The Vice Presidential Debate and Finally A Day Off!

We watched the Vice Presidential debate last night - at least I watched 2/3 of it, before retreating to my bed. I don't get a lot of sleep on nights when I'm swimming the next day, so my 9:00 pm bed time is firm. Tim Walz did OK, but JD Vance was actually fabulous. BUMMER. I really wanted Walz to do well, after all, he's a Governor, he does speeches all the time. But he was off-game and Vance was spot-on. I was impressed with Vance, even though I want nothing to do with him or his politics. 

If I go by the winner of this debate, Vance definitely won. 
That's a shame, because Walz is a better person, but Vance 
was very well prepared and very well spoken. The Democrats 
lost the debate, and I sincerely hope they DON'T lose the 
election as a result. 

There were a few good zings from both candidates, however, and really, we're electing a President, not the Veep. Still, I was disappointed in Walz's performance last night. He wasn't sharp and muddled a bit too much. If Trump gets elected, however, maybe someone will succeed in eliminating him, and we'll end up with Vance in the White House. If he's as intelligent as last night seemed to indicate, that wouldn't be a tragedy. 

Finally, I get a "day off" today. I'll have to drop into the 
shop very early to write checks that I didn't have the time 
to do yesterday, but that won't take long. 

Enough about politics. On to other things. For one thing - I finally get a "normal" "day off". Chickie should be back in the shop today, and DH will breathe a sigh of relief tomorrow when he finally gets a day off. I'll have to drop into the shop very early today to write checks - I didn't have the time to do that yesterday. But that's minor, and I'll get that done quickly then head onwards on my errands. I have a bare cupboard, so I HAVE to do some cooking. If I could get two soups done, that would be marvelous. Friday morning will be taken up with getting the new treadmill into the den and the old one taken away, so my Friday kitchen time will be reserved for "Ogre Juice" only. 

One of my favorite soups to make is this one - Asian 
Vegetable-Beef Soup. It goes together easily, and it 
cooks in my crock pot, so that I can make a second, 
different soup on the stovetop while it's cooking. Very 
convenient. 

I survived the write-off! I'm relieved and pleased that the "Haver" post I put in for the current challenge isn't posted in vain as an afterthought after elimination. I've already got my first load of laundry in the washer, and I need to think about what I need at the store - LOTS of things. It's such a relief to not have to go in to the shop (at least not during working hours). I'm going to spend a little time getting my shopping list in order, so I'll sign off here. Have an excellent Wednesday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Words To Think About - A Serious Post Today

I'm in a write-off in LJ Idol, and haven't figured out what to write about, with a deadline of tomorrow. I'm sure I'll come up with something, but whether it will be enough to save me from elimination? That's the question. HOWEVER ... I had a theme for today's blog in the back of my mind - actually for a couple of days. I listen to audio books while swimming, and the following that I'll quote came from my latest listen/read by R.A. Salvatore. It struck me, when listening to this while swimming, that there were a lot of very wise words in this that we can apply to our upcoming election. So I offer his words in my blog today. 

                                                                       * * * * *

When you see the journey and focus not merely on the goal, you learn humility. 

Too often do people too greatly measure their lives by their goals, and, subsequently, by that which they consider accomplishments. I have reflected on this many time in my life, and so the wisdom of hears has taught me to constantly move the goal just beyond my stretching reach. For, is the downside to achievement complacency? I have come to believe that too often do we name a goal and achieve it, then think the journey at its end. 

I seek perfection, with my blades, with my body. ... My goal is unattainable, but the truth is that it is my journey to that goal that is more important. 

That is true of every goal of every person, but rarely do we see it. ... The journey is more important than the goal, for while the goal might be worthwhile, the journey is, in fact, the thread of your life. 

* * * * *

It itches on the collective consciousness of a society, nagging and nattering, whispering unease. 

The tiny bubbles of criticism appear, about the bottom of the pot at first, hanging on, secret. 

Quiet. 

They dart upward, rolling the surface, just a few, then a few more, then a cascade. 

This is the critical moment, when the leaders must step forth as one to calm the brew, to lift the pot from the fire, but too often, I fear, it is the ambitious opposition to those leaders stoking the flames among the citizenry, poking the folk with one malicious whisper after another. Veracity matters not; the emotional response takes hold and will not let go.

The bubbles become a boil, the heat flowing through the water and wafting up into the air on the sould of the many who will surely die in this symphony of hatred, this expression of rage seeking focus. 

This war. 

I have seen it over and over through the decades, in campaigns sometimes worth, but most often involving nefarious designs beneath the lies and feigned purposes. And in that turmoil and misert and carnage, the warrior is held high and the flag is tightly wrapped - too tightly to allow for any questioning of purpose and method. 

This is how society is convinced to plant the fireball beneath its own pot. 

And when it is over, when the rubble replaces the homes and the graveyards overfill and still the bodies rot in the streets, do we look back and wonder how it came to this awful point. 

That is the greatest tragedy, that the only time when questioning is allowed is when the ultimate failure of war has come to pass. 

When the families are shattered. 

When the innocent are slaughtered. 

- Drizzt Do'Urden (R.A. Salvatore)

This and That and a Little Politics (But VERY Little)

We still need to get the fence painted on our side of the fence. DH will be working on that over the next few days. He'll power wash the fence today (hoping that we won't have any thunderstorms between now and Thursday), and then on Thursday, he'll be out there early in the morning painting our side. He'll do the gate last (I guess that's more brush work and more time consuming) because he has to meet with our various "ditch guys". 

The Rice Creek Watershed District actually 
stretches across the Cities from the far South 
into the far North. We're in the Northern 
portion, and the goal is to get less shade 
and more sun. Our little area is quite 
inaccessible, however, so it will be very 
interesting to see what the engineers have 
to say. Ideally they'd love to pull trees, but 
on our property, that's a very hard thing to 
accomplish, so they may just have to top 
the trees instead. 

The "ditch guys" are the various engineers that the City/State/County have assigned to our drainage ditch. Our property abuts against this "ditch" on the East side. It's actually quite beautiful, but it's also a bit overgrown. We're meeting with them to make sure that they don't remove any trees that are actually past our property line, and get a better feel for the clearing that they are doing. They're trying to get more sunshine into the ditch to get different growth. I don't think they'll be removing any trees, but it's hard to say. I'm sure if the property was a bit more accessible (the banks are VERY steep), they would pull trees for sure. But with our geography, it might be horribly difficult. They're due here for a walk-through with DH on Thursday afternoon at 2:00 pm, so he has to be finished with the fence painting by then, or at a good place to stop. 

I have fond memories of Milwaukee. My annual Bead & 
Button Conventions were held in the large convention 
center directly across the street from the basketball 
arena where the Convention is being held. I know that 
area VERY well. I miss the Bead & Button Show, but 
I'm REALLY GLAD I'm nowhere near this dog 
and pony show. 

I listened to some of the Republican National Convention yesterday - couldn't tolerate actually watching it, and I was quite busy with customers, etc in the store. But, it seemed like the usual platitudes and rah-rah that you expect at a nomination convention. I remember some land breaking conventions in the past, however. I don't think this one will be anything of the sort. It's rather written in stone. It'll be Trump (megalomaniac and self-centered in all respects) vs Biden (seriously memory impaired and getting worse every day). *sigh* Rock ... meet hard place! We're totally damned if we do and damned if we don't. 

I received my package of three of these 
portable LED-powered fans yesterday. 
They're going to be wonderful at my desk 
at the shop, as well as at home. Just 
grab it and take it with me for those hot 
nights. 

I received an order I placed for three little fans yesterday. I'm looking forward to these. They're rechargeable, so very easy to place wherever I want them. I'm leaving one at the shop, and I brought the other two home. Space is a premium at home, and these are tall, but very narrow. I think I'll like them. 

There's nothing much better than waking up with a lovely 
swim in the outdoor pool. Yippee! 

So I'm off to the pool. I can't wait to get into the water and concentrate on something OTHER than politics. What a mess! At least I got a good night's sleep last night, opposed to the three fitful hours I got the night before. Have an excellent Tuesday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

The Debate and the Fence - Our Projects Continue

I got sucked into watching the Presidential Debates last night. ARGH! Trump didn't stay on topic, and Biden had some frozen moments and too many wasted words. The political choices this year simply aren't. We don't have much of a choice with either candidate - both of them probably shouldn't be in office, and neither of them have a realistic replacement. 

Neither of the candidates presented well, Trump tried to 
take control of the debate by ignoring questions, and Biden
 had a "catch phrase" to collect his thoughts, and used it 
far too many times. Neither one deserves to be elected at this 
point, and the polls reflect that with a race that is 
totally in the wind for either candidate. However, if I have 
to look at where we will be in four years ... I know who 
I DON'T want in office. So I'll vote AGAINST a 
candidate, but not FOR a candidate. 

DH, who voted for Trump last election, has stated that he refuses to vote for him this year (yippee!), but also states that he'd feel a lot better about voting for Biden if he had a better Vice President than Kamala. And there's the question - isn't it? These guys are both old, in a high-pressure job. Who's going to take over if they collapse into gibberish or a heart attack? I rather like Kamala, but she's not a super strong person and I'm not sure she would be able to stare Putin down. Of course, we also have no idea who Trump is choosing for his vice president - he hasn't made the "grand announcement" yet. I pity anyone who has to work directly under Trump for four years and can't imagine why anyone would want the position. 

We've got a good thunderstorm going on right now, 
but it will pass between 9 and 10 am. That will leave 
me lots of time to pressure wash the bottom board 
of the fence in preparation for tomorrow and Sunday's 
painting job. 

So, it's raining and lightning and thundering outside - bands of rain coming across. It'll be finished by late morning, when I will grab my garden hoses and pressure sprayer and begin washing down the lowest rail of the fence on Laura's side. I don't think I'll have enough length with our main garden hose - it's quite long, but the far ends are probably beyond reason. So, I'll have to uncouple the upper hose and join it to the lower one to allow me to reach the far Eastern panel. I suspect my mosquito netting over my hat will be essential, and I might wear gardening gloves too. Mosquitoes in Minnesota in June and July can be deadly weapons - LOL. 

The mosquitoes will be out in force after this morning's 
rain. I'll need to be fully covered to wash the fence, and 
it'll be hot, so I'll be a sweaty mess by the time I'm finished. 
A second shower is already looking like a great idea - LOL. 

Before I hop outside to do the fence, I need to make next week's batch of "Ogre Juice" I also need to pay bills, and call Network Solutions about DH's website (which I was supposed to do on Wednesday, but forgot or ran out of time). One way or the other, it'll be a very busy day. At least I don't have to bake fruit for next week's breakfasts. I'm actually well stocked from last week, so I can ignore one chore for a week. Huzzah - LOL. I hope you have a really fantastic day. The rain will clear out of here around 9:00 am, and then my day will get started for real. I plan on being back tomorrow, with a cleaned fence, Ogre Juice in the refrigerator, paid bills and progress on the never-ending website saga. Enjoy your Friday. Slava Ukraini. 

A Book, Some Deep Thoughts and Hockey - That's Life

I'm in the middle of reading a rather sobering book. Now, normally I'm fiction all the way - adventure novels, fantastical novels, alternative worlds novels. But when the right nonfiction book comes my way and moves up on my reading list to be the next one, I dive into it with as much enthusiasm as I would with a new Tolkien tale or a new plate full of Narnia. So, here's one I'm recommending to you, even though I'm not even half-way through it yet. 

I strongly recommend this book to all of you. It's actually 
a really easy read but it tackles a very difficult subject 
with a thorough look at the historical path that has gotten 
us to the political point we're at. Whether you're 
Conservative or Liberal, or in the USA or elsewhere, it 
can help you understand where our politics is coming 
from, and possibly where it's going to. It's a bit 
frightening, to be quite honest. 

Politics confounds me, but it influences how I can live my life, as well as the lives of those friends and acquaintances both near and far. This book is a bit frightening, but I can absolutely see the pattern the author, Bradley Onishi, is pointing out in its' pages. The title? "Preparing For War - The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism - and What Comes Next". If that doesn't send shivers down your spine, it should. It should. Grab a copy, read it. If you're in the USA, read it and think hard about your town or city, your state and your national elected officials. Are you frightened? You SHOULD be. It's enough to turn my stomach, and I can so easily see the progression through his pages and my own studies of history over many years. 

Kids play together after school - they'll 
gather at one person's house for a few 
hours, or they'll hang out at the local 
library or the playground at the local 
park or school. Kids gather together. It's 
their nature - they are "pack animals" in 
essence. 

Those of you in nations which have existed for centuries probably look at the USA as an upstart - a baby in the world of great nations, movers, and shakers. You're right. We are the new kids on the block - the ones with the nicely paved basketball court and a large lot behind the house for baseball and football pick-up games. We're the house where Mom bakes cookies to give to visiting kids, and the TV has all of the latest games and 3-D headsets. In other words, we're the house where everyone wants to come after school. We've built it that way. 

In my childhood, we'd get home from school, dump 
our books into our rooms, change clothes, and run 
outside. I lived in a block where there were at least 
20+ kids within just a few houses, and there was always 
somewhere to go or something to do. It was great! 

But underneath that wholly welcoming exterior, is an interior that's quite a bit more selective. That interior welcomes everyone with open arms, and then cleans the areas where certain people came just a bit harder. Where the guests might get a meal that's a bit less in quantity, or a bit more burnt or stale than the meal the rest of the family is getting. We're jovial and hospitable on the outside, but we're really not on the inside. That difference is coming through loudly in this upcoming election, and I'm pretty sure that I'm going to once again be ashamed of my own country within another year or two. 

Right now, we can probably add "No Immigrants" to 
this list. That would include just about everyone "else" 
and would make that far right quite happy. It turns 
my stomach, however. It makes me sick and ashamed 
of calling myself a citizen of the USA and what I had 
been taught that we stand for. That freedom, that only 
seems to actually be available to white, Anglo-Saxon 
people, not so much for anyone else. 

But, enough negativity for today because I'm really not pointing out anything you're not already aware of. My ice hockey team (MN Wild) are on an extended road trip, with the final game of this trip taking place tonight. Then they'll have a few days off until they're back home on Tuesday. They'll have several recovery days then, until their next game on Sunday the 3rd, but they return to the road until the 10th because this weekend and next weekend are the Girls State High School Hockey Tournament (just finishing today) and then the Boys State High School Hockey Tournament (starting on the 6th of March). These are MAJOR tournaments, great fun to watch, and a lot of stars of the future are playing in these games. They're FUN to watch, and I plan to be listening or watching all of the Boy's Tournament games. A lot of NHL players came through that tournament. 

This photo is from the Boys State High School Hockey 
Tournament in 2022. Do you see any open seats there 
in the Xcel Center? No? That's because there AREN'T 
any. Every seat is occupied, and many more were turned 
away at the door. The State High School Hockey 
Tournaments pull in the crowds (the boys tournament 
especially, but the girls tournament is picking up 
steam too). This tournament is where you will find 
the stars of the professional leagues and the scouts are 
most definitely watching every game intently. I'm hoping 
my nephew Flynn will be goalie here in a few more 
years. He has that level of talent. 

On that hockey note, I'm out of here. I need to find something positive to focus on, and hockey seems like the best idea today. I'm wearing my Kaprisov jersey, cheering the Minnesota Wild team on their road trip, and watching/listening to the Girls State High School Hockey Tournament which wraps up tonight. The girls may not skate as fast, but they can hit just as hard - LOL. Have an excellent Saturday and weekend, I'll be back on Monday. Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.

I Am Woman Hear Me Roar and Charging Ahead - Cables and Phones

DH spent yesterday at the shop getting more and more used to his new phone. He'd come up and ask me a question, and I'd basically say "I have no idea how that works on your phone. Ask Chickie." I sent her several texts detailing the questions he was asking me so that when they are working together tomorrow, she can run down the list of questions and supply answers. I've never had a Samsung phone - never particularly wanted one although it's a popular brand. I'm delighted with my Pixel phones and don't really want to switch over to a different brand. Every phone operates differently and what works for me might not work for him. 

Generally I love diversity, but when it comes to teaching 
DH how to use a different brand of phone? No. I'll leave 
that up to the Chickie since she's used Samsung phones 
for more than a decade. 

I did get him added to the network at the shop, so he's on the Bluetooth. But that was about all I could do, and I was busy. Very busy yesterday. That was a VERY good thing because I couldn't obsess about LJ Idol votes. I have no idea the number of votes I'm getting, hopefully I'll still keep my head above water in this very talented group. Since we had to email our votes in to our moderator, I don't think any of us know where we are in the standings this time until the votes are revealed over the weekend. I'm on needles and pins, but that's not unusual - LOL. 

We're using the same USB-C cables now, and if we both 
need to charge at the same time, that's a problem. We need 
another 2-4 USB-C cables ASAP to allow us the ability 
to recharge without being in each other's way. 

I need a few more charging cables for home and the shop. DH won't be using his old cable anymore, so we need more USB-C cables in case both of us want/need to charge at the same time. Fortunately those are generally available. Since DH is going to Target today, I'll add two cables (or more) to his shopping list. I actually think four cables would be the best quantity. I have some added to my Amazon cart, but would rather have them a bit faster than Amazon could get them to me. 

Even after decades of political representation, we still 
have a problem with women in politics. We're not 
taken as seriously, and we're perceived as not performing 
our job as effectively/efficiently as men. Piffle! Want 
an efficient person? Ask a women who grows up 
multitasking much more than any man I've ever known. 

It's the Fourth of July this weekend - Independence Day for the USA. I wonder what our Founding Fathers would think about our nation these days. One Nation, DIVISIBLE, With Liberty and Justice FOR SOME. Pretty obviously, those in power are trying to push women out of the political picture once again, trying to relegate us back to the kitchen and nursery. Of course, there are plenty of women who embrace that stereotype happily, even though it's horribly out of date. I do NOT embrace it. I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar! 

When the Women's Rights Movement was just gaining 
ground, Helen Reddy came out with this song - "I Am Woman". 
It was the anthem of my generation, and should become our 
anthem again, because we've got some serious problems in 
this country and the men just aren't getting the job done. 

On that Helen Reddy note, I'm out of here. It's a swimming day today and I'm already looking forward to it. Since I awakened with a serious leg cramp, I think I need the water to work the residual mess out of my muscles. Have an excellent Tuesday and I'll return tomorrow. 

A Tribute To Diversity - Dr Martin Luther King Day

Today is Dr Martin Luther King day here in the USA. It's a day to remember the greatness of the man, the courage he showed, and his message that all people, all races and religious beliefs, could live together in harmony, helping each other to greatness. The dream hasn't been fully realized yet, but it's come a long way since the day he died in 1968. 

Dr Martin Luther King, photographed on his 
balcony shortly before he was shot, was a strong 
voice for equality. Although James Earl Ray was 
arrested and convicted of his death, I doubt it 
was that cut and dried. For more information on 
a possible conspiracy in government, check 
out this link. 
https://www.history.com/news/who-killed-martin-luther-king-james-earl-ray-mlk-assassination

I was in my teenage years when Dr King was preaching, I remember clearly when he was assassinated and the fear prevalent that cities would go up in flame. That they didn't was testament to his words - he would not have supported the destruction of everything he was working toward - harmony and equality. Have we achieved it yet, some 54 years later? I'm ashamed to admit that we haven't. Cities are still divided. People of color are still segregated into pockets in every city. Are there exceptions? Absolutely. It's not quite as bad as it was in the 70's when a black person moving into a suburban neighborhood would immediately see "For Sale" signs on properties in the immediate area. 

In those days, throughout the nation, suburbia was a 
white enclave which, although it didn't have physical 
walls, was still determined to keep people of color 
out. Unfortunately, it hasn't changed as much as I 
wish. Suburbia is more integrated now, but the suburbs 
are still heavily white in population. 

But it's not good yet. There is more understanding and more integration. There is less use of side glances just because of skin color. But despite the fact that there is less, it is still there. So have we learned anything at all? 

When I look at a photo like this, I see a lot of very 
beautiful women. I'm not picking and choosing because 
of their skin tone. Other people, unfortunately, will 
do that, though. They will pick and choose between these 
lovely women, and some of what they choose will 
be based on the color of the model's skin. 

Our hope lies with the younger generation - that they can, and often do, look at skin tones as just one more aspect of beauty for any person. They aren't perfect either - there were plenty of young people storming the Capitol building in the January 6th riots. Most, if not all, of them were not people of color. Maybe those people of color who watched on their computers and TV's like the rest of us were much wiser than the rioters. It's to be hoped that they keep that wisdom during the next few elections when "The Donald" will probably hope to run for Presidential office one more time. 

I remember when Dr King spoke these words in 
Washington DC. They still resonate today, more 
than 50 years later. We haven't achieved this dream 
yet, but most not stop working towards making 
it a reality for everyone in this nation. 

On that rather depressing note, I apologize. I rarely speak politics, and humbly beg your pardon. But Dr King had a dream, and I share that dream. I'm seeing small sparkles in the darkness, but I do think that more must be accomplished before that dream becomes reality. Try to further that dream as you interact with others today. Equality, justice, and over all ... love and acceptance. Peace, I'll be back tomorrow. 

We Didn't Present a Good Face Toward the World, Yesterday!

I spent yesterday with errands and working on my knitting, until finally phoning Aearwen for our weekly chat late in the afternoon. That's when I heard about the events in Washington DC. I hadn't had the TV or any media on all day, and my computer hadn't been involved since early morning. Usually I'm not behind the times that much, especially for serious events, but this time I was oblivious. 

The Capitol hasn't been stormed and Washington DC hasn't 
been under "attack" since the War of 1812. That's the 
war when the "White House" was burned and Dolly 
Madison rescued Washington's portrait. 

I suppose I'm rather grateful about that, all things considered. It does no good to be upset about something I can't do anything about. But really - what a sorrowful thing. Watching the US Capitol being assaulted by people from our own nation - people who are determined that their candidate didn't actually lose the election. 

The joint houses of Congress, meeting to endorse the 
electoral college votes, were under attack. One woman 
was shot and died. I think there was a total of four 
people dead by the end of the night, but I'm not 100% 
sure about that - have to check more news stories 
for confirmation. But what a mess. Even Nixon had 
more class than Trump, and that's saying a lot! 

Democracy is not a perfect dessert. It's the kind of dessert where the kids tried to help and instead of perfectly shaped cookies or a lovely lattice-top on a pie, you get blobs of cooked dough and a much more abstract crust effect. There are no perfect styles of government, but for more than 200 years, democracy has worked in this nation. The peaceful transition of power from one elected official to another is foundational in our democracy, and despite the events of yesterday, it continued on and it will still occur. 

Not everything is pretty all of the time. The key is 
picking up the pieces and moving forward. The nation 
is divided right now, almost as much as it was during 
the Civil War. But now it isn't area-specific. Now it 
is between neighbors and relatives. It is dividing 
families and houses. It's going to be hard to overcome 
all of this, but we have to try. 

My fear is four years from now when this poison will attempt to spread again. That's when all of this hatred can potentially rise again, attempting to splinter the American people into small segments of population looking over their shoulders at their next door neighbors. Donald Trump is a one-term President. He can run again, and I think he plans to do so in 2025. That's what frightens me. That's what should frighten all of us. 

As always, be kind, stay safe, and please wear a mask. We'll survive this because we're resilient and have a strong structure of government, but it's up to us to smother the hatred under a blanket of kindness. I'll be back tomorrow. 

 

A Look At My Upper Yard and 2nd Callout For Cards

DH and I spent Sunday morning raking the yards yet again. He'd already done it twice before, but the silver maples are now starting to lose their leaves, and the huge tree of our next door neighbor was dropping its' leaves like a heavy snowfall. Our roof is covered, and the gutters we cleaned less than two weeks ago are full of leaves once again. DH says he'll wait for the first snow before clearing them again, and the back gutter may remain the way it is until next Spring. 

I know how some of my friends love fungus, and this old 
log in my lower yard had a wonderful collection of fungi 
to share with you. 

Still, the weather was rather glorious - I was outdoors in November just in a long-sleeved T-shirt and a hoodie. I have many memories of dressing in my snowmobile overalls with a parka, gloves, boots and a hat for leaf clearing in past seasons. I love this unseasonable warmth, but today will be the final day before we drop back down into the colder temperatures once again. 

We rarely get a chance to share photos of our upper back
yard. It's fenced in, and during the full summer, more than 
half of it is covered in 4-5 foot ferns. DH says he wants 
to thin the ferns this coming year, but we'll see. The large 
pile of leaves in the foreground here will be spread on 
top of my strawberries and our flower beds to help them 
through the upcoming winter. 

I caught Joe Biden't speech on Saturday night, but DH wasn't in a mood to listen and stormed out of the room. (I actually think he voted for Biden, despite his being a life-long Republican. He just didn't like Trump at all.) But, just because he might have voted for Biden, didn't mean he wanted him to make a speech before the final votes were tabulated. DH was very grumpy. Personally, I thought Kamala and Biden's speeches were both pretty good, although I speak as a lifelong Democrat. I also think it was classy of George Bush to phone and congratulate Joe Biden. Well done Mr Bush! 

Looking at my upper back yard from the opposite 
direction, you can see that even though it's a relatively 
small yard, we have five trees in it. Our crabapple 
is up in this yard, as well as a large pine and three 
maples. And, of course, ferns - the main cluster of 
ferns that we have. All of that dark brown is the 
start of where the ferns grow and when they are in 
full growth, they're quite beautiful. 

So we are now in transition. Instead of dealing with that, I went ahead and worked on my Holiday Cards again, beginning Stage 2. So here we go ... a Stage Two Callout for all. I'D LOVE TO SEND YOU A HOLIDAY CARD. TO DO THAT, I NEED YOU TO MESSAGE ME YOUR NAME AND PHYSICAL ADDRESS. If you want to send one to me also, I love receiving them and will gladly share my address with you, BUT it is NOT required. My joy is making and sending my cards to my friends around the world. PLEASE ... SEND ME YOUR INFORMATION SO THAT I CAN ADD YOU TO THIS YEAR'S LIST. 

I saw this holiday card on-line and I just had 
to share with all of you. Such a funny one. 
In the days when I would purchase cards to 
send, this one would have been in my 
wheelhouse for sure! 

And that's it for today. I hope you had a great weekend and that the week ahead of you is excellent too. I'm going to wrap this up and send it out and I hope to hear from many of you so that my folder of 2020 addresses increases dramatically. Happy Monday and I'll be back tomorrow, and as always, be kind, stay safe, and please wear your mask. 

The Great Debate and It's a Wash(er)

I had no intention of watching last night's Presidential candidate debate. I've already voted, for me it was wasted air and broken promises. But DH wanted my company and promised me I could fall asleep on his shoulder while he watched, and I couldn't turn that down. So, we hunkered down and watched the debates - he watched, I drifted. I was able to ignore most of it, although it seemed as if the moderator did a much better job in this debate than the earlier debate. If the mute feature was used, it wasn't blatant, and it seemed as if actual issues were being discussed without too much mud being flung from one side of the stage to the other. 

I liked the fact that Biden was in a blue tie and Trump in 
a red one. I think it was the opposite in the last debate 
(I'd have to check photos to be sure). I wonder if their 
stylists bring a selection of ties to each event for them 
to make last-minute decisions. Of course, the ubiquitous 
and obligatory flag pins were precisely placed on 
the lapels. Cookie cutter politics at its best. 

I have no idea who DH will end up voting for. We're generally diametric opposites - his yin, my yang. I keep joking that I was put onto the earth to void out his votes, and that's probably not too far off base. But he's not enthralled with our current President, and really doesn't care for Biden either. I suspect he'll choose the lesser of two evils, and that's a horrible way to have to cast your vote. We see more eye-to-eye for local politics and rarely disagree on our state and local elections. But for nationals - we are rarely in step. 

Maybe make your decision based on the women behind 
the candidates. I'll pick Team Joe any time! 

I am relieved, however, that I've already voted. I checked the progress of my ballot and it was received, approved, and scanned in. The actual vote won't be counted until Election Day when the data banks of absentee ballots will be added into the election totals and we'll have an accurate count (under ideal conditions). What I care about is that I did my civic duty, and I won't have to stand in the cold November morning, waiting for the doors of the church to open for voting. I think that mail in votes and early voting is becoming more popular this year than ever before, so it will be interesting as the votes are tabulated and counted, since many states won't have final totals until 1-2 weeks after the election. 

The YiREGO Drumi is a portable washing machine that is operated 
by using the foot pedal in the front. The clothes go into the 
large stainless steel ball, with the detergent in the very 
top of the ball. It's very cleverly designed, made in Canada. 
I ordered it quite a while ago, so it wasn't fast delivery, 
but there are things I want to wash in it that I really 
can't or shouldn't wash in my regular washer. I'll 
be using it a lot. 

In other news, I received my YiREGO Druni foot-operated washing machine yesterday. I have to admit, I'm really happy with the design. It's quite clever and if I take care of it, it's going to do everything I purchased it for. I wanted it for hand-washables - delicate fabrics and fleece that I couldn't trust to my larger electric washing machine. The Drumi is made for small loads, minimal detergent, and foot-operated agitation. I'll get exercise at the same time as I'll get clean clothes or clean fleece. I can use it in my laundry room with the floor drain, or if I prefer, I can use it in my shower with that floor drain. It's a separate wash cycle, rinse cycle and spin cycle, all powered by me. It's only 20 inches high, and I think it will j-u-s-t fit underneath my laundry tub next to my washer and dryer. I'll bring it home from the shop on Wednesday morning and see if it will fit - it will be tight, but I'm crossing my fingers. 

Monster Cakes and FaceBook "Friends" - You Never Know Who Your Friends Truly Are

Sometimes you just have to go for something fun, and that's what DH did when he was out shopping for groceries earlier in the week. He was looking for his favorite - white cake with white frosting - and came across this "Monster Cake" instead. He couldn't resist, so bought it and we'll share it over four days so we don't overdose on sugar (more likely for me than for him, he's a sugar addict). Still, it was such a fun monster and I just had to share. 

The Monster Cake is so funny, it's a shame to have 
to cut it into pieces. The eyes are Oreo cookies with 
white and black buttercream frosting. The cake 
itself is marble and quite yummy. 

We had our first pieces last night and it was excellent - pretty sweet, but I don't mind that on rare occasions. It's the season of sweet, after all. We've got All Hallows Eve coming up soon, and somehow bags of mixed mini candy bars seem to have made it into the house. Since I didn't buy them, I know who to blame - LOL. With rationing, they should take us through the end of the year, maybe even into 2021. 

From overhead, he doesn't look quite as 
scary - LOL. Every time DH and I looked at 
the cake in the refrigerator, we'd start 
laughing. It's a good monster who brings 
such joy and we're enjoying eating this one. 

With all of the tales of destroyed ballot collection boxes and burned ballots, it's turning int an election that will be fought through the courts after the final counts are in. I know my ballot was collected by someone qualified to collect it, and it's been opened and scanned. The actual tabulated votes from absentee ballots won't be downloaded until Election Day in my state, and I think we have several days afterward when absentee ballots can be still be counted into the final totals if they are postmarked no later than November 3rd. But, I'm very grateful I'm already out of this game. 

If you prefer to vote in person on November 3rd, you
might want to take the added precaution of having
a mail-in ballot available in case your lines are too
long. You can have it filled out and turn it into
the polling location on election day, just as if
you filled out your ballot in person in the little booth
and fed it into the machine. If you end up voting 
in person, you can just shred your mail-in ballot at home. 

I had to block an old acquaintance on FaceBook on Tuesday and it hurt my heart to have to do it. She's a Trump supporter, and that's fine. Everyone is entitled to their own political viewpoints. But when a person on her page pointed out that Biden's tax increase won't hit until people are making at least $165,000/year, she shot that person down, calling her a sheep who just follows dogma blindly. I thought that was way out of line and pointed out that everyone has a right to their own political opinions, which I guess didn't hit her well because the next post I got from her was her narrative story about how she would unfriend anyone who basically disagreed with her. I decided to block her instead - I'll think about unfriending her at a later time, but at least I don't have to read her vitriolic hatred any more. What a shame. She's a bright, talented and creative person and I adored her mother. Oh well, that's life. 

I hate unfriending anyone, although I have done so in 
rare cases. I blocked my friend rather than unfriending 
her. I will consider reactivating her after the election 
is over, or I'll delete her entirely from my feed. I don't 
have to decide immediately. 

On that note, I'm going to have some hot tea and oatmeal because I'm cold today. It's above freezing, so I shouldn't be so shivery. I wish I could curl up in a blanket for some more sleep, but that's time I really don't have. Enjoy your day, be kind, stay safe and please wear your mask. I'll be back tomorrow. 

It's Primary Election Day - Get Out and Vote Today!

Today is Primary Election day here in the USA, so if you haven't already voted by mail, get out to the polls and cast your vote. I know primaries aren't as "important" as the general election in November, but really, the candidates on the November ballot will be determined by today's vote. I registered to vote by mail a couple of months ago and sent my vote in almost a month ago, so I'm set. I did leave DH a note to vote, and also to let me know if he wanted vote-by-mail for November. Today is the LAST day I can get him signed up for that.

I've voted by mail several times in my life, but made sure I signed
up and voted in the primary more than two months ago. 

Of course, there are problems with vote-by-mail too ... an overloaded Postal service and the fact that  things can be "lost" in the mail, etc. But there are also things like chads or malfunctioning voting machines on election day that can cause problems in any election. Nothing seems to be foolproof, so we do the best that we can. I didn't feel like I wanted to play the "stand in line, socially distant" in our November temperatures. I've done the waiting game in sub-zero temps (as well as on "warm" days) for the general election in past years. It wouldn't have been terrible to stand in line in August, but I took advantage and voted by mail.

The race of the day is Ilhan Omar v Antone Melton-Meaux. Although
I think either candidate would be good, I suspect Ilhan will be
moved on to the general election in November. Minnesotans might
be "Minnesota Nice", but we like a spitfire now and again, and Ilhan
Omar is certainly that. 

The big election in our area is between Ilhan Omar, the current Representative, and her opponent, Antone Melton-Meaux. Omar is a firebrand - outspoken and somewhat divisive, but always interesting and someone who makes a lot of waves (unusual for Minnesota Nice). Melton-Meaux is what's called a "progressive Democrat" and has come across well in commercials and articles. His campaign is well funded and this should be quite the battle. I didn't get to vote in this particular election - they're part of the Minneapolis districts, not the St Paul ones. My Representative is Betty McCollum, and I voted for her again because I've liked her through the years. But, five of our eight Representatives were newly elected in 2018 (taking office in 2019), so it's a position that has had a lot of turnover.

• Minnesota's 1st district: Jim Hagedorn (R) (since 2019)
• Minnesota's 2nd district: Angie Craig (D) (since 2019)
• Minnesota's 3rd district: Dean Phillips (D) (since 2019)
• Minnesota's 4th district: Betty McCollum (D) (since 2001)
• Minnesota's 5th district: Ilhan Omar (D) (since 2019)
• Minnesota's 6th district: Tom Emmer (R) (since 2015)
• Minnesota's 7th district: Collin Peterson (D) (since 1991)
• Minnesota's 8th district: Pete Stauber (R) (since 2019)

Regardless of your location or political beliefs, you owe it to yourself and your neighbors to get out and vote today, if you haven't already voted, get to your polling location and vote! ESPECIALLY if you're female! It took women more than 60 years to finally get the right to vote. Don't waste the opportunity to make a difference in your government. 

On that note, I'm out of here. Have an excellent Tuesday and I'll be back tomorrow. VOTE, Wear a MASK and please, be kind to one another.