My Head Is Full of Books: Sunday Salon--- A wonderful week

Saturday, September 21, 2024

Sunday Salon--- A wonderful week

Weather: Lovely, mild temperatures and sunny, It is shaping up to be a nice Fall.

Jamie is four! We took him to the Washington State Fair on his birthday and had so much fun! See photo collage above. (Ah to be retired and to go to the fair on a Monday!)

This quote from an article written by a woman wishing she could say this to her children before she dies. I love it so much:

"If I could, I would stay forever. I would listen, encourage and console. I would shade you like an oak tree on sweltering summer days. I would protect you like the fir tree against cold winds. I would offer blooms of spring to celebrate your dreams accomplished. I would burst with the colors of autumn to remind you that even as dark days come, so does hope." -By

I choose joy. A few reasons I think Kamala Harris will win:

Demographics have changed since 2016. Women aged 18 to 29 became significantly more liberal than the previous generation of young women. Today, around 40 percent identify as liberal, compared with just 19 percent who say they’re conservative. Men have stayed about the same. In a year where women's rights are on the ballot this may be enough to tip the balance for Harris. (NYT)
The polls look good. There was a debate bounce. Trump and Harris were essentially tied before, but the new poll of 1,755 U.S. adults — one of the first conducted after the Sept. 10 debate — shows Harris (50%) surging to a five-point lead over Trump (45%) among registered voters in a head-to-head matchup. (Yahoo News)
People like Harris. Her favorability is 50-44%, +6%; compared to Trump whose favorability is -20%. (AP)
People are expecting Harris to win. As Noelle-Neumann showed decades ago, expectations of a win are a leading indicator of engagement and turn-out. (WaPo)
Trump is hemorrhaging support. Republicans for Harris is expanding. Yesterday it was Republicans who worked for Reagan who signed on their support for Harris (Mother Jones).
Kamala has the support of influential people. Did you see the event hosted by Oprah this week? If not, here is the link. Set aside an hour and half. You will be so happy you did. Unite for America.
Tim Walz is a gem. Watch this short clip of Tim Walz doing service on his '79 International Harvester Scout. It will make you love him more! (And he gets in a good dig about Project 2025.)
The Electoral College map seems to be expanding for Harris. North Carolina was moved from Toss Up to Lean Dem this week. (The Guardian)

My Vote Forward project table. Pretty stamps, colored pens, and addresses.

But don't get complacent-- DO SOMETHING! Since I live in a safely blue state I've been writing letters to folks in swing districts, in swing states through Vote Forward. In fact I had a few friends join me this week to help me write them. Follow the link if you'd like to write to potential voters. IF WE FIGHT WE WIN! After I finish up the last 30 letters I will write postcards to voters. It makes me feel like I am having an impact. If you live in a swing or red state and have energy, you might consider phone-banking or door-belling. Contact a Democratic office near you, go to Go.KamalaHarris.com or Women for Harris.

Books! Books! Books! I finished My 21st Century Pulitzer Prize Fiction Winners Challenge this week. It has taken me years but I am finished. Now I can read whatever Pulitzers I want without the pressure to read specific books! Whew. I also finished up all my blogging so the project is DONE!

My 21st Century Pulitzer Prize Fiction Challenge Wrap-up. Link.
The Known World review. The last book read for the project.
Recap of the four winners which I read before becoming a book blogger. Link.
I finished another project, years in the making, this week, too. I read the third book in the Justice Trilogy by Louise Erdrich and did a write up on the three books.

Baked Feta: This time of year is so wonderful with the temperatures down but the garden still growing. We still have an abundance of tomatoes, especially cherry tomatoes, and basil. Tonight (Saturday) I made a baked feta which used both those items. I got the idea from my physical therapist when I gave her a bag of cherry toms and she told me what she was going to make with them. Yum!!! I still have good flavors in my mouth. This is the recipe I used.