Porthole

Cleared out. Rain.

69 degrees with an AQI of 49 (good) at 2:30 a.m. Can't sleep.

76 degrees with AQI of 46 at 10:40. A bit warm but it won't get hot if it rains.

4:15 Back down to 76 degrees after the thunder, lightning and RAIN. It was really coming down at 3:33.

Went to OFF to buy food. Got some vittles. New sales tomorrow. Might go again if the air is clear. I only spent $15 today.

Laxmi gave me her chicken-cheese taco. Also... Bob (new... from Kentucky), Bill, Phil, Dalton, Don, Kathi and Kathy. And Kathy's small white dog. They still won't let us sit inside the Senior Center.

Wrote:

"Belonging [189]" 
"Peas and flounder [190]" 

Entered into "Pop-Up Challenge!!!" 

Somewhat comfortable and not in a bad mood. This is mostly due to 'avoidance' on my part.

"Blogging Circle of Friends "  Day 3172: July 21, 2021 Prompt: Write a tribute to someone special in your life.

Glacial waters run white-green into the deep blue lake where your eyes look up at me uncomprehending that I am tossed by searing winds of instability caught between the anvil of rocks and embers. I kneel at the shores of your traquility begging to quench my thirst... begging that your ice will temper my anger, while I anneal my angst in a bed of sand.

"30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS"  Your son/daughter just gave you the surprise of your life when they brought their same-sex significant other home to meet you. What is your reaction? Are you shocked, pleased, in denial? How would you handle this?

I'm shocked by the prompt! An adult prompt? Oh my. Most of the people I've met would 'deal with it'. I have two older-than-me female friends who've talked about their ex-husband being gay. They dealt with it amicably.

Of course... one should know one's child long before there's a 'surprise'. And in my opinion that's up to the parents, aunts/uncles or grandparents to take the initiative and make it clear that the child/youth is loved regardless. Otherwise, be resigned to estrangement or going to their funeral.

JULY 21

68 degrees at midnight. It will cool down nicely tonight, but 110 AQI does not bode well.

62 at 8 a.m. with an AQI of 87.

Meatball! And a patch of blue... sky...

Saw folks. Discussion about how some of us are just walking away instead of fighting.

Also grocery shopped. Didn't buy much. I went because of Wednesday sales and because one never knows with the smoke and heat.

86 degrees at 4:30 with an AQI of 81.

NEWSFLASH 30 DAY BLOG CHALLENGE HAS AN ADULT PROMPT!

Your son/daughter just gave you the surprise of your life when they brought their same-sex significant other home to meet you. What is your reaction? Are you shocked, pleased, in denial? How would you handle this?

A difficult prompt for G-rated WDC. A couple bloggers were as shocked as I was!

So... how did folks do? A couple answered the "What If" honestly and thoughfully. But... a couple have already gone through this and for couple of us on the other side looking in... Personally, I believe bloggers can handle adult questions. The YA section of our library has books that mention rape, suicide, bullying, etc. To think that 13 year olds can handle subjects that a 50+ year old can't... is a bit ageist and demeaning.

So...

What if:

your friend was actually trans.
you found out that you heritage ain't what you were told.
you found a cousin after 70 years.
you were actually related to someone you were attracted to. *1
your friend was told his grandfather was actually his father.
your friend was black, Jewish, Muslim, ex-Nazi, Asian... (What if you are?)
your neighbor was mixed-race.
landlady was Native American.
your boyfriend was your mother's ex-boyfriend. *2
your great-uncle was a pimp.
your close-friend was once a prositute.
you chose a different religion than your parents.
a friend was diagnosed as spmi (mentally ill) and then shunned.
your neighbor's son committed suicide at age 14.
your landlady quit teaching because a kid committed suicide in her class.
a cousin was ostracized because the father of her children was black.
your friend's son was killed in the house you used to share.

And the list goes on. I didn't check off two. *1 I do suspect that a friend is distantly related, fear that we are very closely related. *2 It's one of the mysteries of a TV show I've watched. No one knew... until they did.

When all else fails, the virtues of compassion and tolerance come to mind.

One site says 92 degrees at 5:55, another 87. Regardless, I'm melting. There's still smoke in the air but I can go out for a bit when it's under 100 AQI. I'll need to take another shower. It's the best I can do.

Two contests (due end of August) that I was not aware of.

"Rebel Poetry Contest" 
"Distorted Minds Contest" 

4.800