Jeffee Palmer
Lawyer, history buff, writer, mother, grandmother, native Texan, UT grad, and proud Austinite!-
Author Archives: nowandthenadays
The Antivenom for Trumpian Times
Generally, I score optimistic on the life-outlook meter. But after three years of the orange madman helming our mothership, it’s hard to whip up even a soupcon of positivity. As we whirl around the sun at Trumpian whim, anything seems … Continue reading
Posted in Great Lessons, Language, Politics
Tagged Elizabeth Alexander, Emily Dickenson, Gunga Din, Mary Oliver, Maya Angelou, poems, poetry, Robert Frost, Robert Service, Robin Cravey, Rudyard Kipling, Tupac, Walt Whitman
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An Ode to the Symphony
Living through the debacle of the Trump presidency, I imagine that I share with others the sense of dread that greets my mornings. With the help of my snooze button, I manage to avoid wakefulness a few times, but eventually … Continue reading
Defying the Kill Shots of Never
Long-time readers may recall that I’ve tried to build a convincing case for high school reunions hoping folks will attend and end up enjoying them as much as I do. Admittedly, my efforts may be akin to cultivating affection for … Continue reading
Speaking from the Closet of Shame
I know a woman who was raped in college. She did not report it. Nor did she tell her parents or any of her friends. She didn’t speak with a doctor, mark it on a calendar, or write about it … Continue reading
How the NRA is Killing Christmas
Even before Charles Darwin explained species survival, our children have always been our most precious assets, our links to immortality. Like others in the animal world, humans instinctively protect their offspring until they can manage on their own. In the … Continue reading
Posted in Old/New Austin, Politics
Tagged Diane DeSanders, Easter Bunny, Everytown for Gun Safety, Family Values, Hap & Hazard and the End of the World, Miracle at 34th St., N.R.A., National Rifle Association, Parkland Shooting, Prince Charming, Republicans, Sandy Hook, Santa Claus, Tooth Fairy
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Austin’s Sickening Cedar Problem
Most years I feel a civic duty to warn my fellow Austin residents that cedar fever season is upon us. If you are in Austin now and still not sneezing and dripping, don’t count your chickens, yet. The annual pollination … Continue reading
Posted in Nature, Old/New Austin
Tagged allergies, allergy shots, Austin, Cedar, kleenex, pollen, sinus infection, Sudafed
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Keep Your Cleats Off of Austin’s Parkland!
Have they lost their collective minds? I’m talking about Austin city council members who are considering a plan from Columbus, Ohio’s professional soccer team, Crew Soccer Club, to move to Austin and build a stadium on downtown lakeside parkland – … Continue reading
O Democracy, Wherefore Art Thou?
Once upon a time, I truly believed that I had a voice in my government, maybe not directly, but certainly through my elected representatives. Even while my preferred candidate in a particular race didn’t always win, I had more than … Continue reading
Posted in History, Politics
Tagged Constitutional convention, gerrymandering, Justice Kennedy, rural states, urban states, Voting
2 Comments
Untwinning from the Rich and Famous
Anyone who knows me wouldn’t be surprised to learn that I suffer from periodic bouts of conversation deficiency, particularly as a retiree without an office full of coworkers. I recognize that I’m in the midst of such an episode when … Continue reading
Posted in Great Lessons, Television
Tagged Hugh Grant, Julia Roberts, Melody Scott Thomas, Nikki, Notting Hill, purslane, Young & the Restless
8 Comments
The Core that May Always be With Us
Donald Trump, master of chaos, commander in crazy, continues to spiral out of control, and yet he continues to maintain a base of support comprising 35 to 40% of the American public. It’s hard to fathom how these core supporters … Continue reading
Posted in History, Politics
Tagged Cousin Ed Snodgrass, Donald Trump, John Henry Faulk, John Tower, Nixon, Russian Collusion, Watergate
1 Comment
Now and Thenadays 