I’m not even going to speak about yesterday’s travesty. I get too enraged. You know how I feel. And you absolutely know that you must VOTE.
If you haven’t mailed your ballots in, mail them in today. Kavanaugh and SCOTUS are doing everything they can to block any ballots that are postmarked before the election but received after the election from being counted. Get them in the mail today and better yet, take them and drop them off in person.
We are voting today. Period. Nothing will stop us.
Vote them all out. Every last one of these enablers, these power-hungry public servants who care nothing about our lives, but sure care a lot about controlling women.
See, I’ve started to get enraged again.
Don’s news from the doctor was not good. He was hoping it was tendonitis or something that could be dealt with with some therapy. But the x-rays showed very, very bad arthritis in that finger, so much so that the top joint in his pinky finger has no cushioning between the bones. That’s why he’s in such pain. The guitar technique he has been diligently learning and practicing over the past two years or so involves the use of that finger – a lot. So all of his practice has only made it worse. And there’s nothing that can be done but to wrap the joint and take pain meds. That’s it.
He was very down when he got home. He kept saying he was too young for arthritis but he was in actuality acknowledging that he isn’t young anymore. This means he really can’t play the guitar for a while and when he does, he’ll have to learn a new way to play the pieces that involve that finger.
It’s all relative, of course. There are far worse things. But that doesn’t matter. He’s hurting and I’m hurting for him.
Time to get something to eat and prepare to go to the polls early. They don’t open until noon today. We’re going to get in line and wait. I’m so excited to cast my ballot today.
Stay safe.
Happy Tuesday.
Good luck at the polls! It’s feels so good to finally put action to all the anger and frustration we have felt for the last four years. Counting the days, just counting the days. Stay safe! 🌊🌊🌊!!
Thank you, Janet!
Stay safe!
sad for don about the arthritis. i hope and pray he gets pain relief and that there’s different ways he can play the guitar without pain or making a problem worse.
it is very hard to see a loved one hurting, isn’t it?
keep taking good care of yourselves.
glad you and don can vote today. though there are times we absolutely must rest, action (to me) feels much better than hoping and especially just waiting for something better. we need relief, to feel better! anyway, hope lots of people there vote today … just not when you’re in line. be safe!
cold here so am doing stuff inside on my day off. and this afternoon getting a shot in my throat to hopefully stop the quake in my voice.
happy voting day and be well!
kathy in iowa
Kathy, is it dysphonia you have in your voice? That runs rampant in my family and my sisters have been getting botox injections for years. It seemed to have missed me until a couple of years ago and now I have it, too. Hope you can get some relief.
hej, shanna …
oh, no! sorry to hear that, shanna. i hope the shots have been helping your sisters … and you, too, if you get them.
that’s what they are thinking … but who knows? the initial exam was super-super-brief (pretty much was just “read these two sentences “) in my opinion, and the one examiner and her intern left out an important part (that i had to ask about) so i am not very confident … but going forward with it to hopefully make it better for my family to be able to hear me on the phone and in person (for now at a social distance). my twin sister has it, too, and i am very sad about that. we are grateful that no one else in our family has or had it.
hoping and praying that you all have relief, peace, safety …
kathy in iowa
I hope the shot went well, Kathy! And that you’re enjoying your time off this week.
Stay safe!
Good luck voting today. Good luck to Don. I was diagnosed in early 20’s and a wheelchair predicted by 40 which is the age I took up snow skiing (no more of course). The pain has been excruiating…no pain relief…I need two hips, two knees, and two shoulders, but the disease is from feet to neck…I keep walking my steps/miles daily, and that keeps me moving…Fibromyalgia started and Osteoporosis and other things-failing…It is not easy. Don is the type-or seems to me-that he will make it work…I am so so sorry…I know totally how he is feeling…I am so glad he has you…both of you make my life brighter when I read your blog each day…a sparkle in the day…
I’m so sorry that you have to suffer with all of this Brenda. Praying things improve for you.
Thank you for your kind words.
Stay safe!
Dear Claudia, Aging is a bitch, but it beats the alternative. Facing the frustrations is not fun, but we have to remind ourselves that we are the lucky ones. It is THE rude awakening. I hope Don can get relief from the pain. Vitamin T ( Tylenol) has been very helpful for me when I feel like I just must.
Have you two ever considered making a home recording (or did I miss that you already have)? I would love to hear you perform. Sincerely…
Thanks, Leslie. I don’t know whether we’ll ever do that – but never say never!
Stay safe.
Hopre you have a good experience at the polls. The sun briefly came out so I am going to throw some clothes on and get out there. Just finished ordering miniature fairies from vendor on Etsy for a project I have been working on for my 6 year old granddaughter. Her birthday present will include books of illustrations of fairies, paper doll fairies and six miniature fairies for her fairy garden. When we were together in person nearly 8 months ago we stayed awake making up fairy stories. We both agreed that fireflies are miniature fairies…… She put her little arms around me and said I love you grandma. It keeps me going. Stay safe and hope for the best.
We had a great experience at the polls, Maria.
Your granddaughter is lucky to have you for her grandmother, Maria.
Stay safe.
If anyone is looking for some inspiration today, I recommend googling “104-year-old New York woman votes.” She is described as Ruth, a long time activist, who was determined to vote in person to get rid of Trump, calling it the most important act she has ever done. I won’t repeat what she called Trump, but Ruth sure seems to have a lot of life left in her!
I read about that the other day. It is incredibly inspiring.
Love her!
Thanks, Emily. Stay safe!
I feel for Don. I know with my back how it stops me from doing things I love and need to do. Finding ways to work around it is hard. So happy you are voting today. I could not watch any news last night. My heart hurts and then I’m also so angry. My therapy helped today. Hugs!
I am beyond angry. I have to stop at times, and listen to music, or read a novel.
Stay safe, Linda.
Oh…sorry to hear the news about Don’s finger. Hope he can relearn a different method to play his guitar. Where there’s a will….There’s a way…as my mom used to say.
Hope the voting goes well, and you don’t have to wait too long. I am so angry as well about yesterday. Not only Barrett…but the SC voted down counting Wisconsin ballots if received after Nov 3….even if they are postmarked before Nov. 3!! Unbelievable! They may have won this battle, but we must persevere and win the war!!
Stay safe! ;)
Oh, Donnamae, that made me so very angry. No matter what we do, the da#^ Repubs find a way to un-do it. I am so worried about WI in this election.
Me too. And, about the general election with their bag of Kavanaugh approved tricks!
He’s already started to deal with the guitar. He won’t let it stop him!
I’m furious about Wisconsin and that ass, Kavanaugh. Mr. Beer-swilling-attacker-of-women who never should have been seated on the Supreme Court.
Stay safe, Donna.
I couldn’t watch or think about what was happening yesterday. I had a Dr. appt today w/ my ortho for a knee injection, and I was so worried my BP would be so high that they would be calling an ambulance. But it was fine, thank goodness. I watched no news since last Friday except for watching 60 Minutes on Sunday. I guess it helped,
I have arthritis in my knees and back and fingers. It is awful stuff. I’m sure Don will search for a work-around for his guitar playing. I hope he finds one.
With the SC as horribly tilted as it is now, I figure the idiot will just take every decision against him from a lower court and send it off to the SC. They will become his own private law firm. I am so worried about the election and losing it via the Electoral College, I can’t sleep. I would prefer that I couldn’t EAT because of being so worried, but, no, it manifests in loss of sleep. Drat!! VOTE PROUDLY today!!!!!!!
I’m so sorry about Don. Hopefully, he will find a way to work around it.
I hope voting goes smoothly for you. We voted absentee and hand delivered our ballots to our township clerk. It doesn’t feel as “official” to me as voting in person, but definitely safer this year.
I am praying for a blue wave across the board.
Be safe
Definitely safer.
Stay strong, Marilyn, and stay safe.
I feel the same. Unfortunately, I seem to eat more (comfort food) instead of less.
So glad we voted. Now…the wait.
Stay safe, Chris.
Seems like arthritis is almost a given as we age…I’m “only” 58 but already have it in my right thumb, hips and in my spine. I take turmeric/curcumin supplements for inflammation and also omega-3 fatty acids and glucosamine & chondroitin. Gentle movement – walking and yoga help too. Hope Don’s finger feels better soon.
I’m finishing up researching local candidates today and then tomorrow…I’m voting in person!
xoxo
I’ll remind Don about glucosamine and chondroitin, Melanie. He’s already figuring out how to rethink his guitar playing.
I’ll be thinking of you as vote today!
Stay safe.
That dang arthritis has bitten a lot of us, I have had 3 back surgeries, the last one, a spinal revision done at Johns Hopkins Hospital by an amazing doctor almost 7 years ago. I take a glucosamine supplement each day. There are several variants and I switch brands regularly and even if the doseage is 2, I just take 1. My finger joints are kinda gnarly and hurt a little and at times, some hurt a lot, Like Don, I am much too young for this.
Take care all…
Kelly
I’m going to remind Don about glucosamine, Kelly.
Thanks so much, Kelly.
Stay safe.
Good luck voting. I hope you don’t have to wait too long or outside if the weather isn’t cooperating. Yes, yesterday was a terrible day.
I’m so sorry to hear about Don’s finger. I know if that happened to Rick (and it well could in time with all his guitar practice) that he would be devastated in any number of ways — feeling age, having to refinger things that had finally become natural. And there doesn’t seem to be much that can be done about it, is there, apart from what you are doing? I’m feeling arthritis too (lower back, mostly) but so far manageable, just annoying and sometimes puts a stop to things. I can’t imagine how it would be to have it affect something you love so.
It looks like interesting happenings on the cottage door. Can’t wait to see what’s next!
Voting went very smoothly, Jeanie.
Don is already at work, rethinking his playing. He refuses to let it stop him!
Stay safe.
I voted today. Was in and out in less than 15 minutes! Although when I left there was a line developing. In my county (Monroe in upstate NY), we have had a huge turnout for early voting. Vote them out!
Hope your voting experience was quick and easy.
Best-
Pam
Our wait in line was a bit long but that’s because we deliberately got in line well before the polls opened. It all went very smoothly1
Thanks, Pam.
Stay safe.
It is hard to see your body decline and it is ok to grieve the loss. I have had a couple of aging body issues lately too.
I am pretty sure that Don will make the best of it. He seems like a positive person who counts his blessings. That’s all we can do. Stay active and take care of ourselves. We are so very lucky.
He is already making the best of it, Kay. I’m glad to see him rethinking his fingering and getting back to the guitar.
Stay safe!
Glad you are voting today. It is such a relief to have it done!
Hope Don can reach out to some of his “seasoned” guitarist friends for advice on arthritic fingers. He will find a way to still enjoy his music.
Take care and stay safe!
Thank you Ellen!
Stay safe.
I’m sorry to hear about Don’s finger and how it will limit his music. God knows we need all the emotional comforts we can get these days. As far as this country goes, I’m grateful I don’t have daughters who must somehow negotiate the loss of rights, and I’m glad I don’t have LBTGQ kids who are also legally endangered, not to mention black sons who are safe targets for police. People tell me that the pendulum swings and it will swing back, but no one can say how long that will take or how many will suffer before that happens. I’m sick, and I know you are too. Several people in an activist group that I belong to have reported that their ballots haven’t been received or processed according to the state website which is supposed to provide that information. One family was told they would have to fill out a form, get it notarized or something, and then vote again. Who has time to do that before the deadline? I believe Biden/Harris have the momentum now, but I have no confidence the results will be accurate or fair. Once again, thank you and Don for your work. stay safe.
We’re all worried. We can’t count on anything until it’s over.
Stay safe, Nora.
best wishes to Don to get some relief from the problem finger. I fell almost two weeks ago in a parking lot, on a hill, hitting the pavement very hard! . X-rays say no fracture thankfully, but the pain & swelling is horrendous. Referred today to an orthopedic doctor for further evaluation. I’m grateful that injury wasn’t worse, but apprehensive for the true determination of the problem.
We voted Sunday afternoon (in Ohio). waited in line almost 2 hours. While we waited, our 12 year old entertained us by reading us ‘little known facts of the world’ on his phone. The man behind us in line said he had learned more in one afternoon than he learned in many years. I am grateful that we are having extended hours to vote so more people can access the polls.
I’m so sorry to hear of your fall, Jan! And I’m sorry to hear you’re in so much pain. I hope that the doctor can help you.
Love the story about your 12 year old! Bless him.
Stay safe.
Grateful to read you all are voting & are sensible. Feeling fortunate that California law permits mail-in ballots be counted if postmarked by the official Election Day. The Wisconsin news was probably disheartening to all Wisconsin residents in the military & others who are overseas. Obviously none of the SC GOP have been in the military or have family who enlisted.
I love your photo today – it struck me that it reminded me of the days when I would walk into the theatre house & see the set in the midst of construction. Treasured days.
Best to you on the satisfaction of voting & having it count.
So does New York. They aren’t trying to suppress voters and I know California isn’t either.
Thanks, Martha!
Stay safe.
It’s hell to age. I’m so sorry Don is having a rough time. My husband and I both suffer from various forms of arthritis but, thank God, we don’t so far have my mom’s rheumatoid arthritis which is the most severe. I have osteoarthritis (very common) just about everywhere in my body where you don’t want it; and my husband having had multiple broken bones including his back (helicopter accident in his 20s), just has arthritis which gets worse every year now from the previous injury of so many years ago. It’s the hard thing about aging; how much we have to give up when the body no longer works as it once did. We just get to a point that the body has had too much wear & tear. Old muscles, tendons, joints; old bones. (Jeez, could I sound more depressing?) Is just a fact of life.
I admire people my age who’ve managed adult-long to do things continuously and regularly like ballet, yoga, pilates, tai chi; things that help with balance, strength, extension, flexibility. But you’ve got to go at it more gently over time. I have a few jocks in my life who overdid it with weightlifting and marathon runs or competitive bicycle races over many years and, man, in their 60s & 70s, they’re hurting, with knee surgeries, hip surgeries, back surgeries. Ow. Don will figure this out; it’s hard to ratchet things down, but the rest on the joint sounds very important. I’ve lost over a week to this darn shoulder problem I’m having and I get really frustrated with the down time when I just can’t use the arm. Don and I both need pain relief!
With Mom, she had to concentrate what she could do rather than what she could not, as the RA continued to attack the joints in her fingers/wrist. She had to give up crocheting, but it meant she spent more time on her art; picking up a paintbrush. She could no longer hook rugs, but she could put on her own nail polish which made her feel better about her disfigured hands from the disease. She could no longer play the piano, but she could still sing. For everything she lost, she made sure she had a gain. My mother could be one stubborn little fighter.
Claudia, I so share your rage with what’s happening on the national front. There was an online headline today, was it CNN(?), “Cracking under election stress in a pandemic? Do this instead.” The first line of the opinion piece, “Everything is terrible and nothing is OK. If you’re feeling depressed and maxed out too, trust that you are far from alone … In what is for many Americans a truly terrible year, waking up into Tuesday – – as Covid rages on, and with the hangover of misbegotten Supreme Court confirmation – – manages to stand out as particularly awful. With maximum pandemic stress rushing in, maximum stress from the impending election, everything — democracy; our lives — feels at stake. It’s enough to make you want to fall apart. So, how to deal?” The long article goes on to suggest: “…take care of yourself. Stand up and walk around. Take some deep breaths. Roll out your wrists and wiggle your shoulders. Log out of apps that make you anxious. Get away from screens awhile. Put on your mask and go for a walk outside. Call a loved one. Then, do something … convert despair into action. You’ve voted, right? And don’t forget. There is also life beyond this election. There may be more despairing yet to do, or there may be a moment of hope. It’s easy to … sink into a pit of despair. It’s a rational reaction to this moment, when so many of our fellow citizens are dead, sick or hurting, and when a whole series of basic rights many Americans took for granted are freshly vulnerable. It’s OK not to feel like bucking up, to want to hide under the covers and melt into a sea of misery. Go ahead. Just don’t stay too long. “
We all need that advice right now, Vicki. Thank you.
We’re hanging in there and are grateful to have voted.
Stay safe!