YOU WILL NEVER SEE THIS AGAIN... (I Promise and I Hope)

Straight up, 

I will tell you 

that anything like this post, today,

 will never come again.

 

 

 Talking to you now 

is not the same, 

normal, self-respecting,

 polite and loving person

 you have come 

to know me to be..

Right??

I have had it. 

 I don't like that

 it has been so darn hot,

 but I don't like it that 

summer has seemed to pass me by.

 

 Where has it gone?

I don't like that 

my internet keeps going out and 

I have to have someone

 come fix it 

(and know they probably won't 

as they have been here 

many times for

 the same problem).

I want to go to 

Home Goods and to thrift shops, 

but I can't, and 

before you say anything 

about that being a 

stupid outlook on the situation

 that we are in,

 think twice.

  Because 

I am looking 

for a fight!!

I don't go out 

to a restaurant 

because I don't trust 

that the precautions

 that I need 

will be taken.

I only go to the 

blood lab, my doc's office, and PT 

that the doc prescribed for me.

  Because I am concerned for my health,

 I will do these things,

 not just because 

I can or I want.

I see more people 

wearing masks, 

and that is what

 I have been pushing for and 

that is a really good thing.

  

On the other hand, 

just because people

 are wearing masks now, 

doesn't mean they are 

following all 

the rules.

I don't like to be the one 

that says I told you so, 

but when talk started up

 about opening the country, 

I thought it was too soon and

 no one seemed to be 

going about it 

in the right way.

 

 That is exactly what happened, and 

I can hardly restrain myself

 from calling it all

 a matter of greed.

  

I know people 

have to feed their families, 

I get it.  Don't think I don't.

 But there is a 

right way and a wrong way, 

and which one 

do you think 

our country chose?

Now, 

the talk is about sending 

our kids back to school.

 

 I know kids need an education, 

I know that there are 

a lot of them 

that don't get fed properly 

unless they are in school.

  I know they need interaction

 with their peers. 

 I know all that, I get it!

 I retired from a 

school district.

But if we jump into it

 without thorough planning, 

just like we did about 

opening up the economy,

 our kids are going to be 

on a level with guinea pigs and rats

 used for testing make-up, 

or more to the point,

 so parents can go back to work, 

which brings us right back

 to the economy.

  

And how is that working out for us?

I was very happy

 when I heard that

 CVS, Walmart and Home Depot

 were requiring masks

 of everyone who entered their stores. 

Now,

 I hear that they 

are softening that rule 

in order to not cause

 any confrontations with their customers

 who refuse to wear masks.

 What about my rights 

when I was a smoker?

  Laws were passed that

 I couldn't smoke in restaurants,

 and other public places, 

so I didn't.

 Me, as a customer, 

were denied my rights 

in order to protect others.

 

What do they think 

the mask rule is for?

When are we going to grow up and 

start acting like adults and

 not like little kids 

who want something 

just so they can have something

 that they think they are missing.

  I realize 

that there hasn't been the 

best role models 

to follow but 

an adult should be able 

to figure it out.

 

 I sure would like to know 

how many of the citizens of our country

 that are storming the beaches and

 filling up the bars and restaurants 

have had someone they love 

fallen ill or died 

due to the virus?

  

I hope not many, 

and I, myself, haven't, 

but yet I can see 

where this is all leading us,

 why can't they? 

 California 

has now surpassed New York 

as the epicenter

 of Covid-19.

Our little county, as of today,

 has 242 coronavirus cases. 

 On June 30, there were 116, 

growing to 151 by July 7 and 

182 by July 14.

 

 Fortunately,

 we have only had one death. 

 I say only..

that says something different

to the family of the deceased?

In today's paper,

 there have been at least

 four restaurants that have not obeyed 

the orders of

 closing down indoor dining. 

 They have been warned and

 after 15 days, 

if still happening,

 they will be fined $25 per day,

 doubling each day after that,

 up to a maximum of $1000 a day. 

 Evidently,

 they don't realize 

that there are a number of 

other restaurants that are 

abiding by the law.

 

 If that isn't a sign of greed,

 I don't know what is, and

 if the citizens of this fine city 

can't understand 

what is going on around them,

 then there might not be a chance

 for a more "normal" return 

to our lives 

that they all say they want.

Two accusations of coughing were reported:

  When a woman

 asked another couple, with a baby,

 to put on a mask,

 the man followed her out of the store and 

chased her to her car 

while coughing her way, 

 In another

 a 70 year old man

 was trying to pass another couple 

on the sidewalk who were maskless.

  They wouldn't let him pass, 

used homophobic slurs and

 said they had "Carona" 

and coughed at him.

  What is happening 

to the human race? 

 Where does all 

this hatred and disrespect 

come from?

 

 And, 

you want to know why 

this upsets me so? 

Where does that leave me and 

those like me?

 Now,

 I'm taking it

 personally and 

getting selfish.

Along this rant path

 that I have taken today, 

I have been showing you 

what the garden is looking like.

  It is overgrown and 

starting to wilt and 

losing hope 

that summer will be around 

for much longer.

  Berry bushes

 are taking over the lilacs, 

the lawn is going brown, and 

the July 4th decorations

 are still in place.

 

 As I said before, 

where did it go? 

 My time

 is being taken up 

by things that seem 

out of my control and

 of that I am not a fan.

 

 Now that you have read this, 

I beg you

 not to send any comments 

that say tomorrow will be a better day.

 I already know that.

 

Don't say that I watch

 too much news and 

it has my head

 in a bad place. 

 I already know that but

 I say we need to be informed. 

 

 Don't tell me

 you feel sorry that

 I am worried or sad, 

 because if I am 

at this moment, 

that doesn't mean 

I won't get better.

Don't tell me

 that this is not the majority

 that act like this. 

 I already know that.

 

  

Maybe, just maybe, 

all these people 

that are making me crazy

 are doing so because 

they don't know the severity 

of what is going on 

or they don't want

 to know. 

 Another person in our community 

engaged a gathering of 

more than 150 persons and

 an outbreak ensued. 

His only defense 

was to say that

 "Had I known about the problems, 

I wouldn't have done it."

Where

has this loser been?

The facts are there,

 all staring us in the face, and 

even if we don't, or can't,

 choose to see them,

 they won't go away. 

 

 Maybe people need to be

 a little better informed 

about what it means

 to be a person who has 

common sense and uses it and 

what could be the outcome 

of not having or using

 any at all.

Thank you for staying with me,

 if you are staying with me.

  If you have opinions of your own 

that differ from mine and

 want to share them,

 I welcome them too.

 

Just remember, 

I warned you,

 I am looking 

for a fight! 

 I also added to

 the title of this piece,

 I Promise and I Hope. 

That covers all my bases,

 just in case.   

It does feel kind of good

 to let off steam

 once in awhile 

so that is what I have done.

 

 Now,

 let's move on

 to better days. 

 

I know those

 will come also.

Even better

 would be a 

tall glass of cool lemonade.  

Stay smart, stay well, wear your masks and 

sometimes,

 don't be afraid

 to speak

 your truth.

...Judy...

FYI:  I just wanted to tell you

 that I produced this whole post 

with the new Blogger interface. 

 As I understand it 

the old way of publishing 

will only be available 

until August 24. 

Give it a try

 before too long 

so any kinks might be worked out.

 I found it 

pretty easy to use and

 as the saying goes,

 if I can do it

 anyone can!!

Sharing today with:

Love Your Creativity at Life and Linda

and

Keep In Touch at Let's Add Sprinkles

Rep John Lewis

A remarkable man

May he rest in peace.

A HALLMARK MOMENT...

It is 2020 and

 this summer is shaping up 

to be a very hot one.

 I have been looking for a way 

to beat the heat and 

I think I might have found one. 

 Let us step into my time machine and 

take a well deserved trip 

back to the past.

How could we 

have ever known

 at the end of 2019, 

  that within a relatively

 short amount of time,

 we would be up to our 

necks in the thick of things.

Now, 

if you were one of my fairies,

 I could strap you to the back

 of this beautiful butterfly and

 transport you to a land far, far away

 where you could find 

some relief from the world around you.

How could we have ever known 

that the biggest problems we might face

 would be which mode of transportation 

we should take

 to transport us back to a time 

when all was well with the world.

If you lived in my world, 

you would know that 

a butterfly is much more efficient

 in getting you where you want to go 

than an orange dragonfly 

could ever be.

So,

 now that we have found our time machine,

 let me show you

 what the world looked like before 

it all started to come

 crashing down.

It is said that Christmas 

only comes once a year

 but, for now,

 I will disagree with that nonsense.

 Because Christmas was 

really the last part of 

a sensible world and

 because we can take us "virtually" 

any place we want to go, 

let's make Christmas 

come again 

in July.

I have been reading 

a few blogs where they are doing just that,

 and as I sit here 

in my hot little computer closet,

 I have decided to 

cool us off

 with a post about 
twinkling lights and 
the quiet of softly falling snow 
from

 December, 2018.

I hope you enjoy it.



A CONTINUATION OF CHRISTMAS
DECEMBER, 2018

You might want to put on your cap or your kerchief and settle down - there is a lot to see here.

We left Christmas last week 

to the Victorians and,

 now this week, 

we are back in real time 

and as we move from one room, and one era, 

to the next,

 it is funny how time

 seems to have no meaning at Christmas.

  There is no line that is crossed, 

no door is closed or another opened, 

it is just a continuation of

 the magic of Christmas 

and the spirit of the season,

each and everyone

of us celebrate.

Our celebration, today,

 starts with a bouquet of pretty flowers,

 accompanied by two small santas

 on the game table, 

in the sitting room,

 with the Christmas tree 

as backup.

The sitting room 

is probably the most used room

 in the Cottage.

  As its name implies, 

a lot of sitting goes on in here.

  It is where we watch TV, 

read the newspapers,

 eat more than a few meals 

and just,

 generally, relax.

It is why our tree

 is positioned where it is.  

It can still be seen from 

the parlor's bay window 

but also we can enjoy it 

while sitting 

in the sitting room.

This year 

the sitting room has the honor of 

hosting most of the santas 

we have collected and made

 over the years.

This year, 

we have a special guest

 joining us...

Remember when 

Gertie, our Halloween Witch, 

came to live at the Cottage? 

 She told us she had 

a twin brother 

who was also in 

the business of holiday magic 

and what to our wondering eyes did appear? 

Himself, in his one-horse open sleigh!

Can't you see the resemblance?

My dad 

made my sister and me 

sleighs as a surprise one Christmas.

My mom painstakingly sewed 

all the little red cushions,

 covering little boxes for each one.

  I made the horse many years ago. 

 They just seemed to go together.

Santa came from Cold Creek Primitives,

 as did Gertie.  

April is a wonderful, imaginative artist.  You can reach her through Etsy.

I ordered this cute rocking horse from Antique Farmhouse

 and I bought the tree last year 

and added the red and green braid

 for just a little color.

 It snugs nicely next to the pine cones,

 just like it was made for it. 

I thought the little horse 

(cute though he is)

 could benefit from a 

painted saddle and halter. Maybe?

Moving into the dining room 

there is a bright patriotic tree

 to greet you 

and a shelf full of crocks 

with celluloid vintage reindeer

 mixed in.

If you look up 

you will see a 

little yellow rocking horse and Goatzie 

all draped in

 Christmas finery.

We uncovered our old sled

and set it on the table 

with another ceramic rocking horse

 that I made years ago.

Have you ever seen a red snowman? 

 As you know from years past, 

I don't usually decorate with

 snowmen at Christmas.

  My collection awaits for January

 when they come out in force 

to celebrate Old Man Winter. 

 This year, however, 

I had some red velvet 

and while still being obsessed

 with velvet pumpkins, 

I couldn't help myself. 

 No, 

I know that pumpkins 

are not Christmas material usually 

but when you make two

 in the color of Christmas 

and stack them with 

a sweet little face on top - 

A red snowman is born!

I have a feeling 

I will be expecting a shipment 

of white velvet soon!

I added some faux greenery 

to the bittersweet left over from autumn 

along with some vintage gold snowflakes, 

and our dining room light

 joins in the festivities.

A small amount of sunlight, 

through the kitchen window, 

on a cold winter's morn...

...and holly and ribbons

 to brighten up the 

kitchen jars and cabinets.

The kitchen table is set 

with everyday white plates 

on a bed of faux greenery from Pier One, 

green dishes are Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe

 from Goodwill, 

and the holly plates and bowl are from Home Goods.

Cheerful candy striped napkins 

and cutlery, also from Home Goods, 

are caught up with a star napkin ring

 from a thrift find.

A pitcher of seeded eucalyptus 

from Trader Joe's

 and a spray of Heavenly Bamboo berries

 from the garden, 

along with the "gingerbread" house 

I painted last year 

and Season's Greetings glasses

 from a thrift store, 

make a festive setting 

for breakfast on 

Christmas morning.

I certainly enjoyed your visit

 to our Christmas Cottage. 

 Where has the time gone? 

 It is getting late and

 I know you all still have so much to do.

  Instead of dropping bread crumbs, 

I have lit the candles 

to show you the way out. 

 Please come back 

after the first of the new year and

...until then...

...I will be taking 

a couple of weeks off,

 sitting right here 

by the fire.

You may have noticed

 that there is a lot of "joy"

 in the Cottage

 this year and...

...some of the 

same old tricks

 are still at the top

 of the list...

...and not a creature 

was stirring...

...except

 the usual suspects!

As you go out

 through the entry...

...take a peek

 into the guest room...

...the room is 

always available 

for a little get-away.

"From home to home

And heart to heart

From one place to another

The warmth and joy of Christmas

Brings us closer

To each other."

Emily Matthews

While you sit around your tree 

with the lamps and

 the candles lit...

...Take Joy!

After Santa 

has come down the chimney 

and the home fires 

are burning once again 

and the frost is 

sparkling on the roof...

...Take Joy!

And as you are going out the door,

 look back on 2018 and

...Take Joy!

 in the wonderful, happy, healthy and peaceful

 New Year to come.

MERRY CHRISTMAS 

AND

HAPPY NEW YEAR

...Judy...

For those of you 
who have been with me for awhile, 
I hope you enjoyed 
seeing this again, and
 for ones who are just starting out 
on this journey with us, 
please come back and 
look forward to next Christmas,
 may it be a better place.


...Judy...



Huge thanks 
to the Hallmark channel 
for making 
Christmas in July 
a reality.

As we venture back 
into summer and 
the reality of July 2020,
stay smart, 
stay well and 
wear your mask.

Now,
 I would like to ask 
you all a question.  
In reading this post 
did you get the opinion that
 I was looking for
 some cheap call girls? 
 Today, 
almost two years after the fact,
 I have gotten a comment
 from someone asking me that question.

 Where does this crap come from? 
 Do you get these 
kinds of comments sometimes?
  
Just curious..



Sharing today with:

Love Your Creativity at Life and Linda

and

Keep In Touch at Let's Add Sprinkles