Trailrider1951
Trailrider1951's JournalAn email from my Congressional Representative
Protecting Women's Reproductive Rights
Dear Friend,
As you may know, Roe v. Wade has protected women's access to safe abortion care for decades. Last week it was reported that Supreme Court justices are circulating a draft opinion that would overrule 50 years of precedent by rolling back Roe. If this draft opinion is true and is issued, it would be a massive step backward.
As one of the few doctors in Congress, and just one of two women doctors in Congress, I know that health care decisions should be made between a woman and her doctor. Government has no role in making personal medical decisions. I voted for the Women's Health Protection Act that will make Roe v. Wade the law of the land. That bill passed in the House, but was voted down this week in the Senate.
I want to be clear that the Supreme Court decision is not yet final. Women can still access reproductive health care services and you can bet that I will keep doing everything I can to protect women’s access to safe abortion no matter where they live.
The decision of when and whether to become pregnant is one that impacts every element of a woman’s life and the freedom to chart the course of her life. She should have the right to make that decision herself, in consultation with her doctor.
I understand that people have very strong feelings about the issue of abortion, and I know we may not agree on every issue. My job is to listen to your concerns and do my best to serve every person in this district. I look forward to hearing from you
Sincerely,
Image
Kim Schrier, M.D.
Member of Congress
This email also contained a link to a poll to determine how her constituents feel about the subject. At least some of our representatives realize that they work for WE THE PEOPLE.
Artist Recreates Picasso's Guernica on Destroyed Kyiv Bridge
Roberto Marquez of Mexico is bringing new life to a destroyed bridge in Kyiv by painting a replica of Picasso’s Guernica on it.
Even through a devastating war, art lives and speaks to us.
I bought a new piece of cookware 2 months ago, and I just love it
I bought this small cast iron dutch oven from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00008GKDU?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1
It's a Lodge 2 quart (2 liter) size, and measures 8 1/4 inches (21 cm) in diameter and is around 3 inches (7.6 cm) inches deep. It comes with a ci lid that fits tightly and has those self-basting knobs on the underside. I bought this to bake small loaves of no-knead bread and to roast chicken and vegetables. I could not be happier with it! It bakes and roasts to perfection, and holds just enough food for my small household (1 adult and 1 cat).
It comes "pre-seasoned" from the factory with a spray-on coating of veg oil, but I like to do another round of seasoning before I use any new cast iron. I scrubbed it inside and out with hot water, a bit of Dawn liquid and a stainless steel scrubber. That removed any loose residue and turned the suds grey. After drying thoroughly with a towel and some air drying, I rubbed it with canola oil and then wiped off any excess with a terrycloth. The pot and lid then went into the oven, which was then heated to 450* F. I left the oven on for an hour and then turned it off, leaving the pot and lid to cool gradually. I repeated the oil, wipe and bake process 2 more times and then it was ready to use. Since then, I've baked several loaves of bread and made several dinners in it, and for me, it's been a winner. Well worth the $35 I paid for it.
52 years ago today..."Houston, we have a problem."
Those words from Apollo 13.
Apollo 13 (April 11–17, 1970) was the seventh crewed mission in the Apollo space program and the third meant to land on the Moon. The craft was launched from Kennedy Space Center on April 11, 1970, but the lunar landing was aborted after an oxygen tank in the service module (SM) failed two days into the mission. The crew instead looped around the Moon and returned safely to Earth on April 17. The mission was commanded by Jim Lovell, with Jack Swigert as command module (CM) pilot and Fred Haise as Lunar Module (LM) pilot. Swigert was a late replacement for Ken Mattingly, who was grounded after exposure to rubella.
A routine stir of an oxygen tank ignited damaged wire insulation inside it, causing an explosion that vented the contents of both of the SM's oxygen tanks to space. Without oxygen, needed for breathing and for generating electric power, the SM's propulsion and life support systems could not operate. The CM's systems had to be shut down to conserve its remaining resources for reentry, forcing the crew to transfer to the LM as a lifeboat. With the lunar landing canceled, mission controllers worked to bring the crew home alive.
Although the LM was designed to support two men on the lunar surface for two days, Mission Control in Houston improvised new procedures so it could support three men for four days. The crew experienced great hardship, caused by limited power, a chilly and wet cabin and a shortage of potable water. There was a critical need to adapt the CM's cartridges for the carbon dioxide scrubber system to work in the LM; the crew and mission controllers were successful in improvising a solution. The astronauts' peril briefly renewed public interest in the Apollo program; tens of millions watched the splashdown in the South Pacific Ocean on television.
An investigative review board found fault with preflight testing of the oxygen tank and Teflon being placed inside it. The board recommended changes, including minimizing the use of potentially combustible items inside the tank; this was done for Apollo 14. The story of Apollo 13 has been dramatized several times, most notably in the 1995 film Apollo 13 – based on Lost Moon, the 1994 memoir co-authored by Lovell – and an episode of the 1998 miniseries From the Earth to the Moon.
Read more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_13
I was 18 and looking forward to my high school graduation in a couple of months. 
Things I have learned about Thanksgiving cooking over the years
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. This weekend I will celebrate my 70th birthday, and I will be cooking for our family get together tomorrow. Last year was the first year since my divorce (in 1977) that I did not spend all Thanksgiving morning cooking for the afternoon/evening feast because of the pandemic. I sat on my daughter's patio and talked to her through an open window while she cooked and then gave me a loaded plate to take home. This year we are all vaxxed and will have the feast at my son's house a few miles away. I am so thankful for that! Anyway, here are some things I have learned over the years:
1. Fresh is always best. I love cranberry sauce and make it from real cranberries. It's really easy and the recipe is right on the package. That canned stuff is an abomination. Same goes for whipped cream.
2. For a truly moist turkey (unstuffed) that is browned to perfection, roast it breast side down for the first half of the cooking time. This will baste the breast in the natural juices and will keep it from drying out. Then, flip the bird for the rest of the time to allow it to brown properly. You won't be disappointed.
3. Instead of using canned pumpkin for your pie, try using one of those small sweet pie pumpkins. Just cut it in half, remove stem, seeds and pulp and place it cut side down on a greased baking sheet. Roast it for a couple of hours at 375* F until you can pierce it easily with a fork. You can also cut it into smaller pieces and roast it in a large crockpot set on High. Let cool and scrape the meat of the pumpkin out of the skin. Use that instead of the canned stuff, which is hubbard squash and not pumpkin anyway.
4. The addition of sliced baby carrots to the onions and celery in the dressing adds great flavor, vitamins, fiber and looks pretty as well.
5. A tablespoon or two of the wine you are serving at dinner added to the pan drippings will help deglaze the pan and add a tremendous amount of flavor to your gravy. The alcohol evaporates during the cooking and leaves behind a richness that nothing else can match.
Well, there it is. Make of it what you will. I wish you all a Happy, Healthful, Delicious and Enjoyable Thanksgiving!
Big storm here in western Washington
We just lost power. High winds, heavy rain, lightening and thunder, unusual for this area. Please stay safe, my West coast peeps!
Amtrak has a sale on their USA Rail Pass, reg. $499, now $299
30 days, 10 different rail travel "segments". Restrictions apply. You can read about it here:
https://www.amtrak.com/tickets/departure-rail-pass.html
This is an excellent way to see the USA on a budget. If you've never taken a long-distance train trip, now may be the time. Sale ends June 22. Cross post from the Travel group.
Hmmm, where can I go in October?
Amtrak has a sale on their USA Rail Pass, reg. $499, now $299
30 days, 10 different rail travel "segments". Restrictions apply. You can read about it here:
https://www.amtrak.com/tickets/departure-rail-pass.html
Hmmm, where can I go in October?
Mayonnaise
I've always hated mayonnaise. On anything. Even the smell is enough to make me hurl. So, what do I put in my tuna and potato salad? Answer: Buttermilk ranch dressing. The Buttermilk formulation of most ranch dressings is the least mayonnaise tasting of the ranch dressings. I usually add enough of the dressing to hold the salad ingredients together without drowning it. So, if you dislike mayonnaise like I do, this may be an acceptable substitute. It's also an excellent dip for veggies, and I even put it on my (steamed) broccoli, as well as on my salad. Try it!
