Tag Archives: fridayfive

friday frivolity: halloween recap, and some new knitting

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Halloween was a bit of a disappointment – the forecast was clear, but the weatherpeople were not correct. By 7:30 PM or so, the winds had picked up and the rain was pelting. We were expecting a flood of kids, pent-up demand from the past year, but we had a small turnout and the weather put a damper on festivities. We have LOTS of candy leftover which is terrible for my discipline and self-esteem.

the kiddo and brandon making the most out of her costume

I took Monday off and put away the Halloween decorations, smashed the pumpkins under our birdfeeder and filled them with sunflower seeds. The birds, deer, and other yard wildlife (we have possums and a raccoon) enjoy the smorgasbord. It’s turned colder so the flannel sheets are on the bed and the woodbox is filled. The kiddo and I had dentist appointments this week, on Tuesday Brandon & I went to vote the short local ballot (city council), and work has been a bit stressful. I had a call with Japan one evening that I spent a lot of time preparing for and feeling anxious about and now, here on Friday, I am drained and bloated and sugar-hungover and ready for a weekend of lots of water and fresh, clean food. I haven’t been able to muster the energy to run in the newly cold mornings, which seem increasingly dark, even though I do really like cold-weather running and I have all the appropriate gear, so I have to conclude that I’ve just been silly and have not done the best job at self-care this week.

Vlogtober is OVER and I am bummed out. I so enjoyed following two of my favorite vloggers with their daily updates. Gayna from Tales from Cuckoo Land and Ali from This Little Wonderful Life are just a joy and being able to climb under a blanket with my iPad and watch them every day was a balm for my busy October. Ali is pretty regular so I expect to see her again soon – and I think she’s already committed to Vlogmas – but Gayna has intimated that she maybe won’t be able to film again until the New Year and as I really enjoyed her Vlogmas last year, this is a crushing disappointment. I really need Christina and Red Bank Mike from Chelsea Knits to commit to a Vlogmas so I can fill in my Gayna loss. (Their house and chickens are so fun, and I love her planner vlogs too.)

On the knitting front, now that the Halloween socks are finished, I have turned my attention to a couple of other projects. I cast on a hat for the kiddo – the SImple Pleasures hat by Purl Soho. It is fantastic. She picked the grey tones and the yarn is absolutely luscious to work with. For the ribbing, you hold two strands of the wool, and once you get into the body of the hat, you cut one strand and replace it with a strand of the kid mohair. I’m considering doing another one for myself, maybe in one of the plum tones. I also got myself a little gift for Thanksgiving knitting – this tiny stitch marker from Sucre Sucre Miniatures. It’s the most perfect, detailed, immaculate slice of pumpkin pie and the artistry is amazing.

gah!!!

I’m also winding yarn for the Snuggle Down Cowl by Jooles Hill. This has been on my short list for awhile, and I’m finally winding up some of my mini-skeins from last year’s Legacy FIber Artz Advent calendar. I’m pairing them with a silk mohair in a pink shade from one of my new favorite indie dyers, Casual Fashion Queen, who is up in Ironwood, MI, where it’s already snowing.

So there’s my Friday update for you all. I hope you are well and safe, warm if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, and cool if you’re under the Southern Cross. We change our clocks back this weekend so the long days of dark are upon us. Be well, be kind, and enjoy. xo

friday five

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Capping off another work week with a sigh of relief and hoping you are all well – here’s an October Friday Five.

Puzzle season has commenced…

1. 21 Days of Horror – longer term readers will know that every October I delve deeply into the world of horror films. It started out as 31 days, but I couldn’t do 31 horror films and keep a healthy mental balance (and most years we don’t hit 21 either)! On Halloween I will recap the season and unveil our favorite. If you know us, we aren’t big on zombies or torture or overt gore, and tend to lean towards the late ‘70’s and 1980’s genres. Brandon also really enjoys Hammer horror from the ‘60’s. Join us on Halloween for our final pick.

2. Halloween trip to Glenlore Trails with the Girl Scouts. The weather was perfect – cool enough for a jacket but exceptionally mild with a big moon. The Scouts ran off on their own for the roughly 1-mile walk. The displays weren’t scary – mostly lights and projected images – but it was all intended to be family-friendly and it was a nice night to walk in a spooky woods.

3. A real live trip to a movie theater! We saw James Bond “No Time to Die” at our local and had dinner out mid-week. The movie was good but way too long in my opinion. I can watch Daniel Craig forever and a day but I am of the firm belief that we need to get back to the days of 90 minute films (this one was 2.5 hours). We had the theater to ourselves so the teenager was on her phone most of the time ha.

4. The hummingbird feeder is down, washed, and stored, and the seed feeders are up. (I save suet for colder days later in the season.) And yesterday we saw our first dark-eyed Junco, which we also call ‘snowbirds’. They are regular visitors in the snowy months and not around much at all in warm ones, so this is a sign that despite the balmy autumn, winter won’t be delayed indefinitely.

5. I know that I run the risk of jinx but it’s been so nice to have everyone healthy here. I am not taking it for granted. I’ve been back to tracking my food via Weight Watchers, trying to eat well and make overall good choices. Lots of evening kombucha and I’m glad the weather is cool enough for hot tea again. If you like a sweet dessert tea that will give you a post-dinner or pre-bedtime treat, I highly recommend this:

Tonight I’ll be at a football game to watch my kiddo’s middle school band perform a pre-game with the high school band. This is very exciting for me, as I loved band in high school and never miss an opportunity to remind people that I was actually BAND PRESIDENT (#geek). The rest of the weekend – who knows? Lots of relaxing and a couple of runs for sure. I hope you enjoy it and recharge your batteries for the big lead-up to Halloween. Be well – xo.

tgif – a week of thaw

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Good morning from suburban Elysia! It’s been a week of mild – nay, dare I say – warm temperatures and the world is mudluscious. My allergies are starting to go a bit haywire but that has not prevented me from trying to fully enjoy the thaw.

The mailman has been bringing some happy mail this week!

Brandon bought the Detroit print and we will have it framed for our living room! He also bought a new reading lamp and we are ordering swatches for a new loveseat for the den. Long overdue. The current loveseat is a hand me down from some friend’s basement, and poorly slipcovered via Target. Still, I am sad to lose it, as it is supremely comfortable, and I had some of the best naps of my life on it.

The mug discussion has been ongoing in our house as we always have too many – mostly mismatched, chipped, cartoon mugs. Brandon is Mr Aesthetic and I can tell this pains his soul but I cannot get rid of the owl shaped Hedwig mug that Miss L used to drink hot chocolate from or my Whistler’s Mother mug from the Detroit Institute of Arts. I did, however, have my heart broken when my final gorgeous blue pottery mug from my mom broke in the dishwasher. I love thick pottery mugs with gorgeous heavy handles. So I got these as a gift to us. Miss L does not like the color but they are a joy to hold and can suffer through all the indignities of modern life such as the microwave and dishwasher.

My mom also sent me a gift – my brand new favorite t-shirt!

I’ve been dedicated and productive at work in the old home office this week and received news that our work from home has been extended through June. I am on our county list for the vaccine but happy to wait my turn as more at-risk populations get theirs.

I hope you have a fast Friday and a long slow weekend! We are looking forward to Indian food and at least one nice run in this sloppy warm melting world before Michigan turns on us again and sends snow back (I know it’s coming at some point! It can’t be this easy)!

Be well and I hope you are as pleased with life as Pot Roast.

tgif – a sunny friday four

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Just a quick check-in today as this week has been a doozy at work and I have meetings right up until 5pm today that will likely run over.

1. The red squirrel has moved into the deluxe birdhouse thankyouverymuch.

2. The weather here in Southeast Michigan this week has been really nice. It’s hit the 50’s several days with copious sunshine, and we’ve lost most of our snowpack. It’s still cold at night so I am loving the humidifier and fuzzy sheets but the break in the winter weather has been enjoyable for everything except for my sinuses and allergies.

3. Brandon & I got out for an afternoon of cross-country skiing last weekend, just on the cusp of the warmer weather. It was my first time so I spent a fair amount of time on my ass but at the end of it I’d sort of gotten the hang of it. And really enjoyed it. I would love to do more next winter. An afternoon of strenuous activity and sunshine after a period of cold and sloth was just what I needed.

4. My folks got their first Covid vaccine this week and I am so relieved. So far their aftereffects are minimal so fingers crossed that their second shot in a few weeks is as smooth.

I am happy it’s Friday and I am looking forward to Chinese takeout tonight and hopefully more nice temperatures and sunshine. What are you up to? Whatever it is, I hope you have an excellent weekend with your special ones.

tgif- willow tree roads

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As I’m writing this I’m watching the demise of the old willow tree that has proudly resided in the backyard for decades. The tree guys came this morning & will be here for the next few hours (they are funny guys and one of them asked if he can use our microwave at lunchtime to warm up his chili – that’s a man after my own heart).

This is a melancholy moment- I loved that tree just like I love ALL the mature trees in my yard. This despite the undeniable truth that it has become a potential hazard to the neighborhood’s power lines. I am sad to see it go, but relieved in a way, too, and I am not looking forward to the gaping bare spot it will leave.

This week, I’ve been reading a couple of good books and I received a happy mail order. As I make my way through “Pioneer Girl”, the annotated autobiography of Laura Ingalls Wilder, the manuscript that she and her daughter Rose Wilder Lane adapted into the juvenile series “Little House on the Prairie”, I noticed a photograph of Lane’s journal. It was a five year diary with each day on the same page, so at the end of the five years you can look at any date and see five years of entries.

I loved this idea and immediately ordered one for myself.

I can’t believe that Miss L will be 17 when this journal is completed.

It was a full moon yesterday which means I slept poorly and have a full docket of meetings and tasks to take me through until almost quitting time. I can’t wait to shut down my computer and brain at 5:00. Brandon and I have had to dial way back on intense movies and shows lately, finding them just too much on top of everything else. So I subscribed to PBS Documentary via Amazon Prime. We are happily working our way through the Ken Burns oeuvre starting with “Country Music” and that’s no doubt where we will spend a few happy hours this weekend.

I also hope to spend some time with the other book I’m reading- completely dissimilar to “Pioneer Girl” but also utterly absorbing. More about both of these in the next Show Us Your Books (always the second Tuesday of the month).

I hope you enjoy your weekend and get a lot of rest and good things to eat.

“Walking on willow tree roads by a river dappled with peach blossoms, I look for spring light, but am everywhere lost. Birds fly up and scatter floating catkins. A ponderous wave of flowers sags the branches.” – Wang Wei

xoxo

tgif (formerly friday five)

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Editor’s Note: I have changed the format of my Friday posts a bit, focusing on the TGIF rather than having five items. Forgive me but sometimes I just can’t come up with five (although maybe someday I’ll have SIX) and I’m not sure I ever did the whole Friday Five thing right anyway! But this week I do indeed have five so let’s get rolling.

TGIF my friends. We made it through another long, dark winter week and having spots of brightness and optimism helped.

1. As Van Jones said:

goodbye 45!

I’ve never been a big watcher of inaugurations but I will never again take for granted the ceremony and meaning of these occasions. After being so deeply in fear that a peaceful transition of power would not take place, the symbolic importance of the day, and the presence of so many different voices and people from both sides of the aisle, was something I was very grateful for. 🇺🇸

The Bernie memes have been amazing. My faves:

The inauguration was of course the biggest high point of the week but I also have some superficiality- so now on to the minutiae!

2. I read a review of L’Oréal Elvive Wonder Water and for $9 I was intrigued to try it. The texture is weird but it really works to make my hair soft and shiny. Without a blowout and a straightener, my hair is wavy underneath and straight on top which can make it look poofy and unkempt. This product makes it noticeably straighter and more manageable without styling. Which is good, because in the age of remote work, I still shower and wash my hair every day – yes, every day, it’s a tic that I cannot feel clean or productive if my hair isn’t washed- but mostly I’m just blowing it a bit dry and twisting it up into a clip. Warning, it does make the shower floor extremely slippery so use caution.

3. I am a huge fan of Finnish writer Tove Jansson and I recently saw a collection of yarn inspired by her Moomin characters. uhhh…. this could get expensive.

4. Speaking of knitwear…my parents got me Bombas for Christmas…FROM THE SESAME STREET COLLECTION. This is my fave sock brand and I can’t tell you the happiness it brings me to look down during the day and see Grover or Oscar on my ankle.

5. Josie aka Pot Roast is by far the cleverest cat I’ve ever had. One day I pulled up a YouTube video on my computer monitor and let her chase a cartoon mouse across the screen for awhile. I called it “feline enrichment” a la the Kitten Lady (check her on IG). This was all cute fun and games until Pot Roast caught sight of the television monitor. Now she chases Green Bay Packers across the screen, punches out Audrey Hepburn during “Charade”, and thinks she can dunk a basketball like a Laker. Her particular faves, however, are Brandon’s old Kung fu films that he likes to watch before he falls asleep. The funniest thing is hearing a bit of a scuffle in a dark bedroom then seeing Pot Roast’s little ears and head rising up in silhouette against the television screen, looking like Tom Servo or Crow from MST3k. We don’t have the heart to discourage her but that will undoubtedly change when she knocks the TV off the wall and feels pleased that she finally bested Commander Wong.

I hope you have a fantastic Friday and weekend ahead. xo

friday five – imported olives edition

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  1. Brandon’s mom got me a gift certificate for a knitting shop and I finally got around to using it. Stitch In Time in Howell, MI is about 30 minutes from where I live and it is just the coolest place. It occupies the first floor of an old converted house and is full of creaky wood floors, polished paneling, old windows and YARN. I had the BEST time browsing and the staff was super helpful and kind. Highly recommend if you are knitters or crocheters and anywhere near Howell. I need more sock yarn like I need a hole in the head, but I could NOT resist the Uneek self-striping and the WSK (Western Sky Knits) Christmas 2020 colorway. I also picked up a skein of Malabrigo for a knitted beanie.

2. Christmas is the season of giving so I ended up purchasing myself an early present. I’ve wanted a pair of Doc Marten ankle boots for awhile (I still kick myself for giving away my Docs from college) and these were the ones I picked – the Flora in patent. I love them and made sure they were roomy enough for knitted socks underneath.

3. Brandon is visiting his parents this week so Miss L and I have been enjoying a girls’ week – dropping little gifts off to her Secret Santa buddy from Scouts, eating comfort food (hello tuna casserole) and watching some festive Netflix. We picked ‘Dash and Lily’, a charming little YA romance featuring two predictably precocious New Yorker teens falling in love via scavenger hunt. The soundtrack is hipster and the cast diverse and the episodes are short and fast-paced. It’s been a good choice. We are also working our way through Dolly Parton’s ‘Christmas in the Square’ which is admittedly a bit of a hate watch. I love Dolly but this is so atrocious that we sincerely and enjoyably loathe it. We watch five minutes a night and that’s usually more than enough. 🙂

4. I usually try to save my books for Show Us Your Books, but I have to share this. I started the week off on the wrong foot by staying up super late to finish ‘Death in the Family’, an Agatha Christie type whodunnit by Tessa Wegert. I couldn’t put it down. I was a bit grumpy the next day (I need my eight straight) but getting a comment from the author on my IG made it worth it. I’m totally fangirling. 🙂

5. For the first time in several years, Widget Central sent out holiday baskets. This brought back fond memories of a previous boss who always sent fruit baskets for the holiday with amazing pears, and we ate them on Christmas Eve with baked Brie. Miss L painstakingly unpacked everything and examined it closely and was thrilled with the contents. She gave me a huge hug and said, ‘You must have done a great job this year, Mom!’ Of course the basket was not specific to me or my performance this year but I was so gratified by her excitement that I didn’t spoil it for her. 😉 “MOM! MILK CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES MOM! AND THE OLIVES – THEY’RE IMPORTED!!!’

I hope you are all well and safe on this Friday morning, looking forward to a short workday and a long peaceful weekend. xoxo

friday five – two tannenbaums

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  1. Holiday festivities have commenced. I don’t know how I ever handled a normal holiday season because it seems utterly overwhelming even with most things cancelled. Then again, maybe it feels like this because of the extra stress of COVID? See further musings on this in #5. I don’t know – but I’m not coping well with externals. We’re blowing through episodes of “Derry Girls” on Netflix to compensate (language warning for a lot of Irish ‘fecks’ but very funny).
  2. The tree has been up and decorated since the weekend after Thanksgiving and because I’m working from home, I’m actually wrapping in advance with color-coordinated wrapping paper on my lunch breaks. I feel good about this but no one should expect it in a normal year.

3. We LOVE Advent calendars at our house so we each got one (or two lol). I am so excited – I treated myself to a Moomin Advent calendar that can be played as a board game when all the pieces are unwrapped and a Legacy Fiber Artz mini skein calendar. (Anyone with any good patterns for mini skeins – a cowl maybe? – drop me a line!) Miss L has a Funko Pop Harry Potter calendar from the Order of the Phoenix and a traditional chocolate from her Neena. Brandon’s, however, is my fave. I found a wooden stand on Etsy and filled it with mini liquors. He likes whiskey so I tried to get a bunch of little ones for him to try (although there are a few cheapos like Fireball, peppermint schnapps, and Goldschlager mixed in to keep things fun).

4. You may remember that a few weeks back I lost a major chunk of my willow tree that narrowly missed the power lines. This has forced me to contract with a tree service for its removal in 6-8 weeks; but first DTE had to come clear the wires. It was actually pretty neat to see how they get between the houses using a very narrow machine that then opens up like a spider with a bucket on it. I feel sad about losing the old willow but every time it blows or ices I shudder with apprehension and I won’t miss THAT.

5. My life is like whack-a-mole right now. If I’m on top of shit at work, then I haven’t made eye contact with my family or gotten out to exercise in days and am shuffling around like a pale bloated Boo Radley. If I’m getting fresh air, exercising, eating right, getting good sleep, prepared for the holidays, staying on top of Miss L’s remote schoolwork and also being emotionally present for my family, then I feel like my to-do list at work is out of control. Maybe it’s just pandemic, but shouldn’t I have this under control and figured out by now? Shouldn’t it be easier because I don’t have to drive to an office? Why isn’t it? I know no one has answers and these are rhetorical questions but damn, how they persist.

I hope you are all well and safe during this December time and that your Secret Santa is timely and generous. And that if YOU’RE the Secret Santa, your recipient gives you some grace. xoxo

friday five – where’s the turkey, chuck

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  1. All I can say is thank goodness Apple TV loosened their capitalistic stranglehold on the Peanuts holiday specials and are allowing them to be shown on PBS after all. I bitterly railed against the loss of the Halloween special and can’t imagine getting through the holidays without seeing Snoopy fight with a lawn chair and Linus bring us to tears with his simple reminder of what the holidays are all about, Charlie Brown. At the age of 47 I will still be sitting in front of the TV at 7.30 EST Sunday night November 22 with Miss L and my snacks (maybe popcorn, pretzels, jelly beans and toast?) to bring back a taste of my childhood.

2. Some weekends, all I want to do is sit and knit with something soothing to watch. I love vlogs and am so excited about Vlogmas coming up. Some of my favorite crafting vlogs include Ina Knits, Sandy by the Lakeside, Birch and Lily, and Mandarine’s (all available on YouTube). I also love Christine McConnell although that’s less crafting and more aesthetic (achievable crafting, anyway), Talasbuan, and Northern Heart, and I recently found a new one that I love called Simple Swedish Life. This is a very quiet, peaceful vlog about a young Korean man married to a Swedish woman living in Sweden with their toddler. It’s very aesthetic, full of poignant musings and images, not much (if any) spoken word, and some great cooking and recipes. If you’re looking for an excellent accompaniment to an afternoon of working quietly with your hands with a cup of your favorite beverage, I would highly recommend any of the above.

3. I don’t think I’ve shared yet, but I cast on my holiday socks in the post-election trauma and have been busting away on them ever since. They are the Summer Camp pattern by Jill Zielinski (which is not seasonally appropriate, I know, but looks great with the yarn I chose and a contrast heel / toe) in two colorways from West Yorkshire Spinners. I can’t remember them offhand and the ball bands are downstairs so I will just say the socks are Raveled and I’ll add the colorways later on. Whilst I was taking the inaugural picture for Ravelry, Emmett decided he wanted to help display their attributes and I let him. He’s a handsome model, don’t you think?

4. For the first time perhaps ever, I am almost finished with my Christmas shopping before Black Friday. Making a budget and lists in advance helped. My biggest project left to finish is Brandon’s Advent calendar. I don’t want to reveal it here, but I found the base idea on Etsy and have to buy the supplies for each day. I have 6 days done but need to hit up some shops over the weekend to finish it up. I didn’t quite realize that the month was going so fast. All three of us are getting Advent calendars this year and I look forward to sharing them here on the blog and also over on my Instagram (link in the side column).

5. For the past two weeks I’ve been scheduling my workouts in advance and blocking off time on my calendar. Over the summer, it got light early enough that I could be up and out and get back and shower and not have to delay the opening of my home office, but with the shorter days and darker, cold mornings, I find I have to make accommodations. Setting aside a few mornings a week where I don’t schedule meetings too early has been great and I’ve stuck to my scheduled workouts every time – either getting out for a walk or run or, if the weather is inclement, going into the basement for a strength workout. It’s not always going to be possible this winter to do this, based on my work schedule, but anything is better than the nothing active I did last spring during early work-from-home times (and the corresponding weight gain). Could it be that I’m getting the hang of this “adulting” thing? (Questionable.)

Anyway, I hope you are all well and safe and your families, too. What’s on tap for this weekend? I will be finishing up the Advent calendar for Brandon, picking up the last bits and bobs for our Thanksgiving dinner next week, knitting and enjoying my books and vlogs. Take care and enjoy. xoxo

friday five – i’d like to meet his tailor

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  1. Although Covid has definitely taken its toll on Halloween fun, our town has gone over and above to make the best of the situation. They’ve hosted a “Grand Raven” decorating contest in our town square, with local merchants decorating scarecrow-sized ravens, and done Zoom readings of Edgar Allan Poe works, and Wednesday night they hosted a free drive-in movie showing of ‘The Birds’. Our local 1920’s movie house popped popcorn and Brandon, Miss L & I brought our own goodie bags of Halloween treats and enjoyed the festivities. I’d forgotten how long it takes this movie to get going – at least an hour of Mitch / Melanie schlock before the pecking starts. But the playground scene was entirely worth it.

2. With the weather turning colder and the leaves falling, Brandon has been requesting some “comfort food” for dinner. Last week, he had a yen for red beans and rice. I’ve never made it before (not being a huge fan of sausage) but this recipe from Damn Delicious made me a convert! It was economical, quick, and absolutely yummy. Miss L was at her dad’s for the night so I made it extra spicy and got Cajun andouille sausage. Served with hot rice and cornbread and we devoured it and had a fire in the woodstove and split a bottle of Malbec and it was perfection!

3. This from a bestie made me ridiculously happy.

Gratuitous picture of the boy cats in full hibernation mode

4. I’m getting into (more of) the Halloween spirit listening to Phoebe Reads a Mystery tackle ‘Dracula’. Is ‘Lucy Westenra’ pronounced the way it looks or is it pronounced ‘Wes-TERN-a’? Anyone? ….Bueller?…

5. Yesterday was a doozie. A few minutes before Miss L needed to join her online classes for the day, and before I needed to dial into the first of 4 hours of work-related Zoom and Skype calls, we managed to blow the fuse for JUST MY STUDY (and her bedroom) where the router is located. The fuse seemed completely gone so I used a series of completely unsafe extension cords to construct a fragile web to plug the router into an entirely different part of the house. I got up and running, joined my call, got booted off twice and then spilled coffee all over myself and my workspace just as I was reconnecting. Good times…

Suffice it to say, I’m glad there’s a festive weekend ahead. Join me here this weekend for a peek at Miss L’s costume and the complete listing of our 21 Days of Horror viewing (along with my starred review)! I hope you have a deliriously atmospheric Devil’s Night or Angel’s Night – whichever one you prefer. And don’t forget to change your clocks this weekend and VOTE ON TUESDAY!

Not my sign but I wish it was! Seen in my neighborhood.