Author Archives: Carol

One of my favorite sayings to encourage people to vote is Your vote is your voice! We have the right, and the civic responsibility, to cast our ballots every Election Day. We are given this gift to participate in democracy. Be thoughtful, take your choices seriously, and educate yourself on the issues. Here are some important things to remember if you are voting on Election Day:

What if my polling locations closes while I am still waiting in line?
STAY IN LINE! If you are in line when the polls close, stay in line. As long as your are in line before the polls closed, you may remain in line for as long as it takes.

What if I make a mistake on my ballot?
ASK AN ELECTION WORKER FOR A NEW BALLOT! Mistakes happen, but do not scribble on your ballot or cross out a choice. 

Can I wear clothes, buttons, etc. showing support for a candidate or an issue?
THIS DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU VOTE. Here in New York, the answer is NO. It is considered electioneering. It is best to err on the side of caution and leave that stuff at home or in your car.

What do I do if I am turned away at the polls?
YOU REPEAT THIS VERBATIM: “Please give me a provisional ballot with a receipt as required by law.”

What do I do if someone threatens me or tries to intimidate me while I am trying to vote?
VOTER INTIMIDATION IS A FEDERAL CRIME. Federal law says it is illegal to “intimidate, threaten, or coerce, any other person for the purpose of interfering with the right of such other person to vote or to vote as he may choose.” If this happens to you, there are three things you should do: 1) Report the behavior to an election worker. 2) Contact your local Board of Elections and report the behavior, noting the location, the time, and any other details you can remember. 3) If you think you’re encountering or witnessing voter intimidation, call the Election Protection Hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) to get voting help from a trained election protection volunteer.

Also, be kind to your poll workers! Although many receive a stipend, they are essentially volunteers.

Hello and Happy Hallo-week! I hope you had a great weekend, as I sure did. It was my birthday and I celebrated turning 49! I am not someone who gets down about birthdays, I am definitely in the “celebrate them!” category. As the saying goes, aging is a privilege denied to many and I am grateful for every year.

I kicked things off on Friday night, picking up my favorite combo pizza after getting my daughter from stage crew. Saturday (my birthday) was spent running around and puttering around the house. I made sirloin steaks, baked potatoes, and steamed asparagus for dinner. (Yes, I cooked on my birthday! It’s something I love to do!). And of course there was cake: a chocolate mousse cake decorated like a black cat. Adorable and delicious! Adams Fairacre Farms has the best bakery!

Saturday was also the first day of early voting here in New York. I have always voted on Election Day because my polling location is literally next door to where I work (connected by the YA books hallway, actually). But this year for a variety of reasons I decided to vote early. With so much at stake (ahem, democracy), I took the opportunity to cast my ballot and get it done. And I am happy to say I had to wait for about a half hour — turnout was amazing! I am always working to get people to register to vote so seeing this made me very happy.

Yesterday was spent catching up on housework and spending some time crafting (crochet and cardmaking). I made a pot of potato soup for dinner and we just continued with our “Superstore” rewatch in the evening because we were both wiped out. (D. spent the weekend re-roofing the shed.)

And now we start another week! It is tech week for the high school play, so lots of late night pickups are in my future. And, of course, Halloween! We live in a very rural area and don’t get any trick-or-treaters but we will do something special for Storytime this week and of course on Halloween itself at work.

YOUR VOTE IS YOUR VOICE!

It’s National Voter Registration Day! A lot is riding on the upcoming election, so check your registration regularly (especially if you live in one of those states that is dumping voter rolls) as we inch closer to November 5th. And don’t forget to TURN OVER YOUR BALLOT! That’s where the propositions (like local library funding referendums) will be. Make sure your college kids request their absentee ballots, too!

I am a huge voting rights advocate and I am sure it stems from my grandmother who worked the polls every year. I have fond memories of tagging along with my parents to vote. My family showed me how important this civic act is and it absolutely infuriates me that politicians in some states are making it harder for people to vote. It is your right and it is your duty to exercise that right! Even if I don’t agree with someone’s views I would never deny helping someone register to vote. That is un-American.

REGISTER TO VOTE OR CHECK YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION STATUS

While many people are proud to campaign for their candidate of choice, it is also important to remember that your vote is private. It is no one’s business who you vote for. You never have to disclose that information to anyone (including – and sometimes especially – your spouse). Along the same lines, voter intimidation is illegal! I expect there will be many cases this cycle, so if this is something you experience, immediately report it to your local Board of Elections.

Whether you are voting early, voting absentee, or voting at your local polling site on November 5th, just be sure you have a plan!

“Every citizen of this country should be guaranteed that their vote matters, that their vote is counted, and that in the voting booth, their vote has as much weight as that of any CEO, any member of Congress or any President.”
– Barbara Boxer

Wishing all of you hard-working folks a very happy Labor Day! And to everyone who has to work today, you are seen and appreciated! 

Let’s remember to thank unions for this holiday. Here is a little history for you:

1882: New York City labor unions held a parade to celebrate their workers and to support all unions. At least 20,000 people attended and workers gave up a day’s pay to be there.

1885-1886: Labor Day received its first governmental recognition through municipal ordinances.

1887: Parades similar to the first one held in New York City took place in different regions of the country. Five states (Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, and Colorado) created a state Labor Day Holiday. By the end of the decade, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Nebraska would also create a state holiday.

1894: Senator James H. Kyle from S. Dakota introduced a bill to make Labor Day a federal, legal holiday taking place on the first Monday in September. The bill passed on June 28, 1894 and he is recognized as “the father of Labor Day.”

Information from the U.S. Department of Labor and the National Constitution Center.

Happy Friday! We got back from the Cape last night and I have to admit… the motivation to go to work today has been tough. I’ve had to catch up on and correct seemingly a million things, plus get everything organized for our booth at Community Day tomorrow. But mentally I’m still here:

The Cape Cod sunrises are just stunning. It was absolutely worth getting up at 5:30 every day of vacation to enjoy them! We had no traffic getting in or out of the Cape (!), absolutely perfect weather, a great hotel within walking distance to two beaches, and enjoyed some really fantastic chowder, lobster, clams, and haddock. Here are a few more photos from this week.

I never really considered myself a beach person, and this week made me realize that I’ve just been going to the wrong beaches. The quiet, calm, relaxing vibe on the Cape is just what I needed and I can’t wait to go back!

Happy Monday! Happy new week! Just a few things I am thinking about on this summer day…

… Last week we celebrated two birthdays — 22 and 19! The time just flies, doesn’t it? I used to get so annoyed when the kids were small and people would tell me that, but they were right. And now I get to be the annoying one saying it to young moms.

… Kind of bummed that I didn’t get my act together in time to enter something into the County Fair, which starts tomorrow. Hopefully next year!

… Bittersweet that N. heads back to campus on Saturday. They are so ready to get back to school, though, and that softens the blow. This week the band is doing a mini-tour and having a blast. I’m enjoying their in-between-time camping out in our yard. They are all a bunch of very sweet guys!

… Vacation next week! To say I am looking forward to dipping my toes in the ocean is an understatement. Also: Papa Gino’s pizza and the Edward Gorey House!

… And then Community Day (does your town have one?) and Labor Day and Poof! The summer is over. It’s pretty nice that schools in our area still wait until after Labor Day to start. Not going to lie… I love it. 

The next couple of weeks sure do have a lot happening, and it is all good stuff, but I am so ready for the fall and for a little more structure in our days. And of course, all the fabulous fall things like apple and pumpkin-flavored everything, cozy blankets, scary movies, craft fairs, twinkle lights, fabulous foliage, oversized sweatshirts… I could go on and on! 

Wishing you a JOYFUL week, my friends!

… or should I say Fri-YAY?!!! Ah, so glad the weekend is upon us. So, you see the photo of this light pink zinnia here? Well, at the beginning of the summer I found a random pack of zinnia seeds and just scattered them in my front garden, not expecting a thing because they were a couple years old. But this pretty little thing has appeared! It was a cheerful surprise when I noticed it the other day.

This week was my MIL’s 80th birthday. We celebrated with a party last Saturday. She was so happy that so many friends & relatives were able to come — it was really lovely. The food was amazing, too! There was a bountiful brunch buffet that included delicious things like baked scrambled eggs, French toast with fresh fruit (hands-down the best French toast I’ve ever eaten), roasted potatoes, veggies (asparagus, carrots, zucchini), carved roast beef, carved turkey breast with a delicious cranberry sauce, and there were a few other things I’m forgetting. Such a nice afternoon.

Other than that it’s been a pretty typical week. Work, shopping, appointments, etc. This morning I took Jake to the dentist and he was devastated to learn that he has a cavity. I told him that he made it nearly 22 years cavity-free, so it was bound to happen sooner or later! 

It’s rainy and windy as I write this — Hurricane (Tropical Storm?) Debby is making its way through the Hudson Valley. In fact, we’re actually under a tornado watch until 10 PM. Yikes! Luckily tomorrow’s weather is sounding much better and I’m very happy about that because I am driving Laura two hours away to sleepaway camp.

Guess that’s about it for now! Have a great weekend!

Hello, friends! Thought I’d just drop a few notes here on my blog. I didn’t take any photos, but we had family over on Saturday to celebrate my oldest’s college graduation and all three summer birthdays. The weather was perfect! We all were relieved after it’s been so hot and humid here.

I kept the menu pretty simple: grilled London Broil, fried chicken (from the grocery store deli), marinated pasta salad (a dish I used to make all the time years ago — I just recently found the recipe!), creamy cucumber salad, and baked beans (courtesy of my mother-in-law). Dessert was lemon bundt cake and tiramisu. I had taken Friday off, which made my life much easier in terms of cleaning the house and prepping dishes. It was nice to see everyone and I think a good time was had by all.

Yesterday we went to the movies to see Longlegs, which was pretty good. I definitely enjoyed it, but I think they gave some important points away too early. There were also a couple scenes that just didn’t seem to fit in. I don’t know… I’ll have to watch it again when it’s on streaming.

And now here we are… I have a very busy week ahead, and I am already looking forward to next weekend! I’m considering joining the Study of Christmas Cookies Throw Crochet Stitch Along. Maybe. I have a number of projects-in-progress that I really should finish first! On the other hand, it would be a good stash-buster. Decisions, decisions! 

Hope things are great in your corner of the world!