Prisoner says...

 

Sigh.  Again!  Why is it when you know someone who lives in a town... or someone who works for a company... or someone who goes to a church... and something awful happens there (or near there), it's just ever so much worse?

Nashville.  Private Christian School.  Only a couple miles from the private Chirstian school my trainer's grandson, T, (age 5) attends.  We talked about the question his daughter in law asked his wife:  should we talk about it with T?

My own advice:  not unless he asks about it.  Otherwise, at age 5, if he's not aware, you don't need to turn his little world into a scarier place.

When I was six or seven, there was a killing spree going on in and near our state's capital city.  I was clueless.  We didn't have a TV.  My parents did not mention it.  I only found out years later about what happened back then.  The men in our little town, miles away, armed up and guarded.  As kids we might have noticed our dads behaving differently, but we were secure in our little worlds with our siblings, moms, and school days.  It did not last terribly long (a few days).  The guy was caught, tried, and executed.  For the longest time (decades) he was "the last prisoner executed" in our state.  The name Starkweather still has a black mark against it in these parts.

Life has changed considerably in the 60 plus years since then.  But the factor of local impact has not changed.  It's baked into our psyches... "it wouldn't happen here".  Until it does.

On a lighter note:  finding old TV shows I used to watch with my mom.  They are on Pluto, the free streaming service.  "Have Gun, Will Travel"... anybody remember that one?  Ancient "Avengers", the one with Steed before Emma Peele!  The ones with Honor Blackman!  Always something old.  And the memory is weak enough I have to watch them the way my dad used to re-watch old movies:  "to see if it turns out different this time"!

Wednesday morning I drove to the election commission office and turned in my ballot.  I don't know what kind of laws will be passed before the autumn elections, but we're still able to vote from home / by mail for the primary and city elections.  It's an interesting mayoral race, kind of a mix between referendum on how our current mayor handled the pandemic, and two other candidates one who is already spewing negative ads against the mayor, and the remaining one steering a more "middle" road, with a "not a politician, I'm a leader".  The top two, regardless of political affiliation will go on to the general.  So the trick is to pick the one most likely to result in the candidate you really want winning the general, right?  Narrow balance beam, there.

There have been some "reading list" issues, but seriously, I've been in the cave since last weekend... last posted on the gratitude list on Saturday.  

Hope all are hanging in there!

Despite whatever else is showing up, LIFE, itself, is good.  Spark on!

A little indoor sunshine!

The "just because" flowers are holding up well, a week later. Nice and cheery, providing sunlight even when the big sun is hidden behind a layer of clouds.

The softener salt delivery guy came today, after I was home from my trainer work-out.  I was about to close my eating window, sipping on my biocoffee, which cannot be consumed during my fasting hours, if I want to have a "clean" fast. 

I'm still stuck on "Married At First Sight" (sigh), a reality TV show based on experts matching strangers, they marry (legally) at the alter when they first meet, and then in 8 weeks (with various structured expectations) they have to decide to either stay married or legally divorce.  They have been doing this show for 16 seasons.  Each season they match 5 couples of strangers.  OK 16 times 5 makes 80 couples, so far.  Of those 80 couples, 11 are still married.  Pretty sketchy outcomes, if you ask me.  So it's the drama of relationship building / breaking.  This is the third time I have got sucked into this drama, out of the 16 seasons.  I think I saw season one.  Then years passed before I slipped down the slope again.  I think it's only a year and a half since I last did.

Meanwhile, I finished reading Dragon's Code.  I slowed down reading, when I only had a few pages to go.  Ever do this?  You don't want it to end, so you slow down the last chapter or two?  That's me!  Some of what went into the equation with this particular book is that every Pern novel that comes out now is a total gift, as the original author is no longer with us.  A couple were either co-written with her son, or in this case, written by her daughter.  It has followed the pattern of laying the story line within the timeline of the other novels, including some of the same characters, and introducing a few new ones.  Very satisfying.

That's about it from here today.  I shall sip a mug of Earl Grey tea, unsweetened, and black, which is allowed during fasting hours, simply because.  I have since taking up IF started drinking less caffeine bearing coffee, and more decaf and tea.  

Here's hoping that my friends out there in blog readership land have had a good start to this week, and are doing best they can to take care of their health and fitness, whatever the weather sends their way.

Life is good.  Keep Sparkin'!

💖🔥