Everything is indeed different this year. No one had been in the house for many, many months when Elizabeth arrived with Gypsy and Pye. They slept in the Tahoe on the way here to arrive Covid free. It was so worth it. To me at least.

In recent years, we’ve celebrated a conflated Holiday Season, moving the dates cavalierly to fit with the travel dates. It was different but we still had so much fun. We couldn’t do some of the things we usually do, but we could do the important things. We spent time with our furries. We binge-watched a couple of series. We played games. We cooked. We ate. We relaxed.

The visiting furries settled right in.

Pye doesn’t have any trees to climb in his own yard but he had no trouble figuring out what to do with my magnolia.

And he did enjoy birdwatching from the snug window.

Gypsy is a Maui native and likes to snuggles under the covers in the Pacific Northwest.

Family shot of the visitors:

And Gypsy likes her Mama Jean’s lap.

One day a young neighbor came over to help with the leaf raking.

We drove over to Burgerville for lunch one day, but this time we used the mobile app and had a car hop do a window delivery. Very complicated for someone in my age group. The specials for November are rosemary shoestrings and chai milkshakes.

We played Monopoly on National Monopoly Day.

And had a new game delivered from Amazon. Sagrada.

Then came the day we had our faux Thanksgiving dinner.

Elizabeth made pumpkin pies from the pumpkins from the garden.

Pretty good, as was the rest of our traditional menu. Including mashed potatoes, also from the garden. We decided to eat in the living room in front of the fire.

Every day we took long walks with the dogs, in various combinations, since three turned out not to be a workable number.

Then, before we knew it, it was time to load up that faithful Tahoe once again. Amazing how much can be fit into it. This time a couple of tables from 1880 for Boo’s new place in Montana.

This one looks fine in her kitchen:

It originally came from Caesar’s Unfinished Furniture Store in San Mateo in 1967. The blue nesting bowls from the 40’s used to live here too.

And this gate leg table came from an antique store in Half Moon Bay. The potted redw0od tree came from here too. I don’t think it’s going to survive there. Same latitude though.

I love seeing things from here being put to good use there. Couldn’t get Elizabeth to take the “wedding” china, though. Or the sterling flatware. No one lives like that any more. Not even me.

The ridiculous: This week I gave some of my little neighbors chain-making supplies.

Do you remember in grade school when we made these? We started by cutting the strips and the kid beside you liked to eat the paste. These days you order from Amazon and they appear at your door the next day. Then I decided I wanted to get a kit for myself. Really ridiculous!

The Sublime: Listening to our next president speak like I want my president to speak. “We need to remember that we are at war with a virus. Not with each other.”

So many new thoughts this bright, sunny Sunday morning. New week. New hopes. New era?

One huge mountain summited. Now, the virus. Then the climate.

Some things don’t change. I switched to Fox to get another viewpoint. Some man I recognized but whose name alludes me was being interviewed. He pronounced the vice-president-elect’s first name Ku-Máh-la. When in doubt, Senator Harris would suffice I think.

Biden said that on Monday he will appoint a new Covid task force. I hope he asks Fauci to chair it.

I feel sure Biden will surround himself with true experts in their fields. I would love to see this educator to be the one to kick Betsy DeVos to the curb:

That won’t be her job. She will join the legacies of Eleanor Roosevelt and Michelle Obama.

And I know from personal experience that the best place for old, retired golfers is on the golf course.

Go there. Do that. Please.

Na na na na. Na na na na. Hey Hey . . .

“They” say old people’s senses diminish with age. I can say that’s true of my sense of touch, hearing, and taste. However, my eyesight seems to be growing more intense over time. Or else the fall leaves really are brighter this year. Even on a rainy day from my upstairs windows.

I have decided to tune out today. I do not want to hear the repetition and redundancy of commentators trying to fill the hours of election day with no news.

I sometimes turn on something just for company. Today I thought the Food Channel would be safe. Naw. There are political ads even there. Click. Gone.

I am hoping that tomorrow morning I will wake up to discover that I clicked my ruby slippers and am back home and it was all a bad dream.