Keys from the Arabia Collection

The short, nasty and brutish month of February is in its final quarter. Named for an ancient purification festival that evolved into Lent, February is a time to make amends. African-Americans must feel short-changed being the recipients of this month. It being only 28 days, but it is its weather that is its big negative. Perhaps that’s why it is the shortest month, turning the calendar into a hope that winter will pass sooner. The winter Olympics have been a bit of a reprieve. 

The dreary monotony of this month has been punctuated with the staccato sound of first gunfire and then the shouts of both students and teachers for some action on gun control. Feckless politicians in the thrall of the NRA have responded with tired platitudes about thoughts and prayers or nonsensical suggestions that educators should get strapped up. Rebecca Field, an art teacher from Richmond, VA has written A letter from a furious teacher that powerfully rebuts these so-called public servants. I wonder if we are on the cusp of another variation in this #MeToo era, where the powerful are being called to atone for their lies. 

Closer to home, MSD has trenched the length of the block, laid new storm sewer pipe and filled in the hole with gravel. They’ve cleared away all their extra bits, almost restoring to us our parking strip. Except that AT&T has already planted tiny flags there. This second wave of construction will bring us fiber, more mud and holes regularly spaced in the parking strip up and down the block, February.