Lori Fryd

Frankly, I'd rather be pickling cucumbers. At this point in my life, did I really need to become Winston Freaking Churchill? Do I need to spend my days looking up pictures of Steve Bannon and trying to judge, from the burning splotches on his face and the general bloatedness of his being, exactly how long he has left to live so that I can breathe a little easier at some point? Do I need to be looking at close-up pictures of Trump's comb-over and becoming so completely obsessed with its mind-boggling convolutedness that I'm spending hours trying to solve it like it's some kind of hairy, alternate universe Rubik's Cube? Do I need to be setting my computer to 500% magnification and zooming in on the otherwise bland, white bread face of Mike Pence and seeing the grotesque evil and intolerance in his eyes? I want to be studying edible pulses and using my energies deciding between brown, puy or red lentils for my next stew. I want to be swapping recipes with my online friends and engaging in fiery debates about cumin vs. curry. I WANT TO BE HOLDING A WORLD'S MOST DELICIOUS OIL-FREE SALAD DRESSING CONTEST, OK??? I don't want to be spending all my waking hours looking up synonyms for the words "despot" and "fascist." At 2:00 am on November 9th, I was a gracefully aging, middle-aged lady living quietly amidst nature on top of a lovely sloping hill in northeast, PA, trying to decide between tofu scramble or oat bran for breakfast. By 3:15 am, I was a reluctant revolutionary. I didn't want to go down this road, but something now propels me to offer anything I can towards this galvanizing movement. Apparently, a lifetime of sophisticated griping has prepared me to be a virulent mouthpiece for others. Who knew all that clearly-articulated whining would come in so handy? So, here I am, spewing meticulously organized rage at this revolting turn of events and anybody who can identify with any of this is so very welcome to join me in my ever-evolving despair. As events unfold, we will figure out where to channel this. We don't know where any of this is taking us, my friends, but let's join hands and hold on tight to one another and share what each of has to give to uplift what remains of decency and humanity in this country. And, along the way, would anybody be interested in a fabulous recipe for pumpkin lentil soup? Love, Lori