Category: Politics

Posted in 2025, hobbies, leisure time, life, Politics, relaxing

Madam Secretary

Posted on by nancyb422

The television show, Madam Secretary, had been on my Netflix Watch List for a very long time. Just when I went to start watching the six season show in early April, I discovered it was leaving Netflix forever on May 14th!

97 episodes. Could I do it? That would be an average of 3.5 shows a day! Highly unlikely. But I started watching anyway.

As my bedtime approached last night, I had managed to get through 4 complete seasons – 67 episodes. Many days it was 2 episodes a day, one at lunchtime and one in the evening. One rainy Saturday, I managed FIVE! It wasn’t totally “unproductive time” as I could knit and watch, and many times, scroll on my phone and watch.

Obviously, I really enjoyed the show! Since it ran for six seasons I felt it must be a somewhat realistic look into the federal government and the State Department in particular. Handy for our current situation!

I learned of how we aid(ed) countries around the world and I learned what you see on the surface is not always what’s happening below. Foreign Ministers, corrupt governments, and who’s helping who behind who’s back.

I enjoyed Téa Leoni as Elizabeth McCord, the Secretary of State. A former CIA agent, she was realistic, but could be emotional, she could be tough but remained diplomatic. Her Department staff as well. Assistant, speech writer, press secretary, foreign policy advisor, chief of staff, no idea of many of these positions before this show, and now my eyes and ears perk up when I see or hear those words.

Tim Daly as her husband who was a professor at the war college (and was recruited for some CIA work), and her three children, also grew on me. When the show began, she had been tapped as Secretary when the current one’s plane blew up over the Atlantic Ocean (season one’s mystery!). They had to move from their farm in Virginia or somewhere, to Washington DC, so culture shock and living in a fish bowl hit them hard. They learned to navigate it over the seasons.

This morning, my Netflix popped up and Madam Secretary was gone.

I still have 2 seasons (30 episodes) to watch and according to my local library’s catalog, they have all five seasons on DVD. Lucky me because I still have a portable DVD player! I’m going to give myself a little break before I head to the library to pick up Season 5.

Have you ever watched the show? Did you like it? Think it was realistic or not? Let me know!

Posted in 2025, family, Goals, Home, life, Politics, relaxing, thoughts

2025 Mental Health Goals

Posted on by nancyb422

In my quest to be mindful in 2025, I’m focusing on my emotional and mental wellbeing in addition to my physical wellbeing.

I know that sleep is important, and in our house it’s always been important to my husband! For most of our marriage, this man has gone to bed at 8pm and would get a good 8 hours of sleep. I would usually make it into bed by 10. Since the first, I’ve made an effort to head up by 9pm, get some reading in and have lights out by 9:30. I also started wearing my Apple Watch to bed so it can record the different stages of my sleep.

Another bedtime ritual I’ve started is a 5 or 10 sleep meditation with my Peloton app. I wear my ear buds, start the program and absorb the soothing music and soft voice of the instructor. I usually discover I’ve fallen asleep! My average sleep time for a week has ranged from 7 hours 15 minutes to 7 hours and 28 minutes. My crowning achievement was a night of sleep with NO minutes awake!

100%!

Because I don’t have a set time I need to be in the office, This year I’m learning to embrace that! It’s tough to get used to when for so many years, I’ve been at my desk by 8:30! My alarm is still set for 5:45 but I take time to drink my coffee and complete my workout. I have extra time to read the paper!

There are times at work that cause me and the two people there (one being my son) to start to wallow in frustration and self-pity. It’s specially tough to see it in my son, so I always try to turn it around and cheer us all on! We have so much more going for us than against us!

I’m packing up for the day and heading home at 3pm (to-do lists are vital for me!), so I can walk with my husband and our friends for some exercise and socialization.

I’m not on board with our upcoming federal administration so that has made me anxious when I read stories that seem more fiction than fact. For the time being, I’m averting my eyes because I know there is nothing I can do to change any of it. I hope in the near future I can get involved with an organization that will help make a difference for people in need.

My mental health is better when I stay positive
Posted in 2024, Books, hobbies, Home, leisure time, life, Politics, thoughts

Wasting Time

Posted on by nancyb422

I had a story thought in my head and came to my computer to spend a(n) half hour writing. Instead, I went to the computer, saw my email account was up, thought I’d check those emails, and then remembered I wanted to order a couple of new bras, so I went to the email I received the other day, browsed through the site, and ordered a couple. Remembered the printer was out of paper so I had to ‘rassle the ream of paper from its illogical location and fill the tray. While waiting for the pages to print, I remembered my original intention was to write about my thoughts from my walk this afternoon.

Thursday afternoon, I watched an author talk with Javier Zamora, author of Solito. He is El Salvadoran and it is a memoir of his excursion from El Salvador to the United States when he was nine years old. Via a “coyote”. I haven’t read the book yet, but as I was listening to his story, I ordered the book through Barnes and Noble and picked it up the next day.

This was an enjoyable way to spend time on the computer. Something productive, something I didn’t have to talk in or answer any questions, and something that was NOT doomscrolling.

For months, my brain and emotions have been overloaded with this election season. Now that it’s over and the real fun begins, I’m not sure how much more I can take. I feel like the social media sites no longer serve their purpose of feeding me flowers, dogs, and friends and are now filled with the political sites I subscribed to over this time.

I’m trying to share fun things to stories along with items that might make you go “hmmmm”, and maybe if I do a little less hearting Instagram posts, my feed might get a little more fun.

Posted in 2024, Books, leisure time, life, Politics, relaxing

A Book of Politics

Posted on by nancyb422

In the run up to the November election, I am reading “Shadow: Five Presidents and the Legacy of Watergate” by Bob Woodward.

Currently reading – published in 1999

Obviously, since it ends with Clinton (his first term), it’s an older book, however, since I turned 18 during Carter’s reign, it’s all pretty new to me!

It tells of the various scandals of the presidencies, beginning with the end of Nixon, his resignation, and his pardon by Gerald Ford. That was very controversial and seemed to guarantee Ford would be a One and Done president.

It also brought about the ethics bill and the creation of independent councils and special prosecutors. This was due to Nixon firing his appointee to investigate Watergate. Of course the first time it was used was to investigate Hamilton Jordan, Carter’s chief of staff for his “alleged use of cocaine” at Studio 54 in New York! This was based on testimony by the 2 owners of the club who were charged with skimming millions of dollars off the top of the club’s profits and it was requested by Carter’s Attorney General. So odd and such a waste of time and energy to come to a No Probable Cause decision by a grand jury.

I read a biography a year or so ago on Jimmy Carter, “His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, A Life” by Jonathan Alter. It was very interesting and gave me a greater appreciation for him. He was out of his league in Washington and I think he could have done so much greater good if he hadn’t wasted his time there. Of course, he’s nearly 100 and had many, many fruitful years after 1980!

I was in college during the uprising in Tehran and the taking of hostages and my school was big on, and made most of their money with, their English as a Second Language program so we had many rich South American, Asian, and Middle East students there. I remember long nights of them watching the news in the recreation room. I remember hating that the hostages were freed after the exchange of the presidency between Carter and Reagan. I was not a fan of Reagan.

I’m currently on the Reagan Era, the Iran Arms Deals, the Contras, and Ollie North. There were a lot of powerful men hiding a lot of crazy shit – or were they really hiding it?

It’s a heavy book of 517 pages but close to 80 of those pages are notes and an index. I may have to have a few palate cleansers nearby because I fear some sections I may slam the book in aggravation!

Have you read it or anything similar? Do you enjoy non-fiction books?

Posted in 2024, Goals, leisure time, life, Politics, relaxing, thoughts, Travel

Stepping Back

Posted on by nancyb422
Lakehurst Cottages, Alton New Hampshire

Mark and I are spending the week at a cute little cottage in Alton New Hampshire. We brought our boat up and it is docked here on Lake Winnipesauke.

After trading comments back and forth last night with a former classmate on one post and some stranger on another, I decided it’s time to take a break from social media. Personal Facebook and Instagram accounts specifically.

Today my phone was tucked away in my backpack, only brought out to use Apple Maps on the water (it’s easier to see what the islands are!) and I felt free!

Lake Winnipesauke New Hampshire

It’s time to take care of my mental health.

Posted in 2023, Politics, Writing

My Political Views

Posted on by nancyb422

How have your political views changed over time?

I heed the wise words of keeping your thoughts on religion and politics to yourself!

I have always considered myself a conservative democrat or a liberal republican which makes me Independent. I originally registered as an independent so I wouldn’t get any political phone calls but in 2023, that really doesn’t matter (does it Nikki Hailey who keeps texting for “William” to my cell phone as do the realtors in Florida hoping to buy his Coral Gables property) anymore.

My views have remained pretty consistent since I first registered to vote in 1978.