5 things on a Sunday in June

[truepenny]

1. Yesterday, I wrote letters to Senator Feingold, Senator Kohl, Congresswoman Baldwin, and President Obama (email to the president, paper letters to the legislators) about the oil spill and BP's abhorrent behavior. This is the first time I have ever written a letter to any of my elected representatives, and if it does even a particle of good, I will be passionately grateful.

2. Because my mother-in-law asked, I went out yesterday and took pictures of various portions of the yard: roses, lilies, marigolds, etc. Plus a picture of the Elder Saucepan for lagniappe. Gallery here.

3. Last night I managed to get out of the stupid anxiety dream wherein I'm back in high school and failing calculus, but only by turning it into a MUCH WORSE nightmare about undead ghoul/vampire/Fury creatures feuding with each other.

4. There is no item 4. Yes, there is! Item 4 is that today is the 66th anniversary of D-Day. I loathe war, but that does not mean I do not honor the bravery of the men who died on the Normandy beaches--and the men who survived. And although I will argue about the necessity of war in almost all circumstances, I have read enough about Hitler to know that in this case, yes, war was the only way to stop him, and he had to be stopped. So, those who died on June 6, 1944, and those who survived to fight on, I am grateful to you and I honor your memory. And those veterans who are still alive, I hope this June 6th is a good day.

5. Have I mentioned that I'm going to be at Fourth Street? Because I so am! It looks like I'm going to be on two panels (including one that is based on this post, about which, yes, I would admit to being a bit chuffed), and of course I will be there for the rest of it, too.

Inevitable addenda:
(1) I am very near-sighted and very shy, but neither of those means I don't want to talk to you!
(2) Unless I'm late for a panel (or otherwise obviously busy), I'm always happy to sign books.

Comments

[panjianlien.livejournal.com]

Your mystery flowers are poppies. :)

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

Cool!

I thought they were, but then I thought I had to be wrong.

Thank you!

[heresluck]

Yay, garden! I am trying not to think about how neglected mine is at the moment. I forgot to stake the peonies this spring and so of course when they bloomed last week they all took a collective nosedive right into the lawn. Oops.

garden

[(Anonymous)]

Thanks for the photos. Pretty enough to justify all those thorns. Elizabeth

[alecaustin.livejournal.com]

Pleased to hear about the panel! I liked that post very much, and hopefully the topic will give people lots of things to talk about.

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[fidelioscabinet.livejournal.com]

Did you know there were women on the beaches? Both the British and the Americans (and the Canadians, too, I suspect, although I can't say for sure) had nurses working in aid stations by the afternoon of D-Day. Not the same as the first assault waves--but there they were, all the same.

One of the most common old-fashioned red climbers is called Blaze, and there's another, with very ruffled petals and a strong scent called Don Juan. I don't know for sure about the Anthropophagus Rose, except that it's not Dorothy Perkins, The Fairy, or Cecile Brunner, because those aren't singles. The native climber called Prairie Rose doesn't have the sort of armament your has. Sweet Brier, or Eglantine does, but the flowers aren't quite right. Betty Prior is another possible. You could also just go to Antique Rose Emporium (http://www.antiqueroseemporium.com/index.html) and lose several hours off your life.

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

It's definitely not Betty Prior--not bicolor. And I would say thank you for the link, but I'm not quite sure gratitude is the appropriate response. *g*

[fidelioscabinet.livejournal.com]

Unlike TV Tropes, it is at least a finite time-sink.

[menoreiel.livejournal.com]

The pictures of your garden are very lovely! I especially like the roses, but I have an unreasonable fondness for roses.

[pameladean]

Kitty! Excuse me, I mean, how very stately and venerable the Elder Saucepan is.

I love the Anthropophagous Rosebush, but then, it hasn't ever tried to eat me. I like enormous vigorous out-of-control plants in general, much to the dismay of my housemates.

P.

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

The Elder Saucepan thanks you for your appreciation. He gets no respect around here. *g*

And I am very fond of the Anthropophagous Rosebush, despite the fact that it HAS tried to eat me. Several times.

[pameladean]

I am sure that he thinks so. So plush and sleepy! *cough*

My Henry Kelsey tried to eat me once, but the resulting minor infection saved my life, so I figure I'd better go on giving it the chance from time to time. Yours may just be practicing. In case of emergency, puncture human.

P.