So, I went to my local Wal-Mart yesterday. I go to it just about every week because it is the closest food store to where I live and I like that I can pick up non-grocery items at the same time. I know my way around this particular Wal-Mart quite well. Yesterday I went down one of the cosmetic aisles to get a refill of the liquid face makeup I use. I immediately noticed ALL the makeup – EVERYTHING, including what I needed, plus mascaras, eye shadows, nail polishes, and more – were now behind plexiglass LOCKED doors. In the middle of each aisle was a box with a button to push to call a Wal-Mart associate to come, unlock the area with the makeup I needed, and then lock it back up. But that was not all…. Then, the associate put my little bottle of makeup into a locked bigger plastic box for the person at the cash register to unlock, open, and then scan!

Can you imagine the amount of theft they must be trying to stop to go to all that trouble? The cost of it? The installation of security doors, locks, call boxes, and remotes for the associates to wear. Then, plastic boxes to put the makeup in until checkout??

I mean, I knew some over-the-counter medicines have recently been locked safely away where people can’t steal them. And, I knew even high end items had security trackers on the boxes that will beep if you leave without checking out…. But, now this?

I have to tell you, once again, the people who steal, who choose to scam the system, have made everyone suffer. Now, people like me, who just want to get a small makeup item, have to go through a whole process – and we are the good people. But we do it – because the bad element has forced it on us.

It made me think….

Growing up I never ever thought once about stealing an item from a store. Maybe I am unusual.

I grew up in a middle class family. Definitely not rich. But we were also not so poor that we could not make ends meet. My dad was a pastor so you know he did not make a huge salary. My mother spent most of those years while I was growing up at home, taking care of the normal household things, cooking, shopping, etc. Eventually, when I was in high school, she took a part-time retail job.

I realize that I did not have the pressure like kids do today of seeing all these cool things to get, through ads and on social media. There were no influencers!! Ha. I picked out Christmas toys from the Sears catalog. I would circle my favorites in hopes my parents might see what I wanted and get me one or two of them.

Maybe, though, because I was not lacking basic needs, or maybe because I never wanted to get that shiny new object, I never wanted to steal. I never even thought about it.

I really think that somehow I internally had an awareness of right and wrong. I knew I could not live with myself if I took something from a store without paying for it. Even if I didn’t get caught! I would feel guilty. I thank my parents for instilling that in me. I grew up with a moral high ground. I grew up with a religious foundation too. It was not about fear. It was about being good, and kind, and fair.

These days we are in a real moral tug of war in America. Children are not getting the same values taught to them from society – and expectations have lowered. Many adults like to blame it on children…. They say the kids and young people are disrespectful and live in a disposable world. But I think it is unfortunately a bigger problem: that our young are seeing such hypocrisy from the adults. There is so much accepted now that did not used to be okay. Even our president is a morally empty man without repercussions. Many have no problem with him being a liar and cheater. If you can get away with it, then it is okay. Right? So bosses cheat. Employees steal. People lie without care. It seems to be everywhere.

Is it really worse now? I don’t know for sure – but it seems that way to me.

We are locking up items in stores. We are fearful and we carry guns. We stay quiet when something bad happens because we don’t want to get involved. We don’t look out for each other.

So…. We take our shoes off at airports. We park our cars away from public buildings. We don’t trust much anymore.

We even lock up $8 makeup face cream now.

I have a list of writing prompts that help give me ideas on what to write about (that isn’t political. Ha). So, from time to time I like to take a look at the list, use one, and write away! This one stuck out for me today…

What are 5 simple joys that are worth getting up for each day?

Do you have 5? Or maybe more?

It’s important to wake each morning with a positive look towards the day ahead. It’s not always easy if you don’t get enough sleep, or feel sick, or feel bored. Thankfully I rarely have them.

1. My first immediate thought for a simple joy each day was getting messages, pictures, and videos, from my daughters and the grandchildren. We keep a family text thread going all the time and each day we share sweet moments, or something funny, or a comment or two we’d like to pass on. I especially love love love seeing all pictures and videos of my grandkids!

2. Each morning I wake and make a cup of my favorite hot coffee: Cafe Francais from International Coffees. I savor it each morning. I drink it while I do the daily Wordle puzzle. Each day I then share my results with family members and with my bestie Sue. We compare answers. It gets my brain working first thing in the morning. I also work on The NY Times daily crossword online. Mondays and Tuesdays puzzles are my best chance of getting them fully filled in. If you do crosswords you know that each day of the week gets harder, with Saturday being the toughest one. Sunday puzzles are double in size. I love them! I’ve been addicted to crosswords most of my life.

3. My final online morning activity is getting on to Facebook (and Instagram) to check in with family and friends who share there. I love to see their posts. I also read political posts and inspiring messages, and I follow a few writers of essays. It is a ‘simple joy’ for me to take time in the morning, get caught up, with no need to rush out the door.

4. If I am home all morning I will go out and tend my garden. I’m a flower person. Not vegetables. I love watching my perennials come back each year. I love to weed. I love to water my flowers. I love to see growth and beauty in the blooms.

5. My fifth simple joy is for ‘car time.’ If I am going anywhere I put on a podcast now. I have my favorites to listen to each day and week. I look forward to longer trips now because I enjoy listening to them. Some are just fun to listen to, some are political, some actually teach me a thing or two.

Four out of five of my simple joys are techie, aren’t they? I am thankful for all the good I get from my connections via my IPad and my IPhone. If I went on listing more, beyond just 5 simple joys, I would say reading. All kinds of books. Historical fiction, biographies, inspiring stories, and more. I would also say dancing. I would say pets – of course! These are daily joys, and reasons for me to get up and going each morning.

I hope you can find at least five simple joys each day. Today is Earth Day so we can’t forget about the beauty of where we live, and the impact getting outdoors can do for you physically and mentally. I love to piddle outside, to experience what is around me.

What are your simple joys?? Comment and let me know. It’s a good exercise to consider what is wonderful in our lives – that don’t cost much, that take little preparation, and that help you smile throughout the day.

“Back where I come From” is a country song I like a lot, performed by Kenny Chesney. It’s an oldie and a goodie. Do you know it?

Well, we all have a place we come from, where our parents were living when we were born, and we can look back even much farther to see where our ancestors came from, before arriving in America.

My cousin Kay did lots of research years ago about my dad’s side of the family. I appreciate all the names, dates, and other info she found. I pulled it out this morning because I recently finished a book about the Civil War and it got me wondering if my ancestors had arrived before the war broke out. I could not remember. And, reading about a time in history can make it all seem more real if you have a personal connection.

What I read in Kay’s research is that my great-great grandfather was John George Milheim, and he married Anna Elisabeth Frederick in Alsace-Lorraine, France in 1868. He and his wife Anna had many children (perhaps 7) and one of them, Jacob Frederick Milheim, was born in 1869 in Butler, Pennsylvania. Jacob married Margaret Louise Reno in Butler in 1892. So this tells me that John and Anna must have taken a ship across the Atlantic shortly after they married and they made their way to Butler. Anna was probably pregnant along the voyage.

The US Civil War started on April 12, 1861 and it officially ended on April 9, 1865. So, I learned that my great-grandparents Jacob and Margaret came to America right after the Civil War. They came to a new land, to settle, to work, and to start their family. Ulysses S. Grant was president at the time.

My great-grandparents had six children, one being my grandfather, the second oldest, Norman Frederick Milheim, and he was born in Butler, PA. He married Florence Voeller Milheim in Grove City, Ohio in 1921.

One of their two children was my dad, Paul Richard Milheim, who was born in 1926 and just died last year at the age of 97.

Wooo. That was a lot of names and dates, right? But what it shows is that a part of my family (on my father’s side – the male line) came to the US only 156 years ago. They were immigrants looking for a better life I suppose. We will really never know why John and Anna, so young, decided to leave their hometown, to leave Europe completely, to cross the ocean, and to come to the New World. Although, we do know that John was born at a time in an area of France that bordered Germany, and that border changed at times, so it was also sometimes part of Germany. Maybe political unrest was concerning to them. The name Milheim is very German, the miller from the hamlet. Anna’s maiden last name was Frederick, also German, and she could have been somehow related to the Frederick name of rulers in Rome and Prussia.

My direct ancestors got out of Germany way before the rise of Hitler. I am thankful that they were not there during World War II but I am sure other family members (their sisters, brothers, cousins) were still living in Germany and suffered during those years.

I have read lots of books about the experiences, real and historical fiction, about people in Europe during the war. Knowing ancestors were there makes it real. I can imagine the horror they went through. So frightening to them.

My brother had his DNA analyzed a few years back and the company connected him with others who had also been checked and they were primarily people who had migrated from New York, to Pennsylvania (there is a small town in the state called Millheim, near State College) and then on to central Ohio. Many landed and settled in rural areas to start farms. They were Lutherans and they brought their religion with them and they set aside land for church buildings. My grandfather was a Lutheran pastor. My father Paul became one also. They both served various churches in Ohio.

I’m lucky to know these roots and to be able to follow it back to Europe. (Again, thank you cousin Kay.) It is definitely nice to ‘know where I come from.’ I realize not everyone does.

I don’t have quite as complete information on my other side, my genealogy on my mother’s side. But she also had German ancestors, and her father’s last name was Fogt, thought to be Americanized from the name Vogt when they arrived here. They also all settled in Ohio, many in central-western Ohio.

I write this because I think it is good for my daughters to know some of their history. Family names have been re-used through the generations…. We have several Fredericks, and Paul connections (first a Pauline, then Paul, and now three Paulettes.)

I also write this because it is one example of how people make pretty big decisions about moving. Back then, in the 1800’s, it was for opportunity, and for a place to raise a family. It still is today. Maybe thinking about our own family histories can help understand why immigrants today are taking a chance, looking for a better life.

I am 68 years old and I have seen a lot.

But, I never thought…

I would see my country, the United States of America, not give someone their due process and their right to legal representative and a trial. That the three branches of government would become so unequal that ‘justice for all’ is no longer a given.

I could not imagine a president going against the Constitution and still remain in office. Or, him ignoring judicial law and not having consequences.

I didn’t think we would ever turn our back on the Allies that help keep the world safe. These are the same countries that fought with us to stop Hitler and Nazism.

Or, that I would watch countries around the world turn against us. It’s not that they want to, but they have been pushed aside. We are the ones being the bully. We were once a beacon on a hill but now we are that bully without a conscience.

I never thought…

I would feel so broken hearted because we have allowed fellow Americans to be fired without cause. Federal, non-political lifetime employees have been let go with no explanation. Important jobs they did were gone overnight. Left hanging. Aid and goods left sitting in warehouses. Money for the needy: gone.

Or, that I would have to watch as federal departments let go of specialists and trained staff members that help keep us safe.

Or, that I would watch as federal departments lost allocated money for research on many health issues, that work to cure diseases, and to find medicines for the ailing.

I never thought…

The land of freedom and liberty could mandate power over womens’ bodies and take away birth rights, and that some would work so hard to try and stop love unions.

I grew up proud of our democratic form of government. I learned early on about our founding fathers in school, and I learned how they came here to create a country, one not run by a king or by the rich. A land for ‘we the people.’ I never thought I’d see someone so blatantly abuse his power and cozy up to the ultra-wealthy. I’m also amazed how these ultra-wealthy are willing to lose their moral compass and be his buddy.

And, that I would watch as media has morphed into propaganda machines, spewing out lies and conspiracy theories, and doing it with smiles on their faces.

I never thought…

An old man, with a long history of womanizing, and cheating, and bankrupting businesses, would ever be considered a valid representative of America. I never thought we would vote in a psychopath, a narcissist, obsessed with glamour and gold.

Or that, he would call people horrible, demeaning names, and show over and over that he has no respect for people, yet be elected…twice.

Or that an American president would buddy up with the Russian Dictator. And at the same time belittle a country leader in the midst of a horrible war as thousands of his citizens have been killed and continue to be. And, then take away needed aid and money for ways to combat against the aggressor Putin. Or, lie about who started the war.

I never thought…

The citizens of our country, and really all of the people of the world, would be hurt by an American President. That our leader would go so low to charge tariffs without exception. Without regard. Without care of any kind. An economic war has started. It is now a ‘one up manship’ and it is us: ‘we the people’ who will feel the pain from this war.

I never thought…

That one man could do so much damage. In such a short time.

That this could be the United States of America.

The times, they are a changing! It’s a great Bob Dylan song, and I encourage you to see the recent movie about Dylan if you have not seen it yet. It is a well done, well acted, bio-film of the folksinger and the people in the musical and political world of the 1960’s and 70’s.

Yes, the times they are a changing again. In reality, the times never stay stagnant, or frozen, and going back to my middle school science I know that everything is vibrating. We live in a place of movement. From tiny atoms to the whole world flying through space.

While the earth rotates, and days change to nights, and on and on, I wish life could slow down a bit. At this stage in my life I think about it more and more. I have reminders of the past all the time, including the app “Timehop” which shows me the pictures I posted on this very day last year, and 2 years ago, 3 years ago, and so on – since I have been posting on social media. The pics – and videos – make me smile, especially of the grandchildren from a few years back.

I also have all the “Marla’s Musings” I have written in the past. This morning I took a bit of time to read some of them, to reflect, to think about some of the changes of life.

Here, today, I am especially thinking about it because hubby has officially retired (it’s the last day of March and it is his last day in a very long career.) So, I am writing about it in my musings. He has had an exceptional career and he has been blessed to have loved the companies and (almost – ha) all the people he has worked for and with all these years. He competently climbed the corporate ladder, and was well compensated for his hard work, and all the traveling, and his efforts that helped sell millions of soft drinks and ice cream.

He is blessed that today is a ‘mixed emotions’ day for him. He may not see it that way right now though. Why? Well, for many, many people who work for a living, they count the days until retirement. They work for years just ‘putting in the time’ and are doing it to only pay the bills. Hubby has never ever had that attitude, and because he hasn’t worked that way it has meant much more to him. He has become a specialist, a very educated expert in his business. He has run companies and he has been a consultant and a role model to many.

It makes retirement hard. Oh yes, he wants to leave the challenges (problems) behind, to pass it on to others, and he wants to not have to be tied to a clock and a calendar anymore. But, it is what he has always known. The man has truly worked since he was 16.

And, because of this lifetime of work, he has been a provider to many, and a joyful giver. He has paid for the needs of many family members and beyond. He has given to charities, for educations, for gifts unexpected.

He isn’t sure what he will do next. And, he doesn’t have to know today. It’s a lot of pressure to think about sometimes. We might travel some in the coming year but we don’t have the itch to see the world like some people do. We do want to spend time with our adult kids and grandchildren (without being annoying to them. Ha) Physical activity is important to him. He likes pickleball and golf. And motorcycles.

He is used to making decisions, and having an impact on people. So, I know he will continue to do that with whatever comes next. He just doesn’t know what that is.

Yep. The times a changing… and retirement is well earned and deserved. I have had a front row seat watching his career, and moving along with him, and going to special events, and enjoying trips, and giving me a life that is wonderful.

So all I can say on this day is: to be continued….

❤️ 😊

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