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Hello 'Pussy' it's Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and Pippi Longstocking:
Your inability to make good on your promise to repeal the Affordable Care Act has made the already daunting challenge of tax reform even more difficult.
Do you have any idea why we feel so ashamed? I do!
Should I remain in bed, leave my country or fight against the dragon?
( see also the story by Wolfgang Hampel,
' Betty MacDonald: Nothing more to say ' )
Betty and Don MacDonald in Hollywood
Betty MacDonald's mother Sydney with grandchild Alison Beck
Betty MacDonald fan club fans,
we celebrated Betty MacDonald's and Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's birthday yesterday and had lots of fun and joy.
We got so many birthday cards and messages.
Thanks a million for your outstanding support!
More news are coming soon.
Don't miss Vita Magica on Tuesday with Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel and Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Letizia Maninco, please.
In 1996 Betty MacDonald's family had been interviewed by journalist and author Wolfgang Hampel.
The family members shared very interesting details regarding fascinating life and work of Betty MacDonald.
Especially Betty's youngest sister Alison Bard Burnett had a perfect memory and shared golden Bard memories.
She got the same talent as her famous sister Betty MacDonald.
Betty MacDonald Interviews published 2009 on CD/DVD by Betty MacDonald Fan Club incl. the biography of Betty MacDonald written by Wolfgang Hampel - The Kettles' Million Dollar Egg, The Egg and Betty, The Tragic End Of Robert Heskett, Betty MacDonald in Hollywood, BettyMacDonald's Illness and other biographical stories.
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel's outstanding Betty MacDonald fan club items and interviews are included in
FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
THE EGG AND US:
CONTEXTUALIZATION
AND HISTORICIZATION
OF BETTY MACDONALD’S WORKS
By
SAMANTHA HOEKSTRA
A Thesis submitted to the
Department of History
in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of
Master of Arts
Degree Awarded:
Spring 2014
Wolfgang Hampel's new project Vita Magica is fascinating because he is going to include Betty MacDonald, other members of the Bard family and Betty MacDonald fan club honor members.
Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Mr. Tigerli and our 'Italian Betty MacDonald' - Betty MacDonald fan club honor member author and artist Letizia Mancino belong to the most popular Betty MacDonald fan club teams in our history.
Their many devoted fans are waiting for a new Mr. Tigerli adventure.
Letizia Mancino's magical Betty MacDonald Gallery is a special gift for our Betty MacDonald fan club fans.
We'll have several International Betty MacDonald fan club events in 2017.
Join us in voting for your favourite city, please.
Wolfgang Hampel's Vita Magica guest was a very famous TV lady, author and singer and she is our new Betty MacDonald fan club honor member.
Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Mr. Tigerli is our beloved Betty MacDonald fan club honor member.
I guess our Casanova adores our Betty MacDonald fan club honor member very much because author and TV moderator Tatjana Geßler is a very beautiful, charming and intelligent lady.
Tatjana Geßler's books are outstanding. I've read several of them.
Enjoy Betty MacDonald's very beautiful Vashon Island, please.
Great Betty MacDonald fan club news!
You can join
Betty MacDonald fan club
Betty MacDonald Society
Vita Magica
on Facebook.
Thank you so much in advance for your support and interest.
If you join Betty MacDonald fan club blog as a follower during March you'll receive a very special Betty MacDonald fan club Welcome gift.
Send your email-address to our contact address, please.
Great news!
Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Mr. Tigerli is back and his fans are delighted.
We'll have several International Betty MacDonald fan club events in 2017.
Don't miss Wolfgang Hampel's Vita Magica March, please.
You'll enjoy it very much.
You can see brilliant Brad Craft.
"This is Me," by Bad Kid Billy. [Official Music Video]
Seems I'm in this for a hot second. I remember being asked to participate one day on the street in front of the bookstore where I work. I didn't think to ask what it was for, or even so much as the name of the song or the band. Didn't want to be late coming back from lunch. Silly bugger. The very nice young woman with the green hair also featured herein happens to work at Magus Books. She mentioned she'd seen me. Told me the name of the band, and here we are.
Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Monica Sone and other Betty MacDonald fan club honor members will be included in Wolfgang Hampel's new project 'Vita Magica'.
We got very interesting new info for updated Betty MacDonald biography.
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel and Betty MacDonald fan club research team are going to include all these new details and info in updated Betty MacDonald biography.
If you'd like to join Betty MacDonald fan club you only have to press the join button on Betty MacDonald fan club blog.
New Betty MacDonald fan club fans will receive a special Betty MacDonald fan club Welcome gift during March.
Send us your email address to our contact address, please.
Wolfgang Hampel's Vita Magica February was outstanding and so was Vita Magica Betty MacDonald event with Wolfgang Hampel, Thomas Bödigheimer and Friedrich von Hoheneichen
Wolfgang Hampel and Betty MacDonald fan club research team are working on an updated Betty MacDonald biography.
This very new Betty MacDonald biography includes all the results we got during a very successful Betty MacDonald fan club research which started in 1983.
You'll be able to find unique Betty MacDonald treasures in our Betty MacDonald biography.
Betty MacDonald biography includes for example interviews with Betty MacDonald, her family and friends.
We got many letters by Betty MacDonald and other family members even very important original ones.
Our goal is to publish a Betty MacDonald biography that shows all the details of Betty MacDonald's life and work but also to present her fascinating siblings.
Dear Betty MacDonald fan club fans let us know please what you are interested most in a future Betty MacDonald biography.
Do you prefer an e-book or a so called real book?
Wolfgang Hampel and Friends of Vita Magica visited Minister of Science of Baden-Württemberg, Theresia Bauer in Stuttgart.
They visited Landtag and had a great time there.
Do you have any books by Betty MacDonald and Mary Bard Jensen with funny or interesting dedications?
If so would you be so kind to share them?
Our next Betty MacDonald fan club project is a collection of these unique dedications.
If you share your dedication from your Betty MacDonald - and Mary Bard Jensen collection you might be the winner of our new Betty MacDonald fan club items.
Thank you so much in advance for your support.
Thank you so much for sending us your favourite Betty MacDonald quote.
We are so glad that our beloved Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Mr. Tigerli is back.
New Betty MacDonald documentary will be very interesting with many new interviews.
Alison Bard Burnett and other Betty MacDonald fan club honor members will be included in Wolfgang Hampel's fascinating project Vita Magica.
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel interviewed Betty MacDonald's daughter Joan MacDonald Keil and her husband Jerry Keil.
This interview will be published for the first time ever.
New Betty MacDonald documentary will be very interesting with many interviews never published before.
We adore Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Mr. Tigerli
Thank you so much for sharing this witty memories with us.
Wolfgang Hampel's literary event Vita Magica is very fascinating because he is going to include Betty MacDonald, other members of the Bard family and Betty MacDonald fan club honor members.
It's simply great to read Wolfgang Hampel's new very well researched stories about Betty MacDonald, Robert Eugene Heskett, Donald Chauncey MacDonald, Darsie Bard, Sydney Bard, Gammy, Alison Bard Burnett, Darsie Beck, Mary Bard Jensen, Clyde Reynolds Jensen, Sydney Cleveland Bard, Mary Alice Bard, Dorothea DeDe Goldsmith, Madge Baldwin, Don Woodfin, Mike Gordon, Ma and Pa Kettle, Nancy and Plum, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and others.
Linde Lund and many fans from all over the world adore this funny sketch by Wolfgang Hampel very much although our German isn't the best.
I won't ever forget the way Wolfgang Hampel is shouting ' Brexit '.
Don't miss it, please.
It's simply great!
You can hear that Wolfgang Hampel got an outstandig voice.
He presented one of Linde Lund's favourite songs ' Try to remember ' like a professional singer.
Thanks a million!
Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Mr. Tigerli and our 'Italian Betty MacDonald' - Betty MacDonald fan club honor member author and artist Letizia Mancino belong to the most popular Betty MacDonald fan club teams in our history.
Their many devoted fans are waiting for a new Mr. Tigerli adventure.
Letizia Mancino's magical Betty MacDonald Gallery is a special gift for Betty MacDonald fan club fans from all over the world.
Don't miss Brad Craft's 'More friends', please.
Betty MacDonald's very beautiful Vashon Island is one of my favourites.
I agree with Betty in this very witty Betty MacDonald story Betty MacDonald: Nothing more to say by Wolfgang Hampel.
I can't imagine to live in a country with him as so-called elected President although there are very good reasons to remain there to fight against these brainless politics.
“President Trump plans to unveil a new White House office on Monday with sweeping authority to overhaul the federal bureaucracy and fulfill key campaign promises — such as reforming care for veterans and fighting opioid addiction — by harvesting ideas from the business world and, potentially, privatizing some government functions. The White House Office of American Innovation, to be led by Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser, will operate as its own nimble power center within the West Wing and will report directly to Trump. Viewed internally as a SWAT team of strategic consultants, the office will be staffed by former business executives and is designed to infuse fresh thinking into Washington, float above the daily political grind and create a lasting legacy for a president still searching for signature achievements.”
Lately,
it appears Trump has gone back into the field to drag in a whole new
bunch of State contenders.
My favorite is Representative Dana Rohrabacher of California, a person you have probably never heard of even though he’s been in Congress since the 1980s and is currently head of the prestigious Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia and Emerging Threats.
Rohrabacher
is also a surfer and former folk singer who once claimed global warming
might be connected to “dinosaur flatulence.” My favorite is Representative Dana Rohrabacher of California, a person you have probably never heard of even though he’s been in Congress since the 1980s and is currently head of the prestigious Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia and Emerging Threats.
I think the future dinosaur flatulence will be the behaviour of 'Pussy' and his very strange government.
Poor World! Poor America!
Don't miss these very interesting articles below, please.
The most difficult case in Mrs.Piggle-Wiggle's career
Hello 'Pussy', this is Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle.
You took calls from foreign leaders on unsecured phone lines, without consultung the State Department. We have to change your silly behaviour with a new Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle cure. I know you are the most difficult case in my career - but we have to try everything.......................
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel sent his brilliant thoughts. Thank you so much dear Wolfgang!
Hi Libi, nice to meet you. Can you feel it?
I'm the most powerful leader in the world.
Betty MacDonald: Nothing more to say
Copyright 2016 by Wolfgang Hampel
All rights reserved
Betty MacDonald was sitting on her egg-shaped cloud and listened to a rather strange guy.
He said to his friends: So sorry to keep you waiting. Very complicated business! Very complicated!
Betty said: Obviously much too complicated for you old toupee!
Besides him ( by the way the First Lady's place ) his 10 year old son was bored to death and listened to this 'exciting' victory speech.
The old man could be his great-grandfather.
The boy was very tired and thought: I don't know what this old guy is talking about. Come on and finish it, please. I'd like to go to bed.
Dear 'great-grandfather' continued and praised the Democratic candidate.
He congratulated her and her family for a very strong campaign although he wanted to put her in jail.
He always called her the most corrupt person ever and repeated it over and over again in the fashion of a Tibetan prayer wheel.
She is so corrupt. She is so corrupt. Do you know how corrupt she is?
Betty MacDonald couldn't believe it when he said: She has worked very long and very hard over a long period of time, and we owe her a major debt of gratitude for her service to our country.
Afterwards old toupee praised his parents, wife, children, siblings and friends.
He asked the same question like a parrot all the time:
Where are you? Where are you? Where are you?
I know you are here!
Betty MacDonald answered: No Pussy they are not! They left the country.
They immigrated to Canada because they are very much afraid of the future in the U.S.A. with you as their leader like the majority of all so-called more or less normal citizens.
By the way keep your finger far away from the pussies and the Red Button, please.
I'm going to fly with my egg-shaped cloud to Canada within a minute too.
Away - away - there is nothing more to say!
Daniel Mount wrote a great article about Betty MacDonald and her garden.
We hope you'll enjoy it very much.
I adore Mount Rainier and Betty MacDonald's outstanding descriptions
Can you remember in which book you can find it?
If so let us know, please and you might be the next Betty MacDonald fan club contest winner.
I hope we'll be able to read Wolfgang Hampel's new very well researched stories about Betty MacDonald, Robert Eugene Heskett, Donald Chauncey MacDonald, Darsie Bard, Sydney Bard, Gammy, Alison Bard Burnett, Darsie Beck, Mary Bard Jensen, Clyde Reynolds Jensen, Sydney Cleveland Bard, Mary Alice Bard, Dorothea DeDe Goldsmith, Madge Baldwin, Don Woodfin, Mike Gordon, Ma and Pa Kettle, Nancy and Plum, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and others - very soon.
It' s such a pleasure to read them.
Let's go to magical Betty MacDonald's Vashon Island.
Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund and Betty MacDonald fan club research team share their recent Betty MacDonald fan club research results.
Congratulations! They found the most interesting and important info for Wolfgang Hampel's oustanding Betty MacDonald biography.
I enjoy Bradley Craft's story very much.
Don't miss our Betty MacDonald fan club contests, please.
You can win a never published before Alison Bard Burnett interview by Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel.
Good luck!
This CD is a golden treasure because Betty MacDonald's very witty sister Alison Bard Burnett shares unique stories about Betty MacDonald, Mary Bard Jensen, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and Nancy and Plum.
Wolfgang Hampel's Betty MacDonald and Ma and Pa Kettle biography and Betty MacDonald interviews have fans in 40 countries. I'm one of their many devoted fans.
Many Betty MacDonald - and Wolfgang Hampel fans are very interested in a Wolfgang Hampel CD and DVD with his very funny poems and stories.
We are going to publish new Betty MacDonald essays on Betty MacDonald's gardens and nature in Washington State.
Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Mr. Tigerli is beloved all over the World.
We are so happy that our 'Casanova' is back.
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel
and Betty MacDonald fan club research team are going to share very
interesting info on ' Betty MacDonald and the movie The Egg and I '.
Another rare episode (from March 21 1952) of the short-lived comedy soap opera, "The Egg and I," based on best selling book by Betty MacDonald which also became a popular film.
The series premiered on September 3, 1951, the same day as "Search for Tomorrow," and ended on August 1, 1952.
Although it did well in the ratings, it had difficulty attracting a steady sponsor. This episode features Betty Lynn (later known for her work on "The Andy Griffith Show") as Betty MacDonald, John Craven as Bob MacDonald, Doris Rich as Ma Kettle, and Frank Twedell as Pa Kettle.
Betty MacDonald fan club exhibition will be fascinating with the international book editions and letters by Betty MacDonald.
I can't wait to see the new Betty MacDonald documentary.
Enjoy a great breakfast at the bookstore with Brad and Nick, please.
Have a good start on Monday
Tina
Another rare episode (from March 21 1952) of the short-lived comedy soap opera, "The Egg and I," based on best selling book by Betty MacDonald which also became a popular film.
The series premiered on September 3, 1951, the same day as "Search for Tomorrow," and ended on August 1, 1952.
Although it did well in the ratings, it had difficulty attracting a steady sponsor. This episode features Betty Lynn (later known for her work on "The Andy Griffith Show") as Betty MacDonald, John Craven as Bob MacDonald, Doris Rich as Ma Kettle, and Frank Twedell as Pa Kettle.
Betty MacDonald fan club exhibition will be fascinating with the international book editions and letters by Betty MacDonald.
I can't wait to see the new Betty MacDonald documentary.
Enjoy a great breakfast at the bookstore with Brad and Nick, please.
Have a good start on Monday
Tina
you can join
Betty MacDonald fan club
Betty MacDonald Society
Vita Magica
on Facebook
Vita Magica Betty MacDonald event with Wolfgang Hampel, Thomas Bödigheimer and Friedrich von Hoheneichen
Vita Magica
Betty MacDonald
Betty MacDonald fan club
Betty MacDonald fan club on Facebook
Betty MacDonald forum
Wolfgang Hampel - Wikipedia ( English )
Wolfgang Hampel - Wikipedia ( English ) - The Egg and I
Wolfgang Hampel - Wikipedia ( Polski)
Wolfgang Hampel - Wikipedia ( German )
Wolfgang Hampel - LinkFang ( German ) Wolfgang Hampel - Academic ( German )
Wolfgang Hampel - cyclopaedia.net ( German )
Wolfgang Hampel - DBpedia ( English / German )
Wolfgang Hampel - people check ( English )
Wolfgang Hampel - Memim ( English )
Vashon Island - Wikipedia ( German )
Wolfgang Hampel - Monica Sone - Wikipedia ( English )
Wolfgang Hampel - Ma and Pa Kettle - Wikipedia ( English )
Wolfgang Hampel - Ma and Pa Kettle - Wikipedia ( French )
Wolfgang Hampel - Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle - Wikipedia ( English)
Wolfgang Hampel in Florida State University
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel
Betty MacDonald fan club interviews on CD/DVD
Betty MacDonald fan club items
Betty MacDonald fan club items - comments
Betty MacDonald fan club - The Stove and I
Betty MacDonald fan club groups
Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund
Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Greta Larson
Rita Knobel Ulrich - Islam in Germany - a very interesting ZDF ( 2nd German Television ) documentary with English subtitles
Today in Trumpworld – March 27
TRUMP’S SCHEDULE:
10:30 a.m.: President Donald Trump will receive his daily intelligence briefing in the Oval Office.
11 a.m.: Trump will participate in a roundtable discussion with women small business owners in the Roosevelt Room.
12:30 p.m.: Trump will lunch with Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in the presidential dining room.
3 p.m.: Trump will hold a bill-signing in the Oval Office.
OTHER HAPPENINGS: Sean Spicer will brief the press at the White House at 1:30 p.m.
NOW WHAT: From POLITICO’s Tara Palmeri: “After suffering its first legislative blow at the hands of the Washington establishment, the White House regrouped over the weekend with senior aides strategizing on ways to score their boss a few wins and reassessing future friends and foes. Instead of dwelling on the humbling Obamacare repeal defeat, President Donald Trump's chief strategist Steve Bannon told POLITICO there would be "action, action, action" this week coming from the White House. Expect executive orders this week on trade, energy and environmental regulations, he said in a text message.”
ACTION, ACTION, ACTION: From the Washington Post’s Ashley Parker and Philip Rucker: “President Trump plans to unveil a new White House office on Monday with sweeping authority to overhaul the federal bureaucracy and fulfill key campaign promises — such as reforming care for veterans and fighting opioid addiction — by harvesting ideas from the business world and, potentially, privatizing some government functions. The White House Office of American Innovation, to be led by Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser, will operate as its own nimble power center within the West Wing and will report directly to Trump. Viewed internally as a SWAT team of strategic consultants, the office will be staffed by former business executives and is designed to infuse fresh thinking into Washington, float above the daily political grind and create a lasting legacy for a president still searching for signature achievements.”
BLAME GAME IN THE WHITE HOUSE: From POLITICO’s Alex Isenstadt: “With President Donald Trump’s sweeping agenda hitting the rocks as he edges toward the 100-day mark, top aides, political allies and donors are embroiled in a furious round of finger-pointing over who is at fault. The recriminations extend far beyond the implosion of the GOP’s Obamacare repeal on Friday. Senior aides are lashing each other over their inability to stem a never-ending tide of negative stories about the president. There is second-guessing of the Republican National Committee’s efforts to mobilize Trump’s electoral coalition on behalf of his legislative priorities. At the Environmental Protection Agency, a top official quit recently amid accusations the department is failing to advance the president’s campaign promises. And one of Trump's most generous benefactors, Rebekah Mercer, has expressed frustration over the direction of the administration.”
TAX REFORM PROSPECTS: From the New York Times’ Alan Rappeport: “Picking themselves up after the bruising collapse of their health care plan, President Trump and Republicans in Congress will start this week on a legislative obstacle course that will be even more arduous: the first overhaul of the tax code in three decades. Mr. Trump’s inability to make good on his promise to repeal the Affordable Care Act has made the already daunting challenge of tax reform even more difficult. Not only has Mr. Trump’s aura of political invincibility been shattered, but without killing the Affordable Care Act, Republicans will be unable to rewrite the tax code in the sweeping fashion that the president has called for. The grand plans of lower rates, fewer loopholes and a tax on imports may have to be scaled back to a big corporate tax cut and possibly an individual tax cut. A lot of people think Mr. Trump might go for this to get an easy win.”
WASHINGTON
— House Republican leaders, facing a revolt among conservatives and
moderates in their ranks, pulled legislation to repeal the Affordable
Care Act from consideration on the House floor Friday in a major defeat
for President Trump on the first legislative showdown of his presidency.
“We’re going to be living with Obamacare for the foreseeable future,” the House speaker, Paul D. Ryan, conceded.
The
failure of the Republicans’ three-month blitz to repeal President
Barack Obama’s signature domestic achievement exposed deep divisions in
the Republican Party that the election of a Republican president could
not mask. It cast a long shadow over the ambitious agenda that Mr. Trump
and Republican leaders had promised to enact once their party assumed
power at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue.
And
it was the biggest defeat of Mr. Trump’s young presidency, which has
suffered many. His travel ban has been blocked by the courts.
Allegations of questionable ties to the Russian government forced out
his national security adviser, Michael T. Flynn. Tensions with key
allies such as Germany, Britain and Australia are high, and Mr. Trump’s
approval ratings are at historic lows.
Republican
leaders were willing to tolerate Mr. Trump’s foibles with the promise
that he would sign into law their conservative agenda. The collective
defeat of the health care effort could strain that tolerance.
Mr.
Trump, in a telephone interview moments after the bill was pulled,
tried to put the most flattering light on it. “The best thing that could
happen is exactly what happened — watch,” he said.
“Obamacare
unfortunately will explode,” Mr. Trump said later. “It’s going to have a
very bad year.” At some point, he said, after another round of big
premium increases, “Democrats will come to us and say, ‘Look, let’s get
together and get a great health care bill or plan that’s really great
for the people of our country.’”
Mr.
Trump expressed weariness with the effort, though its failure took a
fraction of the time that Democrats devoted to enacting the Affordable
Care Act in 2009 and 2010. “It’s enough already,” the president said.
A
major reason for the bill’s demise was the opposition of members of the
conservative House Freedom Caucus, which wanted more aggressive steps
to lower insurance costs and to dismantle federal regulation of
insurance products.
In
a day of high drama, Mr. Ryan rushed to the White House shortly after
noon on Friday to tell Mr. Trump he did not have the votes for a repeal
bill that had been promised for seven years — since Mr. Obama signed the
landmark health care law. During a 3 p.m. phone call, the two men decided to withdraw the bill rather than watch its defeat on the House floor.
Mr.
Trump later told journalists in the Oval Office that Republicans were
10 to 15 votes short of what they needed to pass the repeal bill.
The
effort to win passage had been relentless, and hardly hidden. Vice
President Mike Pence and Tom Price, the health secretary, visited
Capitol Hill on Friday for a late appeal to House conservatives, but
their pleas fell on deaf ears.
“You
can’t pretend and say this is a win for us,” said Representative Mark
Walker of North Carolina, the chairman of the conservative Republican
Study Committee, who conceded it was a “good moment” for Democrats.
“Probably that champagne that wasn’t popped back in November may be utilized this evening,” Mr. Walker said.
At
3:30 p.m. on Friday, Mr. Ryan called Republicans into a closed-door
meeting to deliver the news that the bill would be withdrawn, with no
plans to try again. The meeting lasted five minutes. One of the
architects of the House bill, Representative Greg Walden, Republican of
Oregon and the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, put it
bluntly: “This bill’s done.”
“We are going to focus on other issues at this point,” he said.
The Republican bill would have repealed tax penalties for people without health insurance,
rolled back federal insurance standards, reduced subsidies for the
purchase of private insurance and set new limits on spending for Medicaid,
the federal-state program that covers more than 70 million low-income
people. The bill would have repealed hundreds of billions of dollars in
taxes imposed by the Affordable Care Act and would also have cut off
federal funds to Planned Parenthood for one year.
Mr.
Ryan had said the bill included “huge conservative wins.” But it never
won over conservatives who wanted a more thorough eradication of the
Affordable Care Act. Nor did it have the backing of more moderate
Republicans who were anxiously aware of the Congressional Budget
Office’s assessment that the bill would leave 24 million more Americans
without insurance in 2024, compared with the number who would be
uninsured under the current law.
The
budget office also warned that in the short run, the Republicans’
legislation would drive insurance premiums higher. For older Americans
approaching retirement, the cost of insurance could have risen sharply.
With
the House’s most hard-line conservatives holding fast against the bill,
support for the legislation collapsed Friday after more and more
Republicans came out in opposition. They included Representatives Rodney
Frelinghuysen of New Jersey, the soft-spoken chairman of the House
Appropriations Committee, and Barbara Comstock of Virginia, whose
suburban Washington district went for the Democratic presidential
nominee, Hillary Clinton, in November.
“Seven
years after enactment of Obamacare, I wanted to support legislation
that made positive changes to rescue health care in America,” Mr.
Frelinghuysen said. “Unfortunately, the legislation before the House
today is currently unacceptable as it would place significant new costs
and barriers to care on my constituents in New Jersey.”
The
bill died after Republican leaders, in a bid for conservative support,
agreed to eliminate federal standards for the minimum benefits that must
be provided by certain health insurance policies.
“It’s
so cartoonishly malicious that I can picture someone twirling their
mustache as they drafted it in their secret Capitol lair last night,”
said Representative Jim McGovern, Democrat of Massachusetts.
“Republicans are killing the requirements that insurance plans cover
essential health benefits” such as emergency services, maternity care, mental health care, substance abuse treatment and prescription drugs.
Mr. Trump blamed Democrats for the bill’s defeat, and they proudly accepted responsibility.
“Let’s
just, for a moment, breathe a sigh of relief for the American people
that the Affordable Care Act was not repealed,” said Representative
Nancy Pelosi of California, the House Democratic leader.
Defeat
of the bill could be a catalyst if it forces Republicans and Democrats
to work together to improve the Affordable Care Act, which members of
both parties say needs repair. Democrats have been saying for weeks that
they want to work with Republicans on such changes, but first, they
said, Republicans must abandon their drive to repeal the law.
“Obamacare is the law of the land,” Mr. Ryan said. “It’s going to remain the law of the land until it’s replaced.”
Whatever
success Mr. Trump had in making business deals, he utterly failed in
his first effort at cutting a deal at the pinnacle of power in
Washington, Democrats said.
“This
is not the art of the deal,” said Representative Lloyd Doggett,
Democrat of Texas, alluding to Mr. Trump’s best-selling book. “It is the
art of the steal, of taking away insurance coverage from families that
really need it to provide tax breaks for those at the very top.”
Rejection
of the repeal bill may prompt Republicans to reconsider the political
strategy they were planning to use for the next few years.
“We
have to do some soul-searching internally to determine whether or not
we are even capable of functioning as a governing body,” said
Representative Kevin Cramer, Republican of North Dakota. “If ‘no’ is
your goal, it’s the easiest goal in the world to reach.”
Representative
Robert Pittenger, Republican of North Carolina, offered this advice to
hard-line conservatives who helped sink the bill: “Follow the example of
Ronald Reagan. He was a master; he built consensus. He would say, ‘I’ll
take 80 percent and come back for the other 20 percent later.’”
Failure of the House effort leaves the Affordable Care Act in place, with all the features Republicans detest.
“We
tried our hardest,” said Representative Michael C. Burgess of Texas,
chairman of the Energy and Commerce subcommittee on health. “There were
people who were not interested in solving the problem. They win today.”
“The Freedom Caucus wins,” he added. “They get Obamacare forever.”
Jennifer Steinhauer, Glenn Thrush and Emmarie Huetteman contributed reporting.
Get politics and Washington news updates via Facebook, Twitter and in the Morning Briefing newsletter.
Why is the Trump presidency such a rolling disaster?
President Trump. (Bill O’Leary/The Washington Post)
That is not quite how things are working out. Let’s take a brief tour around the news from just today, to see what is befalling the Trump administration:
- The travel ban: Federal judges in Hawaii and Maryland halted the second version of the administration’s travel ban, ruling that its discriminatory intent likely makes it unconstitutional and putting it on indefinite hold.
- The Affordable Care Act repeal: After a brutal Congressional Budget Office assessment showed that the Republican bill would cause 24 million Americans to lose their health coverage, House Speaker Paul Ryan now admits that the bill can’t pass the House in its current form.
- The budget: “President Trump on Thursday will unveil a budget plan that calls for a sharp increase in military spending and stark cuts across much of the rest of the government including the elimination of dozens of long-standing federal programs that assist the poor, fund scientific research and aid America’s allies abroad.”
Where Trump's budget proposal goes next
President Trump has introduced his budget
plan, but that's just the beginning of the appropriations process. The
Washington Post's White House economic policy reporter Damian Paletta
explains what happens next.
(Photo: Jabin Botsford/Video: Jenny Starrs/Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)
Abysmal management. Trump was only the latest in a long line of political figures who argued that if someone from outside politics took over the government, he’d whip it into shape with his business savvy and management expertise. The result has been the most chaotic and incompetent White House anyone can remember. As Politico reported Wednesday, “A culture of paranoia is consuming the Trump administration, with staffers increasingly preoccupied with perceived enemies — inside their own government,” creating “an environment of fear that has hamstrung the routine functioning of the executive branch.”
Almost no one at the top levels of the Trump administration has experience in government, which not surprisingly has made everything more difficult as they bumble around trying to figure out how things work. Whether because of their own indifference to governing or the inability to find anyone willing to work for Trump, the administration hasn’t even nominated people to fill more than 500 of the 553 key positions requiring Senate confirmation, leaving agencies across the government barely able to function. If this is what Trump considers a “fine-tuned machine,” imagine what it would look like if it weren’t running so smoothly.
A disastrous first legislative priority. Republicans may have had no choice but to pursue the repeal of the ACA right off the bat, but they could hardly have gone about it in a less competent way. After seven years of attacking the law, they still hadn’t settled on their alternative, leading to a hastily written plan that not only would create a health-care catastrophe if implemented but also managed to win the displeasure of their members in both the Senate (for being too harsh) and the House (for not being harsh enough). Now the White House is saying it’s Paul Ryan’s fault, Ryan is trying to make Trump share the blame, and the whole thing is spiraling downward. Rich Lowry, the editor of the conservative National Review, writes that the repeal bill “has had the worst rollout of any major piece of legislation in memory,” and has left the GOP “staring into the abyss.”
An impulsive, distracted president. People keep wondering if the latest Trump outburst is a clever ploy to distract the country from whatever piece of bad news is currently vexing the administration. But the one who’s easily distractible is the president himself, and then he in turn distracts his staff and congressional allies. Just look at what’s happening with his accusation that President Barack Obama tapped his phones. On impulse, after reading an article on a white nationalist website, Trump levels a ludicrous and baseless charge, then everyone in the White House has to pretend that it’s serious and legitimate, and they’re forced to answer questions about it for weeks. All that time could be spent advancing an affirmative agenda.
Because he can never admit that he was wrong, Trump drags the issue out endlessly, just as he did with earlier iterations of this pattern, about the size of his inaugural crowd or the millions of phantom illegal votes that led to his popular vote loss (I’d encourage you to read the transcript of his Wednesday interview with Tucker Carlson and marvel at the fact that this man is actually president of the United States). That then makes life difficult for Republicans in Congress, who are put in the awkward position of either defending the latest bit of stupidity issuing from the Oval Office or being honest about how ridiculous it is, which they know would win them the president’s ire.
Much as you can blame Republicans in Congress, including Ryan, for being Trump’s enablers, there’s no doubt that they’re not happy about how things are going. And as time goes on and their minds turn to the 2018 elections, they’re going to start thinking more and more about their own survival. Given that even in the best of times the president’s party usually loses seats in the midterms, they may begin looking for ways to separate themselves from an unpopular president, which is only going to make future legislating more complicated.
Now, the caveat. Liberals shouldn’t make the mistake of thinking that if the Trump administration’s political standing or basic competence don’t improve, then lots of very conservative things with profound effects on people’s lives won’t still happen. They will, and in some cases already have. And there’s plenty of time for the administration to get its act together and start operating with some minimal level of competence. But if I were a Republican, I wouldn’t be too pleased with what we’ve seen so far.
Politics
Gorsuch Says He’d Rule Against Trump if Law Required It
WASHINGTON — Judge Neil M. Gorsuch, President Trump’s Supreme Court
nominee, sought to assure the Senate and the nation on Tuesday that he
would be a fair-minded and independent justice. He said he would not
hesitate to rule against Mr. Trump if the law required it, and he
repeated his earlier private criticism of Mr. Trump’s attacks on judges who had ruled against the administration.
“When
anyone criticizes the honesty or integrity or motives of a federal
judge,” Judge Gorsuch said at his confirmation hearing, “I find that
disheartening and demoralizing.”
Asked if that general statement applied to Mr. Trump, Judge Gorsuch said, “Anyone is anyone.”
By
turns expansive and evasive, Judge Gorsuch discussed legal doctrines at
length, but refused to take positions on specific issues. He asserted,
as have previous Supreme Court nominees, that it would be unfair to
future litigants for him to announce his views on issues that could come
before the court.
Judge
Gorsuch’s style was folksy, earnest, learned and emphatic, and he
easily dodged questions from members of the Senate Judiciary Committee
that he was not inclined to answer. But he spoke forcefully about his
devotion to the rule of law.
His
exchanges with Democratic senators were sometimes tense and testy. Yet
through every planned line of attack — from his record on workers’
rights to his skepticism of the power of regulatory agencies — Judge
Gorsuch emerged with few scratches.
Graham Is Comfortable With Judge Gorsuch
Senator Lindsey Graham of South
Carolina said he was at ease with President Trump's nomination of Judge
Gorsuch. “Quite frankly, I was quite worried about who he’d pick," Mr.
Graham said. "Maybe somebody on TV.”
In
response to questions from Senator Patrick J. Leahy, Democrat of
Vermont, Judge Gorsuch expressed admiration for Judge Merrick B.
Garland, President Barack Obama’s nominee for the same Supreme Court vacancy created by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.
He is “an outstanding judge,” Judge Gorsuch said.
“Whenever I see his name attached to an opinion, it’s one I read with special care,” Judge Gorsuch said.
But
he refused to say whether Senate Republicans had mistreated Judge
Garland by refusing to consider his nomination for the better part of a
year.
“I
can’t get involved in politics,” Judge Gorsuch said. “There’s judicial
canons that prevent me from doing that. And I think it would be very
imprudent of judges to start commenting on political disputes.”
Mr.
Leahy had no such qualms. “I think it was shameful,” he said of the
Republicans’ gambit. “I think it has severely damaged the reputation of
the committee. I think it has severely damaged the reputation of the
senators who concurred with that.”
On
other questions, Judge Gorsuch was less reserved. He did not hesitate,
for instance, when asked to declare his independence from Mr. Trump.
“Specifically
tell us whether you’d have any trouble ruling against the president who
appointed you,” Senator Charles E. Grassley, the Iowa Republican who
leads the Judiciary Committee, instructed him.
“That’s
a softball, Mr. Chairman,” Judge Gorsuch said. “I have no difficulty
ruling against or for any party, other than based on what the law and
the facts and the particular case require.”
During
the presidential campaign, Mr. Trump said he would seek to appoint
justices ready to vote to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision
establishing a constitutional right to abortion.
But
Judge Gorsuch said that no one from the White House asked him to make
any commitments on legal issues that could come before the Supreme
Court.
“I
have offered no promises on how I’d rule in any case to anyone,” he
said, “and I don’t think it’s appropriate for a judge to do so, no
matter who’s doing the asking.”
Senator
Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, asked Judge Gorsuch how
he would have responded had Mr. Trump asked him to vote to overrule Roe
during his interview at Trump Tower.
“Senator, I would have walked out the door,” Judge Gorsuch said.
Asked
about Roe and countless other Supreme Court decisions, Judge Gorsuch
responded with variations on a theme. The rulings were entitled to
respect as precedents of the Supreme Court, he said, and should not be
overturned lightly.
“If
I were to start telling you which are my favorite precedents or which
are my least favorite precedents or if I view a precedent in that
fashion,” Judge Gorsuch said, “I would be tipping my hand and suggesting
to litigants that I’ve already made up my mind about their cases.”
Republicans
largely used their questioning to help insulate Judge Gorsuch from
expected criticism, offering 30-minute safe harbors. Senator Ted Cruz of
Texas was perhaps the most creative, coaxing Judge Gorsuch to hold
forth on “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” judicial basketball
games and the rodeo practice of “mutton busting.”
And
for Democrats still straining to determine how aggressively to counter
Judge Gorsuch’s nomination, the proceedings on Tuesday offered little
help. At times, after fits of effective sidestepping from the nominee,
they paused for several seconds to regroup, looking through their notes
anew.
Efforts to make the hearings a referendum, in part, on Mr. Trump himself also faltered.
Mr.
Leahy pressed Judge Gorsuch on Mr. Trump’s order banning travel from
several predominantly Muslim countries. “Senator, that’s an issue that’s
currently being litigated actively, as you know,” Judge Gorsuch said,
declining to weigh in.
Mr.
Leahy said that some Republicans had argued that a rapid confirmation
for Judge Gorsuch could represent the administration’s best chance of
winning a case on this issue before the Supreme Court.
“Senator,
a lot of people say a lot of silly things,” Judge Gorsuch said, adding
that anyone making that argument “has no idea how I’d rule in that
case.” He said he would not tip his hand on Tuesday.
Democratic
senators pressed Judge Gorsuch about his involvement as a Justice
Department lawyer in 2005 and 2006 defending Bush administration
policies on harsh interrogation and surveillance. Judge Gorsuch
responded that he had been a lawyer defending a client.
Mr. Leahy also asked if the president’s national security determinations were reviewable by the court.
“Senator, no man is above the law,” the judge said.
Judge
Gorsuch, who had criticized liberals for preferring litigation to the
political process in an essay written before he became a judge,
distanced himself from his earlier statements.
On Tuesday, he said “the problem lies on both sides of the aisle.”
Senator
Dianne Feinstein of California, the committee’s top Democrat, asked,
“How do we have confidence in you that you won’t just be for the big
corporations, that you will be for the little men?”
Judge
Gorsuch said his record demonstrated that he had ruled for both
business interests and workers. He said he had not always been happy to
vote as the law required. One example, he said, came in a case Democrats
have cited often: the tale of the trucker fired for abandoning his
cargo for his own safety in subzero temperatures.
“This
is one of those that you take home at night,” said Judge Gorsuch, who
wrote in a dissent that the company was permitted to fire the man.
But
the law, he argued, was clear: “The law said the man is protected and
can’t be fired if he refuses to operate an unsafe vehicle.”
In
fact, Judge Gorsuch said, the driver had unhitched his vehicle from the
trailing cargo to get to safety. “He chose to operate,” Judge Gorsuch
said, adding, “I think by any plain understanding, he operated the
vehicle.”
The
nominee expressed no fondness for this particular law — “I’ve been
stuck on a highway in Wyoming in a snowstorm,” he said — but said it was
his duty to observe it.
Later,
Senator Al Franken, Democrat of Minnesota, perhaps the most aggressive
questioner of the day, asked Judge Gorsuch what he would have done if
faced with the same conditions as the trucker. Judge Gorsuch would not
say.
“That’s absurd,” Mr. Franken, a veteran of “Saturday Night Live” in a previous life, said of Judge Gorsuch’s dissent in the case.
“Now, I had a career in identifying absurdity,” he added. “And I know it when I see it.”
In the Garden: A Welcome Sign of Spring
By Charles Kidder
Perhaps
the first plant I could recognize and name as a child was the daffodil,
a welcome sight and fragrance after a long New York winter. And
although native to the Mediterranean, daffodils (Narcissus species) have
been in Virginia since at least the middle of the seventeenth century.
Beginning in the 1890s, Gloucester County became a
center of daffodil production for much of the eastern United States.
Much of this revolved around “wild” or naturalized daffodils that were
cut and shipped north. By the middle of the twentieth century, this
industry was rapidly dying off for a variety of reasons. But Gloucester
County still has one daffodil breeder of note and continues to celebrate
its floral heritage with the Daffodil Festival on the last weekend of
March. More on that later.
The various Narcissus species, hybrids and
cultivars are commonly referred to as either daffodils, jonquils or even
simply narcissus, the latter especially when referring to the paper
whites commonly forced indoors. The term jonquil is commonly used in
certain regions for any daffodil, but technically refers only to one
group that has narrow reed-like foliage. The various daffodils are
divided into 13 divisions—or 12, if you believe some sources—that are
based on flower shape and heritage. For example, Division 1 daffodils
are called Trumpets, since the central portion or trumpet is quite long.
Regardless of division, colors range from yellow to white, perhaps with
some pink or orange in the trumpets. If you seek out specialty
nurseries, hundreds of cultivars are available.
All daffodils have similar cultural requirements.
As for the amount of sun they want, the more the better. Part sun, or
about six hours per day, is sufficient, but less sun than that will lead
to reduced blooming, even though the plants may soldier on for a long
time. And sunlight in a deciduous woodland does not really count as full
sunlight. As for soil, good drainage is important to avoid bulb rot. If
your soil is unusually sodden, either amend it with gravel or put
daffodils in a raised bed.
Daffodil bulbs should be planted at a depth equal
to about three times their diameter, so a two-inch bulb should be six
inches deep. Six inches is also a good distance between bulbs. Farther
apart and they lose visual impact; closer, and they will require
division sooner. Bulbs will look funny planted like soldiers in a
straight line, so if you have ten bulbs, better to either plant them in
two groups of five, or in a staggered double row. If you are planting a
very large number, you can avoid an overly orderly appearance by picking
up a handful and tossing them to the general area in which you wish to
plant.
There are any number of “new, improved,
back-saving!!” bulb planters out there. Use whatever works best for you,
which might just be an ordinary trowel or even a garden shovel. And
remember: nothing says you have to plant one bulb at a time. You can
take a spade and dig up a good-sized hole with one or two punches, and
then throw in three to five bulbs. For even larger areas, a rototiller
might be the quickest option. And do the bulbs have to be pointy-side
up? That’s the ideal, but the shoot will always get turned around and
pointed toward the sky anyway. If you’re in a hurry, ensuring that the
bulbs are at least on their side would be a good compromise.
Amending your soil with compost will definitely
give your daffodils a boost, but there’s no need to fertilize when
planting—which of course is not now, but in mid-to-late fall. In very
early spring, a balanced fertilizer—about 5-5-5 or 10-10-10 is
best—should be sprinkled around the plants just as their foliage
emerges. (You can also do this in the fall, but that assumes you’ll
remember where your daffodils are!) And speaking of feeding your
daffodils, we all know what to do with their foliage, which is there to
provide nutrients for the bulb, right? Doing nothing is perfectly okay.
Or when the foliage turns yellow and lies on the ground, you can throw
some mulch on it if the sight offends you. Do not cut the foliage off
while it’s still green or tie it up in cutesy knots! That prevents
movement of nutrients down to the bulb; plus, it takes a lot of valuable
gardening time.
But back to Gloucester County. The annual Daffodil
Festival takes place on the last weekend of March and includes the usual
attractions: a parade, a queen, entertainers, a race, a car show, and
of course, daffodils. (A full schedule is available on the county’s
website. There’s also a link to the history of daffodil farming in this
corner of Virginia.) On Saturday they will be running frequent buses
over to Brent and Becky’s Bulbs for tours and shopping. Brent and Becky
Heath own a business that has been in the family for several
generations, at one time operating as the Daffodil Mart. Although they
now sell many other types of bulbs, daffodils are still a specialty,
with over 200 varieties available.
Once planted, daffodils tend to naturalize, meaning
they spread slowly, but never seem to become invasive. Part of their
secret to longevity might be their poisonous nature: deer and other
critters don’t bother them, so you can enjoy your host of daffodils for
many years.
Betty MacDonald fan club fans,
we share a very special gift by beloved and very popular Betty MacDonald Fan Club Honor member Letizia Mancino.
We know you'll enjoy it as much as we do.
Thanks a Million, dear Letizia Mancino.
You are an outstanding writer and artist.
We are so proud and happy to have you with us.
Letizia writes: One should not underestimate Wolfgang Hampel’s talent in speedily mobilizing Betty MacDonald’s friends.
We agree. Thank you so much dear Wolfgang Hampel for doing this. You founded Betty MacDonald Fan Club with four members.
Now we have members in 40 countries around the world. A dream came true.
Mary Holmes did an excellent job in translating this great story.
Thank you so much dear Mary Holmes.
We are really very grateful.
All the best to Letizia, Wolfgang and Mary and to all Betty MacDonald Fan Club fans from all over the world!
Lenard
Following in Betty’s footsteps in Seattle:
or some small talk with Betty
Copyright 2011/2016 by Letizia Mancino
All rights reserved
translated by Mary Holmes
We were going to Canada in the summer. “When we are in Edmonton”, I said to Christoph Cremer, “let’s make a quick trip to Seattle”. And that’s how it happened. At Edmonton Airport we climbed into a plane and two hours later we landed in the city where Betty had lived. I was so happy to be in Seattle at last and to be able to trace Betty’s tracks!
Wolfgang Hampel had told Betty’s friends about our arrival.
They were happy to plan a small marathon through the town and it’s surroundings with us. We only had a few days free. One should not underestimate Wolfgang’s talent in speedily mobilizing Betty’s friends, even though it was holiday time. E-mails flew backwards and forwards between Heidelberg and Seattle, and soon a well prepared itinerary was ready for us. Shortly before my departure Wolfgang handed me several parcels, presents for Betty MacDonald's friends. I rushed to pack the heavy gifts in my luggage but because of the extra weight had to throw out a pair of pajamas!
After we had landed we took a taxi to the Hotel in downtown Seattle. I was so curious to see everything. I turned my head in all directions like one of the hungry hens from Betty’s farm searching for food! Fortunately it was quite a short journey otherwise I would have lost my head like a loose screw!
Our hotel room was on the 22nd floor and looked directly out onto the 16-lane highway. There might have been even more than 16 but it made me too giddy to count! It was like a glimpse of hell! “And is this Seattle?” I asked myself. I was horrified! The cars racing by were enough to drive one mad. The traffic roared by day and night.
We immediately contacted Betty MacDonald's friends and let them know we had arrived and they confirmed the times when we should see them.
On the next morning I planned my first excursion tracing Betty’s tracks. I spread out the map of Seattle. “Oh dear” I realized “the Olympic Peninsula is much too far away for me to get there.”
Betty nodded to me! “Very difficult, Letizia, without a car.”
“But I so much wanted to see your chicken farm”
“My chickens are no longer there and you can admire the mountains from a distance”
But I wanted to go there. I left the hotel and walked to the waterfront where the State Ferry terminal is. Mamma mia, the streets in Seattle are so steep! I couldn’t prevent my feet from running down the hill. Why hadn’t I asked for brakes to be fixed on my shoes? I looked at the drivers. How incredibly good they must be to accelerate away from the red traffic lights. The people were walking uphill towards me as briskly as agile salmon. Good heavens, these Americans! I tried to keep my balance. The force of gravity is relentless. I grasped hold of objects where I could and staggered down.
In Canada a friend had warned me that in Seattle I would see a lot of people with crutches.
Betty laughed. “ It’s not surprising, Letizia, walking salmon don’t fall directly into the soft mouth of a bear!”
“ Betty, stop making these gruesome remarks. We are not in Firlands!”
I went further. Like a small deranged ant at the foot of a palace monster I came to a tunnel. The noise was unbearable. On the motorway, “The Alaskan Way Viaduct”, cars, busses and trucks were driving at the speed of light right over my head. They puffed out their poisonous gas into the open balconies and cultivated terraces of the luxurious sky- scrapers without a thought in the world. America! You are crazy!
“Betty, are all people in Seattle deaf? Or is it perhaps a privilege for wealthy people to be able to enjoy having cars so near to their eyes and noses to save them from boredom?”
“When the fog democratically allows everything to disappear into nothing, it makes a bit of a change, Letizia”
“ Your irony is incorrigible, Betty, but tell me, Seattle is meant to be a beautiful city, But where?”
I had at last reached the State Ferry terminal.
“No Madam, the ferry for Vashon Island doesn’t start from here,” one of the men in the ticket office tells me. ”Take a buss and go to the ferry terminal in West Seattle.”
Betty explained to me “The island lies in Puget Sound and not in Elliott Bay! It is opposite the airport. You must have seen it when you were landing!”
“Betty, when I am landing I shut my eyes and pray!”
It’s time for lunch. The weather is beautiful and warm. Who said to me that it always rains here?
“Sure to be some envious man who wanted to frighten you away from coming to Seattle. The city is really beautiful, you’ll see. Stay by the waterfront, choose the best restaurant with a view of Elliott Bay and enjoy it.”
“Thank you Betty!”
I find a table on the terrace of “Elliott’s Oyster House”. The view of the island is wonderful. It lies quietly in the sun like a green fleecy cushion on the blue water.
Betty plays with my words:
“Vashon Island is a big cushion, even bigger than Bainbridge which you see in front of your eyes, Letizia. The islands look similar. They have well kept houses and beautiful gardens”.
I relax during this introduction, “Bainbridge” you are Vashon Island, and order a mineral water.
“At one time the hotel belonging to the parents of Monica Sone stood on the waterfront.”
“Oh, of your friend Kimi!” Unfortunately I forget to ask Betty exactly where it was.
My mind wanders and I think of my mountain hike back to the hotel! “Why is there no donkey for tourists?” Betty laughs:
“I’m sure you can walk back to the hotel. “Letizia can do everything.””
“Yes, Betty, I am my own donkey!”
But I don’t remember that San Francisco is so steep. It doesn’t matter, I sit and wait. The waiter comes and brings me the menu. I almost fall off my chair!
“ What, you have geoduck on the menu! I have to try it” (I confess I hate the look of geoduck meat. Betty’s recipe with the pieces made me feel quite sick – I must try Betty’s favourite dish!)
“Proof that you love me!” said Betty enthusiastically “ Isn’t the way to the heart through the stomach?”
I order the geoduck. The waiter looks at me. He would have liked to recommend oysters.
“Geoduck no good for you!”
Had he perhaps read my deepest thoughts? Fate! Then no geoduck. “No good for me.”
“Neither geoduck nor tuberculosis in Seattle” whispered Betty in my ear!
“Oh Betty, my best friend, you take such good care of me!”
I order salmon with salad.
“Which salmon? Those that swim in water or those that run through Seattle?”
“Betty, I believe you want me to have a taste of your black humour.”
“Enjoy it then, Letizia.”
During lunch we talked about tuberculosis, and that quite spoilt our appetite.
“Have you read my book “The Plague and I”?”
“Oh Betty, I’ve started to read it twice but both times I felt so sad I had to stop again!”
“But why?” asked Betty “Nearly everybody has tuberculosis! I recovered very quickly and put on 20 pounds! There was no talk of me wasting away! What did you think of my jokes in the book?”
“Those would have been a good reason for choosing another sanitorium. I would have been afraid of becoming a victim of your humour! You would have certainly given me a nickname! You always thought up such amusing names!” Betty laughed.
“You’re right. I would have called you “Roman nose”. I would have said to Urbi and Orbi “ Early this morning “Roman nose” was brought here. She speaks broken English, doesn’t eat geoduck but she does love cats.”
“Oh Betty, I would have felt so ashamed to cough. To cough in your presence, how embarrassing! You would have talked about how I coughed, how many coughs!”
“It depends on that “how”, Letizia!”
“Please, leave Goethe quotations out of it. You have certainly learnt from the Indians how to differentiate between noises. It’s incredible how you can distinguish between so many sorts of cough! At least 10!”
“So few?”
”And also your descriptions of the patients and the nurses were pitiless. An artistic revenge! The smallest pimple on their face didn’t escape your notice! Amazing.”
“ I was also pitiless to myself. Don’t forget my irony against myself!”
Betty was silent. She was thinking about Kimi, the “Princess” from Japan! No, she had only written good things about her best friend, Monica Sone, in her book “The Plague and I”. A deep friendship had started in the hospital. The pearl that developed from the illness.
“Isn’t it wonderful, Betty, that an unknown seed can make its way into a mollusk in the sea and develop into a beautiful jewel?” Betty is paying attention.
“Betty, the friendship between you and Monica reminds me of Goethe’s poem “Gingo-Biloba”. You must know it?” Betty nods and I begin to recite it:
The leaf of this Eastern tree
Which has been entrusted to my garden
Offers a feast of secret significance,
For the edification of the initiate.
Is it one living thing.
That has become divided within itself?
Are these two who have chosen each other,
So that we know them as one?
The friendship with Monica is like the wonderful gingo-biloba leaf, the tree from the east. Betty was touched. There was a deep feeling of trust between us.
“Our friendship never broke up, partly because she was in distress, endangered by the deadly illness. We understood and supplemented each other. We were like one lung with two lobes, one from the east and one from the west!”
“A beautiful picture, Betty. You were like two red gingo-biloba leaves!”
Betty was sad and said ” Monica, although Japanese, before she really knew me felt she was also an American. But she was interned in America, Letizia, during the second world war. Isn’t that terrible?”
“Betty, I never knew her personally. I have only seen her on a video, but what dignity in her face, and she speaks and moves so gracefully!”
“Fate could not change her”
“Yes, Betty, like the gingo-biloba tree in Hiroshima. It was the only tree that blossomed again after the atom bomb!”
The bill came and I paid at once. In America one is urged away from the table when one has finished eating. If one wants to go on chatting one has to order something else.
“That’s why all those people gossiping at the tables are so fat!” Betty remarks. “Haven’t you seen how many massively obese people walk around in the streets of America. Like dustbins that have never been emptied!” With this typically unsentimental remark Betty ended our conversation.
Ciao! I so enjoyed the talk; the humour, the irony and the empathy. I waved to her and now I too felt like moving! I take a lovely walk along the waterfront.
Now I am back in Heidelberg and when I think about how Betty’s “Princessin” left this world on September 5th and that in August I was speaking about her with Betty in Seattle I feel very sad. The readers who knew her well (we feel that every author and hero of a book is nearer to us than our fleeting neighbours next door) yes we, who thought of her as immortal, cannot believe that even she would die after 92 years. How unforeseen and unexpected that her death should come four days after her birthday on September 1th. On September 5th I was on my way to Turkey, once again in seventh heaven, looking back on the unforgettable days in Seattle. I was flying from west to east towards the rising sun.
Is this Mr. Tigerli?
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