Category Archives: grist for the writing mill

BREAKING NEWS: does the chester county democratic committee also eat their own young? or is this just vote how mommy told you?

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I mean gosh golly gee whillikers Grandma Charlotte, so much for party unity, right?

This will be a sorry not sorry post because once again, the Chester County Democratic Committee is proving that there actually is no party unity or “Democrat values”, just politics as ugly or even uglier than their Republican counterparts. AND this latest stunt will hand advantage over to the Chester County Republican Committee which in spite of being the home to Klanned Karenhood has to absolutely DYING LAUGHING on the floor right now. Of course today’s stunt makes a person wonder ALOUD what team Charlotte Valyo and the Chester County Democratic Committee play for? (Oh and as soon as I publish, I will once again be a BAD Democrat for opening my mouth. Macht Nichts.)

Here is the entire verbiage of the email I was sent by someone in Grandma Charlotte’s own backyard. I couldn’t believe it, but maybe they are tired of her bullshit too?

From: Charlotte Valyo, Chair CCDC <Chair@chescodems.org>
Date: Mon, May 15, 2023 at 7:23 AM
Subject: IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Please see the statement below which is intended to inform everyone of legal action taken by CCDC. This statement has also been submitted to the Daily Local News.  If you have any questions, please contact me directly.
 Charlotte Valyo, ChairChester County Democratic Committee610 692 5811 (office)610 505 1237 (mobile)
After reviewing the latest Campaign Finance Report submitted by Judge Paige Simmons on May 4, 2023, on May 12, 2023, a petition was filed with the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania to appoint an auditor to conduct an audit of the campaign accounts, contributions, and expenses for Judge Paige Simmons. Judge Paige Simmons is a duly elected Magisterial District Judge and is running for the position in the Court of Common Pleas in the upcoming May 16, 2023 Primary on both the Democratic and Republican ballots. The basis for the petition is the failure of Judge Simmons to properly register campaign committees as required by Pennsylvania campaign finance laws, the making of expenditures, receiving contributions, and making communications through unregistered, nonexistent campaign committees. The audit is sought to review contributions, receipts, and expenditures to determine how funds were raised, and whether committees were properly formed, etc.  There is the potential for violation of Pennsylvania Campaign Finance Laws. Judge Simmons has named three different committees in her “paid by” sections of her mailers, texts, signs, website, and digital ads. Further, if Judge Simmons is found to have raised money, expended money in her name or loaned money to committees that do not exist, this would be a violation of the Canons of the Judicial Code of Conduct. Every candidate and in particular candidates for judicial office must understand the requirements for office. Running for any public office requires knowing the statutory requirements. Adhering to statutory and ethical requirements is a key measure of readiness to serve. Judge Simmons has run for a judicial office before and should be knowledgeable of the requirements of campaign finance law and the Canons of Judicial Code of Conduct. 
Paid for by CCDC, Ann McNally, Treasurer  Chester County Democratic Committee
37 S High St
West Chester, PA 19382
United States

So…interesting FACT is that the Chester County Democratic Committee is trying to blow up an election over something the courts may not find has merit and won’t be heard until AFTER the election? I also am going to say they are giving District Justice Paige Simmons the extra special Ginny Kerslake treatment. Yeah I did say that out loud. I also think Paige Simmons terrifies them because she quite literally rolled up her sleeves and got it done with her first election for District Justice without them. You know women are still supposed to do as they are told around her, you hear? You hear? OR ELSE!!! (Eyes rolling.)

Except this in my humble opinion this current situation is more deeply troubling because I see racial undertones here. Yes racial undertones, AND A PUBLICITY STUNT.

Are only certain black women allowed to run for office as Democrats in Chester County? Sure seems that way, doesn’t it? And why has it seemed since both Fredda Maddox and Paige Simmons announced that both these women are an either or proposition? So is there a reason they don’t want two black women on a ballot? And in spite of the Cheyney job of it all, they chose Fredda over Paige? Mind you, I know neither woman but I found it interesting. Fascinating even.I think the Chester County Democratic Committee is TERRIFIED of Paige Simmons. And Chester County Democratic Committee what else are you terrified of?

On November 11, 2022, Chair of Chesco Dems, Charlotte Valyo wrote:

After what seemed like an endless stream of political ads, calls, and texts, the 2022 election is over, and voters sent a clear message about how they want the future to look in Chester County, Pennsylvania, and across the entire Country.

Chester County voters turned out in unprecedented numbers for a midterm election– a cycle in which the party in power historically loses elections. But in Chester County, voters from both parties voted to reject extremism, reject hate, and embrace a future in which we work together towards a better future for all.

~ Charlotte Valyo 11/11/2022

Then on December 31, 2022, always loving to toot her own horn, Grandma Charlotte of the People penned an Op-Ed on the Chester County Democratic website:

2022 will be a year remembered for many things in Pennsylvania – the Phillies made an unlikely run to the World Series, the Eagles look ready to return to the Super Bowl, and voters in Pennsylvania bucked a century of political election trends to reject extremism in a historic way.

All of these achievements embody the spirit of Pennsylvania – we are a Commonwealth of honest, passionate, hard working people. We don’t have any unreasonable or lofty expectations of our elected officials, but we do expect that they too will be honest, hard working, passionate advocates for us and put the needs of Pennsylvanians over partisan political interests.

My most important learning in 2022 is that this is still true, and that a commitment to truth, civility, and reason remains deeply embedded in Chester County and across the Commonwealth. People in Pennsylvania were presented with two very different paths in the election this year. One was a path paved with hate, extremism and conspiratorial lies, and the other was paved with hope, vision, and leadership. The message sent by voters was clear and one better heeded by Republicans across Pennsylvania, than by me.

For the sake of our democracy, I hope that my Republican friends also see the lesson here and recognize that it is time to turn the page on the era of Trump and Trumpian impersonators, but early signs in Harrisburg aren’t promising.

~Charlotte Valyo, CCDC Chairwoman 12/31/22
(From Op-Ed in Delaware Valley Journal)

It’s all Kumbaya until you don’t listen to Mommy, right? And Mommy seems to be back peddling? So Mommy since it it is ALL public information, or should be, who filed Mommy and why are you back peddling now?

Here is Paige Simmons’ response:

Timing is everything here. EVERYTHING. If Paige Simmons was so terrible, why did she already get elected as a Magisterial District Justice? Are they doing this to ANY OTHER CANDIDATE? Of either party?

Oh gosh Charlotte Valyo, to you I simply say: GIRL BYE. You don’t lead, you never do. You only do what you are told by others. You got dimed out to me by your own camp, in your neck of the woods. I feel the need to point this out because you will blame MY friends. Honey, YOUR friends think you have gone too far this time. And do we really think if you weren’t desperate you would be shopping this to local media? Come on now, most of the time how do you really feel about local media?

(And no I am NOT taking a jab at the Daily Local at ALL. )

Here is the Daily Local article:

Candidate for judge in Chester County hit with campaign complaint
Daily Local News 1:02 PM

Charlotte and the Chester County Democratic Committee are as bad as the Republicans they lament. I also put to you the Democrat voters of Chester County that some of those happy little Democrat County Row job holders do not spend as much time as they should doing their actual county row jobs, and they also know that their time cards can be a Right to Know request, can’t they?

This thing, this great thing that the Chester County Democratic Committee claims to have unearthed is something that I feel is an 11th hour ploy to simply tank Paige Simmons’ campaign. It is also something that timing-wise as a piece of legalese, would NOT be heard until the END of this week IF it’s heard, because there is no guarantee is there?

People have the right to file if they feel there is actual wrongdoing. Not discouraging that. My whole thing is the TIMING. And what I feel are also weird racial vibes, like there can only be one black woman on a ballot at a time? And I bet they will call me a racist for being white and asking that question, but does that make me a racist really? Or just someone who wishes to be an informed voter?

TOMORROW is election day. TOMORROW. So why you have to ask yourselves did the Chester County Democratic Committee wait until NOW to do this? POLITICS. As in they are afraid Paige Simmons as a candidate is doing better than their candidates. And let us not forget, there has been a LOT of division over what the Chester County Democratic Committee has been doing and whom they choose to endorse.

Also has anyone asked Grandma to the people Charlotte why she or Chester County Democratic Committee is attempting 11th hour legal action against a fellow Democrat? Even if you don’t watch politics doesn’t it seem odd? I mean why have a primary election if we can’t chose unless mommy says so? Are endorsement conventions actually supposed to decide the primary election instead of the primary? I am confused, aren’t you? Talk about mixed messaging.

This is an odd year primary. This is also an odd thing to be doing. Are we all bobbleheads on this bus?

AND ABOVE ALL ELSE? IF THE CHESTER COUNTY DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE WAS PROUD OF THEIR LAST DITCH MUDDYING OF THE WATERS, THEY WOULD HAVE PUT THIS OUT THERE ON THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA BUT CAN YOU FIND IT?? SO GLAD Y’ALL STAND FOR FREEDOM, FAIRNESS, OPPORTUNITY…WE WERE WORRIED....

Yawn. I still have COVID, so back to bed with me. This is all so predictable. Chester County Democratic Committee needs new leadership, or actual leadership. Since I came to Chester County I have watched them as they block anyone independent as far as candidacy goes. From the most LOCAL levels of government. They want no one unendorsed and that’s a little lockstep with the Chester County Republicans as well, isn’t it? BOTH political parties COMPLAIN they can’t get people to run and they freaking wonder why?

Tomorrow is election day. It’s an off year so turn out will be low because apathy and laziness is what actually rules American politics. But if you are going to the polls tomorrow, I suggest to you with the exception of Kristine Howard who is really still their girl even if unendorsed, take a HARD look at the business of endorsements. And it is a business. After all just read that Inquirer article about Montgomery County recently. There is discontent not only in Montgomery County with the Democratic party, but in the Chester County Democratic Party as well. And their leadership isn’t so many years in (Chester County), and what they have done will actually ensure a stronger Republican series of campaigns in the fall. The foothold of the Democrats in Chester County has to been considered more tenuous because it actually is.

Tomorrow go vote the way YOUR HEART tells you to vote, NOT THE WAY SOMEONE ELSE IS TELLING YOU. And if the Chester County Democratic Committee really believed in their last minute dirty tricks, they would be shouting it from the treetops, and they are NOT. They are merely using a local paper to carry their water.

I am not going to say whom you should vote for, but I will tell you if you can’t look past the conniving endorsements and dirty politics of this spring slate, you deserve what you get if you are a Democrat in Chester County. And I will still tell you NOT to vote for Kristine Howard. I will also tell you that I thought about it and DID vote for Paige Simmons as one of my choices. (But I digress.)

After the primary no matter what happens, it is high time for a vote of no confidence in the current leadership of the Chester County Democratic Party. Hell, it’s not like it will be the first time, will it? And can we say the ones they show the door still try to play puppet master? So it really needs to be different?

In Chester County is Witch Hunt spelled C-h-e-s-t-e-r-C-o-u-n-t-y-D-e-m-o-c-r-a-t-i-c-C-o-m-m-i-t-t-e-e??

Sign me disgusted. Chester County Democrats only love you if you do as you are told does not work for me. Not.At. All.

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revisiting history….in west whiteland

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To understand the present, look to the past. Then as residents become informed as to how to shape your future. Don’t ignore history, acknowledge and learn from it.

dear willistown, if someone dumped strange chemicals on my property, can guarantee happiness wouldn’t abound

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So does anyone recognize that broad side of a barn or the logo on that tractor thing?

Well, apparently, if it’s something weird that will happen, it will happen in Willistown Township.

A friend has come to me asking if I recognized anything about this tractor like the logo and she knows it’s grainy because it’s from a security camera. Here is the tiny video. The video was taken May 3, 2023 at 9:50 AM. This video was taken on their property on Creek Road. They think that this vehicle came from Wildwood Drive.

The homeowners here were not home. They were out of town. They had not contracted with anyone for any sort of work on the property. And as far as they have been able to ascertain neither have their neighbors.

They went to the Willistown Police Department via phone because they were out of town when the security camera went off. They filed a police report right then, but right or wrong, recounted to me that they didn’t feel taken seriously, or the person taking the report didn’t understand how bad this could actually be.

Not only was their lawn completely turfed, and I have photos to post next, there is this smell emanating from where whoever this was dumped whatever it was and people need to know what the chemicals are! And yes the smell is still there! And it’s now days later!!

Now my friend does appreciate that Willistown sent an officer to check it out, however, this is something that is kind of a big deal potentially. Like many of us they are on a well. Like many of us, they have pets that could be potentially fatally sickened from whatever was tossed on their property. The officer who responded did not seem to get out of their vehicle?

This dumping event is SO not OK. Not only does this person not know what chemicals were dumped, but whoever the company is and employee totally ruined her lawn. She and her husband feel utterly VIOLATED and environmentally conscious Willistown Township needs to get on the stick here.

If you have any information, leave a comment, and or message any other kind of proof to this blog’s Facebook page. I will pass it along to the homeowner. If you saw the truck carrying this weird little tractor thing and Bubba in his big blue suit, also helpful information.

Illegal dumping is actually a crime. And this counts is illegal because they didn’t authorize any work or anything.

If you are media, and you would like to be connected to this person, you can similarly contact me and I will pass your information along to them.

We have enough environmental hazards on a daily basis without some thing that is intentionally bad news like this.

UPDATE – following screenshots sent by a Nancy Drew doing sleuthing- not me FYI:

don’t be a revisionist history practitioner in bryn mawr…

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Beechwood House, Bryn Mawr, PA.

PREFACE….

This is not a dig at Shipley. It’s a simple desire for part of the history to be told more honestly than it is being told.

There were loads of media articles back then about this topic, and they ALL told this story: the school under the direction of former headmaster wanted to tear down Beechwood. Alumni and neighbors (who were also alumni and parents of alumni and students) wanted to save Beechwood. All of these people (myself included) were made to feel like PARIAHS as a result for a good part of this and weren’t made to feel too terribly comfortable AFTER like me who had a reunion not too long after completion.

It was very hard to take a stand back then over this. So hard. But this was the pivotal event that made me personally realize standing up in your community and for community and for things like historic preservation are important.

Acceptance is important as well. This was not a pretty time, but the events happened, and they mattered. And in the end it was positive. So truly positive.

The Shipley I have seen under the current headmaster is honestly magical. It is so good it even brought me back to campus. I believe in and support my alma mater.

I wrote this post to correct the record. After all, history is important. This is not burning down the proverbial house.

Now for the post:

In 2020, I wrote a post about Beechwood House in Bryn Mawr, PA. It is a completely restored adaptive reuse. This architectural gem is located on Shipley’s lower school campus. And I was a member of the group led by Heather Hillman which saved it. You see, the former headmaster literally wanted to pave paradise and put up a parking lot…a pool…etc.

what’s your preservation inspiration?

Our teachers at Shipley taught us not all of our history is convenient, that it’s the reality of what happened. They were also the ones that helped me write better and frame my arguments. My journalist mentors alway have said to write what I know. And I do know this I was there. It was a slog of a battle to save a beautiful home fallen on less than glorious times which had been designed by Addison Hutton. Yes, the same architect who designed Loch Aerie. But Beechwood was my first Addison Hutton love.

In between 10th and 11th grade I had a summer job on the Lower School campus of Shipley. I worked for the day camp there. When the little monsters, err darlings, were having naps I would explore non-renovated Beechwood which was part of the space used. It was fascinating to me back then because it had been almost crudely adapted to classroom space but you could see the bones of the original house when you did things like peeked in closets and behind shelves. It was the ultimate if these walls could talk.

We all have that one building or place that makes us look at the world differently. That one inspiration that makes us realize we can’t just sit idly by as our history disappears building by building, acre by acre.

For me, it was Beechwood House in Bryn Mawr. This was my first foray into community activism when I heard in the late 1990s that Shipley wanted to tear her down. It was because of this house that I spoke in front of people at a township meeting for the very first time all those years ago. Seriously, I had never even been to a meeting at my township building or spoken in front of everyone in a crowded room. But this place mattered to me and I joined Friends to Save Beechwood in their early days.

They wanted to tear Beechwood House down. It spread like wildfire back then. It was instantly polarizing in the community at large. Alumni of Shipley were in an uproar as well. This required professional mediation. Eventually Shipley said they would keep Beechwood if money was raised to save it by a certain deadline in 2001. To this day, I still think the school thought it would never happen. But it did.

Heather Hillman was the main driving force along with Jean Wolf (Wolf Historic Preservation) a preservationist who has done amazing things. (The saving of Beechwood was kind of a big to do at the time. There were many articles about it in multiple publications.)

As mentioned, I had never gone to a township meeting or spoken out in public. It got easier with time, but at first I was terrified. And in awe of these fierce women who did literally so much with a smile on their face and I don’t recall them raising their voices. I raised my voice, I was somewhat appalled by my alma mater when this started, and even when it was over – kind of like when they basked in the glory of the end result which was a successful restoration and adaptive reuse of a building we had to fight them to save because they didn’t think it was worth saving. (You can also read about Beechwood here.)

In 2006 when we had our 25th class reunion, we were able to get Beechwood House for our reunion. A lot of my classmates had contributed to the fundraising and along with me were listed up on the brass plaque inside the building. The headmaster at the time was making the reunion party rounds and was talking about the restoration of Beechwood with my class. He got heckled by one of my classmates because he didn’t mention me but mentioned almost everyone else on the Friends to Save Beechwood committee. But it was sadly a penultimate example of we might not as well have been there.

But we were, and saving that structure still brings me joy every time we go by. Shipley has the glory of a beautiful and useful structure. And loving Beechwood introduced me to Addison Hutton. But while Shipley does have the glory of the structure being saved and we raised all the money for it at the time, they need to be accurate in the retelling of the story. Not revisionist history. How we got there is important. So Shipley’s historians need a wee bit of grace here I think.

Like I said at the beginning of this post, we are taught by our teachers that not all history is convenient, and history can be uncomfortable. If you went to Shipley or live around it, the school thing with Beechwood is a little uncomfortable for some people. But sadly that is exactly why it should be discussed more honestly. Talking about it helps and it’s the right thing to do.

In 2021 when my class had their 40th reunion it was life in COVID. So our reunion was canceled. We had an online zoom reunion which was actually pretty fun and there were also online events offered for alumni who were interested. One was a history of Shipley. The lecture was given by the alumnus who re-wrote the history of Shipley, originally written by another alumnus and teacher of ours. I actually have both books.

Anyway, when the part of the school’s history reached the saving of Beechwood House, there was some coloring outside of the lines. At that time I politely asked for the historical record to be corrected to reflect what actually happened. Well when I attended some of the Shipley reunion activities last weekend I attended an in person lecture of the history of Shipley given by this same alumnus who was also I think having her 50th reunion. Once again, she colored outside the lines with the lecture. This time she actually credited the former headmaster who wanted to tear down Beechwood with saving her. Sorry it was a bridge too far for me, so here I am again. He did a lot of positive things for the school, but saving Beechwood wasn’t one of them. We saved it for him, for Shipley, and for Shipley’s history…and that’s an important distinction.

Yeah, ok, maybe I shouldn’t have, but when she asked if there were questions or comments at the end I raised my hand and politely reminded her that in 2021 I had asked her to amend the historical record as she recounts it on Beechwood House. She really didn’t like that and she said it was correct in the book. Well actually I beg to differ it is not completely correct in her book. It’s kind of fluffed over in my humble opinion. Technically, she included most facts, but she kind of glossed over the issue. I don’t think it should be glossed over, it should be discussed honestly. Don’t be a revisionist history practitioner.

In addition, to say that the lower campus project was “complicated“ by neighbors’ opposition is a little snotty to those neighbors, some of whom were either alumni or parents of alumni and students. You can’t blame neighbors for not wanting institutional, commercial, or residential infill development to drown their neighborhood and dwarf it out of human scale. And I have to be honest, since I still lived on the Main Line at this time, and not too far from Shipley, I can tell you the expansion conversations were always contentious. A lot of the meetings were ugly. And not just concerning Beechwood. At times, I barely recognized my alma mater during those years. It was hard, and if you were an alumnus it left you torn. It left me torn.

Beechwood House taught me about getting involved in your community. It reminded me of what some Shipley teachers had taught me long before about the importance of fighting for what you believe in and taking a stand.

Not every academic institution has 100% bright moments, and as much as I love Shipley, I have not always liked Shipley. And when they wanted to tear down Beechwood I definitely didn’t like Shipley very much. But part of our education there was teaching us right from wrong, and what is right is to set the record straight here and be honest. It does not hurt the school to admit that originally they were not correct and this was a place worth saving. But they also have to admit they didn’t actually do the saving, a small group of determined alumni and neighbors with a fearless leader did.

When I have tried to explain this before, even people at Shipley haven’t really understood. Some because they weren’t here then, and others because it makes them uncomfortable. Like the author of the updated Shipley history, for example. I know part of it is that she doesn’t care for me as a person and I’m fine with that, but I think the other part of it is she’s not comfortable with the whole truth of what happened. And while I get that, it’s not the worst thing in the world and it doesn’t tarnish the reputation of the school, it is merely one story of the thousands of stories dating back to 1894. It’s all part of the motto we learn as soon as we enter the school: Courage for the Deed; Grace for the Doing. (Fortiter in Re; Leniter in Modo)

Beechwood House also shows you what is possible with historic preservation. It’s a shame but if there hadn’t been such a swirl of BS around Oakwell in Villanova, maybe Oakwell and her property could have become a preserved gem. But sadly we’re talking about Lower Merion School District, and they will never have an iota of what makes Shipley so special. Oakwell will not have the preservation happy ending because not only doesn’t Lower Merion School District NOT give a damn about preservation, but people interested in preserving Oakwell couldn’t ever really become a cohesive unit of a unified vision. And well the guy who set Oakwell all into motion originally ? Well never mind about him.

Learn from the Beechwood Houses and the Oakwells of this area.

Thanks for stopping by.

dear world, not having fun

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The view from my window. I love the view but people, this virus completely sucks. I feel like hell.

Another fever overnight. The kind where your joints hurt and your eyelids feel hot.

Oh and the cough. My ribs hurt at this point and for COVID it’s not too bad in the cough department. I also don’t dig the congestion. I am so congested that if I bend over so my head goes lower than my shoulders, it is the worst feeling of just pressure you can imagine.

And I wake up every couple of hours during the night, I know that my COVID is relatively mild since I have all shots available, but wow this is so not fun.

My husband is thankfully fine, but he gets to do lockdown too.

I pretty much figured out where I came in contact with someone with COVID. It was high school reunion that for the non denominational private schools around here this past weekend. My own reunion year a couple of years ago didn’t happen because of COVID, and I knew people who were coming back this year, so I wanted to see people. I mean don’t you just miss seeing people?

So yes I believe I picked up COVID at the Shipley reunion weekend Friday events because I literally have not been in other crowd situations even if not so crowded. And I wasn’t anywhere leading up to this event. Has anyone else ‘fessed up getting COVID last weekend? Or am I the only one who was honest? I get the COVID is everywhere, but given that I have pretty much been an immunocompromised homebody since COVID started, that is the logical point of origin.

Slight pity party of one here. It’s my birthday week and no herb sale Thursday in Historic Yellow Springs Village and no art show plus the things we were invited to this coming weekend.

I think part of the problem with this virus is the stigma one feels when you contract it and have to tell people you were around to get tested and then there are the people who don’t tell you they were exposed or who go out sick. And then there are the people who could get vaccinated and just didn’t. They didn’t want their rights violated during a pandemic, a public health emergency but it was OK if they made others sick. And I am unapologetic about my perspective.

Yes I wear the scarlet C for COVID this week. I know some people think it’s funny, but it’s really not. I don’t wish this on anyone.

I still have almost no speaking voice. That was the first thing that happened incidentally that made me wonder if I had COVID. I never lose my voice. I am still just so tired. Fever at night and I should buy stock in paper companies that make tissues and more.

And I keep reminding myself I have a relatively mild case of COVID compared to others I know. I am also glad my mother is visiting my sister on Mother’s Day because I would not be able to see her.

I may never know who actually gave me COVID, but whomever they are I wish they had stayed the hell home last week.

Well I am making tea with fresh mint and ginger and then I’m going back to sleep.

Be well and enjoy the beautiful day.

when the COVID bug bites

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Well, it finally got me. I have been careful since Covid appeared on our scene and this weekend I was exposed to someone with it. I have no idea if it was someone who was unvaccinated and carrying it or just dumb luck.

I have had to tell everybody I know that I was around.

I did four things this weekend, and literally I have not done that since 2019. I have been absurdly careful, almost paranoid at times.

I woke up early this morning finding it hard to breathe like I had a cold. My voice is pretty much gone and when I have it, it sounds like Kermit the frog lives in my body.

Now I am achy. And my eyelids feel kid sick hot. Everything in my life now grinds to a halt. No herb sale at Yellow Springs on Thursday or Art Show. Also no gathering Friday or Saturday and I actually had plans. And Mother’s Day is Sunday, but my sister has mommy custody. Thank goodness.

I do have my sense of taste, however.

I made it this long so that’s a pretty good lucky streak. Look for those of you out there who think this virus doesn’t exist or it won’t strike you, it got me and again I have been extra careful for three years because I am a cancer survivor and patient.

I feel like crap but mostly I feel kids sick. I don’t know how else to explain it other than it’s reminiscent of how you felt when you got sick and your mom took care of you when you were little.

I have had to tell so many people because I saw so many people over the past few days. And right or wrong I feel like some people are mad at me for telling them. Like I did it on purpose.

God damn it. Sign me pissed.

living life out loud

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I am struck once again by how much people live life on social media. They live too much life on social media. Social media may help keep us all connected, but it’s not the real world.

And while social media keeps us connected, it’s not a justification for bad manners and lack of boundaries. And it’s the lack of boundaries that in part bothers me.

This week I had an extremely unpleasant experience with someone who is an employee of a service provider. They crossed professional boundaries that leaves me disturbed.

When I realized who they were and their comments were even leaving me uncomfortable, I quietly removed them from my page. I was actually trying to do them a favor. Not all employers like controversy. Especially in today’s hyper charged social media world. They started messaging. I quietly blocked that. Then they made the ultimate presumption and started messaging my private messenger rather combatively. That is a boundary that should not be crossed because then it is a professional breach of conduct since they work for a service provider I have a relationship with. I blocked them again but now I am left with a very bad taste in my mouth. They didn’t get that there are things in life that are just not appropriate.

Then we leap to the politics of it all. Should politicians respond to questions? Yes. But sometimes it is all about how you ask. One of the problems with social media is the lack of conversation. It can’t always be whomever gets all of the toys wins. And people seem to forget that all of their issues and things they champion personally, or not necessarily going to be yours. Or that you, as an individual might support them, but not so fervently for lack of a better description and that doesn’t make people bad, it just makes them different and we do have to allow for differences. Isn’t that what we fight for for real?

The lack of boundaries and decorum is something I feel is very much lacking in today’s world. And it has a place.

And in general people think we all should available to them 24/7/365. I am not. I have a life of my own and it’s off of social media. People don’t seem to realize that all of us have things to do and things going on in our lives. And that’s not necessarily bad or hysterically busy things, it’s just our life. And I find a lot, that sadly this isn’t respected by people because they expect you to respond to them immediately. A lot of people also simply don’t want to interact on social media.

It’s a big wide world out there and it really takes place off of Facebook and whichever social media platform you favor.

Go outside. Enjoy the world in real time interact with people face-to-face have an actual conversation. Live life in your own moments. Real moments. Not ones engineered with social media prompts.

Am I Miss Manners? No. But I think we all could use reminders now and again.

Ciao.

#missing on friday: have you seen this boy from west bradford?

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Missing. This is brand new, and I was contacted by the boy’s mother and asked if people could kindly share this. He is from West Bradford. He is in the category of endangered person because he is slightly on the spectrum but high functioning.

He is a nice boy. He is nonviolent, but because he has slight challenges, he might be extra wary of strangers BUT he likes to talk about dogs and animals .

He goes by Jon or Jonathan.

He has been missing since May 3 when he POSSIBLY went for a walk and didn’t come home. I say possibly because no one really is sure what happened.

Please keep your eyes peeled and if you see him call 911.

Keep this boy and his family in your prayers. We want him to come home soon so please share.

Thanks!