I admit that I was one to say to others: do not shut people off when you don’t agree with them. For years now I have said I would not unfriend any person on Facebook because I know they are putting out nonfactual, even damaging, information. (I only unfriended one person and it was because his language was constantly filthy.) I have wanted to ‘be there’ and to have discussions with those who believe differently than I do. Because, yes, I have always felt that talking can bring about at least some understanding, and it puts human, real, connection to a subject…. Be it about our government leaders, about gun safety, about womens’ rights to their own bodies, about other freedoms, about responsibilities, and more. A well done debate is a good thing.

I guess I am just slow. I mean, years have gone by now. YEARS! We have been living with Donald Trump as a political figure for 10 years. And, in those many, many years we have seen him over and over and over say horrible things about people and lie, lie, lie. Nothing about him is new anymore – it’s just more. But, the more he does the more pain he causes to more people.

It’s obvious. I don’t need to detail everything, and I can’t really because there is just way too much. AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT. If you are not brainwashed at this point, then you already know. If you are living with an open mind of some kind you already don’t miss all the crazy actions and the ramifications from them that are happening now.

I’m reminded of the parable of throwing the seeds into the soil. Some seeds will land, and get water, and feel the sun, and thrive and grow. Some seeds will just sit there and dry up, never getting nourishment, and never growing and changing.

So, for me, I have realized I continue to need good soil and I have moved into a new era. Enough has become enough. I am making choices that maybe I should have made earlier. But, like I said, I still had hope. I still believed maybe I could get through to one person. Maybe I could continue on doing what I do, trying to set a good example, and hoping it would be worthwhile.

Or, maybe I was like a gardener who tends the soil each day – not giving up, and willing to give a little love with fertilizer and with water every day. I watched for the seeds to change. But, some don’t.

Finally, I am making the choices to keep my sanity. Because, you know what? They, the Trumpers, those MAGA folk, they are just too far gone. There is no room for discussion. I was just thinking about something I recently saw online where a church was having drop-in get-togethers to discuss the current events, to hear each other, to speak in a forgiving setting, to talk with others who try to prioritize responses that would be in alignment with God. To try and work through differences. It seemed like a great idea. I would love to attend one (but it wasn’t local). But, I wondered: would any MAGA people show up for them? I’m guessing that they would not. They are a seed doing nothing.

They don’t want to hear anything else, to learn, to grow, to even try and back their beliefs.

I know that now.

They have put their feet so firmly into the Trump ground that they would not consider adding in a little new soil. Or water. Even allowing the soil to be turned a bit. Nope. Not interested. A closed up seed they will stay.

I got it.

In the meantime I will work on my garden, my real one AND my figurative one, and I look forward to seeing what can actually bloom from me.

The past couple of weeks I have started to write a Marla’s Musing several times but then I have not completed them for several reasons. I will see how it goes this time. I have paused at times because there is so much going on with our country right now – and everything is happening so fast. I really don’t know where to start.

Plus, I have recently been following podcasts, writers, editorials, etc. that often say what I want to say – and they do it better. I follow Adam Kinzinger, Dan Rather, Heather Cox Richardson, The Status Kuo, Red Wine & Blue, political Gabfest, and other sites on Facebook. You should too. Excellent writers and great insight into what is happening.

And, as I sit here right now I am listening to the news on CNN that the tariffs on Mexico are possibly being lifted, but maybe not, and maybe Canada. And maybe not. And, as so much is changing and up in the air the Dow Jones continues to drop, and the unemployment numbers are up (with all the federal employees who have been let go.) And, Trump has now said he will dismantle the Dept. of Education. Today’s news. Or – maybe not.

I am wondering…. Can a government implode?

I fear we are headed that way but I don’t know what that actually means. I just know that too much is happening too fast. Thousands are affected now and thousands more may be soon. Maybe millions.

Already, we have executive actions that ban DEI, and Trump has told human beings that their gender identity is not real, and he has changed names of forts and bodies of water. At the same time we have Musk out there cleaning out lots of departments with no idea what they do. A man who has never worked in any form of government before. Thousands of federal employees are losing their jobs without even being vetted. The VA Department is losing people too, a department already too slow for the vets that desparately need their help.

I also just watched the prime minister of Ontario, Canada speak. If you can, pull it up. It’s worth watching. I’m sorry. I don’t have his name. Canada is mad and hurt and is doing what they need to do. Trump has turned countries against us. And, the worst was his behavior and nastiness to President Zelenskyy of Ukraine last Friday. I cringed watching it. Then following up he tried to freeze allocated funds to help fight them in the war against Russia. Legal battles for many reasons have become the way of life now. That’s Trump’s MO: sue me. or, I will sue you. He has made himself above the law.

The free press is being threatened.

He has shown very obvious signs, patterns, and rhetoric, of a man who wants to be a dictator. Trump has no desire to work with Congress. He wants to keep people nervous. He thrives on the chaos. He bullies people and uses retaliation as a threat.

Have I mentioned Trump is a narcissistic psychopath? Well, now we have another one with him. Musk. They are two of a kind.

So…

What to do?

I have always found ‘current events’ and politics interesting. But, this is not that. Trump and Musk need to slow down. They need to THINK, PLAN (ha!), maybe CONSIDER the long haul. They need to think beyond money – which I wonder if they even can. They need to think about people. Humans. Again, I wonder if they can.

My head is spinning about everything going on.

I guess everything will slow down once businesses need to raise prices, and when construction has to slow down, and car sales slow, and food prices go up. It will be felt in the coming months. The effects of what is happening now will show up very soon. A recession is on the way.

Those in our country who need help will not be able to find it. Children who need extra support at school won’t get it. Retirees will have to live more tightly each month on fixed incomes. Poverty will go up. Healthcare may go down.

And…

We are only a couple of months into the Trump presidency. Get ready. Prepare if you can. It’s not going to be easy.

This morning I was going through my usual routine for taking care of my teeth. Brushing, flossing, then swishing around some mouth wash. Over my years of life I have had just a few cavities that needed to be filled, and I have two crowns due to the fact that I still have a couple baby teeth. It’s a genetic thing. The baby teeth never had adult teeth under them. In recent years my dentist has said that it looks like I will be able to keep my baby teeth my whole life even though it is rare.

This morning I thought about oral care. I brush my teeth at least twice a day, occasionally three times a day, with a toothpaste with fluoride, and once I got into my 40s I made flossing a priority too. I also drink water that is cleaned well, and often is fluoridated. Sometimes it is bottled or sometimes right out of the tap.

As a child I remember my grandparents both having false teeth. My grandmother wore hers all the time, but my grandfather did not. I think they bothered him. I remember sitting at the kitchen table and grandpa not wearing his teeth, talking in a way that was difficult for my young self to understand. I also remember him soaking his teeth in a glass to clean them. My grandparents teeth were pulled out because they lived at a time when there was not fluoride in toothpastes or in drinking water. Dental care was minimal.

Wow. We have come a long way!

I am blessed to have good teeth, but I had help because in my childhood years Crest toothpaste had fluoride in it. In fact, I looked it up. Crest started adding fluoride in 1956, the year I was born. A few years later, the American Dental Association, a group of dentists and dental researchers, was created to give clinical guidelines, to do oral health research, and to give their ‘seal of approval’ on products safe and helpful for good care. Now I can buy lots of brands of toothpaste that contain flavoring, whiteners, and more.

Why am I telling you this?

Here in the US we have the American Dental Association, and we have all kinds of federal health organizations that require companies to meet quality standards. We have federally funded research labs. We pay experts to continue to improve products we all use. We also have important watchdogs. We rely on hard working citizens, and their expertise, to help take care of our health.

In the past two weeks we have seen federal government employees, non-political men and women, people who are dedicated, some specialists in their fields, fired for the simple reason that Trump and his people want to reduce money spent on them. It is happening very fast so we don’t know the full effect of these firings or we don’t know how their absence will hurt all of our wellness. But, I have to wonder….

Will the saving of money this way backfire as Americans have less safeguards in place? Less improvements in care? Less people doing the work to keep us safe?

I also find it interesting that the ones fired are supposedly the ‘new hires’ and yet, without taking time to know who they are, they are just simply let go. Are they younger? Perhaps people starting out in a career? Are they the ‘next generation’ who should be continuing the work? Are they the least paid since they are new? We don’t know yet. But it makes me wonder and worry about the future.

My good teeth is one example of how I am fortunate enough to live in a place that has valued health care. Yes, it still costs – sometimes a lot. And, that’s a whole ‘ other discussion. (Don’t get me started on taking big business out of medical insurance, and equal health care for all).

I sincerely hope we will not see a decline in maintaining the excellence of health care, and really in the quality control in many aspects of American life, due to the rapid firings and closings that are going on now. At what point will we see that saving money may be too detrimental to the well being of people? And, do the leaders of our country now (Trump, Musk) care about that? How do they measure success? Who are they really working for?

I am not blind to the fact there is some fleecing (ill-use of funds), and some people trying to ‘beat the system.’ We certainly have wasted money within the thousands of federal organizations in the country. But, the ‘willy nilly’ firings, and the quick stoppage of work, is not the way to find the abuses. Shutting down computers during the night and employees coming in to work in the next morning with no access is simply wrong. It’s detrimental to us all.

So, I don’t know… maybe get your health screenings now. Buy products while we have safeguards in place. Order food cooked well done just in case. oh, and stock up on items that will be heavily tariffed.

We might all be on our own a lot more soon.

The Trump administration is working fast on purpose, and they are slashing where ever they want to without regard of who will hurt.

You might want to get to the dentist.

It’s Super Bowl Sunday! Today! Who do you want to see win the big game? Wondering… are you involved in a bet? Betting has become such a big thing! And now with apps, it’s right at your fingertips. I have nothing riding on the game. I’m hoping for a close game for 4 quarters, and I look forward to seeing two great teams play each other.

Are you looking forward to the halftime? I admit I know very little of Kendrick Lamar’s music. Or SZA (I don’t even know how to say that. Is it a rapper? Female? Male?). Ha. It’s true – I know very little about this year’s halftime performers. But, really, the show is all about ‘over the top’ hoopla and being bigger than anything else you will see all year. Right? So I’ll watch.

And the commercials…. I have already seen a few of them because they are premiered ahead of time now. Of what I have seen, I have not been impressed – because like the halftime show, the ads seem to be about being ‘over the top.’ One 30 second commercial is around $8 million dollars. I just can’t ever imagine how paying that much money is worth it. But, many companies do. Will they get a good return on their dollar (or 8 million of them)?

My last Marla’s Musing, last week, was all about our sad decision to put our loved pug Miss Daisy down. It still hurts. It’s hard to be the one to make the decision. Hubby and I did it together. It was time. But, I can’t help but hope that whatever is beyond this earth, that it is dog friendly, and that Miss Daisy can see again, and romp again. We all love our pets so much that we talk of a beautiful rainbow bridge they get to cross…. Because, it’s just so hard to have them leave us.

After the freak snow in January, we are now experiencing beautiful, warm days here in the lowcountry. The last couple of days we have experienced highs in the low 80s. I am watching my spring bulbs already come to life and pushing through the dirt. We have some rain coming in the next few days, so will spring weather be really early this year? I’m up for it. I’m ready!

Ok, so here’s the other thing I wanted to talk about today….

You have to be living under a rock to not know of the ‘shock and awe’ and frightening presidential mandates that are dismantling important parts of our federal government. There is too much to list here and that is the plan of Trump, and the Project 2025 writers. So much is happening right now that we don’t have time to focus on just one or two bad things…. Because more is coming at us daily. The big changes, the firings, and all they are doing, will matter soon. The effects will start hurting Americans. The lack of leadership, the career long government workers gone, the departments stripped…. It will be felt soon.

Here’s the thing: I will be okay. I am fortunate to have plenty to fall back on. I’m a white woman, married to a white man. We will not be personally affected. But, many, many others will NOT be okay. I care about that. About them. I live in a country that is supposed to treat everyone fairly. Diversity, equity, and inclusion. These are concepts that make us America.

So, it’s pretty disgusting what is happening.

I had stopped posting about Trump and the political world for about two weeks. I was tired of getting pushed back by his minions who could not see the big picture. I was tired of the same ole rhetoric, with no facts to support the words. I was temporarily worn down. Yet, the craziness continues – and in fact, it is getting even more crazy!

I have joined thousands (maybe millions) of others in daily calls and emails to our congress men and women. I contact both Republicans and Democrats. I am respectfully telling them to get their act together! Ha. And, I am sending notes to those who actually stand up against the man, and stand up FOR people. I encourage everyone to do it. It doesn’t take long. I remind them right off the bat that they WORK FOR ME. I think they forget that.

I have also found wonderful grassroots groups that are pushing back. I follow FB and IG people who give good facts, good support, and help me stay focused.

So, today Trump is going to the Super Bowl. This is the first time a president has attended. It’s his right to be there. But, no other president went to the stadium before because of the added security needs, and of all of the tax money it costs, and that it is NOT a political event. Yes, I will be watching the game. And, yes, I will certainly enjoy seeing Taylor Swift there. But, Trump? You know my answer.

This coming week we will see Valentine’s Day. It’s a day to express love to your partner. To show love. To teach children about love. Of course, so was Martin Luther King Jr. day last Monday. February also has President’s Day. It’s a day to remember our early leaders, and to learn more about them, and to acknowledge the good work they did for our country.

I will leave it there.

Hubby and I both grew up in childhood homes that had dogs as pets. My family always had a Boston Terrier while I was growing up. Hubby had a German Shepherd.

When we got married 40 years ago, and we got our very first home, we immediately got two dogs. Yep, one was a Boston Terrier and one was a German Shepherd. From that time on until now, we have always had at least one dog, and often two at the same time, in our home.

40 years.

Well, this past Wednesday we became a ‘dog-less’ home. For the first time ever. Our very loved (cute, funny, sweet tempered, loving) pug Miss Daisy had failed to the point where we had to make the tough decision. She was no longer able to hold her pee for long. She was having accidents. She was waking me up often during the night, sometimes many times in one night. The last couple of days Daisy had stopped eating and she was throwing up liquid often. She had lived with diabetes for quite a few years. She had gone blind after both retinas detached and therefore was unable to move around easily.

So, the reasons were many. The time was right. But, it was an extremely hard decision to make, and I still second guess myself and wonder if we should have kept her around a little longer.

But Miss Daisy was high maintenance. She required insulin shots at each mealtime. We had to carry her outside to do her business. Her quality of life had dropped significantly.

Yes, we knew it was time.

So, after 40 years our home has no dogs in it. (Thank goodness we have two kitty cats that we love and that go in and out of the house, and another one that hangs out in our annex.) But our couch where Daisy laid and slept during the day is now empty. I still look for her in that spot. Our bed is not shared with any dog anymore – and we had let all of our doggies sleep with us throughout all the years. We spoiled them all.

At this point, just a few days into this new life, hubby and I are still adjusting. Life is easier – but it’s different. After taking care of Daisy for so many years we have decided to be without a dog, to be more free to do things we would like to do.

We have amazing memories with Miss Daisy and with all our dogs. They have all been important parts of our lives. They have made us be caring people and we loved them even when it was not easy.

Saying goodbye is definitely not easy.

Doggone it.

A song written by Nashville songwriters Aimee Mayo, Claire Douglas, Jared Johnson, and Tm Douglas – and sung by Tim McGraw, has some beautiful lyrics about the loss of a loved dog. Here are a few of the lines:

If there’s a spot of sun on the porch up there I bet you are lyin’ in it.

This king-sized bed has too much space without you in it.

…. So you waited for me when I got back

You were waitin’ right there.

Cause that’s what best friends do.

Doggone, I miss you.

And I know you will be waiting for me

At the pearly white picket fence and I’ll miss you ole’ buddy til then

Doggone it,

Man’s best friend.

Doggone it. Amen

The last couple of days I have felt sad, and truly at odd ends about the political scenes playing out. Yes, I feel this way because of the immediate actions of our new president, and of all the craziness he is causing, but mostly it is…

The messages and posts I see from his loyalists and MAGA people.

DISRESPECT and DISREGARD

There is name calling, the constant repeating of false information, and the unending comments with no respect or regard.

I was off line a good part of yesterday. It was a busy day and I was away from home. Once I popped on to Facebook in the evening a huge dread came over me as I read the back-and-forth comments on my original posts. They were mean. They pushed back. They were written like they were trying to ‘one up’ each other and prove the other person wrong.

I was already tired. I have had interrupted sleep a lot at night lately due to my old pug who needs attention. It was a gray and rainy day. I had experienced throughout the day people saying words and actions that were not kind. By the time I got home, I was worn out.

So, the Facebook comments put me over the edge.

I told my hubby that I really hated humanity sometimes.

Lately I feel like I am living on the edge a lot.

I am so tired of the years of the skewing of facts, and of all the lies. I am tired of the disrespect for each other, and especially for those who are in need in so many ways. I am tired of people not regarding their fellowman and woman. No regard. No respect. I’m tired of the blinders on so many eyes. Instead it is about being self-centered, and cocky, and using words that hurt.

I am tired of allowing the hurt. I am tired of hearing the words about mercy and turning them into something bad. I am tired of people thinking that this whole mess was somebody else’s fault.

I am tired of going out and being afraid to speak on subjects that might set someone off. I am tired of living where we fear retribution. I’m tired of people not trusting anyone. I’m tired of people disregarding the education and professional knowledge of experts. I’m tired of calling everyone a part of some dark conspiracy.

I am so tired of people not acknowledging that CoVid was real. That January 6th’s insurrection really didn’t happen. Those endless, mean, tweets that were real from our president. And that the testimonies under oath weren’t real. Videos weren’t real.

I am tired.

Really tired today.

It’s like banging your head on the wall over and over again.

The disappointment is overbearing sometimes. The pain I feel from the disregard and the disrespect. Yes, I experienced it as a rude awakening 8 years ago when this all started, and it just keeps getting worse.

I don’t know how we all will get through this. I want to stick my head in the ground. But I can’t. I’m usually strong willed, and I believe we must stand up for what is right for everyone.

But, not today.

I’m tired.

Tomorrow – I will wake up and maybe I will feel differently.

So much has been said. So much has been written – by me!!

Monday is a busy day. Most importantly, for me, it is the day to remember the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. I will be posting some of his immortal words from his speeches and sermons. We can never overlook the important strides he made in the civil rights movement and his constant message of peaceful change.

It is hard to believe that our young people only know of MLK Jr. now by what WE teach them. So, on Monday, the day to honor him, I hope that schools will continue teaching about him. I hope we flood social media with all we can about King and his profound words. We need to hear them.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day has also become a day of service. It’s a day to do something that can benefit a path to equality, to provide comfort, and to make a difference in another person’s life. Every Monday I am part of a group of ladies who meet and put together quilts that are given freely to those in need locally and around the world. I will be doing my part there THIS Monday.

Monday is also the final game for college football this season. It is the National Championship game, Ohio State taking on Notre Dame. Both schools are Midwest powerhouses. I will turn the TV on for the game in the evening, and I hope to see a close scoring game because that keeps it exciting to watch. I don’t have a favorite team (sorry Ohio family and friends) so I really want to watch the two best teams of the past year play each other closely.

Yes, I will turn the TV on for the game.

I will NOT turn it on earlier in the day. Monday is also the Inauguration Day of Donald Trump to become the president of the United States again. As I stated at the beginning of this musing, I have written much about how I feel about the man, and my disappointment in his re-election. So, I cannot watch Trump put his hand on a Bible and swear on it this oath:

“I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of the President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

It is not just my opinion, it is proven fact, that Donald Trump has lied more than any other president, and truly more than any other person in a leadership position. I do not believe he will take his oath to heart.

I googled and the oath can also include these words “I will administer justice without respect to persons, and do equal right to the poor and the rich.” Somehow I doubt this line will be said.

“So help me God” is also often included.

For me, words matter. It used to be that a ‘man’s word was his promise.’ A man of his word was a man to be trusted. A man of his word was careful in thought, aware of what he said because it had consequences. A man of his word was honorable.

Trusted. Careful. Aware. Honorable.

I was texting with a friend yesterday about the FACTS of Trump’s past and I listed many things he has done, both in business and personally, that do not fall into the words above. Trusted. Careful. Aware. Honorable. I was able to list failed businesses and bankruptcies, defaults on loans, banks that now reject him, and with all of that came loss of employment for thousands. There are FACTS that he approved the coverup of payoffs, and he was found guilty in a court of law. There are FACTS that he sexually molested a woman in a department store dressing room and was found guilty of it in a court of law.

Trump was impeached twice, once for his involvement of an insurrection against our government’s certification of an election. The other time for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. That one alone should have been enough to make him ineligible to run for office again. Read the oath for the Office of President. He was found guilty of NOT protecting and defending the Constitution.

My friend in our texting yesterday asked me to wait and see… that Trump will do good things. Well, I believe a man with his past should not even have been given the opportunity to be president again – but here he is. Here we are. Monday is coming. And due to the man that he is, unprecedented, first to be a felon, first to run again with impeachments, we have stepped in to something never thought about before – even by our founding fathers and the writers of the Constitution.

So, on Monday I will be disappointed. Not in Trump. He is who he is. But in America. In us. I am disappointed in our elected officials who should hold the words of our Constitution above everything else. I am saddened by the lies, the power plays, the thinking that victory is above righteousness. That winning any way you can is now acceptable.

I will not watch. I cannot watch. I truly have an emotional and physical reaction to the man. We have stooped so low. I worry about the days and years ahead. What will happen to women? Who will get judged for being unworthy? What will our children be seeing?

An interesting side note: This morning I watched a news piece on the “Today” show about the clean up work starting in the LA area in places where the wildfires decimated neighborhoods. The crews doing the work are made up of all kinds of Americans. Volunteers. Black, white, Hispanic, young, old. They are the ones not getting the glory – and their work is hard and it will go on for a long time. The same is happening with all those in the North Carolina mountains, and other places around our country hit with natural disasters. Think about who these wonderful people are.

Monday is a day of public service. A day to volunteer – and to thank a volunteer. A day to think about equality for all, and how we can move forward working on making this country wonderful for ALL AMERICANS.

And, it’s about watching a little football.

I am sitting here watching the coverage of the incredibly horrible wildfires in the Los Angeles area, and I’m hearing such heartbreaking stories, and I then go on Facebook and I see two different worlds.

One world is about people feeling the pain of those affected, and of sending up prayers, and sharing ways to give, to help those who have lost their homes and all of their possessions. These people are expressing sadness, and are looking for ways to help.

And then…. There is the other world that is those who are jumping on a political bandwagon, already blaming the elected officials, and thinking that this horrible disaster is because one side didn’t seem to care enough. It makes me sick.

I am so disgusted and sad because EVERYTHING has become a divided political issue in this country. Even this, a horrible natural disaster of extreme dryness and strong winds spreading fire storms, has quickly turned into one side against the other. Instead of all Americans feeling empathy about other citizens going through such a life changing event, it is about who should have known better, and how some didn’t do their job, and…. Whatever….. it is so inappropriate…

If you can’t do that, then please, just stay off of social media. Because, really, you don’t look like a good person. You are showing us all how you have a hardness in your soul, not thinking about the incredible pain of others, and that you are too caught up in political games. Supporting a man with no soul.

It is sick.

STOP IT!!

Please. If you are going to to go on social media, at least show that you are a caring person and post something about feeling bad for those so effected, and offer ‘thoughts and prayers’ (like you do for gun violence) and have some caring for others.

Get over yourself.

Look inside.

I don’t know. How is it that some Americans have gotten so callous? Why are some so into themselves that they have to post heartless comments?

Thankfully, natural disasters bring out the helpers. Some instinctively jump right in, and they do what they can to help strangers, and they don’t think twice about it. Mr. Rogers’s mother said to look for the helpers. They are there.

But, others immediately jump in and make accusations. They blame. They find what went wrong.

Ugh. Go away.

Really. Who are we??

First off: my blog, my thoughts, my place to ‘get it out’ to keep myself sane.

Today is January 4th and in two days we will be remembering back 4 years ago on that January 6th when Congress prepared to certify the results of the presidential election. It’s been 4 years since our president at the time, Donald Trump, after months of denying the election results, bad-mouthing and accusing people, filing lawsuits, and more, used a ‘last resort’ in his mind. He encouraged his most dedicated (and one could say most gullible) MAGA followers, along with white supremacy groups, to come to Washington. The days before Jan. 6th he, along with others on social media, told his people to ‘stand down’ for something really big.

And many came from around the country. The eve before, on Jan. 5th, Pres. Trump looked out his White House window and saw the crowds forming, and heard chanting.

Then the morning of the 6th he was the main speaker at a rally held between the White House and the nation’s Capitol. He told the group to ‘stop the steal’ and the mass of people moved up Pennsylvania Avenue with the intent to halt the certification. All of Congress was in the House chambers while Trump’s people fought the police outside, broke through barricades, and smashed in doors and windows of the center of our democracy, the Capitol. Officers were injured. One later died.

One of the people who participated in this Insurrection, in her attempt to stop the proceedings of our government, was shot and killed inside. Others there stole papers, and furniture, and they destroyed items, and parts of the walls of this sacred building.

Cameras in and around the Capitol were on and allowed us all to see what was going on with our own eyes – as it happened. President Trump sat in his private dining room in the White House and watched it unfold on a TV. He did nothing for a couple of hours, even though he was the president and these were the Congressmen and women of the United States under attack. His own Vice President was there also.

Since that day we have had hundreds of eye-witness accounts, and a special committee was convened to gather all the information leading up to January 6th, and about the events of the day. The committee determined that President Trump should be impeached because of his actions in the set up to the Insurrection, and also due to his negligence of defending our nation.

The actions of the Insurrectionists did not stop the certification of the election because Congress, together (one of the rare times Reps and Dems did something together), made sure the process was completed later that night and VP Mike Pence signed off on the accuracy of the vote.

The next day many Congressmen and women, from both sides of the aisle, spoke publicly in the House chamber about Trump’s involvement, and about the fear they experienced during the attack.

But…. After that day the tide turned, and political ‘smear games’ started, and the political division showed up again, and many backpedaled about what they experienced.

4 year later here we are. We are still hearing from Trump and his leadership of the Republican Party, including the Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, that the election results were wrong. They are still not willing to admit the defeat.

And, since then all kinds of conspiracy theories have been spread. Lies. Trying to downplay what happened. I actually heard just recently from a Trump supporter that she thinks the Insurrection was ‘acted out’ like it was a big performance, and it was the Democrats who were responsible for it. Holding Trump flags. Wearing MAGA hats. Totally false. But she believes it.

America watched. We saw what happened. Many of those involved have now been tried in a court of law and found guilty, and they are now serving time for acts of Insurrection. I believe they should not be pardoned. They were guilty. They need to serve the time.

On Monday, 4 years after, I hope the media, ALL the media, again show the videos from that day. We need to be reminded of the mob that climbed the walls, broke through barriers, broke into the Capitol, hit police officers with flag poles and other weapons. They hung a noose for the Vice President. They chanted, and looked for Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and ransacked her office. Some reports said that human feces was found smeared on the Capitol walls. People acted like animals. Determined to do the job for Trump. They were so devoted to him.

I will never forget that Donald Trump was totally in on what happened. He helped plan it, he urged people on, he then sat back and watched it on his television set, safely in the White House. His staff came in and said he should call the insurrection mob off, but he waited. He was the President of the United States. He sat back and enjoyed watching what was happening.

And, heaven help us, he is about to be president of the United States again. It is beyond me to understand how half of the people in this country felt that his planning of the insurrection, his actions, and his denial about it all, was acceptable, that it didn’t matter to them…. He was a human being watching, but also a narcissist, a politician, and the leader of our country.

So: where is our decency? How can we allow physical attacks on our legislators, on our amazing Capitol building, on our democratic system of laws, to happen? Yes, the Insurrectionists are serving time but NOT the master minds. Not THE ONE who could have stopped it. But, he did not want to stop it.

And so for me, it is inexcusable.

Teflon Don.

He abuses power. He acts illegally. He allows others to take the fall for his doings. He has no remorse.

And he is our next president of the United States.

I thought it would be nice to make a list of what has been good to me, for me, and near me, as I finish the calendar year today. Bye bye 2024.

Here is the good, the bad, and the ugly…

THE GOOD – in no particular order.

The birth of my 4th grandchild. 💖 Welcome Charlotte Amelia!

Good health for hubby and me.

Seeing Tim live in concert twice. 🤠 🤠

Being Madelynn’s bedmate.

Reconnecting with Paula in Nashville.

“The Women” by Kristen Hannah

The grandboys’ first school holiday concert. 🎄

Facebook and FaceTiming.

Riva-side sunsets

Authentic Lainey Wilson

Chardonnay

“Shaking Off Gravity” by Lucinda Shirley 📕

Tim McGraw’s “People Like Us”

My Cameo video from Deano Brown and the girls who sent it to me.

Daughters 💖 💖

The Holy Spirit sticking with me.

Lifetime bestie Sue

Book club discussions

The sounds of Handbells 🎶 🔔

Dolly Parton and The Imagination Library

Babies

South Carolina Gamecocks football

Linedancing and linedancing ladies.

My garden 🌺

Seeing Willie Nelson in concert.

Tooting the flute.

Cafe Francais ☕️

Spring weather

Live music experiences

Putting my voice & thoughts in “Marla’s Musings”.

THE BAD – also in no particular order.

The passing of my dad. But, also good. He lived a long life and was ready.

Trump re-elected, and all that goes with it. 🤢

Miss Daisy’s slow decline with blindness and diabetes.

The division in the Christian churches.

Hurricane Helene in the Carolinas.

TV talking heads

THE UGLY

My piano practice sounds. 😬

Cat throw up.

Orange

It was easy for me to find the ‘good’ from this past year and to list them here. Thankfully, I was fortunate and I had many, many more good moments and people in my life vs. the bad ones. I thank God, and I count my blessings. It’s important to think about what counts. It’s also vital to know that if the lists change and I find more bad stuff comes into my life, I will not be alone.

Make your lists.