Yesterday was Independence Day (happy birthday, America. Sorry your party sucked.)

Normally we throw a Fourth of July party where all of our friends come over and lick their hands and touch each other and cough into our open eyes but we decided not to do that this year because, you know, Rona.

The lack of social engagements in 2020 has been a super interesting thing for this extrovert who has knitted two sweaters, three scarves, a hat, and has run nearly 1,000 miles in the last three months and I'm sure none of these things are related. But honestly, I've settled into this and I've been able to find joy in the lessened social chaos.

I'm still working from home and plan to maybe forever? We've seen my family here and there, but not much because Bob & Cathie don't want us to give them the Rona. I have a lot of friends who are worried about their parents and grandparents because they don't feel like they are taking social distancing and mask wearing, etc., seriously enough. I'm grateful that I haven't had that problem with my own parents, but I wouldn't mind having Cathie come over and make comments about my yard that are definitely compliments but worded just so I'm not confident about that ("Oh! I would have never thought to plant a rose bush that close to that tree that I didn't realize people liked!").

We miss our old folks.


All of this is to say, Sky and I wanted to do something to celebrate the holiday so it didn't just feel like every other day in 2020. We invited Matt over to barbecue with us. When social distancing started I was in a fit of crippling anxiety so I read everything on the entire internet and some article recommended that every family choose one "Covid family" to hang out with. We chose Matt and his boyfriend Jace because I couldn't bear the thought of not seeing Mr. Pants for the foreseeable future.

By the way, I set Matt and Jace up.


(This is like my 10th successful set-up in my life. I'm not kidding. I 1,000% missed my calling. Y'all would be married right now if I just had a little more time and you completely handed all of your free agency over to me.)

We are dog-sitting Jude right now, so with three dogs and four people we almost had the proper party ratio.

It is VERY challenging to get Jude to pose for photos. This was the best we could do with all three. 


Pants/Doodle 2020


Skylar spent the better part of an afternoon making an American flag cake. He apparently only recognizes 35 of the states.


I made enough potato salad to feed the entire Revolutionary Army because I'm a Mormon mom first and an American second.

And it was just a lovely time without fireworks and crowds and parades and festivals and OMG I MISS LIFE and road races, etc.


I know I'm married to one of these but I honestly don't know which anymore. #facialblindness #allwhitegaymenlookthesame #Icansaythatbutyoucan't

Anyway, happy Independence Day from the United States of God Bless America. For those of you in the U.S., what did you do for the holiday?
Also, please enjoy some marital bickering from me and Meg on this week's Strangerville:


This time in Strangerville, Meg shares a joke from Twitter THAT MAKES NO SENSE, Eli almost became a polygamist once, and a man tells the story of his final three dates with women.

Story

Three Dates, by Brice Laris Music by Ayla Nereo

Production by Eli McCann & Meg Walter


~It Just Gets Stranger