I didn't realize that in my lifetime, throwing a party with more than ten people would constitute criminal behavior here in Minnesota. Well guess what?
I'm a criminal!
Okay, maybe not a criminal, not in the sense of say, staying out after ten at night. I didn't do anything that crazy. Yeah, as hard as it is to believe, for about ten days this spring, we had a curfew here in the Great Authoritarian State of Walzistan (formerly the Free State of Minnesota) where we'd been sentenced to house arrest for SAFETY's sake and the laudable goal of ending death as we know it. Or was it just work we've decided to end? Oh, whatever, the goal posts keep shifting. Anyway...then to show that Black Lives Matter, thousands of us took the streets to torch and burn down black neighborhoods. Yeah, political movements don't have much coherence anymore, do they? I mean, if you call yourself anti-fascist, you get to behave exactly like a brown shirt, beating up anyone who stands between you and your goals so of course you stand with Black Lives by destroying their neighborhoods.
Oh, the vandalism and violence aren't criminal anymore but being out and about minding your own peaceful business (or trying to defend your actual brick and mortar business) after curfew are punishable by...I don't know; twitter condemnation?
Okay, so I'm hardly a criminal. I'm definitely a scoff-law. But when the laws(decrees) are this stupid, they should be scoffed.
My parents celebrated their 64th anniversary at the beginning of the month so I had a party. I only invited Mom, Dad and all my siblings and their spouses. I wasn't sure they'd all show up but almost everyone who lives in town made it! Mom and Dad supplied the food, which Joe delivered and Jay cooked up on the grill. Katie brought dessert and everyone supplied their own booze. As hosts, Jay and I provided the deck, dishes and served. For that, we got to keep all the leftovers! That's what we call a win!
With our very early spring this year, our back yard looks better than it ever has this early in the year.
No one wore a mask. Nearly all of us have had the virus, half of us asymptomatically. In fact, my 93 year old Dad got his positive antibody test back just a day or two before the party. We were not surprised and would have gone ahead with the party even if he'd tested negative. Why? Because grown ups don't let the fear of a virus stop them from living life.
A few days later, my sister came to visit. Much to everyone's surprise, the airports were packed with travelers. You can only scare the people into hiding in their houses for so long, I guess. She nearly missed her plane but it all worked out. We had a lovely time while she was here.
In between frolicking and gallivanting, Jay and I cleared out our closets and packed grocery bags to donate to the neighborhoods that were destroyed in the riots that co-opted the protests over the death of George Floyd. Bonus feature: Jay got to hang out with some of his favorite guys.
I thought people might like a little proof that we don't hate each other here in the Land of Sky Blue Waters. We just don't.
And now I must get back to work. I had no idea I was so essential.