I love that participle, the way it rolls off my tongue. It can accentuate a humorous situation or a deadly horrible cluster such as the current state of affairs. I’ve been spending WAYYY too much time on Instagram; I’m proud of my algorithm but I’m afraid for my health if I continue to feed it. My personal page is full of photo-fluff; vacation views, a little happy family, food, etc.; my feed is now 20% food and the rest is far-left Dem politics and all the attendant bullshit of the day.

My comments are nasty and vulgar, I’m not proud of this. I’m smug when I get likes. This ain’t right. A month ago when I opened IG my first posts were usually decent cooking sites, lots of youth and pro hockey, home gardening and other outdoor, woodsy posts. Also goats. Dogs. Cats. Lamas. Donkeys.

Now it’s all the daily white house shit show and all the folks I follow condemning everything occurring since January 20, 2025.

On a side note, my spelling has gone to shit, probably because of reliance on spellcheck. Same with phone numbers – can barely remember any, but I’m trying not to rely so much on my cell phone.

I’ve tried to do my bit, as recommended, by writing, emailing and calling congressional representatives but it’s discouraging. I laud the protesters (I’m too long in the tooth for that action), news and TV personalities but I can feel my blood pressure rising the more I read.

I spent too much of my life being a-political, ignorant of history and somewhat unaware of current events. Trying to make up for lost time in your 70’s sometimes feel like a lost cause. There is no value in me hurling my feelings out to the universe, just fleeting instant gratification. I find myself goading obvious magats with my superior verbiage – do I really think they give two shits or that my verbiage is superior?

Other advice to deal with this (do I have four + more years to wait for the change?) is to journal and try to embrace the good in my life (there is plenty but there is also the shits).

Case in point – had a lovely PM, drove to Bardstown with hubs; enjoyed the back road route, lovely cold, grey day landscape, adorable town and good eats. Came home to my nice little warm home, dinner in the crockpot and stupidly sat down not to read my e-books (I love black-ops, spies, assassins etc.) but just had to open IG for a second (LOL). Big mistake, there was confirmed bat-shit crazy RFK.

It must be 3 weeks since I started this, the country is even further in the dumper. Tomorrow is Feb 28, the first blackout day. I don’t expect a big paradigm shift in the government unless a drone drops a RPG on 1600. At least I feel I’m doing a little bit for the cause; my physical condition doesn’t allow me to frolic in the town square waving a ‘jail the felon deport the muskrat’ sign.

I put a little pride flag in my front yard. I haven’t made too many phone calls yet, I did write our KY senator Mitch Mc, who actually voted my way but nobody cares about him anymore.

We have a new candidate for senate, the worst ever, Daniel Cameron. I will have to get more active when his campaign ramps up – he already made a nauseating tv commercial trashing McConnel’s negative votes against trump’s agenda. What a dick. He tried to run against our wonderful guv Andy Beshear; his platform was the usual right pro-life pro gun bullshit.

This week I have had so much bad medical news about loved-ones and a dear friend.

I would like to sell my house, cash in my investment chips and run. To where at my age? And packing up my house will be an absolute nightmare. I’m afraid I won’t outlive a recession recovery.

Why don’t I just try and do something positive? Take care of my health and be thankful for all the life gifts I’ve been given. I’ll try.

Today is the 28th. The sun is out. As was in the pandemic, I’m doing a lot of rage cooking. I received one of those slap choppers for Christmas which really speeds things up; great if you don’t mind all the veggies cut in tidy little squares (kind of messes with my anal-ness, you would think the opposite lol). My gnarly, arthritic hands have taken a turn (literally) for the worse so volume chopping is more difficult.

Yesterday I made Louisiana-style red beans and rice. Dragged out the pressure cooker as I forgot to overnight soak the beans. There wasn’t a ham hock to be found locally, ended up with an $8 smoked turkey thigh along with the andouille. Lots of veg and warming spices, it was very yummy. The sausage, although cooked ahead, gave off a lot of grease so I had to waste a slice of bread to sop it up off the top. Lots of cleanup but it was worth it. Tonight gives shawarma chicken, haven’t decided on a side yet, I should do a herb or grain salad like tabouleh but I’d rather have macaroni and cheese.

I love ratty looking snow people. I relate to their condition.