1.  It’s been a week, let’s see what we can do here.

2.  I’m setting a five item limit, though, so I don’t roll this straight off a cliff.

3.  I’d say the house is too quiet without Gracie but that’s not precisely correct.

4.  It’s more that the muscle memory of WAIT WHERE’S GRACIE still kicks in when it’s suspiciously silent.

5.  It’s strange to come home without opening a door into her then sweetly cajoling “okay, sweetie, you’ve gotta let me in” until she moves.

6.  I miss hearing those reindeer bells we hung from her collar.

7.  I never thought I’d miss having to refill the cat fountain three times a day because Gracie slurped up all their water but here we are.

8.  That’s five! New topic.

9.  It’s ridiculously hot.

10.  I know I say that every summer and yet…

11.  There’s something about a stretch of days trending in the mid- to upper-nineties that breaks my brain.

12.  “Well, have you ever considered not living in the freaking south, Laura?”

13.  Yes, yes I have.

14.  Often that thought coincides with my car registering 97 degrees when I climb into it and a station announcing the heat index will get up to 105.

15.  YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME.

16.  And that is all I shall say about the weather.

17.  Except that sitting on 97 degree seats in shorts is a special sort of hell.

18.  Alright, now I’m dropping the weather.

19.  Anyone participate in Juneteenth yesterday?

20.  Anyone have alarm bells go off with that question?

21.  First things first, a quick primer so we’re all on the same page.

22.  Juneteenth (June 19th) marks the day in 1865 when nearly two years after President Lincoln emancipated enslaved people Union soldiers finally brought the news of freedom to enslaved Black people in Texas.

23.  I’ve been following a number of heated conversations on Threads about the holiday.

24.  “Should non-Black people wish others a happy Juneteenth?” is a popular white people question.

25.  I’d like to think it’s because we don’t want to fuck this up any worse than our ancestors already did but online behavior is making that hard to believe.

26.  From the why is this a freaking holiday crowd: “Why should we celebrate a holiday that doesn’t celebrate everyone?”

27.  Not to be contrary — just kidding, this is entirely contrary — but that’s basically 95% of holidays.

28.  Do you have to be a veteran to appreciate Veterans Day? For pete’s sake, get a grip.

29.  There’s a whole lot of nonsense going on but then this morning I caught this video.

30.

@theconsciouslee

Juneteenth History.. #greenscreen

♬ original sound – The Conscious Lee

31.  The ways in which my education has been lacking will never cease to astound me.

32.  Alrighty then, what else now.

33.  The birds have found my window feeder.

34.  There’s a pair that comes almost every day now.

35.  They’ll chatter on the railing until they hop up to the feeder and take turns eating.

36.  It’s great for my blood pressure.

37.  It’s also great for the boy kitty.

38.  He burns a lot of mental energy watching them at the window.

39.  I can’t seem to get our hummingbirds back, though, and a lot of my NC folks are saying the same.

40.  And there we have it…only took me until 2:30pm. 🤦🏻‍♀️ Happy Friday!