Maintaining a facade

 Soon it will be spackling the facade. Virus cases are getting worse, but for now things look fairly normal...at least the "New" normal...but winter is coming, and bad things are coming with it.

This week we voted by mail in ballot for the first time, but our government (Dear leader, yuck) has ripped out postal processing machines and closed down polling places in an attempt to steal the election (again, in my opinion) so we took our ballots to our county office in person. Nationwide the lines stretch for 10 hours in some places to vote, turnout is INCREDIBLE and I could not be prouder. Tear out machines in an attempt to stop us? We'll find a workaround. Make us stand in one line for an entire day? Okay, we brought chairs and pizza is on the way. You would simply not believe voter turnout, in some places 300% of normal. It makes me so proud! It also makes me angry, our ancestors fought for our right to vote and now we are fighting all over again, during a pandemic no less.

The last big "Wave" of the virus saw panic buying, but before it came our household was ready, we stocked up and hunkered down long before authorities imposed any lockdowns. This wave coming has brought few warnings, everyone is fed up with restrictions and numb from so much pain. There are SO MANY people out of work and congress can't agree on any assistance for those in need, evictions are happening (even though they promised there would be no evictions), and there's a generally exhausted feeling.

Of course there are idiots who are acting like nothing is wrong, and other idiots who practically have duct taped themselves into their homes. We took the center of the road approach and are staying home as MUCH as possible, still using sanitizer and washing our hands, and disinfecting everything. We are no longer sanitizing our mail ( they say that was next to useless anyway). I keep sending my sister supplies at random so I can be sure she's not starving, and of course I am still sewing masks.

I literally cannot think on the outside world too long or I get anxious and have heart palpitations. Out there beyond our door is unemployment, heartbreaking loss, and unease everywhere.

When this all started we all thought "We'll stay home for 6 weeks, maybe 8, and that will save us and help out ER staff"....but now it's 7 months later and the third wave is here. We are all DONE with the fatigue of the pandemic...the day to day vigilance. I have kept it up faithfully, cleaning and baking, it's all I can do. No matter how much I hate it, am bored with it, we soldier on.

This week we found a new delivery service that sends groceries AND pet supplies, so that is a new part of our plan.

For now our household is okay, as long as we don't look beyond the facade.