I hear a train. A knife in my heart. Stay strong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3xwCkhmies

WID

https://www.kptv.com/year-old-boy-dies-after-suspected-allergic-reaction-to-smell/article_c7b99f4b-1947-54a1-9828-c784f8ad9ccd.html

Sorry hungry peoples ~ no tax refund this year!

It will be interesting to see how Trump's supporters react in the next couple three weeks to the realization that his shutdown will delay their tax refunds. I'm guessing that most of the people who voted for him live paycheck to paycheck and they're not going to be happy about this. If it weren't for the neglected children this would be amusing. I'm guessing that most of the people who voted for him have nine or ten children who are probably hungry at this very moment. I picture hungry Appalachian coal miner children. But I also picture the Appalachian children catching crawdads and running home when they hear their mom's whistle and having corn pone with honey and butter.

I mailed a box to my children on December 26 and it was delivered on December 29. This is not direct contact. Mailing boxes to my children eases my grief. I mailed a heart rock, a couch comforter (bye bye happy memories), Pete's sketchbook, Pete's bowler hat filled with things ~ an Epipen, the snowbird with sunflower beak, Pete's farmer (very hard to let go of), red foam magician balls, his paperclip necklace with the hook magnet and my 'This Too Shall Pass' ring, sheet music of Bach's Two-Part Invention No. 8 and Pete's Sonata that he played every morning when he came downstairs before school, a Rocky and Bullwinkle dvd, that funny red bird pen, the little round mirror with the roses glued to it, lots of odds and ends from around the house, the black guitar fly swatter from the Hard Rock. On and on until non.

I saw Orion's Belt tonight, New Year's Eve, for the first time this winter, leading me home in the clear night sky. Orion's Belt is an old friend to me.

I mailed my son's trappers to them with hot chocolate on December 29 and the post office says it was delivered on December 31.

I mailed a heart rock, a Monty Python hat of Tim the Enchanter, a camera and the USB transfer card, a little canoe, and other funstuff to my children on December 27 and the post office says it was delivered on December 29. It fills my heart with joy to know that my wonderchildren receive my little gifts. It is grief relief.