A Few Things

Hello, Friends. How are you doing? How was your week? Ours was pretty intense. The movers packed and loaded the house onto a truck on Thursday and Friday, and then transferred the truck contents to a shipping container on Friday afternoon. (We didn’t ship our household goods to France with the last move, so this is something new and different and I will definitely write up a post all about it.)

Friday night we checked into a hotel and June got to try out her Mermaid tail and monofin.

Saturday we spent taking care of a few difficult last tasks at the house, and Oscar added a plaque to his Eagle Scout Project. I was feeling quite overwhelmed by the end of the day and went to see a movie — Peanut Butter Falcon — on my own. (I really liked the movie.)

Today (Sunday) is Olive’s birthday. She’s 18!! Ben Blair went to a bakery early this morning so we can do breakfast in bed for Olive as soon as she’s had a chance to sleep in for a bit. : )

We got confirmation that our passports and visas will arrive on Monday. Crossing my fingers that all goes smoothly. On Monday we will also tackle a list of tasks like hand in our van lease, close/transfer our utilities accounts, weigh our luggage, and get snacks for the plane. Monday is also Ralph’s birthday!

Then we fly to France on Tuesday.

I wasn’t online much this last week, but I do have a few things I want to share with you:

The 1619 Project. A major initiative from The New York Times observing the 400th anniversary of the beginning of American slavery.

-For the first time, scientists have coaxed at-risk Atlantic coral into spawning in a lab.

-How The Epoch Times bypassed Facebook’s political advertising transparency rules.

-Pia Klemp — the captain of a controversial ship that rescued thousands of stranded migrants in the Mediterranean Sea — has refused to accept a medal for her work.

On Jerusalem and the Apocalypse.

-Interpreters in Iraq signed up to work with the U.S. military. They put on uniforms, lived on a base, saved U.S. lives. They made themselves targets. Then, we refused to help them.

-The game we now know as “Monopoly” originally started out as “The Landlord’s Game,” invented by Georgist feminist comedian Lizzie Magie, to satirize capitalist rent-seeking.

-But then the game was stolen by a male capitalist, made even more brutally and un-ironically capitalist, and sold to Parker Brothers, who later abused the legal system to get around copyright laws in a classic case of… capitalist rent-seeking.

The Amazon is burning. Record wildfires in the region could permanently change the ecosystem there and accelerate climate change across the planet.

-Let’s not forget the involvement of the women whom Jeffrey Epstein used to recruit victims.

Your parent’s favorite band.

Here are some tweets I thought you’d enjoy:

-In this thread, people respond with their most glamorous habits.

https://twitter.com/rachsyme/status/1164914549092442113

-A shadow of a millipede walking.

-Here are Smash Mouth’s “All Star” lyrics translated into Aramaic and then back to English.

I hope you’re having a wonderful weekend. I’ll meet you back here next week. I miss you already.

kisses,
Gabrielle

13 thoughts on “A Few Things”

  1. The article I read re Jerusalem and the apocalypse talks of white conservatives being the majority of supporters of this new Jerusalem. of course this may be true , but when I look around at my evangelical church congregation I see a good chunk of black, Asian, Indian, and yes even ex Muslims finding Jesus through the Holy Spirit, and THAT you will not see reported in the news

  2. Oh dear-I cannot imagine the stress you are under right now to move to France so quickly! And, leave kids behind, the flights, set up a new home etc. But, how exciting. I wish you all the best. Enjoy and be safe. Mary

  3. You, Gabrielle Blair, are a badass superstar. Oh my word. Everything that needs doing to make your move happen, throw in a couple of birthdays, an Eagle Scout project, and your work. . .Those people at the circus who spin the plates on those long, bendy sticks? They WISH they were as good as you.
    *slow, sustained clapping with appreciative head nodding*

  4. I had heard about the Iraqi interpreters and their families who were left behind to be hunted down and killed for supporting the United States (the enemy). We’ve done it many times before (Vietnam comes to mind) and I’m sure we’ll do it again. It’s unconscionable to do that to people who risk their security and their lives to support the US military. I’m saddened that we have no moral backbone to do these people right.

  5. That Twitter thread on people’s glamorous habits was fascinating and inspiring. I’m definitely asking for a silk robe for my birthday this year. Safe travels to France and I hope your passports and visas arrive promptly today!

  6. I recently deactivated my facebook account, and have been spending more time visiting blogs like I used to. Yours is one of my favorites, and this whole move to France is going to have my checking back frequently!

    Also, you almost make me want to get on Twitter just for those threads. I need some glam habits of my own!

  7. Although I know it is LOW on the priority list, I am just dying to know about the move to France!! Can’t wait to hear more once you’re settled in. Sounds like you’re handing it all beautifully, but remember to check in with yourself often to make sure you’re doing ok!! Your family is at such a different life stage this time around, it may feel totally different than before even if you were moving back into the exact same home/schools/etc.

    Very best wishes!!!

  8. What Elisa said about you being a bad-ass superstar. I’m so excited for you and your family. Bravissima! And thank you always for all the awesome links you provide us each week and just your awesome wise and compassionate truth-telling.

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