Hi. How is everyone doing?

This is the first original blog post I’ve written in a few weeks. Actually, since September.

I had an epiphany at the beginning of October. After almost a full year since I went through The “Artist’s Way” course, I “got” it. The “it” is that while writing is surely my first creative love, it can’t be my only one. I didn’t do a great job of honoring my creativity by regularly doing “Artist’s Dates” when I was going through the course, and I’ve recommited myself to them.

That doesn’t mean I went hog wild with arts and crafts projects since my last post. I did, however, spend time collecting things, primarily through indulging in my second favorite hobby, thrifting, to use for the craft projects in my head.

So I’ve got plenty to do, which is a good thing, considering the nervous energy I have about tomorrow’s mid-term elections. Distractions are going to be what will get me through till all votes are counted and winners have been declared.

How about you? Are you seeking distractions to keep from spiraling out like me?

This doesn’t mean I’m not hopeful about these elections. It just means I am worried about what we Americans are going to have to go through to ensure democracy prevails. I worry about the state election workers and their well-being and safety (remember what happened in Georgia with Ruby Freeman and her daughter Shay during the 2020 elections? Just horrible). I worry that people who don’t have white skin are going to be intimidated by agents of the federal government and their cheerleaders to not exercise their right to vote. I worry that violence will break out at polls across the country. And I worry about what could transpire between the time all votes are counted and the duly elected Congress is set to be seated.

I pray for the safety of the election workers and the voting public. and for us all to get through this no more scathed than we already are after this nightmare of an administration and the Trump sycophants in Congress have tried to have their way with us.

I pray that all of that “trying” to get their way with us, the American people, will be rewarded with an utter and complete rebuke of this adminstration and anyone who supported it in any way at all.

May the pendulum swing, as pendulums do, to the left.

As a result of this nervous energy I have about the mid-terms and what may follow, I’ve been trying to distract myself. I’ve been pouring my mental energy into work-work and my physical energy into work around this house. Ignoring the texts and emails that clog up my phone and my laptop with pleas to donate to political campaigns. I have already donated more than I ever have in this election season. I’m just ready for the whole process to be over and antsy to get to the part where we find out who won what races.

Distractions can be a good coping mechanism in these times, right?

Other recent distractions I’ve enjoyed include going to the movie theater with my sister-in-law a few Saturdays ago to see “Practical Magic 2”. It was the last weekend that our only local movie theater was going to be open. I knew it was going to be a long time before we got a chance to catch a movie together because of this. A couple of weeks prior, I watched the original “Practical Magic” at home. While I love both Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, it really wasn’t a good movie at all. It was silly and kind of all over the place. But the chemistry between these two actors was undeniable. So I wasn’t expecting “PM 2” to be much better. Funny thing is-we both really enjoyed this movie! Yeah, it was silly but it had so much heart and it featured good music (Brandi Carlile doing a Billy Joel song and sounding like Bette Midler?! Say what?). I highly recommend this movie, in particular if you are looking for a flick to watch with your favorite chicks. I think it’s streaming now.

Another recent distraction was putting together a “punny” Halloween costume. It was inspired by this gal I follow on Instagram (Liz on the Radio) who comes up with the most clever but simple costumes. I got myself a plain black sweatshirt and sweatpants, cut out images from little cereal bags, taped each one to a piece of cardboard, got out the fake blood and “decorated” my cereal bags with it. I then affixed the bloody cereal bags to my outfit using safety pins, and voila! I was a “cereal killer”. I only got a couple of pictures of myself in it, which were taken from a bit too far away to tell what I was, so I’m not sharing them here. Next year I’m thinking of going as a “deviled egg”, wearing yellow with a white jacket and devil horns on my head.

Did you dress up for Halloween this year? Or did you see any especially creative costumes out there in the wild?

I’ve also been using the camera on my phone more intentionally, as a way to keep myself grounded and present as well as distracted from all the overwhelm that is America these days.

I’ll leave you with a song I heard for the very first time yesterday while listening to https://www.thecurrent.org/. It seems pretty perfect for my mindset about Election Day tomorrow.