“We can accomplish great things while walking hand in hand with fear and failure…” — Georgia O’Keeffe.
Fear and failure are my first cousins.” I’ve been walking with them for years. Above is a black-and-white study.
Birth of a Lily.
Heart of a Rose.
In the light.
Heart of a Lily.
Lily at noon.
The dignity of an aging rose.
The first headline I was greeted with this morning was from CNN: “Why Nobody Knows Who Will Win the 2024 Election?” The second was a New York Times headline that said the election was closer than ever, almost tied, and listed a long list of “tied” states.
The third was from Kamala Harris in an e-mail saying things were dire, the race was close, too close to call, but she intended to win anyway. The fourth was a statement from Donald Trump calling Harris a “shit Vice President,” complementing Arnold Palmer’s supposedly large penis, and saying things were tough, he might even lose, but he was sure he would win.
For me, it’s a head spinner all around. These days, I’m trusting myself more than anyone, and that is a good thing.
I remember the great political writer David Broder (The Washington Post), who traveled with me on a political story I wrote in Pennsylvania when I was just a kid with a pad and pencil. He was my hero.
I asked him what made a great political writer in his mind, and his answer was soft and quick and accompanied by a smile: “That’s easy. You can’t be afraid to be wrong. It’s okay to be wrong; it isn’t okay not to trust your instincts. If you fail, fail on your thoughts, not somebody else’s.”
This was the best advice I ever received. It’s painful to read all the media and other politicians telling me and every voter that they no longer know who will win or lose.
In the so-called “mainstream media,” it is a firing offense to say you know something; you just slug it out with the other side.” It is a small wonder that nobody trusts the media; they have rendered themselves useless in making more money by never offending anyone.
I offend people all the time because I try to say what I think all the time. Lots of people don’t like that, but I accept that reality.
For one thing, each of us knows who we want to win those, and that is the poll that genuinely counts the most.
The people in the media have no idea who will win because they are no longer allowed to think about it – any political pundit on cable who wasn’t labeled red or blue would be fired instantly if they predicted a winter.
They hide behind polling as if it was ever close to being true and accurate. I don’t object to polling, just to people whose minds are shut down.
The Blues would scream for blood and resignation if a reporter said what they thought; the Reds would turn on the death threats and launch the boycotts. Leon Musk would spew his vomit on X.
For hundreds of years, journalists have been expected to think for themselves and not fear their conclusions. Labeling people—blue and red, liberal or conservative —requires the absence of thought, individuality, and judgment. It’s a terrible loss, but I will never succumb to it.
I can’t tell you I will be right, but I am not afraid to be wrong. That’s what good writers do, although it drives many people on social media out of their minds. Of course, being wrong is possible for me and anyone else; any human being can be wrong, and that is an elemental truth of being human.
But I can tell you who I believe will win the election; I think for myself and use my ears, eyes, heart, and brain to decide.
It means a lot to me to make my own decisions.
Here it is.
As is the new political tradition in such a divided country,Kamal Harris will win the election by a narrow margin despite an ugly challenge, argument, and legal struggle. I can’t prove it, and in a free democracy, I don’t need to or should not have to.
I see Donald Trump disintegrating before the nation’s eyes. He is losing his clarity and focus. He is making one dreadful mistake after another and basking in it.
Cursing, vulgar words, and talking about men’s penises is not what most Americans want to hear. Nor is his day at McDonald’s in a laughable apron to insult his opponent.
His rally followers will never object to anything he says; they love to yell “shit, shit” back at him; they also love to listen to him sing and dance for a half hour after somebody in the audience gets sick. Taylor Swift doesn’t have to worry.
But his rallygoers are different from those who will decide the election, something he refuses to grasp.
There is much to wonder about Kamala Harris, but she has proven to be a better, wiser, and more skilled politician than Trump by a hundred miles.
These days, he reminds me of the old Borsch Belt comedians and singers in the Catskills, who performed on stage well past their time.
He just can’t do it anymore. She’s come an unbelievably long way in a few weeks, and there is no reason to doubt she won’t go all the way. Poor Trump is a mess; there are many reasons to think he is stumbling in the wrong direction.
Harris may or may not make a great president, but she is no “shit” politician.
Trump is looking in the mirror and seeing a horror story unfolding in his life and future. Even though polls are becoming less reliable, not more, Harris has mastered the art of using them to raise a ton of money. They are suitable for that.
Nothing frightens people more than the polls suggesting their candidate is about to lose. (Please immediately send $50, $25, or $5.) Be afraid, but not that afraid.
We’ll know in less than a month. She knows the new politics all too well.
Harris knows what she is doing. Trump has lost his way.
That matters, especially when the dust clears, and it’s decision time. Whatever happens, I don’t believe an Apocalypse is bearing on us. At worst, more years of hatred, stalemate, and grievance.
Millions of Americans still can and will think for themselves and make their own decisions. I believe more than enough will vote for Harris to win—more than the polls predicted. These are people who are tired of hatred, anger, grievances, and a broken national legislature. We have rough days again and for a while.
I’ve had many good conversations about our country in my small town with disagreeing people. Most of them are good people, and they want a peaceful and stable country just as much as I do. We just have different ideas about what that might be. None of them have cursed at me or threatened me.
I believe in this democracy and in the people who decide its future. I know many people who can still think and form opinions, and I trust them. I trust the founders, but great minds built outstanding checks and balances for us centuries ago. The pundits say they never imagined a Trump. I think they did.
It’s a mess right now, but it was well-built to survive, and Donald Trump is undoubtedly someone other than the person to take it down.
I like to think I am one of the sensible, but that is self-serving. I respect people who disagree with me.
I’m eager to see what happens. I’m a Jeffersonian; Americans have kept this system going for centuries. I don’t believe they will hand it over to Donald Trump.
I know who will win, at least in my mind. I won’t hide behind any polls. I have no fear of being wrong; I have a lot of experience with being insufficient and a lot of success with my aging brain. Life will go on.
I respect myself; whether others do or not, I don’t care. (I know I could never survive as a President. No one will ever have to tell to tell me, or ask me, for that matter.)
I’m grateful to live in a democracy where I can make my own prediction.
Zip was sitting on my lap on this beautiful Fall afternoon – 65 degrees at 4:30 – when a cheeky chipmunk popped out of the stone wall, squeaking defiantly at him; it looked just like a dare. They have been taunting each other for days.
The chipmunk was only 10 feet away. Zip has been stalking the chipmunks all summer; I think he only caught one and then ate it.
He zoomed off my lap and headed for the chipmunk who dared him to catch him and who vanished into a crack between two of the stones in the wall.
The chipmunk was not intimidated.
He kept popping up in one hole or another while Zip leaped here and there.
I had my long lens to capture this conflict, not how it ended. I admit to being mesmerized. It’s a beautiful look into the mind of a bright and fiercely independent Barn Cat, especially when nobody dies. I love Zip, but I was rooting for the chipmunk.
The hunt began with Zip in my lap; when the chipmunk appeared, he rushed over to the fence and jumped up, looking for a good view. The hunt was on.
It’s not pretty to see Zip in his dark side (it’s not dark for a cat, just a human wuss), but it is fascinating to see the hunting skills of a Barn Cat. Here goes, narrated by me. Barn Cats have to work hard to earn their keep and reputation.
2. Zip peered into the hole where the chipmunk hid. The chipmunk played with him, popping up here and there like a cartoon character. Zip was getting annoyed.
3. Close. He pounced here, plunging his left paw deeply into the hole. He clearly felt something or heard it move. I think he nearly caught the chipmunk then; he seemed very excited. The chipmunk had squeezed away. Zip came up empty.
4. Zip seemed to know where the chipmunk was, but the chipmunk wasn’t there anymore. He popped up a few feet behind Zip and dived under before I could move the camera. Zip heard him and turned, but it was too late. Chipmunks are tough and smart. This one seemed to always know where Zip was.
5. Zip is not a patient cat, but he decided to be quiet, watch, and wait. The chipmunk knew where all the holes and tunnels went. Zip was at a disadvantage.
6. His patience paid off. The chipmunk stuck his head out between the rocks just below Zip and moved quickly. Then he lost contact once again and sat up, quiet and still. I was impressed by his patience.
7. The chipmunk vanished, perhaps into one of the many tunnels they dug in the yard and pasture. Zip just laid down to rest. And wait.
8. Defeat. It was after 5 p.m. now, and Zip was tired. He lay down on the stones and went to sleep. Seeing his chance, the chipmunk jumped behind him and ran under the fence and into the pasture. He vanished into another stone wall and let off a defiant final squeak. But Zip had surrendered. He just wanted to capture the last rays of the sun and take a nap. It isn’t always easy being a Barn Cat.
I posted a message about the Cambridge Food Pantry’s Thanksgiving Dinner Giveaway late Saturday, thinking the few people online at the time would get a peek at the program, which I have agreed to support.
It turns out that I underestimate the Army of Good even sometimes. There were 50 purchases in the first few minutes and 150 in the first hour—turkey Gravy, 150 cans of Cranberry Sauce, and 150 cans of Turkey Stuffing, all under $2.
While the response has been amazing, we still have 450 items to go. With four to five weeks left, we need to keep the focus on our goal.
With your support, the Cambridge Food Pantry is hosting a Drive-thru Thanksgiving Dinner. I keep track and post what remains to be done every day.
We are deeply grateful for your contributions, no matter the size. Each one makes a significant difference. The three items needed are listed on the Pantry Amazon Food Wish List until we reach our goal of 600 items.
(Each family gets two cans of gravy.)
You can access the list, browse the list, and buy food for the Thanksgiving Giveaway any time, day or night, via a link in these posts or the green button at the bottom of every post on my blog. If you can buy more than one item at a time – they are all under $3, that would help.
This is a dream come true for many people who need help with even the most basic food and hygiene—all they need for a full traditional meal. This is a bigger deal, a rare feast for the family.
They tell me nothing is worse than telling their children they can’t afford Thanksgiving dinner. No child should suffer that experience.
This is a gift of pride and hope. Many of these families and children know what it is like to skip Thanksgiving dinners. This year, with your support, we hope to change that and bring overwhelming joy and relief to these families.
The pantry is raising funds for the frozen turkeys. They asked if we could provide turkey gravy for $1.99, jelly cranberry sauce for $1.58, and fresh stuffing mix and turkey flavor for $1.59. I said I was sure we could.
Here’s the challenge: They need 300 cans of Turkey Gravy, 150 cans of Cranberry Sauce, and 150 cans of Turkey Flavor Stuffing Mix. That’s 600 items altogether, all inexpensive. We have 4-5 weeks to do it. I think we can do it sooner. 150 items were purchased right away.
I told Sarah I believed we could do it; all of the items needed from us cost less than $2.
If we sometimes can buy more than one at a time, November 21 (probably sooner) will be reachable and a wonderful gift to give these people and their children on Thanksgiving.
I wanted to get started this weekend, and we sure did.
If I can get the total needed and the total sold daily, I will post them. These three items will remain on the Pantry Wish List until we send all 600.
I’ll post these items every day from now on; Sarah will continue choosing two items a day that are popular and no longer on her shelves. Here are two for today and tomorrow:
The items we need for Thanksgiving.
Campbell’s Turkey Gravy, 10.5 Oz Can, $1.99. We need 450 cans.
Fresh, Regular Jellied Cranberry Sauce, 14 Oz, $158. We need 200 cans now.
Fresh Stuffing Mix Turkey Flavor, 6 Oz. $1.59, we need 100.
Sarah has also requested that we mention other items that are out of stock but in great demand.
Tide Liquid Laundry Detergent, Heavy Duty, Original Scent, 24 Loads, 34 fl oz, $5.50.
Velveeta Shells & Cheese Original Pasta & Cheese Sauce Meal (3ct Pak, 17.0z), $7.47.
These are two of the most popular pantry items and are almost impossible to keep on the shelves. Thanks for helping to replenish them. They are important to people.
On a beautiful morning, I went to the farmer’s market, dug up my raised bed—preparing for winter—and worked on some Flower Art. Our Pantry Thanksgiving Giveaway took off last night; I’m getting a countdown now. I’ll post shortly; 100 purchases were made in the first half hour, 150 by the first hour. 450 to go, and four weeks to do it. I have a hunch that it won’t take that long. No kid should have to worry about Thanksgiving Dinner. More details shortly.
Back from a Manure drop.
Maria, the cold shows on her face.
Prince Zip on one of his many thrones.
Robin after getting shorn.
Cindy, a/k/a “crazy goat lady,” brought two newborn goats to the Farm Mark. The kids loved them.
Cindy brought me seven bars of soap I made from my soap lesson two weeks ago. It takes two weeks for the soap to settle. Maria also got seven. Mine have a delicious natural Eucalyptus smell. She only uses natural ingredients, and it’s the best soap I’ve ever had. If you write “blog” into your special code box, you’ll get $1 off. You can also get a soap sample. The soap is fantastic and surprisingly inexpensive. Check it out here, and you won’t regret it.
Sheep grazing
I made a new friend. Her name is Emory. She’s from Connecticut. She delivers bread and other good foods to the Farmer’s Market and is available to help with the farm if we need it. Emory is trying to figure her life out. She works at the farm in the summer and early Fall. She’s charming, and we have connected.
