It was Spring Break this week in our area of Michigan and here are some observations. For some reason, there seemed to be lots of traffic in town, the gym seemed busier than normal during the day and slow at night. We had a pretty good turn out for the Ballet Fitness class I teach on Tuesday evenings, considering all of that. The weather is getting warmer, but March was in like a lion and out like a lion with cold temperatures, as far as I’m concerned…
The Trump Administration has deemed April 2 Liberation Day, a day where America institutes RECIPROCAL tariffs. There’s been lots of hubbub about this (maybe some don’t understand the meaning of the word reciprocal ) . The markets did see a drop, but this was predicted. The President gave, in my opinion, a good analogy of the situation, comparing it to surgery. Some recovery is needed, but the patient will be stronger after full recovery and healing (paraphrasing). Although I am not an economist, nor do I have a crystal ball, but listening to those who do this sort of this, it sounds like a good plan. The U.S. is a market place with consumers who have the money to purchase goods from around the world. For the U.S. to charge “access” to it’s citizens by instilling tariffs that equal those imposed on our goods going into other countries, seems fair. The U.S. is not a piggy bank for the rest of the world to draw from, and make money off of, to our detriment. If overseas companies don’t want to pay the tariffs, they can avoid them by setting up production in the US. For our country to have production of goods Americans need here, makes us more self sufficient, brings American jobs and gives those companies overseas a win in selling their products here. I heard Howard Lutnick describe the scenario up to now like this: (paraphrasing here too) It’s like you have had people staying at your house who don’t pay rent, they use your stuff, eat your food and on April 2, 2025, you finally said, “sorry guys, it’s time for you to start paying rent and contributing to the expenses, I’m tired of carrying you, when you are capable of paying your FAIR SHARE” I think rather than Liberation Day-although there is nothing wrong with that-a day with a title that more accurately describes what’s really happening, like “Day of Reciprocity”might give Americans-And others-a clearer vision of what this idea does…
The whole Tesla thing baffles me. Why the destruction? I thought electric cars and the green new deal were what democrats were all for. IDK…
Over the last couple weeks, we helped our kids out with some babysitting. Here’s what I observed. Eighteen-month olds are smarter than one might think. They find the things in a room you wish they would stay away from, like cords for blinds and chairs to move to climb onto book cases. When it was lunch time and I said, “time for our prayer,” they stopped tapping on the table and folded their hands, so I said their prayer before meals. Three pre-schooler girls ages 3,4 & 5 can sit through a family style meal at Frankenmuth engaged in conversation with their grandparents (“Coco” for Coach & Yana) without technology to put them into a coma-like state. There was a family next to us, looked like Mom, Dad, two sons ages about 8 and 10 with grandparents that appeared to be Dad’s parents. The boys sat down, opened up their tables and were totally tuned in. Grandparents attempted to make conversation but NADA. Mom pulled her phone out of her purse and was glued to it, appearing to be more interested in what was on the phone rather than those around the table. Dad was surveying the situation. I imagined him thinking, “I have no control of my family and I am embarrassed that my parents are here seeing how little control I have as the head of the house-again, only my observation from his body language and facial expressions. The kids aren’t to blame, as it is my experience that the kids will pretty much do what they are told, especially at that age. They seemed like a good family, kids looked neat, nicely dressed, just as the parents and grandparents seemed very much with it, however, they were probably wondering why they had been invited if their would be limited conversation to catch up with their family. Even when the food came, the Mom arranged the boys plates to accommodate the tablets so that the kids’ screen time could be uninterrupted while eating. Dad seemed to be more agitated. Were the parents thinking, “this tablet thing is a good thing, they are developing tech skills, maybe there is a little learning going on in some of these programs,” as I want to believe that most every parent wants to best for their children. Let’s hope that maybe it was a wake up call for Dad to reign his family in. Maybe Grandpa will call his son for some father/son time and initiate the conversation with something like, “your Mom and I were glad to be included for dinner at Frankenmuth” as an opener and invitation for his son to ask for his Dad’s advice and that Dad will, without judging or making his son feel like he’s not being a good Dad, make some suggestions, based on his wisdom and years on the planet to help his son, make some adjustments in his family to instill family time without tablets and respect for grandparents who want to have a relationship with their grandchildren. At this age, it’s easier to make changes rather than later…
The twin….& the three little ladies ❤️
We all need a little humor in our lives. Instagram is a fountain of humor. “Thejerseyblonde” on Instagram does a comparison of two cute characters American Mom vs Russian Mom. She’s great and this week she premiered the two when it comes to going on a date with their husbands…
Lastly, in viewing news from around the world, I like to be aware of what’s going on, especially in countries where my viewers come from-I have readers in Ireland. As written about in the past, Ireland is experiencing a large number of immigrants, many of whom are becoming a drain on the country’s welfare system. It’s not yet at the point that Great Britain is experiencing, but it is becoming an issue. When we were in Ireland about seven years ago, I didn’t notice a problem. After being there that fall, I thought, it just might be fun to be here, especially in the bustling city of Dublin on St. Patrick’s Day, as the Irish are such welcoming and kind people, to be there on such a big holiday would probably be so fun. Possibly that ship has sailed and the vision I have in mind may no longer exist…
Top photos-Frequent protests in Ireland demonstrate how many Irish feel about the influx of those immigrants who have come to sap off the system rather than contribute. The increase in population has caused homeless communities in the larger towns and cities. Bottom photos-from our trip to Ireland back in 2018.
As you get ready to embark on the weekend, wishing you a couple of days that are a break from the regular week, to regroup, rest and to experience the kind of recreation that gives you fulfillment and joy. Also, hoping you can say, at least one of these days (with a big smile)…It’s a Great Day!
