tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63122592308938377452024-03-05T03:58:20.962-07:00Dragonfly Wars"Dragonfly Wars" relates to the conflicts inside a person, between fear and beauty, ignorance and acceptance. Also, it is a reminder that life is short; the average lifespan of an adult dragonfly is only about 5 to 6 months.Kea Gileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11211530812365532404noreply@blogger.comBlogger130125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312259230893837745.post-35673454736437408172020-10-13T15:58:00.002-06:002020-10-13T15:58:53.928-06:00<p><b><span style="font-size: large;">I</span></b> finally figured out how to access my blog again. If you are logged in to Google, it uses your Google domain email (gmail) to try to log you in, but I never used that email to create this blog. I'm glad to be able to get back in here by a circuitous route.</p><p>It certainly is interesting times. I wish I had had this blog going again in February, when things went from being on a cruise in the Caribbean at the end of February to working from home and "safer at home" in mid-March.</p><p>So much more has happened -- I don't need to summarize for you if you have been following the news. </p><p>I'm not sure the direction I'm going to take this blog. I think I will go back to writing 10 things I am grateful for and essays on fortune cookie sayings. Any thoughts?</p>Kea Gileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11211530812365532404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312259230893837745.post-89371856580925859552019-03-18T11:16:00.000-06:002019-03-18T11:16:34.542-06:00Catching Up -- Wow, it's been two years!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTId1hupCWasWV6sxdzXJ9JvR5vZNhgaj5pnRQot0XIReXD6KZLgaZYXzkSA8m9YOkxchDOckP_gaCwb0q5xBu0TIIBSEzEVqFHGAQXh0aHGS9CFyTYx2GUGeCqCSLqChQtOtkgkoQ5bYT/s1600/shipfromCay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTId1hupCWasWV6sxdzXJ9JvR5vZNhgaj5pnRQot0XIReXD6KZLgaZYXzkSA8m9YOkxchDOckP_gaCwb0q5xBu0TIIBSEzEVqFHGAQXh0aHGS9CFyTYx2GUGeCqCSLqChQtOtkgkoQ5bYT/s320/shipfromCay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
This is my latest adventure, cruising aboard the Regal Princess in the Caribbean. So my top 10 this post:<br />
<br />
1. Cruise on board the Regal Princess<br />
2. Princess Cays, Eleuthera, Bahamas<br />
3. St. Thomas and St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands<br />
4. The hike and beautiful little beach on St. John, where I would like to swim more<br />
5. St. Maarten<br />
6. Gelato in St. Maarten<br />
7. Peanut butter for breakfast on the ship!<br />
8. As much coffee as I wanted!<br />
9. Sun-bathing on deck.<br />
10. Reading with my husband in the Princess Live! Café lounge -- they had great wing-back chairs.Kea Gileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11211530812365532404noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312259230893837745.post-17814241347112586712017-03-18T15:45:00.000-06:002017-03-18T15:45:06.398-06:0010 Things - 18 March 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMSRDHUBgAkpH2SKn7RiuNWHx7yO9jRjvVpezARSnVjgaKK0UdHGYB6KDzo45f4_qIf-1qucBQHnP6NByeIlsJyldWy-czR4_RD66h8bWTNZXbhyphenhyphenmHZ_9fuX8cZ94izY7X462nXhuwvHSn/s1600/office.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMSRDHUBgAkpH2SKn7RiuNWHx7yO9jRjvVpezARSnVjgaKK0UdHGYB6KDzo45f4_qIf-1qucBQHnP6NByeIlsJyldWy-czR4_RD66h8bWTNZXbhyphenhyphenmHZ_9fuX8cZ94izY7X462nXhuwvHSn/s400/office.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>I'm grateful for ...</b><br />
1. My office.<br />
2. Sunshine in my office.<br />
3. The goofy dog whose picture just popped up on the screen in my office.<br />
4. The flowers in my office.<br />
5. The ficus tree in my office.<br />
6. The fact that the tree made it through nearly dying in my small, cold apartment, to the large plant it is today. When I brought it to work in 2008, it just "blossomed."<br />
7. Jasper even though he is barking right now.<br />
8. Of course, Bear. Of course, always.<br />
9. Family.<br />
10. Friends. Kea Gileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11211530812365532404noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312259230893837745.post-2734777033405358612017-01-29T14:12:00.003-07:002017-01-29T14:12:47.950-07:0010 Things - 29 January 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-hpJv0jJlvmqszoQddPhsACAbdnb2-sBWfUrW_BRoBDjC-PRWdpwlAm4BGjFKvO7LIPrvXw7umqqYdKpw-pYlNp3HfiNapH0hwjmBw2wyH3Qae37U4r06-LJ0UAgMBFaQ2lqMroBzfSX3/s1600/SparklesStairs2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-hpJv0jJlvmqszoQddPhsACAbdnb2-sBWfUrW_BRoBDjC-PRWdpwlAm4BGjFKvO7LIPrvXw7umqqYdKpw-pYlNp3HfiNapH0hwjmBw2wyH3Qae37U4r06-LJ0UAgMBFaQ2lqMroBzfSX3/s320/SparklesStairs2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>I'm grateful for ...</b><br />
1. This silly dog<br />
2. The way my life has changed for the incredibly way better since this doggie came home to me<br />
3. Today's beautiful, sunny, 65°F weather<br />
4. Carrie Fisher's books<br />
5. Having Bear's office just in the next room<br />
6. Jasper, of course!<br />
7. The fact that I did not drink that beetle with my Diet Coke yesterday<br />
8. My brother, Rob, who is presently working very hard out on our deck<br />
9. The fact that I am able to sit here in my safe home and write this on my nice computer<br />
10. HopeKea Gileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11211530812365532404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312259230893837745.post-32053092349576756762017-01-22T19:44:00.001-07:002017-01-22T19:44:43.915-07:00Fortune Cookie Musings - The Series Continues<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi98R7adslCkA6cVQJsyaial3IgpKmpBFQTIdu3rSlFByeDAqpTHVCSDNiPdTEESM8bdEW1J_RmYLkl6RcK2JDifUj1Op8F-WO4XQMn-MOa-V5qALHrRHQwJ0IXC6zIkXno_F_5KAdY-MBv/s1600/fortunecookie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi98R7adslCkA6cVQJsyaial3IgpKmpBFQTIdu3rSlFByeDAqpTHVCSDNiPdTEESM8bdEW1J_RmYLkl6RcK2JDifUj1Op8F-WO4XQMn-MOa-V5qALHrRHQwJ0IXC6zIkXno_F_5KAdY-MBv/s1600/fortunecookie.jpg" /></a></div>
So a while back, I started a series reacting to fortunes I pulled from the sometimes delicious and sometimes crumbly and stale fortune cookies I get when I order Chinese food. Here's another installment.<br />
<br />
Today's fortune is (and I'm reusing some of these slips of paper, so I may have already taken one run at this idea) "Today you should spent some time to search in yourself" [<i>sic</i>].<br />
<br />
I have spent some time in introspection today, writing a couple of blog posts (I have more than one blog) and reading. Yes, I see reading as a form of introspection because I am having a conversation with myself and the author. It's not a one-way deal.<br />
<br />
But does "search in yourself" mean something else? Is there a road map in there, that if I dig down in my mind's eye I can follow my pulse into the center of myself? If I close my eyes, I think I can do that. I think, I sense. I breath, I feel light-headed. Who is this woman sitting in this chair in this body typing with her eyes closed? Is it still me? Who is me? Am I the child, the girl, the young woman, or the 54-year-old wearing glasses and feeling the weight of time (both physically and mentally)? Is time a weight?<br />
<br />
No, I haven't "imbibed" or "inhaled." All I did was eat a cookie...Kea Gileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11211530812365532404noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312259230893837745.post-21389677625240864702017-01-22T10:26:00.000-07:002017-01-22T19:33:31.339-07:0010 Things - 22 January 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpWretbZILCXPygcd70i2rGePFfK74LLQfBym932qOzsedLPh4iRGth-o6aaJjZhgMz6af2Wd5xSPQxhhE9Gr7LgN_za0fOJezHka-f3rVP2c7pEZInnulZlGMcyWMg-uJNqS532KgOwqL/s1600/falling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpWretbZILCXPygcd70i2rGePFfK74LLQfBym932qOzsedLPh4iRGth-o6aaJjZhgMz6af2Wd5xSPQxhhE9Gr7LgN_za0fOJezHka-f3rVP2c7pEZInnulZlGMcyWMg-uJNqS532KgOwqL/s400/falling.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>I'm grateful for ...</b><br />
1. The chance to see a glacier up-close (this one is Margerie Glacier)<br />
2. The chance to actually stand on a glacier (in Jasper National Park) and drink straight from the source<br />
3. The fact that I do not live on a glacier :)<br />
4. Living in Colorado<br />
5. My camera<br />
6. Every friend I think of as I am writing this <br />
7. The mindfulness I am learning each day with Sparkles (instead of asking "what if" I concentrate on "what is")<br />
8. The ability to go for a drive with my dogs<br />
9. Having a job<br />
10. My computerKea Gileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11211530812365532404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312259230893837745.post-70907795141953752942017-01-16T20:39:00.002-07:002017-01-16T20:39:49.442-07:00Sparky's Past Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQkkrfMT5knlrUFTz47JAoUrvrfYVd_16VJB27TlIV2sugyAMO1ixINUfFLh2aXkIUXJy8ygpaOCNKTiSd6rjoPSxVk3cmeVEqmLEev-xUTCH-jVbZKxLe46jI9dlbA5-bGVDatpMNV0T/s1600/SparkyXray1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQkkrfMT5knlrUFTz47JAoUrvrfYVd_16VJB27TlIV2sugyAMO1ixINUfFLh2aXkIUXJy8ygpaOCNKTiSd6rjoPSxVk3cmeVEqmLEev-xUTCH-jVbZKxLe46jI9dlbA5-bGVDatpMNV0T/s400/SparkyXray1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
A dog's paw is not supposed to look like this. See all the wavy lines and then the massive blurry area? Sparky's paw was broken sometime when she was much younger and never repaired. But that's not the worst of it. X-rays of her pelvis show that she must have been hit by a car with enough force to break it, and then it "healed" on its own in a way that makes it painful and difficult to walk normally. I saw this in her when I adopted her, but I didn't know why. I am furious at whomever hit her or her owners at that time for not seeking veterinary care. But I can't judge folks I don't know. I am just furious for Sparkles. The pain and anguish she must have gone through!<br />
<br />
The vet says there is no way to fix Sparky's paw (unless we have a pin put in) or the soft-tissue damage in the shoulder and elbow that cause her leg to stick out in a strange way. She says there <i>might</i> be a way to fix the pelvis, but that would require going in surgically and rebreaking the pelvis and then hoping it heals like it's supposed to. In the meantime, Sparkles' quality of life would be greatly reduced.<br />
<br />
Therefore we are going to make her as happy as possible under the circumstances. Lots of intermittent play, nothing too hard or long. Only play with small dogs that can't bowl her over (if I had only known that a week ago!). Pain meds. Cuddles. Several short walks a day rather than three big ones. Kisses. Cuddles. Play. Love.Kea Gileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11211530812365532404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312259230893837745.post-31332245196447781622017-01-15T17:23:00.001-07:002017-01-15T17:23:39.939-07:0010 Things - 15 Jan. 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>I'm grateful for ...</b><br />
<br />
1. Water<br />
2. Civil rights activists<br />
3. Freedom<br />
4. Growing things<br />
5. Breathing things<br />
6. The wind<br />
7. Still skies<br />
8. Friends<br />
9. Dogs<br />
10. President Obama Kea Gileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11211530812365532404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312259230893837745.post-90404390542580485402017-01-04T19:57:00.003-07:002017-01-04T19:57:51.652-07:0010 Things - 4 January 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEO1hfwrXQaND2oarjXPQFlh0tIkQNirurqYSiLJvZiN02c6Ru8hMKup2BMi33UN9kGF8rIS6MOpLnX-GDAP8HdJelLqeJvIqC9i3Y7iEqA8V54UGElN05RQAcsXVzkmcXVwvQb6jbb7H1/s1600/sparky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="photo of Sparky by keagiles" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEO1hfwrXQaND2oarjXPQFlh0tIkQNirurqYSiLJvZiN02c6Ru8hMKup2BMi33UN9kGF8rIS6MOpLnX-GDAP8HdJelLqeJvIqC9i3Y7iEqA8V54UGElN05RQAcsXVzkmcXVwvQb6jbb7H1/s320/sparky.jpg" title="Photo of Sparky by keagiles" width="303" /></a></div>
<b>I'm grateful for ...</b><br />
1. Sparky! It's a girl, and her full name is Louisa May Opal Sparkles, but we'll go with Sparky.<br />
2. The <a href="https://www.longmonthumane.org/?q=animals">Longmont Humane Society</a>, where we adopted her.<br />
3. <a href="http://lefthandanimalhospital.com/">Left Hand Animal Hospital</a> for the free new-pet checkup.<br />
4. Home carpet-cleaning machines.<br />
5. Perspective.<br />
6. The health and fitness professionals I work with.<br />
7. Carrie Fisher's book, <a href="http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Wishful-Drinking/Carrie-Fisher/9781439153710">Wishful Drinking</a>.<br />
8. Knowing I have friends.<br />
9. The ability to write fairly well.<br />
10. Getting home safely in a snowstorm. Kea Gileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11211530812365532404noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312259230893837745.post-4056456556748665202016-12-18T19:16:00.002-07:002016-12-18T19:16:24.734-07:0010 Things - 18 Dec. 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>I'm grateful for:</b><br />
1. The endless detail of seashells at Canaveral National Seashore (click on the photo for a larger version; I have an even larger version as well [photos on this blog are my own])<br />2. Jasper (the husky)<br />3. Bear (the human)<br />4. Medicine<br />5. My doctor<br />6. Time to get it right<br />7. Extra time off this month<br />8. Karina<br />9. The Azmus family<br />10. Indoor heating and plumbing (it's 2 deg F outside right now)Kea Gileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11211530812365532404noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312259230893837745.post-62460335077095727042016-12-16T10:02:00.000-07:002016-12-16T10:02:18.399-07:00Today's Poem Draft - 16 Dec. 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSOoNUiY9CJBgQp66iecEYFcAoOuNIkauxFwuA3Sks_lYfHQ_rQ8htv7DNF5qvVwKD0_ZMMY3cGxuV7UWHjLa45vu_17m1-1Mj6tOjxvIJGh73LiczRsGdxGgMlZik4NLdyczWmJtyrIsz/s1600/sandrock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSOoNUiY9CJBgQp66iecEYFcAoOuNIkauxFwuA3Sks_lYfHQ_rQ8htv7DNF5qvVwKD0_ZMMY3cGxuV7UWHjLa45vu_17m1-1Mj6tOjxvIJGh73LiczRsGdxGgMlZik4NLdyczWmJtyrIsz/s400/sandrock.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Spelled backward, sadness is<br />
dust, like bricks set in<br />
mortar too long<br />
longer than the death of a city,<br />
grass growing through cracks in the pavement<br />
into which your mind's eye<br />
can dive, layer by layer, through<br />
man-made stone and<br />
ground stone and mud and sand<br />
and get trapped<br />
ensnared by the earth<br />
only to gush, spew, up again<br />
like a torrent of tearsKea Gileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11211530812365532404noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312259230893837745.post-75490023021308415892016-11-28T17:35:00.001-07:002016-11-28T17:35:25.395-07:0010 Things - 28 Nov. 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">In this <b>"10 Things I'm Grateful For" </b>post, I'm prepping for tomorrow's "<a href="https://www.givingtuesday.org/" target="_blank">Giving Tuesday</a>." Here are my top 10 charities to which I have donated or will donate money this year:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">1. <a href="http://www.keaconservation.co.nz/" target="_blank">Save the Kea</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2. <a href="https://girlup.org/" target="_blank">Girl Up</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">3. <a href="https://www.plannedparenthood.org/" target="_blank">Planned Parenthood</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">4. <a href="http://www.nature.org/" target="_blank">The Nature Conservancy</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">5. <a href="http://www.sierraclub.org/" target="_blank">The Sierra Club</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">6. <a href="http://www.worldwildlife.org/#" target="_blank">World Wildlife Fund</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">7. <a href="https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/" target="_blank">Wounded Warrior Project</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">8. <a href="http://www.cci.org/site/c.cdKGIRNqEmG/b.3978475/k.3F1C/Canine_Companions_for_Independence.htm" target="_blank">Canine Companions for Independence</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">9. <a href="http://www.trucare.org/" target="_blank">Tru Community Care/Boulder County Hospice</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">10. <a href="http://water.org/">Water.org</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>How about you? </b></i></span>Kea Gileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11211530812365532404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312259230893837745.post-34836573765018493882016-11-16T18:07:00.001-07:002016-11-16T18:07:08.065-07:0010 Things - 16 Nov. 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWy9TKhEd9QNwKwk-R3GmRVunH38QfB3Ji7Kj_Y-ILxJSlP5u98f14an0YqtUrEGW9fEELmjq8E8Ca8up6ZQqQ0fZJxF0a8yuhoUw_wkMdlfVJsBMpqvqp6TdqP_-xVTWHVPFLxoHHvqdY/s1600/crazyblue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWy9TKhEd9QNwKwk-R3GmRVunH38QfB3Ji7Kj_Y-ILxJSlP5u98f14an0YqtUrEGW9fEELmjq8E8Ca8up6ZQqQ0fZJxF0a8yuhoUw_wkMdlfVJsBMpqvqp6TdqP_-xVTWHVPFLxoHHvqdY/s400/crazyblue.jpg" width="308" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">I'm grateful for ... </span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">1. Happy dogs</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2. Aleo</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">3. Having a job with good benefits</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">4. Working out</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">5. Music to workout by</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">6. Freedom to drive my own car</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">7. The use of the word "neurotypical" in "The Accountant" movie</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">8. The tapestry backpack I bought in Eureka, California, in the 90s</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">9. The freedom to blog and publish</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">10. The BBC One show "Call the Midwife" </span>Kea Gileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11211530812365532404noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312259230893837745.post-71683061242927044332016-11-14T20:29:00.000-07:002016-11-15T11:42:19.347-07:00Why She Voted for Trump<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUyhVsH6M3pzyTOGmZF_RGfpbNgNFrf7xuXg2BqmqALaL8ssPtqXl8pCHsMBCvFz4ns_Q0EnlqdHMxeZ5E2dk2EXMFzz6OU2mhAm9XXAMpqp5FuYgZ4c1m7g69mBQqjvN2wvGXblLUGdo0/s1600/neatoscreenshot-4July.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUyhVsH6M3pzyTOGmZF_RGfpbNgNFrf7xuXg2BqmqALaL8ssPtqXl8pCHsMBCvFz4ns_Q0EnlqdHMxeZ5E2dk2EXMFzz6OU2mhAm9XXAMpqp5FuYgZ4c1m7g69mBQqjvN2wvGXblLUGdo0/s320/neatoscreenshot-4July.jpg" width="281" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I voted for Hillary Clinton for president this year, </b>and almost everyone I know did as well. In fact, where I live, you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who voted for Trump, or at least who would admit to it (read: very liberal town).</span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I have met a couple of people who did vote for Trump, and one of them (someone I care about) was kind enough to answer, quite thoroughly and intelligently, a set of interview questions I provided.</span><br />
<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Her reflections are transcribed below:</b></span></h2>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Q:</b> <i>Can you give me a brief summary of your education and background? </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>A:</b> I am a 77-year-old ordinary person of Scots-Irish heritage. I grew up in a small Western town, and my childhood was happy and busy. I was a girl scout, took piano lessons, and any other lessons that I could locate in that small town. I rode bicycle and roller-skated all over town, and I went to the movies every time the picture changed. We were an upper middle class family. I graduated high school with an A average, was a National Merit Scholar and the Outstanding Senior English student. I have an Associate's Degree with a 4.0 GPA which I received when I was sixty-seven years old. In between, I worked and raised my children. I began working when I was 28 as a part-time bank teller. I worked very hard, long hours and finished up as a bank Vice President by the time I was 50. I always felt that I could do anything I wanted to do and was a "pull myself up by my bootstraps" sort of person.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Q:<i> </i></b><i>Have you been a Republican all your life?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>A:</b> I remember sitting up listening closely to the radio to hear the speeches and the action at the Republican Convention in 1952. There were seven names in consideration, and Dwight Eisenhower won the nomination on the third ballot. I was very happy. I was twelve. Before that I don't know what I was.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Q:</b> <i>How have you seen the party change over time, or has it?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>A: </b>Of course, the party has changed, just as the Democrat Party has changed. Republicans have moved to the right and Democrats to the left. This is not Eisenhower's GOP and it's not John Kennedy's Democrat Party. But the important things for the Republicans have not changed ... the belief that Federal government should be as small as possible and should stay out of the things that should be decided at the state level (like education, abortion, etc.) and the faith in the Constitution as written by very wise men about 240 years ago; and in the Bill of Rights which was written as it is to ensure that government could not enslave the people (as the monarchs had done in Europe). We are a party that believes that all people are born free and should remain free to be and do whatever they are ABLE to do and that the government should not interfere in that freedom.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Q:</b> <i>Did you vote for Trump?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>A:</b> Yes, I voted for Trump, and I want to tell you why. Many people don't know how much this country has been hurting for all the years under Mr. Obama's administration. You will notice if you look at the map that most of the Democrat votes came from the urban areas and that the rural areas are almost completely Republican. People in the cities are out of touch with the country. (They call it fly-over country.) That's why the election result was such a shock to so many of you, and exactly why we have an Electoral College – so that New York, Chicago, and L.A. cannot control the entire county. You may hear that things are great … that unemployment is down … that the country is strong. Meanwhile, the timber industry is shut down, the steel industry is shut down, the mining industry is nearly shut down. If you make an honest count and include the people who have given up, unemployment in many areas is close to 20%. People are pouring in over our borders. How many of can we afford to feed, clothe, and house? Do you know where most of the drug problem is originating from? Is it at all possible that some of these people might be from Syria? Might be ISIS? Can we afford to take that chance? People are frightened and want a President who means something when he says he is drawing a "line in the sand." The national debt is close to $20Trillion. This is a debt we can never pay! Do you know what $20Trillion looks like? ($20,000,000,000,000.00) Can any of us afford our portion of that debt? Can we in good conscience continue to let it grow? Trump cannot pay the national debt and cannot fix everything that has gone wrong in the years that the debt doubled, but he will make a start. He will bring back industry. He will bring back jobs – honest jobs that people are proud to do and that pay enough to live on. People were very angry. They didn’t want a continuation of Obama’s policies … period.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Q:</b> <i>What did you know about Trump before he entered the race?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>A: </b>I knew he was rich. I knew he had funny hair. I thought he was just a celebrity. I did not want him to run. But the more I saw of him and the more I heard, the more I thought he might just be the fighter we need to clean out the deadwood in the bureaucracies in Washington, stop the over-regulation of every little thing, and work with the Congress to pass laws instead of making "executive orders," many of which are against the law.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Q:</b> <i>If Trump had not run, whom would you have voted for in the primary?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>A:</b> John Kasich. I have admired him since he was a congressman and managed to balance the budget.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Q:</b> <i>Who else would you have chosen?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>A:</b> I’m not sure who I would have chosen. As I said, I liked John Kasich a lot. I didn't like Jeb Bush. It's time for the Bush family and the Clinton family to fade into history. Years ago I sort of wanted Elizabeth Dole to run, but she's too old now. I guess Ted Cruz would have been my next choice, but I'm happy with Trump.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Q:</b><i> Do you think some people see Trump as a father figure</i>?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>A:</b> No, I think they see him as a fighter and a leader … someone who will actually get something done.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Q: </b><i>Lots of women voted for Trump even in light of what some people call misogyny. Why do you think that is?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>A:</b> The women I know voted for Trump for the same reason as the men did. It had nothing to do with gender. When will some of you young women come to see that women and men are just different … not meant to be equal in every way? Trust me, you have it <i>so</i> good. Hang on. A woman will be President someday soon … just not a woman like Hillary Clinton. Please look closely at her (and at her husband). Don’t be fooled.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Q:</b> <i>What do you think about Trump's choice of VP?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>A:</b> I think Pence is a great choice for VP. He is very smart and capable. He is good balance for Trump's over-enthusiasm and will have good rapport with Congress. (Trump knows how to hire really good people.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Q: </b><i>Are there any things Trump has said that you disagree with?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>A: </b>Yes, sure, there are things he has said that I didn't like: Calling out the judge in the U of Trump case for being a "Mexican." Saying that the people coming across the border are largely rapists and murderers. Telling people to "go f*** themselves." Too much hyperbole. He's not a politician. He's not always PC.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Q:</b> <i>How did your husband's political views affect your vote?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>A:</b> My husband is very vocal about his political thoughts, but I don't let them influence me. I have a mind of my own.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Q:</b> <i>Name 5 things you'd like to see Trump get done.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>A: </b>Just five? Well, he will do more than this, but he will start with: 1. Close the borders; 2. Repeal and replace Obamacare with something people can really afford; 3. Lower corporate taxes and make it profitable for companies to bring their operations back from overseas into the U.S. (My Ford was built in Mexico. It should have been built in Michigan!); 4. Appoint constitution-lovers to the Supreme Court so that it interprets the law instead of trying to make law; and 5. Beef up the military so that we can beat the crap out of ISIS.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Q:</b> <i>Name the top three leaders, alive or dead, that you admire.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>A:</b> Three only? Well, here's four: Golda Meir, Ronald Regan, Winston Churchill, and Benjamin Netanyahu.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Q:</b> <i>Do you feel like liberal Democrats and/or liberals would tear you down if they knew your views? Do you feel safe talking about it?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>A:</b> Some liberal people are tearing me down. Some people don't want to know my opinion. Some people think that all Republicans are evil – homophobes, bigots, racists – or just plain Christian fanatics. But I'm just an American. I know I have faults, but I do not hate or discriminate. I have worked and lived with gay persons and black persons and even bigoted persons. As Ben Carson said, "We all bleed red blood." And I think a great many of my fellow Trump voters are the same. And I would like to add that Trump was elected mostly because of Hillary. She was a bad candidate. She took the ordinary folks for granted and assumed that she would be elected just because of who she is. She never stated a real reason to vote for her. And she carries a great deal of baggage.</span><br />
<br />
<b>Dear Readers: It's important to look at this issue from all sides, all facets, so that we can understand how to navigate the road ahead. </b>I ask for thoughtful, considerate, and constructive comments only.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Kea Gileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11211530812365532404noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312259230893837745.post-10816466011499820212016-11-12T15:00:00.001-07:002016-11-16T10:20:31.363-07:00More Volunteer Opportunities - Stand Our Ground and Help Those Around<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZHC39XaqmYQ6PTkKDnp488zePFOQM75ct5bdjN_WOx1n16B6QLdYx1MFBpyU0c6U4XWeKIzmoKobW826Y62N3i5tPgDQVs9m34eSkFgw4-yu-us5sUWSBLPpi3fFMPVLpwxeMUuTuFsCO/s1600/greetingcard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZHC39XaqmYQ6PTkKDnp488zePFOQM75ct5bdjN_WOx1n16B6QLdYx1MFBpyU0c6U4XWeKIzmoKobW826Y62N3i5tPgDQVs9m34eSkFgw4-yu-us5sUWSBLPpi3fFMPVLpwxeMUuTuFsCO/s200/greetingcard.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">See yesterday's post "<a href="https://t.co/l0P8T1ZHVy" target="_blank">Volunteer and Stand Our Ground</a>" for the first 20 vol-opps I have listed.</span><br />
<br />
21. Deliver "<a href="https://meals-on-wheels.com/" target="_blank">Meals on Wheels</a>."<br />
22. Go shopping for an elderly or disabled person.<br />
23. Start a <a href="http://leanincircles.org/" target="_blank">reading circle</a> focusing on books and magazines that empower women; for example, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lean-Women-Work-Will-Lead/dp/0385349947" target="_blank">Lean In</a></i>, by <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/sheryl_sandberg_why_we_have_too_few_women_leaders" target="_blank">Sheryl Sandberg</a>; <a href="http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Pivot/Adam-Markel/9781476779478" target="_blank"><i>Pivot</i></a> by Adam Markel; <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Poetry-Maya-Angelou/dp/0812997875" target="_blank"><i>The Complete Poetry</i></a> of Maya Angelou; the Harvard Business Review, esp. the compilation issue, "<a href="https://hbr.org/product/how-to-work-with-toxic-colleagues-hbr-onpoint-magazine/OPFA16-MAG-ENG" target="_blank">How to Work with Toxic Colleagues</a>"; and <a href="http://msmagazine.com/magazine.html" target="_blank">Ms. Magazine</a>.<br />
24. Volunteer at <a href="http://www.acf.hhs.gov/ohs" target="_blank">Head Start</a>.<br />
25. Make <a href="http://www.kitchencounterchronicle.com/friendship-pin-craft-patterning/" target="_blank">friendship pins</a> and pass them along.<br />
26. Teach someone to read. Your local library probably has a program. In Boulder it's called "Literacy Volunteer."<br />
27. Get involved in an oral history project. The most famous one is NPR's "Story Corps." There's even <a href="https://storycorps.me/" target="_blank">an app</a> for that.<br />
28. Buy stuff via <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/" target="_blank">Amazon Smiles</a> and see part of your purchase price go to the charity of your choice.<br />
29. Go shopping in your own closet and donate what you never wear.<br />
30. Volunteer at a thrift story (or a, what I call, charity shop [Miranda Hart fans will get that]).<br />
31. Take calls at a <a href="http://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/#" target="_blank">national</a>, local, or <a href="http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/suicide_prevention/" target="_blank">veteran's suicide prevention crisis line</a> office.<br />
32. Make and send cheerful greeting cards to <a href="http://www.cardsforhospitalizedkids.com/" target="_blank">hospitalized kids</a> or to folks in nursing homes.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Now I really am depending on you, my dear readers, to comment with more ideas and/or to let me know if you have taken up any of the 32 I've listed </span>Kea Gileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11211530812365532404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312259230893837745.post-53349784450337037702016-11-11T16:56:00.001-07:002016-11-16T10:19:04.789-07:00Volunteer and Stand Our Ground<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj20t95yQK7jjQAHSkS4FLQZNQxVRGBBWbejvbdkf9_Xsbwd1sEjrR6LDShPfl8HJpdHHa369C6CB9SiTjqGEAmhKIaITNLr60CXsM8Q4TiWLZT-LE8FpxQr8YCLIKa2A9ye3jaxUCo4G9L/s1600/bb1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj20t95yQK7jjQAHSkS4FLQZNQxVRGBBWbejvbdkf9_Xsbwd1sEjrR6LDShPfl8HJpdHHa369C6CB9SiTjqGEAmhKIaITNLr60CXsM8Q4TiWLZT-LE8FpxQr8YCLIKa2A9ye3jaxUCo4G9L/s200/bb1.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Yesterday evening (10 Nov.) Senator Elizabeth Warren was <a href="http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/sen-warren-we-stand-up-and-we-fight-back-806320195693" target="_blank">interviewed by Rachel Maddow on MSNBC</a>. Among other things that struck a chord with me is a call to action: We can all volunteer — find something that matters to us and stand in and stand our ground.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Following on that, I tweeted last night my own call to action: What will you do? Let's list it out. Me: Hospital pet therapy work. Help heal the sick and sick at heart.</span><br />
<br />
Here are some other ideas (and please add your comments or "tweet me back" at @Colo_kea):<br />
<ol>
<li>Teach English to immigrants or citizens for whom English is not their first language. </li>
<li>Volunteer for Night Ride or whatever safety program you have on your campus that offers women and vulnerable people rides home at night.</li>
<li>Knit caps for babies and quilts for hospice patients.</li>
<li>Does your church have a "Deacon's Closet"? Those are great places to interact with the homeless and the poor and provide nicer clothes and hygiene assistance.</li>
<li>Find out if the adolescent "attention home" in your area needs a cook, even for just one meal a week.</li>
<li>If you are an adult with Asperger's, find a teen with Asperger's to mentor.</li>
<li>Speak up, even if you have to do it anonymously, if you have an illness that carries a stigma, such as bipolar disorder. Others need to hear your voice.</li>
<li>Write about and share your experiences with prejudice, racism, gender-ism, and misogyny, even if you have to do it anonymously.</li>
<li>Use the "<a href="http://www.charitymiles.org/" target="_blank">Charity Miles</a>" phone app to track your miles and donate to the charity of your choice at the same time.</li>
<li>Check in with your neighbors, especially the elderly or those with children, to see how they are doing and if you can help them out.</li>
<li>Provide young women with birth control counseling.</li>
<li>Volunteer for the recreation program at your local senior center or nursing home.</li>
<li>If you live in the city, see if you can help your corner store bring in fresh fruits and vegetables.</li>
<li>"<a href="http://www.payitforwardfoundation.org/about" target="_blank">Pay it Forward</a>."</li>
<li>Write letters to your representatives expressing your concerns and support. <a href="https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials" target="_blank">Start here</a>.</li>
<li>Join up with <a href="https://www.habitat.org/" target="_blank">Habitat for Humanity</a>.</li>
<li>Volunteer to teach journalism at your community center and maybe start a local newspaper or blog, using teens and the elderly as correspondents.</li>
<li>Donate magazines to local "people's clinics," nursing homes, community centers, and your public library.</li>
<li>Beautify your street (flowers, paint, etc.) and help keep it clean.</li>
<li>Be alert to your surroundings and look out for each other.</li>
</ol>
Kea Gileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11211530812365532404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312259230893837745.post-81151680823250065992016-10-25T20:59:00.001-06:002016-11-15T11:35:47.747-07:00Dear Reader Promise Here<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ6I3vsRRaCtFSbOc624N9fvIHUBAavbU3jBd_RemfcOBkOhh10Igj0-vzo4Hhfawk_hIKfkFZS4j4kK2ERXkVJz89vENIB6F4oAWtHpZbDuRMjm1Lz0y2T6IWTGZDaA0lt6Q01r6hqXgy/s1600/believeitwhenIseeit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Costa Rican monkey by keagiles" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ6I3vsRRaCtFSbOc624N9fvIHUBAavbU3jBd_RemfcOBkOhh10Igj0-vzo4Hhfawk_hIKfkFZS4j4kK2ERXkVJz89vENIB6F4oAWtHpZbDuRMjm1Lz0y2T6IWTGZDaA0lt6Q01r6hqXgy/s320/believeitwhenIseeit.jpg" title="Costa Rica monkey photo by keagiles" width="249" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sigh, yeah... I'll believe it when I see it.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Dear Reader,</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I promise, promise, promise (current writing style is influenced by Miranda Hart) that I will soon write a longer, more substantive post rather than just popping up the 10 things each day.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">With warm regards,</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Kea</span><br />
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Kea Gileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11211530812365532404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312259230893837745.post-25645879070168601472016-10-25T20:47:00.002-06:002016-10-25T20:47:15.387-06:0010 Things - 25 Oct. 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7r8SYI89Sx-9Eu5nv7U2k2-hD0pah4vMqYg_63AAMxoEqpAQEZZeiwGegBBD0Vf5kVS81XgvS1ccv8YO1nXZeJDkILcx6lCknxp_Y2tF-NYKIvBkNxaB2vKOm6ig7BwAh4FMcdHvNykas/s1600/desertgarden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="desert garden photo by keagiles" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7r8SYI89Sx-9Eu5nv7U2k2-hD0pah4vMqYg_63AAMxoEqpAQEZZeiwGegBBD0Vf5kVS81XgvS1ccv8YO1nXZeJDkILcx6lCknxp_Y2tF-NYKIvBkNxaB2vKOm6ig7BwAh4FMcdHvNykas/s320/desertgarden.jpg" title="desert garden photo by keagiles" width="204" /></a></div>
<b>I'm grateful for ...</b><br />
1. Botanic gardens<br />
2. Being able to desaturate a color photo to make it look like I was there in the early 1960s (by the way, you can click on the photos in this blog to get a closer view)<br />
3. Aunt Lucia<br />
4. A great workout tonight<br />
5. Workout soundtrack, including Bruno Mars, Linkin Park, Lily Allen, Meghan Trainor, and Sia<br />
6. Miranda Hart and her book <i>Peggy & Me</i><br />
7. Health insurance even if premiums are going up and coverage is being cut back<br />
8. My neighbor's dog, Lucy, and playing fetch with her (the dog) tonight<br />
9. Jasper<br />
10. Bear (when in doubt, right?)Kea Gileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11211530812365532404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312259230893837745.post-24293642938362349322016-10-24T21:40:00.003-06:002016-10-24T21:42:19.804-06:0010 Things - 24 Oct. 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnNKITuMJ1L3NdL4e0Ov2s06dtQTwwrx8AQ9nbP-X_ipPLhehRxNyRvZllZRjag2ugRnliqA8GSNqS2gNmT7BeN60eIy2Js52ZeRLRaMc4Nz6OFzmdlZ2x7LNYc-JPGWMfwmwrvwiEePci/s1600/ColoDecision.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="sign photo by keagiles" border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnNKITuMJ1L3NdL4e0Ov2s06dtQTwwrx8AQ9nbP-X_ipPLhehRxNyRvZllZRjag2ugRnliqA8GSNqS2gNmT7BeN60eIy2Js52ZeRLRaMc4Nz6OFzmdlZ2x7LNYc-JPGWMfwmwrvwiEePci/s320/ColoDecision.jpg" title="Sign photo by keagiles" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Trail signpost in Colorado. Photo by keagiles.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>I'm grateful for ...</b><br />
1. Choices<br />
2. Not always knowing which path to take, but at least knowing there is a path<br />
3. Being able to vote & vote early<br />
4. Easy access to my polling place<br />
5. The determination of voters who struggle to attain our "inalienable rights" because others will not uphold them<br />
6. Folks who "jump into the deep end" and try to make the world a better place<br />
7. Michelle Obama<br />
8. Joe Biden<br />
9. President Barack Obama<br />
10. My grandma LillieKea Gileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11211530812365532404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312259230893837745.post-38166503518961132142016-10-23T16:19:00.002-06:002016-10-23T16:19:48.860-06:00Taking up the 10 Things Again - 23 Oct. 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihK_U1_Dza5Jjq6fik3OMmkeYqO3XkwzyNvvJ2NM9n8YJoZ551_x16VZv3no91y0G0finWWBJCUiIcvvHwwhaMe0iPkygo1vM5GJnaPP8P34-PfsLH08EsKJewq892cFwOuWr9WnjW06DJ/s1600/leafbw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihK_U1_Dza5Jjq6fik3OMmkeYqO3XkwzyNvvJ2NM9n8YJoZ551_x16VZv3no91y0G0finWWBJCUiIcvvHwwhaMe0iPkygo1vM5GJnaPP8P34-PfsLH08EsKJewq892cFwOuWr9WnjW06DJ/s320/leafbw.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Ten things I'm grateful for ... </b><br />
<br />
1. The interplay of light and dark<br />
2. Neighbors<br />
3. Play<br />
4. Saltine crackers<br />
5. My camera<br />
6. The wolf spider in our kitchen<br />
7. Settling down<br />
8. Miranda Hart<br />
9. The color red<br />
10. Being able to just make random lists ...Kea Gileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11211530812365532404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312259230893837745.post-64263805068798558192016-10-09T21:12:00.002-06:002016-10-09T21:13:25.079-06:00Gone Dark on the Ten Things for a Little WhileToo many things going on in the world both in my microcosm and in the actual world. I leave you with this (and will be back on the series soon):<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvwFeIFOoxXtcp5Md2YV6XDs3cy29DV6QRlOIocS0lUmcV6H_OdKwSnH_v5Y5MO6PB7hnYeqSmizxnPn0zwpDxhWX4WenJlUJmyyazWEPrZMuUSQTt0n5K9n3iDNNx2fW9qfIr-XFrD70g/s1600/25JulyDreamLake2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="dream lake by keagiles RMNP" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvwFeIFOoxXtcp5Md2YV6XDs3cy29DV6QRlOIocS0lUmcV6H_OdKwSnH_v5Y5MO6PB7hnYeqSmizxnPn0zwpDxhWX4WenJlUJmyyazWEPrZMuUSQTt0n5K9n3iDNNx2fW9qfIr-XFrD70g/s400/25JulyDreamLake2.png" title="dream lake" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Kea Gileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11211530812365532404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312259230893837745.post-88051168144049086352016-10-06T21:12:00.002-06:002016-10-06T21:12:33.277-06:0010 Things - 6 Oct. 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8rH3XJ-mWUsU7AnqMSHwZPnkbMSewRvAK_ecNTq5WUG7kcmC5jbBOhEpgiTAh1gx8_839j2UbCvNMEsUWP0mK84nJC8R96QW3iUcHcrjEvpWw0PMHQVGthuE8T42jD8sAaiH6uh8yqqm9/s1600/FloridaCapeCaneveral.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Canaveral National Seashore photo by keagiles" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8rH3XJ-mWUsU7AnqMSHwZPnkbMSewRvAK_ecNTq5WUG7kcmC5jbBOhEpgiTAh1gx8_839j2UbCvNMEsUWP0mK84nJC8R96QW3iUcHcrjEvpWw0PMHQVGthuE8T42jD8sAaiH6uh8yqqm9/s320/FloridaCapeCaneveral.jpg" title="Canaveral National Seashore" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>I'm grateful for ...</b><br />
<br />
1. Canaveral National Seashore, and I hope this beautiful area can hang on tight during this storm (Hurricane Matthew).<br />
2. The folks at Walt Disney World who decided to shut it down for a couple of days.<br />
3. Particle board and duct tape (or duck tape, depending on your generation).<br />
4. Folks who know how to seal up windows and such in prep for a hurricane.<br />
5. Weather forecasters.<br />
6. Electricity.<br />
7. Indoor plumbing.<br />
8. Shelter.<br />
9. Dry clothes and a soft warm bed.<br />
10. Florida National Guard and Coast Guard.Kea Gileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11211530812365532404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312259230893837745.post-25803455722604877432016-10-05T20:29:00.002-06:002016-10-06T20:54:47.902-06:0010 Things - 5 Oct. 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEAEUtdAr6vXvqoHlaRZ9NJUGENN9k64Jwjo1d75q1DHrWgUlVXs_11XhmstdPgBLUhL7Pu9eYHmXbgvqVmndKb1JlWrUJ0kJEBU4mUKbXu7p9EA7pZ9DrpErxKsrdHW66XAZH0KYSUUAX/s1600/ManuelAntonioBeachCR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEAEUtdAr6vXvqoHlaRZ9NJUGENN9k64Jwjo1d75q1DHrWgUlVXs_11XhmstdPgBLUhL7Pu9eYHmXbgvqVmndKb1JlWrUJ0kJEBU4mUKbXu7p9EA7pZ9DrpErxKsrdHW66XAZH0KYSUUAX/s400/ManuelAntonioBeachCR.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
<b>I'm grateful for ... </b><br />
<br />
1. Having been able to go to Costa Rica and photograph this familiar site off shore of Manuel Antonio National Park.<br />
2. Knowing I can (will) go back there again someday.<br />
3. Jasper's lower pH level.<br />
4. The $10 gift card someone gave me that I used to buy steak to cook for dinner tonight.<br />
5. The acceptance, now by the <i><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-post-drops-the-mike--and-the-hyphen-in-e-mail/2015/12/04/ccd6e33a-98fa-11e5-8917-653b65c809eb_story.html?utm_term=.648a55a8051e" target="_blank">Washington Post</a></i>, of using "they" as a gender-neutral singular pronoun.<br />
6. The Udemy class "<a href="https://www.udemy.com/drupal-for-beginners/" target="_blank">Drupal 7 for Beginners</a>" that I'm signing up for.<br />
7. Being able to make things better.<br />
8. The nice young lady from the Colorado Democratic Party who called me tonight.<br />
9. Substitute cheap eyeglasses holding me over until I find my computer glasses or get some new ones.<br />
10. Being able to afford to buy new ones. <br />
<br />Kea Gileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11211530812365532404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312259230893837745.post-48474890235440293292016-10-04T21:20:00.000-06:002016-10-04T21:20:16.251-06:0010 Things - 4 Oct. 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgS08PHqpnXI0NsxJtH2D9BPfYNTimh2RaPi9pWaAOTunjKNhVKv6u75roBhD6OKYdwKhy_f_KG9dnh5DTXW5FHzXHWGSx5ckMb-kVj3LWvJSzcgBeyuowJHWBrJfJKxh8VHbWuRLhjfQg/s1600/HappyHusky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgS08PHqpnXI0NsxJtH2D9BPfYNTimh2RaPi9pWaAOTunjKNhVKv6u75roBhD6OKYdwKhy_f_KG9dnh5DTXW5FHzXHWGSx5ckMb-kVj3LWvJSzcgBeyuowJHWBrJfJKxh8VHbWuRLhjfQg/s320/HappyHusky.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>I'm grateful for ...</b><br />
<br />
1. Old dogs can learn new tricks! Jasper is much happier now (just see him go!). We are giving him more things to think about, like how to find his food in his awesome new toy, and upped the pain meds.<br />
2. The freedom to disagree.<br />
3. The freedom to disagree.<br />
4. The freedom to disagree.<br />
5. OK, you get it. The freedom to choose. At least for now.<br />
6. Bear.<br />
7. Solid local companies.<br />
8. Time to exercise.<br />
9. The ability to choose the food I eat (see this <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/ron_finley_a_guerilla_gardener_in_south_central_la?language=en" target="_blank">Ted Talk by Ron Finley</a>).<br />
10. Some paths not taken.Kea Gileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11211530812365532404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312259230893837745.post-81303514700257322502016-10-03T20:05:00.002-06:002016-10-03T20:05:16.427-06:0010 Things - 3 Oct. 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjCX2j5CopVn4oQqzLh4TWg1erCPYjBNHSgdmJxi6hE-hcRfmBHRMja9g8JHVC2oT4A6-Cd4Tn-uO4lZUTW-tcASYJcv2riCAS4vB7WTx9QSTTmGIayI-GfTK5Yeq4Q0x9Jzw89eyndPDl/s1600/studyingoutdoors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjCX2j5CopVn4oQqzLh4TWg1erCPYjBNHSgdmJxi6hE-hcRfmBHRMja9g8JHVC2oT4A6-Cd4Tn-uO4lZUTW-tcASYJcv2riCAS4vB7WTx9QSTTmGIayI-GfTK5Yeq4Q0x9Jzw89eyndPDl/s320/studyingoutdoors.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>I'm grateful for ...</b><br />
<br />
1. A beautiful day for reading and writing out on our deck yesterday<br />
2. Answering questions in new ways<br />
3. Vernā Myers and her Ted Talk "<a href="http://www.ted.com/playlists/270/small_ways_to_change_the_world" target="_blank">How to overcome our biases? Walk boldly toward them</a>"<br />
4. Thrift store (or as they say in the UK, "charity shop") finds<br />
5. Charity shops to give things to<br />
6. My cats vs. waterbed story (dive bombing was involved)<br />
7. <a href="http://stevesilberman.com/book/neurotribes/" target="_blank"><i>NeuroTribes</i></a> <br />
8. Fact checkers<br />
9. New clothes<br />
10. GIMPKea Gileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11211530812365532404noreply@blogger.com0