I Will Vote
Let’s Get Political

1. Make a Voting Plan: voter registration deadlines for the 2020 election are fast approaching. Please register to vote if you haven’t already. If you are registered, double and triple check your registration status. Visit iwillvote.com to find out how to register or to check your registration status. The website also has location-based information on voting by mail and voting in person, as well as dates and deadlines and whether you need to show an ID to vote*. Your local news outlets likely have a voting guide online (e.g., DCist has good ones for DC, MD, & VA).

The New York Times has a good interactive voting guide, which I recommend reading through. There’s a societal lack of attention to detail these days, but ALL of us voting by mail need to be extra diligent in following the instructions to ensure that our votes arrive in time and are counted. Make your voice heard by voting…do it early and only do it once (i.e., DO NOT mail your ballot and then go vote in person. That’s illegal)!

I Will Vote

2. RIP RBG: the news of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing was not a surprise, but it was still heartwrenching. I’ve taken morning walks over to the Supreme Court a few times in the past week, and went by this house with some of RBG’s final words chalked onto the stairs out front (plus a BLM sign). If those words don’t hit you right in the feels, I guess you’ve been drinking the orange dictator’s Kool-Aid.

RIP RBG

3. Halloween Castle Cat Scratcher: moving on from the heavy stuff…I ordered this Halloween castle for our fur buddies Cheddar and Linus, and they’re loving it! It’s by Target’s Hide and EEK! brand and only cost $16.99. Assembly is required and it was a little tricky to put together, but it didn’t take me too long to figure out. This particular model is a double decker, with a scratcher on the inside and on the top. The boys have a lot of fun playing in it while we watch tv in the evening!

Haunted Cat Castle
Cheddar guards his castle gates

4. Angie’s Boom Chicka Pop – Pumpkin Spice: this is another Target find…and I LOVE IT. I accidentally ordered two bags, which is basically the happiest accident ever. I’ve already eaten the first bag and will have to stock up on more of this stuff.

5. Summer Caprese Salad: last weekend John bought some veggies from the local farmer’s market, so I used heirloom tomatoes to make us this summer caprese salad. It was really simple: heirloom tomatoes, Polly-O mozzarella, fresh basil from our garden, avocado, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. The avocado made the dressing a little creamy, and the heirloom tomatoes were super juicy. It was so, so good!!

Summer salad

 

*Many states require ID to vote, which leads to disenfranchisement and is, for all intents and purposes, a discriminatory poll tax. The ACLU has a fact sheet about voter ID laws.