In my vegetable garden area this weekend I found…one mask, one purple glove and at least two other purple gloves that had been run over by the lawn people when they mowed. Scraps and bits of purple fingers everywhere. When I stepped out of my car at Home Depot, there was a lonely mask on the ground. As I walked in H.E.B., I passed by two friendless masks and a glove. Please dispose of masks and gloves properly, so the rest of us do not have to find them in the garden and parking lots. That is nasty.

One minute you are young and fun. And the next, you are turning down the stereo in your car to see better.

Governor Abbott is closing 11 mail ballot drop-off sites in Houston, which leaves just one location for all of Harris County, and Harris County is 71% larger than the state of Rhode Island. In fact, there are 41 counties in Texas that are each larger than the state of Rhode Island, and now we will have only (I) one mail ballot drop-off site in each county of Texas. So, if I understand this correctly, in Brazoria County, you may hand deliver, in person, only your own mail in ballot with a valid ID to the Election’s Office, located at 1524 East Mulberry, Suite 145, Angleton, Texas 77515. Hmmm. That certainly makes it easy for everyone.  Election Day is November 3^rd. Early voting begins October 13^th. Do not wait until the last minute.

Tropical storm Gamma is history, and Delta just hit Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula, but is expected to regain strength of a possible Category 4 status and whip the storm-weary northern Gulf Coast for the 6^th time in the 2020 hurricane season. So, what happens when they finish with the Greek alphabet? The National Weather Service office in Anchorage issued rare Hurricane force wind warnings for Northern Gulf of Alaska the end of September, that ended with wind gusts topping 68 miles per hour. This type of weather is not common in the Gulf of Alaska. Hurricane season ends November 30^th.

There is a limited release of French’s Mustard Beer, to be sipped, not squeezed. It is described as a semi-tart tropical wheat beer, infused with citrus fruits to complement French’s Classic Yellow Mustard, along with hints of key lime, lemon, tangerine, and passion fruit. It is made by Oskar Blues Brewery and available online. Yes, the can is bright yellow with the red French’s Mustard flag on front. Post and Dunkin‘ are brewing up two new cereals made with Dunkin‘ coffee. The two new Post cereals – Caramel Macchiato and Mocha Latte, were inspired by Dunkin’ fans’ two favorite flavors and mark the first collaboration between Post and Dunkin‘. The latest food brand to change their name is Eskimo Pie. It will appear on shelves soon as Edy’s Pie. Hmmm. I hope Edy is not offended.

Halloween baskets will be Peep-less this year after production of the marshmallow confections was halted due to the pandemic. Just Born announced that its Peeps will not be available at Christmas or Valentine’s day either, because the company wants to be sure they will have enough stock for Easter 2021. You can now drink at Cracker Barrel after the restaurant chain added beer, wine and mimosas to its menu for the first time in the company’s 51-year history. McDonald’s is celebrating their new menu item, Spicy Chicken Nuggets along with their new, Mighty Hot Sauce. Sonic is introducing their new Trick or Treat Blasts. The Pumpkin Pie Blizzard is back at Dairy Queen for the season.

Actor Ethan Hawke describing the first Presidential debate: “If it was theater, I would say that the debate could have been written like if David Mamet (playwright, film director, screenwriter and author who won a Pulitzer Prize, and is noted for his frequent profane dialogue) did like 14 lines of crystal meth, stayed up all night and wrote a short play about the downfall of the United States of America. But he couldn’t get (Robert) DeNiro or (Al) Pacino, so he had to get like two understudies from Burt Reynolds’ dinner theater and just shove them on and said, Go.” No matter your political views, it is pretty funny.

Actor Sophia Loren is 86. She is returning to cinema after an 11-year absence and will star in an upcoming Netflix drama, The Life Ahead which is directed by her son, Edoardo Ponti. She will play a Jewish Holocaust survivor who helps raise the children of deceased sex workers with whom she once walked the streets. Rock singer-musician Mark Farner is 72. Lead singer and guitarist for Grand Funk Railroad, and later a contemporary Christian musician. Rock singer-musician Mike Pinera is 72.  With his group, Blues Image, they had a #4 hit in 1970 with “Ride Captain Ride”. After their breakup, he joined Iron Butterfly.

President Jimmy Carter is 96. Country singer Leroy Van Dyke is 91. The Auctioneer. American astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson is 62. Swedish actress Britt Ekland is 77. Football coach and player Tony Dungy is 65.  He was the first black head coach to win the Super Bowl. He was also the first coach in NFL history to get wins against all 32 teams. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma is 64. Musician singer John Mellencamp is 68. Activist Jazmine Hood is 23.  World leader Vladimir Putin is 67. Actor Paul Hogan is 80. Crocodile Dundee. Actor Chevy Chase is 76. Actor Sigourney Weaver is 70. Entertainment reporter Rona Barrett is 83. Rhythm-and-blues singer Fred Cash (The Impressions) is 79. Actor Dale Dye is 75. Country singer Susan Raye is 75. TV personality Sarah Purcell is 71. Rhythm-and-blues singer Airrion Love (The Stylistics) is 70. Rhythm-and-blues singer Robert “Kool” Bell (Kool & the Gang) is 69.

Tommy DeVito, founding member of The Four Seasons, has died of COVID-19 complications at 92. Along with other founding members, Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, and Joe Long, the foursome had four No. 1 hits including “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man” and “Rag Doll.”

American singer-songwriter, Johnny Nash, died at 80, in Houston where he was born.  He was primarily a reggae and pop singer, and one of the first non-Jamaican artists to record reggae in Jamaica. He is best known for I Can See Clearly Now, which is an anthem for troubled times, whether those times are 1972, when the song was released, or 2020, when it feels even more urgent.

Musician Eddie Van Halen died of throat cancer that had spread to all his organs. He was 65. As I type this, I am listening to his Eruption guitar solo. He was a total rock legend.

Beth Journeay, President and CEO of The Angleton Chamber of Commerce, has announced her retirement. Since I started this paper, I have been proud to call her my friend. Beth worked hard to make an easier, more successful world for small businesses. Ms. Beth, whatever you now choose to do in this new chapter of your life, I am sure that it will be great. Thank you for everything wise and wonderful you have done for our community.

As early as January, doctors were warning local public health officials that people were showing up at hospitals with COVID-like symptoms. Hmmm. So, that was before the rodeo.

Can you catch COVID-19 in a swimming pool? According to the HuffPost, swimming in a well-maintained, properly chlorinated pool should be safe. The water itself, with the standard chlorine  or other disinfectants, should be effective in killing this virus, but the risk occurs above the water, from swimmers chatting, coughing, singing, sneezing or laughing and propelling droplets of the virus into the air.

Police in Vietnam confiscated an estimated 345,000 used condoms which were being cleaned and resold as new. The used prophylactics were first boiled in water then dried and reshaped on a wooden phallus before being repackaged and resold. It is not known how many of the recycled condoms had already been sold…oops.

Good judgement comes from experience. And experience? Well, that comes from poor judgement.

Let’s talk CENSUS. This information determines how many legislators each state has in the House of Representatives, and how massive amounts of money will be distributed annually in federal funds to state and local governments (that is you and me). In addition to who represents us in government and money that our community will receive, the data is used to determine what areas are eligible for housing assistance and rehabilitation loans, future transportation needs and assisting with emergency response programs. MOST OF ALL…The Census Bureau is required by law to keep all individual responses confidential for 72 years. Please fill out your Census form. The census has been around since 1790 and for the first time, it can be filled out online. If we are undercounted again, as we were in 2010, then we lose billions in funding, especially since the population of Texas has grown approximately 14% since 2010.

The older you get the tougher it is to lose weight because by then your body and your fat have gotten to be really, good friends.

In case you have not heard it enough…more people have died from Covid-19 than in the past five flu seasons combined. And coronavirus is much more contagious. Wear your mask. Please.

People are a little stressed out lately and it seems that they are taking it out on their teeth. It is a natural response to stress and anxiety. So, quit clenching and grinding. I catch myself doing it all the time, trying to be more aware since I have TMJ. I don’t even chew gum. Your teeth should not touch throughout the day unless you are eating. So, when you sit at your desk, put your lips together. There should be enough space between your back teeth to stick the tip of your tongue without moving your jaw. I know you want to keep your teeth way past the time that this virus is gone (and that may be a while.) Stand up and walk around during the day. Often. That allows your spine, your body, and your mind to decompress. My Fitbit screams…feed me, feed me. I know. I am starving the poor thing.

By the time I got home on the evening of the first Presidential Debate, it was almost over, but I saw enough to know that it was a hot mess. The Commission on Presidential Debates is a bipartisan body that organizes the presidential and vice-presidential debates. They released a statement addressing criticism of the first debate between President Trump and former Vice President Biden, and have promised to ensure a more orderly discussion of the issues with less interruptions and personal attacks by adding additional structure to the format for the next debate.  After the debate was over, CNN’s Jake Tapper called it “a hot mess inside a dumpster fire inside a train wreck.” ABC’s Martha Raddatz said “it was not a presidential debate. It was mud wrestling in the middle of a pandemic,” and Fox News’ Bret Baier said, “You wonder if America lost on the substance, on the issues.”. Trevor Noah says, “They don’t need a moderator for this thing, they need a UFC ref.” We will see on October 14^th.

Apple is expected to unveil its latest iPhone in a few days, and they are updating their face mask emoji to be a little happier. It is almost like it is saying, don’t be grumpy, just wear your mask. A new report  says American adults acknowledge that they’re drinking 14% more often since the pandemic began. The new James Bond movie has been delayed until next year, because we can’t have anything nice this year. Have a great week. Thanks for reading us. Sell something, buy something, spend money locally. Lisa