Working on the house and early voting

 We're slowly putting things back in place after the new siding.  We're not in any hurry tho, just enjoying the new view.  Every couple days, one of us sees something new that we hadn't noticed before.  Lots of things won't go back where they came from, and I'm having to make that hard decision of whether to find a new place or pack them away.  They next door neighbors were out of town since all this started and got back this week and got a surprise when they looked into our back yard and saw the change.  

I got the drapes finished and hung.  They very much block out light a lot of sound.  I'm very glad we did this instead of another window treatment.  The room is being painted blue and I think these are going to work great!  Just like they worked with the red for all these years.  Because when you find a good thing, stick with it, right?  You'll see a line near the bottom.  That's the old hem fold line.  They've been hanging here a long time and I couldn't get that line to iron out, so I did a blue decorative stitch over it and you can't even tell it was there.  

I needed them to meet in the center, but they're too heavy to hang without the third rod hook.  When we hung them last week, these tabs were right along the edge and it left a half inch gap all the way down, so I moved the tabs over a half inch on both panels so they could overlap when they're closed.    

A couple times a year, the city does big and bulky brush, where we can trim our trees and put the cuttings on the curb and the city will pick them up without all the special bundling and tying they make us do the rest of the year.  The neighborhood chainsaws were a-roaring all weekend and we got in the act and cleaned up the back yard.  We have ash trees back there and they tend to grow long branches that eventually get heavy and point down.  I think we're both a little sore today from that.  Saturday night, there was another neighborhood jazz concert.  We love those and Rob reached out to all the neighbors we know and a couple of other couples ended up joining us there. 

In front of us on one side was this dog.  And, on the other side was a toddler.  It was truly like watching a show.  The dog just wanted to play.  The baby just wanted to escape and crawl up the hill.  Lots of people brought their dogs.  Rob said we should have brought ours...NOT!  Bella would have cowered and Mable would have tried to sing with the band.  We heard rumor that the base player is George Strait's base player.  Don't know if it's true, but these are just small bands being put together on the fly.  The other night, the singer didn't know everyone's name to intro the band.  But, they played like they'd been together forever.  

Yesterday, I baked and cooked.  I tried Naan again.  It just isn't coming out right.  One of the guys I work for is Indian.  I'm thinking I need to ask for help.  I also baked chocolate chip cookies.  MMMmmmmm.  I talked to my doctor last week and she wanted to know how we're coping.  Not sure why she didn't ask these questions when I was in her office a couple weeks ago, but she went through what sounded like a checklist of my mental health.  About the only bad habit I've picked up in lockdown is baking and eating what I bake.  Not sure whether that's a good thing or not, but she didn't sound too judge-y.  My cholesterol is okay and as far as she knows, I haven't gained any weight.  She doesn't know about the weight I lost pre lockdown and gained back post.

My orchid is having a baby!  I'm very excited but I was surprised Sydney would get so excited when she found out.  She dropped by last week for some mail and wanted to see it and tell me all about what to do.  Orchids are something that draws us together.  She is quite the enthusiast, so when I got one to live after it had bloomed, it gave us something to talk about.  It gives her something to be the expert on.  That feels like how it should be as she matures.  She gets to teach me some things kind of like I taught her...except she's more patient with me...oops!

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Okay, so I didn't completely stick to my voting plan.  I had planned to vote on day three of early voting, but didn't realize that early voting didn't start until Tuesday, so when we went to vote on Wednesday, it was only day two.  The line was LONG.  But, it was socially distanced and moved pretty quickly.  Everyone wore a mask.  We were back in the car about an hour and 20 minutes after we got there.  I wish it was that easy for everyone else.  

I proudly observed the diversity in the line.  Couples and single, young and much older than I would have thought could stand in line that long.  Parents who had to bring their children.  Four racial groups.  And, everyone was in a good mood.  I'm sure that later in the day, when it got really hot, moods changed.  

I'm really over the whirlwind that is the news cycle and have stopped paying much attention.  One day, it's a Biden landslide, the next day, it's trumps path to victory.  I can't be jerked around emotionally like that, so I'm sticking to the "I voted" comments on my twitter feed.  Everybody is excited to vote.  Everybody is sharing their stories that are often like mine.  

Who else would love to see trump on a plane to Venezuela on 11/05?

A friend shared this tiny trump sticker.  She's sticking them all over the neighborhood.  I'm so glad I live in a blue bubble, even if it is in a traditionally red state. 

I just keep reminding myself...We Shall Overcome.  And, we better!

Everybody have a great week.  Lane