Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

T R E 4 5 O N

It’s a doggy dog world.

Sadly, there is no cure for stupid.

Authoritarian republicans are opposed to freedom for the rest of us.

I was confident that someone would point it out and thought why not me.

This year has been the longest three days of putin’s life.

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires Republicans to act in good faith.

“And when the Committee says to “report your income,” that could mean anything!

SCOTUS: It’s not “bribery” unless it comes from the Bribery region of France. Otherwise, it’s merely “sparkling malfeasance”.

There is no right way to do the wrong thing.

Impressively dumb. Congratulations.

Despite his magical powers, I don’t think Trump is thinking this through, to be honest.

A democracy can’t function when people can’t distinguish facts from lies.

The republican speaker is a slippery little devil.

It is possible to do the right thing without the promise of a cookie.

Speaking of republicans, is there a way for a political party to declare intellectual bankruptcy?

Wake up. Grow up. Get in the fight.

An almost top 10,000 blog!

Biden: Oh no. We’ve upset Big Pharma again.

There are consequences to being an arrogant, sullen prick.

I really should read my own blog.

Glad to see john eastman going through some things.

Chutkan laughs. Lauro sits back down.

The words do not have to be perfect.

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Reader Interactions

49Comments

  1. 1.

    Tim C.

    Nothing wrong with thinking about her.  I told my son, when his Great Grandmother died, that our grief is a monument to how much we loved someone.

    May we all be grieved that way.

  2. 2.

    Kayla Rudbek

    Sitting here knitting and thinking about how my grandma knit me a blanket as a wedding present, and now I’m knitting a blanket as hopefully a Christmas present for my nephew (if it gets finished in time), and wondering how long it will be used.

  4. 4.

    SiubhanDuinne

    Wow, almost a year. Those anniversaries are tough. Tammy was a very special person and deserves to be remembered.

    I feel you, John. Yesterday was the three-year anniversary of my younger sister’s death, and for the first time I’m having a really hard time with it. And I’m also in the middle of moving this weekend, and moving and similar life changes are always stressful.

    I like what @Tim C. said about grief.

  5. 5.

    Kifaru1

    Every time I go outside at night and look at the stars I think of my grandmother who passed in 2001. We always lived thousands of miles apart (France, east coast of U.S. and Kenya) and we had a saying that we always looked up at the same stars….Memories are part of who we are.

  7. 7.

    BellyCat

    Loss sucks. There is no sugar-coating it.

    In better moments, I try to imagine what the person I’m grieving would want: the feeling of the party going on rather than ending. Irish wake sort of thing. Dunno. Put on some Pogues or something?

  9. 9.

    CaseyL

    Good to hear you’re home.  Were Steve, Maxwell, and Thurston happy to see you?

    I’ve heard the first year of grieving can be the hardest, with so many bleak milestones when the memories and pain are freshest: first New Years without her; first Spring; and so on. How is Brian doing; have you been keeping in touch?

  10. 10.

    TaMara

    That first anniversary sucks, for sure.

    It’s been two years for my mom…and second anniversary was easier. But cooking…it’s the cooking that gets me every time.

    This summer my dad asked me to finally organize the kitchen for him and every spice I tossed, every dish I packed away that he didn’t need – stab to the heart.

  11. 11.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @TaMara:

    But cooking…it’s the cooking that gets me every time.

    Oh god, yes. A battered old spoon. A favourite old mixing bowl. The only apple corer that really did the job. And I’m not even a good cook. But I know the bond my grandmother had with her implements.

  12. 12.

    dnfree

    @SiubhanDuinne: So sorry for the grief at the same time as the stress of moving–one probably magnifies the other as well.

    My husband has lost all four of his brothers, and I can’t imagine the pain of being the last remaining sibling.  I know it hurts.  I have not lost any of my brothers yet, but since I’m the eldest, I think hey, maybe I won’t have to go through that–they will.

  13. 13.

    BeautifulPlumage

    I was thinking of Tammy recently and how sudden her loss was for you and everyone in her life. Sending love your way, good to hear you made it home safe

    I was also thinking of Alain and his too, too young passing. I hope his loved ones have found some respite from their grief.

    The year anniversary of my sister’s passing is coming up. I realized this week that I’m finally feeling like I’ve come through the dark and life is a little easier.

  15. 15.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @dnfree:

    the grief at the same time as the stress of moving–one probably magnifies the other as well.

    That is a profound and sensitive observation. You are quite right.

    I’m so sorry about Mr dnfree’s fraternal losses. That must be really tough for him.

  16. 16.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @BeautifulPlumage:

    I’m very glad life is getting easier for you. It does take full mindfulness over a long period of time to grieve properly. I don’t think it’s the same experience for any two people.

  18. 18.

    Mousebumples

    I don’t have much to say, except Tammy’s memory is a blessing to you, even though I’m sure it’s tough. She touched so many lives, and as others have stated, grief is difficult.

    Semi-related, if jackals could keep my grandma in their thoughts, as well, I’d appreciate it. My grandfather passed away this morning, after a few weeks in hospice. (my thanks in advance for the well wishes, since I’m off to sleep shortly.) I’ll miss him, of course, but my grandma has now been widowed 3 times, so I’m sure this is tough for her. Hopefully, my littles and I can help her during this time.

  21. 21.

    BeautifulPlumage

    @Narya: yes, I find myself mostly thinking that way – appreciating who she was & what she enjoyed.

     

    @SiubhanDuinne: thank you, I’m glad I took time this summer to grieve my losses so now I can move forward. And you’re very correct, we all grieve in our own way.

  25. 25.

    Brachiator

    Take care, John Cole.

    My regards to you and to everyone who knew and loved your friend, Tammy.

    The holidays are coming. I saw people already buying Christmas trees. The coming holidays make me think of tidings of comfort and joy for everyone.

  29. 29.

    way2blue

    Just made Turkey Gumbo with Thanksgiving bones, andouille, Penzeys cajun seasoning, file powder & such.  Comfort food.  Let me know if I should pass the recipe on…

  31. 31.

    Jackie

    The holidays are always the time we feel the loss of our loved ones the most. My dad loved the gathering of family and watching the Littles excitement of Santa. He’s been gone six Christmas’s and they’ll never be the same without him.

  32. 32.

    Regine Touchon

    I never heard this term to comfort those who have lost someone until this horrible Israeli war. “ May their memory be a blessing.” So may Tammy’s memory be a blessing.

  38. 38.

    Ruckus

    John

    And everyone else. A loss of a family member or friend is always difficult. But it is as much a part of life as being born. We are created, we are born, we live – hopefully for a full and long life, and then we are gone. It is that cycle that is often not a full one, sometimes not a good one. But it is one we all share, be it for six minutes, six months or six or more decades. We don’t always get to decide the details and it really isn’t good to decide the length of stay. It’s life. It’s good and yet it always ends. Live, love, enjoy and bring the same for everyone else.

    @dnfree:

    Last sibling left 3 months ago, I was the youngest in my family and now I am the oldest in the extended family, with one nephew and several cousins. Next birthday I will have been here 3/4 of a century. In many ways it doesn’t seem that long ago, but in some ways it does.

  43. 43.

    opiejeanne

    @eclare: I lost my dad 11 years ago, my mom 20 years ago, and recently I find myself getting a bit weepy sometimes. I’m not sure how much of it is me missing them, or just the inevitable end coming for us all. I thought we both had about 30 years left, but that was 10 years ago. I’m 73 and when I fall asleep I sometimes wonder if I’ll wake up, and I’ve still got so much left o do.

  44. 44.

    eclare

    @opiejeanne:

    That is a lot to think about at night and why I am so glad to see the sun every morning.  I am in Central time, about four more hours here for full daylight.

  45. 45.

    prostratedragon

    Music for a while
    Shall all your cares beguile.

    Wond’ring how your pains were eas’d
    And disdaining to be pleas’d
    Till Alecto free the dead
    From their eternal bands,
    Till the snakes drop from her head,
    And the whip from out her hands.

    Music for a while
    Shall all your cares beguile.

    —————— Purcell and Dryden

  48. 48.

    way2blue

    @danielx: yes.  file needs an acute accent over the ‘e’.  Thickening but also adds an herbal note.  As noted by others above.  (Posted before working my way down the stack.)  Gumbo os easy to make if you don’t mind spending 20+ minutes stirring a roux.

  49. 49.

    Summer

    Good grief, John Cole, I’ve only been sporadically reading for the last couple of years and didn’t know about Tammy’s death. I am so sorry. She was such a presence here and it’s hard to believe someone so gorgeously alive in photos is gone. it’s very hard to take in, but easy to feel grief over because of the long camaraderie of this place that you created. My best wishes to you as you mark the anniversary of her passing.

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