The coronavirus pandemic has enriched part of my life and upended part, as is true for so many people across the country. We are all figuring out a way to deal with it, and the process has made me edgy and uncomfortable at times.

There is much to be happy about.

The Army Of Good has come through with fantastic support for the Bishop Maginn High School refugee students and their families, and we have done everything we can do to support the Mansion residents who are struggling with being locked down. Jean’s Place, our metaphor for struggling people who are not sick, is also doing well.

We were feeding between 40 and 50 families with our gift card program and got laptops for all the students who didn’t have one when their school closed. The Mansion’s new $3,000 Disinfectant Fogger is still en route from Pennsylvania; it will be up and running next week.

Thanks to all of you.

My decision to do some political writing has been more controversial. A lot of newcomers are coming to the site, expecting one thing, perhaps, and getting another.

The whole culture around political writing is different, intense, passionate, combative, and often angry. It’s a jolt for me, my blog environment is pretty sane and civil.

I’m not joining the scrum of the left and the right, I’m trying to do something more useful, it seems essential to me. People tell me it is helpful to them.

The response, initially overwhelmingly and nice, has gotten mixed, as is inevitable.

I’ve gotten a bunch of messages – some nasty, some thoughtful – telling me my pieces are too long and that I am too quick to pounce on people who challenge me. I always listen to criticism – it’s how I grow – but I also have been writing for a long time, and successfully, and am not interested in changing my styles or protocols.

I write a lot rather than edit – that was my choice from the beginning – and I honestly don’t see changing that. So many people tell me they could never publish a blog because they might misspell words. That’s not me.  Grammar and good writing are not related.

As to anger and conflict, that’s always something to think about and work on. I believe everything people say about me is right, good, or bad. If enough people believe it, then it’s true, and I have to work on it.

The Pandemic can be misery or nightmare, or it can be a change to grow and learn. I’m always trying to do that. I love my blog, and I will stick with it for good, it gets more than four million hits a hear.

Paula wrote on my blog that I couldn’t stand the heat, I’m turning into a Trump. She has no idea how much I love heat, and am drawn to it.

I can pretend not to mind when people try to tell me how to write and what to write, but I’m not optimistic about that.

I guess I’m old school that way, more Thoreau’ish. I’m wedded to the idea of writing what I want, not what other people tell me to write, and accepting the consequences. I’m so glad he didn’t have social media pecking him to death on Walden Pond.

I am privileged to have a very support dog and writing companion in Zinnia.

Red was a loyal and loving dog, but not affectionate. He was all business.

Zinnia is all love, she loves to lick my nose, and I have to confess to loving it. She sees right through my flaws and troubles as all the great dogs do. We get the dogs we need.