LJ Idol Week 22 - Double Sudden Death! - Open Topic

[tonithegreat]

Memorial Day, 2020. A long weekend in the midst of months where work and school, the things by which I usually measure the turning of the year, are all off kilter. My daughters finished school at the end of the week before last. There was no race to the finish line right before this holiday as there usually is. The school year, despite nigh-

Comments

[suzanna_o]

You look a lot like Miss Nancy Gene!

I am sorry that people are judging you for your choices to get outdoors as much as possible. It’s who you are! Sunny days ahead to you, friend.

[tonithegreat]

Well, I am somewhat insecure about my inability to stay on top of everything as a chatelaine, so it is entirely possible that I’m being given less of a hard time than I imagine. But I do believe in sunny days ahead, whether I stay on top of the house and yard perfectly or not!

Thank you so much for reading and commenting on these! I go back and forth about whether personal blogging is a good idea, but more communication with you I’d definitely a good thing.

If you have the inclination, since you’re still LJing a bit, this week’s poll requires joining the LJ Idol community, but that is easily accomplished. And my single competitor’s entry is really enjoyable too. You can check out the poll and vote here if so inclined: https://therealljidol.livejournal.com/1137805.html

[furzicle]

Fun to see the photos of you, as well as your girls. I'm struck by how much you all look alike, including your grandmothers.

I, too, am an outside person and start to go stir crazy if I can't get out for a hike in the wild areas around here. (Orange County, California, on the edge of the national forest.)

[tonithegreat]

I visited Orange County for the first time as an adult a couple of years ago on our way to see Sequoia and Kings Canyon! You definitely have beautiful nature within striking distance, but also sooooooooo many people. I do want to come back someday and do a surf camp and really learn surfing but my LA friend moved away, so I don’t know when it will happen.

[karmasoup]

You've done a pretty good job of describing a lot of the flaws with late stage capitalism, and it's good to point out the things that don't belong individually to us, but rather, collectively, to "us," to remind many that we are in fact a socialist democracy. Unfortunately, the values of capitalism have taught us to reprioritize our lives in a way that support business rather than our own communities, and we're seeing now how broken that has been - for at least nearly as long as I've been alive, but now the consequences are impacting us all in a more severe manner than we've personally experienced on a grand scale previously. In a way, if this brings about change, it can be seen as a valuable catalyst. But I'm concerned we're so eager to go back to the "normal" that was in fact dysfunctional, we'll settle for whatever scraps we can take that make us feel like we did in the past. I've long since lost faith in the belief that "we the people" can do better.

[tonithegreat]

I’m so conflicted about looking at the pandemic as a possible harbinger of change. I would hope that it would catalyze us and will find it ironic if it doesn’t, but so far the arc of justice still seems as long as ever.

[lyssa027]

I loved all your pictures. I miss hiking and camping so much.

[tonithegreat]

I know we’ll be back outside in the normal ways soon enough, but it’s definitely weird to be in this time where it’s okay to be outside, but only without other people.

[flipflop_diva]

I'm so glad you got to be outside! I'm kind of jealous of your daughters in that rope swing photo!

We usually try to go for a walk every day, with the baby and the dog. It's just too hard to stay inside the entire time, and it's nice to breathe fresh air.

[tonithegreat]

My walks and runs through the neighborhood have been major sanity keepers for me these weeks. At the start of all this, I was ending each work day by spending some time decompressing out in my yard in a lawn chair. It felt nice to have that routine. But lately the mosquitos have arrived, limiting my outdoor fun to more active pursuits.