It was a good night at the Men’s Warming Shelter. Papa John’s donated a lot of pizza and everyone loves pizza night. Plus, choice of chicken or beef nachos. And pop, which we don’t always have. We were also celebrating two birthdays, which meant ice cream and cupcakes. One of the birthdays was for the shelter’s top volunteer. He’s invested untold hours in the men, both at the shelter and driving them to job interviews and doctor’s appointments.
Chris Smaje, Finding Lights in a Dark Age: The free play of patriarchy within the household is arguably conditioned by the free play of patriarchy outside it. At the extreme, this involves a kind of untrammelled and predatory male collective violence - essentially the Viking problem of a heroic-styled warrior culture or of what’s sometimes termed ‘masterless men’. Many societies have recognized the dangers of this and sought ways to counter it.
These ginger bran muffins from the Old Farmer’s Almanac are good. You could even crank up the ginger a bit if you love it like I do. It’s gotten me thinking about making my own crystallized ginger.
This is as far as I got with a handsaw. My father-in-law is going to come over with his chainsaw to cut it closer to the ground and chunk it up for firewood. While I was doing that, Rachel pulled all the limbs around front, plus a bunch of other clean-up. Then I took a nap in the sun!
My task today is to take down this tree. We’re having a woodstove installed soon and the chimney goes there. It’ll be a secondary and emergency source of heat for us. I’ll also have to find a place to build a little lean-to for the woodpile but that’s a task for another day.
Signs of life all over the yard!
Blooms on the lilac bush:
Native honeysuckle
Rachel transplanted the gooseberry bush last year because it seemed to be struggling. Looks like it survived the move.
Principles of “The Pro-Human AI Declaration”, signed by a wide range of people and organizations:
There’s a lot to like about this post: honesty about what life is like out here in the hinterlands, a recognition of the effect of geography on people, a broad-mindedness that seeks understanding between flyover country and the coastal elites. A unique (in my experience) argument worth considering.
There was a robin singing his heart out at 3am today. I guess he’s excited about a break in the rain too!
If you’re looking for American-made jeans, I’m happy with a pair from Dearborn Denim. I buy secondhand clothes where I can and then pay a bit more for items that are durable and/or repairable, e.g., jeans, boots. American made is a plus, since it’s generally better for workers and the environment.