Fat Frog Diary

I was born in 1959. I grew up hearing and unconsciously participated in the systemic racism. We had a black maid named Ms. Martha. I adored her as a child who knows no color does. I played with the little mixed race girl down the street named Patti. I was innocent enough to envy her "great tan" without prejudice.  However, I was still blind and deaf to racism. I heard and dismissed/excused use of the N word, though inwardly I shuddered. But I didn't open my mouth and call them on it. I knew that there were certain areas of town where "they" lived. I didn't think to question why. I didn't question the inequities, and I admit with shame I often did not even think about it.  But I grew. I worked with some persons of color, who slowly educated me and removed the blocks placed in my mind by systemic racism. I thank them all.  I've actually heard someone say to me that they grew up with racism and they "meant nothing by it, it was just the way I was r...

I'm putting my head in my hands. My brain pains me and my shuddering won't cease. I'm almost nauseated at the stupidity and outright prejudice described below. I just saw some female on a video recording herself talking about how we're going to be fine in Jacksonville because --get this!-- we (she, I'm guessing) drinks Natural Lite beer from aluminum cans and not like the "Mexicans" in Miami who drink Corona beer in glass bottles. And because we (again, I assume she) eat lots of salty foods like bacon, grits, and boiled peanuts then we can't get the Covid-19 virus. Moreover, she firmly believes that because we ingest all that "natural" beer and salty foods, we're so safe that there's no reason to close our beaches. I'm surprised she didn't bring up the fact that the ocean is salty. Or was that too much science for her? I don't even want to bring up or mention her prejudiced assumptions that there are just "Mexic...

https://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/uses-for-household-borax/   I'm giving this lady full credit! We all know about baking soda and how many wonderful things it can do, but borax equals or exceeds it. I've made the laundry soap and found it beyond excellent. I've used it to scrub delicate china without removing the artwork, and I knew it could do other things but I was stunned by the advice from a friend to try it for an insect infestation. Little brown cockroaches had invaded my home from a grocery bag kept a little too long, and bug spray just wasn't doing the job. Not only was it expensive, I was tired of inhaling the poison while I wielded the Raid spray like a weapon. Not the way I want to enjoy my coffee in the morning. I live in Florida, and bugs are a constant issue. We have cockroaches the size of your thumb we term "palmetto bugs" but let's not mince words. They are giant flying cockroaches you have to kill with a hammer. No, I'm not k...

Much delayed surgery on my thrombosed saphenous vein on my right leg. Covid 19 Quarantine had us locked down for over a month. I had hoped I would soften my memory of the last two surgeries and how painful they were. The memories have not faded. I wonder if I will sleep.