235 My wish for 2020

MY WISH* for 2020 (*a sort of New Year’s Resolution) 

New Year’s Resolutions were always sort of a joke in our family. We were all going to be healthier, wealthier, and wiser. I think that sometimes these ideals would last until then end of January. More vegetables, fewer carbs. Oh, well, I guess our hearts were in the right place.

I do think, dear readers, that after all these years, I have some concerns that are worthy and would do me good to attempt improvement, but I have few passions. 

Miss America was on TV on the 19th of December (Miss Virginia, by the way, won this year). The aims of these young women are the same as they have been since I started watching the show as a teen: world peace, eradicate poverty, hunger, and provide quality education for all. I spent 30 plus years trying to aid in the education part, but I have had no tiara or beaded gown. I may have had a few successes with students. I may never know. Good luck, Miss America!

A librarian I was and am. Retired from being a school librarian, it is now my privilege to work part-time in a superior public library archives--the Stewart Bell, Jr. Archives of the Handley Regional Library. Working here has shown me that I am still passionate about the written word. It must be preserved and I don’t know how to do it! 

As I read/listen to the news each day, I am more and more concerned about the loss of newspapers. The Archives is filled with years (more than 150 years) of news reporting of our regional area. 

Interior workroom at the
Archives–example of
 boxes of written
records and photos 

Researchers depend on these microfilms, discs, and USB sticks of articles – many of them genealogical. And bless the Byrd family for giving to the Archives much of their archival holdings that did not convey to the new owners of The Winchester Star.

Here are some horrible facts for those of us who value local news: over 2000 American newspapers have shut their doors – almost all are local papers in the past decade (247WallSt.com). “More than 200 counties of the 3,143 counties in the United States [are] without any paper” (usnewsdeserts.com/reports). 

In many of these rural or suburban communities, the only reliable source of news and information was the local daily or weekly paper. The same article goes on to report that about “60% of these rural residents lack affordable high-speed access to wireless service” that would allow quick, efficient news.

Since before the United States became the United States, local news broadsheets kept communities informed and engaged. They held the popular and powerful to some account. The loss of local journalism is straining the fabric of our society. (Sorry, if I am “preaching to the choir.”)

Without local news reporting, elections become more about who has more money than about the issues. The public cannot be engaged in what is happening if not for news stories: e.g. how the town council voted on an issue (were the citizens even aware there was an issue?); a proposed tax increase; a new housing development; calendars of local events; sports; and, of course, the births, deaths, and marriages. 

The Columbia Journalism Review (accessed 12/26/19) reported, “a full 38 percent of Americans do not often access any local news at all.” How very, very sad, and how very, very scary.

I saved an article from the New York Times, Sunday, December 22, 2019, National News section, p. 29. It is titled “When a Newspaper Folds: A Community Does Not Know Itself.” Reporter Lara Takenaga amassed readers’ letters about their closed papers. In her introduction, she noted that not only do the readers no longer know what’s happening in their communities, but that the number of journalists in the country has been cut in half. IN HALF! 

We may remember from school days that journalism was the “Fourth Estate.” The first three were the clergy, the nobility, and the commoners. It was this fourth estate that kept everyone alert to what was happening in their milieu. Now apparently there is a FIFTH ESTATE. It is defined by Wikipedia as outlier journalists and bloggers who publish and have found a following on social media. Thank you, but I do not want my news from Twitter and Facebook. 

Please notice, too, the change in the many corner newsstands in NYC. The written word takes up little space any more. I admit to loving the trashy gossip on Page Six of the New York Post! I may have to subscribe….

So, readers, my resolution, with attached wish, is to research what can be done or is being done to help save true, investigative journalism by reliable people for community readers. If anyone has any ideas in- or out-of-the-box, maybe together we can find something. I hope so.

Happy, healthy 2020 to all!!

Savvy Glenne           

234 A simple question

A simple question 

During a recent visit to our home, our 8-year-old grandson asked us a simple question--are you lonely?

I guess the size of the house for two people may have prompted his question. We are still in the house where we raised his dad and aunt (our two children).

My immediate response was no. But on further reflection, I had to clarify my response and how my husband and I really feel.

We are not lonely in the true sense of the word. We have adjusted to a different life than we had when our house was full with our children and their friends who would visit often. We lived near the high school so our house was a gathering place. There was never a dull moment or a quiet time. Even college days brought house guests that we welcomed with open arms. 

Their absence conjures up memories and experiences we will never forget especially since we have remained in the same house. We certainly miss those days, but it has been a natural progression.

Both of our children have their own children and homes full of love and life. That is the way it is supposed to be. We are grateful for that and wish them all the love and fulfillment they can achieve. 

Of course, we miss them and think lovingly of those days gone by, but we would never want them to not progress on their own. We have always encouraged and promoted independence and self-reliance.

That doesn’t mean we aren’t there to celebrate every milestone of theirs and their children and help and assist in any way we can. Trips are taken monthly to visit those that live a state away and short local trips are on the calendar to help with pickups and deliveries. We relish every moment we can give to them and never respond negatively when asked to help

And we always appreciate any text or phone call to keep in touch and hear their dear, sweet voices.

So back to the question--are we lonely? I would say no but with the caveat I have explained. We miss those days and would not trade any of it. We are so grateful for their lives and hopeful for their futures. 

Sometimes it is jarring to think how fast we got to this stage of our lives. We implore all of you to enjoy and savor every moment you have together. 

So, during this holiday season, the three of us who share our blogs weekly with all of you offer to everyone sincere greetings for meaningful, happy holidays however celebrated.

Frances          

233 We're having a retirement!

We’re Having a Retirement!

By Teri S. Merrill 

“I think I may want to do something environmental, like take a master naturalist class,” my husband told me the other day. 

I nodded my head in agreement, but if a thought bubble could be seen over my head, it would read: “How does my Type A husband switch from being a full-time professional to watching butterflies?”

We were discussing what type of activities he may want to explore following retirement. And until that moment, I had never considered how much retirement planning feels strangely similar to the months before the birth of a first child. Now, however, we are simply pregnant with possibility about what comes next. And just like the pregnant couple we were almost three decades ago, we have more than a little trepidation.

His retirement has been announced, his successor is being sought, and in the meantime, we wait, talk, plan and wonder. People now stop us at community events or in the grocery line, congratulating us and asking when the big event will happen. 

We get excited about the trips we may take, the friends we can finally spend quality time with, the new things he will learn, and the flexibility we will have. But most of the time, I’m left thinking to myself: Is this really going to work?

That’s because his career in health administration has been a dominant force in our lives. Even today, my husband still works most weekends, is fully engaged in his demanding job, takes great satisfaction from his efforts, and sacrifices time with family and friends to get the job done. 

The prospect of my husband going from full throttle to no throttle is a bit like going from a full house to an empty house. The quiet of his career will be deafening at first, just like the cries of our newborn daughter. But eventually, we’ve been told, the cacophony of silence will be welcomed.

My husband takes comfort in those who tell him they miss the people, but not the pressure of work. Multiple retired friends and acquaintances have shared that Sunday afternoons are so much sweeter, and Monday mornings are now just another day of the week.

We are also doing a lot of reading, but instead of “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” we’re devouring articles about “Living Your Best Retired Self,” or “Retiring with Meaning,” or “Best Volunteer Jobs for Retirees.”

We’ve announced the big news to our families, friends, and coworkers. The date is unknown but drawing ever closer. We are making lists and cleaning out closets. We are doing our due diligence and trying to prepare. All that needs to happen now is the actual event. 

Just like new parents in waiting, we are excited, nervous, and ready to jump into this new, unknown world ahead of us. And just in case…I’ve already planted milkweed to draw in the butterflies. 

Teri                  

232 Travels with Tootsie

Travels with Tootsie

We have been taking road trips with Tootsie since she was six months old and it is always an adventure.

When we first started taking her along, she was in her cage in the back seat. Now the princess sits on my lap in the back seat while hubby drives all by himself in the front seat.

There is so much you must remember to bring--her pillow, her bed, her towel, her yummies, her food, her water. She has her own bag for all her necessities with her own packing list to make sure nothing is forgotten. 

We have learned not to bring out her toys in the motel room, however, since she then wants to bark and play. We do however bring a white noise machine to block out noise from the hall and to be a reassurance since it is the same sound she sleeps to at home.

Dog-Friendly has a different definition for each motel. We particularly like La Quinta because it is usually pretty nice and does not charge for dogs. But individual motels can differ from the party line. We stayed at one La Quinta where we had to sign a paper promising not to let the dog up on the bed--Sure, Right! It is hard to sleep with the dog if it is not allowed on the bed! Other motels advertise that they are dog-friendly but can charge up to $50 per pet!

Somehow hubby is always willing to stop to give Tootsie a break. I used to have to beg for a stop! Tootsie is always afraid she is going to be left in the car so she begins screaming as soon as the car slows down. We get very strange looks at rest stops!

Getting into the car with her can also be difficult because she wants to be on my lap even before I can sit down. It is an interesting maneuver to get in and then get both my and Tootsie's seatbelts attached.

The best clothes to wear light-colored cotton--nothing black or polyester because of all the white hair one little dog can shed!

In warm weather, there is no going into restaurants and leaving the dog in the car. We pack lunches and eat as we drive.

We have favorite walks with Tootsie in all the cities we regularly visit for Civil War shows. We enjoy walking in a nice old neighborhood in Richmond, the Battery in Charleston, and an old train track that has been turned into a walking path in Mansfield, Ohio. The walks also help with getting a good night's sleep in motels.

Travels with Tootsie are usually fun but rainy days are my least favorite. Wet dogs do have a distinct odor! 

But she always goes along!

                         Trish

231 Ready for December?

Are You Ready for December? 

Oh, my, dear readers, I am so NOT ready for it to be December yet. My “to-do” list is so long that it is now the “should-have-gotten-done” list. And, as the Christmas holiday season approaches, said list will get longer and longer. Thanksgiving is over. 

Black Friday was ignored by almost all of the family--we do it online!! Getting up EARLY is/was never a preferred option in our respective group--particularly not to find parking, to fight crowds, AND have one’s brain functioning to know what stores had what. By the way, the kitchen floor by the fireplace still has a pile of Black Friday ads that I would bet are at least a tree limb wasted. 

Thanksgiving is the time, I believe, when we are supposed to count our blessings and get along with one another. 

That means--in our families--politics is off-limits, sexual orientation is off-limits, and religion is “iffy.” 

Traditionally, we go around the table and say one thing for which we are thankful. Sometimes the responses are not what one hopes: “Thank goodness there is enough gravy this year” or “I am thankful no one brought sauerkraut.” Sometimes there ARE lovely sentiments, though. Ah, such are the memories we share. 

But to get to the real point of my blog this week is that I don’t think our citizens take the meaning of Thanksgiving --nor that of Christmas--in the spirit in which they were meant. We are less serious as a family than when I was little. No more early morning church on Thanksgiving Day. The Christmas midnight service for the past few years is dependent on the weather and how prepared we are for the next morning.

Holiday meanings have deteriorated, almost completely lost under a cloud of media hype, sales pitches, marketing, and commercialism. I see nothing in the news (print/radio/social media)--absolutely nothing--that says we are better off for having celebrated a fabulous and/or fabulously fattening dinner and watching lots of TV (generally football and more football) with family, friends, and loved ones. Nor has Black Friday helped me in any way! And have you seen the price for a live seven-foot fir tree? www.MarketWatch.com says $80-100! Gracious! I am glad The Nutcracker ballet is still a tradition!

Here are a couple of the occurrences that have made me even more discouraged for our country and our communities. You will notice they are very different, but each touched off a kind of sad rage in me.

A year or so ago, I wrote about school dress codes and how I felt they were unfair to girls. On www.mediaflare this week, in an article by staffer Jordan Donohue, the report was that a teenage girl had been removed from her class by a male administrator (interrupting the class, no less) who said her rip in one knee of her jeans was disrupting the

class and she was to be suspended. 

ONE RIP, ONE KNEE CAP--which did not entirely show! I find this to be sexism, victim blaming, and shaming. The administrator told the irate parents that the rip in the jeans could “cause boys (sic) hormones to react in a negative way and would disturb their education.” WHAT! Jeez! I, who think school uniforms may be a societal leveler in schools, am outraged by this. Here are the jeans in question: NOT FAIR! NOT FAIR! 

Then the following information really made an impact on my vague memories of all of the random gun violence stories. I have adapted it from a Washington Post article, "The Terrible Numbers that Grow….," November 18, 2019, by Bonnie Berkowitz, et al. Is no one safe? Anywhere? Ever? The places change, the numbers change, but the choice of weapon remains the same. In the United States, people who want to kill a lot of other people most often do it with guns. Public mass shootings account for a tiny fraction of the country’s gun deaths, but they are “uniquely terrifying because they occur without warning in the most mundane places.” Most of the victims are chosen not for what they have done but simply for where they happen to be. 

Berkowitz continues: “There is no universally accepted definition of a public mass shooting, and this piece defines it narrowly. It looks at the 170 shootings in which four or more people were killed by a lone shooter (two shooters in a few cases). It does not include shootings tied to robberies that went awry, and it does not include domestic shootings that took place exclusively in private homes. A broader definition would yield much higher numbers.” 

Okay, elected officials – we need gun laws and we need them now! One company is called www.cheaperthandirt.com (does that say something in itself?) and then I found this photo of a Miss Kitty gun. MISS KITTY?

WHAT! The price run from $500 to $1000 and up according to Google. Also, please note that everything I read about the AR-15 says it is called a DEFENSIVE weapon and not an ASSAULT rifle. How, pray tell, does AR translate to “defensive?” I find this very SCARY! VERY SCARY! 

Where is grace and peace and understanding? I need to cheer up! We are relatively healthy (considering age, etc.), we have a nice home and great friends. But I want more for the world we will leave to future generations. 

Maybe the fact that I love winter and snow will help. The cold temperatures give me a feeling of a cleansed earth, of time for reflection, and a period of silence. (Question: where does sound go when there is silence?) To me, there is nothing more lovely than a winter sky with twinkling stars or fresh snow when your footprints are the first ones to leave their mark in white purity. I think I just need some snow and SOON (and maybe even in NYC!)

Merry Everything &

A Happy Always!

Glenne

230 Not my obit!

Not my obit! 

My name is pretty common but not so much that there are hundreds of Frances Lowes. If I use my maiden name of Chirico, the percentage goes way down. But recently a Frances Lowe was listed in the local newspaper in the obituaries.

I remember when we moved to Winchester, Va. more than 50 years ago that there was a woman by my name. She was shocked when she found out I had her name and had moved to Winchester. 

I had signed a petition trying to save the demolition of a gorgeous old mansion in the downtown area. I don’t remember if she told me directly or I heard from someone else that she was surprised and knew she had not signed the petition.

Fast forward to 2019 and the lady passed away in her late 90s. In addition, the obit had a photo that definitely was not me! So why would so many of my friends and acquaintances tell me they had seen the obit and had been shocked at first. But as they read on, they realized it was not me.

Not many people have had the opportunity to have reactions to what is perceived as their obit. It has been startling, shocking, and somewhat kind. So many of them told me how relieved they were whey they realized it was not me. I handled most reactions with humor as I said--did you notice the age, did you see the photo! They said the name is what caught their eye so it took a few seconds to process the rest of the obit. 

One irony to the situation is the first job I had at the local newspaper at the ripe old age of 16 was writing the obits. I had to call the funeral homes and take them all down by hand and then type it on a manual typewriter! That is one job I will never forget. 

I see hundreds of area residents when I work as an election official in my precinct. This year was shortly after the obit appeared. You can’t imagine how many people told me they were so relieved it wasn’t me on the obituary page. They also had to share that they thought it had to be an accident or a quick illness. Thank goodness, it was neither! But it was interesting to hear the general concern they had felt and then the relief of the reality. Thank you all for such sincere responses.

Not that I am glad it was the other Frances Lowe for her family and friends are mourning, but I am glad to still be here at least for the time being. It is interesting to view our mortality and know that it could have easily been me. It was comforting to know so many people were upset when they thought I had left the earth. I hope the shock of thinking it was me or the realization that it wasn’t me didn’t cause any damage to those who reacted to it. 

I remember my father, Antonio Chirico, and his reaction at the funeral of his twin brother, Antonino Chirico. The poor priest kept saying Antonio instead of Antonino--they both had gone by nicknames so the priest had a tough job keeping it all straight. 

Every time, my dad’s name was said--he loudly proclaimed that’s my name. We all could hardly keep a straight face and I am sure his twin would have loved it. They enjoyed playing jokes on each other. A family member quickly explained to the priest about the confusion of the one letter difference in the name. I now understand some of my father’s angst. When you are definitely alive, it is disconcerting to be thought the other way. 

I am sure there are others who have experienced this type of misunderstanding since so many names are duplicates throughout the world. Often, family members have close or even identical names, but when it is not family, it is a little more surprising. 

I think it was the position of the name on the top of the obit page that caused the stir. Friends have told me it was in a prominent position so it was even more alarming. One friend said he knew it wasn’t me because I would definitely use the funeral home where he worked, not the competition as she had,

I can’t help but think there are probably some of my former middle and high school students out there that think it was about time old Mrs. Lowe passed on or they thought I had been gone for years. Some could have even celebrated!

Please know that when you see me, it is not my ghost but the real me for now! A special thanks to those who were so sweet. It is nice to know that people were sad when they thought I was gone and relieved when they found out I was still around. What a crazy trip this has been.

Frances      

229 Best President Ever

 Best President Ever--Abraham Lincoln!

I am reading an interesting book, Rise to Greatness: Abraham Lincoln and America's Most Perilous Year by David Von Drehle, which focuses on 1862. I realize that some of my favorite reads have been about Lincoln--especially Team of Rivals: The Political 
Genius of Abraham Lincoln and Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander and Chief. 

The reading stock is endless. An NPR broadcast in 2012 estimated 15,000 books had been written about Lincoln. Historians honored Lincoln's place in history by erecting a structure--only 7,000 titles fit on this eight-foot-wide and thirty-four-foot-high tower of books about Lincoln that was in the Ford Theatre Lobby.

Only Jesus Christ has had more books written about him.

Looked at objectively, Lincoln at the time of his election seemed the most unlikely man to succeed as president. He won 39.8% of the popular vote but a majority in the electoral college at 61%. His election led to several Southern states seceding from the Union.

Lincoln was viewed as a rough Westerner [Yes, Illinois was considered the West!] Many were certain that he would be completely out of his depth in both national and international affairs.

He appointed his political antagonists to his cabinet. Many signed on--thinking they could run the government from their cabinet posts. But Lincoln was a master of keeping them balanced and useful. 

Salmon Chase, Secretary of the Treasury, is a good example. Chase pursued his ambition of running for president in 1864 while serving in the cabinet. He put his own likeness of the newly issued paper money, known as greenbacks, realizing how many people would see his image.

Lincoln said he could ignore Chase's political ambitions: "I am entirely indifferent in his success or failure in these schemes, so long as he does his duty as the head of the Treasury Department." 

As a librarian, I particularly appreciate Lincoln's love of reading. As a largely self-educated man, he was a voracious reader. After frustrating attempts to get his generals to develop a strategic plan for the war and to put it into effect, he undertook a deep study of military tactics and strategy, reading every

book the Library of Congress could provide on the topic. That study gave him the confidence to suggest specific strategies and to debate the course of the war with military leaders.

Lincoln's wide reading and a remarkable ability to remember and synthesize what he read helped make him one of the best orators of all time.

He had many other strengths and weaknesses, and I won't list them all. But Lincoln was the man the country needed in one of the worst times in its history. Historians consistently rank Lincoln as one of the top three of United States presidents.

I can't let this topic go without mentioning that I am greatly offended by Trump frequently comparing himself to Lincoln. Sidney Blumenthal in the October 24, 2019, New Yorker, stated it well: Trump's "portrayal of Lincoln's greatness is unmoored from anything that Lincoln thought of as politics and political leadership, chiefly the self-discipline, patience, and probity required to bring about the Emancipation Proclamation, the Thirteenth Amendment, and the Union victory--events that remade the nation."

Comparing Trump's unscripted speech and tweets to remarks by Lincoln makes you wonder who was the primary-school drop-out. And Lincoln read books!

Next on my list is Lincoln by David Herbert Donald, which is considered the best work on Lincoln by many scholars.

Trish                 

229 Tipping Points

Tipping Points

Dear Readers, this is a topic on which we would love to hear from you! Since summer vacation and eating at random restaurants, I have become more and more attuned to the quandaries about tipping. 

How much is appropriate and when and where and who? I was irritated recently when we received the meal tab which added a bottle of wine plus tax to the meal and the suggested tips printed on the bottom of the bill included ALL of these items. We tipped about 18% on the meal, 10% on the wine, and ignored their addition of the taxes.

One of the rules of thumb--i.e. etiquette--that I learned from my parents was that if the bill is less than $25 leave at least a 15% tip. If it over that, leave 18-20% depending upon special requests and service. Well, I am just not sure that is the BEST practice anymore. 

Glassdoor.com, a financial site for those in the restaurant service industry, shows that the average waiter/waitress in Virginia makes--in round figures--just over $20,000/year in salary and tips. That included salary, though, according to their latest data is $2.13/hour. That amount is not a pretty picture! 

So, that rule of thumb I was taught early on I have discarded. A favorite local restaurant has great sandwiches that run from $7.50 to $10.00, add a beverage and we’re up to less than $12. At 15% that’s a generous $1.80. Whee! I often leave $5. 

I don’t have lots of money to spare, but I do think that a decent tip rewards service and builds connections with the staff in places often frequented. And tipping is not just for restaurants. What about your hair salon? Dear Husband’s haircut is $25 and he gives his stylist $5 or $10--whichever he may have in his pocket. He’s a nice guy.

Hotels--that’s one I read up on before we go away. A dollar or two to the doorman for hailing a cab is standard. All those suitcases and totes to your room: We do $2 for big bags and $1 for each of the others. I think this is acceptable and it’s usually $10. Cleaning staff for your room! Yes. 

It is smart to have some extra dollar bills stashed somewhere. I realized this problem during the week we were in our NYC timeshare. We only saw the same maid twice. Therefore, unlike being on a cruise, if you leave the tip only the last day, someone is getting a nice tip and several cleaners are getting nothing!

Weddings and funerals are another conundrum. Most ministers today are upfront about their honorarium--somewhere between $100 and $200 for the service. But what about the car services or limo drivers? Flowers? Wedding planner? Service staff? The musicians? Did you get a separate bill? Did it include gratuity? I guess the best advice is to read the fine print and go with your heart and your wallet.

Speaking of wallets which is where both my cash and credit cards live--several servers I know would rather have a smaller cash tip than a slightly larger one on a credit card. And I don’t blame them. After all, “a bird in the hand.…”

I found this super-duper new website playing on my friend Google (as usual)! [I think Google should pay me!!] The website is www.calculator.net/tip. One can enter an amount and the tip percentage you wish to add and voila. All done. But lots of sites and your calculator or brain can do this, right? What’s great about the site is the world map that shows you in which countries you should tip and where it is an offensive gesture. Moreover, it has a handy chart for services and the usual tip percentage. I am sharing one of the most interesting parts with you.

“Below is a map that provides some information regarding whether or not a tip is expected, or how a tip may be received in certain regions, as well as a table of typical tip amounts in the United States and Canada for different services.” (Calculator.net cited above) 

Thanks to this great website, I have quit rolling my eyes at Dear Husband when he tips the delivery folks, plumber, pest control, et al. In fact, we give our yardman and our usual mechanic a decent holiday tip.

I learned a few things from this research. I wish I could be more philanthropic, but dear minimum wage earners, I feel for you! Keep up the good work and, maybe, just maybe, we’ll all have a little money left over at the end of the month.

Happy Fall, Glenne        

228 November Mish Mash

November Mish Mash

What a confusing time of year! We finish summer, celebrate Halloween, look forward to Thanksgiving, and are bombarded with gift ideas for Christmas. 

Plus, in the midst of it all, we have to change the clocks, vote in state and local elections, and take care of temperature changes for home and body.

This year we even had the World Series so close to home with the Washington Nationals winning. Way to go Nats!

Normally, it doesn’t seem so crazy, but this year the temperature has been extremely warm. We were wearing shorts about a week ago and now winter coats are needed. It seems as if we go straight from summer to winter, leaving out fall.

Seeing the frost on the colorful leaves that have dotted the green grass is a stark contrast from the sweltering heat and humidity. The laundry says it all as I wash shorts along with heavy sweatshirts. 

I haven’t even put away Halloween objects when Christmas buying is thrust upon the public at the local stores and by various forms of media. Buy this, but that, hurry up!! Really can it be this soon.

November seems to be a mish mash of seasons and holidays with Halloween candy, fall decorations, and Christmas items for sale in the stores a few aisles apart. I don’t know which to buy--all of them or none. I will have to face it at some time, but right now I want to turn my back and run out of the stores screaming.

It is time to cease and desist. Don’t get caught in the retail frenzy and don’t let advertisers push. There really is plenty of time to get it all done.

In addition to all of this confusion, add in the election. This year it is local and state offices, but it has been very intense. People we know are attacked for whatever reasons, and we wonder what in the world is going on. But we can’t let any of this change what needs to be done – vote. What is a semi-sane person to do! 

The only advice is to stay focused and tackle one job at a time. Put away the Halloween items and get rid of leftover candy but not by eating it all.

Try to keep Thanksgiving separate from Christmas and enjoy the day of thanks that is centered around food and family. Hold on to the fall décor as long as possible! 

After this, Christmas buying and decorating can begin. Watch for sales and discounts, remembering prices get lower the closer to Dec. 25. Decorating can be put off at least until Thanksgiving is over, and then bring out the festive red and green. 

As far as the wardrobe is concerned, try to stay cool or warm, depending on the extremes of weather. From humidity the day before Halloween to frost a day or two later, it isn’t easy to be prepared. Luckily, I hadn’t gotten around to putting away quilted jackets so I was ready for the cold. My sandals are still hanging around the closet so I should be okay if another warm spell hits.

The furnace was cleaned this summer and oil delivered so we are ready to heat the house. We actually went from air conditioning to running the furnace the next day or so. It is so confusing.

The important thing to remember is to go with the flow--keep it all in perspective and enjoy it all. It does settle in and snow will come all too soon.

Savvy Frances