A friend sent me this link to a tour of the White House filmed by CBS in 1962 (how far they’ve fallen). If you have an hour it’s fascinating, and bittersweet. Jackie Kennedy walks us through the history and then her current tasteful, legal restoration. She quotes Theodore Roosevelt: “The White House is the property of the Nation… It should be kept as it originally was. It is a good thing to preserve such buildings as keep alive our sense of continuity with the Nation’s past.” In 1902, she continues, “President Roosevelt built two temporary extensions, which became permanent office wings.” It’s poignant in so many ways, including the respect shown to the structure through its many necessary structural renovations.

“It would have been easier and less expensive to demolish the whole building,” Jackie says, “but the White House is so great a symbol to Americans that the exterior walls were retained, and piece by piece the interior of the President’s house was put back together. The exterior views were exactly those which Americans had seen throughout the century…” After bringing us up to date on the history of The People’s House, Mrs. Kennedy takes us on a tour of the interior. The stark contrast between her respect for the house and the current situation beggars belief. She shows a plaque with words of President John Adams, “May none but Honest and Wise Men ever rule under This Roof.” Sigh.

A friend in Baltimore, who used to work in the East Wing as a calligrapher, shared a lament that she had posted in response to a CNN video about the demolition of this “regal, classically designed, and not at all gaudy” building:

“I shared the calligraphy studio with three other calligraphers and two interns. We scribed the most stunning historic documents, certificates, letters of diplomacy, invitations, menus, and even personal addresses of world dignitaries and celebrities…. I also managed The Signature Library, a room lined, floor to ceiling, of card catalog-type drawers, the wooden cabinets that we used to see in libraries, which stored THOUSANDS upon THOUSANDS of signatures of dignitaries and celebrities. No- we didn’t forge their signatures, each one was given to the White House for “procuration” (the opposite of forgery). Imagine this – a card for each individual, wrapped in archival glassine -signatures of important people from around the world, most of whom passed on decades ago. Each individual’s signature written and gifted one at a time through the ages, all brought to one room. A room no one knew existed but those who knew the East Wing. Have you ever conceived such a collection? If you’ve ever been in a space that inspired your intellect or called forth a sense of awe, this library would’ve blown you away. There isn’t even a display of this in the White House Museum. Now it’s GONE. RUBBLE. An INJURY.” 

Laura White

I’m grateful to hear people’s stories. Yet another friend, a young man of Indian descent who lives in DC, met some National Guard troops from a small town in West Virginia on the streets the other night. “They were teenagers,” he said, “and they said they’d never seen anything like this before. When I asked what this is, they said colored people, diversity. They’d never seen brown people, they’d only read about us in books.” They also told him that they were excited to be in DC, put up at taxpayer expense at some of the best hotels in the city including the Ritz Carlton. (Current low-end rates there start at $700/night double occupancy, and I have to wonder if their government rates are more or less than that.)

This steadily overwhelming assault on decency is inflicting trauma on the American people. Some of us know it and some do not, yet. But more are realizing it, seeing truth clearly, every day. Indivisible is calling on people to support Democratic senators in holding firm on the government shutdown. Jess Piper encapsulates the regime’s message: “If you don’t give up trying to get affordable healthcare, then we will starve our citizens, kids included, elderly included.” Caving to this blackmail will not make things better.

One of the best antidotes to the anxiety of this savage demolition of democracy is ACTION. Opportunities abound! The other best antidote is spending time in Nature. It’s scientific! Research demonstrates that spending even a small amount of time in nature reduces stress and anxiety, boosts mental and physical health, and promotes emotional resilience. I’m grateful for the causes and conditions that led to my being able to spend time in nature almost every day.

Another morning this week I was inside working and looked out just in time to see a flock of piñon jays fly laughing into the yarden and descend upon the bird feeder. There were a couple dozen of them and because it was cold I could not hear them but I could see their cacophony. They were in constant motion, diving onto the feeder and pushing each other off; drinking at the birdbath and soaring away; a few individuals flew up to the window. No one stayed anywhere more than a few seconds. It was mesmerizing.

The feeder was essentially empty before they arrived. When their frenzy subsided a bit, I went out and filled the feeder again, scaring them off. But in ten minutes they were back, and in ten more the feeder was empty again. I was grateful to contribute to their sustenance as they moved through the area. They don’t actually migrate, but I don’t see them all the time. They seem to flock through sporadically at different times of year. They are listed as Vulnerable, due largely to habitat loss and climate chaos: “Documented climate impacts including widespread mortality and morbidity, reduced cone crops, and decreases in canopy cover of pinyon pines.

It’s been an exciting few days here on the mesa, with lots of animal action, hours of yarden work, plenty of people time, all wonderful antidotes to more than enough political awareness. I was grateful to sit with the little pets outside in the sun for a short while this afternoon, simply sit.