January 27, 2017
I've been reflecting on the death of Mary Tyler Moore. I didn't think her passing would affect me as much as it has, but it has seeped into my soul. I can't get The Mary Tyler Moore Show's theme song out of my mind. And I see her in my mind's eye everywhere I turn. She was 12 years older than I, and most of us baby boomer women appreciated her brave, impish, but often self-conscious optimism.
I had forgotten that "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" began the same time that I began my first full-time job--in the fall of 1970. I was 22, recently married, freshly out of college--and looking forward to giving birth to my first child in a few months. This was a time in rural Kentucky when teachers did not dare wear pants to school, where women had no paid maternity leave. And we were all suffering through Nixonian America and a raging war in Vietnam. In a couple of years Nixon would implode because of Watergate, and the Vietnam war would end in 1975, not with a bang, but a whimper.
But during that first semester of my being a high school librarian, things looked rosy to me. Bob and I moved into a nice apartment and bought our first car. Even though I looked only about 12, my pregnancy helped me appear older, I think, and my colleagues seemed to accept me readily. All was right with the world to me in those heady days.
Television had up to this time been pretty unyielding as to how women were portrayed. On "The Dick Van Dyke Show" in the '60's Mary Tyler Moore had been a break-out star, even though she wore those new capri pants which made the network nervous (because they might appear too sexy.) But in that series Mary, though spunky, nevertheless inevitably defaulted to her husband's wishes. However, in 1970 she was to play a divorced 30-year-old woman. And that was too risqué for the men who ran the television networks, so the premise was changed to her being a young woman recently jilted by her fiancé. I remember this controversy and recall thinking how silly that in 1970 there couldn't be a TV show about a divorced woman.
In the early 1960's I remembered another incident concerning my favorite TV show, "Dr. Kildare." There was to be show aired that had to do with what was then illegal abortion. Since this was a taboo subject at that time, however, this episode was abruptly pulled by the censors. As a teenager, I was angered that a medical topic like this couldn't be discussed on TV. I doubt I knew much about the issue at the time, but I certainly did educate myself, so the TV censors' wish to prevent my knowing about this issue failed in my case. And even though I didn't really consider myself a member of the women's liberation movement, when Roe v. Wade made abortion legal for the first time in 1973, I remember thinking, "It's about time!"
All this is to say that even though I didn't think much about it at the time, "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" was historic in its portrayal of changing women's roles. My marching with the Indivisible women's march last week end and Mary Tyler Moore's death this week somehow underline for me how very far we have come. Possibly the powers that be will try to stuff us back into Pandora's box, but, of course, they will not succeed. That box has been opened, and we know all too well what we could lose.
Love, Sylvia
Friday, January 27, 2017
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
From The New Yorker
U UP?
Me: U up?
Me: Look, I know it’s officially over and I respect that
Me: But I really think we made a mistake
Me: And that things could be amazing if you didn’t actually leave
Barack: It’s 3 a.m.
Me: I’m sorry.
Me: I know you’re on vacation
Me: Which you totally deserve, btw
Barack: Look—we had an incredible eight years together.
Me: More if you count your time in the Senate . . . like twelve years together
Barack: We weren’t official then.
Me: We basically were
Me: I was looking at photos of you today and just flat-out crying
Me: You’re so good with kids!!!!
Barack: You knew this would be tough at first. Transitions are never simple.
Me: I miss you so bad
Me: Things without you really really suck
Barack: Does someone else have your car keys?
Me: Yes
Barack: Good.
Me: Honestly, sorta seems like you don’t even care
Barack: Of course I care. It’s just . . .
Barack: It’s complicated.
Barack: Don’t want to say anything that I shouldn’t.
Me: Why can’t you just stay?
Barack: You don’t understand—that’s not how it works.
Barack: I have to leave.
Me: I understand how it works
Barack: You’re being a tad emotionally manipulative here.
Barack: We both know you’ve already chosen my “replacement.”
Me: I don’t even like him!
Barack: You picked him over securing my legacy.
Barack: :-/
Me: How many times do I have to tell you
Me: He just happened
Me: He came out of nowhere
Me: I didn’t choose him
Barack: Whatever.
Me: U still there?
Barack: Sorry, put the phone down for a sec.
Me: You used to make me feel safe
Me: Now I literally can’t sleep
Me: And when I do sleep I have nightmares
Barack: You’re having nightmares while awake?
Barack: You said “literally,” so . . .
Me: Omg
Barack: Just playin’
Me: Haha
Barack: :-P
Me: Wondering how your day was
Me: How are things going w the memoir?
Me: How’s Joe?
Me: Go to any science fairs? Know you love those haha
Barack: Lol
Me: Did you actually laugh?
Me: You there? It said you were typing for a while but I didn’t get anything . . .
Barack: I think, and I don’t want to overstep here, I think that it would behoove you to start really accepting that this is over. Things will be painful at first, they’ll be really ducking painful, but that’s normal. Soon you’ll remember little things that make you happy. And then you’ll be able to look back on what we had, what we did together, with perspective unclouded by fear. And then—then you’ll get to work.
Me: I hope ur right
Barack: I am.
Me: We did have some good times
Me: Remember passing all that health care?
Barack: Won’t forget it. Remember when I got bin Laden?
Me: Lol
Me: knew you were gonna say that
Me: Remember our rocky start?
Barack: You mean the economic depression that I inherited, or how you forgot to vote in the 2010 midterms?
Barack: :-P
Me: How many times do I have to apologize?!
Barack: Just playin’
Me: Remember Cuba?
Me: <3 <3 <3
Barack: Will never forget Cuba. <3
Me: <3
Barack: I need to get back to bed.
Barack: But I
Barack: I won’t forget you, either.
Barack: And I’ll still support you as a citizen.
Me: Everybody says that
Me: Not sure how I’m supposed to believe it tbh
Barack: I promise.
Me: I love you
Barack: O.K.
Me: jk
Me: Good night for real
Barack: Sleep well, now.
Me: Send me a photo?
You have been blocked.
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
Dear Folks,
I'm in the Resistance! On Saturday, Jan. 21, the day after the Con-Man-in-Chief was inaugurated, I marched in downtown Lexington, KY, among at least 5,000 people who held signs in opposition to what is happening in D.C. , as the new president's actions will undoubtedly negatively affect all of us everywhere in the country.
Tresine and Matt held a cocktail party the night before for like-minded friends, and then on Saturday Audrey, Lucy, Tresine, Matt, and Eloise and I piled into the car with our homemade signs to travel downtown to join in the march (Isabelle was at an all-day speech contest, in which she placed first in storytelling.) The Indivisibility march was 2 hours of exhilaration and hope. Actions by our Indivisibilty group to pressure our KY legislators in Washington are planned throughout the first 100 days of this catastrophic administration.
The Washington, D.C. march was at least 500,000 strong; it and most of the marches in solidarity throughout the country saw more participation in the streets than expected, sometimes far more. And I've heard of no violence involved in any of them.
Below Lucy and I arrive at the march. In the second photo are Tresine, me, Audrey, Eloise (in cat hat,) and Lucy.
Love, Sylvia
I'm in the Resistance! On Saturday, Jan. 21, the day after the Con-Man-in-Chief was inaugurated, I marched in downtown Lexington, KY, among at least 5,000 people who held signs in opposition to what is happening in D.C. , as the new president's actions will undoubtedly negatively affect all of us everywhere in the country.
Tresine and Matt held a cocktail party the night before for like-minded friends, and then on Saturday Audrey, Lucy, Tresine, Matt, and Eloise and I piled into the car with our homemade signs to travel downtown to join in the march (Isabelle was at an all-day speech contest, in which she placed first in storytelling.) The Indivisibility march was 2 hours of exhilaration and hope. Actions by our Indivisibilty group to pressure our KY legislators in Washington are planned throughout the first 100 days of this catastrophic administration.
The Washington, D.C. march was at least 500,000 strong; it and most of the marches in solidarity throughout the country saw more participation in the streets than expected, sometimes far more. And I've heard of no violence involved in any of them.
Below Lucy and I arrive at the march. In the second photo are Tresine, me, Audrey, Eloise (in cat hat,) and Lucy.
Love, Sylvia
Friday, January 20, 2017
Well, the day has arrived; one that I thought could never happen. But never underestimate the ability of the American populace to elect the wrong person (e.g., in recent times, Ronnie Reagan and Georgie W. Bush). Although it is only right to give a newly elected (but not by the popular vote) president a chance to govern and not wreck the country, all the signs are there that Trump will do just that.
Among many, the most disturbing thing that I heard in his speech today was that in every decision that he makes, he will think about putting America (and only America) first. Of course, not a stretch for one that has always thought of himself first. While it is important to focus on our country's deteriorating infrastructure and other domestic problems, we live in a truly global society in this 21st century. We are not still a fledgling, isolationist early 19th century nation, for goodness sake! Our democratic European allies and others across the globe must be trembling in their boots. It is as if we just entered very choppy waters in a small skiff with gale-force winds gathering in the distance. We can only hope that analogies like that are only hyperbole.
Love,
Jack
Among many, the most disturbing thing that I heard in his speech today was that in every decision that he makes, he will think about putting America (and only America) first. Of course, not a stretch for one that has always thought of himself first. While it is important to focus on our country's deteriorating infrastructure and other domestic problems, we live in a truly global society in this 21st century. We are not still a fledgling, isolationist early 19th century nation, for goodness sake! Our democratic European allies and others across the globe must be trembling in their boots. It is as if we just entered very choppy waters in a small skiff with gale-force winds gathering in the distance. We can only hope that analogies like that are only hyperbole.
Love,
Jack
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Dear Folks,
Do you suppose that 90 years from now one of our children, grandchildren, or great-grandchildren will read the words we have written here--just as we are now enjoying those Ray Robin family letters written by our father's family from 1927 to 1987? And if they do read our posts in those years in the distant future, will they be intrigued by our first-hand testimonials of what it was like in the week before The Short-Fingered Vulgarian took over as president?
They will know how it all turned out during the Trump era. But they won't know how unsettled we felt as we approached the nearly inconceivable on Jan. 20. Having read about Pres. Obama only in school, they won't be able to understand our despair at having to part with this decent, kind and ethical leader.
The salacious intelligence reports today about our illustrious future president's cozy dealings with Russia reveal how he is so undoubtedly compromised that he can be blackmailed for his financial and sexual shenanigans in Russia. And the Russians have been cultivating him for 5 to 8 years! It could be fodder for a best-selling spy novel--but, sadly, instead it appears to be nonfiction.
Some are saying that Trump won't make it through his first term, that he has so many conflicts of interests, etc., that he will be impeached. In watching the cabinet confirmation hearings today I was interested to see that several Republican senators appear to have as much foreboding about the president-elect as we out here in the hinterlands do.
We are in uncharted waters, not a good place to be when the captain of the ship has never navigated a boat before and doesn't know what a compass looks like.
Love,
Sylvia
Do you suppose that 90 years from now one of our children, grandchildren, or great-grandchildren will read the words we have written here--just as we are now enjoying those Ray Robin family letters written by our father's family from 1927 to 1987? And if they do read our posts in those years in the distant future, will they be intrigued by our first-hand testimonials of what it was like in the week before The Short-Fingered Vulgarian took over as president?
They will know how it all turned out during the Trump era. But they won't know how unsettled we felt as we approached the nearly inconceivable on Jan. 20. Having read about Pres. Obama only in school, they won't be able to understand our despair at having to part with this decent, kind and ethical leader.
The salacious intelligence reports today about our illustrious future president's cozy dealings with Russia reveal how he is so undoubtedly compromised that he can be blackmailed for his financial and sexual shenanigans in Russia. And the Russians have been cultivating him for 5 to 8 years! It could be fodder for a best-selling spy novel--but, sadly, instead it appears to be nonfiction.
Some are saying that Trump won't make it through his first term, that he has so many conflicts of interests, etc., that he will be impeached. In watching the cabinet confirmation hearings today I was interested to see that several Republican senators appear to have as much foreboding about the president-elect as we out here in the hinterlands do.
We are in uncharted waters, not a good place to be when the captain of the ship has never navigated a boat before and doesn't know what a compass looks like.
Love,
Sylvia
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Jan. 10, 2017
Good to read the 2016 Logdon summary. Lots of adventures and accomplishments! Congratulations to Tresine for receiving the national Green Schools Award and to Matt for his continued teaching and mentoring excellence at Henry Clay High. Also, congratulations to Isabelle for her skills on the Speech Team; she obviously has developed these skills that were inherited from her father and mother. Eloise appears to be having great fun horseback riding, something that her great uncle never mastered.
The family trip out West sounded delightful. I hope to conduct a similar trip to Yosemite and other western landmarks when Jacqui and Jacsun get a little older. For now, we are hunkered down indoors, yearning for warmer weather to return so that we can get back out into the great outdoors.
I listened to Obama's farewell address this evening. I will sorely miss a highly intelligent and considerate President (and First Lady) in the coming years, especially in anticipation of his rude and arrogant successor, who is so undeserving of the highest office in the land. But, alas, we will persevere.
Love,
Jack
Good to read the 2016 Logdon summary. Lots of adventures and accomplishments! Congratulations to Tresine for receiving the national Green Schools Award and to Matt for his continued teaching and mentoring excellence at Henry Clay High. Also, congratulations to Isabelle for her skills on the Speech Team; she obviously has developed these skills that were inherited from her father and mother. Eloise appears to be having great fun horseback riding, something that her great uncle never mastered.
The family trip out West sounded delightful. I hope to conduct a similar trip to Yosemite and other western landmarks when Jacqui and Jacsun get a little older. For now, we are hunkered down indoors, yearning for warmer weather to return so that we can get back out into the great outdoors.
I listened to Obama's farewell address this evening. I will sorely miss a highly intelligent and considerate President (and First Lady) in the coming years, especially in anticipation of his rude and arrogant successor, who is so undeserving of the highest office in the land. But, alas, we will persevere.
Love,
Jack
Sunday, January 1, 2017
From Tresine Logsdon posting under Matt (technical snafu)--
______________________________
Ray Kin-
2017 has arrived. With little fanfare and with hopeful hearts that despite the palpable absence of Prince, David Bowie and George Michael and the lamentable state of our nation's political landscape--- 2017 will be the year of optimism and rebirth.
January was Matt's 19th and my 18th teaching, all of his @ Henry Clay HS where we taught together 2004-2010 and the last 7 as Fayette Co Public School's Sustainability Coordinator. In early 2016 we discovered Eloise and Isabelle would finally be under the same roof and on the same side of town for the first time in the fall @ the School for Creative and Performing Arts. At last, only one carpool, one dismissal time, one school schedule.
As is typical for our family, January and February trudged along full of conventional routine and commitments with little variation to our weekly obligations or opportunities to enjoy the outdoors amidst these cold and wet months. These two months, however, kept Isabelle busy traveling around central KY for Saturday Speech Team tournaments, one of her favorite and most accomplished extracurriculars.
In March the National Green School Conference regrettably coincided with our Spring Break, so Matt and the girls kindly obliged to join me in Pittsburgh so that I could accept the district-level national Green Schools Award, one of my proudest professional moments. Isabelle earned accolades and medals at the state Speech Team tournament and as the ground thawed Eloise grew increasingly enamored with horseback riding at a nearby farm where she took lessons as often as we could get her there and weather allowed.
Earth Month (April) and May are predictably harried months as the school year wound down with concerts, performances and wrapping up a school year.
In June Matt and I took our week-long stints grading AP exams for College Board (he AP Language & Composition in Kansas City and I AP Env Science in Cincinnati) before immediately embarking on our first ever family out-west adventure. This enterprise was three years in the planning and saving and included as many hikes, explorations, visits and miles as we could muster. After 13 cities, 9 national parks, 9 hotels, 6 legs of flights and 3,000 miles in a rental car-- we rank Zion and Bryce National Parks as our highlight.
The summer was rounded out by trips to the pool, lake and VA for a lovely, inspiring and jubilant welcoming of Sami into our family. Our world travelers are in Singapore now as Alex and Sami squeeze every last beautiful drop out of their honeymoon year and newlywed-dom and we eagerly anticipate seeing them again as Mr and Mrs Forstler.
The school year began as usual in early August to most Kentuckians' chagrin. Eloise joined her sister for the one-and-only year they would be under the same roof, Eloise in 4th and Isabelle in 8th grades, before Isabelle heads to high school in August of this year. Both girls are String majors, Isabelle a violinist and Eloise a violist, and delight us from time to time with impromptu duets. Eloise continues to dive more deeply into her true love at the moment-- horseback riding. Isabelle picked up a heavy commitment to an Episcopal Choir that rehearses and performs 8 hours a week and added Archery and Student Council to her engagements. She met the financial obligation of an Oct 8th grade trip to NYC by summer busking at local markets and fairs; and the following week all 14 of us settled on the Santa Rosa, FL beach for our annual coastal holiday.
Matt was elected to represent his faculty on Henry Clay's SBDM (local decision-making body) and continues to serve as one of the most accomplished, influential and effective teachers of KY's largest high school.
After living in a lovely and comfortable suburb for 10 years, our gaze had started to shift to the downtown corridor and in September we swiftly put our house on the market in hopes of snatching a 1890 renovated home in the diverse arts and culture nexus of our city. After 8 weeks of the unforgiving lifestyle of trying to keep a home market-worthy and living at the whim of showings, we gave up in November with the tentative plan of giving it another go in March. The downtown home we love did not sell either. In the throes of this attempted house selling/buying, Isabelle evolved into an official teenager (13) and Eloise double-digits (10), Audrey and I started our 5th decades-- and Matt and I celebrated our 15th anniversary with no hullabaloo at all as we tried to keep up with the frenetic pace of life we found ourselves in.
In November we lost our dear 15-yr old Shetland Sheepdog Callie, and I mourned the passing of my very first true pet and, in some ways, the season of new marriage, babies and professional enthusiasm her time with us represented.
Our New Years Eve last night was celebrated among our nearest and dearest friends as we all reflected on how we could be a little better, kinder, gentler, wiser in 2017 than '16.
What I look forward to most in 2017 may be our early July Ray Reunion where I always feel the deepest and most authentic kinship.
Love you all so very much.
______________________________
Ray Kin-
2017 has arrived. With little fanfare and with hopeful hearts that despite the palpable absence of Prince, David Bowie and George Michael and the lamentable state of our nation's political landscape--- 2017 will be the year of optimism and rebirth.
January was Matt's 19th and my 18th teaching, all of his @ Henry Clay HS where we taught together 2004-2010 and the last 7 as Fayette Co Public School's Sustainability Coordinator. In early 2016 we discovered Eloise and Isabelle would finally be under the same roof and on the same side of town for the first time in the fall @ the School for Creative and Performing Arts. At last, only one carpool, one dismissal time, one school schedule.
As is typical for our family, January and February trudged along full of conventional routine and commitments with little variation to our weekly obligations or opportunities to enjoy the outdoors amidst these cold and wet months. These two months, however, kept Isabelle busy traveling around central KY for Saturday Speech Team tournaments, one of her favorite and most accomplished extracurriculars.
In March the National Green School Conference regrettably coincided with our Spring Break, so Matt and the girls kindly obliged to join me in Pittsburgh so that I could accept the district-level national Green Schools Award, one of my proudest professional moments. Isabelle earned accolades and medals at the state Speech Team tournament and as the ground thawed Eloise grew increasingly enamored with horseback riding at a nearby farm where she took lessons as often as we could get her there and weather allowed.
Earth Month (April) and May are predictably harried months as the school year wound down with concerts, performances and wrapping up a school year.
In June Matt and I took our week-long stints grading AP exams for College Board (he AP Language & Composition in Kansas City and I AP Env Science in Cincinnati) before immediately embarking on our first ever family out-west adventure. This enterprise was three years in the planning and saving and included as many hikes, explorations, visits and miles as we could muster. After 13 cities, 9 national parks, 9 hotels, 6 legs of flights and 3,000 miles in a rental car-- we rank Zion and Bryce National Parks as our highlight.
The summer was rounded out by trips to the pool, lake and VA for a lovely, inspiring and jubilant welcoming of Sami into our family. Our world travelers are in Singapore now as Alex and Sami squeeze every last beautiful drop out of their honeymoon year and newlywed-dom and we eagerly anticipate seeing them again as Mr and Mrs Forstler.
The school year began as usual in early August to most Kentuckians' chagrin. Eloise joined her sister for the one-and-only year they would be under the same roof, Eloise in 4th and Isabelle in 8th grades, before Isabelle heads to high school in August of this year. Both girls are String majors, Isabelle a violinist and Eloise a violist, and delight us from time to time with impromptu duets. Eloise continues to dive more deeply into her true love at the moment-- horseback riding. Isabelle picked up a heavy commitment to an Episcopal Choir that rehearses and performs 8 hours a week and added Archery and Student Council to her engagements. She met the financial obligation of an Oct 8th grade trip to NYC by summer busking at local markets and fairs; and the following week all 14 of us settled on the Santa Rosa, FL beach for our annual coastal holiday.
Matt was elected to represent his faculty on Henry Clay's SBDM (local decision-making body) and continues to serve as one of the most accomplished, influential and effective teachers of KY's largest high school.
After living in a lovely and comfortable suburb for 10 years, our gaze had started to shift to the downtown corridor and in September we swiftly put our house on the market in hopes of snatching a 1890 renovated home in the diverse arts and culture nexus of our city. After 8 weeks of the unforgiving lifestyle of trying to keep a home market-worthy and living at the whim of showings, we gave up in November with the tentative plan of giving it another go in March. The downtown home we love did not sell either. In the throes of this attempted house selling/buying, Isabelle evolved into an official teenager (13) and Eloise double-digits (10), Audrey and I started our 5th decades-- and Matt and I celebrated our 15th anniversary with no hullabaloo at all as we tried to keep up with the frenetic pace of life we found ourselves in.
In November we lost our dear 15-yr old Shetland Sheepdog Callie, and I mourned the passing of my very first true pet and, in some ways, the season of new marriage, babies and professional enthusiasm her time with us represented.
Our New Years Eve last night was celebrated among our nearest and dearest friends as we all reflected on how we could be a little better, kinder, gentler, wiser in 2017 than '16.
What I look forward to most in 2017 may be our early July Ray Reunion where I always feel the deepest and most authentic kinship.
Love you all so very much.
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