Oy Vey
I am OK, I am OK, I am OK etc.
I wrote a nice, positive post last week with pretty pictures and all, or maybe it was the week before or the week before that. I had almost completed it but I was looking for that perfect ending. It didn't get done and now we are in November. Yep, it is here. Down to the wire. All hell breaks loose tomorrow and probably for the next week, if not months. The only parts of my body that I can really feel are my stomach and my head. They are screaming, but my legs and arms are doing OK. I am still upright.
I voted and turned in my ballot a few weeks ago, but now, because of all the attempts at voter suppression and lawsuits filed, I am not really sure if my vote, along with millions of others, will be counted. I live in Pennsylvania, and it it a pivotal state to both parties. We, along with Florida, feel the weight of the nation on us. In this dark year of 2020, I fear that this too will have no perfect ending either. What has happened to our country; I could have never imagined this four years ago.
Hoping for the best though, because that is all I can do.
I also cast my ballot as soon as I received it. I am hoping that my candidate will be victorious. I took no chances and handed my ballot to the county auditor. I didn't have to worry about whether the mail would be delayed or if the ballot drop-off box was set on fire.
ReplyDeleteI dropped off my ballot in a drop box that was being watched over by two people who, I assume, were from each major party. They work from 8 to 10 hours a day and then drive the box to the central location for the ballots. All is recorded on video In case anything is questioned. I felt my ballot was secure as it could be. I received notice that it had been received. However, one party is threatening to negate all ballots not counted on Election Day and that can not be done in my state.
DeleteHi, Arleen!
ReplyDeleteIt's good to see you publishing a post using the new Blogger interface and doing so in the midst of all this chaos, turmoil and uncertainty. I know how you feel living in Pennsylvania and not having complete confidence that your vote in this crucial election will even be counted after Trump and his lawyers get done manipulating the results and calling in favors on the courts. Like you I hate the fact that the eyes of the nation are invariably on my home Keystone State every cycle and also on the state where I now reside - Florida. At least here in Florida it seems like the procedure for collecting and counting ballots is sound and should enable The Sunshine State to declare a winner by late tomorrow night. I live in a county that went heavily for Trump in 2016, but I have proudly displayed two Biden - Harris signs in my yard ever since the ticket formed.
Like you, Arleen, I am sick at heart. Even during the Nixon era things didn't look this bleak for America, the threat to our democracy so great and pressing. My thoughts are with you in the hours, days, weeks and perhaps months ahead as we sort this thing out and hopefully restore honor, dignity, order and sanity to the Oval Office.
Bless you, dear friend Arleen!
I often wonder where all this disruption and hate started, Shady. In my long life, I have seen our nation make some bad mistakes but I always thought we grew from them. Our diversity was what made us great and kind and generous. Now, we seem to have gone to a place that has caused fear and disruption like I could never imagine. I am perplexed that there is no truth, just alternate facts. How could anyone want and accept this. Lord help us.
DeleteWe are ready for whatever it brings. I feel this vote is for the people, not the media and politicians to decide. This mess has been a long time coming and it will not be fixed if we keep electing career politicians. Our founding fathers wanted our leaders to be volunteers who gave of their time then returned home to their work and families. Politics should never be a career.
ReplyDeleteI agree and disagree with some things you say. This is what America is, a country with a diverse population and diverse ideas. We have to get back to where disagreeing is not a blood sport. We can do this. Hate is never the answer.
DeleteI do hope that your pivotal vote counts. I am hoping with you. So much. And watching anxiously.
ReplyDeleteStay safe, stay well, and stay upright if you can.
Hugs.
I really don’t know what to expect, Susan. People have chosen sides, votes are being suppressed, and cars/trucks are trying to run busses off the road and being called patriots. Anything is possible. I have lived a long life and have never been afraid of/for my country. I am now.
DeleteI cast my Florida "vote by mail" ballot as soon as I received it. Like you, I worry about the integrity of the system now that our country has fallen into disarray. Wouldn't it be great if both PA and FL went for Biden? Stranger things have happened. And if not, we will lick our wounds and continue the good fight. Giving up on our freedom, our country, our democracy is not a choice.
ReplyDeleteYour last sentence is perfect, Colette.
DeleteOh, your vote will be counted & all will be well. Don't listen to the media... they are very manipulative. ~Andrea xoxo
ReplyDeleteI am not listening to the media because they can drive you nuts - blah, blah, blah, 24 hours a day. I am listening to what the man in office is saying and encouraging and it scares me. He seems to have the power of an Emporer.
DeleteWe are being ruled by a mad man. I pray that he is voted out. I will do my part.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Debby, and you described him well.
DeleteI pray you vote will be counted. I will be voting tomorrow. I know GOd is in control - but I worry.
ReplyDeleteWe were given the gift of free will and it is up to us to decide what kind of country we want. How we conduct ourselves is all on us. I always go back the the Beautitudes and the Corporal Works of Mercy for guidance in my life. I want a candidate who also lives by them.
DeleteBless you Sandi for standing in line. Please stay safe.
Chatty is right: God is in control.
ReplyDeleteI hope she will have mercy on us.
DeleteWe pray for you over there and hope that you can get rid of the Mad Man.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Susan. We need all the good thoughts we can get. We are (mostly) good, decent people and we need a President that represents that.
DeleteThis is a difficult time, and I've done all I can to help GOTV, educate via my blog, encourage voting, and now all I can do is hope it is effective.
ReplyDeleteI'm encouraged by the judges who have thrown out attempts to have legally cast votes set aside.
Yes, I was very worried about that. I know that he will try anything to retain power and he has already threatened our state and I expect more of that to come. A month a go, he retweeted, “The only good Democrat is a dead one.”. What is worse, no one reacted to it or said a word. How could that be?
DeleteYes, time to send positive thoughts along and envision Biden in the oval office.
ReplyDeleteI’m trying Joanne, I’m trying.
DeleteLike you, I would never have imagined so much damage could be done to our country in four years. It makes me sick that Trump is trying to have so many votes thrown out. It is wrong in every possible way if that does happen.
ReplyDeleteI worry for what could happen this week and in the weeks to come but like you said we just have to hope for the best. It helps when we all stand by each other too. It is time for our country to heal and I am praying for that every day.
Six lawsuit have been brought against PA to try to suppress the vote, but he has lost all of them. I have no doubt that more will come. What is in store for us afterwards, whether he wins or loses, gives me nightmares.
DeleteNever has so much interest been shown in an American election. Why is there no third, younger, more lucid, candidate (Not Kanye West)?
ReplyDeleteThere were many, many candidates on the Democratic side, and the voters chose Biden. I think Trump had one person going against him, but he disappeared, not ever to be remembered. This is how it works in the US.
DeleteArleen, I am hoping with everything I have that sanity will prevail in this election and your beautiful country will once more be led by someone with morals and values, someone who knows truth from lies, and someone who wants to unite citizens, not divide them. I am horrified by how Trump has turned the whole idea of a democracy on its head - all for his own ego. The man is unfit to be president. It's been encouraging to see groups such as The Lincoln Project, Republican Voters Against Trump, etc. help convince their fellow Republicans to vote for Biden's decency, choosing (as they put it) country over party. The country has a great deal of healing to do and I hope the chance comes now, not in another four years' time. Hang in there, my friend.
ReplyDeleteI am very nervous, Jenny,mbut I think the good people of the US will do the right thing. If they choose wrong, I don’t think we will have a country that will work in any way and the divide will become even worse.
DeleteI am not watching the results as my heart can’t handle it. I am going to turn on repeats of Naked and Afraid and binge watch them till I fall asleep. I have told my husband not to give me any bad news. I wish though that he would come in and tell me good news.
I think of you often, Jenny and hope that your husband’s treatment is going well. We all miss you.
It is the morning after and I'm afraid to go and look at the results. A dark time, indeed.
ReplyDeleteI wish I was a Canadian today.
DeleteI visited the polls in person, just to make sure. We are now two days after...and still waiting, although that was expected. We must all remain calm. Either way, after this, how do we rebuild our country?
ReplyDeleteYes, the numbers are so very close in these last five states, and the tension keeps building. Trump wants to stop the counting in PA because he is ahead, but wants them to keep counting in Arizona because he is behind.
DeleteI am having the same thoughts as you are. I am happy to have found your blog.
ReplyDeleteWe are holding our breath, aren't we? I think Biden might win and do a fine job as someone experienced in government who knows how to build coalitions in Congress. Hang in there...
I am very nervous and as time goes by, I get even more so. I did some garden therapy to lower my stress and ended up hurting my back. You can’t win in 2020.
DeleteJust as I thought things were looking up, you hurt your back. I'm sorry your emotional pain has become physical. Please take care of yourself, as all of this added stress can only make things worse. Though our country is strongly divided, you have done your best to raise a wonderful family. Though it will take time, I believe that goodness and important values will prevail. Wasting time on crazy conspiracy therapies like "SharpieGate" will become a thing of the past, to spend more time and resources on creating a covid vaccine. I hope you feel better soon Arleen, and thank you for brightening my week with your lovely comment.
ReplyDeleteJulie
Doing OK, Julie. Some OTC meds took care of my back and I have the good feeling of almost coming to the end of putting my gardens to bed till next spring.
DeleteWe all grew to love your Mom thru your posts, Julie. They were very funny and the love you shared with each other always came thru. You were a great pair and I miss her and those wonderful stories. Thank you for sharing her with us.
Dear lord, help us find peace, in this world.
ReplyDeleteThat has never happened but it is what we all seek. Right now all I want to do is wake up one morning and not hear about many degrading, mean tweets that was written by our president. I will never understand why he needed to do that.
DeleteYou are in the thick of it in Pennsylvania during this election year. I pay special attention to that part of the country recalling youthful times spent with an Aunt in NE Ohio but driving into PA across the border -- down a huge hill into Sharon. Heart-breaking what has happened to so many once prosperous cities where she once described shopping in Ohio -- Youngstown, Warren.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you have some physical issues and hope you're able to have relief from them. When the stresses of life we experience become distress they aggravate all our other medical problems I think. Do take good care of yourself.
Am managing to cope well as I can during this Covid-19 time and the issues of the last four years have certainly been unlike anything we've known before. I am patiently waiting for the ballots to be counted, totals tabulated and reported. Thank heavens for our news media to keep us informed but so important to be discerning in who or what we listen to and read IMHO. Fact checking certainly needed. Stay safe!
What has bothered me most about the last few years has been the cruelty from the White House and the complete lack of empathy for those who are suffering. My heart breaks for those who have been victims of such disrespect and callousness. Things look promising in the vote right now and I am hoping we will soon have a President who has values and will work for all the citizens and not just those who share his love for himself.
DeleteI am calming down now and it is a beautiful fall day in Chester County. We are going to visit a small nearby town (see header picture) and enjoy some beautiful scenery and maybe stop at an outdoor cafe. It is a better day in America (although the count is not over), and I am my former hopeful person again.
Our hopefulness paid off! Biden/Harris win! Yippee!
ReplyDeleteOh yes, it was a very good weekend and I feel such joy. Today, Pfizer announced that their vaccine may be 90% effective and will begin to be distributed in the near future. There are so many things to be hopeful about now. Thank you so much Ellen, your post started my day out just right.
DeleteWe survived! Decency survived!! Let the celebrations continue. It's awesome to see so many people dancing in the streets all over the country... and in Paris, they actually rang church bells in recognition of the election's outcome. Thank God. And thank PA and GA, too. The sheer number of votes cast is downright stunning, and it makes me proud. (Although it IS a teensy troubling that more than 17 million people voted for Trump. That's a little scary.)
ReplyDeleteBut let's not look for trouble. Let's hope for the best. This country deserves it. The world deserves it. We deserve it.
Take care, sweet lady.
Dear friend Susan, we both come from states that saved the day. What a relief and what joy. I listened to Joe's speech and I could not be more hopeful (something that has been missing for four years).
DeleteWait, what's that I hear - it's church bells. We are going to be OK.
I hope the election went the way you wanted! And I hope you can finally breathe easy! :)
ReplyDeleteYes, it did to the relief of many. However, who knows what hell the loser will put us though now.
DeleteThank you, PA! It has been stressful and will continue to be with so many denying the results. I am still nervous since I would put nothing past Trump and his minions. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteToday, my county got hit with an election lawsuit from the loser. He is challenging the legality of the election and mail-in ballots. Biden won by over 50,000 votes. He does not want them certified and also wants us to pay "reasonable costs and expenses of this action, including attorneys' fees. I am sick to my stomach. I am wondering if it is possible to sue him for literally stealing our votes. I would say that he won't get away with all this, but what he is doing is sewing doubt to destroy our country.
DeleteHurrah -good for Pennsylvania! Let us hope this is the start of better times and more honourable behaviour. I now live in hopes that Britain will move towards a less shameful and incompetent government.
ReplyDeleteI hope so, Rosemary. We have got to get through the next 69 days, though, until Biden is sworn into the Presidency. Between now and then who knows what will happen while the angry, bitter, revengeful man still holds the office.
DeleteWhat a year indeed. We can only pray for the leadership we long for and deserve. I voted by mail and I received a little notification in the mail that my ballot had been received. And before that, a postcard from the USPS that they were not going to be swayed in doing anything but their best during the voting by mail time. Thank you all!
ReplyDeleteWe have several family member with Covid, I mean several in many of our extended families. My two son in laws had it, as well as my daughter in law. It's very odd that my daughters and son did not catch it from their spouses. And the cases were mild-headaches, fatigue, and loss of taste and smell. I hope the long term effects aren't bad. Hubby and I are in the bunker. I now order groceries and use the drive up for prescriptions. I have horrible asthma and part of my right lung died several years ago after it collapsed. I'm a sitting duck for a bad run. Hubby is older and tells everyone he is as good as gone if he catches it. He refuses to think positive. 🙄
Hang in there. At my age I don't do much with friends anyway, it's mostly family and the grands, and I do love my time doing my own thing. A major plus is wearing my jammies all day!
Hang in there, girlfriend!❤️
Jane x
Yes, this is the year that we all think that 2020 can't end soon enough, Jane. We have to stay healthy till the new year when with the vaccines available and Biden in office, we can hopefully, breath a little easier.
DeleteI feel as if it is coming right, the slow unraveling of the damage done. I feel as if I am breathing freely once again.
ReplyDeleteSo am I, but won't relax until the man in charge is gone. He makes every nightmare come true.
DeleteThe good news is the vaccine and that can't come soon enough.
Your vote certainly counted in PA. My daughter, in Pittsburgh, was overjoyed with the PA results. As for me I don’t mind that I had to drive twice to Atlanta. Now I’ll drive again from Nashville to Atlanta in mid-December for the senate runoff. We need to win these as well so Joe Biden can get everything done. It is hard for me to understand how Republican senators can let all these fraud lies continue. In the meantime I hope a war won’t be started in the middle-east before January.
ReplyDeleteI sure hope so. The soon former man in charge is still attempting to negate our votes. He is now saying that the down ballots are OK, it is just the Presidential votes that are in question. He has gone off the very deep end but he is seeding doubt in the election and causing chaos, as usual. We have an excellent Attorney General in PA and he will have none of his desperate nonsense. I just want this all finished and certified and have our attention on stopping this virus.
DeleteDear Arleen, as I spent time reading some of the comments on your posting and scrolling back, I realized that you've had back problems. I so hope that you are recuperating well. When I was in such pain back in late 2016 and into 2017, before my March 2017 back operation on all the discs of the lumbar area, I began to walk differently Hold my body differently. Throw out my hip. In other words, back problems cause all sorts of skeletal changes as we try to ease the pain. I so hope you are not in great pain and that the stress of the past four years and of these days after the election is not exacerbating your pain.
ReplyDeleteAs to the election, I find myself bemused, befuddled, flummoxed that we are going through a crisis unlike any since I think 1876. I try, but I cannot understand why so many of the leading Republicans in Congress, who, as President Obama said Sunday night, "know better," are encouraging the conduct that is fracturing our Constitution. I suspect however that the Georgia Senate race and the need to keep the approval of those who follow President Trump so avidly are two reasons for the recalcitrance of many Republican senators. I just need to believe that their "better angels" will prevail. Peace.
Most days I don't believe what I am seeing on television. I continue to be (somewhat) optimistic. During our Zoom services this week one of my congregation's rabbi's spoke about hope and reminded us to keep our eyes on the prize. I've been reminding myself of this since. I'm also optimistic about the vaccine that hopefully will be coming
ReplyDeleteto us very soon. Take care and happy Thanksgiving!
I am following your news and today it sounds more hopeful with Biden getting access to daily briefings. I pray for you all over there. I am currently reading Mary Trump's book - what a dysfunctional family. Happy Thanksgiving.
ReplyDeleteI think the whole world was watching with bated breath. My goodness. We were envious in Britain to think you had finally made a stand against crooks and lowlifes. We have at least another 3 years of ours and goodness knows what damage they will have done to my beloved country by then.
ReplyDeleteHi.. I hope you're ok. Keep safe!
ReplyDeleteLove it! Keep it coming.
ReplyDelete