My apologies for another long break in the blog. I've got another doctor added to my list of specialists, and the testing goes on.

One reason for the break was an essay added to the Reflections section, Death by RU 486. I read of some news about this abortion drug that was so horrifying that I felt that it shouldn't be put directly into the blog. You have fair warning that this essay is graphic but news about the infection risk that should be more widely known.

Another piece of news about this drug is that the deaths from bleeding were not unexpected. In fact, this risk wasn't more widely publicized because these deaths were expected as a known risk from the drug. Excuse me, since when should a life-threatening risk be concealed from the patient taking the drug? Oh, I forgot, it happens with other drugs as well if the benefits are supposed to outweigh the risks. Are those benefits for the patients or for the drug companies?

This item particularly infuriated me because my doctor has prescribed drugs to treat my illness that were pulled from the market because of the patient deaths associated with them after their introduction. Fortunately, I haven't suffered as a result, but every time it happens I get angrier at the ethics of the medical community and the drug companies.

How can they pass out pills when they know there are serious risks involved in their use? Apparently the same way they can pass out pills to kill babies and put their mothers at risk to cause an abortion. It is getting scarier by the day to even go to a doctor, but what can you do when you need medical care?

No wonder the alternative medicine doctors are being sought out and nutritional and herbal supplements are being used. The drug companies are striking back and trying to drive these natural substances off the market while the local medical societies harass the alternative medicine doctors. The system that was supposed to protect patients from quack medicine is now sheltering the very evils that it should prevent.

Another system-protected evil is the re-election of New Orleans' mayor. You remember him, the fellow who left his citizens behind to drown with the working buses that could have taken them out while he rode out the hurricane elsewhere. His city is recovering in some highly publicized tourist sections while many neighborhoods are still empty and littered with storm debris. Given the reports of another severe hurricane season predicted, maybe they had better get the restored Mardi Gras floats and costumes to higher ground so they can put on another good facade next year.

Planned Parenthood is still rejoicing about the expansion of services in this hurricane devastated region. They're ready to service the "reproductive needs" of the remaining citizens come hell or high water or both at the same time. One wonders if they have enough scuba gear for the medical staff and patients to keep the clinics open should it come to that.

There is also an outburst of indignation over a government program to monitor telephone calls involving terrorists on one end of the line. The liberals are in a highly agitated state of indignation over the threat to civil liberties that this poses. Let's see if I've got this right -- it is okay to deny the civil liberties of innocent unborn children but not okay to monitor known murderous terrorists and possible collaborators in this country.

Adding to the confusion, there is a religious group protesting at the funerals of dead soldiers as well as the anti-war protestors. I refer to them as a religious group because I wouldn't call their activities Christian in their present state of mind. They are sincere in their protests, but absolutely wrong to do it at a funeral. I suspect that they have fallen prey to the same lack of Christian common sense, wisdom, and decency through lack of training in it in the church or their families or the public schools. I'm thankful for the people who still parent their children these days while the little ones are young enough to learn wisdom as well as book learning.

I can't help shaking my head at the signs of society crumbling around us while nature churns with increasing fury. The weathermen are alert to any sign of thunderstorms firing up from the heat. The weather here is hot enough for summer even though we should normally have about another four weeks before it got this oppressive in the afternoon. I'm running the hose on the tomato patch while the young plants endure high temperatures high enough to blast tomato flowers on the hottest days.

We did have a nice flush of pink roses over the past two weeks. The reblooming irises have taken hold and are growing strongly. The white Dutch iris bulbs did have one bloom, so maybe they will take hold and do better next year. The deutzias and bridal wreath shrubs put on a nice display despite the severe pruning last year.

The little fig tree is doing fine, so I'm checking occasionally for blooms. However, the pear trees got nailed by frost, so it looks like no pear crop this year. The azaleas had only a few blooms this year, too. The crape myrtles should start blooming soon with the altheas, so there is still summer color to look forward to soon.

The fashion show for my ABWA chapter went off pretty well. The article on it is at The Dress Barn Fashion Show. We still don't have any more new members from the membership drive.

I finished another child's sweater and got caught up with the towel set. Then I started on a shrug in a velvety red chenille yarn and now I'm a pattern behind in the towel set. I'm letting the shrug and another child's sweater race each other, switching back and forth between the projects. I actually get more done with two projects going at the same time. I've got to do something about my wardrobe with a friend's daughter's wedding coming up next month. I might be in good shape if Mom doesn't covet that shrug, since it would go with a skirt that is pretty new. She has been eyeing it, though.