Darling Girl

Day 29

It is the beginning of week 5. How are we doing? Everybody still hanging in? We have two days left of “spring break” before we start back up with “school days” on Wednesday. Arden informed us last night that she thinks she should “pull an all-nighter” last night and tonight because she wanted to see if she could. 

First, how does she even know the term “all-nighter” and Second, what kind of mother does it make me that I was like “good luck to you, I’m going to sleep!”?  I’m fairly sure she made it until about midnight, and she is still asleep. So, if you see the Mother of the Year Award folks around, send them my way – because I am definitely WINNING that prize this week!

Before you call in the parent police – we will return to our regularly scheduled bed times Tuesday night.  But there are battles I’m willing to fight right now and others that I am not. And making sure the child was asleep by 9:30 p.m. was not a hill I was willing to die on last night.

All these days alone or at least separated from everyone but the three of us has me thinking back to the past. I’m sure we are all wool-gathering, as my grandma used to call it, these days. I get Facebook memory reminders everyday – and some of those have sent me down memory lane to more fun times, more connected times.

One of today’s memories was a picture of Arden in dress up clothes. She was dressed as a princess with a paper crown on her head. She was smiling a big smile and the caption read – Ready for the ball!

I remember those days of dress up.  She would try to put on every piece of play clothing she had. I would hear her sweet voice talking to her dolls and stuffed animals – instructing them on proper behavior. 

I would sneak down the hallway and stand outside her room and just listen to her.  She could talk to those “friends” for what seemed like hours. She has always had an extensive vocabulary – probably because we always just talked to her like “normal” – so those times of instruction with the dolls were full of very familiar phrases. It was like listening to a four-year old version of myself talking!  A very good reminder that little ears are always listening.

Now that she is 10 years old and nearly as tall as I am, there are times I miss those days, but mostly I love this stage of her life.  Listening to her explain things or reason through problems or tell a story, is one of the most fun things of my day. I love how her mind works.  I love how intuitive she is. I love how empathetic she is. I’m less enthusiastic about the emergence of some significant “tude” as Terry calls it.  She actually said “whatever” to me last night and, even though she was kidding, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up in fear of what her teenage years may bring! Lord, give us all strength!

Well, the princess has arisen from her slumber and now requires nourishment. We do live to serve!

News of the Day:

The worldwide death toll from the coronavirus passed 115,000 on Monday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Over 1.8 million people have tested positive for the virus.

The U.S. has had more than 22,000 deaths and 558,000 COVID-19 cases, leading the world in both reported numbers.

A U.S. Navy sailor assigned to the USS Theodore Roosevelt died of COVID complications at a military hospital in Guam Monday.

The U.S. Supreme Court announced that it will hear oral arguments by telephone beginning next month.

New York State passed 10,000 deaths, but Gov. Andrew Cuomo said “the worst is over.”

Plan for the Day:

I pulled out some Bible studies I bought when the Lifeway store in Springfield went out of business a few years ago.  I never got around to doing them before now. My brain is dying for some study – so I am going to start one of those. Arden has a plan to do a lot of nothing. We will likely stay inside as much as possible today – the winds are gusting around 30 mph and it is 30 degrees out there.  Not fit for man, nor beast – especially on April 13th!!!

See you tomorrow!

Cheers!

Celebrate Jesus, Celebrate

Day 28

Happy Easter! He is Risen Just as He Said!

This year, we all did Easter very differently than we ever have before. We gathered separately, in our homes, around computer screens or TVs.  My family wore pjs and wandered in and out through the service (we are all having a hard time settling in one spot for long). It feels weird to sing out loud when there aren’t other people around – at least as loudly as we usually would in a more corporate setting. It was just a strange experience. 

This Easter got me thinking about my Easters growing up. When I was a child, we lived in San Diego, California and attended a church which held Easter Sunrise Service at a local lake. When one thinks of California, one thinks of warm, sandy beaches. I can assure you, Easter Sunrise Service was not warm and the shores of the lake were not sandy.  It was always cold, always rocky and always damp. My mother, in proper Christian lady form, made sure that each year we wore brand new patent leather shoes (which were typically ruined by the end of the service because my sister and I would try to stay warm and awake by chasing the ducks around the lakefront), a new Easter dress (normally sleeveless)  and a hat. This tradition may be why I’m always late to get Arden a new dress for Easter – there may be some PTSD associated with these experiences. 

Lest you think it was all misery, one of my favorite memories from childhood is the time in every year’s service when our pastor would sing He’s Alive. I can still remember the goosebumps rising on my arms when he would get to the part that went…

“But suddenly the air was filled

With a strange and sweet perfume

Light that came from everywhere

Drove shadows from the room

And Jesus stood before me

With His arms held open wide

And I fell down on my knees

And I just clung to Him and cried”

I could smell the air. I could see the light. I could see Jesus in my mind. Today, I could nearly type all those lyrics from memory even though I haven’t heard that song in decades. I’m not sure that I could bear to hear it today – it might just do me in!

I know there have been many famous artists who have released this song, but none will ever have more impact on my heart and mind as the memory of that song, on that lakeshore, every Easter at sunrise.  

We will get back to our “normal” lives at some point – whatever “normal” means in this world after these trying times. But I am reminded, that just as life was never the same after that first Easter; life will not be the same after this one. But one thing, the most important thing, remains.  He’s Alive!  And because He lives – I can face tomorrow. (another song we sang nearly every Easter!)

Today, when the sun rose and I walked outside with the dog, the first thing on my mind was those Easter mornings so long ago and I hummed the song as we walked…

He’s alive. He’s alive.  He’s alive and I’m forgiven – Heaven’s Gates are open wide!

Happy Easter All!

News of the Day:

The worldwide death toll from the coronavirus passed 110,000 on Sunday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Over 1.8 million people have tested positive for the virus.

The U.S. passed more than 21,000 deaths and 530,000 cases, leading the world in both reported numbers.

Pope Francis live-streamed Easter Sunday Mass for Catholics celebrating the holiday under lockdown.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was discharged from the hospital where he was treated in intensive care.

Plan for the Day:

Easter lunch, finish watching Ben-Hur, nap.

See you tomorrow!

Cheers!

Breakfast and Boredom

Day 27

Another weekend. Have I mentioned the weekends are the hardest? Looks like, yes, I did – last weekend. I will reiterate – the weekends are the hardest. The lack of plans gets to me. Not that we had a lot of weekend plans before this, but we always COULD have weekend plans. So, I guess the lack of the possibility of plans is what is getting me down.

We are due for some nasty weather later this afternoon and all day tomorrow – so that is a bummer as well.  This morning I woke up early (thanks, Dog) and couldn’t go back to sleep. Couldn’t really concentrate on anything on T.V. Couldn’t calm my mind to read much.  So I got up, turned on some music and made a big breakfast – sausage, eggs, cinnamon rolls, coffee. My family was a bit surprised. I don’t often make breakfast.  I don’t really eat breakfast, so I don’t spend a lot of time making breakfast. We sometimes have breakfast for dinner, and I can whip up the full spread. But in the morning?  Nope. Morning breakfast is grab what you can and Mom makes coffee.

After breakfast, I baked brownies. I cleaned the kitchen. I took the dog for another walk. I took a long bath.  I AM BORED!!!! I guess I’m not actually bored in the real sense of the word – because there are things that can and should be done, but I don’t want to DO any of them. 

Easter is tomorrow. I have all the things to make a big meal. I found Easter basket materials and Terry found plastic eggs – so the child will have an Easter surprise awaiting her. I am pretty much sure she knows there is no Easter Bunny, but she is clinging to the hope that there is – so we will lean into that. No sense shattering any more illusions just now.

I will have an Easter service ready on the computer in the morning and hopefully we can spend the day eating and singing and celebrating. I guess that is something of a plan.

Monday we are still on “spring break”, so no formal school assignments – I know Arden likes that – but I feel like we are trudging ever closer to complete slothfulness.  I need to get something pulled together that we can do that doesn’t feel like school, but actually IS learning. Unfortunately, my creativity button broke about two weeks ago – so that seems like a very daunting task!  I did put together an indoor and an outdoor scavenger hunt idea before my creativity deserted me (and by “put together” I mean copied with some adjustments from something I saw on the internets). Maybe we will do one of those. 

The question that keeps coming to my mind throughout this entire thing is – are we there yet? I don’t know where “there” is – but I’d like to get there.  “There” holds a lot of unknowns, but at least it would be a kind of destination. The ambiguity of this present time is a lot to handle – especially for a personality type that thrives on a plan. 

Hope you are having a more productive Saturday!

News of the Day:

The worldwide death toll from the coronavirus passed 100,000 on Friday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Over 1.67 million people have tested positive for the virus. 

The U.S. remains the epicenter of the pandemic, with over 500,000 cases and more than 18,000 deaths. More than 2,000 people died in a single day. New York State now has more reported coronavirus cases (161,000) than any country except the U.S. as a whole.

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is out of intensive care and said to be “in good spirits” able to take “short walks” in the hospital.

Plan for the Day: 

A plan would be nice.

See you tomorrow!

Cheers!

About Death

Day 26

Good Friday. I did not write yesterday. It was the first day of “spring break” and so I took a break as well. 

Today is a solemn day in the church calendar. It is the day when we, as Christians, come face to face with the consequences of our sin. It is a painful day to look at – full in the face – and acknowledge that because of our rebellion, Jesus had to die. It is a horrific day. It is a gruesome day. 

I’ve been listening to Holy Week scripture readings every day this week. One of the podcasts I listen to has been using each day’s broadcast to read the happenings from each gospel for each day of this week. I’ve been fascinated to hear the story from the four gospels and how each of the authors remembered the events. From a purely historic perspective it is a reminder that we all see, remember and value different elements from a common event. I think that is true of all shared experiences – we each take something different from the moments we witness. It was definitely true in the retelling of the life of Christ. What Matthew found worthy or important to include was very different from what John chose to include.  These differences carry through into the death of Jesus. 

I’ve been awake for a couple hours and have been putting off listening to the Good Friday readings. I know what they say. I know what is coming. I know it will hurt to listen. I also know that it isn’t the end of the story.  However, I have to walk through today to get to the resurrection.

Good Friday has a personal relevance to me as well, aside from the salvation offered in the sacrifice. Good Friday is the day I faced one of the biggest and most heart-wrenching decisions of my life. Good Friday is the day when I came face to face with my personal and professional failings and had to let a big piece of my ambition die.  I don’t think I’ve shared this story publicly before – in fact I’m sure I haven’t. Writing it down is hard. Acknowledging the utter failure is humiliating, but walking through it really did bring about a resurrection in my soul.

Five years ago I was working in a very demanding job. I was running at 100 miles an hour every day/all day and not really making any headway.  I was failing on an epic level. I would take 3 steps forward and fall behind 5. I was neglecting my family to try to keep up. I was drinking too much to dull the feelings of inadequacy.  To say it bluntly – I was a hot mess.

Things came to a head on Good Friday.  I was called in and told that I wasn’t meeting expectations and something had to change.  I felt exposed and embarrassed and useless and devastated. I went home completely defeated and just cried in my bedroom for hours.  The ironic thing is that I didn’t even like the job. I had worked really hard to get it because I thought that was the next right thing, but it was killing me on the inside. That is a really hard reality to come up against. 

When the tears subsided, Terry and I sat in our room and he asked me a question that changed my life. He asked me what I wanted. Not in the sense of what I wanted for dinner or what I wanted to do for Easter, but what I wanted from and for my life. That question stopped me in my tracks.  I don’t think I had asked myself that question in a real sense ever, and I know no one else had ever asked me that. And so I paused and thought about it. What did I WANT? And the answer was as clear as day – I wanted to be a stay at home mom. I wanted to write. I wanted to pour my energy and skills into my marriage and my home and my daughter.  I didn’t want to miss out on Arden’s life because I was always at work. I wanted to quit this job that was killing me and focus on my home.

As soon as I said those words out loud, all the reasons why this was a completely irrational idea came.  We couldn’t afford what I wanted. I had worked since I was 15. I have never not worked. I find value in myself through work. Did I mention we couldn’t afford it? Terry and I talked through all these obstacles and prayed.  I stayed up all night praying. When morning came, so did peace. We made the decision I would quit my job and become a stay at home mom. 

It was scary and daunting and really hard.  The years since haven’t been easy. We’ve sacrificed a lot of things to make it work. I’ve had days when I missed putting on work clothes and picking up my briefcase and going to work. There have been days when I have wondered if I’m wasting my life. I’ve had days when I’ve regretted the decision. But I’ve also had days when I know down to my bones that I saved my sanity by making the choice.  I’ve had days when I was able to be an advocate for my child because I was present and involved at a level I could have never been had I stayed in that job. I have days when I am able to write for hours and find deep satisfaction and worth in the words that fill the page. And most of all, I have these days. These days of mandated stay at home. Because of what happened 5 years ago, I have been uniquely equipped for these days.  Thankfully, the choices and adjustments we had to make when we lost my income have made this time easier. I have an at-home rhythm established. I’m able to more easily navigate food and menu planning on a budget because I’ve been doing it for a long time. We don’t fear the loss of my job, because there is no job to lose. There are a lot of things that were planted 5 years ago that are coming to fruition today.

I tell this story to say this – something died on Good Friday 5 years ago. But something rose as well.  It has taken a long time for me to look at that time and see the beauty that came from those ashes. I have worked hard to forgive myself for the failure.  I haven’t always been great at it. I haven’t been a perfect stay-at-home mom. I have been a far from perfect wife. But I will always be so grateful for the journey, because it allowed me to see in a small, personal way that life can come from death. 

And so, I will listen to the story of the Crucifixion today.  I will sit in the sadness and hopelessness of this day. I will feel the guilt and shame that this day brings.  And I will rejoice – because this is not the end. 

Sunday is coming.

News of the Day:

Over 1.6 million people worldwide have tested positive for the coronavirus and more than 97,000 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The U.S. remains the epicenter of the pandemic, with over 466,000 cases and more than 16,000 deaths.

Multiple cities are reporting that the virus is disproportionally killing black Americans.

New York State now has more reported coronavirus cases than any country except the U.S. as a whole.

There were 6.6 million U.S. jobless claims or the week ending April 4 — almost 1 million more than economists were expecting.

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is out of intensive care as he continues to recover from COVID-19.

Plan for the Day

Good Friday readings. “Attend” a Good Friday service. Start preparing for Easter. Enjoy the sunshine

See you tomorrow!

Cheers!

Covid19 Playlist

Day 24

Good morning, friends.  I hope you are doing well today!  Today I’m bringing you a little gift I made.

I’m not sure if anyone has noticed, but the titles to all of the blog entries I’ve posted since starting this Covid19 journal have been the titles to songs.  Everyday, I tried to find a song title that linked with whatever the “topic” of that day’s entry happened to be.  To be honest, some days that was the thing that got me writing – I was on a streak of songs!

So, today I put together a playlist of all the songs from that list.  There are 23.

As I was compiling the playlist, I realized that there is really something for everyone in there – old and new; country and Christians; Rock and Blues – it is QUITE eclectic! I hope you enjoy it.  It is just a way to say “thank you” for walking along this road with me.  I appreciate the encouraging words and “keep it ups” y’all send.

Today is our last day of school before “Spring Break”.  So we will soldier through our assignments and then put away our work for a few days. I’ll keep posting, but now that I’ve let you in on my little “secret” with the songs, I’m going to have to come up with something a bit more clever to title the posts!

Here is the link for the Spotify playlist:  Covid19 Playlist

(If you don’t have Spotify – it is a free music app you can download. No pressure, but that is where this playlist lives if you want to listen.) Enjoy!

News of the Day:

There are over 1.4 million cases of the coronavirus worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University, and more than 83,000 deaths.

The U.S. leads the world with more than 399,000 reported COVID-19 cases. The death toll has surpassed 12,000.

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has tested positive for the virus, spent a second night in the intensive care unit at a London hospital, where he is “responding to treatment” with his condition described as “stable” on Wednesday.

Wuhan, China — the original epicenter of the pandemic — has ended its lockdown, 76 days after closing its borders.

President Trump on Tuesday acknowledged that African Americans have been disproportionately affected by the virus.

Plan for the Day: Finish up school work before “spring break”.

See you tomorrow!

Cheers!

I’m Henry VIII, I Am

Day 23

Second verse…same as the first…I’m Henry the 8th, I am, Henry the 8th, I am, I am! 

Sorry, this song has been in my head all day.  Along with the idea that I never really enjoyed the movie Groundhog Day because it seemed very depressing – despite the humor of Bill Murray! 

I’ve seen a lot of people say that this experience is like Groundhog Day – but I don’t agree. We aren’t doing the same day over and over. It is a new day. Every day it is a new day. Time is moving forward, even though we seem to be doing the same thing every day.  I’m trying to take solace in the fact that each day we move through this experience is another day closer to the time when we can be with our friends and families again. It is another day closer to the containment of this virus. It is another day closer to normal – whatever that is.

Arden and I have started doing homeschool on the couch with TV trays instead of at the kitchen table. There is something a bit more comforting about being touching close when reading or doing math.  I’m sure there is something wrong with this approach. I’m sure I’m supposed to make a more formal learning space and all that – but I think we are both in need of the connection that being on the same seat is providing.  So until it gets too distracting in figuring out of improper fractions, we are going to go with it. We did all our school work before lunch today – so this afternoon is wide open. It is pretty warm today but really overcast. I think we will try to take a walk this afternoon, just to get some fresh air. I’ve got all the windows open and there is a nice breeze going through the house. Days I can open everything up make me feel a little lighter.

I keep seeing on social media that people are eating a lot more during this time.  I’m finding, to my complete surprise, that I have little or no appetite. Most days I don’t eat until dinner and then I’m not interested in whatever I’ve cooked. I’m sure this is a sign of something ominous, but maybe my pants will start to fit better. I’m not going to worry about it too much.  My appetite will kick back in sooner or later – it always does.

We only have one more day of school this week.  We were supposed to be on Spring Break starting Friday until next Wednesday, so there are no school lessons assigned for those days. This causes me a bit of angst because what in the heck are we going to do during those days??? I’m going to have Arden do some guided writing and maybe we will try another couple science experiments from our science book.  Anything to keep us doing something everyday. Or maybe we will just watch ALL the movies!!! Who knows. I’ll worry about that Thursday. Thursday is another day!

News of the Day: 

There are over 1.39 million cases of the coronavirus worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University, and more than 79,000 deaths.

The U.S. leads the world with more than 379,000 reported COVID-19 cases. The death toll has surpassed 11,000.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said 731 people died in the state, the most in a single day.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court overruled a last-minute attempt by the state’s governor to postpone today’s primary election.

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has tested positive for the virus, was taken to intensive care on Monday. He is receiving oxygen but is not on a ventilator.

France recorded another 833 coronavirus deaths, its highest one-day total.

China, where the virus originated, reported no new deaths on Tuesday for the first time since January.

Plan for the Day:

Get out for a walk. I think I’ll read a little. Not sure what else.

See you tomorrow!

Cheers!

 

 

Wish I Didn’t Know Now

Day 22

So it’s Monday. That’s about all I can say about that. Arden and I slept in a bit today.  I just couldn’t make myself get out of bed until 9:30. I woke up initially at 6, but the pillow beckoned and I gave in to the call. 

We did our school work for the day. Have I mentioned that initially, when all this crazy at home work started, I was told that I should be scheduling between 4 – 5 hours a day of organized work.  I’m an obedient kinda of gal, so that is why our daily schedules looked the way they did. I made sure that throughout the day, I had 4 – 5 hours of work planned. I also planned a lot of breaks throughout the day, but we were doing work of some sort for the hours I had been told to fill. 

When our online classes began, in addition to not getting credit for the work we had already done, I was informed that for Arden’s age we should really be doing at least 60 minutes of school work a day but not more than 120 minutes. In case you aren’t good with math (no judgement – I am awful at math) that means 1 to 2 hours a day.  So I have been over-scheduling our days for nearly 3 weeks. I feel like I’ve typed this story before, but maybe I’ve just told it a lot. Anyway, I am all for being an overachiever, but I can guarren-damn-tee you I was the ONLY parent following the 4-5 hours rule. The only one!  

We now do about an hour and a half and the fighting to get the child to do work has gone WAY down! Go figure!  Shocking! I know!

Other than that, nothing much to report. Oh, I cleaned out the deep freeze and have plans to tackle the fridge later, because we’ve just basically been shoving things in there for the last month and I have NO idea what is in some of those containers.  Man, do we know how to live large in a quarantine or what!?!?

News of the Day:

There are over 1.3 million cases of the coronavirus worldwide, according to tracking from Johns Hopkins University. The number of global fatalities has passed 70,000.

The U.S. leads the world with more than 337,000 reported cases. President Trump warned Saturday that “it’s going to be really some very bad numbers” in the U.S., where the death toll has surpassed 10,000.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has tested positive for the virus and was hospitalized Sunday after persistent symptoms, was taken to intensive care on Monday.

Wisconsin’s governor signed an executive order postponing in-person voting for Tuesday’s election after concerns over the safety of polling places.

Italy posted its lowest daily death total in over two weeks, with 525 reported, taking the country’s total to 15,887.

Plan for the Day:  Clean out the fridge. Finish the laundry (people need to stop wearing so many clothes). Make tacos.

See ya tomorrow!

Cheers!

Hosanna

Day 21

Palm Sunday. I didn’t sleep well last night and finally gave up at 5 a.m. I got up and took the dog out, made coffee and sat on the couch. I was full of feelings and nothing I was doing – scrolling through Facebook, flipping t.v. channels, trying to read – was able to distract me from an overwhelming sadness. I got onto Google and searched for churches that have online sermons saved. I found a series and started to watch. It turned out to be a series on the gospel of Mark. I guess in all my years of Biblical instruction I had forgotten the situation surrounding Peter’s dictated gospel. It was nice to be reminded. I am looking forward to the other messages in the series.  I cried through most of the broadcast. Not because it was overly sad. I think it was just a nice reminder that God used someone as imperfect as Peter to lead his ministry on earth after Jesus returned to the Father. I feel immensely imperfect right now. I feel vulnerable and afraid and inadequate. I was also reminded that Hosanna means “save us”. Seems most appropriate.

After the message, I took the dog out again and had a good long cry as I told God all of my fears. I yelled them (there is no one out here for miles, so other than the dog and the birds, no one but God could hear me). I pleaded for help and peace and direction.  I prayed for healing and deliverance. I prayed for protection – not just for our health and our friends and family – but for our hearts and minds. My heart and mind are in pretty rough shape right now. The troubles of life didn’t go away just because the Virus entered the picture. If nothing else, those pressure points are in much sharper relief in this time of heightened trauma.  It comes in waves. There are whole hours of each day when I can push those things aside, but they are always lingering on the edges. I told God all about it. I asked for belief in my unbelief. 

After my marathon yelling fit, I came in and got ready for the day.  I drove into Burlington to pick up our groceries for the week. I called my sister and wished her a Happy Birthday. I sang in the car at the top of my lungs. When I got home and had put everything away, I watched a live Palm Sunday service and cried through that as well – do you see a pattern here?  Today was a day of tears. It is Holy Week and it is a somber time, but Palm Sunday (though it is prologue for the Passion) has always been celebratory in our traditions. Today didn’t feel celebratory. It felt heavy. It felt lonely. It felt somber. 

I took many walks today. The sun was beautiful and the temperatures mild. Days like today have been a balm in this time of separation.  I tried to find that solace today – it was not easy to locate. 

The day is drawing to a close. We have had dinner and it has been put away. I’m exhausted and feel like I could go to sleep, but I dread laying there unable to. I’ve been very careful not to have the news on when Arden is around. Today I laid down for a nap and had PBS cooking shows on. When I woke up and took the dog for yet another walk, Arden went into my bedroom to play with the cats.  I guess PBS changed their programming in the time I was gone from cooking to news and one of the newscasters said something about the Virus not being under control this summer and perhaps extending into the next school year. I walked back into the room to a sobbing child who could not fathom being separated from her friends and school and the excitement of 5th grade. What do you say to that?  I have no answers – well other than to turn off the TV every time I leave a room! I tried to explain that we don’t know what will happen, but we can do what we know to do and pray for the end to all this. I tried to hide my anxiety – it is at about a 7 right now – and distract her.  

Anyway – I’m sorry this isn’t a more hopeful entry. I am praying for a restful night and a more positive outlook tomorrow as we begin our 4 week of home study. 

News of the Day:

There are over 1.2 million cases of the coronavirus worldwide, according to tracking from Johns Hopkins University. The number of global fatalities has passed 66,000.

The U.S. leads the world with more than 310,000 reported cases. President Trump warned Saturday that “it’s going to be really some very bad numbers” in the U.S., where the death toll reached 8,500 over the weekend.

Pope Francis called for courage as he delivered Palm Sunday mass by livestream.

Plan for the Day: ………………

See you tomorrow!

Cheers!

Shadows and Tall Trees

Day 20

Happy Saturday, friends! Today has been a good day. We all slept in and putzed around for what was left of the morning and early afternoon.  I did some cleaning and laundry while Terry worked outside and Arden played in her room.

I took Romeo for a long walk and noticed that this tree in our front yard is starting to bud. It is nice that even in these uncertain and scary times, some things keep coming back to life.

Around 5 p.m., Arden and I joined Terry on his patrol of the woods. We explored the trails and he cleared some trees that had fallen across a few of them.  It is gorgeous and peaceful in the forest. It was nice to get out in the fresh air for a couple hours (I love the having light longer into the evening!). 

Nothing else to report. I will let the pictures speak for themselves.  Tomorrow is supposed to be even warmer, so I’m hoping we can get some more outside time before the rain moves in again this week. I feel like a lot of our days revolve around the weather – if it is nice, we have a good day; if it is rainy, it is more of a struggle.

News of the Day:

According to tracking from Johns Hopkins University, there are over 1.1 million cases of the coronavirus worldwide.

The U.S. now leads the world with more than 300,000 confirmed cases and 8,400 deaths. Over 14,000 people in the U.S. have recovered from the virus.

President Trump announced in a press briefing Saturday that he’s sending over 1,000 medical personnel to New York City, the epicenter of the outbreak, to arrive by Monday.

Plan for the Day:

We had no plan today – it seemed to serve us well.

See you tomorrow!

Cheers!

Shake, Rattle and Roll

Day 19

Well, it’s Friday. Everyone have big weekend plans?  Yeah, me either. We are running low on meat and milk and bread, so I guess I’ll need to make a plan to go get some supplies this weekend. Other than that, nothing on the agenda. I was telling someone the other day that weekends seem the hardest in this mess (hardest is really a relative term, because it is all hard) because there doesn’t seem to be a break in the monotony. There is nothing on the calendar. Nothing planned. Nothing different from the other days. I’m thinking that on the weekends I may have to start planning projects that are only for the weekends – like cleaning out cabinets or drawers or closets – something to look forward to. But then I get swamped by a wave of apathy and I don’t care about the closets or cabinets or drawers. So, we’ll see.

Yesterday was a series of highs and lows. I spent a considerable amount of time washing and shaving the dog’s behind because…well I don’t want to get into the details, but suffice it to say that cleaning poop out of your dog’s butt because you haven’t been able to get him to the groomers to get that area cleaned up, pretty much sums up this whole stay at home situation.

After that exciting adventure, we had breakfast for dinner and then I introduced Arden to one of my favorite movies from my childhood – Clue. Erica and I used to rent that movie once a week when we were Arden’s age. I hadn’t watched it for years, but it holds up. Thankfully the double entendres went over Arden’s head, but the slapstick comedy  of Tim Curry and crew was a real hit. She loved the 3 alternative endings. A lot of the time, she doesn’t stick it out through an entire movie, but we cuddled up on my bed through the whole thing. I was happy that we got to enjoy that experience together.

This morning I got up to let the dog out and then sat down with coffee to watch the Today show.  They had a segment with a Bishop and a Rabbi talking about faith in the time of coronavirus. The two men of faith said about what you would imagine they would, but Bishop Curry said something that really hit home.  He said there is virtue in being honest with God. Telling Him what is on your heart. That the Psalms are filled with prayers of anger and fear and sadness and grief. God can handle that.  

I, of course, know that – but it was good to hear it. We are all walking through a period of mourning.  Mourning what our lives used to be before all this. Mourning what we would have been doing if this had not happened. Mourning the normalcy of our world. So, it was nice to have that mourning acknowledged today.  It was also really fun to see the Buffalo Bills helmet in the background – Bishop Curry is not only a soothing voice – but he apparently loves him some football!

I’ve attached a link if you want to watch the whole interview.

Today Show – Finding Faith Today

As soon as I post this I am going in to wake Arden up to get started on our first day of official online learning. We have 3 subjects to get through, and then we’ll see where the day takes us. I’m not anticipating this being a fun morning because we are all just about over it, but we will make the effort and be grateful for the energy to do so.  Then I may go outside for a bit before it rains (AGAIN) and yell at God for awhile. I heard today, He can take it!

News of the Day:

According to tracking from Johns Hopkins University, there are more than 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 54,000 deaths worldwide.

The United States leads the world with more than 245,000 COVID-19 cases. More than 6,000 Americans have died from the virus.

The U.S. unemployment rate jumped from 3.5% to 4.4% as more than 700,000 Americans lost jobs in the first two weeks of March.

In the U.K., there were a record 684 coronavirus-related deaths in 24 hours. Buckingham Palace says Queen Elizabeth will make a rare televised address to the nation Sunday.

Plan for the Day:

Tackle online learning. Make a grocery list. Make a plan for the week. 

See you tomorrow!

Cheers!