My cut and pasted post on FB this Wednesday Evening.

In case you missed it, the Senate voted 51 to 48:
1. To end coverage for preexisting conditions, veterans benefits, and aid to rural hospitals.
2. To remove discrimination protection for women in healthcare.
3. Against the provision allowing children to remain on their parent's insurance till the age of 26.
4. To cut off funding for the Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
5. Against ACA contraceptive coverage and maternity care provision.
6. To direct committees to send budget legislation to defund and repeal the Affordable Care Act.
For those who get health insurance through work, no pre-existing conditions. Lifetime caps for coverage are back for everyone.
Real and disastrous actions are being taken that will affect more than just the 20-30 million people who will lose their health care coverage and the 3 million people who will lose their jobs.

Despite their assertions of this being an action to "repeal and replace," no viable alternative plan has been proposed.
The House votes Friday. As of this moment, no replacement exists.
Apparently, Speaker Ryan has had his phones cut off because of the volume of calls, so here is his mailing address:
1233 Longworth HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
Fax: (202) 225-3393

Do you have diabetes, sleep apnea, been treated for cancer, heart disease, asthma, add your own pre-existing condition here, you are out. Make too much money for Medicaid but not enough for insurance, same thing.  People are going to die because of this. I am just overwhelmed.

2017

Happy belated New Year!  I spent New Year's Eve with Isabel, my 10 year old grandgirl.  We stayed up until midnight. The first time in years for me.  The neighborhood was lit with fireworks. We watched from the windows, baby it's cold outside. It was a balmy 4° when I got up this morning. On the plus side it's dry and except for the side streets, the pavement in town in bare and dry.

Today is grandgirl Ella's 5th birthday. She and her brother will be over this afternoon and tonight is a dinner and gifts at her house. She asked for spicy green chili for dinner and that's what's she's getting. Surprised me. She's holding her Christmas purse that has a tutu skirt. I got her Legos. I bought a lot of Legos this year. Star Wars Legos. Pet house Legos. Boxes of 1000 mixed Legos. There's lots of kids in my son's house and even the teens play with the Legos.

Merry Christmas Ella

Here's Isabel waiting for the coffee to be done New Year's Day. Our family are all early and devoted coffee drinkers. She takes her's with a lot of milk and a scoop of hot chocolate mix.

We also got a surprise Christmas gift at my son Dave's house, yet another child, an 8 year old boy. He was supposed to be here for respite care while his foster family was holiday traveling. They aren't coming back. So now he's ours.  They have 9 kids 5 to 18. Three home grown, 6 foster then adopted. Our oldest Alandra is in college and moved into an apartment with a friend so her bedroom is empty, was empty. The next oldest Julia is in line for the prized single room. Welcome to the family.