It's the Holiday Season

 

Imagine for a moment your most enjoyable Thanksgiving. The turkey was on the table and the family and friends gathered around for the feast. It may have been as recently as last year. An NFL was game blaring on a television somewhere and children or youth were actively gaming on their personal electronics. The house smelled of food and cooking and there may have been a few bottles of wine, partially consumed, on the table. 

Now, remember the basketball games, the concerts, the trips, the holiday partiers and pig-ins we used to enjoy. 

That was so last year.

The year we get to enjoy holidays in a new way--under the threat of pandemic. It has been this way since Easter. Hopefully we have become used to the solitary celebrations by now. 

So now, as life has changed we need to hold fast to these memories and work towards making 2021 better than what we thought 2020 was to have been when the year began. 

It is the holiday season--we must not let the anguish and concern about the pandemic rob the season from us. Yes we are going to do things differently this year, but next year, hopefully, we will enjoy the holidays even more as we are freed from the pandemic and the train wreck that is our national leadership.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

 

Need a Little Christmas

 

There is a song, We Need a Little Christmas from the movie Auntie Mame where amid the depression after there great 1929 stock crash, the family gathers and sings about how they need a little Christmas. Of course, as I remember it, it is July and things look glum, but the Christmas spirit rescues the day and provides a moment of joy amid the pain.

I have noticed Christmas decorations are already adorning the streets and sidewalks in many neighborhoods. It is as if the season of the turkey isn to happening and as a society we are ready to head into the Christmas season. The Christmas season is magical. It is a time to create joy and peace amid the bustle and hardship of life.

During this time of pandemic, election upheaval. transition, and economic downturn people may be looking for something to take their minds off what is happening around them. 

So, haul out the holly and get a head start on the "most wonderful time of the year" and escape the constant drone of depressing news if it will help. We need to change our minds.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - November 16, 2020

 

1. This is the third Monday of November. The month is half over and Thanksgiving is next week. This is the in-between Veterans Day and Thanksgiving week.

2. The election is over, but the counting continues. January 20th is coming.

3. Family NFL Results

    Steelers (9-0) defeat Bengals (2-6-1) 36-10

    Football Team (2-7) lose to Lions (4-5) 27-30

    Cowboys did not play

    Ravens (6-3) lose to Patriots (4-5) 17-23

4. I am appalled that the current administration continues to sow seeds of discord regarding the election. They are being un-American by not conceding and getting on with the business of transitioning power.

5. I enjoyed watching The Master's golf tournament yesterday. I have rarely been able to see most of a day of golf on TV. I am happy for Dustin Johnson.

Big Cork Vineyard Viognier
Rohrersville, MD
November 14, 2020

6. I have really noticed a reduced load in my email since the election is over. My email is nearly back to a manageable level.

7. I enjoy walking through the vineyards. The idea that wine in the vine is everywhere around me is exciting and intriguing. 

8. I still get excited when I see Americans launching into space from Cape Canaveral! Way to go SpaceX.

9. Today in History. On November 16, 1532, Francisco Pizarro, the Spanish explorer and conquistador, springs a trap on the Incan emperor, Atahualpa. With fewer than 200 men against several thousand, Pizarro lures Atahualpa to a feast in the emperor’s honor and then opens fire on the unarmed Incans. Pizarro’s men massacre the Incans and capture Atahualpa, forcing him to convert to Christianity before eventually killing him.

Covid Is Resurging, and This Time It’s Everywhere - The Wall Street Journal

Biden Turns Up Pressure for Administration Recognition - The Wall Street Journal

Trump’s Yearslong Plan to Make Losing Look Like a Win - The New York Times

SpaceX NASA Live Updates: 4 Astronauts Launch to Orbit Successfully - The New York Times

Medical costs of discharged German COVID patients 50% above pre-admission levels: study - Reuters

British PM Johnson self-isolating after COVID-19 contact - Reuters

China says U.S. should stop unreasonably suppressing Chinese firms - Reuters

As Trump’s efforts on Iran falter, Biden will face a more assertive Tehran - The Washington Post

The ending of Trump’s presidency echoes the beginning — with a lie - The Washington Post

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Escaping the House

 

Viognier Grapes
Big Cork Vineyard
Rohrersville, MD
November 14, 2020

Syrah Grapes after the Harvest
Big Cork Vineyards
Rohrersville, MD
November 14, 2020

Looking to get out and escape the house, safely, while enjoying the outdoors on a beautiful late autumn day, Chris and I headed out to some wineries. It was a way to escape the confines of the house while maintaining physical distancing and also enjoying something that we love doing. There is going to be enough time this coming winter to be stuck in the house.

Of course, we made our way to Big Cork Vineyards in Rohrersville, Maryland as a beginning. But, we were sure that we would visit at least one other winery and we did! We also visited Hiddencroft Vineyards in Lovettsville, Virginia. 

It was a beautiful day to be out in the vineyards and then around a fire pit chatting with other oenophiles while enjoying a glass or two of wine.

One of the hard parts about visiting a winery during the pandemic is that most are not doing tastings except by appointment. But, most wineries are offsetting the lack of tastings by increasing socially acceptable activities, like outdoor games.

Sometimes we just need to escape the house because the pandemic feels as if it is closing in on all sides. I believe that wineries are great places to visit because it is generally easy to maintain physical distancing while there. Chris and I were able to stroll around the actual vineyards yesterday to enjoy the autumn colors and see the grapes that remained after the harvest. Those grapes are not lost as they continue to feed the wildlife that can get to them.

If you need to escape--do it safely!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Dichotomy

 

It seems there is a difference in reality depending upon whether the words are being spoken by the outgoing or the incoming administration.

The outgoing administration would have us believe that COVID-19 is going away, despite the numbers which are higher every day. The head in the sand approach doesn't work. 

What should the current administration do? Accept the pandemic for what it is, be transparent with the American people, and start mobilizing equipment, supplies, and personnel as was done at the beginning of the pandemic in March. Telling Americans that it isn't that bad and its going away is not productive.

The incoming administration is already planning to do just those things. They are embracing science. Why, I ask, should we have to wait 70 days for the new administration to get the weight of the government behind fighting there pandemic and winning? 

We can jaw all we want about how there is no way to control the virus, but without trying that becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. And from the "yes it can be controlled" argument--look at South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand. 

I offer this headline from the Washington Post:

Australia has almost eliminated the coronavirus — by putting faith in science

Argue all you want--but facts is facts. 

Remember, every number is a name!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

COVID-19 v Election

 

A message to our leaders:

The Election is over! Yes, some votes are still being counted and recounted, but the votes are in. The campaigning and posturing must stop.

Why?

People are dying. The COVID-19 pandemic is ravaging the country. Despite assurances to the contrary, the pandemic is not going away. It is getting worse and our leaders are doing nothing. They are too focused upon trying to keep their jobs through legal maneuvering rather than helping Americans and bolstering the economy.

Think about this--every number that we hear about with respect to the pandemic has a name attached to it.

Stop worrying about votes (they are already cast) and start worrying about people.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Thanksgiving, Two Weeks from Today

 

Thanksgiving Cactus
Elkridge, MD
November 11, 2020

The season of the turkey is upon us. Thanksgiving in the crazy year 2020 is upon us. 

We have our turkeys out adorning the house and are enjoying our Thanksgiving cactus--which is in full bloom two weeks early. 

As crazy as 2020 has been with the canceled trips and vacations, and plans at least it is reassuring that the Thanksgiving cactus has bloomed right on schedule. It is radiating joy and beauty just at the right time as the leaves are falling from the trees and the dark season is deepening. 

It is likely to be a very different Thanksgiving in two weeks. Many of the traditions that we have will be modified to account for the uncontrolled pandemic. But the Autumn has been beautiful with blue clear skies and bright leaves on the trees. The yards are now full of leaves and the reassuring smells of the season are everywhere. We need to hold onto each other through every means available. As we get deeper into the dark season, we must work harder to stay in touch with family and friends so as not to become isolated.

Here's an early Thanksgiving greeting to each of you. Be well, stay safe, and know that you are not alone.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

COVID Step Backwards

 

Due to the failure of our elected leaders and the indifference of the larger populace, we are taking a COVID-19 step backwards.

Travel restrictions, mandatory testing, closings--it is the summer almost all over again.

Chris and I have canceled a trip to Upstate New York to see family due to travel restrictions.

U.S. Covid-19 Cases Hit Fresh High - The Wall Street Journal

I would say that Nero is fiddling while Rome burns, but the sad truth is that the president apparently has abrogated his responsibilities and has not been seen since golfing on Saturday, Mitch McConnell is more interested in defending the president than he is getting the country out the trouble, and Nancy Pelosi is not doing anything either.

Wow--the big three are missing while the country is being ravaged by coronavirus.

The election is over and while the votes need to be finished counting to make it official we have a president-elect and now it is time to get back to the big problems at hand.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Veterans Day 2020

 

Tomorrow is Veterans Day in the United States and Remembrance Day throughout much of Europe. They are holidays that both sides of the Atlantic Ocean observe which have their roots in one of the most violent and destructive wars that has been fought. While Remembrance Day is more like Memorial Day, both days honor veterans and their service.

Our veterans are everywhere among us. Men and women who have given a portion of their lives in service to this country. And while every so often they are given lip-service by our leaders, the grim reality is that many veterans struggle with the scars of their service--both physical and emotional, in silence and alone.

Remember our veterans tomorrow and every day.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - November 9, 2020

 

1. Today is the second Monday of November. The days remaining in 2020 are quickly passing. Veterans Day is this week.

2. The 2020 Election is over! Americans have spoken. I am distressed by the numbers of people who cannot accept the results and who foster conspiracy theories where there are none. There may be small, local instances of irregularities and the pending lawsuits will ferret those out, but to maintain that the loss can only be attributed to fraud represents the very kind of thinking that 75.5 million Americans voted against.

3. Family NFL Scores

    Steelers (8-0) defeat Cowboys (2-6) 24-19

    Ravens (6-2) defeat Colts (5-3) 24-10

    Football Team (2-6) lost to Giants (2-7), 20-23

4. The passing of Alex Trebek who hosted Jeopardy, one of my favorite TV game shows since 1984, saddened me yesterday. I had known of his pancreatic cancer diagnosis and so his passing was not unexpected.

5. Now that the election is over and we have a president-elect, let's move that energy into defeating the pandemic. 

6. New administrations have to deal with the state of the country left to them by their predecessors. The Biden administration is going to face world leading coronavirus cases and deaths, economic disaster, record unemployment, and intentionally created divisions within the country. Four years ago, the current administration faced none of that when they walked into the White House. How could anyone expect to get reelected with that record?

7. The absolutely beautiful autumn days of this weekend were throughly enjoyable. Warm temperatures and crystal blue skies highlighted the magnificent colors of the autumn leaves on the trees. I am happy that I was able to enjoy the days.

8. Heard jokingly over a glass of wine the other night: Canada is considering building a wall to keep Americans out.

9. Today in History. On November 9, 1938, in an event that would foreshadow the Holocaust, German Nazis launch a campaign of terror against Jewish people and their homes and businesses in Germany and Austria. The violence, which continued through November 10 and was later dubbed “Kristallnacht,” or “Night of Broken Glass,” after the countless smashed windows of Jewish-owned establishments, left approximately 100 Jews dead, 7,500 Jewish businesses damaged and hundreds of synagogues, homes, schools and graveyards vandalized. An estimated 30,000 Jewish men were arrested, many of whom were then sent to concentration camps for several months; they were released when they promised to leave Germany. Kristallnacht represented a dramatic escalation of the campaign started by Adolf Hitler in 1933 when he became chancellor to purge Germany of its Jewish population.

Biden win opens door for improved predictability in China-U.S. relations: state media - Reuters

Latino Democrats tell Mexican president to get with the program and back Biden - Reuters

U.S. Stock Futures Rally After Biden Wins Presidency - The Wall Street Journal

U.S. Daily Coronavirus Cases Hit Fourth Straight Record - The Wall Street Journal

Republicans Split on Accepting Biden Victory - The New York Times

A ‘Terrifying’ Coronavirus Surge Will Land in Biden’s LapA ‘Terrifying’ Coronavirus Surge Will Land in Biden’s Lap - The New York Times

Trump’s presidential dream began on a gold escalator. It may have ended at Four Seasons Total Landscaping. - The Washington Post

In the dumbest and darkest of times, Alex Trebek maintained a safe space for intelligence - The Washington Post

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

"There are no great limits to growth because there are no limits of human intelligence, imagination, and wonder."

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD