Live updates from the NY Times in Iowa:

Let me know if anyone can't see these results. I subscribe to the Times which is probably why I can. I did check the link before posting.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/01/15/us/elections/results-iowa-caucus.html?campaign_id=56&emc=edit_cn_20240115&instance_id=112601&nl=on-politics®i_id=80294139&segment_id=155407&te=1&user_id=e6d99470f2be9f1757ca234d98420b03

As Inspired by Mousetoescamper! Tonight's waxing crescent moon:

Second night post new moon: Waxing crescent. . .

One month ago today, my dear friend AndyS died.

I am glad this month is gone. It has given me space from Andy's death. I look back at that and I am relieved that my sorrow seems to have abated.

He is definitely at peace, and he needed to be. Until he got into hospice, he'd been in a lot of pain. Hospice took care of that.

Now I can more readily see the good things and times that we shared. I am honored that he cared deeply for me, as I did for him.

I now have hope that the road forward will show me more of the goodness we shared, and less of the painful loss that his death brought me.

A little bit of an onion . . .

Maybe I post some flowers from time to time . . . Have a look!

A friend of mine posted this on facebook as a help for people who are depressed.

I thought it would help those of us here who are sad over the loss of a partner or a friend.

DEPRESSION TIPS:
Shower. Not a bath, a shower.
Use water as hot or cold as you like. You don’t even need to wash. Just get in under the water and let it run over you for a while. Sit on the floor if you gotta.
Moisturize everything.
Use whatever lotion you like.
Unscented? Dollar store lotion? Fancy 48 hour lotion that makes you smell like a field of wildflowers? Use whatever you want, and use it all over your entire dermis.
Put on clean, comfortable clothes.
Put on your favorite underwear.
Those ridiculous boxers you bought last christmas with candy cane hearts on the butt? Put them on.
Drink cold water.
Use ice. If you want, add some mint or lemon for an extra boost.
Clean something.
Doesn’t have to be anything big. Organize one drawer of a desk. Wash five dirty dishes. Do a load of laundry. Scrub the bathroom sink.
Blast music.
Listen to something upbeat and dancey and loud, something that’s got lots of energy. Sing to it, dance to it, even if you suck at both.
Make food.
Don’t just grab a granola bar to munch. Take the time and make food. Even if it’s ramen. Add something special to it, like a soft boiled egg or some veggies. Prepare food, it tastes way better, and you’ll feel like you accomplished something.
Make something.
Write a short story or a poem, draw a picture, color a picture, fold origami, crochet or knit, sculpt something out of clay, anything artistic. Even if you don’t think you’re good at it. Create.
Go outside.
Take a walk. Sit in the grass. Look at the clouds. Smell flowers. Put your hands in the dirt and feel the soil against your skin.
Call someone.
Call a loved one, a friend, a family member, call a chat service if you have no one else to call. Talk to a stranger on the street. Have a conversation and listen to someone’s voice. If you can’t bring yourself to call, text or email or whatever, just have some social interaction with another person. Even if you don’t say much, listen to them. It helps.
Cuddle your pets if you have them/can cuddle them.
Take pictures of them. Talk to them. Tell them how you feel, about your favorite movie, a new game coming out, anything.
May seem small or silly to some, but this list keeps people alive.
*** At your absolute best you won’t be good enough for the wrong people. But at your worst, you’ll still be worth it to the right ones. Remember that. Keep holding on.
*** In case nobody has told you today I love you and you are worth your weight and then some in gold, so be kind to yourself and most of all keep pushing on!!!!
Find something to be grateful for!

#SuicideAwareness
#HaveARealConversation

Here's a couple* of photos from today's Manhattan Beach Farmer's Market!

I went down to the beach today. The waves were great; here's a couple of examples:

Well . . . The El Segundo Farmer's Mkt. was open--without any vegetable vendors! So I took a few photos.

Hope you enjoy!