It’s a cold, rainy erev, and falling to freezing temps tonight.  It’s also unusual in that my son is out of town on business, so it feels even colder.  Though I notice in Austin, TX where he is, it’s not a whole lot warmer right now.  We miss him, but wish him much success.  We’re keeping his place warm for him.

I brought in the last of the peppers before the freeze–look how many there were, mostly jalapeños.  I also rescued a few more flowers and herbs.  The house looks a lot more homey with plants.

Here’s the kitty’s opinion of all this cold dampness–let me in!  Now that’s more like it.  She too is keeping Avdi’s place warm.

It’s been in the 60s and almost 70s, so that means–it’s going down into the 30s and 20s!?  We must be in East Tennessee.  Last xmas we were outside in t-shirts, so who knows what’s next.

All I know is, there are no nuanced shades of gray in TN, just red all over, dotted with tiny islands of blue.  Our state flag says it all.  I’m designing my own.

Well.  What can I say, it’s Tennessee, now considered redder than Texas!  Blah.  So disappointing.  But this morning was a new day.

I have to remind myself of all the fine and worthwhile reasons we moved here.  Plus Dems did win back the House, so that’s a big deal.  Now maybe they can investigate and incriminate our evil dictator, and block some of his heinous moves.

Maybe not in our lifetime, but one day TN will come around.  In the meantime, we do what we can to be the difference in lives we encounter, and try not to get too discouraged.

Here are the two cats reenacting the election, complete with loud howls and growls.  I’m not sure this video will open, but trust me, it was quite a standoff.  Video1107180821_1 .  Here’s a photo instead.

Today we continued the repairs, scrubbing bathrooms, and hanging new curtains in the kids’ rooms at my son’s, while a plumber did the more extreme fixes.  We’re almost ready for the kids to descend upon Avdi for Thanksgiving.  Here are colors up the mountain, and in the kitchen.  Cheers to a better future TN.

Here to cheer you on as we anxiously await results are some festive seasonal colors. And unseasonal–who knew azaleas and violets bloom in November–maybe it’s a Sign!  After the strong storm last night, even some tornadoes reported, all kinds of strange lichens and mosses are thriving.

And…we voted!  Cautious optimism is the overriding feeling this morning.  Now if everyone who is disturbed and concerned about our current direction will just get out there and vote, we can change the course of history and get back on track.

Here’s my plug for voting: if intelligent, progressive-minded people don’t vote, then stupid, hateful people will continue to determine our future, and it won’t be pretty for any of us.

One vote may seem useless, but one vote multiplied can mean the difference between you and your kids living in a sustainable, inclusive, healthy, affordable state, or living in a fascist, dying world.  You have the right–and responsibility–to choose progress, civility, and ethical practices.

Or you can choose complacency and cynicism, but then you can’t complain when this lunacy affects you and those you care about, as well as all of us.  This is how holocausts happen–when people think it can’t happen to them, and do nothing.

If you’re still on the fence, please reconsider, and vote tomorrow.  Your boss must allow you time off to vote, and rides are available.

This is not intended to guilt or shame anyone.  It’s a sincere plea to help make a difference, regardless of what your friends or family think or do.  Your vote absolutely matters, now more than ever.

Thanks!  And now back to your regularly scheduled boring stuff.  Also some ‘shrooms.

In case you have a hankerin’ for more fall colors…

Yesterday saw another first or two.  We and my son caravanned from here to Maryville, stopping at Lowes for cleaning supplies, and Hot Rods, a retro ’50s-style diner with all the atmosphere and fixin’s. Now, we’ve pretty much done Maryville, according to Avdi, though we’ve only scratched the surface of Knoxville, a totally reinvented town.  More adventures lie ahead, I’m sure.

We all drove up the hill through blazing fall colors to begin the house-cleaning challenge, and continue repairs.  We all worked for hours, and at least made a dent.  Our work is cut out for us, but it’s worth it.  I’m just glad we can be of some small service to my son, who has so many more concerns to tackle on his own.

Back home, we and the cat collapsed, as if she had slaved all day!  She has honed lounging to an art form.

After another pleasant evening of hanging out and my son sleeping over, we woke to a foggy scene, and it wasn’t all in my brain.  While he conducted a morning meeting from his “annex”, I caught these foggy scenes.  Soon we’re all going to adjourn to his house for a cleaning party, in preparation for the kids’ Thanksgiving visit.

It poured all night, which is always fine with me, but today is chilly and damp out.  No worries, my son is here, so it must be my favorite day of the week.  He’s a little under the weather, so I get to play mother.  Erev cheers!