"Outside a dog a book is man's best friend, inside a dog it is too dark to read!" -Groucho Marx========="The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid." -Jane Austen========="I don’t believe in the kind of magic in my books. But I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book."-JK Rowling========"I spend a lot of time reading." -Bill Gates=========“Ahhh. Bed, book, kitten, sandwich. All one needed in life, really.” -Jacqueline Kelly=========

Sunday, July 5, 2020

Sunday Salon...Independence Day and so much more

         Stars and Stripes. Photo taken at our house several years ago on the 4th of July. Photo credit: Keith Stapley. Used with permission.
Before you read anything else watch this 4th of July message from Joe Biden:

Weather: Saturday ended up being a lovely day after a slow start. Not sure what today will be like.

This week:
  • With no plans to celebrate Independence Day, Don and I went food shopping. On the way home, as we drove past the fairgrounds, we saw a notice that the Chamber of Commerce was hosting a drive-in fireworks display at 10 PM that evening.We decided to find a spot to watch them where we didn't have to pay. We had to look through power lines but otherwise it was a good view. From where we stood we could view the whole valley and see all the fireworks set off by families in their own neighborhoods, too. The whole event made me feel very happy.
  • My sister visited us and we spent a day at the Washington Coast and another in the park near our home. As you see the tide was out but it was still fun to run away from the waves with one's dad and dog; the kite strings were tangled and were never up in the air for long but who cares when you are working with Grandpa? And Aunt Kathy knows the best sites to go to to learn the ABCs.
  • Today in on-line church the pastor talked about church camp and outdoor ministry. It made me recall all the happy memories of attending church camp as a teenager. Some of my happiest memories were from those experiences and I am still friends with many of the folks I met there: Gerry, Andy, Ken, Rita, Lael, Tami, Greg, and Paul to name a few.
  • The Broadway musical "Hamilton" is available now on Disney Plus. We watched it the first night it was available. We were lucky to see the musical on stage when we were in London last year. Seeing it through the eyes of Brits was a fun experience. But last night we loved seeing the original cast which included Lin-Manuel Miranda as Hamilton, Phillipa Soo as Eliza Hamilton, and Leslie Odom Jr. as Aaron Burr.
  • We also enjoyed watching the silly but fun new film: "Euorvision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga". I liked it so much I watched it twice in one week.
  • We stopped for a wine tasting at the Westport Winery on the way home from the beach and swooned over their Almond Sparkling wine. The Washington Coast is known for its cranberries so it is expected that they would have a lovely cranberry wine. They had two. See offerings list here.
  • I only finished one of the seven books this past week but I made progress on the other six. Stay tuned for updates in the future.

Good news:
  • I am not an Alabama Football fan, but I admire this video and that statement that Coach Saban made by filming it. "All lives can't matter unless black lives matter!"

  • Minnesota is suing Exxon and Koch Industries for a "30 year campaign of deception" on climate change. Finally. It is time to hold the fossil fuel industries accountable. (RollingStone),
  • Two very funny guys, Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert, discuss a very serious subject: the upcoming election. Jon Stewart has some important things to say about Biden and his humility. The video is about 6 minutes long. If you want to get to the part I mentioned, skip ahead to about 3 minutes. Link provided, or read transcript below. (Colbert Show)
    • Stewart: "Biden was not my guy. ... I was more of a Sanders, Warren [guy]..."
      "I feel [the "Uncle Joe" shtick] is not the core of who that guy really is. ... We are a country in terrible anguish right now. ... We are fearful, and we are angry, and we are in pain. And when I see Biden past the shtick, I see a guy who knows what loss is."
      Steven Colbert: "That's it."
      Stewart: "Knows grief."
      Colbert: "That's it."
      Stewart: "And I think that that kind of grief humbles you. ...[It] brings about a caring that can't be faked, and it can't be contrived. And what I think in this moment this country needs is a leader of humility, that understands that he doesn't understand... Maybe he is the man of the moment. ... I'm not just making the negative case for Biden, it's not just 'Well, we gotta get rid of that [bleep] guy' [referring to Trump]. I actually believe that something in his life experience can benefit this country at a moment when it desperately needs it."
  • The two largest universities in Oregon (where I'm from) will stop calling their football rivalry the 'Civil War' game. The change comes amid a larger re-examination of the country's history. (Willamette Week
  • Tiny forests are springing up all over Europe to encourage biodiversity. It is inspired by a Japanese project and uses native species planted very densely in urban areas. (GNN)
Adorable artwork created by children shows up in Times Square to thank essential workers. (GNN)
  • Two Republican Senators introduce legislation to get rid of Columbus Day as a holiday and make Juneteenth a federal holiday. (Daily Caller)
  • Proof that wearing face masks actually works: Hair stylists infected with COVID-19 were wearing masks and so were with their 140 clients—tests prove no one got sick. (WaPo)
  • This guy puts a whole new spin on what is happening today with Black Lives Matter, the Confederate flag coming down, and Donald Trump. This isn't anything I've heard before, but he makes a lot of sense. His video is seven minutes long. I urge you to take the time to listen and to embrace some new thoughts. (Youtube) (Fifth Column)



  • Joe's vision for America: Over 100 progressive bills will be lined up ready for the House to consider the minute he becomes President. (JoeBiden)

On the lighter side...
1. This Chinese grandfather and his cute granddaughters dance to 'Staying Alive' by the BeeGees. Good advise for all of us today. I can't get enough of this short video and have watched it like twelve times. It makes me so happy. This grandpa gets extra credit points for sure. (YouTube)

 


2. Sticking with the Hamilton theme of the week, here is a parody about wearing masks:

 


3.


4.  You just know something bad is going to happen to the guy in red.


5.
6.


7. From polls taken last week. I am not alone in my estimation of Trump's leadership.
And finally this. Make sure you are looking at the right thing.

Instead of a cat photo. This week I am featuring the daughter of our friends. She clearly believes everyone should wear masks.
American Girls! Photo credit: W. Shoemaker. Used with permission.
And a late addition sent via my sister in Boise. I think this is true:

Please leave me a comment so I know you were here. Have a good week!
-Anne

33 comments:

  1. Great post! I feel the same way about Biden. He wasn't my first choice, but he's a healer and can bring people together.

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    1. I am so hopeful that Biden will win and will start to heal this nation.

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  2. Ha! Love that photo of the American Girl dolls... a friend of ours did the same thing! Glad you got to see fireworks for the 4th. There was nothing going on here, but we're having my in-laws over for hot dogs and hamburgers later this afternoon. That's about as festive as we can get this year. Thanks for sharing the videos and have a good week!

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    1. I spent the whole time we watched the fireworks with tears in my eyes. Politics have been so awful this year and yet we still have so much to celebrate.

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  3. Loved everything single thing about this post! What stayed with me the whole time though is my agreement that we definitely have to get rid of that "bleep" guy. He a horrible president and a horrible person. I don't know how any sane human being could vote for him this time around. Glad you had a nice 4th and were able to get to the beach too. Adding you to my regular reading list. Have a great week! :)

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    1. Thank you for your kind words. One of my friends said she enjoys peeking into my brain one a week when I post these Sunday Salons.

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  4. Hindsight is 2020, lol! I love that!

    Thanks for all the other posts and links too - very good, very relevant, and very timely. I have great hopes for November 3rd and I hope it will be nothing like the one 4 years ago!

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  5. I love the photo, too. I am not sure who is the sewer in the family that made all those masks for the dolls.

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  6. I think that guy is super interesting. It's always good to hear different ways of thinking about things and his is good.

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    1. That is the way I felt. At first I wasn't sure where he was going with thanking Trump. He may be right. Something good to come from something awful.

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  7. I love the picture of your friend's daughter and all her masked dolls. She gets it when many adults don't.

    Have a great week!

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  8. So much to absorb. Love your Roll Tide salute!! Tan

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    1. I forget that you have an Alabama connection. That video is something to behold. Very powerful.

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  9. I watched Eurovision too. Yes, it was silly but very fun and I loved the song at the end. If everyone understood the importance of wearing masks, they would not hesitate for a second to wear one. Staying ignorant on this topic is not good. Have a great week!

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    1. I love, love the Hursavik song. That last note! Wow!

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  10. I love the video of the Chinese grandfather with his granddaughters - so cute! And that pic of your daughter all masked up with her toys is lovely:)). Yes... we are all enduring the COVID pandemic, but at least we don't also have the misery of a major election as well! Take care:)).

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    1. She is a friend's daughter. I agree she is darling, though.

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  11. Glad you got to see fireworks! We just get to hear the loud booms of folks in the neighborhood for the past month but never see them :-(

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    1. Our neighbors were setting off fireworks past midnight last night.

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  12. I love that message from Biden. Wow, remember when leaders tried to be inspiring and bring us together, not tear apart? And glad you were able to see fireworks. We had some here too that were drive up, everyone stayed in their cars- that was nice.

    LOVE that Staying Alive video! And I had to laugh about the red shirt. :)

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  13. We had a big week in Texas. Our governor required the wearing of masks. Those who disregard the requirement face fines of $250. I think that's wonderful. I really didn't think this would happen.

    Who would have thought Mississippi would so quickly rid themselves of their state flag? Very happy news. As a Southerner myself, I agree with the young man that this is big.

    The reforestation in Europe is new to me. I think I need to find out more about that. It sounds hopeful, too.

    And, finally, I feel uplifted by reading the results of the hairdressers and the wearing of masks.

    Thank you, Anne, for sharing all of this with us this week.

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  14. We had a big week in Texas. Our governor required the wearing of masks. Those who disregard the requirement face fines of $250. I think that's wonderful. I really didn't think this would happen.

    Who would have thought Mississippi would so quickly rid themselves of their state flag? Very happy news. As a Southerner myself, I agree with the young man that this is big.

    The reforestation in Europe is new to me. I think I need to find out more about that. It sounds hopeful, too.

    And, finally, I feel uplifted by reading the results of the hairdressers and the wearing of masks.

    Thank you, Anne, for sharing all of this with us this week.

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    1. I know. The story about the hairdressers needs to get wider distribution. If 140 people wearing masks came in contact with two COVID positive hairdressers and no one got the disease that is big news!

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  15. Wha ha ha!! Loved the comment on hindsight. True.... I also follow the Hamilton family!! And I'm in South Africa. They are sooo funny!

    Hope you will have a wonderful, blessed week. Thanks for stopping by my blog earlier.

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  16. Drive- in fireworks is such a clever idea in these times.

    Wishing you a great reading week, stay masked, stay well x

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    1. We don't know know how the drive-in fireworks worked. But we enjoyed them from the hood of our car.

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  17. What a wonderful collection, Anne!! Thank you for taking the time to pull all this together and share with us every week :)

    That grandpa and his granddaughters are absolutely amazing!!!

    And I loved "You had us at "I'll read..." " Hilarious (though really not, of course).

    Sounds like you have been enjoying some lovely family time and local travel - we haven't been brave enough to try either yet.

    Enjoy your week and your books -

    Sue

    2020 Big Book Summer Challenge

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  18. I am glad you were able to see the fireworks. Our county cancelled all organized events for the 4th because of the steep increase in virus cases. Well, that and lack of money when businesses had been closed down. Despite fireworks being illegal because of the fire danger, the county was lit up by individual firework displays. We didn't set any off, but we could see them from out driveway, in all directions. It brought back memories of when I was growing up and neighbors had block parties and set off fireworks. It felt more like the 4th of July seeing them, but I also know the fire department was overwhelmed by the calls they received. Hundreds of fires.

    I am glad you were able to visit with family and spend time on the beach. What a fun way to spend a day!

    Thank you for sharing the the good news--I need to hear all of it. It's easy to get pulled into the negativity.

    Have a great week and stay safe.

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  19. I’m looking forward to watching Hamilton and I love Lin-Manuel so I’m glad its the original. I’ve avoided Fire Saga but I might give it a go, we have love/hate thing going on with the Eurovision here in Scotland - I do love Will Ferrell!

    Have a great week!

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  20. Thank you for that fantastic collection of links to browse. Love the American Girl doll photo--made me smile!

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  21. Okay, I just watched the Alicia Keyes video and bawled. So powerful.

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