I want my tchotchkes back

That’s Yiddish for junk that makes me happy.

The issues we are facing now seem to be the same we have been fighting for forever.

Environmental issues.

Issues of equality or lack thereof among peoples.

A increase in fundamental diametrically opposed views on politics which are specifically: firearms, women’s reproductive rights which are tied to privacy rights, voting issues and other social issues including policing.

All the above, coming to some kind of ugly fruition, all at once, and now.

Atmospherically 2023 seems a culmination of the Trump years. Listening to Heather Cox Richardson today, it’s clearest to me now how the Republican Party has maneuvered the country into this increasingly undemocratic place over the course of forty years as the collective discussion has also made this clear over the last few years of political discourse. Trump was sent in quite by accident in many ways but in a stroke of fate or other name for a looming disaster, was able to knock over and desecrate every precious part of our young country’s collection of tchotchkes of hope, dreams and pride.

A tchotchke is defined as a knick-knack. The spelling here, one with the “t” is the agreed upon spelling. It’s a yiddish word. I would spell it chotski, in case that helps with recognition or pronunciation. A thing, a tchotchke is somewhat inconsequential but something you like a lot almost in spite or because it’s not a fussy precious thing, it then becomes unwittingly, a precious thing. If it didn’t somehow become special due to affection, it would just remain junk, I think. So little figurines, a stuffed bear, an odd saucer-less tea cup or cup-less saucer all fit nicely into the tchotchke category especially when it’s yours.

TFG wrecked so much. I won’t even say. I want so much of it back and know it won’t happen. Only bad haircuts gets fixed in time. A moment of silence for what has gone.

Ok.

This weekend is the kick off to Memorial Day. The unofficial official start to summer, huzzah! On Memorial Day we also remember our nations heroes. Specifically the men and women who gave their lives in war. Celebrated since the Civil War, the holiday has gone through changes as we subsequently got into wars and had more heroes to honor. The holiday has grown otherwise to be an important weekend. The bash before the big bash of Fourth of July.

We make a nod to the unofficial start to summer by poking fun at a very old tradition, Victorian in origin, that disallowed anyone who was anyone to wear white before Memorial day or the wearing white after labor day. Scandalous and social suicide, just not done. That little must out of the way, like a social tchotchke. I have I white handbag. I rarely use it but it gets ceremoniously put it in my closet from its winter storage spot. Then, yeah, you know it goes back into storage in September after Labor Day. Just a slave to my tchotchkes.

Here’s a particularly good overview article on the origins of Memorial Day for you. It also will touch on Veterans Day for clarity between the two as there is some overlap and confusion in greetings and celebrations

.Memorial Day weekend has meant a lot to a lot of people over the years. It’s an unofficial very celebrated wedding weekend too, just prior to the romance laden post graduation June weddings. A good time for all sorts of family gatherings due to time off work and the usual great weather throughout the whole country. School is over. Kids are getting jobs or going to camp, making plans. Parents get ready to tear out their hair, having kids around all day. Pool or beach days and bar b q’s dance in our heads like sugar plumbs. I love my tchotchkes. Hope your Memorial Day is grand.

Thanks for being here. I mean it.

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