Say Their Names - Black Lives Matter

America's own particular "exceptionist" brand of racism has again lifted its ugly and brutal head to strike out with terror.  This time, its victims were 9 members of an historic Afro-American church in Charleston, South Carolina:  Miss Sharonda, Rev. Pinckney, Miss Cythina, Mr. Tywanza, Miss Myra, Miss Ethel, Mr. Daniel, Miss Susie, and Rev. Middleton.  Say each name.  Remember each loving and loved person, murdered in something even worse than cold blood:  in a hot blooded intentional racist act of terrorism in a state in which the state flag serves as an inspiration to just that racist ideology.  How is that possible?  Sure the Republican governor called it an act of "terrorism".  Did she lower the state flag to half mast?  What does it mean to lower the flag that flew over 4 million enslaved Black people to "mourn" the murders of nine?

Here in Maine, the state legislature just passed a budget that cut off aid (food stamps, housing subsidies) to new LEGAL immigrants, in this case, mostly Africans from Somalia, etc.  New immigrants are not allowed to work for 6 months - and how are they supposed to live in the meantime?  According to our Republican governor, Paul LePage, they can starve and live on the street!  That is his idea of "welfare reform" - and the "liberal" Democrats in our state government caved and voted for that budget - which includes income tax breaks weighted heavily for those making over $300,000 - because otherwise the government could have "shut down."  Which do you choose - death by hanging, death by poison?

That's Maine.  That's America.  Who will do something about it?  If not me, you, us, then who?  If not now, how many more will go hungry, homeless, be slaughtered in the streets and even in Bible study groups?  

I feel guilty even changing the subject to my own life... but life goes on... and I have had the privilege - unlike those whose lives were ended in Charleston this week - of having lived the week they died.  I should be, I am grateful for that privilege.  And for this...

David has retired - hurrah - and after my own several very stressful weeks at work, I had a lovely week of vacation during which we had a visit from my cousin Melissa, her husband John, and their son Austin.

 We began with a walk out the Rockland Breakwater, followed by dinner at a new local seafood restaurant.  

Sunday we took a "Puffin Cruise" from Port Clyde, with time for a walk to the lighthouse there first.

We visited the Lighthouse Museum, took a trip to the Owl's Head Lighthouse and the beach at Birch Point State Park.  We had dinner at the Lobster Pound in Lincolnville (one experience I probably wouldn't recommend repeating).  We drove up to Mount Battie in Camden State Park for a wonderful view of Penobscot Bay, including here, Camden Harbor:

Melissa, John and Austin took Captain Jack's lobster boat outing out of Rockland Harbor. Austin got to watch lobster traps being hauled up, lobsters taken out and measured as keepers or not, other sea creatures identified (and in one case, eaten by someone on board - sea urchin sushi ....).  Melissa, John and Austin drove up to Acadia and spent one day.  Anyway, it was a lovely visit.

And now I have two more days (including today) before I have to go back to work, and then only 3 weeks or so until Sam and the boys come to visit.  Sam sent me some great photos from his father's family reunion, including this one:

My gorgeous grandsons!

Back to work tomorrow.  The only good thing about it is tomorrow is one more day toward the last day.   As I count them, with a week's vacation while Sam is here, I will have 21 working days left starting tomorrow.  

Now, I am (almost) officially ... old.  I applied for Social Security last week, to start in August (which means first check in late September--they make sure you have survived the month for which your benefit applies before they give it to you! Not sure how they expect you to survive in the meantime, but, hey, that's the great American way.)

For me, each day has the potential to begin like this one did last week:

May the memories of Miss Sharonda, Rev. Pinckney, Miss Cythina, Mr. Tywanza, Miss Myra, Miss Ethel, Mr. Daniel, Miss Susie, and Rev. Middleton be a blessing for their families, their congregation, their community, their state and for all of us in this country.  May we take courage from their memories to take action in their names.

Peace.