Category: politics

Days 351-353: The Lodge With the In-Laws

~ Dona ~ 1 Comment

Dean’s family always rent a vacation home near where my brother now lives (my family’s lake house) and we often would visit the lake house the same week as the in-laws visited their rental property. This year the “first week of the month” turned out to be the “second week of the month” so, while Andrew and Alex were planning on going, they were not able to because Alex had to be back in her classroom that week.

So it was just Dean and me and thankfully we chose to only stay a few days. Don’t get me wrong, the lake is delightfully lovely and the place the in-laws rent is delightfully rustic. It’s an old resort with a main lodge (in part of which the owners live) and several rentable cabins. According to their website the lodge is over 100 years old and was built to house loggers. It has nine bedrooms and sleeps up to 18. Dean and I slept in a bedroom called Ducks something. (Ahoy maybe?) It was comfortable enough. Luckily there were two beds because one was only a full.

They always rent a pontoon boat and there are canoes, kayaks and a paddleboat the renters can use. I went out on the pontoon boat the day we arrived and had a delightful chat with Leanne, Dean’s brother’s daughter. (she was my flower girl and we have a special relationship. Leanne is in a relationship with Paul, a delightful fellow (and the one I wanted her to marry many years ago when they were roommates).

Nights around the fire were also delightful, for the most part. Chatting with my sister-in-law’s niece and her wife was delightful. Sharing Aperol Spritzes with Leanne, Carol and Sue was also delightful.

One night we ate out — not a supper club, but I did divulge in a delightful old-fashioned.

It could have been the fact that I’d had enough of the Midwest or was missing being home, but the overall stay at the Lodge was not as delightful as it could have been. I felt as if I were intruding on someone else’s vacation. Also the fact that while the men relaxed, the women did all the work — cooking and washing up afterwards — was (and always has been) unfair. This time there was more grumbling than other times about this. I was delighted to hear it.

Sleep was difficult, at least sleeping-in. Dean arose at 5:00 am or earlier and noisily searched for his phone or computer. If I fell back asleep, I was always awakened again around 6:30 am when the TV (just below our room) was turned on, volume very high. Then my twin brothers-in-law would debate whatever was on the TV at the time, also on high volume.

Finally, there were the trumpets and science deniers and Fauci-haters. Granted this was only two people — a couple — it was uncomfortable for me to be around them. I tried to get to know them better, but I don’t know that they cared. One night when Dr. Fauci was on television this couple screamed profanities at the television. Then the morning we left there was a Covid scare. One sister-in-law had some classic Covid symptoms and several of us suggested she get a Covid test. Her daughter (one of the trumpets) became livid, shouting profanities at those of us who suggested that her mother be tested.

At least Rupert and Chum had a delightful time.

Day 268: Another Vaccination and Chat with Clare

~ Dona ~ 1 Comment

This morning I received my second shingles vaccination. While the side-effects were not delightful, the feeling of having all my old lady vaccinations done is.

I had a delightfully long (2 hour) phone call with Clare last night. Among other things, we discussed the CDC’s new mask guidelines and agreed that we thought it was wrong and too early. I, however, pointed out that the CDC is not a policymaking organization, but one that provides guidelines based on science. Clare reminded me that the CDC did make a judgment call back at the beginning of the pandemic when masks were in short supply and we were encouraged to not wear them so the hospitals and first responders had enough. She suggested that the CDC could have done the same this time by not posting the new guidelines that masks are unnecessary for fully vaccinated people. The CDC is not filled with stupid people and it has to have known that antivaxers might take advantage of the fact that it is impossible to know if someone is vaccinated or not by just looking at them.

In the end we agreed that everyone needs to be critical thinkers. And we’ll continue to wear masks for the time being.

Days 145 – 149: Mostly Hopeful

~ Dona ~ 4 Comments

I’m delightedly, yet guardedly, optimistic about the future. I’m hopeful that during the Biden administration, many things our country (and planet) lost during the trumpet’s administration will be found again.

A few other delights of the past few days:

Only Children by Alison Lurie

When it was decided our book group read a book by the [recently] late Alison Lurie I was not 100% delighted, but I was delightfully surprised when I loved Only Children, a book about adults behaving badly. A group of 4 adults and three children spend a few days with Anna, the headmistress of a private, liberal school in Westchester County, NY during the depression. It’s mostly a slice-of-life tale, which I don’t always like, but this was so well written. I’d not heard of Alison Lurie until one of our book group members sent us a link to her obituary. This won’t be the only book I read by this author.

Carbonara & Baked Custard

I had a number of egg yolks left over from Andrew’s birthday cake which featured homemade marshmallow so I made a delightful carbonara and equally delightful baked custard for dinner one night.

The photo at the top is what was left of the custard after two days. It was my first time using a bain-marie to cook anything.

A Day to Myself

Dean took off on a hike with a friend on Saturday, so I had the house to myself all day. Always delightful.

Day 77: Yes!

~ Dona ~ 2 Comments

Today’s news is really too big to be considered a mere delight but I include it here because how could I not?

We’re going to have decent leadership that we can be proud of, instead of embarrassed about.

I spent the morning on Twitter again, hoping to be “there” when it was announced, but at noon decided to work on the attic. Dean is the one who told me about it by playing a loud horn sound from his bluetooth speaker.

I ran downstairs and outside to the front lawn, smiling bigger than I’d in months. I could hear horns honking on Old Georgetown Road. Such a delight.

Day 76: Georgia and Zooming with the Burgoynes

~ Dona ~ 2 Comments

Yay Georgia! Yay Stacey Abrams! Can I really have hope now that Biden will win?

I spent another day on Twitter, some of it in the wee hours of the morning where I learned about about Biden taking the lead in Georgia from Randy Rainbow’s tweet — screenshot above.

I had a delightful Zoom session with Jeremy and Frances. See, I posted on Facebook that I was planning to celebrate Rupert’s 100th Birthday on Sunday with cake and if anyone wanted to join us I would schedule a Zoom meeting. Jeremy sent me a message that he had never Zoomed and I suggested I show him how it was done. After a few false starts we were able to have a great conversation. I wish I’d gotten a screenshot.

Day 74: Hopeful Anxiety

~ Dona ~ 3 Comments

I was very worried when I saw Helen’s message that she was going to bed. Also some expletives about Lindsey Graham and pollsters. I was sure the trumpet had done it again.

I immediately looked the news feeds on my phone and was relieved that was not over. Trump had not won, yet. That was a delight, albeit a tenuous one.

Therefore, I did what any rational adult would do in this sort of situation, I spent today endlessly scrolling through Twitter and updating my feed every few seconds.