The stars have been beautiful these nights, even as the moon waxes and clouds roll through the darkness.

When the darkness rises within, little Wren brings comfort and joy. I have moments almost every day of sadness or anger or a blend, but then I shift my attention. At some point each day I call my senators and politely but firmly tell them one thing I want them to do to represent me. Today it was to vote NO on the so-called “Fix Our Forests” Act, which NRDC came out strongly against for the obvious harms that supercharging irresponsible logging would cause.

A few times each day, I turn my attention to a simple and delicious meal…

The weather’s been lovely but we’re expecting a winter storm, so I’ve made a point to step outside a dozen times a day before the snow flies. Sometimes I take a walk in the woods, and sometimes I simply stroll through the yarden enjoying the first green growth – and yesterday, the first crocus bloom.

Whatever the ups and downs of the day, by sunset I have evened out, and rest in contentment living inside this kaleidoscope, sunset after sunset. Usually I meditate around this time, as well as once in the morning and before bed. “Sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits,” as the cartoon says. One thing I’ve been thinking about today is the separation of powers in the US government that I was taught as basic curriculum three times in my public school education: in elementary school, again in eighth grade, and again in high school. Fairfax County, Virginia, has long had a fairly strong school system, and I got an excellent education fifty years ago. They’re still teaching basic civics in those three levels, or at least they were last week.

So I find myself pondering how this fundamental concept of the founding fathers, built right into the constitution, has now been thrown out the window. First we saw the erosion of the judicial system with the corruption of the Supreme Court during the first regime of the Usurper, which continued in the interim, and now we’re seeing the entire Department of Justice subsumed under the Executive Branch. Also, where is Congress in all this? Has everyone in the Legislative Branch forgotten about SEPARATION OF POWERS?! This is the next item on my agenda with my senators. Fortunately, there’s a fourth power in the US: We the People. Stand up for democracy sometime during each day: make it a habit as regular as brushing your teeth. And then do more, if you can. The day after tomorrow, I’m going to call my senators and ask them “Didn’t you ever read 1984?!”