Have you noticed? Folks sure are putting up their Christmas decorations early this year. If you follow my blog, you know I have opinions about this: when to put ‘em up and when to take ‘em down. And in normal times, it’s not the middle of November. I’ve always said, Tom Turkey should have his day; no Xmas decorations until after Thanksgiving. But as my co-worker Kim said to me a couple of weeks ago, “It’s 2020, Ida. No rules apply. I already put up my Christmas tree and have started decorating. Don’t judge! I need a little joy in my life, right now!” And you know what? She right! Heck, we’ve already re-thought Thanksgiving, …

Thanksgiving is going to look a little different this year, isn’t it? I know, that can be unsettling. I remember the first one after our mother died. Thanksgiving was always her favorite holiday, and we tried to do it just like she used to. And you know what? It just didn’t work. In fact, it just made us miss her more. As the years have passed, though, we’ve created new traditions, ones that suit us at thatmoment in time. For instance, our niece Caitlin and her boyfriend Adam are a vegetarians, and now we do “stuffin’ muffins” (stuffing not cooked in the bird, but in muffin tins and made with veggie broth). These are great, …

The other day I says to Charlie, “We gotta put the grill in the shed for the winter.” Now, I have no intention of doing this myself. It’s the kind of chore Charlie usually does (after I remind him). We both know that by “we,” I mean “him.” It’s the same “we” that comes into play when I say, “Boy, that recycling’s sure piling up. About time we made a trip down to the transfer station.” Or, “We oughta sure up that bottom step on the deck, don’t you think? Maybe put up a new railing?” It’s the royal “we.” I got to thinking about it, asking myself if this is a two way street …

Since election day is tomorrow, I know I should probably be writing about that. You know, telling you to get out there and vote, how important it is and all that. But to be honest, most of the folks I know have already voted and dropped their ballots off down to town hall. I did it last week when I was registering my car. Sure there’s a drop box, but I wasn’t taking any chances. I personally handed my ballot to Gladys Knight. Not Gladys Knight with the Pips, but Gladys Knight our town clerk. “Gladys,” I says, “I just want to make sure my signature is okay and my vote will be counted.” “Oh, …

When is a bargain a bargain, and when is it a waste of time and money? Case in point:  What a Deal On my way home from the dump I stopped at someone’s sale I smelled a bargain lurking, and This nose, it doesn’t fail I zoomed in on some rubber boots They just jumped out at me The kind you’d wear for hunting ducks, That come up to your knee LaCrosse 800’s what they were And just as good as new They looked about my size, and fully Insulated, too “Are you a ten?” the woman asked Ten is what I wear “Then they should fit you good and snug And keep you dry …

I’ve been missing my mom a lot lately. Some of it has to do with the fact that it’s October, her birthday month. It’s also the anniversary of her death, in a couple of weeks. But it’s more than that. Missing is strange, isn’t it? I can go days or even weeks without thinking of my mom, then I see her handwriting on a recipe, and bang! There she is. Or I watch a little girl, all dolled up for her first day of school, holding her mom’s hand, and I think, “I miss you, Mom.” I used to get a little pang of envy whenever I’d see my friend Rita scoring a piece of …

It’s been so nice to have some straight up fall weather. Seems like it went directly from summer to winter for a bit. I mean, beginning of September, I’m walking my little buddy Scamp in the morning and it’s 34 degrees. What the heck, Mother Nature? We’re just making friends with one season, now you’re throwing in another one? It’s unnatural, disconcerting. So about par for the course for 2020, right? And what about that orangey-red sun last week? I saw it one morning when I was walking Scamp. Kind of spooky. Charlie thought so, too. Orange Today I saw this orange sun As I drove into town The sky, it wasn’t blue at all …

In last week’s blog, I talked about my approach to yard sales at the moment. Now, Charlie’s never been as big on going to yard sales as me. But call it a “Barn Sale” or a “Moving Sale” and he’s there. See, my hubby is a sucker for tools and old rusty junk. Can’t help himself. He’s drawn like a moth to a flame. Like last week when he dropped by Bruce Fecteau’s “Everything Must Go Moving Sale.” Cutting Loose My friend Bruce is cutting loose   “Cuttin’ loose, ‘cause what’s the use   Of stayin’ put, hangin’ ‘round?   Got no one to tie me down!” Before he set out on the trail I stopped …

I sure have missed yard sales this summer. You know, I miss going to them and I miss having them. ‘Cause as I’ve said before, if you go to a lot of yard sales, you gotta have a yard sale every now and then to get rid of the stuff you bought at the other yard sales. I miss catching up with folks, discovering treasures and dickering over prices. I miss turning clutter into cash. It’s never that much, of course, but it feels like found money. I’ve seen a few people braving it and doing a yard sale anyways, despite the global pandemic. Now, that’s hard core! But I haven’t been motivated to attend. …

How many times have you been running errands, gotten out of your car, been halfway to the door of the store and realized you forgot your mask? I know! Happens to me all then time, and I see it happen to others, too. There’s this quick step routine we do. Sigh and mutter to yourself as you pivot. Walk briskly back to the car while taking your frustration out on the key fob and the car door. Reach in and grab your mask, slam the door and aggressively lock it. Put the darn thing on as you fast march back towards the store. You probably only lost a couple minutes of time, but it seems …