that have the word Resist emblazoned on them. How paltry! How sad. But I will not run away from it. I am an American and I need to face up to what my country is doing to the world order. If it hurts to hear it -- so be it. It's the least that I can do -- allow others to vent, to tell me how betrayed they feel.
In the meantime, I have a day off and since Henry is with his dog pals (thank goodness! not a day for lovely walks, given the temps!), I take out my suitcase and pack it up for the trip. Unusual for me to do it this early, but I have much to do tomorrow and the next day and so I pack.
Evening. It is, of course Martin Luther King Jr Day. There are so many quotes that I could write down here and have us be moved by them. I chose this one, because it seems so of the moment, even though it came out of a sermon delivered in 1967: If we are to have peace on earth, our loyalties must become ecumenical (I take that to mean "of the world," promoting unity and cooperation) rather than sectional. Our loyalties must transcend our race, our tribe, our class, and our nation; and this means we must develop a world perspective.
with so much love...
