grateful for all...

 oh, my lovelies...

yesterday, my intention for the day was to remember to find little sparkles of joy, or something like that.  so, i braided my hair and enjoyed looking at the braids all day.

i watched the birds sing and flit about the back garden for a bit.

i listened to music and sang like i was on stage whilst driving to hospital.

i collapsed into my chair after arriving home and rested and read for hours after hospital because, damn, but that takes a lot out of a body.

i don't think i found as many as i had hoped - because 3 hours in hospital and subsequent exhaustion after.

so today i thought i'd share the little sparkles from my last couple of weeks with you.

july's cheesecake day was banana pudding cheesecake.  i only had one piece before the rest disappeared.  it was much better than i thought it would be, and i wish i'd been able to have another piece.  making all these has given me some ideas for others that i want to create myself.

i'm not certain what is going on with the weather, but we've had big storms every day.  it's been so hot and humid.  i don't think i've had to water the garden in maybe three weeks, with all the rain we've had.

the neighbor had company today, and they arrived in this 1941 Cadillac LaSalle.  It's a very nice, cool car, but I would've picked a different color.

a turtle the neighbor found in the back yard.  she called and told me to hurry over.  i thought she'd found a snake, but just a pretty turtle.

the harvest from this morning. some of the cucumbers are funny shaped cause they were growing on the ground instead of hanging. but they'll eat just fine.  there are a few tomatoes, a couple cayenne peppers, jalapenos and a small handful of green beans.  just enough for me to have for dinner tonight.

yes, i know.  this doesn't look like a sparkle.  but i'm hopeful that it will bring me a bit of relief from migrainelandia.  yesterday was my 2nd of 8 weekly magnesium sulfate and fluid infusions.  i'm at hospital for about 2 1/2 - 3 hours, in a nice quiet room.  yesterday went by very quickly, thanks to some meditations and spotify.

well, that's it for me today.  i'm off to finish the rearrange/deep cleanup of my art area and a few other things.  i hope to get to read and catch up on all my favorite blogs soon.  my reading has fallen behind a lot.

hope you're having a lovely day.  let's find something to be grateful for today, as i'm grateful for all of the above.

love & kisses & magical wishes, 

~*~  

let's visit memeville today...

hi, my lovelies, 

it's been a long week, and this is about all i have in me today.  i hope to be back soon.

i think the state of the world + capricorn full moon + infusion trip + migraine are taking their toll and i'm wiped.

and why do republican "christians" forget about Jesus when it doesn't fit their agenda?

let's wrap up today with some powerful words by some powerfully beautifully good people.

alright y'all, let's make some good, necessary trouble...

thanks for being here...

love & kisses & magical wishes...

~*~

ps... i think i found all these on substack.

We the People...

Declaration of Independence of the United States of America

The Constitution of the United States of America

The Bill of Rights

(Amendments 1 through 10 to the Constitution)

Constitutional Amendments 1-10 make up what is known as The Bill of Rights. Amendments 11-27 are listed below.

AMENDMENT XI

Passed by Congress March 4, 1794. Ratified February 7, 1795.

Note: Article III, section 2, of the Constitution was modified by amendment 11. The Judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by Citizens of another State, or by Citizens or Subjects of any Foreign State.

AMENDMENT XII

Passed by Congress December 9, 1803. Ratified June 15, 1804.

Note: A portion of Article II, section 1 of the Constitution was superseded by the 12th amendment. The Electors shall meet in their respective states and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves; they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice-President, and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as President, and of all persons voted for as Vice-President, and of the number of votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate; -- the President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted; -- The person having the greatest number of votes for President, shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed; and if no person have such majority, then from the persons having the highest numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President. But in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by states, the representation from each state having one vote; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from two-thirds of the states, and a majority of all the states shall be necessary to a choice. [And if the House of Representatives shall not choose a President whenever the right of choice shall devolve upon them, before the fourth day of March next following, then the Vice-President shall act as President, as in case of the death or other constitutional disability of the President. --]* The person having the greatest number of votes as Vice-President, shall be the Vice-President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed, and if no person have a majority, then from the two highest numbers on the list, the Senate shall choose the Vice-President; a quorum for the purpose shall consist of two-thirds of the whole number of Senators, and a majority of the whole number shall be necessary to a choice. But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States. *Superseded by section 3 of the 20th amendment.

AMENDMENT XIII

Passed by Congress January 31, 1865. Ratified December 6, 1865.

Note: A portion of Article IV, section 2, of the Constitution was superseded by the 13th amendment.

Section 1.

Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Section 2.

Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

AMENDMENT XIV

Passed by Congress June 13, 1866. Ratified July 9, 1868.

Note: Article I, section 2, of the Constitution was modified by section 2 of the 14th amendment.

Section 1.

All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Section 2.

Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice-President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age,* and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State.

Section 3.

No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.

Section 4.

The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.

Section 5.

The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

*Changed by section 1 of the 26th amendment.

AMENDMENT XV

Passed by Congress February 26, 1869. Ratified February 3, 1870.

Section 1.

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude--

Section 2.

The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

AMENDMENT XVI

Passed by Congress July 2, 1909. Ratified February 3, 1913.

Note: Article I, section 9, of the Constitution was modified by amendment 16.

The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.

AMENDMENT XVII

Passed by Congress May 13, 1912. Ratified April 8, 1913.

Note: Article I, section 3, of the Constitution was modified by the 17th amendment.

The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State legislatures.

When vacancies happen in the representation of any State in the Senate, the executive authority of such State shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided, That the legislature of any State may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.

This amendment shall not be so construed as to affect the election or term of any Senator chosen before it becomes valid as part of the Constitution.

AMENDMENT XVIII

Passed by Congress December 18, 1917. Ratified January 16, 1919. Repealed by amendment 21.

Section 1.

After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.

Section 2.

The Congress and the several States shall have concurrent power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Section 3.

This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress.

AMENDMENT XIX

Passed by Congress June 4, 1919. Ratified August 18, 1920.

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.

Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

AMENDMENT XX

Passed by Congress March 2, 1932. Ratified January 23, 1933.

Note: Article I, section 4, of the Constitution was modified by section 2 of this amendment. In addition, a portion of the 12th amendment was superseded by section 3.

Section 1.

The terms of the President and Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January, and the terms of Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3d day of January, of the years in which such terms would have ended if this article had not been ratified; and the terms of their successors shall then begin.

Section 2.

The Congress shall assemble at least once in every year, and such meeting shall begin at noon on the 3d day of January, unless they shall by law appoint a different day.

Section 3.

If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of the President, the President elect shall have died, the Vice President elect shall become President. If a President shall not have been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, or if the President elect shall have failed to qualify, then the Vice President elect shall act as President until a President shall have qualified; and the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President elect nor a Vice President elect shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as President, or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected, and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice President shall have qualified.

Section 4.

The Congress may by law provide for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the House of Representatives may choose a President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them, and for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the Senate may choose a Vice President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them.

Section 5.

Sections 1 and 2 shall take effect on the 15th day of October following the ratification of this article.

Section 6.

This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years from the date of its submission.

AMENDMENT XXI

Passed by Congress February 20, 1933. Ratified December 5, 1933.

Section 1.

The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.

Section 2.

The transportation or importation into any State, Territory, or possession of the United States for delivery or use therein of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited.

Section 3.

This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by conventions in the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress.

AMENDMENT XXII

Passed by Congress March 21, 1947. Ratified February 27, 1951.

Section 1.

No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once. But this Article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President when this Article was proposed by the Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this Article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term.

Section 2.

This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years from the date of its submission to the States by the Congress.

AMENDMENT XXIII

Passed by Congress June 16, 1960. Ratified March 29, 1961.

Section 1.

The District constituting the seat of Government of the United States shall appoint in such manner as the Congress may direct:

A number of electors of President and Vice President equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives in Congress to which the District would be entitled if it were a State, but in no event more than the least populous State; they shall be in addition to those appointed by the States, but they shall be considered, for the purposes of the election of President and Vice President, to be electors appointed by a State; and they shall meet in the District and perform such duties as provided by the twelfth article of amendment.

Section 2.

The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

AMENDMENT XXIV

Passed by Congress August 27, 1962. Ratified January 23, 1964.

Section 1.

The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax.

Section 2.

The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

AMENDMENT XXV

Passed by Congress July 6, 1965. Ratified February 10, 1967.

Note: Article II, section 1, of the Constitution was affected by the 25th amendment.

Section 1.

In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President.

Section 2.

Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress.

Section 3.

Whenever the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President.

Section 4.

Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.

Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office.

AMENDMENT XXVI

Passed by Congress March 23, 1971. Ratified July 1, 1971.

Note: Amendment 14, section 2, of the Constitution was modified by section 1 of the 26th amendment.

Section 1.

The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.

Section 2.

The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

AMENDMENT XXVII

Originally proposed Sept. 25, 1789. Ratified May 7, 1992.

No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.

__________________________________________________________________________

~*~

unfortunately true...

good wednesday morning, lovelies...

or is it?  is any morning a good morning in the US anymore?

personally, i don't think so.  not unless you are a billionaire.  i saw yesterday where there is another protest this coming weekend.  the Women's March are hosting a Free America for 4 July, US's Independence Day.  Click the links for info.  this seems to be a join together for neighborhood bbq's and such, sharing info, etc.  i also saw something about an economic blackout and sickout for 4-7 july.  it's hosted by, i think?, The People's Union USA and asks to basically not spend any money on the 4-6 of july and then on the 7th to call in sick to work.  i couldn't find it on their site, but i did find it on the creators of the site's insta.

then on 17 july, there is the Good Trouble Lives On protest in honor of Congressman John Lewis.

from their site: 

"Good Trouble Lives On is a national day of nonviolent action to respond to the attacks posed on our civil and human rights by the Trump administration and to remind them that in America, the power lies with the people." 

so yeah...we're still fighting.  despite the senate passing a worse version of that big bullshit bill and sending it back to the house.  i don't know what will happen if it passes in the house, i just have to hope it doesn't.

and i'm begging and pleading that if it passes and gets enacted and that muskox tries to start some new political party like he's threatening to do, please, please don't join!  we don't need a south african nazi sympathizer leading a new party.

i do think that we need to get rid of the parties we have.  or just let them die off naturally.  i'm pretty sure the republicans have ensured their demise, and possibly the democrats too as it seems like they have just sat on their hands instead of handling the situation.

i have a few ideas on a new party that i'll share in another post.  i want to give it a little more thought first.

ok... so those were way more words than i had planned to write today.  i was going to take a page from two of my favorite bloggers and do a meme filled post.  i'll post a few and save some for this weekend to post over the "holiday" weekend. ugh.

i think i collected all these from substack.  there are really good ones over there.

but first:

save this to your phones so you can help people if you see something. k?

now for what would be funnies if they weren't unfortunately true...

 

that's it for now.  i've got loads more.

see you soon...

thanks for being here...

love & kisses & magical wishes...

~*~

ps... here's today's mfta post if you're interested 

that kind of negativity...

hello july and hello my lovely friends, 

i find it shocking how it is already july.  i know i said that yesterday, but still... it really is a shock to my system that we are in the tail end of summer (well, in my world anyway).  

last week i was completely off my routines due to nephew visit and this week and next i'm off due to wimbledon.  the tv will be on as well as the laptop so i can watch as many matches as possible.  it is one of the only sports i enjoy watching anymore. and as someone who grew up watching all the sports it is sad to have lost my love for so many.

i'm still in the cleanup stage from the nephew visit.  i've managed, i think, to corral all the fur from the furniture/sheets/comforters and now need to start on the clothes i wore while he was here.  this past sunday my brother and s-i-l brought nephew over and he came running in with a bag tied to his leash.  he came right to me and gave me hugs and kisses. (ick on the kisses!) they said he wanted to give me a present for taking such good care of him while they were gone.  they gave me a bag of the new lay's bacon grilled cheese potato chips!  i'd mentioned the day before i was wanting to try them.  haha!  i can't wait to try them.

this week i'll be getting back to work on the cleaning/clearing/decluttering thing around here.  i saw a meme the other day that was a picture of marie kondo saying keep no more than 30 books and at the bottom a drawing of a man with his hand up saying no one needs that kind of negativity.  haha!  yea i don't think marie and i would get along.  :-)

well... i need to get back to today's quests and see if i can get some things completed.  i always like marking things as done on my lists.  it's a weird little dopamine hit. 

hope you are having a great day and have a great week ahead.

what's going on in your world?

love & kisses & magical wishes...

~*~

ps... here's today's mfta post link if you want to take a look.

the gods of time...

hard to believe it's the last day of june, my lovelies.  it seems the gods of time are speeding things up every day.  

the garden is growing like crazy.  i wasn't able to spend much time out there last week, what with my nephew visiting.  even though he slept a lot, he didn't like it if i wasn't close by.

i don't have much to share today, except a few photos from june.  well...i do have a LOT to say, just not today. 

citronella i picked to make an infusion for a mosquito repellent i want to try...

the cucumber plants are wild and have so many blooms.  i've been worried that i haven't seen many pollinators, but i've been seeing more lately.

a little harvest from a couple of days ago. first home grown cucumber and jalapenos of the season...

it just seems way too early for these little f*#kers.  i could only find one, but i know there are more.  i'll try to get out there early in the morning and mount a search...

me spending time with my sweet nephew on our last day...

it's weird how much i miss him.  but all that fur!  lordt!!!  i went through an entire huge lint roller trying to clean the sheets and blanket from the bed and the blankets i had on the sofa trying to keep the fur off.  

well...

wimbledon started today, one of my favorite sporting events to watch.  this weekend is cheesecake weekend with s-i-l.  we're going with a banana pudding cheesecake.  it sure looks good in the recipe.  i guess we'll see how it goes.

i'll be back soon.  i've been saving some memes to share here about {waves at all that}.  anyhoo...

hope you are having a good day...

love & kisses & magical wishes...

~*~

ps...  here is today's mfta post link.

 

i'm melting...

greetings and salutations, my lovelies...

it is so... freaking... hot.

at 9am it was 85f with a heat index of 96f.  

it is currently 92f with hi of 102f.

i'm staying in the house as much as possible.  in fact, i only go out to walk pup in the am/pm and to water/check on the garden.  since the pup only 'goes' twice a day, it's really not too bad as i can stay in the a/c all day.

as an aside, i can't get over this 'goes' twice a day.  my beastie boy would 'go' 7, 8, 9+ times a day.  of course, he was diabetic and that makes a big difference.  but i'm having trouble getting used to this.

anyhoo, this morning when we came back from our outing, i went out to the garden to water and found green beans!!

i picked the good-sized ones from the bush beans and have a good amount for a dinner or two.  the pole beans are not producing yet, though they are flowering.  and looking through the cucumbers {that have tons of flowers} that i have to train up the trellis every day, i found two nice looking cukes that are almost ready!  yay!!!

i really don't think i'll plant bush beans again.  they aren't like a bush at all and mostly just lie on the ground. i'll definitely plant more to use up the seeds i have, but i'll be using poles from now on.

i was outside for about 15-20 minutes, watering, weeding a bit and picking beans and flowers and i was so hot i drank down two cups of water when i came in. ugh...this, this is why i don't really like summer.  i love the fresh fruit and veggies and all the beautiful flowers and the birds (especially the hummingbirds) but i just do not tolerate the heat very well.

after the beans and watering i picked a few flowers to bring in. 

some for the ancestors...

and some for me...

in migrainelandia news, i really think these vyepti infusions are helping.  i'm on day 9 of not having the pain go over a 7.  after coming in from the garden, i could feel it starting to build a bit so i took out my ice pack and put it on my neck (now on my head) to try to keep the pain level from rising.  i'm really hoping it helps.

well...i'm off to turn off the news and read a book.  the news is just raising my blood pressure and pissing me off.  hope you are having a good day.

love & kisses & magical wishes...

~*~

ps... here's a link to today's mfta post.

pps... does anyone know what the deal is with the different bold of the font?  i didn't use bold at all and i can't figure out why it is so different. any tips appreciated. :-)