The past two weeks have been very unsettling for so many people. The Supreme Court struck down “Roe”, threatening other “Rights”! In my view the five far-right justices on the court are intent on rolling back rights many felt were secure. The dissenting justices wrote “Either the majority does not really believe in its own reasoning. Or if it does, all rights that have no history stretching back to the mid-19th century are insecure. Either the mass of the majority’s opinion is hypocrisy, or additional constitutional rights are under threat. It is one or the other.” It is no wonder thousands have been demonstrating these past weeks! This is just the beginning!

Marla and I have unashamedly progressive leanings. We have taken part in numerous Women’s and PRIDE marches over the years. We’ve written the checks, made the phone calls, and passed out political flyers. Our days of activism are being reignited once again! With the Supreme Court decisions, the war in Ukraine, and the “January 6 Hearings”, finding joy has been challenging. Many states in the U.S. are turning the clock back to the 1950’s! Regression is the new normal for many!

I could just edit my news intake but I am definitely not one to be blissfully ignorant of what is happening around us! Remember,…“Democracy Dies In Darkness.”

Obviously we all need a release from the stressful zeitgeist of the present moment! I’ll share a few of my favorite remedies. Walking on a beach is one of my favorites! The negative ions are a perfect elixir.

I could be a professional beachcomber!

Having the whole family together is number one one my list!

Walking in a redwood forest is a fabulous destresser! These amazing trees send healing vibrations to my soul.

We love a great hike in the mountains!

Our Flagstaff Mountain hikers in Boulder.

Museum visits expand my view of mankind through the ages.

I always find joy at the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco!

There is nothing better than a bike ride! I’m heading to Provence for a week bike tour in late summer.

I love traveling to unusual locales. I’m at the “Valley of Temples” in Agrigento, Sicily.

The beauty of Ronda in Spain was a big surprise.

On my travel map for this year is to continue my wanderings in Paris. Even after 40+ visits we are still discovering new places of interest.

Corfu will also be new for us this year.

Getting up early for an early sunrise is a perfect tonic to quiet the mind.

A sunset as well.

Sometimes losing oneself in an exiting TV show is great way to turn off the noise of today’s world. Marla and I loved “Slow Horses” ( I’m reading all the Mick Herron novels.) and the new updated TV series, “The Ipcress File”, was fantastic.

A nice wine helps as well!

We are blessed to be on this journey of life together. We will have victories to savor and a few disappointments to brush off from. We are fighters and with any luck progress will happen,…step by step,…brick by brick.

Photos: Dick Gentry. Not to be used without permission. Photos 14 & 15 from the web.