LOVE IS IN THE AIR

My granddaughter Ashlyn is on her way to becoming a Physician Assistant. Just one more year. She is also a talented writer and speaker as well. Therefore, she has been asked to give speeches when she serves as a Maid-of-Honor at weddings. Even though she was in the middle of finals week when she wrote the following, she did so for her best friend's wedding earlier this month.

ASHLYN

"I’d like to start off by saying how honored I am to be here speaking to all of you the night before my best friend marries the man of her dreams. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Ashlyn. You can ask anyone and they will pretty much tell you that Shaylee and I have been attached at the hip since the day we met in the 2nd grade 18-years ago. Even when Shay’s dad asked her if she was up for moving to Dallas to train in all-around gymnastics, Shay said 'But, what about Ash?' I have been blamed for that missed opportunity for a while now (sorry Shane), but that is truly the sentiment we have lived by since we met. From then on, I went to lunch with Shay and her family every Sunday at Mimi’s and Granddad's after church, and she went on all of our family trips and always had a spot at our table for Thanksgiving or Christmas. We really became sisters, and I can honestly say she is one of my favorite people on this Earth. Even when she frustrates me to the point where I could pull my hair out, she is pretty high up there on my list (I say this in a joking tone). Yes, because she is my best friend and second sister and all of that cliché stuff, but also because Shay is just one of those people that is almost impossible to be mad at. No matter how angry, upset, or frustrated I am about a situation, Shaylee will make me laugh.

"If I could sum Shaylee up in one word it would be JOY, because that is the feeling that people have when she is around. Over the years, I have to admit I became protective of Shay because there was a time when life was stealing her joy. She was having a difficult time deciding what to do with her life after 14 or so years of fully devoting herself to gymnastics, which was understandably so. While she still managed to make everyone around her feel joy, I could see she was draining herself of her own. The dynamic of our friendship at that time from the outside looking in, and from Shaylee’s perspective, has been Shay looking to me for life advice of any kind (as if I actually know what I am talking about), while Shaylee has always made sure we were having a good time. Well, what Shay and a lot of people do not know, is that I have looked up to Shay my whole life. She leads by example in many ways that she does not realize. Shay loves deeply and will do anything for her family or a friend, she lifts people up and reminds us to not take life too seriously, she has an empathy for people that I strive for, and not only does she manage to make everything fun, but she also brings out the carefree and fun side of everyone she is with.

This is one of the videos on YouTube showing Shaylee's talent:

"When Shay met William last year, I was no longer living in Amarillo and Shay was working at the Amarillo club. She would call me excited about this cute guy who would often come in for lunch or dinner and inevitably flirt with her every time. She would go on about how confident and sweet he was, and that he seemed like an actual 'good guy' that had pure intentions. I have to say, this is something I took with a grain of salt because I pretty much didn’t trust any guy with Shaylee since that is the protective friend that I am (nothing against you William). They go on a couple of dates (or trips I should say) and Shay is very obviously infatuated with him. She hints to me that it is getting serious, so I think I have to meet him as soon as possible before she really falls for him. Well, when I finally met William and saw them together as a couple, it hit me how good he was for her. It was made clear that he loves her and truly sees the Shaylee that I know and love so much. He appreciates what makes her so special. I then started to realize Shay wasn’t calling me as much needing help or advice on anything, she was no longer drained of her joy, and gained back that passion for life that I had not seen in a couple of years. As a best friend, how could I be mad about that?

SHAYLEE

"Shay and I made a pact a long time ago that if we weren’t  married by age 50 or so, that we would get married (to each other?). Well, William. You beat me to it. I guess I will let you have her on the weekends. I’m only kidding, I find great comfort in knowing she is in good hands with you, William. Cheers to the future Wares! I could not be happier for the both of you."...Ashlyn

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Ashlyn always makes a beautiful Maid of Honor. I can only imagine what a wonderful bride she will be. She's smart, beautiful, and has a great sense of humor. It will be interesting to hear what someone says in a speech at her wedding! 

I am finally rising up from the grief our family has suffered since last fall when my oldest child, Craig, left us unexpectedly in his sleep. Our family is valiantly moving on. Siblings, cousins, and his own children are putting their lives back in order. A memorial to this loving man will be held on the anniversary of his passing in October. 

There have been many happy as well as sad occurrences in recent months. I intend to do my best to document some of them in the near future. 

Leaving you with this adorable photo. The one on the left was Craig's pet, named Floki. He was adopted by my granddaughter Audrey. Olive on the right is Ashlyn's treasured cat. They all are currently "visiting" at my daughter's home on Lake Travis. I'm told they sometimes have a raucous play time.  

Peace and love,

Marilyn

"Don't Just Do Something, Sit There"

That's mostly what I've been doing the past year. Sometimes I wish it had never happened. So many painful events both personal and national occurred. The worst of which was the loss of my oldest child, Craig, on October 24th. We have been unable to complete our mourning period by holding a memorial due to the pandemic.

It has been a full year since I have left my little cottage here in Austin. In January, 2020 my daughter Carajean took me to my primary care physician for an annual checkup. Next we went to the hair stylist I've used for several years for a much-needed haircut. He cut thirteen inches off of my hair, which turned out to be a real blessing. At the time we had no idea I would be unable to return for over a year. Of course, by now those thirteen inches have grown back plus inches more. As a result of the events of the past year I now have some gray hairs sprinkled among the new growth. And I am still unable to leave my cozy home.

(Grandchild Cameron on one end of Porch) 

The COVID-19 pandemic keeps looming unrelentingly over us, worsening every week. Because of this, my children Carajean and Matthew are almost paranoid over the possibility I might be exposed to the virus. My cottage has a large front porch that is conducive to holding "porch visits" while maintaining social distancing. During these visits everyone wears their mask unless they are eating or drinking. Everyone but me. My oxygen tubing makes it too difficult. If anyone needs to be indoors (Matthew is my go-to for minor tasks and "fix its"; Carajean changes my sheets), I am instructed to remain on the porch. Ordering groceries and medications online has made shopping possible during this pandemic. As I no longer own a car, I can easily have them delivered or picked up curbside. Again, my children or grandchildren come to the rescue.

It appears I may have to wait longer for my much-needed haircut. I really don't mind, but I look forward to being able to visit at someone's place besides my own! Or having company indoors again. The weather reports become critical in planning porch visits. Thank goodness the Hill Country has had a fairly mild winter so far. Playing dominoes or Qwirkle in 60- and 70- degree weather is not so bad.  Remarkably, the reports say we will have record-breaking 85 degrees this afternoon.

Modern technology has been a huge blessing (and even a curse at times). No matter that we might be confined to home, there are always texts, emails, and entertainment at our fingertips. We may have cowered in fear at some of the news that reached us day and night. As we anxiously awaited election news, we were bombarded with conspiracies and threats from the opposing sides. Then there were the constant instances of the votes being threatened in state after state by a president who refused to believe he would not be around another four years!  We held our breath as votes were counted and then recounted.

Whew.. At last we had a new President elected - or thought we did. Then January 6th happened. The repercussions of the assault on our nation's Capitol continue to this day. Many of the participants are being arrested and charged. And finally, the instigator of the horrific events of that day will be judged by a jury of his peers. Our former president probably won't be convicted at his impeachment due to his loyal followers who fear for their futures if they vote to convict. The world knows he is guilty. In the meantime, President Biden is making progress in undoing so much damage that was done to our democracy by the previous administration. Way to go, Joe!

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On a lighter note. The bright spots in a dark year were staying in touch with friends. I love hearing news regarding their families. One dear friend in Denton has a daughter, Donna Rodgers, who is amazing in her talents. Her mother recently shared a photo of her daughter's most recent accomplishments.  From time to time, I had checked her homemaking blog. www.cominhome.net Besides homeschooling her five children, Donna is an accomplished seamstress, musician, songwriter, and since about 2016-2017, she began to use the sculpting tools left to her by her late father. These are just a couple of examples. More can be seen on her website www.classicalsculpting.com.

This is titled after the Greek mythological character Arethusa, Nymph of Achaia. Donna's daughter Rebekah was the model. She uses members of her family as well as friends as models. 

She used her youngest son Christian, who was on his way to boot camp, to model Lucifer's angry rage at his defeat in Paradise Lost. Donna said that he made the angriest face she'd ever seen! 

Donna's websites share her remarkable life and interests. She even tried her hand at beekeeping. You can find out more and see her sculptures from her Instagram site:  @donnacrodgers.. or her blog at https://donnacrodgers.com/blog/.  She is one busy lady -- working a full-time job as well as all of her artistic endeavors.

Makes me feel more than a little bit lazy!.. But then, I remind myself of the title of this post, and I am going to go into the living room and "sit there".

Peace,

Marilyn

THE WAVES STILL COME

 My daughter Carajean had the sad experience of finding her brother Craig had passed away in his sleep on October 24th. The experience will remain with her always. She has been a constant source of comfort to me since that time. The precious meme below of brother and sister was sent to her by Craig. The moving article on grief was sent to her by her son Tanner shortly after Craig's death. It so aptly describes my own experiences the past three weeks that I feel the author reached inside my soul and captured my feelings.

"Alright, here goes. I’m old. What that means is that I’ve survived (so far) and a lot of people I’ve known and loved did not. I’ve lost friends, best friends, acquaintances, co-workers, grandparents, mom relatives, teachers, mentors, students, neighbors, and a host of other folks. I have no children, and I can’t imagine the pain it must be to lose a child. But here’s my two cents.

"I wish I could say you get used to people dying. I never did. I don’t want to. It tears a hole through me whenever somebody I love dies, no matter the circumstances. But I don’t want it to 'not matter'. I don’t want it to be something that just passes. My scars are a testament to the love and the relationship that I had for and with that person. And if the scar is deep, so was the love. So be it. Scars are a testament to life. Scars are a testament that I can love deeply and live deeply and be cut, or even gouged, and that I can heal and continue to live and continue to love. And the scar tissue is stronger than the original flesh ever was. Scars are a testament to life. Scars are only ugly to people who can’t see.

"As for grief, you’ll find it comes in waves. When the ship is first wrecked, you’re drowning, with wreckage all around you. Everything floating around you reminds you of the beauty and the magnificence of the ship that was and is no more. And all you can do is float. You find some piece of the wreckage and you hang on for a while. Maybe it’s some physical thing. Maybe it’s a happy memory or a photograph. Maybe it’s a person who is also floating. For a while all you can do is float. Stay alive.

"In the beginning, the waves are 100 feet tall and crash over you without mercy. They come 10 seconds apart and don’t even give you time to catch your breath. All you can do is hang on and float. After a while, maybe weeks, maybe months, you’ll find the waves are still 100 feet tall, but they come further apart.  When they come,  they still crash all over you and wipe you out. But in between, you can breathe, you can function. You never know what's going to trigger the grief. It might be a song, a picture, a street intersection, the smell of a cup of coffee. It can be just about anything...and the wave comes crashing. But in between waves, there is life.

"Somewhere down the line, and it's different for everybody, you find that the waves are only 80 feet tall. Or 50 feet tall. And while they still come, they come further apart. You can see them coming. An anniversary, a birthday, or Christmas, or landing at O'Hare. You can see it coming, for the most part, and prepare yourself. And when it washes over you, you know that somehow you will, again, come out the other side. Soaking wet, sputtering, still hanging on to some tiny piece of the wreckage, but you'll come out.

"Take it from an old guy. The waves never stop coming, and somehow you don't really want them to. But you learn that you'll survive them. And other waves will come. And you'll survive them, too. If you're lucky, you'll have lots of scars from lots of loves. And lots of shipwrecks." G. Snow

RANDALL CRAIG YOUNG

Craig's obituary:

Craig Young Obituary

Craig's memorial service will be held November 28th at 1 pm at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home on North Lamar, Austin, Texas. The service will be live streamed on their Facebook website: 

WCFFunerals

I have received so many beautiful condolences, cards, and floral arrangements from you, my friends and loved ones. If I haven't already, I will thank you individually very soon. It's your love and prayers that have kept me going. I am so blessed in having you all in my life.

The waves are still coming..

Peace and Love, 

Marilyn

SHARING OUR LOSS

Some of you have already read this on my high school class blog. Our family is still in shock over the loss of Craig. As someone said to me, "Our children are not supposed to go before we do!" He was such a big part of our lives, and for the first time we all were living here in Austin.

A Loss So Great..

...I don't know how to go on without him in my life. My first born child, Craig Young, died in his sleep Friday night. He was 62-years-old and enjoying his life more than he had in years. My daughter Carajean went to check on him for me as he was not answering my texts or voice mail. He was supposed to pick up groceries I had ordered and bring them to my house. We were going to have a "porch visit" that was past due. Carajean had to call 911 to come and check on Craig, and she wasn't allowed in until the Medical Examiner came. She could see him lying on the sofa, with his hand under his chin. Peaceful looking, but the police checked for a pulse. They told her there was no sign that it was anything other than a peaceful, natural death. I am so thankful that they had a grief counselor come to assist Carrie until her brother Matthew and his wife Amy arrived. We do not have the final arrangements as of yet. Craig's two children, Cameron and Hannah, are to come here from Fort Worth and Dallas in the next day or two. They will make plans at that time. Cameron posted the following beautiful tribute to Craig on Facebook the next day. His writing is in Italics, and I made a few comments in regular type.

"I lost my best friend last night. One of the most loving people I've ever known. Of all the ways I can think of to pay tribute to him (and will at some point), here's what he would want on here first and foremost. He instilled in me from an early age a desire to fight for a loving, just, and inclusive world. He told me stories about how racism and bigotry has harmed our society, but also about the countless heroes who had come before us and managed to make things better - even if it was just a little bit. He also taught me that democracy (with some help), however flawed it may be, is our absolute best shot to achieve that vision. 

"My dad was in his early twenties (correction, Cameron, he was only 19) working at the Sheraton Hotel in Waco, TX when Alex Haley stayed there - the Roots miniseries had just been released. My dad rashly knocked on his door in the middle of the night, to tell Mr. Haley (who answered the door in his underwear), 'I want to thank you for what you've done for this country.' Alex Haley would later write about this encounter in Playboy magazine ('I didn't know whether to hug him or punch him'). Leave it to some well-intentioned hippie white boy, but it's a beautiful reflection of his personality. Going out of his way to make his principles known, and hopefully, making Alex Haley feel a little more welcomed in an otherwise unwelcoming place. 

"My dad was a lifelong Democrat - like 'canvassed for McGovern when he was 14' Democrat. He was a delegate for the Texas Convention more times than I can count (including this year). He was active in the Nuclear Disarmament movement in the 80s. (He was on the 7-member board of directors of the Texas Nuclear Freeze Movement -- all but Craig were PhDs.) Here is a picture he took marching with Jesse Jackson in a demonstration that I assume has roots in the Rainbow Coalition of the 60s. (I couldn't find the one with Craig in it, but this was on the day Craig joined him in 1985.)

(This was actually in June 1985. I got a call from Craig, 'Don't be surprised, Mom, if you get a call from me saying I'm in jail!' Needless to say, I was a little concerned. He went on to say, 'It was called the March for Peace and Justice. Apartheid was one of many issues being protested. I still have a couple of pictures of him standing a few feet away from me being interviewed prior to the march. We started at Lafayette Park, marched down Pennsylvania Ave. and ended at the Capitol lawn, where he and many others spoke. About 100,000 people, according to Park Police estimates.')

"He was counting down the days to see Mango Mussolini voted out of office and to have integrity, reason, and kindness return to our national and local leadership. I'm hurt that he won't see that, but in some ways relieved that he may not have to witness how hard indeed the coming weeks and months could be for our country. With that said - Vote your a** off! Get organized to protect that right for others. My Dad recognized that Donald J. Trump and his enablers pose the single biggest existential threat to those fundamental rights that he had seen in his lifetime. Do it for our climate in peril, for the countless people being marginalized, erased, or otherwise harmed by those in power. For women and trans folk. For the kids separated from their families. For those we've lost to COVID and other stuff because of our negligible leadership and healthcare system. For my dad." 

"I love you so much, Dad."

Cameron's LSU Sr Recital
Cameron-Hannah-Craig

Many of you already know about Craig. He was as crazy about his children as they are about him. When Cameron left for college, Craig wrote a moving article about him as well: Number One Son

Cameron has been going over some of the things his dad has saved and ran across that post. He left a sweet comment at the end.

This has helped...just to write about it. Stay well everyone..and please vote if you haven't yet. Craig will be watching from above.

Peace and Love,

Marilyn

Surely it can't get much worse!

(Public Domain)

As we approach the November election, so many events are happening that it is difficult to keep from thinking we are certainly nearing the Apocalypse. Record-breaking temperatures throughout the country, wildfires destroying millions of acres of our beautiful forests as well as those throughout the Amazon, melting polar ice caps that are causing warmer ocean temperatures which are creating a record number of tropical storms and hurricanes this year, are only a few of the troubling headlines. And then there is what appears to be the "Antichrist". Fumbling his way through interviews where he speaks of something he knows nothing about, he is advocating a method of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic that would result in the deaths of millions of people in the United States.."herd immunity", or as he calls it, "herd mentality". Something so many of his supporters appear to suffer from.

(imgflip)

The current administration has decimated so many of the federal government agencies that we no longer can count on getting truthful information or even assistance as was available in the past. Experienced, reliable heads of agencies have been fired only to be replaced by inexperienced, sometimes very unstable persons such as the one who just had a supposed "meltdown" online, Michael Caputo. Not only did he not have any health experience relating to running such an important agency as the Health and Human Services, but he also had been a paid "image consultant" of Vladimir Putin before he became president. As Trump's campaign adviser was his only qualification. We are still uncovering the damage he incurred through the CDC.  

"The United States leads the First World in the following categories: prison population, drug use, child hunger, poverty, illiteracy, teen pregnancies, firearms death, obesity, diabetes, recorded rapes, use of antidepressants, income disparity, military spending, production of hazardous waste, and the poor quality of its schools (Paul Hawken, who published this list in Blessed Unrest, also points out that the U.S. is the only country in the world besides Iraq with metal detectors in its schools)." What Happens When We Teach Peace

The current administration has done nothing to alleviate any of these problems in our society. If anything, the vacancies created by dismissing heads of departments and agencies working towards solving some of them have only made things worse. Money spent on building the "Wall" that was to be Trump's legacy would have gone a long way towards ending child hunger in the U.S. The appointment of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education was almost laughable. How can someone of her wealth and again, no relatable experience for the position, someone who never attended a public school, be of help to our "poor quality" public school system? We could go on and on listing the holes in our democracy that Trump and his collaborators have created. So many of the cuts made have been behind the scenes and done quietly. The regulations they have done away with in the Environmental Protection Agency is almost criminal when we view the damage being done to our air pollution, groundwater, and wildlife. The only solution Trump has come up with lately in regards to the wildfires is those states should be "raking their forests".  (Image from Punch Line)

Some political pundit recently said that we should be prepared for anything from Trump to upset the election -- even starting a war! So far there isn't a sign of that happening. He's too excited about being "nominated" for a Nobel Peace Prize! 

I know who I'm voting to be our next president. Maybe our next First Lady will consent to be Secretary of Education. 

Peace,

Marilyn

MAY WE "WALK WITH THE WIND"

A story that was sent to me not long after the death of  U.S. Rep. John Robert Lewis stuck with me.  Lewis told this story about his childhood that I feel is important to be told to the youth of today.  There was great wisdom shown by his Aunt Seneva as the storm raged around them.

"About fifteen of us children were outside my aunt Seneva’s house, playing in her dirt yard. The sky began clouding over, the wind started picking up, lightning flashed far off in the distance, and suddenly I wasn’t thinking about playing anymore; I was terrified… Aunt Seneva was the only adult around, and as the sky blackened and the wind grew stronger, she herded us all inside. "Her house was not the biggest place around, and it seemed even smaller with so many children squeezed inside. Small and surprisingly quiet. All of the shouting and laughter that had been going on earlier, outside, had stopped. The wind was howling now, and the house was starting to shake. We were scared. Even Aunt Seneva was scared.                     John Lewis Age 11 "And then it got worse. Now the house was beginning to sway. The wood plank flooring beneath us began to bend. And then, a corner of the room started lifting up. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. None of us could. This storm was actually pulling the house toward the sky. With us inside it.  "That was when Aunt Seneva told us to clasp hands. Line up and hold hands, she said, and we did as we were told. Then she had us walk as a group toward the corner of the room that was rising. From the kitchen to the front of the house we walked, the wind screaming outside, sheets of rain beating on the tin roof. Then we walked back in the other direction, as another end of the house began to lift. And so it went, back and forth, fifteen children walking with the wind, holding that trembling house down with the weight of our small bodies. "More than half a century has passed since that day, and it has struck me more than once over those many years that our society is not unlike the children in that house, rocked again and again by the winds of one storm or another, the walls around us seeming at times as if they might fly apart. "It seemed that way in the 1960s, at the height of the civil rights movement, when America itself felt as if it might burst at the seams—so much tension, so many storms. But the people of conscience never left the house. They never ran away. They stayed, they came together and they did the best they could, clasping hands and moving toward the corner of the house that was the weakest. And then another corner would lift, and we would go there. "And eventually, inevitably, the storm would settle, and the house would still stand. But we knew another storm would come, and we would have to do it all over again. And we did. And we still do, all of us. You and I. Children holding hands, walking with the wind…"            By John Lewis ******************************* Sadly, due to the current COVID-19 restrictions, we are unable to "hold hands" -- at least we should not! However, many of our citizens (some of our "children" and grandchildren) are showing solidarity in the peaceful protests being carried out all over our land while most are wearing their masks to show how much they care. And today it is not only African-Americans who are protesting and being punished by law enforcement. Look carefully. All races are now "walking with the wind".  RIP John Lewis. Thank you for your service. Peace and Love, Marilyn

STANDING FOR CHANGE

As our nation is suffering from the worst public health pandemic since the 1918 Spanish Flu, feeling the effects of an historic heat wave -- Death Valley recorded the highest temperature in history - 130 degrees, the raging forest fires in California and Colorado that are causing evacuations and threatening even more chaos and destruction from mudslides, and parts of the East coast still reeling from the effects of the recent Hurricane Isaias, I witnessed a most inspirational event this past weekend. The timing couldn't be more apropos. 

(Bucks Co., PA govt - Isaias damage)

Not only did these two young men spend 24-hours reading pertinent books about climate change and discussing what it has done and continues to do to our planet, but they did this while standing on their feet the entire time! Their intention was to raise awareness of the extensive damage being done by climate change and to hopefully raise $500 for "Extinction Rebellion", an international nonviolent movement seeking real solutions to climate change. 

The local chapter of Extinction Rebellion posted the following on Facebook:

Extinction Rebellion ATX  on Sunday:

"Branch and Jorden are still going strong, STILL STANDING after 12+ hours, now reading from David Wallace-Well's "The Uninhabitable Earth" (sprinkled with morbid humor comments). Check the live feed out at twitch.tv/branch_archer. Here's the remaining schedule:

Hours 6-16 (1:00 AM-12:00 PM): Reading lists of endangered species, Trump’s environmental rollbacks, and reading classic books about climate change.

Hour 17 (12:00PM-1:00PM): Agriculture"

I'm proud to say that Branch Tanner Archer (right) is my grandson, and Jorden Hix (left) is his good friend. A medical friend of my daughter's chimed in after a few hours and suggested some in-place exercises to relieve some of the pain in their legs.

Tanner and Jorden had raised over $2,000 by the end of their 24-hour standathon. Needless to say, this grandmother couldn't be more proud! I stayed online with them until I could no longer stay awake. I got up during the night and checked back in with them. From time to time I chatted as well. I reminded them that although my generation did not accomplish enough to stop the damages climate change was wreaking, we were already being warned. The first book to make an impression on me was Rachel Carson's book in 1962, "SILENT SPRING".. Again in 1991, then Senator George Mitchell wrote "WORLD ON FIRE". Both scared many of us, but unfortunately, not enough action was taken. Maybe Al Gore helped fire up (I use that word carefully) my grandchildren's generation. At any rate, more and more young people are challenging the world to wake up and save our planet and the animals before it is too late.

A headline today almost brought tears to my eyes. As if Trump hasn't created enough damage from cozying up to the oil and gas industry, (not just him..the GOP is noted for its support) he is now supporting oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The following article states "Future oil and gas activities resulting from the decision are expected to impact greenhouse gas emissions, water quality, wildlife population and migration patterns, and impacts of increased human activity in the area, according to the environmental impact statement." OIL AND GAS DRILLING IN ANWR

In 2008 I had pretty lengthy back and forth correspondence with then Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson as well as an employee of ANWR. One of my letters began thus:

"Senator Hutchinson,

First, may I say I received your email today outlining your position on the energy crisis. I may be simple minded, but if it is true that the oil companies are currently drilling on only 18% of the oil leases that they have in the United States alone, why do you think they need to have permission to drill in more parts of the country and oceans? Especially when it is so environmentally risky. I know there are no easy answers, but giving free rein to an already hugely profitable industry does not make sense. 

"As my original email letter to you stated, I do not wish to support any legislation to permit any new offshore or ANWR drilling. Nor will I support any politician who supports such drilling."

Today's article mentioned the fact that legislation already mandated that oil and gas activity be opened in ANWR in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act signed into law in 2017. I must have still been in shock about the election, as I missed that. 

Tanner and Jorden discussed the plight of wildlife - among many topics - due to global warming. One only has to see photos of the starving polar bears to understand the effects of global warming on the ice caps. To add any more stress to the wildlife in the Arctic region is criminal. 

(Only 2 more hours, guys!)

Congratulations! You made it to 24 hours! I expect we will be hearing more and more from you and your generation. We need your energy and determination to fight for the changes needed. Nonviolently, of course.

Thank you.. and peace.