Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Gone.

I missed those lovely lights this morning, though we keep our porch lights up for several months. I don’t like little tree lights anywhere else except on the tree, so I’m not going to be hanging them anywhere else in the house. Further explanation: I think it reminds me too much of my freshman dorm room, where we had them up all year long. That’s not a bad memory, but it’s a “young” memory. Just as mid-century modern furniture is a ‘young’ memory. Had it in our house growing up, don’t want it in here now. Hopefully, that makes sense.

Anyway it took a long time to remove the vintage ornaments and wrap them carefully. Don took the tree outside and left it in the woods for the birds and animals. I vacuumed like crazy. Then we moved the pew back. What else? I repotted a plant that’s not been doing well. After I investigated further, I realized it was very root bound, so fingers crossed that the repotting helps.

Still haven’t started my puzzle. I really do hope to do that today, in the midst of washing sheets and participating in the second zoom reunion of my high school pals at 4 pm.

Don and I are spending a lot of time discussing what happened on Wednesday and allowing ourselves to vent. We’re also giving ourselves permission to be a bit obsessed with the news. We have never been through something like this and we need to bear some sort of ‘witness’ for lack of a better word. I wake up each morning in disbelief that this attack on our democracy actually happened. But it did. And I think we’re going to find it goes much deeper and further than we initially thought.

Let’s see if Mike Pence invokes the 25th Amendment today. (After all, Trump’s insurrection nearly got Pence killed.) I read last night that he was still considering it if Trump got ‘worse.’ Really? We’re going to wait for worse than insane?

We’ll see. If not, it’s impeachment.

In the meantime, I’m going to finish this post, take a shower, throw the sheets in the wash, and find some pockets of peace.

Stay safe.

Happy Sunday.

Another view. I took this after I had retreated to the bedroom to listen to a podcast. Don was on the phone. The combination of the phone call and – right before that – recording a new song for a few hours, all of which took place less than 20 feet away from where I was sitting, was too much. I needed some privacy, if only for a while.

We get along extraordinarily well. We love being just a few steps away from each other. But sometimes, especially in this frightening time, both of us need some privacy. Later in the day, we took a walk up in the woods, back and forth down our paths. It helped. I am very, very grateful he is by my side. Always. But especially now.

I think I watched too much news last night and I had a restless night of sleep. To be expected. I’m sure this same restlessness is happening to millions of Americans. As more details emerge, I am more and more angry; at the same time, depressed and sad.

I happened to be on Twitter the moment they permanently suspended his account. It should have happened long ago, but better late than never. He’s trying to incite another attack.

In other news, we were going to take our tree down yesterday. It’s been up for 38 days! But Don looked at me and plaintively asked, “Could we keep it up one more day?” So we did. However, it’s definitely time, so today we’ll deal with that. It’s been beautiful. I’ve hugged and thanked this beauty for enriching our life when we most needed it.

Haven’t started a puzzle yet, but I think I will today, after the tree is down.

Don’s working on a song, I’ll be working a puzzle. And he made me apple pie the other day to cheer me up, so we’ll have a piece late in the afternoon.

My dears, I’m thinking of you. Sending lots of love your way.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.