Diana never stopped being a Royal

The palace stripped Diana of her title the day after the divorce was finalized. She had one year left to live.  The divorce between Charles and Diana was finalized on August 28, 1996. The following day, a letter arrived at Diana's office from the Lord Chamberlain's department. It informed her that, effective immediately, she was no longer entitled to use the title Her Royal Highness. She would be known, from that point forward, as Diana, Princess of Wales — not Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales. 

The distinction is not ceremonial.  It is constitutional.  It meant that anyone meeting Diana was no longer required to bow or curtsy.  It meant she had been formally removed from the inner circle of the institution she had represented for fifteen years.

Diana had not been told the decision was coming.  She learned of it the day it happened.  Those close to her described her reaction as one of genuine shock — not because she had expected to remain inside the institution, but because of the speed and the timing.  The ink on the divorce papers was barely dry.

She was 35 years old. She had two sons who retained their HRH titles.  She did not.  When William and Harry were in public with their mother after August 1996, protocol required that they be addressed before her — because they outranked her.  Her own children, formally, took precedence.

Diana died on August 31, 1997 — exactly 368 days after the title was removed.  In that final year, she walked through Angolan minefields, campaigned for a global landmine ban, and sat at the bedsides of dying people in hospices across the world.  She did all of it without the three letters the palace had decided she no longer deserved.

The title was gone.  The work continued.  The world noticed the work.

The tulips in Ottawa

In 1943, a baby was born in a hospital room that had temporarily stopped being part of Canada.  It sounds impossible. It happened anyway. And eighty years later, twenty thousand tulips still arrive in Ottawa every spring because of it.

The story begins in 1940, when Germany invaded the Netherlands. The Dutch royal family fled. Queen Wilhelmina escaped to London, where she ran a government-in-exile. Her daughter, Crown Princess Juliana, heir presumptive to the Dutch throne, was sent further away for safety. She and her two young daughters, Beatrix and Irene, crossed the Atlantic and settled in Ottawa, Canada.

For three years, the royal family lived there quietly. Juliana sent her children to local schools. She shopped in neighborhood stores. She became a familiar, well-liked figure in the capital.  In the autumn of 1942, Juliana announced she was pregnant with her third child.  That's when the lawyers got involved.

The problem was citizenship. Canada grants citizenship to anyone born on Canadian soil. If Juliana's baby was born in Ottawa, the child would automatically become a Canadian citizen and a British subject. Under the Dutch constitution, that could complicate the child's place in the royal succession.

The solution had to be precise. Canada could not declare a hospital room to be Dutch territory. No country has that power over another's land. But Canada could do something else.

On December 26, 1942, King George VI, acting in his role as King of Canada, signed a proclamation under the War Measures Act. It declared that the place where Juliana gave birth would be temporarily extraterritorial. For the duration of the birth, that space would not be Canadian soil.

The baby's Dutch citizenship would come through her mother's bloodline, as Dutch law allows. But the baby would not also become Canadian, because she would not technically be born in Canada.

Four rooms on the third floor of Ottawa Civic Hospital were set aside for Juliana. One for the princess. One for the baby. One for her nurse. One for a security guard.  The rooms overlooked Holland Avenue.

On January 19, 1943, Princess Margriet Francisca was born. She was the first and only royal ever born in North America.  She was named after the marguerite, the flower worn by Dutch citizens as a symbol of resistance to the Nazi occupation.

In the occupied Netherlands, the news of her birth was a rare moment of hope. The royal family still existed. A new princess had arrived. The future had not been extinguished.

The war continued for two more years. In 1945, it was the First Canadian Army that led the liberation of the Netherlands. When they arrived, they found a starving population. The last months of the occupation, known as the Hunger Winter, had devastated the country. Canadian forces distributed food and supplies. Many Dutch civilians saw them not just as liberators but as the people who kept them alive.

After the war, the royal family returned home. And Princess Juliana wanted to say thank you.

In the autumn of 1945, she sent one hundred thousand tulip bulbs to Ottawa.  The following year, she sent another twenty thousand and asked that a flower bed be created at the hospital where Margriet was born. She promised to send ten thousand more every year.

She kept that promise. After she became Queen in 1948, the gifts continued. Today, eighty years later, the Netherlands still sends twenty thousand tulip bulbs to Ottawa every spring. Ten thousand from the royal family. Ten thousand from the Dutch Bulb Growers Association on behalf of the people of the Netherlands.

The bulbs are planted in two beds. One at the Ottawa Hospital's Civic Campus, where Margriet was born. The other in Commissioners Park, in a bed named after Queen Juliana.

Every May, over a million tulips bloom across Ottawa. The Canadian Tulip Festival draws more than six hundred and fifty thousand visitors. The tulip was designated Ottawa's official flower in 2001.

If you have ever received a gift so generous it changed the way you thought about the person who gave it, you understand what a hundred thousand bulbs meant to a city that had kept a family safe.

Princess Margriet is still alive. She has returned to Canada many times. On a visit in 2017, she said simply: "I was born in Canada. So somehow, quite naturally, I feel strongly attached to my place of birth."

A hospital room that temporarily stopped being a country. A princess born in a space between nations. And millions of flowers, returning every spring, reminding two countries that some debts are paid not in currency but in color.

Commissioners Park, Ottawa

Spring Begins

 This is what is happening in many areas of Canada:

This is Vancouver, where I am fortunate enough to live:

Living in Vancouver has always felt like a small stroke of luck. Tucked between the Pacific Ocean and the Coast Mountains, our city enjoys one of the mildest climates in all of Canada.  While friends and family across the country shovel driveways and bundle up against biting winds, we often stroll along the seawall under a soft drizzle, watching cherry blossoms prepare to bloom before winter has even finished its sentence.  

This year, though, was remarkable even by Vancouver standards.  We had no snow where I live at all.  Not a flurry.  Not a dusting.  Not even that brief, slushy half‑hour that usually shows up just to remind us it’s still winter.  The last time Vancouver saw a completely snow‑free winter was 1982, more than four decades ago.  It’s strange to think that an entire generation has grown up without ever experiencing a winter quite like this one.

Walking through the city these past months, I found myself noticing the small things: green lawns in January, cyclists out in full force, and the steady hum of everyday life uninterrupted by icy roads or school closures.  There’s a certain ease to winter here, and this year it felt even more pronounced.

I’m reminded, again, of how fortunate I am to live in this corner of the world.  Canada is a vast and varied country—rugged, beautiful, and sometimes harsh—but Vancouver offers a gentler rhythm.  The weather is just one part of it, but it’s a part that shapes our days in subtle ways: the outdoor walks, the early blooms, the sense of continuity through the seasons.

Not everyone loves our rain, but I’ve come to appreciate it.  It keeps our forests lush, our air clean, and our winters soft. And every so often, like this year,  it gives us a winter that feels almost like an early spring.

As we move into the warmer months, I’m carrying a quiet gratitude for this place I call home.  For its mild winters, its natural beauty, and the simple comfort of knowing that even in the coldest season, Vancouver has a way of making life feel gentle.

They put my game show performance on You Tube!

On January 8th, I got a call from Lee Valley in Ontario.  The lady was awesome and wanted to confirm my shipping address.  When I told her I was in British Columbia, she said "I'll call the Vancouver store and have them send it by UPS".  I said "my husband loves that store, can I pick it up".  She said "wonderful".

On January 9th, Cec's birthday, Dawn from Lee Valley called to say I could pick it up!   My map app told me to take Hwy. 91 and go over the Knight Street bridge and turn left at 63rd Ave.   63rd Avenue was closed for construction.  I know this part of Vancouver because I grew up not that far away.  I turned at the first light I came to and drove down a street towards Fraser Street.  I drove by Walter Moberly School, where my husband went to elementary school when he moved from Kelowna to Vancouver!   They have certainly added to it and it is beside a lovely park!  He had great memories from that school.  It was originally built in 1902.  

Dawn at Lee Valley had a nice fellow put the three tiered plant stand in my car.  It is very heavy!  Cec had a good look at the store and on our way home we went to The River House in Delta for a lovely birthday lunch.  

Cheryl loves to garden.  She starts all her plants in the house and this unit is just what she needs.  She is very happy with it!  I gave away all my prizes but kept the cash!  Lexie took the teapot, Laurie needed a kettle, Cec got the razor and Dave's first cousin's four year old son got the ride on suitcase.  Theo was thrilled!  A cheque from Rogers for CAD$ 3,500.00 arrived last week.  It's sitting in my travel account waiting for a deposit on a cruise that's calling my name.

The Price is Right after the taping. Now it's been aired, I can spill the beans!

That was the best experience ever!  Just being chosen is such a thrill.  Howie is such a gentleman.   When I won he said "you can hug me, don't touch my hands".  Of course we all know he's a germaphobe but he is gracious and he was funny.  

I asked every staff member I met if they were Canadian and they all said yes!  They were all professional and so nice.  

Before we left Vancouver, we studied prices.  Lexie works at Superstore as a part time university job so she was memorizing grocery prices.  I went online to every car manufacturer in Canada and recorded all the lowest prices of every vehicle made in Canada.  I used the Ontario website as BC has different taxes.  We all thought of manufacturers like Heys luggage and other Canadian brands and memorized prices.  I know vacation prices so we had those down.  However, they don't tell you much about trip destinations so it's pretty hard to price.  I was close on them all!

We practiced the "clock game" at the airport.  We talked about every game what our strategy would be.  We knew all the games and devised hand signals for prices.  Hold up the fingers of the first digit, if it's hundred, then shake your fists twice!  

When I was asked my first price, I looked at Cheryl, eight fingers, two fist thumps, and I said  "$800.00!"  I found out later Lexie was the one that came up with the price.

For all the pricing of the small items, higher or lower, I just turned around and Cheryl, Lexie and Laurie would have thumbs up if higher, and thumbs down for lower.  It's really hard to think when you are in the spotlight and I don't know how I would have done if they weren't there to help me!

It's hard to believe three people could spin a dollar on the wheel!   I was so happy for the two girls who got to the Showcase.  They were young and cheered for everyone.

After the show I was escorted to a room where I signed a non-disclosure agreement and was able to take all of my prizes.  However, I was flying so the tea pot and razor fit in the little suitcase.   It was a good thing I didn't already have a carry on as I would have had to put one of them in the belly of the plane.  The kettle arrived about a month ago and the money arrived in a cheque last week!  I'll post the experience with Lee Valley tomorrow.  I've got all my prizes.

I asked the prize staff, "where is a good place for dinner"?  She said "restaurant or pub"?  I said pub and this was one block away from the studio!  We had two bottles of Prosecco, a wonderful dinner and a lot of laughs!

We were only a block away from the CN Tower. It was Lexie's first trip to downtown Toronto so we went up the tower.  It was a beautiful clear night and the view was awesome!

The view from the glass floor at the top of the CN Tower!

We never got adjusted to Toronto time.  We set out clocks for 1:44 AM Vancouver time (4:44 AM Toronto time) to make the early flight by to Vancouver.  Lexie had an exam at SFU the next day!   We got home by noon.  The end of a wonderful girls mini vacation!

The Price is Right Canada Tonight

 

Last September, Cheryl heard Howie Mandel was taping The Price is Right Tonight, Canada in Toronto.  She said "mom, we can go on your birthday"!  My birthday is on December 14th and I rarely celebrate it as everyone is busy preparing for Christmas.  I don't even post it on Facebook so only my close friends even know when it is.

We needed four people to apply so Cheryl, my daughter, Lexie my granddaughter and my long time friend Laurie who was with me in 1980 at Let's Make A Deal made an application to the Price is Right.  We had to send a video of each of us for the staff to view.  Thanks to Lexie and Cheryl, we created a great audition video and uploaded it with our long application.  Cheryl made t-shirts for each of us and we all had different sayings.  She also ordered some pom poms in bright pink, Lexie's favorite colour.  We received our tickets from The Price is Right and booked four cheap seats on Porter Air.

Laurie and I travel well together.  Laurie worked in lost baggage at Pacific Western Airlines.  She said "if we go to Singapore for 10 days, we can only take carry-on as anything that transfers in Narita will get lost".  We both packed carry ons and learned to take just necessities and clothing your could interchange.  Laurie and I booked the cheapest fare, no carry on, only 1 personal item.  We both had no problem with our very small bag.  Cheryl and Lexie however, needed carry on so they paid more!  I could not take my computer, the first trip ever without it but my smart phone would have to work.

The filming took place at the CBC studios in downtown Toronto.  The Residence Inn was one block away and as it was -13C/8.6F we stayed there.  We left Saturday afternoon and arrived late Saturday night.  On Sunday we had to be at our taping at 1:00PM.  

There were seats in the audience for 185 people.  We had confirmed tickets but lots of people had stand by tickets.  We lined up, met lots of crazy people like us and then went to the top floor to the studio!

They tell you it doesn't matter where you sit.  We were in the second to last row at the left side.  I will stop here as I signed a non-disclosure agreement.  I will just say, if you are in Canada, watch The Price is Right Tonight on CITY TV that airs tonight!  They told us they will be marketing it around the world so watch for it if you are outside Canada.  We could not say what city we were from although I had it on my shirt.  We couldn't relate to Christmas either as it would be shown in the spring.

Some people have called as my picture is showing up on TV ads for The Price is Right Tonight!  Coming down the aisle, and close to the wheel!  

Son-in-law Dave saw this on his TV and sent it to me! 

After the broadcast, I will finish this story!!!!!  All I can say is "Best Birthday EVER!" 

Update on Bill C-4 and Bill C-12

I've been following two bills in Canadian Parliament.  Bill C-4 and Bill C-12.  I searched on AI today to see the status of these important bills.  The reason I am interested is 15 foreign nationals facing extortion‑related charges in Canada have applied for refugee status.  This figure comes directly from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), which confirmed that these individuals made refugee claims after coming under immigration investigation.  These people have lived here for a while, they didn't just come in.   It's about time this loop hole for people who are not fleeing a country that is dangerous, but coming to this country to extort our law abiding citizens for millions of dollars. Deport them ASAP!

Bill C‑4 is now law.  It received Royal Assent on March 12, 2026.  Here is what I found on Bill C-12:

Bill C‑12 – Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act

Current Stage (March 2026)

• Bill C‑12 has completed Third Reading in the Senate (March 12, 2026).

• The Senate has sent a message back to the House of Commons with amendments and recommendations.

• The bill is now “At consideration in the House of Commons of amendments made by the Senate.”

This means the House must now:

1. Accept the Senate’s amendments,

2. Reject them, or

3. Propose alternatives.

Only after that can the bill proceed to Royal Assent and become law.

Bill C‑12 will become law only after:

1. The House of Commons responds to the Senate’s amendments.

2. Both chambers agree on a final text.

3. The bill receives Royal Assent.

Given the political attention around this bill—including strong advocacy from migrant‑rights groups urging the Senate to amend or reject parts of it—debate may continue for some time.  Let's hope that doesn't happen and receives Royal Assent soon!

The Senate made three proposals:

Privacy Protection Amendment

1.  Proposed by: Senator Paulette Senior

Purpose: Protect Canadian citizens and permanent residents from unnecessary surveillance.

What it does

• Exempts Canadian citizens and permanent residents from the bill’s expanded information‑sharing powers.

• Ensures that only foreign nationals are subject to the new data‑sharing regime.

• Responds to concerns from privacy experts and civil‑liberties groups about the bill’s broad language.

2.  Proposed by: Senator Tony Dean

Purpose: Add transparency to the new asylum‑ineligibility rules (especially the one‑year claim deadline).

What it requires

The immigration minister must publish an annual report detailing:

• Average time between a claimant entering Canada and making their claim

• Number of claims ruled ineligible because they were made more than one year after entry

• How many late claimants left and re‑entered Canada

• How many late claimants applied for a Pre‑Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA)

• How many PRRA applications were accepted or rejected

• Recommendations on whether the one‑year ineligibility rule should be changed

3.  Proposed by: Senator Tony Dean

Purpose: Ensure long‑term accountability for the bill’s sweeping new powers.

What it does

• Requires a comprehensive parliamentary review of the entire Act five years after it becomes law.

• The review must assess:

• How the law has been implemented

• Its impact on asylum seekers, migrants, and immigration processing

• Any recommended changes

• A final report must be tabled in Parliament within one year of the review starting.

What Amendments Were Not Adopted?

The Senate rejected several proposed amendments that would have:

• Limited the government’s new executive powers

• Softened the asylum‑ineligibility rules

• Removed or altered Parts 5–8 of the bill (as recommended by the SOCI Committee)

What this means in practice

If someone shows up at the border and CBSA believes they have:

• Criminal ties

• Organized‑crime involvement

• Security concerns

• Fraudulent documents

…the minister can cancel their documents immediately.

Enzio Maiorca

I read these inspiring stories and I often wonder if they are true.  I checked this one out and yes it did happen.   It was the basis of the 1988 film, The Big Blue that is still available on Netflix!

In 2009, renowned Italian free diver Enzo Maiorca was exploring the waters off Syracuse with his daughter Rossana when something unexpected happened.  While descending into the depths, Enzo felt a soft bump on his back. He turned, expecting to see a curious sea creature — and found a dolphin urgently trying to get his attention. Without hesitation, the dolphin dove deeper. Enzo followed.

Around 15 meters below, they discovered a second dolphin, hopelessly tangled in an abandoned fishing net. It was fighting for air. Enzo quickly signaled to his daughter for a knife. Together, they worked swiftly and carefully to cut the net and release the dolphin.  The moment it broke free, it let out a sound Enzo would later describe as “almost human — a cry of relief.”

As they surfaced, they realized why the rescue had been so urgent — the dolphin was pregnant. Just moments later, she gave birth in the open ocean.  The male dolphin swam around the scene, then approached Enzo. In a gesture that felt deeply intentional, it gently touched his cheek with its snout — like a kiss of gratitude — before vanishing into the blue with its new family.

Reflecting on the experience, Enzo said: “Until man learns to respect and speak to the natural world, he can never truly understand his place on this Earth.”   Nature always has something to say — if we choose to listen.

Saturday Funnies

Happy Friday the 13th

 

A Look at the Legends, History, and Lasting Superstition

Few dates on the calendar spark as much curiosity—or quiet dread—as Friday the 13th. Whether you shrug it off or avoid ladders and black cats all day, this superstition has deep roots in Western culture. But where did it actually come from? The answer is surprisingly tangled, stretching across mythology, religion, literature, and even medieval politics.

Let’s explore how this infamous date earned its spooky reputation.

Long before Friday the 13th became a cultural phenomenon, the number 13 carried a reputation for bad luck.

Why 13?

• Many ancient traditions viewed 12 as the number of completeness—think 12 months, 12 zodiac signs, 12 gods of Olympus, 12 tribes of Israel.

• Thirteen, sitting just beyond that “perfect” number, felt irregular or disruptive.

• Even the Code of Hammurabi reportedly skipped the number 13 in its list of laws—likely a clerical error, but later cited as evidence of the number’s ominous status.

The Last Supper

• Jesus and his 12 apostles—13 people—shared the Last Supper on the night before his crucifixion.

• Judas, the betrayer, was the 13th guest.

This contributed to a long‑held belief that 13 at a table foretells death.

Why Friday?

Friday has its own somber associations in Christian tradition:

• Jesus was crucified on a Friday.

• Some stories claim Eve gave Adam the forbidden fruit on a Friday.

• Others say Cain killed Abel on a Friday.

While these stories vary, they helped cast Friday as an unlucky day.

Great White Shark off Vancouver Island!

 

Earlier this week, a great white shark "pinged" off the coast of Vancouver Island, researchers say.   The shark is a mature female that measures around five metres in length and weighs approximately 1,000 kilograms. She has been named Kara by researchers, who are thrilled to see her in northern waters. 

Kara was one of six sharks fitted with a tracking device in October 2025 near Point Conception in California. The device "pings" when a shark is at the surface with its dorsal fin out of the water for several minutes, giving an approximate location. 

"I've been studying these white sharks for almost 30 years, and this is the first one that's gone this far north," said Michael Domeier, who is with the Marine Conservation Science Institute and is behind the program tracking Kara.

Domeier, who is based out of Hawaii, says the program was designed to help track female sharks to see where they are giving birth, studying the animals in California and Mexico. 

While the ping is exciting, Domeier says that sharks in Canadian Pacific waters aren’t an anomaly, and that sharks have been recorded as far north as Alaska. 

Lady Jane Fellowes

Lady Jane was in one of the most impossible positions in royal history — sister to a princess, wife to a palace official, torn between two worlds. She chose silence. And kept it for 27 years.

When Princess Diana married Prince Charles in 1981, Lady Jane Fellowes was already living inside the world her sister was entering. Her husband, Robert Fellowes, was assistant private secretary to the Queen — one of the most sensitive positions in the royal household, a job that required absolute discretion, absolute loyalty, and the management of the precise information channels between the monarch and the government.

It has been suggested by some royal biographers that Jane's position as both Diana's sister and Robert's wife left her in a difficult position when Charles and Diana's marriage was ending. She was, in effect, sitting in the middle of a constitutional and personal crisis with family on both sides. Diana was her sister. Robert's employer was the Queen. The two interests did not always point in the same direction.

Lady Jane said nothing publicly during the years of the marriage's decline. She said nothing during the Morton biography. She said nothing during the Panorama interview. She attended events. She maintained her position. She kept the silence that her husband's role required and that her own instincts apparently endorsed.

When Diana died, Jane came forward once — at the funeral. She delivered the reading. She stood at the lectern in Westminster Abbey before an audience of 2.5 billion and read from the letters of Paul, and then she sat down and did not speak publicly again for years.

Lady Sarah McCorquodale retrieved locks of Diana's hair from Paris after the crash and presented them to the princes. It was Lady Jane who, according to those who were there, informed the rest of the family of Diana's death in the early hours of August 31, 1997 — calling Sarah, then Earl Spencer, with the news that none of them could have been prepared for.

She is now Baroness Fellowes. Her husband Robert died in July 2024. She continues to maintain, with extraordinary consistency, the silence she chose in 1981.

There is, in that silence, a kind of loyalty that outlasts everything.

Call the Midwife

I've watched every season and every episode of Call the Midwife available in North America.  My cousin in the UK gave me the book that was written by Jennifer Worth shortly after it started in the UK.  PBS picked it up in North America and I've watched it ever since.  Season 15 will start on March 22 on PBS.  We are always a few months behind the UK.

Call the Midwife is a warm, historically grounded British period drama about midwives and nuns working in Poplar, East London from the late 1950s onward; it’s created by Heidi Thomas and based on Jennifer Worth’s memoirs, and remains in production with long-running acclaim—perfect for viewers who like character-led, issue-driven drama.

Call the Midwife follows the staff of Nonnatus House, a nursing convent and midwifery team, as they deliver babies and care for families in a deprived East End community. The series blends intimate personal stories with social history—covering topics from post‑war poverty and housing to public‑health advances and national scandals.

The plot follows Jenny Lee, a newly qualified midwife, who joins the midwives and Anglican nuns of Nonnatus House; their work combines midwifery, community nursing, and social outreach in a deprived urban area where 80–100 births per month in Poplar make safe childbirth the central mission.

The show balances warmth and compassion with hard historical realities—poverty, public‑health crises, and changing social attitudes—delivered through episodic, patient‑centred stories grounded in historical research.

• Series 1 (1957): Baby boom, East End poverty, post‑war immigration.

• Series 2 (1958): Gas and air pain relief, unexploded ordnance, tuberculosis, spina bifida; Nonnatus House condemned.

• Series 3 (1959): Cystic fibrosis, polio, terminal care, midwifery in prison.

• Series 4 (1960): Child Migrants Programme, nuclear‑war fears, early LGBT themes, syphilis among sex workers.

• Series 5–9 (1961–1965): Thalidomide, contraceptive pill, typhoid, interracial marriage, dementia, sickle cell, abortion debates.

• Series 10–14 (1966–1970): Medical advances (ventouse, PKU screening), addiction and neonatal withdrawal, housing crises, political debates on immigration, fertility drugs, and social change; Series 15 set in 1971 was confirmed in 2025.

Call the Midwife has been officially confirmed the 16th season will return by the BBC, ensuring the series will continue. Despite intense storylines at the end of season 15 and a temporary, planned hiatus to focus on a new prequel and a feature film, the show is not ending, with production expected to continue in 2027 or 2028. 

A view from Texas mother

I read a lot of social media.  I like reading everyone's opinion.   I like to hear things I oppose to see why other people have the beliefs they do.  I am copying this blog as the lady who wrote it is well educated and this is exactly how she feels.  It's worth the read even if you don't agree with her.  She won't say anything to Jennifer's face, but it made her feel better by writing it down.  I agree with her 100%.  I never changed a thing this is exactly what she wrote:  

“I'm sitting in the carpool line and I'm watching the world fall apart on my phone while "Sweet Home Alabama" plays on my radio and I swear to God I am going to lose my mind.

Brent crude just hit $90.  The Strait of Hormuz is closed.  The Dow dropped 900 points.  181 children are dead in Iran.  And the President of the United States just posted "UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER" on Truth Social with a hashtag. MIGA. Make Iran Great Again. Like he's dropping a new merch line.  And I'm sitting here in a Chevy Suburban with goldfish crackers ground into the back seat waiting to pick up my kids from a school that looks exactly like the one he just bombed.

And I know, I know, that in about four minutes I'm going to have to stand next to Jennifer at the pickup gate. Jennifer with the "Ultra MAGA Mama Bear" bumper sticker and the Lululemon leggings and the iced coffee and the absolute audacity to call herself pro-life.  Jennifer who told me last week that Trump is "finally showing strength in the Middle East." Jennifer who gets her foreign policy from a man who gets his foreign policy from whatever Fox News host he appointed to run the Pentagon this week.  Jennifer who couldn't point to Iran on a map if her Botox depended on it but has very strong opinions about what should be bombed there.

And Jennifer is going to say something.  She always says something.  She can't help herself. She's going to flip her hair and do that little smile, that smug little "bless your heart" smile that Southern women use when they think they're smarter than you, and she's going to say "well at least he's keeping us safe" or "you can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs" or some other bumper sticker bullshit she picked up from her husband's podcast rotation, and I am going to have to stand there and smile because our kids are in the same goddamn soccer team and I can't afford to blow up the only carpool arrangement that works with my schedule.

So I smile at Jennifer.  I always smile at Jennifer.  Every school pickup, every soccer practice, every birthday party where she corners me near the cooler and tells me I "just don't understand what Trump is really doing."  Jennifer, sweetheart, I have a history degree. I understand exactly what he's doing.  I understood it before you learned how to spell Iran and I'll understand it long after you've moved on to your next political personality and pretended this one never happened.  Because that's what you'll do, Jennifer.  That's what you always do.  You'll peel that bumper sticker off your Tahoe like you peeled off your "Bush-Cheney '04" one and pretend you were "never really political."

But here's what I want to say to Jennifer.  Here's what I'm choking on while I stand there with my school pickup smile and my $78 tank of gas.

Jennifer, 180 children died in a school. A girls' school.  On the first day. Someone braided their hair that morning.  Someone packed their lunch.  Someone said "have a good day sweetheart" and those little girls sat down at their desks with their pencils and their notebooks and their little backpacks and then a bomb that my taxes paid for turned their classroom into a grave.  And the man on your bumper sticker put a hashtag on it.  You dropped your kids at school this morning, Jennifer.  You kissed them goodbye.  You told them you loved them.  180 mothers in Iran did the same thing last week and their daughters came home in bags.  Your president did that.  Your guy.  And you're standing here with an iced coffee telling me he's showing strength.

Jennifer, I used to be a history teacher.  I know what happened in Iran in 1953. The CIA overthrew their democracy because American and British oil companies wanted their crude. Installed a puppet.  Called it freedom.  It led to the Islamic Revolution, the hostage crisis, and forty years of chaos. And your guy, Jennifer, your guy is doing the exact same thing. He said on camera he wants to pick Iran's next leader. Said he wants to do what he did in Venezuela, where he kidnapped a sitting president and handed the oil to American companies.  He is not even pretending this is about nukes. It's the oil, Jennifer. It was always the oil.  Seventy years of the same con and you fell for it because he said it in a red hat.  But you didn't pay attention in history class, did you Jennifer.  You were too busy passing notes. And now 181 kids are dead because people like you vote with their feelings instead of their brains.

Jennifer, I filled up my car yesterday.  $78. Last month it was $66.  You drive a Tahoe, Jennifer.  You're paying more than me.  And oil is heading for $100 because your president shut down the strait where 20% of the world's oil flows.  He blew up the oil supply to steal the oil.  Let that rattle around in your head for a minute.  Take your time.  I know critical thinking isn't something you picked up between the MLM calls and the mommy wine memes.

Jennifer, Congress voted this week on whether to actually authorise this war. You know, the thing the Constitution requires.  That document you posted about on the Fourth of July between the firework selfies and the flag bikini.  47-53 in the Senate. 212-219 in the House. Your senators, our senators, voted to let a reality TV president wage an illegal war with no exit strategy, no endgame, and 181 dead children.  Rand Paul was the only Republican with the guts to vote no. Rand Paul, Jennifer.  When Rand Paul is your moral compass, your party isn't lost, it's in the ground and someone's reading it its last rites.

Jennifer, Pete Hegseth, the Fox News host your guy put in charge of the actual Pentagon, said they've "only just begun to fight."   He's quoting the Carpenters, Jennifer. Karen Carpenter.  While children are being pulled from rubble.  The man running the largest military operation since Iraq got his job because he was good on a couch with a coffee mug and now he's quoting soft rock while 181 kids are dead. And you think this is what strength looks like.  You think this is what a man looks like.  Honey, your bar is so low it's a tripping hazard in hell.

Jennifer, they burned through 800 Patriot missiles in three days.  Each one costs $4 million. They're shooting down drones that cost $20,000.  That's 200 to 1 in Iran's favour.  $3.2 billion in three days on missiles alone.  My kids' school held a bake sale last month to buy new calculators.  Jennifer was there.  She brought store-bought brownies with a handwritten sign that said "homemade."  That's Jennifer in a nutshell.  Fake effort, real audacity.  But sure, we can't afford teacher pay raises.  We can't afford school lunches.  We can't afford textbooks.  But we can burn $3.2 billion in a long weekend shooting down things that cost less than Jennifer's Tahoe.  The man who wrote The Art of the Deal is getting out-dealed by a drone that runs on a lawnmower engine.

Jennifer, "we want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran," your president said.   He bombed a girls' school, Jennifer. On day one.  180 little girls.  And Iran's foreign minister posted a photo of a dead mother holding her dead baby and your president responded with UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER in all caps and a hashtag.  That's not harmony.  That's not peace.  That's a narcissist playing war with other people's children because he's never had to sacrifice anything in his entire life.  Not one thing.  Five draft deferments and a golden elevator and he's sending other mothers' sons to die in a desert so Exxon can pump crude.  But you don't know about the draft deferments, do you Jennifer.  You don't know about the bone spurs.  You just know he "tells it like it is."  He tells it like a con man, Jennifer.  And you're the mark.

And Rubio told Arab foreign ministers this thing is going to last "several more weeks," Jennifer.  Several more weeks of $90 oil.  Of dead soldiers.  Of bombed schools.  Of your Tahoe costing $120 to fill.  Of my family choosing between groceries and gas.  Several more weeks and there is no plan to stop.  There is no off-ramp.  Your guy doesn't want one.  He wants unconditional surrender from 90 million people and he wants to pick their next leader like he's casting the fucking Apprentice.  But that's fine with you, isn't it Jennifer.  Because you "don't really follow politics," you just "love Trump."  That's not politics, Jennifer. That's a personality disorder.  Yours and his.

That's what I want to say to Jennifer.

But I won't.  Because her kid and my kid are in the same car three days a week and I cannot afford to drive those days myself.  Not at $78 a tank.  Not in this economy.  Not in Jennifer's president's economy.

So I'll smile.  I'll say "hot one today, isn't it."  I'll load the kids into the car. I'll drive home past the gas station where the prices went up again overnight. I'll make dinner.  I'll help with homework.  I'll check my phone under the counter when the kids aren't looking and watch another video of another mother on the other side of the world screaming over another small body pulled from another pile of concrete.

And I'll hold my three a little tighter.  And I'll think about the 181 who aren't being held tonight.  And I'll wonder how the hell Jennifer sleeps.  Probably fine.  Probably like a baby.  Probably in her "blessed" pyjamas with her essential oil diffuser and her Bible verse screensaver, dreaming sweet dreams while the world burns.  That's the thing about Jennifer. She's not evil.  She's just incurious.  And in times like these, that's the same thing.

If I was still teaching history, I'd have to stand in front of a classroom this week and explain how checks and balances work.  How Congress declares war.  How the system protects us.

I don't have to do that anymore.  But I still have to explain it to my own kids.  And I don't know what to tell them.  Because I used to believe it.  I used to teach it like it was true.

181 children, Jennifer. Remember that number.

I know you won't.  You'll be onto the next thing by Monday.  New nails, new podcast, new outrage about something a drag queen did at a library.  But those 181 kids will still be dead.  And you helped.  You didn't drop the bomb, Jennifer.  But you voted for the man who did. Twice.  And you'd do it again tomorrow.  And that, more than anything, is what I cannot forgive.

Your senators sure as hell won't remember either.

But I will. And so will those mothers.

Every single one of them. Except for Jennifer. She doesn't even know what goddam day it is.

~Texas Mom 

Jay Leno and his journey with his wife who has dementia

Dealing with a family member that has dementia is so difficult.  When I read what Jay Leno has done for his wife, it warms my heart.  For all of us dealing with this, let's hope this gives us strength for what is ahead.  

For Better or Worse: The Quiet Work of Love

Jay Leno’s public life was loud and bright; the private life that followed has been quieter, harder, and far more honest.  Behind the familiar late‑night smile stood a marriage shaped by two strong, curious people: a comedian known to millions and a partner whose own life of advocacy and independence once earned global recognition. When dementia arrived, it did not simply steal memories.  It reshaped every ordinary hour they once shared.

The Quiet Reality

Mavis Leno was not a supporting character. She was a force—nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for her work with Afghan women, a traveler, a thinker, a woman who loved the world. Then, in 2024, Jay filed for conservatorship because Mavis was diagnosed with advanced dementia.  The change was total.

Restaurants, flights, long conversations—those shared rituals vanished or were transformed. Dementia did not only erase facts; it altered the texture of daily life, the rhythm of companionship, the small rituals that once defined a marriage.

A Life Rearranged

Jay did not walk away. He rearranged everything. He limits work to what lets him be home each night. He cooks dinner. He chooses television shows they can watch together.  He carries her to the bathroom and turns it into a joke they both understand. He calls it “Jay and Mavis at the prom,” and she laughs.

For years, Mavis woke each morning convinced she had just learned her mother had died. She grieved anew every day for three years.  Jay held her through that grief, again and again. That repetition—grief experienced as if for the first time—became one of the hardest parts of caregiving.  Yet he stayed.

The Daily Prom

There is a tenderness in the small, invented rituals that caregivers create. Calling a walk down the hallway a dance, turning a necessary task into a private joke, making a point of provoking laughter—these are not trivialities.  They are the scaffolding of dignity and connection when memory and orientation fail.

Mavis still recognizes Jay.  She smiles when he enters the room.  She tells him she loves him.  She still growls at television moments that offend her.   She still has fire.  Those moments matter more than any public accolade.

What Vows Actually Mean

When Jay was asked if he would find a new partner, he was surprised. He already had one. Forty‑five years of marriage is not a contract to be discarded when life becomes difficult. Vows are not words spoken only on a sunny day in front of witnesses.  They are choices made again and again on ordinary days—on Tuesday evenings, in hallways, in kitchens, in the quiet work of showing up.

“For better or worse” is not a line from a ceremony; it is a test that arrives unannounced, and the answer is found in the daily acts of care.

A Call to Notice Caregivers

Jay Leno’s story is public because of who he is, but it is also ordinary. Fifty to sixty million people in America quietly do the same work for spouses, parents, and siblings without recognition.  They are not interviewed. They are not celebrated.  They simply show up.

If this story does anything, let it be a reminder to notice the invisible labor of love around us.  Caregiving is not always dramatic.  Often it is repetitive, exhausting, and tender in ways that don’t make headlines.  It is laughter coaxed from a familiar face, a hallway turned into a dance, a life rearranged to keep someone else safe and seen.

Skin Cancer

Skin cancer occurs when skin cells grow out of control, usually because of DNA damage from ultraviolet radiation.  The most common types are Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC), Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC), and melanoma. BCC is the most frequent and often grows slowly, but any skin cancer can cause serious problems if left untreated. Melanoma is less common but more likely to spread and can be life‑threatening.

My Experience with Basal Cell Carcinoma

Three years ago I was diagnosed with BCC.  I’ve had three surgical procedures to remove the cancerous tissue. In addition, I’ve had cryotherapy for some superficial BCCs.  Cryotherapy, also called cryosurgery, is a non‑surgical, minimally invasive procedure where a dermatologist applies liquid nitrogen to freeze and destroy superficial cancer cells.  The treated area typically blisters and scabs over as it heals.  These treatments worked for me, but they were reminders that early detection and prompt treatment matter.

Treatments and What to Expect

Surgical removal is a common and effective treatment for many skin cancers. Procedures vary from simple excisions to more precise techniques that spare healthy tissue. Cryotherapy is used for superficial lesions and is quick, usually done in the clinic. The area will blister and scab as it heals.  Other treatments can include topical medications, radiation, or more advanced surgical techniques depending on the type, size, and location of the cancer.

Warning Signs to Watch For

• A new growth or sore that doesn’t heal.

• A spot that changes in size, shape, color, or texture.

• A pearly or waxy bump, often seen with BCC.

• A rough, scaly patch, which can indicate SCC.

• An irregular, changing mole, which could be melanoma.

If you have any spot that looks like the above or anything on your skin that changes, see your doctor immediately.

Prevention and Sun Safety

• Use sunscreen with a high SPF and broad‑spectrum protection every day. Reapply every two hours and after swimming or sweating.

• Wear protective clothing, wide‑brim hats, and UV‑blocking sunglasses.

• Avoid tanning beds and intentional tanning.

• Seek shade during peak sun hours.

• Perform regular skin checks on yourself and ask a partner or friend to check hard‑to‑see areas.  Schedule routine skin exams with a dermatologist if you have risk factors.

Friday funnies

 

A scam to be aware of!

I saw this posted on social media.  It would be easy to fall for this scam so I'm sharing it.  

I was almost a victim of fraud, but I played along when I knew what was happening, share the hell out of this.

A couple weeks ago I received a call from a “ New Canadian “ claiming to call from Bell mobility in Toronto, told me he could give me a big promotional offer with a brand new iPhone 17 pro max, and a free Apple Watch, sounded great!  I logged into my Bell App and he walked me through what to click on and order and told me when I receive the phone at my house to call him and he would set me up with the amazing promotional code.  So the day my phone showed up I get a hold of him and he says oh they sent the wrong phone, it’s a 512 GB and the promotion is only for the 256, “ so sir I’m going to send you a return label you just need to print it off and tape it on the box and go drop the parcel off then I’ll have my dispatch team send you the right one “. 

Keep in mind this is all over WhatsApp instead of the regular phone line.  I played with him for a few days said I’d do it blah blah blah.  Meanwhile I phoned Bell directly and yes they said I was just about a victim of fraud so they gave me a code to take into the post office to print the proper return label (note that any cellphone packages say on them, do not return to any address besides the one on the box). the return label the fraudster gave me was for a storage unit in Toronto after looking it up.  I took a small box I had laying around the house, wrapped it and stuck an old empty iPhone box inside with a nice friendly note 😉😉.  Stuck the return label from the fraudster on it and took it to the post office, the lady knew me from when I sent the phone back to Bell and said this is awesome, it happens so much. 

DO NOT FALL FOR THIS SCAM. Another lady that was in line said this happened to her as well.