Day 2861: What do you need?

Here and now, what do you need?

Do you need

• comfort?
• reassurance?
• good news?
• results?
• money?
• a drink?
• love?
• hope?
• peace?
• self esteem?
• time for yourself?
• social contact?
• justice?
• to know that you are not alone?

I need

• to take a breath,
• to be in the moment,
• to be grateful for all I have, and
• to do whatever I can to make this life better for myself and others.

I do NOT need to vote because I already have.

I need to share that ten years ago, on Halloween, I met my future husband, Michael. Michael needs no introduction to regular readers of this blog, but here’s a post I wrote about him four very long years ago.

I also need to share my latest photos with you.

If I’m being serious and honest, almost everybody I know needs therapy these days.

I also need to tell you that this …

… is my amazing son, Aaron, who is doing his last year at the University of Edinburgh from our basement here in the USA. Isn’t that a cool picture? Aaron and I both needed our winter coats last night because of the early snow.

I also need to tell you that even though my husband Michael needs his privacy and is camera shy, his presence is there in several of today’s photos.

I need to include a song about needs, so how about this one?

You don’t need to leave a comment, but it would be awesome if you did!

I need to thank everyone who helps me create a new blog post every day, including Michael, Aaron, Harley, the Beatles, the Daily Bitch Calendar, and YOU!

Day 2860: Achieve a calm state

How to achieve a calm state four days before the most important Election Day in my long lifetime ?

• Breathe.
• Get some nutritious sleep.
• Eat some nutritious food.
• Listen to people you love.
• Restrict your “doomscrolling” through the latest news.
• Laugh.
• Express yourself.
• Get some exercise.
• Play music.
• Play.
• Keep your blood pressure low.
• Be safe.
• Share your views, including fun fotos.

Also, realize that it’s hard for the current administration to make a comeback.

Let’s achieve a calm state together as we watch “Porch restaurant caters to chipmunk.”

Achieve a calm state as you take in my gratitude to all who helped me create this achieve-a-calm-state post, including my wonderful, dog-loving Primary Care doctor Laura Kate Snydman at Tufts Medical Center, Georgia food writer Angela Hansberger, Thelonius Munk, the Daily Bitch Calendar, and YOU.

Day 2859: My anxiety

As we get closer to November 3, my anxiety is increasing. I know I’m not alone in my anxiety, which helps.

Can you see my anxiety in today’s photos?

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Music is usually good for my anxiety. Here’s “My Anxiety” by Cal Scruby,

“Anxiety” by Anna Clendening,

“I Wrote a Song about Dealing with Depression and Anxiety” by Gremlin,

“Anxiety” by Black Eyed Peas featuring Papa Roach,

and, finally, “cute songs to help you deal with anxiety.”

My anxiety is grateful to everyone who is reading “My Anxiety” here and now, including YOU!

Day 2858: Dead End

I grew up on a dead end and I live on a dead end now. Some people don’t like the term “dead end” — they prefer “cul de sac,” which translates from the French to “bottom of the sack. “

I believe that if the current, bottom-of-the-sack leaders in the USA get another term in office, it’s a dead end for the future, hope, civilization, and the survival of the human race.

Maybe that’s why I captured these images yesterday.

“Dead End” from the Quincy Jones album Walking in Space coincidentally showed up in my random Spotify playlist as I was walking by dead ends last night. Here is “Dead End,” which I’ve been listening to for most of my life.

I don’t know how this election is going to end and when it is going to end. I’m already dead with dread and exhaustion, and there are miles to go before I sleep.

Do you see dead ends in these other images?

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I’ve had fun before. And worrying about whether the world is approaching a dead end is not it.

Gratitude is the living end, so thanks to all who help me write these posts, including YOU!

Day 2857: OUT

I’m so OUTraged, I’m almost OUT of words abOUT the lOUTs in power in my cOUnTry. I ShOUT vote them OUT, in a blue rOUT!

Let’s see what else will OUT in this OUT post.

I hope we’re not OUT of time!

My OUTstanding son and I have both worn those tiger ears OUTside.

I left OUT the Daily Bitch calendar in yesterday’s post.

All these ducks hang OUT together.

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I’m never OUT of pictures of Harley.

People want Trump OUT of the White House and in prison.

Another OUTrageously delicious and nutritious meal from Michael.

This is one way I get my feelings OUT.

Here’s “I Think It’s Going to Work OUT Fine” by Ry Cooder:

I’ll be looking OUT for your comments, below.

I never leave OUT gratitude, so thanks to all who helped me get OUT this OUT post, including YOU.

Day 2856: Feeling blue ?

Last week I wrote a blog post about how much I’ll be feeling blue if the USA does not turn blue this next election. Yesterday, I saw this at a supermarket in the very blue state of Massachusetts:

Under that “FEELING BLUE?” headline, it says “You’re not alone” — which is one of the major healing factors of group therapy.

Michael was feeling blue soon after I took that photo when he noticed a grocery bagger wearing a mask BELOW his nose. Conflict makes Michael feel blue, but he still asked that supermarket employee to pull his mask up properly. We both feel blue when we go to this supermarket, because we almost always notice employees with their noses hanging out. When we see these kinds of behaviors, we talk ourselves blue in the face trying to figure out what people are thinking and why mask wearing isn’t better enforced in SUPERMARKETS, for heaven’s sake.

Before that blue period, I took this photo at that supermarket yesterday because these rubber ducks looked like they were feeling blue, hanging in the frozen foods section in this netting.

I didn’t know until later that Michael was feeling blue enough to buy those ducks and set them free.

If you’re feeling blue, you might enjoy some of the other images I captured yesterday near the very blue city of Boston.

Harley has not been feeling blue lately. Have you?

Here’s “Feelin’ Blue” by Creedence Clearwater Revival …

… and “Feelin’ Blue” by Earth, Wind & Fire.

Whenever I’m feelin’ blue, gratitude helps, so thanks to all who are reading these daily pre-election posts, including YOU.

Day 2855: Endure

I keep noticing this rock, which endures in the enduring Kindness Rock Project near our home:

The only other time I’ve used the word “endure” in a blog title was Day 1409: Adapt and Endure, which I published the day after Donald Trump became the U.S. President four years ago.

I, having endured many medical scares and challenges through 2016, also posted this enduring (and, I hope, endearing) message back then on Facebook:

“I survived open heart surgery for THIS?”

As we approach November 2020, let’s think about what we have endured over the last four years. Has it been an AFOG (Another F-ing Opportunity for Growth)? An irredeemable disaster? Something else? Your answer may depend on how you tend to endure.

Which of these images might endure for you?

Okay, I’m ready to endure the next 10 days. Are you?

Here’s a 1972 tune by Stephen Stills which endures for me:

What else endures? Comments on WordPress and my gratitude to all who help me endure, including YOU.

Day 2854: Red

Yesterday, I wrote about the color blue. My true-blue reader, Maureen, wrote this in a response:

I’m intrigued by how strongly the political parties in the United States are associated with the colors red and blue. Do you think that avid Republicans could ever feel that blue is their favorite color? or do people’s political associations affect their color preferences?

I am an avid Democrat and my favorite color is red, as you can see from the photos I’m sharing today.

If my country doesn’t turn blue this year, I’ll be thinking thoughts like today’s Daily Bitch, turning red in anger and embarrassment.

While I am waiting for the election results, I shall listen to favorite music, including The Red One, featuring some red-hot guitar playing by Pat Metheny and John Scofield.

What are your thoughts and feelings about this red post?

Red thanks to all who help me create these daily posts, read by many, including YOU!

Day 2853: Blue

Blue was on my mind yesterday, as I was

• blue about death rates, economic losses, systemic injustices, etc.,
• wondering if adult babies in power would hold their breath until they turned blue,
• hoping that my country would turn blue in November, and
• seeing blue all around me.

With the right combination of Michael’s cooking, work, blogging, hope, and love, I’ll survive another blue week.

Here, here, here, and here are the first four videos that show up for me on BlueTube, I mean YouTube, when I search for “blue.”

This also showed up …

… and this.

Is that enough blue for you?

Thanks to all who helped me write this blue post today, including YOU.

Day 2852: Eyes

Yesterday, in my Coping and Healing group, people told stories about eyes.

With my own eyes, I noticed people’s strong reactions to the stories about eyes, because eyes are

• sensitive,
• vulnerable, and
• the windows to the soul.

At the end of the group, somebody made a commitment to turn their sensitive and vulnerable eyes away from the news for the rest of the day. The group members showed their approval and support with their eyes.

What do your eyes see in today’s photos?

Because my eyes have been hurting lately, I think I’ll watch this video over and over again instead of tonight’s U.S. President debate:

I’m so glad those people were using their eyes. Another good sight for my sore eyes would be comments from you.

I am thankful for my eyes and the observant eyes of kind people, like YOU.