April 10, 2025
Good morning!
It’s April 10th, 2025. The country is in turmoil with the political climate unpredictable and our dependable lives shattered. I’m 80 years old, 81 in a month. That’s hard to believe in itself, much less hard to believe what this country is going through.
I try to only stay lightly on the surface of what is going on, stay lightly in touch with the craziness, knowing if I get too deep into the whirlpool of the news, I will sink into a quagmire of fear for what the future may become. At times, I feel the fear rising in my chest, and I push it away, focus on something else.
Much of the country must be feeling like I am. I watch my husband delve deep into the politics, and it challenges him. He knows he should step away, but he’s a “political science major,” so there’s a built-in fascination for this political turmoil. He has good insights and each day voices what the TV news shows’ commentators say that evening.
Less than two years ago, we moved from western Wisconsin to the foothills of the Snowy Mountains in central Montana. We were looking to get away from the big-city traffic, shopping congestion, and have an adventure, be close to the Montana National Parks and go hot-springing in the many hot springs in that state. Those are stories for another day. There are oh-so-many. Where we lived was fairly isolated, ten miles on a gravel road from the nearest town, not far unless it’s in the middle of winter. Then, it might as well be a thousand miles. We, of course, had all the modern amenities, indoor plumbing, electricity, a fully equiped new kitchen with lovely appliances, and a wood stove to heat most of the house to save on the cost of very expensive electricity.
I managed the isolation better than my husband, Scott, did. This was country that I was raised in. I spent time on my grandfather’s ranch which was 75 miles from the nearest town and miles from the nearest neighbor when I was growing up. I understood isolation and found the quiet to be rejuvinating of my mind, creativity and energy.
For many reason, decided to move back to western Wisconsin, close to where we lived several months ago. We’ve been here now a month. There have been people that ask us why in the world would we ever leave such a beautiful place in Montana to go back to the traffic and congestion of an urban life. Perhaps it was the isolation. Mostly it was the healthcare situation.
Deb’s Blog 