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, …

We had a little get together to celebrate my sister Irene’s birthday last week, just the family. If you’re not going to spring clean, the next best thing is to have a party at your house. They say you should have two a year: one in the warm weather and one in cool. That way, you’re motivated to do a couple of good, deep cleanings, and get your yard in order, to boot. The yard is Charlie’s department. He’s got one of them rider mowers that he just loves. Has a little shed with a ramp he keeps it in. I plant the annuals, take care of the potted plants, do a little weeding from …

Valentine’s Day always arrives just in the nick of time. We’ve dried out from all the sugar we ate Halloween through New Years. Mud season is around the corner, but we still have a ways to go before the crocus are in bloom. We’re bored out of our trees, and frankly, we need a reason, any reason, to celebrate. Getting to wear red and eat candy just sweetens the deal. Remember “sending” Valentine’s cards to everyone in your class? (I wonder if they still do that.) We‘re talking elementary school, here. We had these heart shaped “mail boxes” made of red construction paper with our name printed on the front pocket. That where you put …

Charlie and me went for a massage last Saturday. Yes, you read that right. Charlie got a massage, and not by me. By a guy named Michael. Let me start at the beginning. For Christmas, our niece Caitlin gave us each a gift certificate for a one hour massage. She knows how much I love being pampered, no question about that, but it was a kind of outside the box choice for Charlie. He would have been happy with one of them Hickory Farms sausage and cheese gift box type deals. God love her, Caitlin’s heart is in the right place. She knew work had been tense for Charlie what with all the layoffs down …

It’s the first blog of the month again, and you know what that means. The year’s winding down, and we’re on Chapter Ten of my book, Finding Your Inner Moose, called “Getting Rid of Frogs and Toads.” No, it’s not about amphibians. This chapter’s about self care. Hey, it’s a self help book. You gotta have a chapter on self care, right? I don’t know about you, but my life tends to be plumb-chucka-full of what Charlie and me call the gottas, gotta do this, gotta do that. So much so, it’s real easy to get overwhelmed. And when I get on one of these benders, seems like every time I open my mouth to …

So the other day, I’m havin’ my weekly get together with my sister, Irene, and I swear, we’re not five minutes into it when she looks at me and goes, “Ida, what’s up?” I can always count on my sister to cut to the chase. “Oh, Reney,” I says, “I’m not gonna lie to ya. I’m feeling so overwhelmed. It’s all good stuff, but even good stuff can be overwhelming if it’s comin’ at you all at once. And then there’s the feeling guilty ‘cause I’m so lucky, really. How dare I feel overwhelmed when my life is just so darned good? And I confess, I’ve been talkin’ to myself lately.” “What else is new?” …