Sunday, March 14, 2021

A Mishmash with More Royalty


It was incredibly windy here yesterday. When I looked out the back door in the morning our garden waste bag had blown clear across the lawn and was huddling by the back fence like a scared animal. Our tree fern and hydrangea were lying prostrate on the ground, their pots having blown over, and one of our geraniums was leaning like the Tower of Pisa. Blowing trash was swept from all the nooks and crannies of the city and redistributed on the streets. 

Despite my mild vaccine hangover, it was a day for getting things done. After correcting the chaos in the garden, I cleaned the house from top to bottom, changed the sheets, ran laundry and organized the detritus of daily life that had accumulated on our tables and countertops.

And most importantly, I DID OUR TAXES! I am always so relieved when that job is finished. I filed them using e-file and, as usual, offered up an uncertain prayer to the IRS and all deities of personal finance that I did them correctly.


Olga and I took a walk in the morning and I collected some more honesty seeds. My seeds seem to have been duds -- I planted six of them from our own garden, and none came up. Fortunately there's a patch near the railroad tracks where I got my first batch of seeds, so that's where we went. There are fewer to choose from at this time of year because the pods have already broken open and most have scattered, but I did find a couple.

In the afternoon, Dave and I watched Oprah's interview with Harry and Meghan. I know everyone is sick to death of this topic, but I have just a few more things to say. I felt bad after my post a few days ago, because while I was pretty critical of the prince and his wife, I know many people -- particularly some women, and particularly women of color -- see their story in a different light. I want to respect that and I felt the least I could do was hear first-hand what the Sussexes had to say.

The interview does humanize them. Meghan was smart and articulate, Harry more characteristically guarded -- but he said more to Oprah than I think I've ever heard him say in the past. It was great to see them with the animals they've rescued. Meghan says she likes to rescue things, and Harry admits she helped him realize he was "trapped" within his royal life. That adds an interesting dimension to the relationship, doesn't it?

I still find it mind-blowing that Meghan was initially unaware what life in the palace would be like. She admits she went into the marriage naively, and if she was as naive as she says, that's an understatement. I'd say she went into it blindly.

I'm also surprised that when Meghan discussed her mental health, no one ever mentioned the words "post-partum depression." Some of her problems apparently pre-dated her pregnancy, but if I understand the timeline right, they became much worse after the birth of Archie. In any case, she should have been helped and encouraged to receive assistance, as much as the royals talk about supporting mental health as an issue.

As I said in my earlier post, I don't doubt there's a degree of racism in Buckingham Palace, just as there (sadly) is in virtually any large, multi-generational institution. Given the examples of Meghan's press coverage that Oprah showed, it seems undeniable that she was treated much more harshly by the media. But I still struggle with some of their stories about racism in the palace -- the infamous question about the color of the baby's skin, for example. It's an inappropriate remark no matter what, but I still want more context. Was it something someone said, one family member to another, over late-night beers as a joke? Or was it a serious expression of worry about the family's image?

I also did some reading about their concern over Archie not being named a prince. Here's some background on that issue, which helped me understand it much better.


Overall, I'm glad I watched it, although this is more time and mental energy than I've given to the royal family in years! And it did soften my stance. Even beyond the issue of the royalty, I think there's a bit of culture clash built into that marriage -- Meghan wants a very open, American lifestyle, and you can't blame her. That's who she is. The closing images of them frolicking in the California surf with Archie are very telling -- that's not the kind of thing we ever see the royal family doing. She just did not want that life.

OK, enough of that. I am never mentioning Harry and Meghan again on this blog. At least not any time in the near future.

The Russians upstairs are still working on their renovations. It seems they've progressed into the bathroom, because in addition to the pile of old cabinets and bags of rubble sitting on the street in front of the house, there's now also a toilet. Always a good look.

(Photos: Camellias at the cemetery; Olga with graffiti on our walk yesterday; more crocuses in our garden.)

46 comments:

  1. My, my, Steve. Rescuing plants, cleaning the house top to bottom and doing your tax return - the same day? You are a better (hu)man than I am.

    What's Olga's fee for modelling so perfectly?

    U

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    1. Olga is surprisingly good at modeling. If I put her somewhere and tell her "stay," she will -- unless there's a cat or a squirrel within sight.

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  2. That shot of Olga is excellent! As for the Royals, I'm glad you softened your stance. I hope they do good things with the lives they're creating. I, too, don't care to dwell on the subject. Privileged multi-millionaires don't need MY attention, no matter how difficult the fame and family duties have made their lives. SG would call what you experienced last night "cyclonic winds.“ We've only had breezes lately.

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    1. I wasn't concerned about giving THEM my attention so much as giving them a fair shake on behalf of people who support them. But yeah, I hear you. Enough's enough.

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  3. Harry and Meghan have nothing to complain about. If they were homeless, if they were Yemenis, if they were Syrian refugees, if they lived in social housing without jobs, if they were malnourished, if they had cancer or AIDS, if they struggled to find water, if Archie was dying from diarrhoea - then they would have something to moan about.

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    1. YP, going by your logic none of us in the Western "Civilized" World would have anything to moan about. However, we all live in our own, personal bubble of time and circumstances, our own expectation of life and the people peopling that life. And those very expectations may disappoint.

      According to you, by way of idiotic example, if someone slapped me hard across the face (dream on) should I not feel the pain because, according to you, someone somewhere else has beaten the shit out them the same minute? Broken nose, ribs et al?

      That the Sussexes are making a meal out of their grievances goes without saying. Yet, don't we all just lap up the juicy gossip, the scandal? It's like living in a village where everyone thinks they know everything about everyone. Not, of course, that any of us are gossips. Other people are. Shame on them! Insert smile with a wink.

      U

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    2. Of course, YP, you are absolutely right -- just as many of us in the developed world have nothing to complain about in the same fundamental sense. But we do complain from time to time, don't we?

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    3. Well we don't agree two hour long TV interviews with Oprah Winfrey to explain our petty grievances to the world.

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  4. Thanks for this:
    "the great-grandchildren of the monarch would no longer be princes or princesses"
    because that utterly explains it.
    And I, too, wondered about post-partum depression.
    Lastly, I suspect Meghan thought that INSIDE the royal family, protocols might be different, you know, it's just Grandma. But she's not, she's HRH always.
    Hopefully it all works out and they all ... yes, I'm gonna say it ... live happily ever after.

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    1. I think Meghan said as much -- that she thought within the family the Queen would be treated much more casually. Again, this comes down to naivete (or blindness). Any consumer of movies or TV shows about the royal family knows that's not the case. But ultimately, I agree -- I hope they're happy and this works out well for everyone.

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  5. I did not watch the interview. It was repeated and I did not watch it then either. It just seems to me that I should respect their desire to lead private lives. Most importantly, though, is that I think when someone is given unchallenged air time, with no opportunity for discussion, you are very likely to wind up with a skewed view. Oprah can be a very tough interviewer. She accepted all that was said at face value. Even from the short clips continuously aired to advertise the program, it was obvious that some of the things said should have generated a "but...." response. As in but why were her documents taken? Was it to keep her prisoner? Or do they do that with all royalty for security reasons? And their upset that Archie was not to receive the title of 'prince'... "but why were they so upset about that, given their own chafing at the role?" Things like that. Still, I hope the best for them. I think of the bitterness of Prince Edward and Wally Simpson. They made their break, but in the end, it did not seem to make them all that happy, not really.

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    1. Oprah pressed them on a few things, but yeah, she didn't make them squirm too much -- and like you, I would have liked more follow-up on some remarks.

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  6. Here's what I have to say- are those a variety of camellias in the top picture? They're so, so beautiful.
    And here's another thing- none of us knows what it's like to walk in someone else's shoes. Even after an interview with Oprah. I wish them health and happiness.

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    1. They ARE beautiful camellias. And they're much earlier than the ones in our garden -- by a couple of months. Of course you're right about walking in someone's shoes.

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  7. I wondered the same thing, if Meghan had post partum depression, doesn't matter though, depression is depression and does mess with your thinking. Growing up in the US, I don't think there was any way she could have been aware of how stifling royal life is. I read somewhere that there should be a handbook and courses for new royals, that seems like a good idea and before marriage.

    I think they'll both be happier away from the royal family and I wish them well.

    I was wondering how you got the photos of Olga that you do, with her posing and then I read a previous reply. Good dog!

    The flowers are lovely and give me hope. The snow is melting here so one day, in a couple of months, I too will have flowers:)

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    1. I hope they'll both be happier. I wonder if Harry will eventually feel detached from his family and suffer for that. Flowers are on their way!

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  8. We've been having big winds here too, blowing all kinds of stuff around in the yard. Lots of trees in the neighborhood have lost big limbs lately. Always so good when things calm down for a while.
    I'm glad you watched the interview and shared your perspective.

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  9. Those gorgeous pink flowers have me jealous. It's still too cold here to have anything like that in our gardens. I love that photo! And Olga's photos are always enjoyed. You have a super day, hugs, Edna B.

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    1. They're nicer than the camellias in our garden, which are white and always turn brown really quickly. I prefer the pink ones. But c'est la vie!

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  10. I was going to do my taxes this weekend but haven't tackled it yet. We had wind like you described last week. There were pieces of palm tree scattered everywhere. (not to mention plastic bags). Love the flowers!

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    1. I like wind, normally, but I could do without all the debris!

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  11. you did all that in one day? the yard, the house, the taxes, a walk, and watching the interview while feeling hungover from the vaccine? sheesh, puts me to shame.

    I don't think an American can fully understand life as a royal no matter how much they think they can. and Diana couldn't take it and she was British. I imagine it's a very controlled existence.

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    1. and you did not identify those pretty pink flowers in the first pic.

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    2. Oh, I identified them in the caption at the bottom of the post -- they're camellias at the cemetery. It WAS an unusually productive day for me!

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  12. My taxes are finished and now I have to pay the IRS. I sold all my Boeing stock which generated a lot of capital gain. I have a number of questions about the former royals' situation, but since they want to live a quiet life, I won't give them any more of my attention. :)

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    1. Oh, that's a drag about the capital gains. Hope you're not getting socked for too much money!

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    2. It's not as bad as it could be. I own a rental house and had repairs done to it which were write offs for my taxes. I expected to owe $6,000 more, but it ended up being half that. :)

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  13. I haven't watched the interview. It's recorded, but we probably won't. It is interesting that Harry did not do a more extensive debrief on what life would be like in the palace. I would run screaming from such an environment. Olga is looking good.

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    1. You should give it a try, honestly. I found it much, much more interesting than I expected!

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  14. I did not see the interview. I'm not terribly interested or impressed by royalty. Your comments did add lots of information.

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    1. I'm not interested either, usually -- I surprised myself with my interest in this topic!

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  15. Olga Girl Posing , Paws Down , Love It - All The Best This Upcoming Week

    Cheers

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  16. I did watch the Meg and Harry prog but at the end couldn't make my mind up what to think so will remain silent on the matter.
    Briony
    x

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    1. That's what I should have done from the beginning. Ha!

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  17. Your "Always a good look" made me laugh out loud.

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    1. Second only to having an old stained mattress lying out front. (Which we don't have at the moment, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time.)

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  18. Steve do u want to join in with the big gay quiz next Friday

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    1. Thanks for the invite! I can't do it this Friday because we have Zoom drinks planned with some friends, but maybe another week!

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  19. "I want to go on that big scary ride."
    Big scary ride starts.
    "No, I don't like this ride. It is too scary. I want to get off."
    "Sorry, we explained what the big scary ride was, that it is scary. You have to stay on to the end."
    "Right. I am pressing the emergency button. The ride will stop and I will get a helicopter to rescue me."

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    1. Pretty accurate, although she would argue that no one adequately explained the scary ride before it started.

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  20. Steve, I didn't watch the interview, nor read any of the news articles about it. But I really appreciate the fact that you did, after your earlier post, and also did some research. A true librarian! And an exemplar about how to approach a difficult subject on which one's friends have very different opinions. Well done!

    Chris from Boise

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    1. Thanks. I did feel guilty for making my initial snap judgments. That's what happens when you wake up in the morning and think, "Well, I need SOMETHING to blog about..."

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  21. Congratulations on doing your taxes. It's always a relief, but no matter how careful I am the worry of being audited hangs over me. Olga looks great. About a million years ago when my daughter had her senior pictures taken, her dog was in some of them with her. When we got the pictures, we stopped at my sister's office to show them to her. A man who worked there wanted to know where we had gotten the "dog model." She was a Labradoodle (the dog, not my daughter) and quite photogenic.

    Love,
    Janie

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  22. I'm glad you watched the whole thing. I have accepted that I will simply have a different view of the whole Meghan and Harry thing than many people, but as has been said, each person's perception is her or his own truth. Kudos on getting your taxes done, that annual ordeal.

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