I voted

…after I spent about three hours going through paper and throwing it out… ok, like a total numbskull I mislaid my ballot. Have you mislaid your ballot? FIND IT! VOTE!

” …that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.“

When I went across the country as a Mad as Hell Doctor in 2009, we talked to people everywhere. I joined the group in Seattle. I had never met any of them and had only heard about them two weeks before. But we were on the road, talking about health care, talking about single payer healthcare, talking about Medicare for All.

Some people said, “I don’t want the government in healthcare.”

We would ask, “Are you against medicare?” “No!” “Medicaid?” “No!” “Active duty military health care?” “No! We must take care of our active duty!” “Veterans?”  “No! They have earned it!”

…but those are all administered by the government. More than half of health care in the US. So let’s go forward: let’s all join together and have Medicare for ALL! And if you don’t agree… so you don’t think you should vote? Hmmm, I am wrestling my conscience here….

We need one system, without 20 cents of every insurance paid dollar going to health insurance profit and advertising and refusing care and building 500++ websites that really, I do not have time to learn and that change all the time anyhow. How about ONE website? How about ONE set of rules? We are losing doctors. It’s not just me worrying: it’s in the latest issue of the American Academy of Family Practice.

Vote. For your health and for your neighbor’s health.

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Physicians for a National Healthcare Progam: http://pnhp.org/

Healthcare Now: https://www.healthcare-now.org/

I can’t credit the photograph, because I don’t remember who took it…. or if it was with my camera or phone or someone else’s! But thank you, whoever you are!

door with wreath

For Norm 2.0’s Thursday doors.

Back to north Seattle, from my autoclave trip. We now have the new exam table installed and the first person on it was an 8 month old, which is rather a delight, because most of my patients are over 50.

I like the light in this photograph, with the spots of sun on the roof.

contrast

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: contrast.

I took this Friday, walking around north Seattle, waiting for my autoclave to finish testing. In the early morning these small flowers were by the road and scattered through a yard. For survivors everywhere: the earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia and for men, women and children who have been hurt and abused and go on. For the capacity to love, to grieve and to heal.

folk art

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: quaint.

We visited my friend Malene in Wisconsin, and she took us and her grandchildren to Nick Engelbert’s Grandview.

We may think of folk art as quaint or cute, but his art is amazing and on a grand scale. The house, the out building and a yard full of sculpture, all to explore. The house was closed so we did not go inside on this trip, but the outside is wonderous.

This is not the house. It’s just an outbuilding.

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These are the arches in front of the house.

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Amazing!

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And sculptures all through the yard:

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This is being restored.

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Not just an elephant. It is political commentary.

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Complex, humorous and my impression is certainly that this farmer/artist was a joyous worker!