Some Artistic Inspiration / Notes from the Swamp

    I love sea glass and have a large vase full of it - pieces collected over the years by myself, my mom and friends.  While browsing pinterest a few days ago I saw sea glass art by various artists and loved the simplicity and beauty of a few of the pieces. I gathered some of my best blue hues and bought an inexpensive frame and some Gorilla Glue at Michaels Crafts - within a half hour I had a little sea glass treasure I will hang somewhere in the cottage. 

This is another find I will put together to hang over one of the windows, perhaps during the next snow storm. I don't browse pinterest or etsy often but when I do I'm always amazed -  lots of inspiration can be found there, so many talented people.  Note: Copying an artists ideas isn't something you should do if you have any intention of selling what you create.  It's done all the time but not cool when the artist is trying to make a living at what they do. 

  News from the Swamp:

The orange scream is breaking from 11 presidents worth of tradition by firing Charles Brotman, who has announced every inauguration parade since Eisenhower in 1957.   The 89 year old, who is still very capable of doing his job,  received an e-mail stating his services were no longer needed. Needless to say, he's pretty heartbroken. 

-What an assh*le.  That's not even a political move. That's just an assh*le move. 



I'm not a big fan of Hollywood in general but I do love a good movie and a talented actor/actress.  Meryl Streep is one of my favorites and I just loved what she had to say at the awards show the other night. For the Orange Scream to call her an "overrated actress" is just the icing on his daily twitter ridiculousness.   Bravo, Meryl.  And Bravo Anne Donahue, whoever you are. 

The Orange Scream now denies he mocked a disabled reporter - sorry, dude. It's out there for the world to see, there's no misunderstanding here.  Click on link if you need a refresher.  That's just disgusting in anyones opinion, I sure hope. 

https://youtu.be/PX9reO3QnUA


AND... In case you missed it, here's the federal week in review:

1. Trump  fires all Ambassadors and Special Envoys, ordering them out by inauguration day.

2. House brings back the Holman rule allowing them to reduce an individual civil service, SES positions, or political appointee's salary to $1, effectively firing them by amendment to any piece of legislation. We now know why they wanted names and positions of people in Energy and State.

3. Senate schedules 6 simultaneous hearings on cabinet nominees and triple-books those hearings with Trump's first press conference in months and an ACA budget vote, effectively preventing any concentrated coverage or protest.

4. House GOP expressly forbids the Congressional Budget Office from reporting or tracking ANY costs related to the repeal of the ACA.

5. Trump continues to throw the intelligence community under the bus to protect Putin, despite the growing mountain of evidence that the Russians deliberately interfered in our election.

6. Trump breaks a central campaign promise to make Mexico pay for the wall by asking Congress (in other words, us, the taxpayers) to pay for it.

7. Trump threatens Toyota over a new plant that was never coming to the US nor will take jobs out of the US.

8. House passes the REINS act, giving them veto power over any rules enacted by any federal agency or department--for example, FDA or EPA bans a drug or pesticide, Congress can overrule based on lobbyists not science. Don't like that endangered species designation, Congress kills it.

  Because from what I have seen within my own social group, most Trump supporters will not have read this far, too offended.  If you did manage to get to this point in my post, what is it about this that you are able to dismiss?  Why are these things ok by you?  

Please, all - Wake up to what is actually happening to our beloved country. I'm not telling you to give up your beliefs - conservative, moderate, go left, go right, go high - but whatever you do, please don't go low.  Get involved  in ways that are comfortable to you - support causes that you feel strongly about, attending rallies and protests if that's your thing. Please don't sit and do nothing.  Decency above all.  It matters.  

- Just... sayin.