SMALL TOWN THERAPIST ON WHY I'D RATHER HAVE DOLLY

 

 I feel passionate, as you might have noticed, that we must keep paying attention to what is happening in this country.

I'll get to Dolly, I promise, in a minute.

So much of our security, happiness, and stability rests on a robust economy, and also rests on our ability to elect people who actually care that our country is thriving. Do not confuse that with the billionaire class who have proven to be hopelessly addicted to their wealth and the power that goes along side of the money. Do the majority of billionaires care about the average citizen in this country? Sadly no.

 Isn't it hilarious the billionaire class took so many of us in with the notion that the billionaires were actually good for our economy!? That nonsense started in the Regan administration with the 'trickle down theory' which of course was a lie. Regan claimed that the people at the top of the food chain, (at that time they were just lowly millionaires) were going to generously help the working class with higher salaries, robust benefits and 401Ks. Guess what? That didn't happen then and it's certainly not happening now. Instead, cleverly they got many of the citizens in the U.S. to hate thy neighbor, especially those who were black or brown and to denigrate people who were homeless. This was a distraction. As you probably know by now, it was a gigantic ruse to fool people into distrusting the poor, the homeless and to fear the immigrant. Flagrant fiction folks! And what wonderful contribution have the preponderance of the billionaires done for this country? Nada. It's all investing in AI and who gets the benefits of that? Certainly not the working class. It's the very rich.

There are exceptions! There are terrific exceptions to the power and greed addiction. The prize winner of who has donated the most in the shortest time period goes to MacKenzie Scott. She has given away most of her Amazon shares in the past seven years. She hired a team that investigates and then funds worthy causes. She currently funds colleges, schools, LGBTQ+, racial equality, democracy and climate change. Hooray!

Warren Buffet is a fabulous and noteworthy philanthropist who has donated billions over a much longer period of time.

Both of the Gates, Melinda and Bill are important donors, especially in the world where few have given before. 

However, from a Forbes article I read, "women tend to give more faster."

There are lots of women who are quietly giving every single day to people and organizations across the country. One woman I admire is Taylor Swift who gives vast sums of money to Education (Education for Girls), Food Banks, Fire Departments, Feeding America, American Heart Association and $100K to families of shooting victims.  It's said that every town and city that she has performed in has benefited from her generosity. 

Then there is another star: Oprah Winfrey. Her donations are well over $400 million to various causes through her foundation.

Billie Eilish is also at work giving millions away. Plus she famously scolded the billionaires who don't/won't give to good causes. The billionaires are the ones are suffering from a hoarding addiction.

Reading to children is so important

The reason I starting writing this post was because I wanted to sent my love and admiration to Dolly Parton for many reasons. First and foremost I greatly admire Dolly's incredible charity work.  This is a woman who has single handedly given away billions and most of it to little children though the Dollywood Foundation. This charity of Dolly's focuses on education and literacy with the Imagination Library. This is just part of the good work she does, it's been every day since 1988.

Probably many of us have forgotten that Dolly contributed millions to the COVID-19 vaccine research and disaster relief. I am still grateful. I was very worried about all of us over 70 years old. Do you remember in 2020 the older folks were dropping like flies? Most of the  deaths occurred in the South, where there's high poverty rates, limited access to quality food and little health care available. Interesting that the current administration has it's emphasis on funding war, cutting services and monies for the poor while enhancing the billionaires of the world.  I believe that the current administration is purposely bilking our treasury and I know that this is against the law and our constitution. We the people demand a refund! Do I believe T and his minions will dutifully pay back the money they've swiped? No I do not.

 I wish we had some Dolly's, Oprah's, Taylor's and MacKenzie's in our current government. We need kindness, decency, enlightenment and generosity in our government. Sadly, instead we have completely unqualified people in the administration. An example would be RFK and his band of misguided anti-science people, out to eliminate vaccines.  Take measles, please! 1,500 cases currently in the U.S. Sad but true. 92% caused by lack of vaccines. Help us Dolly!

Currently in this administration we have corruption, deceit, incompetence and theft. How is it that most of the administration has made millions of dollars. Where are these funds coming from? I believe it's from bilking our government out of billions. Then they turn around and tell us they don't have money for health care or education. Is there anyone out there who actually believes that's true? What do they have plenty of money for? War! Argentina! Venezuela! Netanyahu! Ballrooms of Gold! Hidden Bank Accounts in Off Shore locations! This is clearly corruption, and addiction to power and greed at it's finest.   

So why did we attack and then kill the very awful leader of Iran? He was a cruel dictator but if you do a simple comparison to our own president:

Very similar but without the turban

.

Happily our country has awakened! We are gathering in the millions, more than 8 million, last count at the NO KINGS  protest held on March 28th across the country. People rose up in a peaceful protest. Not one arrest throughout the protests. We vow to continue until there is a regime change in this country.

Keep up the good trouble for the regime change for our country! Even the Pope in his Holy Week homily has weighed in. He warned that there is no justification for declaring an unjust war. He said to remember "Jesus was a man of peace, love and caring." Those who created this war have done so against the Constitution, the wishes of our people and Congress. They have blood on their hands. 

Be inspire by the brave people of Minnesota, and now the diligent hero's who are spreading truth, love and insistence that we continue to protest until the corrupt ones are gone. Vote them out, show up and, if you can, give to the candidates who will stop the nonsense that's going on in Washington, D.C.

We all can't have Dolly, Taylor and Billie's talent but we can have their business skills, smarts, goodness and generosity. 

susansmagicfeather 2026 all rights reserved Susan R. Grout 

SMALL TOWN THERAPIST'S RED HOT TIPS

 

This beautiful photo was taken by Nate Ross

I self published a book through Barnes and Noble* on December 9.  We had a little ceremony at our library because I'd gotten so much help from Anthony, the librarian. I told the audience, the friends and family I'd invited, "It was so simple, all I did was push this little button on my computer and boom! it published a book." Ha ha. The reality is the book was in the works for many years. 

I started writing my ideas about my life and my counseling practice in a blog, susansmagicfeather.blogspot.com, in 2011. That blog is still ongoing. In the blog are stories, some autobiographical, some about the techniques I used in therapy sessions, some about why I became a psychotherapist. I wrote what interested me in life and what was helpful to my clients---what techniques worked and what didn't. It is still my sincere desire to continue helping people be happier and healthier.

Then the pandemic hit in 2020. Remember, at first we had no reassurance that people were going to survive the plague and no vaccines to prevent getting Covid. I kept thinking, "What's going to happen to all my work if I'm dead and gone?" So during the pandemic I reexamined the blog posts and selected the best ones, the ones most pertinent to my work as a counselor. I kept writing and rewriting my thoughts and ideas for a happier, healthier life. Then it became obvious that I was actually writing a book. The tips that are in the book, I believe, were helpful to my clients, and to me as well. They just might be helpful to anyone who reads the book.

Being a psychotherapist in a small town is different than being a therapist in a big city. For example, it was not unusual for my clients to stop me on the street to either arrange a meeting or just to chat. Sometimes clients would stop my husband in town and give him a check.  "Give this to your wife," they'd say, even though he hadn't a clue that I was seeing them. Apparently, they didn't care. Of course, confidentiality was imperative for me but the clients could make their own choices. 

My clients were great. They gave me hope, inspiration and kept me hopping. I had to constantly and diligently increase my knowledge because there weren't many other therapists to refer people to. I had to keep myself abreast of the newest and most effective techniques for the benefit of my clients.

Here's a recent slice of life in a small town. I was in a store and my sister saw me and was all excited that I'd gotten my book published. She exclaimed, "Aren't you telling everybody about the book?" The man who I'd been conversing with said, "What book?" So I told him the title, Small Town Therapist's Red Hot Tips. Over in the corner of the store was a friend who'd overheard, sort of. He called over and said, "Red Hot Therapist?" We all laughed. I quickly repeated the correct title. In a small town that wasn't an unusual interaction.  Funny and joyful. Amen to small towns.

*If you'd like to obtain a copy of the book go to barnesandnoble.com and search for the title, Small Town Therapist's Red Hot Tips. 

SMALL TOWN THERAPIST ON CREATIVITY

In our dear county sometimes things change. People can be persuaded that nonsense is sensible, if you get my drift. It's the A with the I. In this post I will be curving a new verbal path that might require some translation but I am confident that my intelligent, kind and good readers will catch that drift, slide into it and enjoy it.

 Some people, who are not men, believe that men are the heads of the household and make all the decisions. That's fine except when said persons are in a very high position in---rhymes with--- the cream fort. Then some people also found that another person in the fort...is a-- rhymes with-- fire.  The fallout was goodbye to-- rowing your own personal boat. The sad truth is many of us worked long and hard for many years to get that-- rhymes with-- saw, passed for women's---rhymes with-- kites. ( See the picture below of two noble women in their nineties who fought the good fight.) Now it's possibly farewell to the "Affectionate Car Act," AKA Yourmama Care.  Please forget about your concerns about the-- rhymes with-- worth. The laws protecting the land, water, air, animals and us, are being-- rhymes with-- hut. Is this what all voters want for our future generations? Personally, I'm rather fond of our public lands, clean air and clean water.

Louise and Lee faithful heroes to all women, and people
and their rights

Currently, we are now getting a refresher course on when-- rhymes with-- proportion was illegal. In the old days, women--- rhymes with-- fried in attempts to end a pregnancy and that is sometimes the situation today. The women, and sometimes very young girls, in states where is no-- rhymes with-- proportion, have no choice to safely save themselves.  Where is our protection for equal rights under the law? That's the 14th Amendment to our constitution.

Let's reverse roles. Wonder if women were--rhymes with--tool, had the power of a cream fort behind them.  The husband comes to his wife and says, "I've been diagnosed with---rhymes with --humors.  Can I please get an operation to free myself from worry and pain?" The 'not man' coolly appraises him and says, "NO, that might interfere with my right to have more babies. Let nature take it's course!" That's the position all 'not men', were in until 1973 when they won the right to have a say over their own bodies. The right to privacy with their physician was a hard fought battle. Now in many states it's still a very hard fought battle. Don't give up!

Another truth: as we've seen---rhymes with--self-lightous people standing outside the-- proportion clinics, waving signs, harassing women. Ah, but where are these--rhymes with--bias, people when that child is born? They're no where to be found. Help that woman, or girl? They declare is not their problem. In fact, the R's are busy eliminating the very programs designed to help any mother and child. This is deemed necessary from the R 2025 Project, to generate more "American" births, you know, the ones the who are--rhymes with---sight. 

These people are actually only pro birth, not pro child. Couldn't we agree to shift the responsibility. WHO got that woman/girl pregnant? 

On that topic of men, especially young men, I had some experience with disseminating information about birth control. Many years ago (in the 1980s)  I was asked to talk to teens about the dangers involved with drugs and alcohol. Fortunately for me, this was well before the very dangerous drugs were in the high schools. Inevitably, the subject of girls drinking to excess would come up. Some boy would smirk and I would lead the discussion about the the responsibility of boys having, or attempting to have, sex with an impaired--rhymes with--hunk, girl. What about responsibility of possible impregnation? That certainly is one of the consequences of having unprotected sex. What about--rhymes with--cape?  I surprised them by stating the lowest incidence of teen pregnancies in the world-- at that time--- was in Japan. Also, at that time, the only form of birth control in Japan was the condom.  A hush fell in the room.  All those years ago no one, to my knowledge, was willing to speak to the obvious: it's clearly not just the woman who can do birth control, Japan proved that.

We need a refresher course in creating empathy in our country. Denmark does this and it's highly successful and it starts in childhood. That used to be the American way. Now there's people attempting to justify---rhymes with--caseism, ignoring the grossly unfair advantages given to people of wealth and allowing women, minorities and people of color to be discriminated against and even removed from this country. Empathy? None.

How I wish we had voted the rascals out! It is unbelievable that some in the country are  siding with the 'wanna be'--- rhymes with--- fixtator.  Do we really have to fall so much further. With the Democrats we mostly had hope, kindness, fairness and competence. That said, never doubt we can rise again. This country can become, again, the admired country. Remember, it was constant protests in the late 1960s and early 1970's that stopped the war in Vietnam. We took to the streets. 

Right now, we are as a country, very concerned about our new "leaders" who have a 'reverse Robinhood' philosophy. "There's nothing surer the rich get richer and the poor get poorer."

 

Don't just sit there, join a group, take to the streets, protest and fight for Democracy. 

susansmagicfeather 2025  Susan R. Grout all rights reserved

 I got inspired to write this post when I read that Lee had died just a year after Louise had died. These two admirable women lived in our small town for more than fifty years and they were active participants in the fights for truth, justice and the American way. How we loved their spunk and wisdom. They were first in line to help get good people elected and worked hard to urge all people to vote.

SMALL TOWN THERAPIST ON TWO WOMEN WHO FOUGHT THE GOOD FIGHT

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Small Town Therapist on What Happened to the SCOTUS?

 

During the Obama administration after Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died, the reason given for not allowing President Obama to nominate a new justice was insulting. Said Senator Mitch McConnell,  "It's too close to the election." It was nine months away. 

When Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg died during the Trump administration, the GOP announced that they were going to push ahead with a nomination immediately.  After Ruth died, the Republican senate approved a Supreme Court nominee ONE month before the election. The Republican hypocrisy produced the rage that so many of us felt. This was yet another demonstration of the Republicans complete lack of  integrity. Then Trump appointed Amy Coney Barrett, an ultra conservative member of the Federalist Society and a law professor at Notre Dame University. Gross unfairness and hypocrisy is what we faced and continue to face. The current Supreme Court's ultra conservativism is making a mockery of the constitution. For example, SCOTUS claimed, in effect, that the president is above the law. No, he is not. This is a cornerstone of the rule of law. This includes government officials and any leaders. It's to prevent abuse of power. No one is above the law. 

We used to trust the Supreme Court. We had a president who made excellent intelligent choices. Barak Obama chose Ketanji Brown Jackson, a brilliant legal mind. Then, with the Trump administration, we were given Amy Coney Barrett who was a big slap in the face and contrary to just about everything Ruth stood for. If that wasn't bad enough, we then were inflicted with Brett Kavanaugh, again by Trump. This man was accused of sexual harassment and, as is typical of the Republicans, the women were not believed. He is one of the justices who decreed that the president was immune from prosecution. The felon and pedophile will walk free. 

When Ruth Ginsberg was on the court, we had a group of excellent Supreme court judges, principled, courageous, fair, who fought for equal justice for all.  Now, what have the conservative members of the Supreme Court done? There's no preventing abuse of power and upholding justice. Trump is dangerous and creating hardships all over the country with his tariffs and his illegal deportations, in violation of the constitution. God help us, because apparently the Supremes won't.

susansmagicfeather 2025  Susan R. Grout all rights reserved

SMALL TOWN THERAPIST ON: MANHATTAN PROJECT BABIES FOR WHOM?

calm and peaceful is  goal

While reading the newspaper in the morning I found that I was talking out loud, grumbling. Then to my surprise, I started laughing.  Why, you ask? Because of the absurdity of what I was reading. The group of extreme right-wing men behind Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation, wants to start a 'Manhattan Project'. This project would  encourage families to have more babies. Ok, jeez.

Let's review who these men are and what they believe and stand for. Remember, these men, and the Trump voters, agreed to defund many agencies in the country that help women and families. They defunded hospitals, eliminated women's right to choose whether to have a baby or not, they have gone after Planned Parenthood as viciously, as if that organization was criminal, they have defunded Head Start and, absurdly, Public Television because they don't approve of Sesame Street. Are you laughing yet? 

You might be asking yourself if they are oblivious to the fools they are making of themselves.  Why, when they are making it impossible for only the affluent to afford to buy a home, do they want women to have more babies? Remember the minimum wage hasn't been raised in most of the country for 16 years and that glorious federal wage is---- $7.25  per hour.  Just try living on that. Would you then decide to have a baby? And, have you bought groceries lately?

Then there was the brilliant decision by the Trump administration to reverse Row vs Wade.  Many states like Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, South Dakota, South Carolina, Alabama, Indiana and Louisiana have criminal penalties for doctors aiding abortions. In some states this  applies to the doctors who are helping a mother who is in danger of losing her life to complications from her pregnancy.  Would you encourage your beloved wife, daughter, niece or granddaughter to get pregnant and have a baby in one of these states? Be honest, don't you see this is a serious threat to women and potential parents. If something should go wrong with her pregnancy, then what happens in these states? Nothing good.

As some of you know from reading my blog, I had a therapeutic abortion in a hospital in 1977. I was the grateful recipient of loving, lifesaving care from those doctors. It was very scary and hard. I was very sad, but I was also blessed and fortunate to receive the necessary care I needed. Today in the states mentioned above, women are literally dying due to fear of the current administration and/or state suing them or even jailing them. Sadly, the hospitals in those states are going along with that fear. 

Apparently, what the current administration wants is for women to be afraid. Families are grieving now because of the reversal of this law and, yes, women are afraid. In my case, had it been 1972 (instead of 1977) and our very wanted baby was dead inside me with no help from the doctors, I could have been one of those sad, sorry statistics.

huge cuts for mental health

The Republicans are big on blaming the current anxiety and fear in women and people around the U.S. as a mental health crisis. They blame it on anything but themselves. They have drastically cut the funds to help people in need.

Another example, besides the continual threats to women's health, is the frequent mass shootings. A typical response after these shootings by Republicans, the Trump administration and the Trump voters is to offer "thoughts and prayers."  To prove how important guns are, every time a good regulation is proposed on assault weapons the Republicans plead with the public, "the Second amendment, the Second Amendment!" They scream and cry, "they want to take our guns away!" Then the important, lifesaving regulation fails to pass.

No one, to my knowledge, points this out: when 'the right to bear arms' was adopted (December 15, 1791) the guns were muskets. No bump stocks, no assault weapons were even dreamed of.  They fired one shot. Those who scream for the right to have and use assault weapons which can fire hundreds of shots in moments, allow themselves to be convinced this is a good thing by the gun lobby. It's to sell guns. 

People, think! Isn't it true we have finally found the Weapons of Mass Destruction, weapons supported by the NRA. Slimy but true.  Why do people fall for this? Apparently they don't read the statistics. The U.S. has significantly more gun related deaths than any of the other developed countries. Are we trying for "the worst in the world for massive deaths due to guns"? Is that the goal? Think of the grieving families who have lost their children to guns. We should be crying Never Again! It worked in Australia. 

You know as well as I do that the cuts in government services were draconian. We all know that those cuts were done to give tax breaks to billionaires. It does, as I write this, sound like an elaborate joke. Totally a reverse Robin Hood maneuver: steal from the poor and give to the rich. Oh the little billionaires, they just want to go to Mars.  Truly, if they are paying for the trip to Mars themselves, this is something I could eagerly embrace. Go! Please. Leave this earth. Just don't come back.

I am a liberal

We who respect and love this earth and its people could start the long slow healing that our poor earth needs after this disastrous administration. No, it would not thrill all the angry, easily led Trump supporters who apparently still believe cuts for Medicaid, Social Security, and cuts to the clean air and water programs are fine, if their leader says it's good for them. But the rest of us would breathe a sign of relief if he, all his minions and the billionaires were residing on Mars.

To sum up, the Heritage Foundation's Manhattan Project wants babies, but only certain kinds, i.e., color. They do want families to have mommies who stay at home, but only heterosexual couples are allowed to raise babies. 

being safe and cheerful surrounded by sisters

So, what's amusing here? It’s ironic that they want these special families to become like some Mormons and Catholics: to go forth and propagate a lot. Yet, certainly, this cannot be modeled on Musk who has fourteen children (by many wives) and is looking for more. Or this cannot be modeled on their president who is a notorious philanderer, has cheated on  his wives, cheated the country with his continual lies, graft and corruption. This is the man that they supported as our leader in chief. I mean thief. 

As for this project, hit the eject button.

SMALL TOWN THERAPIST ON TELL THE TRUTH AND SPEAK UP

 

Democrats march in the 4th of July parade

  "There's nothing surer, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer."  from the song Ain't We Got Fun by Gus Kahn 1920

A small but very lively group of Democrats marched in our small town's parade, gleefully.  Our posters and banners fearlessly proclaiming that we love our country and most emphatically our democracy.

What's interesting is that we had to fight for this freedom of speech because the Chamber of Commerce in our community did not want us to march. They declared that there would be no politics in our local parade.

What's most interesting and ironic is that our country was founded on politics and the July 4th tradition is to promote pride in our democracy. Remember our forefathers fought very hard to attain democracy. Review if you need to how the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution came to be. A bold stand by our forefathers divorcing us from the King of England.

Our democracy, you might have noticed, is under daily attack by our current President, his followers, the Republicans in Congress and the Supreme Court majority. 

The First Amendment: freedom of speech.

The Fourth Amendment: protection against unreasonable searches and seizures.

The Fifth Amendment: due process, protection against self-incrimination and double jeopardy.

The Sixth Amendment: the right to a fair and speedy trial

The Fourteenth Amendment: Equal protection and due process

Recently, the Library of Congress reported a "coding error" that allegedly caused sections of the constitution to be removed from its online displays. Ironically, the missing sections include many of the actions that the current administration is guilty of.  To wit:

1.Foreign emoluments clause: the clause that restricts the acceptance of gifts or payments from foreign governments. Pretty sure that applies to the $400 million 747, currently being renovated for our President, "gift" from Qatar.

2.Habeas corpus: This protects individuals from unlawful detention by requiring they be brought before a judge to determine the legality of their imprisonment. Unless you have slept through the last seven months you know for a fact people have been snatched from their homes and thrown into detention centers on a daily basis. Justice? Not if you have brown skin.

Also, Congress has surrendered control of the purse strings with total disregard for the checks and balances built into our system of government. 

Then there's the firing of public servants and of dissolving federal agencies. Horribly, we witnessed Elon Musk's DOGE running roughshod over our dedicated public servants while sucking up billions of taxpayer dollars for his Starlink and Space X corporations.  

This is an administration of greed, revenge and exploitation. "The rich get richer and the poor get poorer" as the song goes.  Examples abound of the power grabs and the disregard for the laws of this country. 

To be a good citizen I contend we need to, must, stand up to the law breakers, challenge those responsible for the potential loss of our rights and our democracy. Speak Up!

How do we do this? One small example occurred here in our town when the Chamber declared political parties and political candidates would not be allowed in our 4th of July parade. They feared it might make people uncomfortable to see protest signs. I thought to myself,  well that's not our United States on the 4th of July. It's all about celebrating freedom from oppression. 

My husband and I met with the head of the Chamber, a friend, to talk about the new rule. We tried to convince her that the new rule was against our Constitutional right to free speech. She argued that the Chamber can make the rules for the parade since they sponsor and run it. It was a cordial but unsatisfying meeting. I then went to the local Indivisible group, of which I'm a member. They are not affiliated with any political party but were also considered to be political and therefore forbidden to participate. Indivisible is a non-profit (501c3) and all about Democracy. Well, our Indivisible group was appalled that they were also barred from the parade and decided to join with the Democrats to argue for our right to free speech and to march in the parade. 

A proud American 

One of the members of the Indivisible group is an immigration lawyer and together we crafted a letter to our local newspapers. That got the community talking, especially about free speech and the parade. Many people came to our defense and stories abounded about how we have always had the Democrats, Republicans and candidates for office in the parade, proudly marching down the street.

Another meeting was called, with the addition of two Chamber board members, and our attorney member laid out our right to free speech and to march. Finally they agree to let us march with the only restriction being that there be no vulgarities on our banners or signs. 

4th of July is fun

One example of a sign that the Chamber of Commerce was concerned about.

A win for democracy often does not come without a fight.

susansmagicfeather 2025 Susan R. Grout 

SMALL TOWN THERAPIST ON BEING CURIOUS

The Grand Canyon is precious

 

"Some people want to judge, they don't want to be curious. I'll never understand people who will go on talking about something so brazenly that they, in my opinion, clearly don't understand."                                                                             Jason Sudeikis (aka Ted Lasso)

Examples abound, like----

People believe that selling off our public lands is a good idea for the country. No, listen up! Who do you think will benefit from the land sale?  It is only a good idea for the corporations who will then exploit the land and then make us pay to have the resources that were on our public land. Not a kind or smart way to treat our people.

People believe that cutting essential programs for children (Head Start, Preschools) is fine. Who would be most affected by these cuts?  These cuts would deprive the most in need families to give money to people who have a greed and power addiction.  Does this make any sense?

People believe it's fine to accuse the Social Security System of being bloated, then they are okay with firing scads of the workers. Who actually funds the SSS? In fact the SSS is funded from employee contributions and employer contributions. This is not bloat this is a system that was helping retirees and people with disabilities. Because of the firings it's about impossible for people to get timely help from the SSS.

People believe that they are good Christians and yet with the tariffs and rising food costs we are witnessing people despair because they can't feed their family.  Who is it who is going to feed the hungry give drink to the thirsty? Obviously the billionaires are unconcerned. 

People believe it's all right if someone, in the highest office is charged, over and over again,  with a crime and then refuses to obey the courts and judges. What effect does this have to our rules and laws? This violates our constitution.

People believe defunding the colleges, universities, the laboratories, where the scientists do research to fight cancer and a host of other diseases is somehow justifiable. What will be the result of these firings and defunding? What are the consequences? This is called a 'brain drain' and it has been going on for years in the third world countries. We used to be the envy of the world. Now, the people trained to combat viruses, diseases help our nation through the worst effects of climate change are being lured away to other places like France and England. Is that what people want? The U.S. to become a third world country?

People believe eliminating the Education Office is not big deal. Are you also relaxed about the lowering of the education standards across the states? Depriving children and young adults of good educations should be of primary importance. Remember the biggest struggle for education is the south, the reddest states have the hardest time hiring qualified teachers. Don't they care about their children's future? Imagine...

People aren't upset at the firing of over 80,000 workers for the Veteran Affairs program.? Truly a low point from one who is a draft dodger and another for an illegal alien from South America? Don't they care about our service people? Apparently not.

Kennedy Center is faced with people canceling their performances due to Trump declaring he's the new manager. Power and greed believes it can buy competence. Imagine that.

The current administration as of April 1 has laid off or fired over 280,000 people according to a report in Google. Some of the staff has been rehired such as the Nuclear Staff (geez), and the staff  working on bird flu (really?) and other "mistakes" abound. How dumb can you get? Pretty dumb.

"Some people want to judge, they don't want to be curious. God bless 'em for it; it's not their fault. They don't have imaginations and they're not open to the experience of what it's like to have one....All we want to do is leave everybody in better shape than when we started." 

                                                                                        Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso) 

Sadly I believe that the current administration is running rough shot over many fine people with no concern to the chaos they are causing the country. People are not better off being conned and lied to. Our country will be much worse shape after this administration.

Please have an open mind about what a disaster it is to dissolve essential programs and fire competent people replacing them with incompetent suck ups. This has turned our constitution upside down and is going to bleed America dry. 

We are not helpless, get curious on what you can do. For one idea--get out there and protest all of the above. This is, by the way, only a partial list of the atrocities. Call your representatives. My wish is that hopefully some of the Republicans will be curious as to what will happen if the cuts, firings and stealing our information by DOGE continues. We're all in this together, be firm, loud and kind. 

susansmagicfeather 2025 Susan R. Grout 

SMALL TOWN THERAPIST ON PITA

 

Some days you just can't win or even break even. That's been my fate for the past week. Compared to what's going on in this country and what's the plights of other's lives who are struggling with food insecurity or homelessness, sincerely this is nothing.

About a week ago I got a canker sore on my tongue after biting my tongue (do not laugh) while eating too quickly, a tragic habit. I'm one of those people who is prone to canker sores. As a young teen I had to be taken to the ER because the sore was so bad I couldn't eat at all for 10 days. I remember even water hurt. Silver nitrate to the rescue! Although that cure did hurt it solved the problem. I have been repeatedly warned about not paying attention to how I'm eating and tend to forget and ignore the truly dreadful consequences. Behaving has never been one of my finer features. I'm going on more than a week of soft foods only and I'm thankful for milkshakes.

At the same time of the canker, my husband started a cold which he sadly gave to me. Now every time I sneeze the explosion in my mouth triggers a zapping pain from the canker and I yowl. Not fun.

Another unfortunate consequence is it hurts to talk. I can hold the side of my face and squeak out a few words but gingerly, because that hurts too.  So not a lot of talking.

I asked my husband, "what's it like to have an almost silent wife?" 

His response was a smirk and then he slowly responded saying, "I refuse to answer on grounds that it might tend to incriminate me."

Oh well. I guess sometimes I am verbose. Oh well. I guess sometimes I am a Pain In The Ass. But hey, no fair, my body doesn't need to turn on me as well. 

Enjoy the good times

Susan R. Grout 2025 susansmagicfeather  all rights reserved 

SMALL TOWN THERAPIST ON WE CAN DO BETTER

 

Photographer: Alex Mittelstaedt

 I'm going to state that even though we are currently saddled with a con man and his illegal alien we can do better. Hope is on the horizon. Midterms 2026.

Currently there are massive protests all over our country and the world. The press is slow to negligent to report on these worldwide protests. People are  demanding democracy.  Many people, the world over are worried, with good reason, for our and their democracy hence the protests. 

One of the frightening ideas that is currently being touted, especially by young people, is the longing for a third party in this country. They desire a party that has no flaws and are hypercritical of the Democrats. Of course, they are appalled at the Republicans who are supporting a convicted felon, tearing apart our country with hate rhetoric and racist policies and allowing Elon Musk to defund our programs.

Are the Democrats perfect? Far from it. However, please read the two platforms put forth by the major parties. If the young people, and many of us older folks, would read the platforms they would discover where the Democrats want this country to be. This is a far cry and big contrast with where the Republicans want to take us.  I believe they would see a 90% agreement with the D's and a 10% disagreement with the Democrats. This would be dramatically different split in for and against with the Republican's platform. Democrats are all for: following the Constitution; Respect for Women's Rights; concern about the environment; feeding the hungry; taking care of all our citizens and educating and protecting the children of this nation. The Republicans? Not so much. 

protests are the people's right to protect democracy

Because many of these young people were toddlers, teens or very young adults in the 2000 election, they don't know the history of that race. Al Gore, who had been a Vice President under Bill Clinton was a stellar candidate. Gore was the man who tried to educate the U.S. about the danger of climate change.  He labeled it 'Global Warming', which of course we know is accurate, but the ignorant Republicans made fun of him and it. One Republican congressman even brought a snowball into congress to prove that the earth wasn't warming. Now, twenty years later we are saddled with out of control weather---hurricanes in states that never had them before, flooding with catastrophic results and incredible destruction and loss of lives and property. We could have had Al Gore all those years ago. Instead we got George Bush and an unnecessary war. Why do we continue to put inadequate and incompetent people in office?

Here's some of the reasons we have elected less than good people to be president.. 

1. People choose not to vote. In the last election 93 million people did not vote.
2. People choose to vote for a third party candidate. The third party candidate in the 2000 election was Ralph Nader, who had only one issue important to him: car safety.
3. People choose not to read the platforms of the Republicans vs the Democrats.
4. People believed that both parties are the same.
5. People were angry this last election, with some justification, at the Democrats for sending arms to Israel.
6. People were reactive to Kamala Harris as not being liberal enough.
7. People were angry that Democrats protected Biden who was apparently failing with age.
8. People were afraid of a liberal, intelligent, brown skinned woman leading the country.
9. People believed that Trump was a stronger person and, being male, had better answers.
10. People didn't realize that even though they agreed with 90% of the Democrats platform, they decided not to vote for the Democrats, the anger was really only about the 10% disagreement. 
11. People all over the country were subjected to gerrymandering and suppression of their legally cast votes.
12. People trusted that Trump was telling the truth and was going to make things more efficient in his government, never realizing that Elon Musk was going to fire qualified people.
13. People want the perfect which is the enemy of the good.
14. People listened to right wing pod casts and television and believed lie after lie.

Here's the frustration many of us feel--- why can't people listen to real threats? Why would they believe that oligarchy is a good alternative to democracy? Once our democracy is gone do they really believe that things will be better? This country was founded on the belief that all men/women were created equally. We all deserve life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Can any of us really want the .01% of our population to have all the power and control? Is it right to turn our democracy into a corporation of the rich, by the rich, for the rich, so help us god? 

susansmagicfeather 2025 Susan R. Grout 

Small Town Therapist on Skin Deep

It may surprise you that skin is our body's largest organ. It protects us against any and all invasive intrusions, helps regulate our temperature and is a very important sensory organ. Yet we sometimes refer to our skin somewhat disparagingly, as in the saying 'skin deep'--meaning superficial. This is as though the skin provides only a superficial role in our lives. The truth is skin plays a very important in our lives.

Why this rumination on skin? My husband and I went to the dermatologist for our annual check up and I came away grateful that there were no serious problems. No cancer, only a few places on my face that had to be frozen off. Ouch. Unfortunately my husband had many parts of his skin 'frozen.'  My husband says of my skin, "Your tattoos are your old battle wounds." These "tattoos" are scars from the operations and accidents I've had over the years. These scars I'm grateful for as visual reminders that I not only survived the accidents and the surgeries, but I'm better for  them.

When I was growing up there wasn't anyone talking (incessantly) about the benefits of using suntan lotions to protect and aid the skin in the aging process. No, we used baby oil and iodine as we sunbathed. No protection from the sun for us. I was an avid swimmer and I shutter to remember that unhelpful baby oil and iodine, it went off my skin right into the lake. However the chickens have come home to not only roost but also to decorate my skin with numerous freckles and brown spots. Lately I've developed what looks like chicken skin on my body. Did I mention that I've aged? Did I mention I had four red headed uncles that I believed blessed me with freckles all over my body like theirs?  Turns out, my dermatologist told me, it wasn't the legacy from the uncles but my very own blondness and sun exposure that gave me these brown dots all over. 

I've pointed out previously people in their seventies can't be, by definition, young. So I'm not young and, as a beloved grandma said about her wrinkles, "I've earned these stripes!"  I'd like to add "I've caused these spots with many wonderful days at the beach."

GG was a classic beauty

I've noticed I have the kind of skin on my arms that creases even when I'm not bending my elbow. This is new. As children we cherished the very luscious, creamy skin that dangled from our grandmother's triceps. We loved her skin, it was a delight to touch. She indulged us and let us embrace that soft skin and we'd even swat it so it would waggle. A laugh riot for us as we reveled in that softness. She'd just laugh. So, am I there yet? Not quite but my body's working on it.

Strong in will to strive, to seek to find and not to yield.     Alfred Lord Tennyson

Bacon is mostly healthy, right?

Since I've had two surgeries (hip replacement surgeries) I am personally opposed to voluntary pain because I suffered prior to getting the surgeries. The clients that I had who did have total facelifts had a lot of pain. I realize these surgeries have gotten more humane but I guess I'm a fan of stiving ahead, staying in shape and aging naturally. So no Botox or elective dermatological surgery for me.  However, part of my belief system boils down to, 'to each his/her own.'  I can't criticize those who for job security, or because of self loathing, or wanting to extend a youthful look for as long as possible, go for the full overhaul. I can't.

Personally, to ward off the worst aspects of old age, I compulsively read articles and books on how to prolong life. I try to eat carefully, exercise often, keep up with my friends and family, play word games and get at least seven hours sleep. This, after my research, is my attempt to stay healthy with all my faculties. So far, I'm winning the lottery for genes which really, is just good luck. My father's side of the family died earlyish in their late sixties, my mother's side, I'm happy to report, lived good long lives well in to their late eighties. 

I attribute my father's good looking skin and rosy glow in his sixties to his love for golf and playing outside on the course as much as he could. But he also drank a fair bit. My mother in her life, went out in the sun all the time, got tan and yet was fairly wrinkle free until her late eighties. Myself? I  am the one who foolishly sunbathed but have a more sensitive skin that my unwrinkled mother.  I would love to blame my uncles but it really was my fair skin and ignorance about sun damage.

Mom at eighty-seven

One idea I had about my mom's good looking skin in her old age is this: growing up, she lived in northern Wisconsin. I believe the sun was not as hot and damaging to her skin as our friend the sun is now. Global warming has effected all of us in many ways. 

Now the dermatologist is my best friend, but she would claim my friendship is only skin deep.  

soft lighting definitely helps

susansmagicfeather 2025 Susan R. Grout