I often wonder what my son-in-law thinks as he watches what our country is going through, the fundamental changes in our government and society.  My son-in-law watched his country change completely, the old was gone and I think he'd agree a bit of chaos replaced it.  He watched everything he knew as normal and true to crumble and be destroyed in a very short time frame.

I see that happening to our country but amazingly there are those that don't see it.  Or they welcome it.  The change from rule by law to rule by decree.  The class warfare and the entitlement mentality. The growing divisions within our populace.  A Senate that won't even pass a budget as required by law.  Money being printed like magic.  Appeasement of Muslims and vilification of Christian (or simply conservative) based beliefs.

I wonder what our country will look like in four years.  I'm not sure my grandchildren will ever know the freedom loving, hard-working, you can do anything you put your mind to country that I have known.

It was foggy this morning.  Quite pleasant.  We were driving to church so I didn't get any pictures of it but according to the forecast we will have fog again tomorrow.  I think I will be out taking photos in it because it was so beautiful.  Plans for the week: 

• Nitrox class tomorrow for diving.  Husband off work so he'll be underfoot and I will accomplish nothing.  I have just accepted this as a given after 34 years of marriage. 
• Hannah getting an ultrasound tomorrow to determine due date since it's a big mystery right now.
• Plan where I am moving my tea roses to.  I have to get them out of the front yard so the deer will not have them for nightly dessert.
• Take out the variegated whatever bushes in the back yard. 
• Determine where the blueberry bushes are being moved to.... same issue as with the tea roses, stupid Bambi.
• Work in the pottery, get a few things thrown and shaped.
• Order the book on majolica.  I decided that I need to do majolica for the beads I'm making for my brother's bead shop.
• Run.  Walk.  Run.  Walk.  Rest.  Eat a load of pasta.  Race next Sunday.

We went to church with Cora and Vova today.  We went with the intention of listening to a pastor visiting from Uganda but he didn't speak, he's speaking tonight.  But we heard the pastor for the first time and enjoyed his sermon.  Made me reconsider a few ideas I had about children's ministries.  Still mulling that over.

Better go study my Nitrox manual.  Don't want to not understand my gases.

Sometimes acronyms are annoying but today my brother introduced me to one I got a chuckle out of.  I also made note of it so I can use it in polite company where I need to call someone a Jackass.  Okay so maybe I never really "need" to call anyone that but I admit I think it.  I am far from perfect. Anyway, the acronym is ODO  standing for "odoriferous rectal orifice". Just too good not to take note of.

So I basically have one week until my half-marathon race.  I'm not sure I'm ready for it.  I was supposed to run 6 miles today but I haven't even put on my running shoes.  Motivation is not happening.  I will run and hopefully finish in a better time than I did a year ago.  We shall see though since I'm going to be running by myself instead of with a partner.  Aaron is running the full marathon and I told him my goal is to beat him across the finish line.  lol  He will zip off running his 9 minute miles that might slow down to 11 minute miles and I will start out with my 13 minute miles that will slow to 15 minute miles.  No way I can count on him to pace me and I'm not going to kill myself trying.  I do have a Garmin GPS running watch that is amazing though and hopefully it will keep me on pace.  I am setting a goal of 13.5 minute miles and have also set up intervals where I run for 5 minutes and walk one minute.  If I keep my pace I can do that the entire race and finish in less than 3 hours (my goal is to beat 2 hrs. 56 minutes).  Of course that may depend upon the weather too.  If it's 65 degrees I won't manage that speed.  45 degrees will be much better to run in.  No rain or wind though please.

My husband is helping out in his most supportive manner.....he brought me licorice today. 

I think I figured out my bad mood of the other day.  It has to do with the show Downton Abbey that I started watching.  I realized today that I struggle with the “class” society portrayed in this show.  I know it was the way British society functioned back in the late 1800s and early 1900s and accept that as a part of history.  It really is what the entire show is about.  The upstairs lives and the downstairs lives and how they intersect.  What I struggle with is that I experience this today and I don’t like it!  I realized that the attitudes of the titled and wealthy are all around me with some people who I know.  Their superior attitude rankles and irritates.

I was in a situation recently where I spent quite a bit of time with folks who would consider themselves high society.  At one point we were to walk a few blocks to a bus station for transportation to our next place on the trip itinerary.  I grabbed my suitcase and started walking.  It was about three blocks, nothing too much and I had packed my usual restrained self.  I look back and see that my husband and I are the only ones pulling our luggage.  The others were looking for a porter or someone to move their luggage for them.  Some gave in and carried their luggage but most put out more effort to find someone to carry it for them than moving it the three blocks themselves would have been.  I wish I could say that I handled it well, but I probably didn’t.  I stayed quiet about my struggles and tried to act properly, or as expected but I’m afraid I failed miserably in private.  I just didn’t understand it, the expectation of being waited on.  I didn’t feel I deserved it, and I didn’t want it.  More than that, I didn’t understand why people would want it or think they deserved it.  I am not too good to carry my own luggage.

The show Downton Abbey brought that all back to me.  I don’t like “class society.”  I think I like it worse when I’m put on the high society step of the ladder.  I do realize that I can't look "down" on those who believe they are high society, and I have to guard against being judgmental towards them, but I seek to understand why anyone would want to put themselves in a position where they couldn't enjoy the friendship with a waiter, or hair dresser, or store clerk.  To do so limits you so much in potential friendships and relationships.  It is a fine line.  Believing I am worthy yet not walking as though I am above others.  Recognizing my true value but even more the true value of others.

An interesting part of the show is the attitude of some of the servants.  Fully accepting their "lesser" position and feeling that it is ordained, not daring to step out of line.  They truly believe that it would be improper for them to step out of their position and try to better their situation.  Such an odd time in society, and yet I do believe it continues on today in many subtle forms.  And so I struggle to just figure out what I think, how and why.

And such musings created a bad mood.  Which I have mulled over and discarded, but it still nags me as to how to handle this all.

I used to joke that Tupperware was like rabbits.  You lock two pieces in a cupboard and the next morning you open it to find eight.  It just multiplies magically.  I think our family is the same way.  More babies on the way.  Three.  Yes, three babies on the way. 

It has rained all day here.   Sometimes pouring, sometimes sprinkling, but raining the entire day.

The ducks and geese in the neighborhood are happy.  They are splashing about in the lake and the puddles honking and quacking like excited children.

I can't say I'm quite as excited but the moisture is nice.

My friend Laura kept mentioning Downton Abbey, how good it was.  How well they develop characters.  How amazing and addictive the show is.  Well thank you very much Laura, I am now hooked.  I found season one on Netflix and I've been neglecting everything else I have to do today.  One episode and I was useless, the day wasted.  And It's all Laura's fault.  So here I sit, watching another episode with the Christmas tree and it's bare branches staring at me like I was neglecting my responsibilities or something. 

I seriously need a staff like the Crawley family.  Then I could be watching Downton Abbey and have my tree down at the same time.

On the home front my trees are all trimmed and the ones removed gone, the yard cleaned up, the fence mended, the electric line fixed and a new electrical conduit in place.  I think the tree trimmer lost his shirt on this job.  But he held to his oral contract and admitted he was glad he had insurance to cover the unexpected "events."  I told him that he could use me as a reference because I am truly happy with the way he did the trees, cleaned out all the dead wood and despite the disasters he made it all right and good as new.  I think he was happy to get his check and see the last of my property.

Our neighbors were wondering why we removed all our pine trees (eight in the back yard).  After they were down they understood.  Six of the eight had pine beetle.  Three were pretty much dead already.  Two of the others were hollow from the base up to about 20 feet.  These trees were all about 90 feet tall and we were worried if a bad storm came along we would end up with a tree on our house.  Last year I got bids to have them removed and the lowest bid I got was $1200 a tree.  This man came through and bid $750 a tree.  I think after it was all said and done he was wishing he'd asked $1200 a tree.  I know this picture isn't the greatest since it was taken in the evening but it shows the last of the trees before it came down.  Now I don't have to worry about my trees falling on my house, just my neighbors (who has pine beetle in his also but has determined he can try a systemic to kill them and doesn't think they will spread very quickly.  He has never been to Colorado).

Otto and Buddy getting up-close and personal.

We met up with the family at Aaron and Jill's house for a birthday luncheon for Wren.  We ate pizza, had cake and hit the piñata.  It was a rousing success for everyone involved.

The birthday girl with her giant cupcake cake.

Emily trying to teach Cora how to make a duck face..... you'd think when they reach the age of 30 they'd not do these things in front of mom who is holding a camera....

And here's Emily demonstrating where her child might have gotten the idea to use an imaginary flame thrower in school (in chapel no less).... such an example setter.    Emily didn't have to do detention but poor Cadence sure got a talking to!