I slept well last night. I even slept in.

That’s what happens when goodness, competence, compassion, integrity, and honor come back to the White House.

What an extraordinary day.

We were glued to the television for the whole thing, only taking a break for a bit in the afternoon. I’m too overwhelmed with joy and peace this morning to address everything I loved about the inauguration. I can’t get my brain around it all and I’m in a blissful state this morning that doesn’t include a lot of clarity, just happiness.

I will say that I am so grateful that the Arts are back in the White House. The brilliant young poet Amanda Gorman knocked my socks off. She is a national treasure. The previous occupant of the White House didn’t read, didn’t listen to music, didn’t care about music, dance, theater, film, poetry. He was bereft of joy. To engage with the Arts, you have to be willing to be transported, to be challenged, to think, to ponder, to transform, to expand. Thankfully, the Biden White House has restored what was missing.

I’ve spent my entire life in the Arts. I grew up around artists who were expansive and smart and witty and willing to learn. My life has been blessed by my relationships forged from the community of theater artists, as has Don’s. We miss that right now, of course, as there is no work for us. But we are buoyed by our memories of the joy that comes from working together to create something. Those fellow artists become family and remain so long after we’ve parted ways. We have been talking about this very thing lately – how fortunate we are to have known and worked extraordinary artists, and how much we miss working in a collaborative and exciting way.

It’s enormously important to have validation of the Arts coming from the White House. Especially now, when so many are out of work.

That’s what struck me this morning.

So many wrongs that are already being addressed via Executive Order. Thank God.

For now, for today, I just want to bask in the glow of yesterday. I bet you do, too.

It finally happened. The despot is gone. Long live decency.

Here’s a puzzle update. I should finish it today.

Enjoy this day, my friends. We’re in good hands.

Stay safe.

Happy Thursday.

A very short post this morning, my friends.

Random thoughts:

It’s finally here. The day that seemed so far off in this endless four years of grift and lies and crimes and corruption is here. It feels like Christmas morning here at the cottage.

We watched the moving ceremony at the Reflecting Pool that honored all the victims of COVID. I started crying. I imagine I’ll be crying off and on all day today.

I watched Joe Biden tear up during his goodbye in Delaware. Watched him cry as he acknowledged his son, Beau. A man who is not afraid of expressing emotion, a man comfortable enough with who he is to wear his heart on his sleeve – this is a true leader. And we finally have a President and Vice-President who share our grief over 400,000 lives lost.

We have a lot of work to do. But, for the first time in four years, we have a leader who is more interested in us  than he is in himself.

What a concept.

To all the resistors, to all who fought against the cesspool that was the Trump presidency, to all who wrote their representatives, who marched in protest, who called him out, who tweeted, who volunteered on campaigns all over the country, who went door-to-door, who texted, called, rallied and did everything they could to elect Joe Biden – THANK YOU.

We’re here.

Stay safe.

Happy Inauguration Day.

Just a quick update today as I’m getting to this late.

Why?

Because we were on FaceTime with this guy:

(You know how much I love him when I post this even though it contains this picture of me.)

We were solving mysteries.

The mystery of The Bank Vault that Won’t Open (A vault that works as a bank and has a touch pad. He got it for Christmas.) It wasn’t opening and we had to solve the mystery. SOLVED: It needed new batteries. Mere did the drawing of the bank vault.

The other mystery: Which dog, Hank or Bear, threw up in the crate last night. UNSOLVED. I recommended that they label it a Cold Case.

Since Z insisted that detectives use notebooks, Mere got one from her stash and here Z is adding details to the case of the Bank Vault that Won’t Open.

This was a lovely, long and wonderful call and it made our day, so I wasn’t about to leave early and write a post.

Hopefully, I’ll get this one in before the deadline for the email version of the post.

The puzzle is proceeding nicely.

Stay safe.

Happy Sunday.