Katy's Blog
Yesterday afternoon, I plugged in the lights, put on the Brian Setzer Orchestra Christmas album (my favorite) and baked a pie for my neighbors. While I’ve eaten plenty of pie over the years, this was my first attempt at actually making one. Luckily, a dear friend (and source for the recipe) was available by phone to coach me through the tricky spots. Her familiar and ever so slight Texas drawl was the sweetest assurance. Outside it was windy and rainy. Inside, the tunes were swingin’…
Tuesday, November 3, 2020 I’m out on the streets on Capitol Hill, in Seattle. I don’t know the hour exactly. People are everywhere. Cars are honking. Fireworks are popping. The scene is unfettered revelry. I’m simply standing here, taking it all in. Joe Biden has won the election, handing Donald Trump defeat in a suffocating landslide. Pundits say the win was by the largest margin in electoral history. Attendant with the Biden win is a crushing blue tsunami across all of Congress. Democrats maintained the…
Hello, good people. It's been a while. I took a few months off to focus on wellness. Events were happening faster than I could process them. My brain became overloaded. I felt constricted from the stress. Emotions were heavy. Ultimately, my heart, mind, body and soul fell out of alignment. So I took some time to rest and recalibrate. Self-care is paramount for all of us right now. I might also add that I’ve been more hesitant to post if I don’t have something new…
“We are in danger of destroying ourselves by our greed and stupidity.” – Stephen Hawking I’ve been thinking about this quote a lot lately, especially in regard to the current mask debacle that is taking place across the country. On Wednesday, the United States saw an all-time high in coronavirus numbers, with 38,115 new cases reported in a single day. The upward surge continues across multiple states. As of this writing, 18 states, including Washington, are now requiring people to wear masks when out in public…
Last week, the Trump administration continued its assault against transgender and non-binary citizens by eliminating anti-discrimination protections granted in the Affordable Care Act. This move opens the way for federally regulated insurance companies and health care providers to deny coverage and services to transgender and non-binary people. The rule, which goes into effect in mid-August, could negatively impact roughly 1.5 million Americans. The Human Rights Campaign, ACLU and Lamba Legal have all vowed to fight the ruling. Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act prohibits…
On June 9, after a multi-day standoff with protesters at the intersection of 11th and Pine in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, the Seattle Police Department abandoned the nearby East Precinct and left the area. This was after almost two weeks of protests over the murder of George Floyd by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. During peaceful rallies taking place at a police barricade at the intersection, protesters were routinely met with tear gas, pepper spray and rubber bullets, all initiated by an unprovoked mob…
Like millions of others, I saw the video of George Floyd’s torture and death at the hands of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. I was and am horrified, outraged and heartbroken. One particularly chilling element of this heinous murder was Chauvin’s demeanor throughout the almost nine minute video. He was seemingly unconcerned that his actions were being witnessed by many and videotaped for all to see. His manner was eerily calm and suggested that he was operating under a fundamental assumption that as a…
Hello everyone. I hope this post finds you all healthy and safe. It’s almost June. COVID-19 rages on. Our existential free fall continues. No matter where we look, there are unknowns in every direction. While some parts of the country, for better or worse, are “reopening,” uncertainty stubbornly lingers. We’re collectively uncomfortable. This discomfort may manifest in a variety of ways depending on the individual: scary thoughts, gnawing anxiety, restlessness, despair and so on. God knows, I’ve experienced a mad jumble of sadness, stress, disorientation,…
Social distancing. It’s not that difficult to understand. It’s a set of easy practices that slow or stop the spread of the coronavirus. These include staying home, not physically mingling with people from other households and keeping at least six feet away from others when out in public. On paper, this isn't at all complicated. Yet in practice, it appears to be difficult, if not impossible, for some people to do. My observations are based on two scenarios: walking around the neighborhood and trips to…
Hello, friends. It’s been awhile. First and foremost, I hope that you and your loved ones are safe and healthy. And if fate has not been kind, may recovery be swift and full. During the initial onset of the pandemic, I was writing regularly. Mostly, I was keeping a personal log of events as they were unfolding: the numbers of infected, the local and national response, etc. At that time, I was employed and physically going to my job on a regular basis. I would…