Author: Allegra

Born when atmospheric carbon was 316 PPM. Settled on MST country since 1997. Parent, grandparent.

war crime

So…. the pretty and energetic Filipina packing my schlepping bags this morning said that she’s worried sick about her brother in Beersheba.

“Holy shit,” I hear myself say. Beersheba’s like 50km from Gaza

“He’s a nurse. The Israelis won’t let him leave.”

So, not to put to fine a point on it, if the Israelis are preventing him (he’s either Filipino or Canadian, she wasn’t clear on that and I never ever ask anyone about their citizenship status any more, it’s like the least anarchist thing you can possibly DO) from leaving a war zone because he won’t help heal their soldiers…. that’s a war crime. It would be different if he was a citizen, and he wouldn’t expect to be able to leave.

So here I am 10,755 km away from Gaza and the war – and the geopolitical crap it brings – is in my grocery store.

as you may recollect I bought Mike a Palestinian kuffiya for his birthday this year, a presentiment of a sort I suppose.

This is the public statement of the business – one of the last factories in Palestinian territory – Harbawi.

Our thoughts on the last few days…
As we go about our daily lives, it’s crucial to pause and consider the escalating crisis in Gaza and the broader region.
The Israeli government’s threatening rhetoric, including comments from Prime Minister Netanyahu about turning Gaza “into a deserted island,” raises significant concerns. These are not merely words but a chilling portent for the people who live there.
In this environment, it’s heartbreaking to think that the Israeli military, one of the most technologically advanced in the world, directs its might not solely at armed militants but also at vulnerable civilians.
These aren’t just statistics or casualties of war; they are fathers who may never again hear their daughters’ laughter, mothers who may never see their sons take their first bike ride, and young people with dreams of changing the world. Each one deserves more than a life of mere survival; they deserve a life filled with dignity, love, and opportunity.
It’s essential to highlight that at the core of this ongoing conflict is a system of apartheid that perpetuates inequality, violence, and the violation of human rights.
We at Hirbawi stand firmly in the belief that every individual—regardless of religion or ethnicity—deserves equal treatment. This foundational principle of equality has the power to dismantle the walls of racism and apartheid that have been erected over decades in Palestine.
For a just and lasting peace, this fundamental truth must be acknowledged and acted upon by all parties involved, including Israelis, Palestinians, and the international community. Until we reach this critical understanding, the people of Palestine continue to need your emotional and material support.
Keep the Palestinian plight at the forefront of your thoughts, your discussions, and your actions. Let’s hold onto hope—the hope that one day humanity will awaken to the truth, ending all forms of apartheid and finally granting equal rights to everyone in historical Palestine.
Only then can we make meaningful strides toward peace, freedom, and justice for all.
The Hirbawi Team

 

Alex has gone home

He’s still a teensy bit under the weather, but no temp or productive cough.

Saw Paul today, got his cell phone working AGAIN at which point THE PHONE STARTED RINGING.

One of the calls was from a bill collector in Washington. I told him just hang up if you get calls like that.

One of the calls was from the Alzheimer society – she’s going to keep checking on him and will send some info out.

One was his friend Laura – we exchanged contact info just in case.

And the other was his financial advisor. Anyway, I got his TV working again (I have not idea how it stops being set to cable, but oh well) and I’m thrilled I was able to help him but gosh I was tired when I left – holdin me temper in when he’s having a really good day otherwise, talking to people, happy to be on the phone – is actually a lot like work.

OH THE FOOD IS HERE gotta go

Alex is here

I’m thinking about Grandmothers in Gaza, holding dead children while the rockets sound. It’s hard not to.

Sent a new mixed media (sort of) poem fragment to Dave this am, wonder what he’ll make of it. It’s called My Advice and it’s advice to anyone born after 2010.

Chicken and Bean burrito WILL BE CONSTRUCTED for snack midmorning (have to adjust around when I’m taking Paul to his appointment.) Looking forward to that, Jeff is a big fan of refried beans!

Just a reminder parental love is unconditional BUT NOT INCONSEQUENTIAL.

made a few stabby efforts at the ‘driving instructor’ fanfic; I’ve been thinking a lot about the next Brad and Omar story, but I’m crying a lot because they have a big fight, which isn’t ‘big’ as in noisy but trust between them is hurt and will need to be rebuilt in their …. er…. idiom.

a former Defence Minister in Israel Moshe Ya-alon says Netanyahu went to war without even letting his cabinet talk to the Chief of Staff of the IDF. As someone who’s served in both capacities if he’s yelling for Netanyahu’s resignation he should be listened to.

list tickle

Alex today hopefully

Paul to an appointment hopefully

Me to eat a vegetable hopefully (part of my whole disordered eating cycle is bouts of time when I can’t face vegetables; it’s meat, sweets, fats, dairy, nuts, carbs and I simply do not want to prepare or eat anything else.)

Marian Martin in 1943 in a devilishly good costume. Scanged from reddit.

Participated in THE CANADIAN ENGLISH SURVEY FROM MCGILL.

you can too!!

CANADIAN ENGLISH IS WEIRD AF YO!

 

nothing is happening

So it’s okay that I didn’t post yesterday.

Continuing Vera rewatch; watched E1S1 of ‘Sprung’ with Garret Dillahunt and Martha Plimpton and loved it, finally we have a funny show to watch that isn’t all grimdark and serious.

Watched “A Million Miles Away” about the remarkable life story of José Hernández, who began life as a migrant farm worker and managed to become a mission specialist for NASA. Absolutely wonderful; it takes the world’s tiredest biopic tropes and with a light touch, heartfelt acting and a fantastic soundtrack, breathes vibrancy, hope and family love into them and makes them dance like a quinceañera. mOm and pOp let us know if you want to see it; I think you’ll both like it.

If Rosa Salazar doesn’t get an Oscar Nom for Adela Hernández I will be bitter. Bitter I tell you. Jeff pointed out she was the body model for Alita Battle Angel. ZOW

Alex is coming today – and obvs for the rest of the week, too. I got to see him at church but this will be better.

Appointment with Paul tomorrow over noon with an eye specialist.

Hope you’re all going to have a lovely day. Now for more coffee, a scrambled egg or two on toast, and possible I will sit with my coffee and make a list to ignore.

Which will turn into a poem.

Do you have any idea how often that’s happened to me? Ah me, the hazards of a writer’s life. (which is actually a reference to a poem I wrote which started as a list…)

I am not entirely sure what kind of a day I’m going to have, but I’m wearing leakproof underwear, so let’s just say I’ve made minor preparations.

a broad range of reasons to be thankful

I get emails from my mother indicating that her sister now has a functioning phone in her room. (She’s also in with two COVID patients, oh doodie.)

I have spoken to my pOp on the phone this past week.

mOm too.

And Dave.

I went to church with Paul, and he was on time for pickup, and looked fine, and we had a mostly virtual service which was engaging and challenging for me and which Paul suffered through with quiet dignity, and then we went downstairs and ATE DEEP FRIED TURKEY and stuffing and everything else you can imagine; it was yummy and we destroyed it, and Keith came, and Katie and Ryker and Alex came, and I got to chase Ryker up and down SOAP Hall for many minutes. I also helped a tiny bit with set up and take down.

I got to watch Dougie cook the last turkey – it was magnificent. Succulent and fantastic.

AND THEN PEGGY PRODUCED AN APPLE PIE her mother’s recipe AND GAVE IT TO ME FOR JEFF and the great pie wheel in the sky continues to turn.

I am grateful for clean bedding and my many creature comforts. I am grateful for the bracelet Shad made for me and my Marvin the Martian watch that I inherited from John.

I wish I had someone to hug that I wasn’t related to. But I’m definitely grateful for all the hugs I got so far.

he swears he read it

Dave says he read The Game of Kings but the rest of the Lymond Chronicles was just too much of a commitment. If someone gave it to me now I probably couldn’t read it for the first time so I see his point.

Writing seems pointless and yet I keep doing it. I have to figure out what the heavenly character is doing… Crowley writes himself, the bugger. (more GOmens references) Also, Neil Gaiman is sick with COVID right now.

I am not happy about Hamas and the dead Israelis, but that doesn’t stop the Israeli state from being an apartheid pariah with the power of life and death over Palestinians. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free. I’d sure like it if North American Jews (and end of the world Republicans) quit raising money for Israel but that’s not going to happen, and I’m a fool to even post it.

 

 

qahveh save me

Qahveh being the original word for coffee, which I only know because of Dunnett. All the threads lead back to her. Of course I can’t get Dave to read l’œuvre but at this point if he ever did I’d have to own up to all the shit of hers that I outright thieved for various aspects of my own work, and how embarrassing would that be. Besides, he doesn’t read ‘light’ fiction as a general rule, although it was kind of him to read Totally Boned. Speaking of which Suzanne is finishing up Totally Boned yes. and yes there are Dunnett squeaks all through TB.

Suzanne is not having a good birthday week. She found out about two weeks ago that her youngest son’s gf was pregnant, but since nobody told S that she was VERY pregnant, the birth announcement this week was a bit of a surprise. Learning that you have a new grandson who’s detoxing in the NICU when you have zero access must be a horrifying experience. mOm asked me to send her a hug and a kind word and I will.

On the plus side, this week somebody sent the most good looking man you can imagine – to offer himself sexually to her – WHILE SHE WAS SITTING RYKER so after she unswallowed her tongue and ungoggled her eyes she said, er, no, and he wandered off to find the woman he’d been prepaid to bang. (This is the kind of stuff that only happens in novels so I’m going to steal the anecdote for a fanfic because he showed up in house slippers and a revealing outfit and said he was ‘auditioning for the bedroom’. I can see it all now, hommina hommina)

ALRIGHTY THEN. and at no point did Suzanne say anything othering about the sex worker. Damn I love that woman. I should get the rugs she washed out of the dryer. The washers in her building are crap and SUPER expensive so she’s ALSO been doing laundry here.

She said Ryker loves coming to Grammy’s house; he gets second breakfast, he has a million versions of Lightning McQueen, CARS runs hot and cold in the background, and there’s a cat to chase. WHAT COULD BE BETTER. He’s learned to say MCQUEEN and he apparently never stops.

I do not have Alex until Tuesday, but I’ll see him for a Thanksgiving meal. Apparently Peggy’s old friend is going to deep fry a couple of turkeys at church and I’m simply overwhelmed at the prospects for catastrophe why I may even bring a camera.

Putin claiming that Prigozhin died ’cause Wagner soldiers were providing in-flight entertainment by tossing live grenades is like an entire Russian army of MOODS.

WROTE almost a thousand words yesterday on an aziracrow fanfic that no one but me will ever look at. Nobody asked for it and it’s fundamentally flawed but I wrote it anyway. The new Brad and Omar story has a shape and I will slowly pursue it.

Laid out my pills for a week just now.

Whatever shall I do with no childcare required of me until Tuesday morning??

Congrats to Leo and Linda on getting the last kid married off (Kevin, and of course I have embarrassing memories from his last visit to us LOL which I will NOT share) and this is all teasing because of course they didn’t do anything but help celebrate!!! it’s not like they hosed’em down and pitchforked ’em to the ceremony…. anyway it’s happy family news and the pics were lovely thank you.

Alex birthday tomorrow

He will be nine. I love telling my mOm that her oldest great grandchild is nine.

I will be getting him Huggy Wuggy Merch. He takes an adult small now, zow. I told him it wouldn’t be right on his birthday.

I am communicating with my first ever boyfriend on facebook. The communications consist of:

Snarky posts

Liking the snarky posts

Sad posts about rock stars we used to love dying

Liking the sad posts

Duelling videos – I post one, he posts a chaser.

Cat pics

Dog pics

Capybara pics

Liking each other’s travel photos.

ABSOLUTELY NO DIRECT COMS

I am very happy about this. We’re exactly as friendly as I want to be, and we’ve probably cheered each other up many times with all the goofiness. I posted a video of an Amish guy in a trap doing chewies in a dirt parking lot, horse style …… he liked it, but JeriLynn felt sorry for the horse…. obviously I’m a terrible human being!

Suzanne will be here today

Jeff’s helping her with her taxes and they’re being jerks to her so she may be here a bit early. THEN THE ENSHINENENING!!!!!

Alex is in a phase of his haircut/dye job where he looks incredibly well groomed and that’s GOOD because it was picture day yesterday at school. I wait for him half a block from the school to avoid the worst of the jammed up part and I can see him all the way down the block and it just makes me happy.

I’m going to have the last of my pad thai for brekky. SO TASTY.

I HAVE LEARNED YOU CAN HANDWRITE A CHINESE CHARACTER INTO GOOGLE TRANSLATE AND I’M THRILLED. This is how I could tell that the translation of something on a website was off!!!

 

funnies with Alex

Alex just showed me a series of some of his fave youtube videos and there were a couple where the two of us just folded up laughing. (About Chinese knockoffs of well known fandoms and toys… the names ARE PURE FIRE.)

Superlative meal from Rice and Noodles last night. Thank you Jeff

Did something heinous this morning, critiqued someone’s spelling on AO3. If you can’t stand the typos, spellcheck in English for the love of Crowley’s quiff.

BUT IT WAS IN THE FIRST LINE OF THE STORY… I’m actually doing them a favour.

or not. Maybe I’ll get roasted. At least I had the fucking sense not to do it under my own name.

Keana Reeves is dating a wonderful age appropriate woman and I just want them to be happy and never inconvenienced by paparazzi.

Anya Taylor-Joy wore a blush princess gown embroidered with a hummingbird, and her husband took her last name. YES. In a Dunnett squeak, *she could play Gelis van Borselen* (or Katelijne Sersanders god help us) and *this is bride Anya standing on a 15th C Balcony in Venice.* Of course there’s only one person reading this blog who cares about any of this and it ain’t my mOm.

but just in case mOm is annoyed with me for the celebri-fluff, here’s a knitted pillbug from a deeper blue on tumblr: