I just thought I would share some pictures, maybe get a chuckle or two out of you. I know that some of you are on your way to, or awaiting the arrival of, family members who are rooting for the party of the Death Star, that the Force is strong with them and they are waiting for you with cookies, pies, and judgement.
Do not despair. This is only for a day or two. This too shall pass.
I have here, some images from my collection that I shall refer to as my happy place. I am sharing that with you, should you need it, to maintain your sanity. Sometimes it can be difficult to find that middle ground, between not taking someone too seriously, because they adhere to batshit crazy, without oozing contempt for their very existence. So when faced with such confrontations, because for the most part, I am outnumbered, I try to pretend I am Mr Spock.
I limit my responses for most of these encounters whenever possible, this helps me to avoid ugly confrontations that might cause elderly relatives to grasp their chests and keel over. Normally I am not such a self effacing person, but for sanity's sake, and in order to avoid multiple ambulance calls, I do try and behave for the holidays.
These people are not going to change, and I am not going to pay lip service to their weirdness, so this is as close as we can get. "Fascinating". Of course I am not going to tell you that I always succeed in this endeavor. If constantly confronted by relatives over these matters, if nagged to death, or targeted with something particularly nasty and hateful, I can, if cornered, give as good as I get.
Most of the relatives know better by now though, and usually we can get through this without any casualties.
And now for the pictures, which are located through the orange portal.
A lot of people don't look up. This time of year is a really great time to spot sundogs and cloud iridescence.
This is part of a sundog. Only the ring appeared in this instance, without the "dogs" which are mock suns that appear at 22 degrees of the sun.
I have noted that sundogs often precede serious weather fronts, and not just in the winter either. When you have a lot of moisture in the atmosphere, these appear, around the sun or the moon, and if there are high winds and low clouds, you might want to get your storm shelter prepped.
Cloud Iridescence is another phenomenon that is common this time of year. This happens more often in the winter because we have more cirrus clouds, which are basically ice crystals.
I have always witnessed these events before major ice storms, and before the two big blizzards we had recently in 2010. However, we do not get ice storms or blizzards every time this phenomenon appears. {confusing I know}. When the upper level disturbances arrive with the high altitude clouds made of ice crystals, that indicate major weather, these will often appear. But sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, and it's just a cold front with cirrus clouds putting on a pretty show.
Lately we have been getting spectacular sunsets and sunrises.
This is from just a few days ago. I was up early in the morning and the deep colors radiating from the sky, turned everything at the window a warm amber and deep rose. It was breathtaking. I felt compelled to put my flip flops on and brave the chilly morning to get some pictures of this amazing sky.
I didn't want to take too long to put my shoes on. The sunrise went through several stages and colors very quickly as the sun climbed above the horizon.
When you live in a place that oppresses you. Whether that be in reality, or on some spiritual level, I think that the situation, the constant pressure forces you to look for some sign of hope, for some sign of serenity. You actively look for beauty to feed your soul.
I think of these photos as proof of some universal affirmation.
No matter how ugly people get around me, no matter how upset I may be at times, there are still good things in the world, if I am willing to see them and acknowledge them, and that by doing that, some of that goodness might rub off on me or be transmitted out into the world.
This beautiful amber grass, hold the seeds for the next year's grasses. There is continuity here.
Dormant isn't the same as dead. This tree is just waiting to burst open with greenery, when the weather clears.
No matter how batshit crazy some of those relatives get, remember one thing: It's all very...
~FASCINATING~
Remember, you can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you cannot pick your relatives. Also, I do not recommend picking your friends' noses.
Happy Thanksgiving.
I am very grateful that the Daily Kos exists, and to those who make this possible, along with all of the members and diarists. This place takes the edge off of my isolation and loneliness as a sane person living in a red state. I am ever fascinated by the careful thought, the research, the time, and affection put into the posts here. It's nice to know there are so many people who are willing to work so hard, to make this country a better place. Your efforts are deeply appreciated.