THE BROWNING OF AMERICA

In all my 88 years I have never seen anything to match what our country is going through now. The last 4 years with Trump have really brought the under-belly of our country to the surface. He is the worst president in our history but he certainly knew, and knows, where to find his followers. They all have a common thread that binds them.

The commonality comes to the surface when you utter the words … “the browning of America”. A HUGE majority of white America is made up of men and women who can't contemplate a country where they are not top dog. Of course this is pure racism but millions of whites practice it. They conveniently don't look into their heritage and NEVER give credit to the fact that THEY were not the first humans to grace our land.

We are a country of immigrants and I find it exciting. What a boring place to have just money-hungry and racist whites in charge. It's the acceptance and pride of our varied backgrounds that make our country great!

Right now we are blessed to have President Biden. His administration is finally putting the light on the actual people that make up our country. It is thrilling to have this happen, but Biden's hope for unification is being stymied at every turn by a majority of the disgusting Republicans in the House and Senate. They are not even making sense. They continue to spout Trump's lies and refuse to compromise under any circumstance. I am embarrassed for them and for the country.

I am also petrified that we may not be strong or wise enough to make the needed changes and I pray that it's not too late.

T

A note to my blogger readers...

You may have noticed that I've stayed away from politics for the last 6 times that I've posted a blog entry.  This one will not be political either but I'm coming to the end of my patience so enjoy the silliness while it lasts !

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I've always been scared when at great heights. It makes me feel weak all over and, just reading about them can turn my legs to water too!  So you can just imagine how I felt when reading about and viewing the Bailong outdoor elevator in Hunan, China !

There is no doubt that it is impressive and, at 1,070 feet tall, it holds the record for the world's tallest outdoor lift. However, I will forgo the pleasure of hopping aboard and will happily send you off to view this...

while I stay on the FLOOR of the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park and feast my eyes on the spectacular sand-stone pillars that rise up above me, the tallest reaching heights of more that 3,000 feet.

 

The Underground City of Naours, France

The underground city of Naours is one of the largest tunnel networks in northern France, a centuries-old complex of hand dug stone chambers and tunnels.  It is also home to over 3,200 signatures of World War I soldiers on the western front and is believed to be the highest concentration of graffiti from that conflict yet discovered.  

Two thirds of the etchings on the chalky walls are from Australian soldiers and archaeologist Billes Prilaux has been tasked with connecting the signatures on the walls with the names and bio's of them. So far he has identified 370 soldiers with certainty and has another 140 in the process. 

 

Prilaux's findings are the basis for a new museum in that country with the theme "Life Behind the Lines". It is a new chapter of Australian war history and will allow visitors to see the graffiti, biographies and portraits of the soldiers before they are lost forever. 

Meet the archaeologist in this short but fascinating video ...

Thousands of ANZAC signatures found in the caves of Naours ...

 

San Gimignano, Italy 2008

 

In 2008 my oldest son and I were in Italy and one highlight of our trip was a visit to the lovely towered city of San Gimignano. It was my second visit there and, as we hiked our way to the top of the city I hoped against hope that the same musician who I'd photographed 5 years before would be there still. Of course this didn’t happen, but my imagination brought him back to life and I described it all to my son.

It was March of 2008 and as I wended my way to the highest point of San Gimignano I started to hear music. This seemed unlikely in the setting, but it became louder and, as I crested the hill I finally saw the musician.

He resembled a monk but was more likely a performer who hoped to augment his income by an afternoon’s performance. He had somehow managed to tote his harpsichord over the cobblestone paths to this lofty spot.

Now, five years later my son and I sat in the same spot where I'd heard that concert. We were the only people there but the memory of the intriguing musician and his medley of Baroque tunes seemed to enhance the magnificent views and the total serenity of it all. As it had then, this became a highlight of our Italian journey.

PENCIL CARVING …

 A pencil is a pencil … unless you’ve got a sharp knife … then it can be anything !

Such as ...

A colorful alphabet … A to Z carved from lead.

…or a hanging link one like this …complete with the date and place of origin. 

…or how about intertwining hearts,  carved by a person with a romantic bent …

Or my favorite … proving that beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

 

Which road would you take?

 “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I … I took the one less traveled by,  and that has         made all the difference”.

                                                         Robert Frost, 1874 - 1963

  I don’t think these were the roads that  Robert Frost  had in mind when he wrote those     words but it got me to thinking. Why have I chosen certain roads and left others behind and where would I be if I'd taken a different path? 

  It boggles my mind.