(Photo by Lucas Sankey on Unsplash)
I’m so thankful that millions and millions of voters peacefully and forthrightly made their voices heard in the United States midterm elctions, making clear that we stand for democracy, decency, and neighborliness.
This post is part of One-Liner Wednesday, brought to you be Linda Hill, a Canadian blogger-friend. Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2026/11/04/one-liner-wednesday-procrastination-hurts/
Linda’s prompt for Stream of Consiousness Saturday this week is “costume.”
My Halloween costume this year is woman recovering from brain surgery.
Okay, not really a costume, just reality.
From the front, I actually look pretty normal, other than tired.
My long, silver hair covers up my incision and the 1″x3″ strip of hair shaved off the back of my head.
I only look scary if you see the five-day old incision. I will post a picture at the very end of the post, so don’t scroll all the way down if that sort of thing is upsetting to you.
The surgery was to correct a Chiari malformation, which is when the brain tonsils slip down into the top of the spinal column and disrupt the flow of cerebrospinal fluid. When I manage to get a proper post done about it, I’ll come back and link it here.
I must say that Dr. Petra Klinge of Brown University Health in Providence, RI and her whole team were amazing in my care. I was only in the hospital for two nights and am now resting at an Airbnb in Providence until I can have my post-op visit on 11/6. Spouse B is taking very good care of me!
Many thanks to the members of the Boiler House Poets Collective ’26 for a wonderful residency at the Studios at MASS MoCA and reading at the North Adams Public Library!
Join us for Linda’s One-Liner Wednesdays! Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2026/10/21/one-liner-wednesday-famous-last-thoughts/
Binghamton NY area folks are cordially invited to the opening concert of the Madrigal Choir of Binghamton’s season featuring music by American composers on Sunday, October 18 at 3 PM at Trinity Memorial Episcopal Church, Binghamton.
You are also invited to join in with Linda’s One-Liner Wednesdays! Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2026/10/14/one-liner-wednesday-leafing/
North Adams, MA folks are cordially invited to the Boiler House Poets Collective reading at the North Adams Public Library on Saturday, October 17 at 11:00 AM with reading first, followed by Q&A, book sales and signing, refreshments, and conversation.
You are also invited to join in with Linda’s One-Liner Wednesdays! Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2026/10/14/one-liner-wednesday-leafing/
In honor of Banned Books Week, I’m sharing a poem I wrote that involves banned books. It was originally published by Rat’s Ass Review in their Fall-Winter 2022 issue.
THE BANNED BOOKMOBILE
Do you need a special license to drive
a bus of books? Children
are more fragile; books,
more combustible.
Children’s minds need fire,
need those books to start a blaze.
How else to know that a pair of penguin
dads can raise a chick?
That witches and wizards can be evil
or good or somewhere in the flawed between?
That even the bluest eye cannot
confer beauty and love?
That it’s a sin to kill
a mockingbird?
For my recent birthday, spouse B made pumpkin whoopie pies with cream cheese filling, which were very yummy!
Join us for Linda’s One-Liner Wednesdays! Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2026/10/07/one-liner-wednesday-i-have-a-spider-in-my-kitchen-part-2/
Vote for Democracy #60
(Photo by Lucas Sankey on Unsplash)
Dropping off our ballots at the election office was a breeze.
We had filled out our absentee ballots at home and followed all the instructions for signing, dating, sealing the inner and outer envelopes. We were also lucky that our ballots this cycle were relatively short with no propositions.
The two hardest parts were finding a parking place in the vicinity of the County Office Building and having to go through metal detector and pocketbook check, which I had forgotten would be part of the deal.
At the Election Office, a friendly clerk was happy to take our ballot envelopes. She opened the outer envelopes and verified our signatures with the voter rolls. We were happy that she did this because it meant there wouldn’t be any problems with having our votes counted.
We asked when they would be tallied because New York State laws used to be that all absentee ballots were held for more than a week after election day before being counted. Because of the pandemic, a lot of laws had changed, so we weren’t sure what would happen now. She told us that they opened the accumulated absentee ballots on Tuesdays and Fridays. This allows them to mark the received ballots in the system so that no one can show up at the polls on election day pretending to be us. They can begin counting the ballots on election day, so our votes will be part of the tallies reported after the polls close. We were happy that they would be part of the count on the day, especially because a couple of our races will probably be close. The more absentee ballots arriving early, the less likely that we’ll have to wait an extended time for results.
This is the first time in ages that we have voted by absentee ballot, but my surgery date will have us out of state for not only election day but also the early in-person voting dates. (We were grateful that we finally have early in-person voting in New York, which was a silver lining of the 2020 vote during the pandemic.)
So, another reminder for US citizens to check and make sure you are registered and have accurate information on the polling/ballot policies that apply to your home precinct. Make your plan and vote! It’s very important to make your voice heard. It takes all of us to make democracy work effectively.
*****
Linda’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday this week is “breeze.” Join us! Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2026/10/02/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-october-3-2026/
I’m excited because my absentee ballot arrived today so I can fill it out and bring it to the Elections Office before I have to go out of town for my surgery.
This reminder to US citizens to make and follow through on their plan to vote is brought to you in conjunction with Linda’s One-Liner Wednesdays. Join us! Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2026/09/30/one-liner-wednesday-i-have-a-spider-in-my-kitchen/
Wishing the Smith College campus community – and Smtih alums everywhere – a joyous Mountain Day!
Join us for Linda’s One-Liner Wednesdays! Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2026/09/23/one-liner-wednesday-its-cold-already/
