Second entry of the evening. Hey, I WILL have 31 entries for the month!
I may or may not have mentioned here (and probably not) that Pluto is now in Aquarius. That is supposed be an era of tearing down structures and institutions that serve only a few to the detriment of humanity as a whole. The last time Pluto was in Aquarius, we had the American Revolution and the French Revolution.
Well, since Pluto entered Aquarius on November 19:
There are mass protests in Georgia.
The people of South Korea resisted martial law.
The French government collapsed.
The assassination of a billionaire health insurance company CEO may very well have touched off a class war in the U.S.
I’m not a hardcore believer in astrology. It’s more of a fun thing to learn, and the geometry comes in handy while shooting pool. But maybe we should brace ourselves, because Pluto will be in Aquarius until March 8, 2043. Hey, I’m 58 with one heart attack behind me already. This may be the rest of my life! Bring it on, I say. Just tear it all down. It’s the only way things will ever change.
Some images from around the internet:
This next one is a railcar.
And my favorite:
I expect to see more stuff like this. I also figure that there is more where the CEO shooting came from. Americans have pretty much had it with our health care system. It doesn’t matter what political persuasion one holds dear: Anyone who has had private health insurance has had a problem with private health insurance.
In other news… I went on a city-walk yesterday. Here’s a Christmas tree. This is Holidailies, after all.
Sunday Stealing is on vacation, so I did an old one I clicked on at random. I also forgot to post this last night so as soon as I post it, I will post another. Double the fun!
I am looking forward to:
My week off at the end of the month. I need it desperately.
Least favorite words:
Moist. It just sounds gross.
Demure. No, I don’t care about the meme. I’ve hated that word since the teachers in high school said that if our dresses were not “sufficiently demure,” we wouldn’t be allowed in at prom. It was 1984. Little did the teachers know what prom dresses in 2024 would look like.
Lovemaking. It’s the Drakkar Noir of terms for sex: Too much and used by smarmy guys. It’s sex. SEX, okay? SEX. You can use the word SEX.
If I ruled the world:
People wouldn’t be allowed to use the three words above.
Favorite websites and blogs:
They’re personal journals and I don’t blab secrets.
Things I do for myself:
Work out. Avoid the sun. Don’t smoke. Eat right (or try to). Pursue hobbies. Maintain a social circle.
Weekly rituals:
I don’t really have any, unless you count laundry.
DIYs I want to try:
I don’t have any in mind. Every once in a while I get the urge to buy a piece of furniture to put together but that’s about it.
On my shopping list:
Canned vegetables. No joke. I live in the D.C. area. I sense unrest coming when he gets in there. I wouldn’t be surprised if the country ends up under martial law at some point. I’ve already started stocking up. Fresh and frozen will go bad after some time in the event of a power outage. Canned veggies you just have to rinse and eat.
Places to see in your town:
In my county, Arlington National Cemetery. In D.C., the Smithsonian museums, the monuments, the Kennedy Center, and all the fun non-touristy places I’d take you to if only you’d come to visit your Auntie Zen.
Road trip must-haves:
Powdered or chocolate-covered mini-donuts. I don’t know why, but it’s not a road trip unless you have those.
Guilty pleasures:
I don’t believe in those. Anything you enjoy is a bit of self-care, whether it’s sleeping late, reading trashy fiction, or eating dessert. Despite what certain religions tell you, we are not here to suffer.
Things I’d rather be doing right now:
Skiing. Hiking. Stargazing out in a meadow. Birdwatching. Burning down the patriarchy.
Books I’d like to read this year:
Let’s go with next year.
The Eric Carr Story, by Greg Prato. about the second drummer for Kiss, who just seemed like a really cool guy. He died too young, just 40 years old, the same day Freddie Mercury died.
The Serpent and the Pearl and The Lion and the Rose, both by Kate Quinn. She did a great job with the Empress of Rome series, so I’d love to see how she handles the Borgias.
And this bad boy right here, as I’ve never read any Lovecraft and the few oddball pages I’ve skimmed here and there look fantastic.
Lessons learned:
Take people as they are, or don’t take them.
You don’t owe anyone any explanations for your choices in life, such as whether to date, marry, or have children; whether you have a religion; who you voted for; your career path or lack thereof; and how you spend your free time. Add how you spend your money to that if you’re single and kid-free.
Shared DNA does not imply family.
No job is worth sacrificing your health, peace, relationships, or interests for.
The United States is not the greatest country in the world. I don’t know which one is, but we’re definitely NOT.
Vacations to take:
Italy. Finland. France. Wherever my hiking group decides to go. Right now Bulgaria seems to be hot. Would like to see more of Poland. England. Germany. Norway. The Netherlands. Iceland. Austria. Hungary. I could go on.
I’ve given up on posting a snowflake a day. I’ll post them as I finish them. As for Christmas, here are some poinsettias from the staff lounge at work. Note how there is no t after the n in poinsettia. That’s one of those holiday-related peeves of mine.
Oh, my goodness, I am failing so miserably at Holidailies this year. I try to write with a little more substance but this year I’m so short on time!
BUT, I had a lovely evening with friends. We had dinner at my favorite take-out place, which is closing on Tuesday after 40 years in the neighborhood.
This topped off a day of shopping—I’m surprised how many people were at Pentagon City Mall today—wherein I got a new winter coat, new sneakers, my favorite cheap Victoria’s Secret Body Spray that I put into the cup of my humidifier so my bedroom smells like a bordello, er, an evening-blooming garden, and these, which I will feature here individually once I put up my tree. You may or may not notice a theme.
I love deer. They’re so gentle and beautiful.
And it’s almost midnight so I’d better post this! More tomorrow–I hope!
zenzalei 