Life and Linketies

More storms today, which is great for the garden, so yay for that! Also, I love sitting on our porch watching it rain. This summer we have a lovely cucumber shade over the entire front porch; Grafton ran twine up to the top of the porch for the cukes to grow up, and it's worked wonderfully (the trellises below are made of random sticks and branches all tied together boy scout style, and I love the very natural look of it all). Also, Grafton and Caleb took out the far end of the porch railing on the back porch and built steps, so now it's accessible from both ends instead of being a cramped dead end (we've got a huge bowler's bench there, so it can seat a lot of people, but heaven forbid anyone need to get out again). Also, it means fewer spots where critters can back other critters into corners, and when managing large numbers of dogs that's a helpful thing to consider. So far, though, none of the dogs will acknowledge the new access at all. Totally doesn't exist in their little peanut-brains. It's rather funny.

I don't know if it's a reaction to Shroom's death, but Ringo (see icon) has been absolutely all over me this past week. I'm certainly not complaining; it's been nice. His best friend in Riley, though, and he never had much to do with Shroom, so I wasn't expecting a strong reaction from him. It might just be that he no longer reads me as marked as "hers". Any which way, it's A Good Thing.

So tired and achy. Blarg. As I was explaining to NL: With the fibro I'm not generally specifically looking for sympathy, just need to be able to state whatever's up with me at the time. It's sort of like a weather report most days. Occasionally I'll have a really bad time and get frustrated and need more emotional support, but that's less common. -- So that's a lot of what's up with the almost daily fibro updates. It's the Daily Sarah-Weather Report, for those who need useful info about my level of functionality.

The war on women has many fronts: one is being fought against doctors who are making a stand for women’s right to choose in the wake of Dr. Tiller's murder.


Medical Marijuana Momentum -- Next Stop: Ohio

Republicans Look To Kill Legal Aid

8 Union Victories Progressives Should Be Watching--And Learning From
It might be too early to call it a resurgence, but organized labor has been marking some big victories lately.

Birth Control Coverage for Everyone? Not So Fast. -- The very important religious exception. It's one of the major reasons I'd never accept a reassignment to the ex-catholic hospital in our network -- their employees, even though technically all CCF now, are locked under the agreement made when Marymount was acquired, and get no reproductive services the Catholic church objects to. Because I'm sure all thousand or so nurses, office staff, doctors, etc, are all conservative by-the-book Catholics. I'm sure we're not actually taking coverage away from people who want and need it with this "compromise" crap. Oh no, that wouldn't happen. /rant

Vincent Gray, mayor of the District of Columbia, has given the go ahead for a ground breaking program specifically aimed at job training and placement for transgender members of the D.C. community. -- Excellent news!
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