I must admit I never thought I'd live to see the worst days in the history of mankind starting to repeat themselves. Had we not all learned our lessons from World War 2? Weren't 60 million people lost in battle, bombings and concentration camps enough to lose?
The similarities between 1938 and 2015 are scary. We are once again threatened with the rapid uprising of an ideology that wishes to eliminate any and all differing views. An ideology that spreads its views through sadistic murder, torture, fear, rape, enslavement and the degradation of it's "enemies". An ideology that pushes to expand it's physical territory over the borders of sovereign nations by annihilating local militia and slaughtering all resisters. They have a detailed handbook, just as the Nazis had Mein Kampf. They are crazed with power and their manifesto of hatred.
And just like 1938, the astonished leaders of the world watch in horror but refuse to recognize this threat for what it is. As in 1938, they flirt with "appeasement', thinking all men can be rational and are willing to negotiate. They think they can battle for "hearts and minds" and that jobs will defer jihadists. They are wrong.
There is true evil in the world
And as we learned in World War 2, there is a time for peace and a time for war.
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| My costume for Purim |
Purim is coming soon and I am playing Queen Esther at the Temple's retelling of the Purim Story. I have a costume, a "crown", long dangly earrings that brush my shoulders, a necklace donated by a friend and jeweled sandals from my closet. I also ordered a long black party wig from China or Korea but it has not yet arrived.
Hubby will play my partner, King Ahasuerus. He will have an easier time with his "costume" - his Doctoral robes and head gear definitely fit the bill for regal pomposity.
I cannot help but relate Esther's bravery in approaching the King uninvited to make a desperate plea to save the Jewish people to today's headlines. In the week we celebrate Purim, Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Natanyahu will, although uninvited by the "King", address Congress and plead his case to save the Jewish people from nuclear annihilation at the hands of (once again) the Persian Empire that is Iran. How could he not take this risk?
May the spirit and bravery of Esther be with you Mr. Prime Minister.
Seeing Marie Osmond on Nutrisystem commercials looking oh so beautiful and slim and fit has inspired me to improve my own fitness level. My new and improved program is exactly one day old but I think the first day is the hardest so give me a little credit OK?
To assist in my effort I have enlisted the aid of My Fitness Pal, a free online app that helps you track your (gluttonous) eating patterns and (lack of) physical exertion. It also provides encouraging messages, tracks your protein and sodium and other important stuff, and provides links to comments by other pilgrims on their road to fitness.
Hubby has ordered a new stationary bike to help him recover from the upcoming knee surgery (months away due to the best knee surgeon's waiting list) that he has been putting off for decades. He is even eating oatmeal and cutting back on some calories to reduce the weight that will be on the new knee! I plan to pilfer said machine for my own purposes and log a half hour a day on it. My new friend My Fitness Pal tells me the extra 168 calories I will burn each day will result in 1.5 additional lost pounds per month. How hard could this be??
I think I will paste a picture of Marie (looking good at 55) on the bike...
;-)
16. What Is My Blind Spot?
It is hard to spot one's blind spots or they wouldn't be blind spots would they? After some introspection I've decided my blind spot might be facing growing older. As long as I feel good and (I think) I look good, am I really growing older? Yet some of the symptoms are definitely there, a primary one being pictures don't lie...
17. Am I Overthinking Things?
Probably or I wouldn't be writing this blog would I?
18. Am I Ignoring The Obvious?
The obvious is that things change, the sun will come up tomorrow, love endures and every day can be a fresh start. If anything else is obvious I guess I'm not seeing it wink wink.
19. Have I Made Peace With My Past?
I need to work on this. Sometimes, mainly at night in bed, images of past foibles and things I could have done better haunt me. Luckily I usually fall asleep pretty quickly...
20. What's In Store For My Future?
Who can say for sure? Right now all I know for certain is my calendar is filled with things I'm looking forward to. I have hope that the best is yet to come.
Thanks Oprah. I'm moving on to your next challenge: The Busy Woman's Foolproof Makeover! How to get out the door - and looking fabulous - in 15 minutes.
;-)
I'll take a brief break from answering Oprah's Twenty Questions Every Woman Should Ask Herself TODAY!! to reflect on the upcoming new season of House Of Cards. If anyone is reading my blog (doubtful) and has not seen Season Two, please be aware: Major Spoilers Below.
I am re-watching Season Two in preparation for Season Three which will begin in a few weeks. Like the first time I watched it, I find it difficult to follow exactly how Frank Underwood (FU to his friends) manages to topple a sitting President. So I am trying to pay more attention.
And here's what I've determined:
He does it by slyly undermining the President's relationships with his closest friends and advisers. His strongest financial supporter and confident. His loyal Chief of Staff. His own wife. FU offers counsel that appears heartfelt and well meaning but is disingenuous and deceitful. He plants the seeds of doubt and waits for them to take hold.
The most interesting thing about Season Two is that it ends with the (now former) President convinced that FU is his bestest friend and a true patriot. Now that's scary!
Be careful who you let in and who you let out, I guess that's the motto...
Can't wait for Season Three!
;-)
Do I Have Enough Friends?
A trick question. If we're talking about the kind of people who were/are on my side no matter what, the kind of people who were/are with me from start to finish, there's only been a few. But if we're talking about those folks who remember my birthday, who pass through my life leaving smiles and good counsel and invitations, who have shared good times and made me smile, yes, there have been "enough".
Do I Enjoy My Own Company?
In small doses I definitely do. I welcome the occasional "me" time, the time I spend with a "chick" flick or an old Alfred Hitchcock movie or a good book or an early bedtime.
Am I Waiting For My "Real Life" To Begin?
Heck no! My "real life" happens everyday and I know for sure that it's the simple and happy pleasures of each day that make our lifetimes beautiful.
Am I Ready For Whatever Comes?
Who can know what's coming? But I try to prepare for things I am pretty sure will be creeping down the pipeline. I've written my last wishes for the god-kids and made a will. I have health, life, auto, house and golf cart insurance. We have lightning rods on the roof and extra locks on the doors. I've read about life care communities and at-home services. There's enough food for about a week in the house and we have candles, a generator and batteries in case of a hurricane.
OK some of these questions are getting silly like Should I Be Having More Sex? Do I Feel My Feelings? Do I Really Know What I Think I Know? and Do I See Myself As Others See Me? I think I'll pick up tomorrow with more of the most relevant ones...
;-)
4. Am I Smart?
Indeed, I have done profoundly silly, dumb or downright stupid things in my life, things that can still make me cringe even though the vast majority are in my distant past and affect no one. I call them Life Lessons, the experiences that have made me if not smart, then at least smarter.
5. Am I Funny?
I usually can coax a smile or chuckle from friends and I can almost always extract a happy look from hubby. Laughing at myself is not always that easy...
6. Do I Have Enough Money?
Money and the pursuit of it has guided many of my decisions and has even shaped my personality. I am unabashedly frugal and financially organized. I have always had a plan for money that could be measured via spreadsheet or bank balance. And now, I have "enough", enough to enjoy peace-of-mind and the ability to no-longer-give-a-hoot about many, many things. So the answer is happily and gratefully Yes.
7. Do I Have Enough Fun?
New experiences abound here in TV, the Disneyland for adults. What a great year, packed with things I have not experienced since my youth. Joyful times with new friends and parties (!) and restaurants and games and people who want me around. Again, the answer is Yes.
More tomorrow...
;-)
This month's issue of Oprah Magazine arrived yesterday and for once I found the main article intriguing: Twenty Questions Every Woman Should Ask Herself Today!
I like asking myself questions. Many are about mundane things like what should I wear or is there enough laundry to run a load or what do I need to buy today that I forgot on my last shopping excursion. But some are the "big things" that Oprah included:
1. Do I Feel at Home?
Our second American Sarouk (the first being hubby's Grandma's) arrived yesterday. A BIG purchase that I feel (slightly) guilty about. But oh so beautiful and inviting. As the author of this Oprah piece said about her own home, I too feel my home is arranged to soothe and inspire. I love this home more than any of the other dozen or so places we've lived. So I am not laughing at this question, it's important.
2. What Should I Try Today?
While it's true I am busy and my calendar has at least one activity everyday, I do have more time to try some of the things mentioned under this question. With a few hours to spare I can read a great book or watch a good movie or TV series. And I do.
3. Am I Doing This Right?
So many things to worry about! But I assure you, I do not feel I have to apologize about disagreeing or not having a signature fragrance or actually anything else. But thanks for reminding me Oprah, I WILL send a thank you email after the great Super Bowl/dinner party we went to on Sunday!
More questions tomorrow...
;-)
