Thank you So Much
I feel upset Having learnt Ronny s death
Very anxious about the vote
From Chantal in paris France

Breathe in. Breathe out.

Checking in here, I feel fortunate to be able to do that.

The media have made a lot of $$ feeding the hysteria. Yesterday there were lots of stories about boarding up places around the country...in anticipation of this day. Not a good look for America.

We're a little weary, but we will be fine.

Like Pilgrim I am so pleased and comforted to see you here Autumm.

This is definitely about right and wrong. I watched Pete Souza’s film “The Way I Seen It” last night and was moved to tears.

Yes, Pete Souza, mentioned by annie, has been a blessing through all of this madcap administration. I follow him on Instagram and love seeing photos of when we had real leadership in the White House and the adults were in charge, being responsible as well as caring. I miss those days with all my heart.

I will miss Ronni's take on the final count as we all know she would have had plenty to say. Autumn, thank you for keeping on. We all appreciate you.

Autumn, I look forward to getting to know you through TGB.

Thank you Autumn. You are indeed a writer. I voted early in CA. I am devastated on a daily basis when I watch or read the news about our current administration and those who profit from it. And I am a person of privilege.

For the present moment, I am avoiding the news not because I don't care, but because I have health issues and stress triggers insomnia, anxiety and depression in me. I am also doing the inner work to increase my understanding and compassion for those with whom I disagree. I am active on social media and there are so many haters in today's world. Even many of the people with whom I would *agree* in ideology are very toxic and mean spirited. Local politics in my small city is very dysfunctional, on top of the national mess.

I'd say "onward in solidarity" but that implies that I'm more active in the resistance than I actually am. I only believe in a Higher Power sort of a god, so praying isn't my cup of tea either. So I'll just go with "onward".

Really good of you to post today, Autumn. We are experiencing a collective anxiety. A few more days and we will know the direction this country is choosing to move in. I hope we choose to support the greater good.

A laudable, good beginning column, Autumn.

Welcome! And as Jimmy Hendrix wrote, "Kiss the Sky" today and feel the warmth of everyone under this crisp, clear, BLUE visual encircling this earth.

To get through today when anxiousness presses my button, I'll be watching the ads put out by The Lincoln Project, among other plans of entertainment and indulgences of my choosing.

Thank you, Autumn.
A comfort to read your blog this morning.

Thank you for posting today, Autumn.

We are all anxious today...

I can't stop thinking about Ronni---she had talked about her end of life drugs in several posts and I am wondering if some of her own questions can be answered...
When did she decide it was time and how did she reach that conclusion?
Did she have breakfast and lunch that day? Do the dishes? Or leave them?
Did she have wine and snacks for her "helpers" that day?
Did she dress in a favorite outfit?
Did she call her son, Ex-Alex, Peter Tibbles ahead of time to tell them the day had come?

Not meaning to be morose---it was Ronni who brought up those topics. Maybe she would want us to know the answers?

Thank you. Jane

Thanks so much. Ronni was one of the people on my mind early this morning - she must have been ready to die if she felt she couldn't wait to see what happened. (Or afraid she couldn't bear what might happen.) In any case, I'm sorry she's not here to comment on it.
Jane, I've wondered the same kinds of things as you.
Autumn, how did you and Ronni come to be such good friends? I ask this as someone who has a very hard time making friends.

Hello, Autumn; thank you for your presence here and reminiscence about you talks with Ronni. On Election night 2016 I went to bed early thinking one thing and then learning another... not gonna make that mistake again. Wishing you and all readers equanimity.

The good news is most of the voting is done, and it has gone extraordinarily well. Trump and his minions do not control the outcome by pronouncing victory. Huge early voting tilting Democratic should be reassuring to Biden voters. Aside from that, just let election officials do their jobs. We will have a winner, but quite possibly not Tuesday night.

I welcomed Ronnie's strong opinions and appreciate your presence and message! Missing Ronnie oh so much, and hoping that outcomes will make her smile.

Very good. Don't feel you are doing anything wrong. This is the way Ronni would have wanted it. I'm just sorry she's not here to see the results. She never leaves my thoughts these days.

I am 85 so I might not be around for another general election. I voted by mail asap- a straight blue ballot as I have done for decades.

I thank all of you for writing and thank goodness for you, Autumn.

I have followed this blog since its first appearance. I rarely comment but I am going to miss Ronni as if I lost my best friend.

Oh, Autumn, I was so pleased to see 'Time Goes By' in my inbox this morning! So much anxiety today, and somehow seeing TGB helped to normalize the day a little. I join Jane and others in wishing to know whatever you feel you can share about Ronni's final few days. We do have the 'Alex and Ronni' show from just a few days before, to hold on to, but I selfishly thought she might share some of her final decision-making and kind of give us a 'warning'...absolutely not that she *had* to do so, of course...just that she had been so open up until then.'

We would love to know whatever you feel comfortable sharing about yourself, too...where you live, something of your background, how you and Ronni knew each other. We look forward to getting to know you!

I told my husband awhile ago that I won’t be watching returns with him. No news today, either. To reduce my stress level, I scheduled a mammogram for today, because what could be more soothing? A dear friend had a hospice evaluation this morning, which was actually lovely. (She failed - as in there’s no reason for them to think she’s going to die anytime soon.)

Seriously, we need to care for our mental health, to be effective. Being in panic mode doesn’t help anybody.

Care for yourself now, Autumn. Thank you for taking this on.

It’s great to see Autmn carrying on Ronni’s work. It’s a consolation for missing her wise words.
I can’t help but wonder how she chose her day to leave her body. With Election Day so close to her chosen day it seems like leaving a movie right before the final act begins!
As a contemplative person I’m sure she had a good reason for choosing the day she did but I wish Ronni would have told us more about how she came to choose the Friday before the Election.

Thank you Autumn, for your kind presence.

My deepest condolences to you on the loss of your dear friend..and to you, Tim, on the loss of your brave Mother.She is
a Shining Star !

Warm , hopeful thoughts to those voting today.

Marena
From Regina Sk, Canada

First of all, thank you, Autumn, for being here for us. And for being as honest and straightforward as Ronni would have been. This is a haven ... and reading all the responses to your post, I know I am not the only one who feels that way. I so desperately want to share how profoundly sad I am that Ronni has gone. Miss Fancy Pants, the chat with Alex ... and then all of a sudden - or so it seemed despite all her efforts to prep us - no more Ronni. And although there are friends I have tried to share how I feel with ... it is only here that there are people who truly understand.
As for today (and tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow ... ), fingers tightly crossed, good juju flowing and my firm intentions not to listen to speculations, opinions or predictions from anyone. 2000 docet. And I will NOT surrender to the fear and despair being so heartlessly manufactured in such massive doses.
I wish you all well and I wish good news for us all ... we are truly in need of it.
Thank you for keeping this haven open, Autumn - with all my heart.

Hi Autumn. Thank you for posting today. I have found myself thinking of Ronni constantly since I learned the sad news on Saturday. It seems strange to miss someone so much whom I never met, never spoke with, but there it is. I don't go out much these days, but when I do walk around this city that Ronni loved so dearly, I think of her. I am grateful she got to control her exit from this world as she wanted to, but I am so very sad she is gone.

As you can see from the commenters, some of us are curious about how you came to know Ronni. I, too, am hoping you might share some of that story if and when you feel the time is right.

As for anxiety, probably because I am in NYC, I am not worried about my own personal safety due to election violence. You are not insane for missing W, but only because relative to Trump he seems like a decent person. Heck, he may be a decent person - Michelle Obama seems to think so - but the policies of the Republican Party have not been "decent" going back many, many years now. But today I choose to feel hopeful. Perhaps this election will give the country the chance to get back in balance, just a little bit. Perhaps not, and we will have to wait - and work for the resistance - another four years. But long-term, the old ways of patriarchal white America will change, because demographics are changing, and because the younger generations care about one another -- despite differences in race, gender identity issues, sexual orientation, etc etc -- in ways we oldsters seemingly have not figured out how to do. My heartfelt condolences on the loss of your good friend Ronni.

Thank you Ronni. Godspeed!

Autumn -- Thank you!

What a welcome gift, your choosing to post today.

We are all so anxious about the election and Ronni's death, and being able to click on the TGB site, what joy it brought!

Also, being able to share our thoughts and feelings as we are accustomed to do, brings solace and lowers one's anxiety for whatever reason.

Autumn---I know Ronni is out there hovering, and would be proud of your first addition to her legacy.

I live on a farm - a rural community (small village). I voted early this morning - blue in a heavy red community.
Thank you so much, Autumn, for continuing Ronni's legacy. I look forward to getting to know you as time goes by!
I would like to give a donation in Ronni's memory. Can you help me to know what specific causes or organizations Ronni supported? Thank you.
May peace and calm carry the day, no matter the outcome.

Still stunned Ronni had to leave before Election Day, so preparing to celebrate for her w 🍾🥂 in the fridge.

Was anxious last night and early this morning (up at 5), and then the sun came out, people are voting by the gazillion, and I tapped into a bit of Hope.

Going to take it for a walk! Under BLUE skies 🇺🇸

Thinking of this community constantly. But feel Ronni is at peace, and we/I must be at peace w and for her...

I was shocked and saddened to hear of Ronni's passing when I came to the blog yesterday, even though I knew it was coming. I have been reading and enjoying her blog for over 10 years ... she was a wonderful writer with a way of getting to the heart of the matter.
You, too, were spot on with your post today Autumn ... it is a question of right and wrong. I am an American citizen living in Canada and my anxiety level is through the roof (and, yes, we have voted).
I'm so pleased you have taken over for Ronni.

Late to the party, as usual, but thank you, Autumn, for today's post. I think you will be a great success as the writer of TGB. I join those who have asked about Ronni's expected-but-unexpected departure, if she chose "the day" and whether she took advantage of Oregon's MAiD.

Hoping for the best in the election. I'm closing in on 84 so this may well be my last presidential vote. I'd be SO relieved to live the next however-many months or years without the would-be Emperor of tRumpystan destroying democracy and the nation's mental equilibrium at every opportunity.

Thank you Autumn! Grateful that we have you and really feeling the loss of Ronni.

Appreciate your continuing to write here. I recall the anxiety I felt in 2006 when I accidentally launched on to the web a trial writing intended for myself only — concern about RB’s reaction, that of others in the TGB community. All was just fine. Everyone was very supportive. Write about what captures your interests at the time which may include politics on occasion. Just keep writing as the spirit moves you and if you need to take a break, do so, as readers will still be here. Do take good care of yourself.

Autumn, thanks so much for a Tuesday surprise in my mailbox today! I feel assured knowing you are there to carry on for us all in Ronni's absence. Like many other readers, I am curious about Ronni's decision to leave before the election, her rather abrupt departure and not warning us (though she certainly didn't owe us an explanation) and how things went at the end. Her quote was priceless and I shall carry it with me forever. As for today, I feel like a ship at the edge of Niagara Falls and can only wonder how deep and deadly the drop is for us all. But it's these fellow readers that keep me encouraged that somehow life will go on and be meaningful. Many of us may not live to see another election, so it would be lovely if this one brought peace and hope. Love to all.

Ronni is at peace. Her wisdom benefited us all, and will continue to do so into the future. As a late comer, I plan to go back to the Archives and glean all of the good counsel and information that Ronnie and guests imparted through the years. And now, I look forward to your taking the elm dear Autumn. Thank you for reaching out today. This political transition, for better or worse, will be over in due time. Let's join with the younger generations in fostering hope, goodness and love. Watching a rerun of Mr. Rogers' documentary last night, brought things into focus for me. Aiming to do what little or big positive things we can accomplish in this world, in our neighborhood, or in our house, will help us achieve some peace.

Thank you for posting. Still can’t believe she is gone. Seeing your post made me still feel a conn today and it meant a lot.

I’d just turned 60 and wanted to read about other people’s experiences of living as an older person and of dealing with the practicalities of life in the slower lane. I happened on a blog written by a lady in the throes of moving from Portland, Maine to Portland, Oregon together with her dear cat, Ollie. I was hooked. Twelve years on and several personal emails later, all of them answered promptly and kindly ( one in which she asked if she might build a post around the subject I’d raised, and did ) she has gone. And boy do I miss her.
Thankyou Autumn for being here.

Thanks, Autumn, Please keep talking, posting, and keeping us connected. We need to go forward with this group. We are all on the same journey. Ronnie taught us this and led. Now it is up to us and you.

Maybe...Ronnie knew something we don't know...yet...about tonight.

Here's to all of you....

Cheers,

Karin

Oh Autumn, I wish I'd seen this early today . Alas, work got in the way.

We have a news blackout in our home and have for days. Last night, we watched the British production of "Kinky Boots" on PBS. I've just finished a long work day and have avoided even most FB posts, reading only the belief that we'll know tonight.

What I did early today was to listen to the 30 October Ronni & Alex show and sobbed. No idea how to reach Alex (my energy to search was missing today) and felt such incredible sadness at their conversation on the day before Ronni's death.

And because my beliefs in a 'hereafter' are very much modeled on "Defending Your Life", I think Ronni will get to see the video of today and the outcome so she'll know.

And yes, "to everything there is a season" .. as she said it on the show, I sang it .. a song our congregation always sings at the Jewish high holy days .. and one that makes me cry then too.

May her memory be for a blessing. May Joe and Kamala and every Blue candidate kick ass in her memory.

Thank you so much for writing. Your kindness and generosity is a mitzvah.

This morning I gave out snax and beverages for 2 1/2 hours at one of the polling places. I played my kazoo and danced. So joyful to see people voting including one young woman who cast her very first vote. I live in Athens Georgia. I'm hopeful.

Thank you, Autumn, for speaking to the issue that concerns us most—even more at this moment than growing old. After giving it some thought, though, it doesn’t surprise me that Ronni decided to leave the world before the actual election. She had voted. There was nothing more she could do except hope for the best for us and for her country. But I doubt that she felt a need to be here on earth for the inevitable punditry and hand-wringing of the election itself.

As for me, I will watch nothing about the election. My TV will be tuned to a movie, one as escapist as I can find. The opinions of a bunch of news media political professionals mean nothing to me, and the stress of listening to them would be unbearable. I have voted, and when there is a result I will know it. There was a time when it wasn’t this way. Many years ago, I was even married for awhile to a Republican and we joked that neither of us dared to not vote because we needed to cancel out the other’s vote. Imagine joking about an election nowadays.

I am sorely missing Ronni, but I’m glad she left TGB in your capable hands. I hope you will keep it up as long as you can. It was, as Laura says, “only here that there are people who truly understand.” We need that ability to share and to understand now more than ever.

Thank you, Autumn.

I'm posting late because I just returned home from being a poll worker in CA where voters had 4 days to vote.
While we had several incidents of bad behavior by Trump voters, I was thrilled at how many young people turned out to vote, including many 18 year old who were voting for the first time.
There is a future.
I am so sad Ronni didn't live long enough to see the results.
Welcome, Autumn.

The democrats have won and now they are going to take away all the wealth the boomers accumulated over their lives with high taxes and cutting SS, and are going to destroy your white suburban neighborhoods with low income housing. Everything you boomers spent your entire lives working for is now going to be destroyed. And you deserve this for selling out your own children's futures. You are feeling hopeless right now? Congratulations, this is how your children have felt for the past 20 years. Your karma is coming, boomers!

Bless Ronnie, and you Autumn, for finding a way to continue her legacy. This forum is so important for so many seniors who feel disenfranchised in a youth-oriented world.

Two days after the election finds us still in the holding pattern. This was my second presidential election serving at the polls as a judge. In 2016 the tabulator had jammed and it was nearly 10p.m. before we had everything resolved for the figures, documents and supplies ready to be turned in to our local board of election office. When I got in my car and turned the radio on, Trump's victory was just being announced. I was soooo hoping that history would not repeat itself two nights ago, and it did not. However, waiting in limbo has not left me feeling much better. I wish I could fast forward to a more stable and productive time in American history, if there will be such a time in the not-too-distant future, when things are humming and people are working and happy and enjoying a harmonious co-existence.

But her vote won't be counted, alas. But what counts is that she knew she cast it.

This is just my imagination and I might be wrong, but maybe Ronni, if she still had the strength to think about it, was as anxious about the election as we were. What if she waited to see what happened and what happened was terrible? How terrible it would have been to depart on that note. Maybe she wanted to leave still hoping. It looks like her hope has been fulfilled—by a hair.

Thank you, Autumn. I miss Ronni achingly, but a fragrance of her clings around you, plus I am glad to meet you in your own right. I would be interested in hearing how you got to know Ronni in the first place. (She and I were neighbors in New York, and fellow bloggers, and cat lovers, and if I remember correctly we are both Aries with birthdays not far apart. We became fast friends, and though life soon pulled us in different directions, we remained so.)

Joe Biden will be our 46th President; how I wish Ronni was with us right now, to deliver the good news and celebrate with us. Miss you & your Interesting Stuff today, Ronni.

Dear Friend,

We did it. Joe Biden is now in place as the President elect to reset the country. Keep on eye on him. He'll need your guidance, even from afar. Kamala will help, but he needs your steady hand and fire in the belly. Remind him of the errors of the past and the potential for a brighter future. Only you can tell the tale and punctuate it with experience and zeal. A political junky to the last. I'm celebrating with you with chocolate covered strawberries.

All my love,

jb

Like others here, I had to come to Time Goes By to mention how sorry I am that Ronni didn't live to see the result of the election. Although the days this week have been so frustrating and nerve-wracking, I am actually kind of glad she didn't have to go through the week. Like Mark, I can see her beaming smile at this news.

We, yo, did it, Ronni!

Nov. 08, 2020 - 3:58 - ‘Jeopardy!’ host Alex Trebek died at the age of 80 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

I needed to plug into Ronni's vibes through her fellow followers. I'd like to think that she can feel the collective sigh of relief emanating from us mortals. Her voice has been so much a part of this journey, it seems she must be sharing in the triumph.

I'm saddened to hear of Alex Trebek's passing. He and Ronni were inspirational in their steadfast determination to continue giving of themselves throughout their difficult prognoses. They each were important in my life and will be missed.

I just wanted to mention that if, like me, you've become rather interested over the past couple of years in how Alex Bennett is doing too, you can still do that on his YouTube channel. He posted a fun short video on Saturday of the celebratory noise that could be heard from his NYC apartment with the windows open. It sounded like New Year's Eve! After that he posted an interesting pop-up zoom meeting of friends discussing the election. I found it very interesting and enjoyable and enjoyed hearing more from Alex from a different perspective. In that one there was a brief mention of Ronni's passing, as one of his friends shared condolences.