What did I do all week?

Well, I watched the Democratic National Convention and thought everything about it was great.


Well thought out and well executed.

So refreshing after so many years of convention hall madness.


And what a breath of fresh air it was to see politicians use complete sentences, and act like kind, caring adults rather than immature ignorant racist bullies.


Michelle Obama summed things up perfectly, I think. "Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country. He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head. He cannot meet this moment. He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us. It is what it is.”


But besides that what did I do?

I stayed away from Facebook - NOT completely, and I don't intend to do that.

But.

Short stays to see how my friends are doing is enough.

Invariably, I'll stay just a little bit too long and get caught up in stuff that brings me down, sends my blood pressure up and well, you know what I mean . . . 

So, peeps, if I've missed your birthday, an anniversary, a book event, or some wonderful event in your life, please know I'm not intentionally ignoring you.  I'm not.  Not at all.  

Just attempting to balance my life with some self-care.

So, while I've been balancing, what have I done?

Baked a cake.






Read a couple of good books.


I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of "The Road Not Taken" by Susan Rubin.

It's a very strange book.  Wonderfully strange.  I loved it and although Susan Rubin has a voice all her own, the book felt like a delightful mix of Alice Hoffman and Tom Robbins to me.  I know it's one I'll read again.  and again . . .     

“The Road Not Taken by Susan Rubin is a unique work of magical realism, filled with fantastic imagery, irony, and amazing ideas. The Road Not Taken sits next to Isabelle Allende and Neil Gaiman on my reading table. If you want to take a unique journey, filled with humor, fantastic imagery, ideas and irony, grab a copy.” — Luisah Teish, author of Jambalaya

Picked up a couple of good books from my post office.

  

I've been a big fan of Clarence Major for a number of years.  Having one of my favorite people who also happens to be one of my favorite authors, James Anderson, send me an autographed copy of "The Essential Clarence Major" means the world to me.  Thank you, Dear James!

 

And you all know how I feel about Louise Penny.

Louise, along with her assistant, Lise, have spoiled me rotten with autographed copies of the Three Pines series.  I treasure every one.

I have some of the BEST friends in the writing community.   

While doing some Paris dreaming, I've discovered a couple of new-to-me artists.

Clare Caulfield

and

Lina Nordin Gee

And I've played around with telling a couple of "Paris Dreaming" stories through collage work in my little studio.

Spent some time looking at apartments for rent in Paris through Paris Perfect where you can find everything from a small studio to a luxury 3 bedroom apartment with views to die for.

Hopefully, at least by this time next year we'll have proper leadership intelligent enough to believe in science and by listening to experts in the medical field we'll have a handle on this pandemic.


Fewer people will be dying because of a lack of leadership.


Our COVID numbers will come down and we'll be allowed back into countries that have blocked us from entering at present because we present a danger to their citizens.


Fingers crossed.


My Dove chocolates keep giving me this message -



(You may have noticed a little bit of a theme here; chocolate cake, Dove chocolates . . . )


Wishing I could follow Dove's advice!  Book a flight!  Pack those bags!

'Cause, as much as we both love being at home in our own little nest, Donald and I are suffering pangs of serious wanderlust.

But, one good thing about spending so much time at home these past few months, we've saved a few pennies.

Pennies for Paris!

Take care, guys - stay safe.