Not an April Fool's

[lydamorehouse]

 Today is my wife's birthday! 

This is real, not a joke. In fact, one of the reasons I never, ever participate in April Fool's is because Shawn HATES the fact that her birthday is known as a day to trick people. There's apocrypha in her family that when she was born, her then-teenage brothers were left in charge of calling people with the news and no one believed she was really born (and not a joke) for days.  :-(

So, we are making blueberry pie today and I broke the governor's stay-at-home order to venture out for coffee for everyone from my favorite coffee shop. Shawn really loves their homemade chai, so it was a birthday treat. It was also good to support Claddaugh, though they were doing a brisk business from what I could tell. A lot of folks who are still having to head to work stopped by for a coffee, curbside delivered. If local peeps are curious how to support them during this time, I believe they are offering gift cards and such on their website: http://www.claddaghcoffeecafe.com/

Shawn did take the day off work. Sounds weird, considering that she's working at home, but that means no checking e-mail, no opening up the work computer for the whole day. She put on pants today, but only because I think she still wants to go for our usual walk. (It's sunny AGAIN!)

I've been continuing to post pictures of the funky, fun old houses here in Saint Paul that we pass on our walk. As my friend naomikritzer sent me on twitter:


Text: A tweet from Sophie Gadd: "my entire Instagram has pivoted to people posting pics of solitary walks, baking bread, and stews they are making and honestly I just want to warmly welcome you all to lesbian culture." Naomi's reply: "(Made me think of you, obviously!)

That made me smile, so I thought I would share it with you all.

Comments

[cynthia1960]

So many people are baking bread here that we have a yeast shortage. Ha, Lesbian culture! We rule the world.

[bibliofile]

I saw a chart of things that have oversold recently, and the food chart had yeast at the top. There's none to be had in any store here.

Don't forget the midwestern emphasis on comfy clothes and sensible walking shoes!

[lydamorehouse]

Exactly! We all wear comfortable shoes, bake bread, make stews, and take solitary walks... an entire state of LESBIANS! ;-)

[rachelmanija]

And gardening! Don't forget the gardening. Due to Agatha Christie, my childhood impression of lesbians was "middle-aged, extremely devoted couple living in country cottage with garden and dogs." Very aspirational!

[lydamorehouse]

I think Agatha Christie might have been on to something.

It's totally a lesbian thing to garden (or light farm, as the case may be.) And, technically, I do think we should all have dogs. I remember when I was first coming out that I was informed that you could tell a lesbian by her comfortable shoes and dog.

[pameladean]

Oh gosh, poor Shawn. My partner Eric was born on Christmas Day and that is a serious trial; but April Fool's Day is pretty bad too.

I don't think you technically broke the stay-at-home order. You're allowed to go out for essentials, and if a business is open, it's deemed essential. At least, I haven't heard of places remaining open when they shouldn't, though I guess it might be happening here and there.

P.

[lydamorehouse]

Yeah, I know we can go out for food and groceries, but I'm trying to do the spirit of the law, which is, as Samuel L. Jackson, so recently read to us "Stay the F*ck at Home." And, it's hard for me to consider coffee an emergency ration when I can make it perfectly FINE at home. (But, OMG, was that espresso AMAZING after not having had one for DAYS.)

I feel for Eric. I have a vet, Dr. Holly, who was also born on Christmas and got saddled with a Christmas-y name. She's from here and she started kayaking on her birthday (where, I'm not sure!) just to always be doing something different.