Today is voting day in several US States. If that's you, please vote. Safely. Handsome Son and I, both mail-in voters of long standing, whose primary happened before the current disastrous appointment at the post office, were talking recently about workarounds.
For the general election, we'll use local dropboxes, plenty available, rather than trust the mail.
Sad to be figuring out workarounds, but we're hanged if we let this election be suppressed. And judging by the current mail slowdown -- small package for me has been sitting in my local po, small town, since last Wednesday. Arrived today. Two miles away. Couple of bills arrived several days late. So we make allowances, just in case.
Meanwhile bits of trivia. I noticed how my bits of Chinese porcelain, some antique like this lovely rice grain bowl, and modern saucer
mix happily with cheapo cups and teapots from the Asian store. This design is still being made, because it's beautiful,but this one is antique.
Teapot lid works as cup lid.
And my Golden Guide to insects arrived.
In case you're squicked out by them, I've opened to a page most people will like.
To me they're all animals, just as "weeds" are all plants. I am going to study this afternoon.
Teatime now. Pot of tea, lastuv the banana bread.
It sounds like a perfect afternoon, that book the tea and banana bread.
ReplyDeleteOur mail has been slow in Canada through the pandemic because it is kept longer in the major postal centres because of the virus. I have heard about the situation with the postal service in the U.S. though. You are right to work around the obstacles every way you can so your vote counts. What do we have if we don’t have a vote?
Insects are quite possibly some of the most interesting creatures in our world.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post. Thank you, dear Boud.
I agree about insects. Even the ones we dread have life stories and reasons for being.
DeleteI wouldn't ever trust the mail for voting just because there's too many ways for it to go wrong. Last time we voted here we didn't receive our registration cards until nearly two weeks AFTER the vote despite assurances that they were 'in the mail'. Luckily we were allowed to vote but we had to do a lot of extra work in order to do so. If they can hold up delivery of the registration papers - what's to stop a hold up of delivering votes as well, particularly with all the slow downs in mail delivery right now. Not a good situation no matter what.
ReplyDeleteIt knocks your confidence in the mail when things like that happen. I live in a blue state with pretty good voting structure, plenty of dropboxes at the primary. So as long as the ballots are delivered to us, we can take it from there.
DeleteWe voted by mail in the primary this past spring, but I wouldn't trust the mail this fall, either. Your dishes remind me... I found some Courier and Ives dishes at MIL's that no one seemed to realize their mother had. I was given the blessing to take them home and I see that they go perfectly with my slightly off-white (cheap) dishes. I think they'll make an interesting set table. While they aren't from my family home, for most of my childhood these were our everyday dishes and I doubt very many survived. I'm so looking forward to using my new old dishes.
ReplyDeleteI do like dishes. And I have very few now, by design. Just enough for me and a guest. But I do set up a nice teatray daily, with dishes and napkins, because I enjoy it.
Deletewe have run across a 'slight problem" here in NH, where alllll the republican absentee mailins are addressed to the right recipients but the return address is wrong on all of them.
ReplyDeleteMy won'tTHAT slow things down.
I think we are both in agreement on one thing, if not who to vote for, but how to vote, and we both are going to brave the polling place and mark our ballots in person. Gloved, masked, and if necessary wearing hazmat suits.
oh, and your antique dishes are charming. I 'inherited' several of sets that had been well used and sometimes too vigorously, but I do cherish what's left.
ReplyDeleteFirst time in years I forgot to vote. oyvey.
ReplyDeleteGood point about the USPS, I will find out about drop boxes here for my mail-in ballot. I have also been concerned about even getting it. In the mail. I am fond of insects and will capture those that come in the house, if I can, flies excepted, and put them outside. They are vanishing from here though. No more moths by the night lights, no more crickets, I don't think. None on your windshield as you drive. It's just terrible!
ReplyDeleteAbout dropboxes, it helps if you live in a blue State.
DeleteI haven't noticed any drop in insects particularly. But we have plenty of friendly habitat for them, green, water, foliage, gardens and food crops, people to bite..and we don't typically have fire problems. Flood is more of a threat.
I was comparing notes with a California friend sone time ago. She has to keep foliage down as you do, for fire risk. And she couldn't understand why it was vital where I live to mow weeds. We didn't have fire risk, what other reason could there ne? I explained that a year of failing to mow weedy areas would result in a massive crop of trees, much harder to deal with. Ive given away many tree seedlings to friends needing to plant new yards with no budget.
I've not decided whether to vote by mail or in person. I live in a small town and only once have I had to wait in a fairly long line to vote. I'll have to find out if there will be a drop box for mail in votes.
ReplyDeletelovely dishes. I have a few favorite rice bowls, not antique though.
The reason I vote by mail is that it's the only form that has a paper trail. Everything else is electronic. And we had experience a few years ago when an aggressive right winger went up against a very popular and effective MOC. All electronic and gosh lookit, the unknown contender win by 32000 votes. Whereupon protest caused ine particular head to roll in Trenton, the clerk who admitted she'd moved the votes into the wrong column in the system. Two days later, the incumbent wins on a demanded recount by, 32000 votes...coinkydink. neither the contender nor the probably bribed clerk heard from again. She claimed it was accidental. Yeah. So as soon as paper became universal in the State, I've been voting that way.
DeleteThe bowl is a rice grain bowl, so called because the clay is incised before glazing to get that effect of many windows in the shape of rice grains. It's a lovely design.