24 May 2020: Daily

If you are remotely prone to worry, catastrophic thinking, or are one millimeter beyond rather than shy of complete terror over the state of America now and as relates to this fall’s election, I cannot in good faith advise you to watch The Plot Against America, the six-part series based on Philip Roth’s eponymous novel. The book was published in 2004. It could almost literally be about our current march to the November 2020 election. Gripping, tense, terrifying, and everything is on the line.

I’m sure you saw the swarms at the Lake of the Ozarks water park from this weekend in Missouri. Perhaps you’ve also read about the surge in cases of Covid-19 since Texas reopened. Or seen the news that more than 40% of Republicans think Bill Gates will use a Covid-19 vaccine to implant a location-tracker in recipients. THAT is all the real plot against America. Grotesque ignorance perpetrated by a horribly anti-Democratic, venal, corrupt “government.”

Do these same people care about the front page of today’s NYTimes? U.S. Deaths Near 100,000, An Incalculable Loss.

Do those Republicans, those crowing “pro-lifers” care at all?

Hillary was right. About pretty much everything.

And Trump golfs. At your expense. At our expense.

I feel like I have failed in some fashion as I’ve let all activism go since starting to shelter in place on March 13. Suddenly, my world feels so small, so constricted. It seems all I can do to feed and parent and tend my three boys each day, every day, much less myself, and my closest friends and family. But please know that if we don’t protect our right to vote, freely and securely, we will lose this country in November. I will do everything I can. I hope you will too.

In the meantime, Tom and I celebrated our 16th anniversary on Friday, today we re-roofed our shed, the one we’ve been refurbishing, and the boys and I helped a neighbor set up her new raised bed (they dumped 30 bags of soil and compost in the frame!). Then we did expressive art with old fence posts: how do each of us feel during this pandemic?

Jack’s “Czech hedgehog” which was incredibly well conceived and explained.

Mine

And some pretties, for some zen: fresh collards from my garden; an Eden rose; a coming Calla lily.

19 May 2020: Daily Pretty

Oliver’s art teacher is knocking it out of the park with Zoom learning. He has done some really neat projects in recent weeks. Look at his nature mandala of today.

What would I do without my yard and garden?! The wonder of alliums, peonies, anemones, ferns, bees, worms, the birds, dahlias, things that aren’t classified perennials but are so happy they come back year after year anyway…Magic all around.

And my pretty girl.

Ruthie

15 May 2020: Daily Tale + Hilarity

Y’all, I do not even know where to start re: today, so I will simply start at the beginning with an earnest trip to Home Depot (even though I hate the founder, that shitty trumper human) to curbside pickup an order Tom placed last night.

I told my dear husband to measure the panel he was buying to refurbish our ancient garden shed. Charitably, because he is a smart man, I will say that he chose not to do that because pretty immediately, both I and the Home Depot guy could tell we were going to have to tie the 48” x 96” panel to my Prius’ roof. Everyone feigned confidence, but when he asked, “how far are you driving?” I knew this was not an optimal situation.

One mile, and 25 mph, into the four miles home, it was clear to me that the panel was serving as a car sail that I did not want. It was moving front to back, and the wispy plastic ties hanging into my car were growing limper by the minute. I did not wish to fly anywhere.

I put my flashers on and crept along the shoulder for a bit. Then, my highway met another highway, and I just couldn’t fathom taking my sail-car into the maelstrom. I pulled into a tiny triangle of neutral ground, pressed the hazard light button twice as if it were going to magnify the damn flasher impact, and called Tom.

This does not look like much, but the speed limit on both sides is 65 and it’s like the 405 meeting the 1.

No answer. He was, I knew, in yet another Zoom meeting.

I called my friend K. Straight to voicemail.

I made a Marco Polo video for D and A, filming the evidence of 18 wheelers racing past me on both sides at the confluence of two major, multi-lane roads.

I called Jack. He who never answers answered. I told him to knock on the door and tell Dad I really needed to talk to him. I literally heard Tom say, “I can call Mom in 2 minutes.”

I called K again. She picked up and in minutes we’d switched to FaceTime so that she could see the panel sail atop my car, the ginormous trucks whizzing by, and commiserate with my predicament. Because she is amazing, she measured her SUV trunk. This ludicrous panel would not fit there either. Oliver called while I was on with K.

Tom called back and said he would come immediately. I sent him a screenshot of my location: my ludicrous triangular niche in the middle of mayhem.

I called Ol back. He excitedly told me about the winching ratchet Tom had located. “Ol, has Dad left yet?” “No, mamma.”

WTF?

I called K back. I left another Marco Polo. I was not super-concerned, but at the same time, I really hoped every other driver was paying attention.

Finally Tom arrived, winched on some forearm forklift straps and agreed to drive the sail-car home. I drove his and felt liberated.

Then I spent four hours scraping old paint and rust off one third of one or our iron railings. Have mercy. #coronaviruslife

HILARIOUS:

A famous song, decoded.

Delightful:

Brothers enjoying an orange soda more than even seems possible is a full-tank gas refill.

Totally: