Normally we throw a Fourth of July party where all of our friends come over and lick their hands and touch each other and cough into our open eyes but we decided not to do that this year because, you know, Rona.
The lack of social engagements in 2020 has been a super interesting thing for this extrovert who has knitted two sweaters, three scarves, a hat, and has run nearly 1,000 miles in the last three months and I'm sure none of these things are related. But honestly, I've settled into this and I've been able to find joy in the lessened social chaos.
I'm still working from home and plan to maybe forever? We've seen my family here and there, but not much because Bob & Cathie don't want us to give them the Rona. I have a lot of friends who are worried about their parents and grandparents because they don't feel like they are taking social distancing and mask wearing, etc., seriously enough. I'm grateful that I haven't had that problem with my own parents, but I wouldn't mind having Cathie come over and make comments about my yard that are definitely compliments but worded just so I'm not confident about that ("Oh! I would have never thought to plant a rose bush that close to that tree that I didn't realize people liked!").
We miss our old folks.
All of this is to say, Sky and I wanted to do something to celebrate the holiday so it didn't just feel like every other day in 2020. We invited Matt over to barbecue with us. When social distancing started I was in a fit of crippling anxiety so I read everything on the entire internet and some article recommended that every family choose one "Covid family" to hang out with. We chose Matt and his boyfriend Jace because I couldn't bear the thought of not seeing Mr. Pants for the foreseeable future.
By the way, I set Matt and Jace up.
(This is like my 10th successful set-up in my life. I'm not kidding. I 1,000% missed my calling. Y'all would be married right now if I just had a little more time and you completely handed all of your free agency over to me.)
We are dog-sitting Jude right now, so with three dogs and four people we almost had the proper party ratio.
We are dog-sitting Jude right now, so with three dogs and four people we almost had the proper party ratio.
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| It is VERY challenging to get Jude to pose for photos. This was the best we could do with all three. |
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| Pants/Doodle 2020 |
Skylar spent the better part of an afternoon making an American flag cake. He apparently only recognizes 35 of the states.
I made enough potato salad to feed the entire Revolutionary Army because I'm a Mormon mom first and an American second.
And it was just a lovely time without fireworks and crowds and parades and festivals and OMG I MISS LIFE and road races, etc.
And it was just a lovely time without fireworks and crowds and parades and festivals and OMG I MISS LIFE and road races, etc.
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| I know I'm married to one of these but I honestly don't know which anymore. #facialblindness #allwhitegaymenlookthesame #Icansaythatbutyoucan't |
Anyway, happy Independence Day from the United States of God Bless America. For those of you in the U.S., what did you do for the holiday?
Also, please enjoy some marital bickering from me and Meg on this week's Strangerville:
This time in Strangerville, Meg shares a joke from Twitter THAT MAKES NO SENSE, Eli almost became a polygamist once, and a man tells the story of his final three dates with women.
Story
Three Dates, by Brice Laris
Music by Ayla Nereo
Production by Eli McCann & Meg Walter
~It Just Gets Stranger
My girls talked my husband into getting candy from the store, then they complained all morning when we made them do yard work in the hot sun, then they spent the entire afternoon setting up a parade with floats made out of legos, and every single toy car and stuffed animal that we own, and then we had a parade complete with background music that my 10 year old was in charge of. Then I wanted to watch the Sandlot, but my kids settled on Boss Baby instead. Then we watched the neighbors’ fireworks out the window. Then we slept. Also, I think Jude just needs to go to Ollie and Duncan’s school of professional dog models. Also also, I feel weird saying it here but also kind of want to share? We had to say goodbye to my boy Tip in June 17, and yes, that was only a couple weeks after I made a comment on the blog about how the only thing I couldn’t handle from 2020 is if it took my dog from me, too. I guess the universe reads the comments on your blog and hates me. So anyway...
ReplyDeleteOh Amy Rose, I am so sorry for your loss!!! ❤️ I remember reading that comment of yours. I’m so sorry it came true :(
DeleteAmy Rose! That hurts my heart. So sorry to hear about sweet little Tip. I can't begin to imagine how much that must hurt. Hugs to you, your hubby, and all the sweet kiddos.
DeleteI’m so sorry, Amy Rose! That is heartbreaking.
DeletePants/Doodle. Now THAT is a winning ticket!
ReplyDeleteSo a while back you wrote about how people thought that Skyler and Matt look like brothers. Well you and Jace look like brothers. I am convinced you set up Matt with your doppleganger.
ReplyDeleteI would also totally vote for Mr. Pants and Mr. Doodle for President and Vice President 2020.
We should find out if we're related. It's the strangest thing. He's never met his father and I've never met my mother. We each have a photograph, torn right down the middle, of our estranged parent. But we've never compared them.
Delete"Normally we throw a Fourth of July party where all of our friends come over and lick their hands and touch each other and cough into our open eyes" may be the best clause possible. Well done. I read that and almost spit my breakfast into my teenage daughter's face. Then I showed her what I was laughing at, and she almost spit her food into my face. It was basically the holiday party we all dream of, so thanks for that.
ReplyDeleteWe celebrated by driving around looking for houses with like 50 people crowded into the front yard without masks, then parked a block away to watch the illegal fireworks they were shooting off. With no public shows this year, we were glad no one bothered to enforce the fireworks ban in small towns close enough to a reservation to easily access the forbidden fruit.
I just listened to the Hive Mind episode about Miss Congeniality and I think the movie you were talking about at the beginning (the one where they both have tons of kids but don't feel like they can reveal how many) is Yours, Mine, and Ours. But I could be totally wrong on that.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct! I remembered just after we finished recording. Also, I think I got the detail wrong about who had the 10 and who had the 8 kids (he had 10; she had 8).
DeleteThat's a feel-good movie for me! I think you were right in the episode because she and her husband had adopted a bunch of foster kids so she had 10 total.
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