SCOTUS..I have some questions..

Today, SCOTUS decided in favor of free speech over the safety of women walking into abortion clinics in Massachusetts. Wow..the highest court in the land has sent the message that it's okay if women are bullied and harassed. So I guess I have some questions:

When the verbal turns physical, am I protected then? Or will I need to stand there and take the physical punishment? Because I don't know the answer to that now. If someone puts his/her hands on me, can I defend myself? I'm a martial artist, after all. Yes, my illness prevented me from working out for a long time, but I'm better now. I'm sure I could effectively stop someone from preventing me from entering an abortion clinic. Will I be arrested though? Because I figure, if someone touches me, how do I know it will stop with a simple touch? Is grabbing me allowed? Or is that too far? What if they just surround me and prevent me from moving forward? Am I safe then? Should I trust them to do nothing else? How far will they go to prevent me from seeking medical care? Regardless of their opinions, that's why women go to these places. To seek care. Not to seek bullying, harassment or physical assault. 

When they take my license plate number down and then find out where I live, do I have any rights then? What if they come to my home? What if they also express their 2nd amendment rights and bring a weapon? If I call the police, will they even bother to come? Or will they cite freedom of speech?

When they obtain my phone number and call me to say whatever disgusting thing they want to say, can I change my phone number? Or do I have to live without a phone? Or am I required to have one so that their right to free speech is preserved?

35 feet. That's all the buffer zone was. SCOTUS has their own buffer zone, I've read. Is that constitutional? What about the protest zones created when Bush was in office? Were they constitutional? He came to the Redmond Fairgrounds to discuss his Healthy Forest Initiative after we had a major fire in the area. A small group of protesters was there ranging from 5 years old to a woman in her 80's. They never even got close to the President. They stood there quietly with their signs, while expensive, out of state vehicles sped by them, middle fingers raised, yelling all kinds of curse words while the children stood there, bewildered. Bush supporters.

Years ago, I worked at a charter school which was housed in the same building as Planned Parenthood. Parents dropping their children off for school were prevented from entering the parking lot by anti-abortion protesters blocking the driveway. There was only one way in. The kids were subjected to all the disgusting signs that these people held up. Finally, we were able to make them move down the street a bit. That city had an ordinance that prevented anyone or anything impeding sight. Parents complained that they couldn't see to drive out of the parking lot, assuming they made it in to begin with. So we won that day. The protesters continued to protest 20 feet further down the street, and the kids could begin their day without drama. Eventually, the protesters went home.

If anti-abortion folks have a right to their free speech as a constitutionally protected right, then so do women entering an abortion clinic. We shouldn't fear abusive comments and physical violence, but evidently our illustrious Supreme Court doesn't care about us. It's sad we need boundaries from each other. It's sad SCOTUS doesn't get that, but then they think corporations are people and have the same rights as individuals. The problem with that is, few of us have the money these corporations have to buy influence. Because that's what they do. It's not about living by a set of principles or values, it's about what the almighty dollar can buy. They also seem to side with the voter-suppression crowd. Somehow they think that racism is in the past. Right.

We need a new court. This one is broken. It doesn't serve the American people anymore. Some day, we'll find out just who it is they do serve. But clearly, it's not us. Just as anti-abortion protesters have the right to protest abortion, women have the right to safely pursue one. Protest on public sidewalks, then it is what it is. I actually support your right to do that. But come within my personal space, now we have a new problem. Apparently, SCOTUS decided a 35 foot buffer zone for our safety is too much to ask. Today, instead of clarifying the issue, in my opinion SCOTUS has created a whole host of new ones.

Thanks so much..like we don't have enough to deal with.

Surviving George Will

Well, George, I guess you've really stepped in it this time. Did you honestly think women wouldn't respond to your latest disgusting nonsense? Survivor privilege. Seriously? You really believe we've attained some sort of status when some asshole decides to rape us? We're ridiculed and chided for even suggesting the rape happened, and somehow this gives way to privilege? For whom? Certainly not for the survivor. You seem to be the one taking all the "privilege" here. Just who do you think you are? Don't bother answering; you've already tried to do that and insulted everyone in the process.

Since you clearly don't understand compassion, or anything else for that matter, maybe I can offer you a different perspective on this issue. While I was not raped during my college years, I was molested as a child by my father, so I knew from an early age that the world was a nightmare waiting to happen. But while I attended college, I fended off various advances, both verbal and physical, from other students, guys on the street, my professors, guys on the bus..you name it. And George, I began college when I was only sixteen. My age never mattered to anyone. So whose privilege was it again?

Prior to beginning the sixth grade, my family moved to Oregon. I was with my younger brother in the park one day and I was accosted by a boy from my school. He followed us around the park and I had a bad feeling the whole time. I knew he was going to do something, so we started heading for home. The next thing I knew, he had his arm around me and was pulling me away from my brother. The look on his face was startling. My brother was seven years younger and deaf, so there was no way I was letting this kid take me anywhere. I grabbed my brother's stocking hat off his head and hit the kid in the face with it. I screamed, "what's wrong with you!!" at him. And then the strangest thing happened. He had the audacity to look hurt. He never said one word to me and simply walked away. But in that moment, I understood why he did what he did. He actually believed he was entitled to do whatever he wanted to do. And it was clear that he thought I was punishing him by refusing his advances. Funny thing is, his name was George too. As was my abuser's middle name.

Is it that women are trying to better themselves by attending college that bothers you so much? Is that why they're fair game to you? Because what a privilege it must be to sit at your desk, or wherever it is that you sit when you write this crap, and spew out such disgusting and insulting nonsense. Is your heart that cold? You really only diminish yourself in the process. And then to double down when you're called out for the misogynist you clearly are? You're evidently among the privileged few who can do this and apparently not get fired for it, so whose privilege is it again?

We learn to fear men because of comments like yours. We learn that there is no safe harbor for us anywhere. Some of us learn that when we're so very young, as I did. How many of us grow up, attend college, and face the same danger there that we faced in our own homes? And how many of us would give anything for men to stand with us, stand up for us, protect us..instead of fearing something else entirely.

Misogynists like you, George, find justification in your words. Justification that will further on their boundary issues and bring untold fear into the lives of women who really don't want this experience that you seem so privileged to push on them. Because every time a survivor hears comments that demean or diminish what they went through, it chips away at our souls. It would be lovely it that weren't the case, but that's what happens. The dumbass making the comments feels just dandy, while we re-experience at least some part of the terror we felt during the crime committed against us. Yes, George, terror. It's as if we're transported back to the moment where everything changed. When it was decided by SOMEONE ELSE, that we were garbage and worth nothing. And try as we might, we can't consider the source because we are so broken inside..still. Long after it's done. Long after it's over. 

Survivor privilege. Oh, George, what it must be like to be you..

My garden..

Years ago, I used to garden. I had several large garden spots and I grew and froze all the vegetables we would need for the year. Gardening on the High Desert is not for the faint of heart. The local joke here is we have two seasons: winter and August. Three, if you include fire season. It can rain, have temps in the triple digits, hail, and frost all in the same 24 hour period here. Gardeners use all sorts of methods to protect their gardens from frost. Plastic tarps, watering at 4 am, bargaining with God, or the Devil..doesn't matter. We all do it and we cry when the frost kills our zucchini.

Then, there are the critters. Sage rats, rock chucks, gophers, deer, cows..and yes, poodles, all created a challenge. Pro-tip: Holstein cows jump. High. Over 5 foot high woven wire fencing, a foot away from a pregnant woman trying to tack up the fence they just pushed over. They waited, patiently for me to finish repairing the fence around the pond. And then they leapt over the fence and right into the pond. You see, they had broken into the shed with the molasses grain and had a party. They were drunk. They used to be adorable, following me around the property while I irrigated the pasture. Cows apparently like pregnant women. Everyone thought I would be devastated when it came time for them to meet their maker, but I assure you, that was not the case. I even waived at them and wished them well as they drove off with the nice gentleman from the meat packing place.

I suppose the poodle needs some explanation. We had a poodle. Apparently he was a vegetarian. I would find carrots on the ground half eaten, beans hanging from bush bean plants that were half eaten, chew marks on the zucchini, and other strange things out in the garden. Finally, one day, I caught the little thief in the act. There he was, helping himself to a wide variety of veggies. He was fairly neat about it..didn't leave too much of a mess, other than the half-eaten carrots on the ground. At least he made healthy choices. Better than my boys did..

Last year was our first year of retirement. It wasn't our goal or anything to retire at this point, but it's what happened, so what else was there to do but to reclaim our home and property. Which we did. And we began to garden again. We used the greenhouse we had built years ago, and we grew beans up in a platform in a tree by the pond. That was my husband's idea..moving everything upward that there wasn't room for in the greenhouse. That way, the deer couldn't help themselves. We grew lettuce hydroponically outside which was fantastic. So fantastic, that we're doing it again, up in the bean tree.

We added two additional greenhouses this year, one for the herbs and the other as the main greenhouse. So we have three now. We built raised beds in the original and the new main greenhouse to avoid using containers for everything. I started herbs, veggies, and flowers inside under HID lighting to get a head start on the season. Some plants I bought, but for the most part, we used seeds. Lastly, we have begun reclaiming our original large garden spot. We put in a 7 1/2 foot fence around half of it and planted corn, sunflowers, calendula, more tomatoes, carrots, onions, and bush beans. Next month, I'll plant broccoli, cauliflower and bok choy, to finish out after the first frost. The frost sweetens cole plants nicely. I also bought some raspberry plants and we'll be planting them soon. It's amazing to look out the window and see a garden out there again. But that's as far as it goes..no livestock. 

This is the newest greenhouse. It's 10x20x8 and we built raised beds inside. I planted tomatoes, green beans, cucumber, zucchini, watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, flowers, carrots, lettuce, spinach, kale, onions, potatoes, and radishes. The watermelon I bought from the store isn't doing as well as the watermelon I planted from seed. It may be the soil mix in the bed that's causing the problem. We had top soil hauled in and it had manure and other things in it, and we added perlite and compost. So we don't really know what's all in the top soil. It may be too hot for the transplants. But they're holding their own, so who knows? Another watermelon plant has come up that I planted from seed, so we may actually get some this year. Everything else is doing fantastic. I use Tomatoes Alive on the tomatoes and Vegetables Alive on the veggies. Gardens Alive is a really great place online to get fertilizer as well as other things. They have a granular fungus gnat substance that you mix with water to control fungus gnats. It works great and doesn't hurt people. 

new greenhouse

the reason for the greenhouses

tomatoes

the first cuke

tomatoes

I'm growing the peppers - Thai and Cayenne - in the original greenhouse. We have such wacky weather here that I didn't want to take the chance of frost killing them. I bought two additional blueberry plants and added them to the other three. One isn't doing well that I bought last year, so I'll watch it and see what happens. We also put in a raised L-shaped bed for tomatoes..because you can never have too many tomatoes..or so my husband says..

Thai peppers

Cayenne peppers

original greenhouse

Beans, cukes, watermelon

lettuce, spinach, radishes, kale & onions

These are in the new greenhouse..the spuds are insane..and yes, those are petunias in the spud bed..

spuds!!

But my herb house is my favorite. I like mixing dried herbs together to make my own incense. I burn it on incense charcoal for ritual work and it's more meaningful when grown myself. I use them as well for medicinal oils, salves, and lotions, as well as for cooking. Growing in the trough are several varieties of thyme, rosemary, hyssop, St. John's Wort, feverfew, echinacea, mugwort, varieties of oregano, tarragon, sage, and chamomile. Strawberries, various types of basil, pennyroyal, lavender, anise, caraway, parsley, flax, stevia, lemongrass, and lemon balm round out the rest of the herbs in the herb house. Some flowers are scattered around as well as a pot of spearmint and peppermint. It smells like heaven!

herbs grown in an old stock trough

new raspberries

outside garden space

Herb house

Between the original greenhouse and the outside garden space, I'm creating a labyrinth to walk. It's going to be a fun summer in the garden!

Grow Journal - Day 42 of Flower!

We're at day 42..in three more weeks, they should all be about done. Then the rest of the work begins with trimming, hanging, drying and processing everything into meds. The last thing anyone really needs is for Big Pharma to get involved in cannabis but it's clear that they ultimately will. Legalization will happen throughout the country when they are ready for it, and not a moment before. That's why our government has various patents on cannabis compounds. It's never about what's best or what's honest, or what's respectful. It's never about people..only profits. Now they see that legalization is happening in the states, whether medical or otherwise, they're jumping on the bandwagon. But here's the deal, we're all on to them. We've sat by, watching our friends go to prison, while they continue to lie and ruin lives with draconian laws based on profit motive instead of science. We've sat by, watching patients who follow state law to the letter be tried and convicted of doing just that. And the fact that they're patients who are following state law isn't admitted into court, so the jury may not have all the facts before them when deciding the case. 

We become patients because we either don't like the drugs our doctors give us, or we've run out of options. That's what happened in my case. I ran out of options. So I decided to become a patient and see if cannabis could help me. And it did. It did everything the drugs weren't doing. I don't blame any of my doctors..they're only doing what they're trained to do. Few think outside the box because too much is at risk. Now that the DEA is contacting doctors in one state and threatening their DEA license if they have anything to do with legal medical cannabis, maybe we've reached a breaking point. The House has passed a bill that prevents the DEA from involvement with cannabis states as long as state law is being followed. The Senate will no doubt do the same because they're tired of the DEA's antics as well. Doing at least that would take the pressure off. Maybe then we can continue the conversation that began with Sanjay Gupta's and others' documentaries. We not only CAN talk about cannabis..we MUST talk about cannabis. The truth is coming out. Better to get in front of it than to be left behind in the dust.

Sorry for the rant..and here are the ladies!

9lb Hammer

9lb Hammer - day 42

9lb Hammer - day 35

Mickey Kush

Mickey Kush - day 42

Mickey Kush - day 35

Dr. Who

Dr. Who - day 35

Dr. Who - day 42

Honeymoon Mix

Honeymoon Mix - day 35

Honeymoon Mix - day 42

Cuvee'

Cuvee' - day 35

Cuvee' - day 42

Galactic Jack

Galactic Jack - day 35

Galactic Jack - day 42

The resin production is very noticeable now. Dominator XL LED lights are the reason for that as well as the addition of Sucanat in the water. I do have to say, though, Galactic Jack looks amazing. As always, the seeds are from TGA Genetics Subcool Seeds. Subcool and MizJill have created some really nice strains for patients. Their care and attention to detail is uncompromising. For folks like me, their devotion to this craft is beyond appreciated. I wouldn't be here without them.

~Blessed Be the Garden!

Grow Journal - Day 35 in Flower!

I am so happy with the progress of the plants. All new strains this time and we couldn't be more excited to see how they finish out. We have another month or so in flower, and then harvest time! Making oil out of most of the last harvest, so with this one, I may focus on replenishing my tincture. And I must say, SubCool has hit it out of the park with Cuvee'. It has the most beautiful buds I've ever seen..so soft and feminine..it's amazing! 

The pictures are a comparison between days 25 and 35. And now for the ladies:

9lb Hammer

9lb Hammer - day 25

9lb Hammer - day 25

Cuvee' 

Cuvee' - day 25

Cuvee' - day 35

Dr. Who

Dr. Who - day 25

Dr. Who - day 35

Galactic Jack 

Galactic Jack - day 25

Galactic Jack - day 35

Honeymoon Mix 

Honeymoon Mix - day 25

Honeymoon Mix - day 35

Mickey Kush

Mickey Kush - day 25

Mickey Kush - day 35

All in all, I couldn't be more pleased with how the plants are growing. LED lighting is surely the wave of the future. But the price needs to come down, which it will. Or not. In any event, SubCool and MizJill from TGA Genetics Subcool Seeds need some praise here for their diligent and tireless efforts on behalf of patients. MizJill just lost a childhood friend to ALS. Brian's loss to the medical cannabis community will be felt by many. Below is a picture of Brian along with MizJill and some friends at a meet and greet at Mid Valley Patient Resource Center in Salem, Oregon. He was loved by many and will be missed so very much..Bless him as he returns home in peace and love.

Judgment

I must say, I really didn't think the more conservative among us would react to the Bergdahl exchange in such a nasty way. But judgment is like that. The facts aren't in yet and they've already condemned both Sgt. Bergdahl and his parents. His dad is clearly Taliban, according to one pundit. Sgt. Bergdahl is lucky he wasn't executed on the spot, according to another pundit..that one a woman. I don't understand that at all.

When did ascertaining the facts become irrelevant to the discussion? The town in Idaho where he's from has decided to cancel the celebration they had planned due to security reasons. Security reasons? Let that sink in for a moment. How on earth did we get here? Conservative media has become surreal. The Bergdahl family has been demonized into jihadists. No, they're from Idaho. I heard today that they homeschooled (we did that as well), they ride motorcycles (we do as well), the dad has a beard (my husband does as well). When I think about it, at least half the people I know would qualify as jihadists, just from the beard notion alone.

But then Sgt. Bergdahl's dad did something else. He learned Pashto so that he could communicate with his son's captors. The beard, the language..wow..I guess a father isn't supposed to try to assist in the release his son. Tell you what..if that had happened to one of our boys, we'd have done AT LEAST what the Bergdahl family has done. And frankly, I don't know anyone who wouldn't have tried to do something to rescue their child. Surely these conservative media people are parents. Surely they have a conscience. Surely they can express empathy. Bet they'd want this from the rest of us if it were one of their sons.

I don't know if Sgt. Bergdahl deserted or just went on walk-about like he's apparently done before. To think soldiers don't have opinions and feelings about what they do while in the military is naive. They do. My husband is a Vietnam veteran. He's just livid over what's happening to that family. We don't leave anyone on the battlefield. We bring them home. It's part of the contract we make with those who defend us. But it's more than that. Regardless of what Sgt. Bergdahl did or didn't do, he's an American who signed up to defend our country. We MUST bring him home, investigate what happened, and then do the right thing for Sgt. Bergdahl, his family, and the country. If he's guilty of something, then he'll be dealt with. But if he's not, will there be an apology from these people who prefer to condemn him and his family without the facts?

Can you imagine not knowing for five years if your son is okay? Can you imagine not knowing if he's alive or dead? You're powerless to bring him home. You can't protect the child you've loved more than life itself. You can't hold him and tell him that everything is going to be okay..that the nightmare is over. You can't make the pain he's in go away. How do you survive this without losing your mind? I'm not sure I could. And to then be ridiculed and condemned for just trying to help and honor your child is beyond abusive. It's cruel. These people are simply cruel. 

Isn't the vitriol getting old? Isn't the judgment without knowing the facts irritating? There is a solution, you know. Don't watch or listen to these foolish people. Their irresponsibility is destructive and cruel. Where is their humanity? Their compassion? We're better than this. I know we are. There's a point at which enough is enough.

And I'm pretty sure we're there now.

Well how about that..we won!

It's through tears that I write this..the House of Representatives voted yesterday to stop federal persecution of cannabis patients and their caregivers in states where medical cannabis is legal. It's not final yet, but this is the furthest we've come yet on the federal level. Support for at least leaving patients alone is at an all time high, so this is really great news. Legalization is coming as well. Ideally, removing cannabis from the federal drug schedule would help immensely. I have to believe that this will happen soon as well.

With any luck, the folks up in Washington State due to be in federal court in July for following their state's medical cannabis laws to the letter, will see that drama end before it begins. The judge ruled that they cannot use this fact as an affirmative defense, so the trial date was set. How about they "un-set" the date and tell these nice folks that they can go back to doing what they were legally doing in the first place.

Thanks to Oregon's Representatives for their support on the amendment. But special thanks needs to be given to Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) and Sam Farr (D-CA) for their work on this amendment. Thank you so much. The momentum is increasing. Folks serving time for cannabis should be released. The insanity must stop so truth can prevail, and yesterday, we got a little bit closer to that happening!