Postpone Travel Only a week ago, did I really allow myself to finally believe that we weren't traveling to see "the kids" for Christmas. Now it's a week before Thanksgiving and the Covid numbers are climbing. CDC is urging families to stay home and avoid gatherings. I'm glad Don and I already had planned on, turkey-for-two. Today! But there is good news that could make the holidays feel much more positive! Today, Pfizer is seeking emergency approval, to roll out a vaccine as early as mid December. Dr. Fauci assures that this is not being rushed. Yay! I love this news.
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Zoom with Sibs Everyone and everything seems so far away, during the pandemic. The upcoming holidays remind me of that. Don and I aren't the only isolated ones. Our 4 sibs (and spouses) and our 2 kids (and spouses) are in 5 different states. None of us are close to each other. But our Zoom gatherings help so much. When Don and I zoomed with my sibs the other day, our daughter called. Everyone waved to Heidi. I love technology! So Far Away Some people are used to being far away. Don and I watched the launch of Spacex on Sunday. Now, that is isolation! They can't step out onto the patio and enjoy a book, when they start feeling cooped up. Patio Time On Tuesday, Don dragged me out to the patio at 6:45pm. He keeps track of the Space Station and knows when we can view it from our yard. It was amazing to look up and see the light, slowly passing by... with 4 new members on board, from Spacex! Wow. We didn't even have to leave home for that bit of entertainment. Far Away Neighbor Today, I made use of the patio again. My friend visited for the first time. We live across the street from each other. That's not a long distance, but during a pandemic it is. It's been over 8 months since we've sat and talked. We greeted each other in masks, then had tea at opposite ends of the table and talked forever. After months, it suddenly she felt like we were across the street neighbors again.
Another Doc Appointment Today I brought my happy socks with me to my doc appointment. I don't like cold feet and I needed something positive. Since this pandemic madness began, I've had 2 oncologist appointments, 1 dental appointment, a mammogram and today's Well Woman Exam. Every appointment has handled Covid differently. This was the first one, where I got to sit in my car until there was an examining room available for me.
Yay! I love that. I have a feeling they'll do away with that as soon as they can safely. But I sure prefer enjoying the quiet of my car, over sitting in a waiting room full of strangers! Anniversary Today I was doing some dusting. (rare these days) I put down the cloth, snapped this photo and texted it to Chali and Scott. Today is their 3rd anniversary. I love thinking back to that beautiful November Day. It was a busy time. Their wedding was the first of 5 family weddings. What if a pandemic would have hit that year? It makes me sad to think of all the weddings that have been halted or postponed or dramatically altered, this year. Promising News But there is good news out there, that could lead to more weddings. Good news about vaccines! This is the kind of news I don't mind seeing on TV.
I predict a lot of weddings in June 2021. Unhelpful Lines I'm not sure why there are so many Republicans lined up behind Trump and his lawsuits. It would be so helpful, (especially with a pandemic) if we could have a peaceful transition of power. Why slow things down? Lines in LA This was an eerie image on TV, the other day. It shows just part of a long line up of cars, in Los Angeles. These people were waiting to be tested for Covid. Lines For Food There are so many people struggling financially right now. This image shows cars lined up over the weekend, in Dallas. North Texas Food Bank distributed food for about 25,000 people on Saturday.
But there have been good lines, this month. I'm glad so many got out there and voted during these crazy times. By this time next year, things can only be better! #makeamericapancakesagain Sometimes you have to ignore the news and have pancakes! This is the kind of pandemic dining that makes the numbers go up on my scale. Worse Numbers These numbers continue to rise as well. Friday we hit a record. With holidays coming, numbers will only get worse if people don't make good choices.
I'm just going to eat more pancakes today. A Beautiful Service Don and I went round and round about whether to attend the service of a very special neighbor. In the past 8 months we have been cautious and taken few risks. Weddings and funerals are high on the risk list. We had a good excuse not to attend, but I'm so incredibly grateful we didn't stay home. It felt odd to dress up just a bit, for the first time in 8 months. It felt strange to sing Amazing Grace, through a cloth mask. It felt wrenching, to see the images of our dear, young neighbor smiling in the slideshow. My throat ached to imagine the pain of his parents... our good friends. But I also felt lifted and so grateful to be surrounded by others... with our chairs spaced far apart.
We've lost a number of special people in the last months. My dear friend's mom, my cousin, my aunt's husband. Different kinds of grief and worry and it all feels extra heavy, because of the pandemic. This was the only service we've attended. I thought our attendance was for them... to show our support. But we ended up benefitting. Even though we sat far apart from each other, there was a warmth of being with others who all care. The music, the words spoken, the quiet. It was all needed today. Our Second Friday the 13th of 2020 I started blogging about the pandemic on March, 13, 2020. I decided to take a peek at my first post. This was just the first image on the post. Wow! less than 50,000 cases in the world! 8 Months Later! Today there are more than 10 million cases in the U.S.a There have been 243,000+ fatalities reported since February We're facing possible shutdowns, again More than 130 Secret Service officers assigned to Trump have tested positive. But a coronavirus vaccine could be available to the general population by April! Thinking About These Girls! But, today I'm going to focus on these 2 little girls! Our daughter Heidi and her good buddy Leigh, used to braid their hair on every Friday the 13th. It was a silly tradition. But on this Friday the 13th, they are both focussed on being moms for the first time. I spoke with Heidi this morning and she's a little stressed. She and her hubby are in their Portland Airbnb, waiting for their new house to be completed. Looks like they won't move in, until Christmas Eve. Heidi will be 7 months pregnant.
I talked with Leigh's mom today and she is in the hospital, having her baby girl! That is the best Friday the 13th news ever! In one year, I hope these two new moms will be enjoying their little daughters, in a pandemic-free world! Fingers crossed. The News on Veterans Day Today is Veterans Day. It's been over a week since Election Day. Trump still refuses to concede. We're facing the worst days of pandemic. More Americans hospitalized than ever... And Trump has mostly been on the golf course. I was surprised to see Veterans Day events, in two places. If I were a Veteran, who would I want to recognize me, today? Who are the Veterans? I didn't grow up in a family with many military connections. I'm somewhat ignorant about the sacrifices and worries of military families. During these pandemic times, I've tried to make myself pay attention and learn about people who are not like me. Today, I looked on FB and saw all the posts of fathers and brothers... sons and sisters. I wondered about them all. I tried to appreciate. I talked to Dad and asked him about the picture I have of him in uniform. Dad was too young for WWII, but he was in the reserve for a short while later. Dad was a teacher and a director. He never told stories about this small part of his life. But today Dad talked. He reminded me that his brother and father were both in the Navy. Uncle Bob in WWII and Grandpa in WWI. How I wish I had a photo of the day he described, when Uncle Bob came home in uniform and Grandpa pulled his out of storage and put it on. Armistice Day I got curious about how long our country has celebrated Veteran's Day. I found out that until 1954, the day had been called Armistice Day. On November 11, 1919, President Wilson issued a message about peace. It was one year after the end of World War I. It later became a legal holiday, dedicated to world peace... and evolved into a holiday that honors all veterans. Daw's Diary I decided it was time to get out my grandmother's diary again! I looked at the few pages leading up to November 11, 1918. "Daw" was volunteering in D.C., during WWI. On November 7, Daw writes, "Peace in the World!" She mentions going to Baltimore in the morning and hearing the news at noon and being "crazy" to be back in Washington. After getting back in the evening, she and her sister got Mrs. Chambliss to take them downtown, where she "never saw such crowds of people. All departments stopped work. So wish we'd been here earlier." November 11, 1918 A few days later, Daw wrote again. "Another peace celebration today. All war departments dismissed." Then Daw and her friends went to the picture show, before heading out... to see the celebration, I assume. She added, "The Old Kaiser has gone. The Germans have signed the armistice." The next day, Daw mentioned going to the Liberty Hut with my Aunt Mary, who she called, Sister. "saw Douglas Fairbanks the moving picture actor- he worked for a war fund campaign." I love picturing my grandmother in D.C., over 100 years ago. I looked up Liberty Hut and found this old photo. Surely she didn't play pool!
How I love having glimpses into the past. How I love having the time to explore and wonder. I love having the help of my grandmother's diary. I love having technology and Googling history. I love having access to my dad, just by picking up the phone. I'll always think a little differently when Veterans Day rolls around. No Enchanted Rock for Us Enchanted Rock State Park is an hour from our cabin. The "Rock" is a massive pink granite mountain, known for its magical and spiritual powers. Don and I took a picnic yesterday. It seemed like the perfect peaceful thing to do, during a pandemic. But, now the park limits the guests and requires reservations, even on a Monday. We were turned away. Cross Mountain The ranger suggested Cross Mountain Park, down the road. It wasn't exactly the same. The "mountain" was more of hill. But we had our picnic at a brand new table and then we took a "hike". It wasn't bad. It just didn't offer the challenge or the beauty, of Enchanted Rock. The Cross As we neared the top of the hill, it was clear why the park was named, "Cross Mountain". At first I felt like we were intruding on a private Christian church camp or something. It seemed odd to have this giant cross on top of public park, overlooking the town of Fredericksburg. I posed like a tourist and then we had a closer look at the concrete and metal structure. The side facing the town, looked even more bizarre. Wiring and lightbulbs, underneath a protective cage. Then we spotted the plaque, honoring the man who'd found the original timber cross on this "mountain", in 1847! Heading Down A sign near the parking lot gave lots more info. It's amazing that this simple little park, is actually packed with history. This hilltop was once a signal point, for Native Americans... Spanish Missionaries visited... "Easter Fires" were set here... and in 1946, the permanent metal cross, was wired up and lit.
So we didn't climb Enchanted Rock, but we discovered a curious bit of history. This makes me wonder why we haven't explored more, during these Covid months! |
Not-So-Happy List
Cancer, Covid & Coronary... I started this complaining list/blog, in May 2016. I posted 200 gripes about my breast CANCER and then I was done. On March 13, 2020, I started venting all over again, when another disease (starting with a C) interfered with my life. This time it was the invasion of COVID and it affected every person. I ranted for a year, until I got my COVID vaccine in March 2021. CORONARY Artery Disease was the reason I restarted this blog on September 26, 2021. This time it was my hubby Don, who was dealing with a worry that started with the letter "C". Coronavirus and Cancer, Coronary Artery Disease! All are evil, but none can totally get me down... if I vent! I usually end up feeling a little more positive at the end of each post! Navigating This Mess! The most recent post is at the top, from coronary posts in 2022, back to cancer posts in 2016. To find past posts, look below the "Archives" section, to find "Categories". Archives
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