News Flash: Eddie is on to us...someone let it slip that my writings/musings/blogging are not exactly private. He knows that I have written travel journals for 20 years. When we started traveling more as we became empty nesters, I had several hard covered written journals--more about where we had been (so I could remember what my pictures were of), who we had met (names and impressions) and general musings. I always am up early, I could take my journal and go find a quiet place for coffee and writing time. As technology changed, and most my pictures on my phone became self-identifying (love that feature), I began making entries in the "Notes" or "Pages" Apps on my iPad..they became a little more "bloggy", but not widely shared..only a very select few got my musings...but they were being shared among friends, with the "don't tell or share with" Eddie. For those of you that haven't read my 2012 blogs, Eddie is an English teacher in lawyer's clothing with a love of proper grammar, sentence structure, spelling and proofreading---none of which are here in these pages. He has asked plenty of times over the years to read my musings...but I have always resisted...I know what will happen...he has been correcting my writings before there were computer word processing programs...1976. So, when he came home from what he swears is his last golf game until this Corona Crisis is over, he said "they really enjoy your blog". Unlike the internet "they" I know who "they" are. With a little smile and hopeful look, he said, "I guess I still can't see them, right". "Nope", I responded. I have been down this red ink road before...so, if all of a sudden you observe good grammar, spelling and a "voice" that doesn't sound like me...you will understand what has happened. Look for really big words, or even words like "amid" to start showing up. After CoVid19, Corona Virus, the word "Amid" was getting a high google count---journalists have been using it a lot lately. Obviously, that word was not learned when folks were assigned to memorize the list of prepositions in 8th grade. Oops, my high risk age is showing, I guess they don’t do that anymore.
In the frenzy to be prepared for a possible severe case of the virus, I have been thinking to myself, what would my mother, or her mother have done or do right now to prepare. With no drugs currently available to fight this, we have to go old school. First, my grandmother would have someone go to the liquor store and purchase a bottle of "Rock and Rye". My grandmother was a total tea totaler, never drank, but when she felt herself coming down with a cold or the flu, she would take a jigger of Rock and Rye with lemon before bed. Rye is, of course, rye whiskey, the rock is the stick of rock candy that was in the bottle. I remember seeing that bottle (with the stick of rock candy) in our home when my grandmother came to live with us in the early 60's. I have lots of whiskey-rye, scotch, Irish, jack Daniels, Japanese (yes, they make a fine whiskey), Canadian, Kentucky. Rock Candy-that is a Cracker Barrel thing. With the isolation orders, the thought of popping into Cracker Barrel for a Rock Candy has danger written all over if-I think I can substitute Raw sugar or honey for the Rock Candy. Lemon or orange peels, scrubbed within an inch of their lives. Check, I can follow that old school home spun remedy. Is one jigger enough, for medicinal purposes only, of course?
Last, but certainly not least is the Onion Poultice combined with a rub down in warm Camphor Oil. Growing up, if original Vick Vapor Rub (is it not as good as it use to be--too many lawsuits from folks sticking the strong stuff up their noses---see Product liability lawsuits-Eddie 101), or the vaporizer that could turn a room into a vapor rub hot house dripping with steam. For those really stubborn coughs, Mom would heat on the stove (this is the stone age-no microwaves) some camphorated oil and rub on your chest and back...as you held the thermometer under you tongue while she slowly counted to 100. Fast forward to her last 15 or so years. She had suffered from lung issues that had progressed, and she would normally stay indoors in Alabama from November until April to avoid getting anything....social and seasonal allergy distancing. The year her husband died, I was with her during one of the tough bouts. She decided that I need to make an onion poultice and put it on her to take the fluid out of her lungs. She claimed that and Mustard Plasters where the thing that her mother used...probably a 1918 pandemic home remedy. Okay, I bite, what is an onion poultice? I was instructed to take 4 pieces of flannel and sew them into two 12 x 12 bags with one partially opened side. I was then to retrieve an old oil cloth tablecloth from its outside storage place (it was a plaid tablecloth that had been used for picnics and painting projects---but put up clean--as was my mother's way). I was then to go get the heavy Pendleton wool striped blanket from the blanket closet. The remaining childhood beach towels from the bathroom closet were next on the list. Next, take 3 lbs of onion and slice them, separate the rings and take her largest fried pan with combo of camphorated oil and cooking (not partial hydrogenated, thank you very much) oil and sweat down the onions. Well, do you know how long it takes to sweat down 3 lbs of onions so they are limp and not caramelized? It is a long slow process. Long enough for me to go to the other end of the house and call my sister in Arizona and ask her what she thought....first, there was "I am glad it is you and not me" then there was a snarky comment about witch doctoring....not much help there. I rarely told my "older" mom no, guess I was trying to make up for the years I said “no” growing up. So, one triple layer wrapped onion human burrito coming up. From dusk till dawn, I watched Mom from the love seat in her bedroom. I would regularly mop the sweat from her face with a tepid damp rag, so as not to give her a chill. I watched her chest raise and fall with every rattled and labored breath. I was frankly afraid to fall asleep, for fear she would stop breathing. It was a long night...my mind kept wandering to how I was going to explain this to the EMS workers when they would arrive...because I was sure how this would end. A 80 something year old lady, bound in a triple wrap smelling of onions and camphorated oil. Not sure if they would have taken me to jail or to the loony bin. As the sun came up, her fever had broken as had her labored breathing. I cleaned up the evidence...I mean mess...while she showered. She ate for the first times in days...she had indeed turned the corner. Shortly after that she moved to Arizona and the dry air prevented her from too many lung episodes...I can only remember one or two occasions when I was called up for the onion poultice...it worked every time. So, I guess you will be adding onions to you H-E-B order, as a make sure. Newer twists to this exist on internet/Dr. Google Witch Doctor edition. I could tell you how it works but why spoil the fun...cause what are you doing anyway.
Speaking of old becoming new...blood transfusions of a recovered 1918 Spanish flu survivors were commonly used on people with the flu...there were no drugs to treat it...doubtful there were ventilator issues either... a 1940 creation. The FDA approved Houston Methodist Hospital (not just practicing but leading medicine..as the ad says) trial of plasma transfusions from Covid19 recovered patients. As this kinda sorta falls under experimental, who pays for this? Betcha it is not covered in the in or out of network plans that we have. Wondering if Eddie will go out of network to Methodist or submit to the onion poultice...what old is new...
Monday, March 30, 2020
Thursday, March 26, 2020
Cootie Shot
"Circle circle, dot dot, Now you've got a cootie shot!"
"Circle circle, square square, I don't have them anywhere!"
"Circle circle, square square, I don't have them anywhere!"
Gosh, how I long for those simpler times! Remember out on the playgrounds when Boy "X" would touch, tag, hit Girl "Y"? There would be the collective groan of the other girls...and "she has boy cooties" until she received the magic upper arm cootie shot....usually administered by the self annoted "girl leader". Of course, the boys would dissolve into laughter, until they were the one being chased and given the Cooties. Then, the game would reverse flow and begin again. We all survived numerous exposures to Cooties, lots of cootie shots and eventually decided that opposite sex probably were not so bad after all. How I wish the solution to our problem could be that simple.
As we are all staying at home these days, it gives you way too much time on our hand to collectively worry about the Cooties that are outside of the four (be it comfortable) walls. I have tried, not successfully, to not look at the News feed on my phone, nor on television, more than a couple of times a day. Pressing Refresh buttons does not count as exercise. So, that leaves a pair of idle hands... my, my, my...some how our current game of Cootie keeps sucking me back in. So, here I am currently googling what to do with 5-7 organic browned speckled bananas (thanks, HEB pick up, twice) and how to make a homemade ventilator from a CPAP machine. CPAP for those who do not snore or have sleep apnea is a bedside friend that provides continuous positive airway pressure (hence, the acronym CPAP) while you sleep. "Snuffy"(think Mr. Shuffleupgus from Sesame Street) for short at Pickle World. Eddie has been sleeping with me and Snuffy for almost 20 years. It is this love triangle that keeps me in the bedroom at night. Traditional insurance provided for a new one every 3-4 years, Medicare 5 years. As technology changes in CPAPs about every 4-5 years (glacial, I know), we have a current model and a back up. Prior to Harvey we had 4 old Snuffy's in the upper most reaches of our bathroom storage cabinet. Post Harvey, we are fit and trimmed down with to 2 models. Rats. If James Dyson can figure out in 10 days how to marry his fan and vacuum cleaners into a CoVent (yes, that is the name) ventilator, surely, there is some way to take a CPAP and make is both blow and suck....I have an old vacuum, medical hoses and duct tape, this should be a piece of cake, right? The browning bananas after you have made ice cream, cookies and banana bread are proving to be more of a problem. Brown bananas and/or homemade ventilator, GO!
Two Eddie moments, as I would not call them stories. Before Baby County Judge Hildago (we miss you, Ed Emmett) announced a stay at home order---she did not like the sound of the word "lockdown", Eddie had completed his shopping list for the furniture that will be part of his CoVid Collection...lots and lots of wood. Fearing that hardware and lumber yards would be part of the "lockdown" he has been up late at night finishing the plans and list. I told him to just order it and have it delivered from Lowe's or Home Depot. He said he need to look and feel his wood---all "Wood Whisper" kind of thing. Of course, to get wood here in the vehicles we currently have, my car is the logical choice. (yes, there have been pick up trucks -rental and to own googled in the last few days) 3 children's car seats would have be disengaged from the frame of the car and put into their storage bags. Guess who---see Harvey division of Labor for a hint. Two are easy, Lucy's typically stays in places as it take lots of wrestling and advance yoga moves to get it out. Two of three rows of seats down... I gave him a mask, disposable gloves--not for the wood but for the keypads to check out, duh, lysol and told him to be careful...cooties live on wood for x amount of time---and don't even ask about metal screws and knobs. Off he goes, no cell phone, no mask, no gloves---3 hour, 2 trips and 3 different stores, Eddie returns home and begins unpacking all of the wood. My neighbor's sewing room and long arm quilting machine overlook our driveway...she sends me a text asking what Eddie is building. I told her he was planting a toilet paper garden. Stay tuned...
Second Eddie moment. Are you aware that in an effort to give kids something to smile about Elementary teachers all over Texas are having car parades going by the neighborhood's of their school and students' homes? There have been several route posted on Nextdoor...even Waller ISD where Grace and Eli go to school are doing it, granted neighborhood is several miles, but kids are making posters honking horns and waving like crazies...typical day with the grandkids, just standing on county roads in traffic. There are also Neighborhood "Bear Hunts" around the Houston Metro area. It is based on a preschool/early primary book and song...Goin' on a Bear Hunt. Well, to support the hunt, you are to place a bear (or bears) in a window visible to the street and kids and parents can walk, drive, bike by and count the bears...look for your weekend on Facebook or NextDoor. I knew I had a bear--be it a 1987 Pink Care Bear--but while looking for it and possible other bears, I found my 60th birthday piñata (a 4 foot tall Karen Piñata). Well, long story short, I put the piñata and bear in the large foyer window...on Tuesday, on Wednesday I moved the dynamic duo to the dining room windows, today to the upper stairs bedroom. Actually, I was looking for the place to see it from the street without coming into the yard. Cooties can jump, i have been told. Eddie is lost in Wood World, so every time it appears in a new place, it scares him....kinda like "Boo" got you. Never gets old...gaslighting Eddie. May put it in the bed this weekend on my side. Who said "lockdown" doesn't have its laughable/teachable moments.
Hope this finds you all healthy...with lots of toilet paper.
Two Eddie moments, as I would not call them stories. Before Baby County Judge Hildago (we miss you, Ed Emmett) announced a stay at home order---she did not like the sound of the word "lockdown", Eddie had completed his shopping list for the furniture that will be part of his CoVid Collection...lots and lots of wood. Fearing that hardware and lumber yards would be part of the "lockdown" he has been up late at night finishing the plans and list. I told him to just order it and have it delivered from Lowe's or Home Depot. He said he need to look and feel his wood---all "Wood Whisper" kind of thing. Of course, to get wood here in the vehicles we currently have, my car is the logical choice. (yes, there have been pick up trucks -rental and to own googled in the last few days) 3 children's car seats would have be disengaged from the frame of the car and put into their storage bags. Guess who---see Harvey division of Labor for a hint. Two are easy, Lucy's typically stays in places as it take lots of wrestling and advance yoga moves to get it out. Two of three rows of seats down... I gave him a mask, disposable gloves--not for the wood but for the keypads to check out, duh, lysol and told him to be careful...cooties live on wood for x amount of time---and don't even ask about metal screws and knobs. Off he goes, no cell phone, no mask, no gloves---3 hour, 2 trips and 3 different stores, Eddie returns home and begins unpacking all of the wood. My neighbor's sewing room and long arm quilting machine overlook our driveway...she sends me a text asking what Eddie is building. I told her he was planting a toilet paper garden. Stay tuned...
Second Eddie moment. Are you aware that in an effort to give kids something to smile about Elementary teachers all over Texas are having car parades going by the neighborhood's of their school and students' homes? There have been several route posted on Nextdoor...even Waller ISD where Grace and Eli go to school are doing it, granted neighborhood is several miles, but kids are making posters honking horns and waving like crazies...typical day with the grandkids, just standing on county roads in traffic. There are also Neighborhood "Bear Hunts" around the Houston Metro area. It is based on a preschool/early primary book and song...Goin' on a Bear Hunt. Well, to support the hunt, you are to place a bear (or bears) in a window visible to the street and kids and parents can walk, drive, bike by and count the bears...look for your weekend on Facebook or NextDoor. I knew I had a bear--be it a 1987 Pink Care Bear--but while looking for it and possible other bears, I found my 60th birthday piñata (a 4 foot tall Karen Piñata). Well, long story short, I put the piñata and bear in the large foyer window...on Tuesday, on Wednesday I moved the dynamic duo to the dining room windows, today to the upper stairs bedroom. Actually, I was looking for the place to see it from the street without coming into the yard. Cooties can jump, i have been told. Eddie is lost in Wood World, so every time it appears in a new place, it scares him....kinda like "Boo" got you. Never gets old...gaslighting Eddie. May put it in the bed this weekend on my side. Who said "lockdown" doesn't have its laughable/teachable moments.
Hope this finds you all healthy...with lots of toilet paper.
Sunday, March 22, 2020
Corona Hoarding and the Quarantine 15
There are people in this world that eat to live, and those of us who live to eat. Big surprise that I am in the second catagory of people. I know you are shocked! The horror! Really, what gave me away? My Mom was a eat to live kind of gal-could never understand what all the excitement was about when you tasted something really good or different, going to a new restaurant, tickling the old taste buds. With the exception of chocolate and ice cream, she had few food vices...Me---I signed up for the Freshman 15 Program in College, the Post Pregancy 15-twice, the Menopause pooch 15 and those Holiday/Vacation 5vers. You know those, the 5 pounds that magically appear when you are on vacation or over the holidays, that you work on losing until the next holiday or vaca to remove...then repeat the cycle. I have eaten and lost several thin people in my 65 years. A couple of pause buttons happened in the last 7-8 years, cancer, and Harvey. The Cancer diet is not one I would like to repeat--it worked, scared the weight right off of me. The Harvey diet---20 pounds gone, with no exercise class, daily glasses of wine---a little less orthodox, but when you don't have a working kitchen and have to find a place to put things in an already crowded second floor, second floor steps that you climb 50 times a day, and manual labor to get your house back together, you learn to eat to live...and the weigh magically disappears. Well 2.5 years later, we are back downstairs with storage and a pandemic. Hmmm, guess I will pick up that extra bag of chips, snack food, chocolate and comfort food along with the toilet paper....just in case. So, I guess there will be a Corona Quarantine 15 in my future. I won't be alone. Did I mention that Eddie quit smoking on Feburary 12th? Can I tell you how many times he has attempt this? How many toes do I have? Hmm, need to borrow a couple of feet. But thanks to his cardiologist who was not impressed with Eddie's silver tongue excuses, he was scared straight...keep your fingers crossed that this sticks. Could not have been more timely as the CoVid19 seems to prey on those that smoke and have weak lungs. So, as we hunker down in our home, Eddie is climbing the walls, literally and figuratively. He is climbing the walls of my well stocked pantry...and bring out bowls of Dot's Pretzel. Discovered them while visiting sister Kathy...not your average $1 bag of pretzels-terribly addictive...with a $6 a bag price tag---we do have to ration them out...kinda like TP. Thanks, Kathy. All this brings me to what I did yesterday.
I have always been a little be of a hoarder, I mean, planner...not in the boxes and bags of stuff purchased that you don't use, or build mazes around in a home with kinda of horder, but thinking ahead, taking advantange of specials "planner". I am always on the look out for crafts, games, books to keep the grandkids busy when they visit. I call it "bottom feeding" at the clearance bins and Dollar Stores. I have always got a "bag of tricks” stashed at my house....hidden from plain sight, but ready if needed. Additionally, I always stock all the foods that they like (read: snack food, chocolate and strawberry milk, bag of donuts or two, ingredients to bake) and they were expected to be here over this weekend. So, my pantry was really full....adult and kid treats for weeks. This date was reserved in September when the Camp calendar was made for training in coming Counselors. Drew would be out of pocket from Friday until Sunday, so Lauren and the kids always come these weekends. Pickle World with heated pool, individual bedrooms, two extra set of hands and my "bag of tricks"...what is not to love. Camp is closed for the foreseeable future-so party of 5, yeah, we can accomodate you. Well, long story short...despite the fact that the kids have not been around other people for 14 days, Lauren has, and after consulting with numerous medical people in our wheel house, it was decided that there would be no visit---germs on little feet kind of thing. Kinda like the strep stuff when Lauren and George were small---one could be the carrier and not be sick and your whole house kept getting strep. Yeah, we have a merit badge of that one. I think they test everyone in the house now. What fun is that? So, on Friday, Lauren and I decided that I would gather the "bag of tricks" along with the 2 boxes of snack food to prevent the "spread" of our butts and waistlines and meet at a location halfway between Camp and our house...no kids, vinyl gloves, no touching. Yeah, doing our best to flatten the curve....medically and personally.
Lauren has been getting her food from curbside at HEB in College Station, lately. With lots of the A&M students gone, it is a pretty good place to get a time slot for an every 5-6 day food order....except HEB has adjusted their curbside selection to reflect our times...minimum selections...you can forget about fussing over this brand or that---organic or regular, gluten free, vegan friendly. HEB's own popularity has led to major empty shelves if you go inside, but Scott McClelland keeps explaining that they have gone to core selctions to simply the process...yeah, that is our new reality. However, those of us that "sleep" around-as in shop all the stores specials know that Kroger has been better stocked than HEB at the present time. Their online selection is broader, but you have to commit in a three day window...insider tip...Valley Ranch Kroger (and Walleyworld) has a good selection, and their times open up a little bit more than others. Lauren determined a rather new Kroger's along the 99 corridor, 8:00 AM Saturday morning would be our meeting place. Granted it was gray out, but the roads have never been so wide open. A trip that should have taken 40 minutes, was 24 minutes. When I arrived at the parking lot, with my gloves and ever so cute handmade mask, I waited for Lauren to complete her "in store" grocery run. She was gloved up and out of the store a little after 8:00. Since traffic was light, I was early. I sat in my car and observed. There were more men than women, no older people, no children, small or big, few cell phones for list (old fashion, disposable paper), gloves on everyone and lots of washing down the grocery cart with purcell wipes. As I sat in my car, I could not help feel a tad guilty for being out of my house. Always have been a rule follower, so this seem a little like "not coloring in the lines" for me. Was it my imagination, or was there a glare stare from those going back and forth---obviously my early morning look said "over 60-with pre-existing conditions"? With the road so clear, I came back via 45 and 1960-once again, few cars on the road...The airport runways visible from 1960 were empty. The Amazon warehouse, WalMart and other shipping facilities in that area were humming---The Indian Smoke Shop (yeah, as a former smoker, Eddie knows where that is) had a line around the building for the drive in window that extended on to 1960-Police were there to direct traffic at 8:30 in the morning! Most of the eateries were dark, with a 8x10 sign posted on the door. Could not read from my car, but we all know what they said. There is already lots of empty retail space along that 1960 corridor, when this is all over, I know there will be more.
So, I return home before Eddie was fully up...and ready for breakfast. I know that my trip out will provide hours of activites for the kids---a reminder that we love them...and hopefully, without the kids snacks, we can limit the Quarantine 15 to a 5ver. Will have to put "new bag of tricks" on my to-do list when this is over.
Be safe out there!
I have always been a little be of a hoarder, I mean, planner...not in the boxes and bags of stuff purchased that you don't use, or build mazes around in a home with kinda of horder, but thinking ahead, taking advantange of specials "planner". I am always on the look out for crafts, games, books to keep the grandkids busy when they visit. I call it "bottom feeding" at the clearance bins and Dollar Stores. I have always got a "bag of tricks” stashed at my house....hidden from plain sight, but ready if needed. Additionally, I always stock all the foods that they like (read: snack food, chocolate and strawberry milk, bag of donuts or two, ingredients to bake) and they were expected to be here over this weekend. So, my pantry was really full....adult and kid treats for weeks. This date was reserved in September when the Camp calendar was made for training in coming Counselors. Drew would be out of pocket from Friday until Sunday, so Lauren and the kids always come these weekends. Pickle World with heated pool, individual bedrooms, two extra set of hands and my "bag of tricks"...what is not to love. Camp is closed for the foreseeable future-so party of 5, yeah, we can accomodate you. Well, long story short...despite the fact that the kids have not been around other people for 14 days, Lauren has, and after consulting with numerous medical people in our wheel house, it was decided that there would be no visit---germs on little feet kind of thing. Kinda like the strep stuff when Lauren and George were small---one could be the carrier and not be sick and your whole house kept getting strep. Yeah, we have a merit badge of that one. I think they test everyone in the house now. What fun is that? So, on Friday, Lauren and I decided that I would gather the "bag of tricks" along with the 2 boxes of snack food to prevent the "spread" of our butts and waistlines and meet at a location halfway between Camp and our house...no kids, vinyl gloves, no touching. Yeah, doing our best to flatten the curve....medically and personally.
Lauren has been getting her food from curbside at HEB in College Station, lately. With lots of the A&M students gone, it is a pretty good place to get a time slot for an every 5-6 day food order....except HEB has adjusted their curbside selection to reflect our times...minimum selections...you can forget about fussing over this brand or that---organic or regular, gluten free, vegan friendly. HEB's own popularity has led to major empty shelves if you go inside, but Scott McClelland keeps explaining that they have gone to core selctions to simply the process...yeah, that is our new reality. However, those of us that "sleep" around-as in shop all the stores specials know that Kroger has been better stocked than HEB at the present time. Their online selection is broader, but you have to commit in a three day window...insider tip...Valley Ranch Kroger (and Walleyworld) has a good selection, and their times open up a little bit more than others. Lauren determined a rather new Kroger's along the 99 corridor, 8:00 AM Saturday morning would be our meeting place. Granted it was gray out, but the roads have never been so wide open. A trip that should have taken 40 minutes, was 24 minutes. When I arrived at the parking lot, with my gloves and ever so cute handmade mask, I waited for Lauren to complete her "in store" grocery run. She was gloved up and out of the store a little after 8:00. Since traffic was light, I was early. I sat in my car and observed. There were more men than women, no older people, no children, small or big, few cell phones for list (old fashion, disposable paper), gloves on everyone and lots of washing down the grocery cart with purcell wipes. As I sat in my car, I could not help feel a tad guilty for being out of my house. Always have been a rule follower, so this seem a little like "not coloring in the lines" for me. Was it my imagination, or was there a glare stare from those going back and forth---obviously my early morning look said "over 60-with pre-existing conditions"? With the road so clear, I came back via 45 and 1960-once again, few cars on the road...The airport runways visible from 1960 were empty. The Amazon warehouse, WalMart and other shipping facilities in that area were humming---The Indian Smoke Shop (yeah, as a former smoker, Eddie knows where that is) had a line around the building for the drive in window that extended on to 1960-Police were there to direct traffic at 8:30 in the morning! Most of the eateries were dark, with a 8x10 sign posted on the door. Could not read from my car, but we all know what they said. There is already lots of empty retail space along that 1960 corridor, when this is all over, I know there will be more.
So, I return home before Eddie was fully up...and ready for breakfast. I know that my trip out will provide hours of activites for the kids---a reminder that we love them...and hopefully, without the kids snacks, we can limit the Quarantine 15 to a 5ver. Will have to put "new bag of tricks" on my to-do list when this is over.
Be safe out there!
Friday, March 20, 2020
Twilight Zone-Corona Virus Version 2020
"There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call the Twilight Zone." Rod Sterling
Yup, that would were we are right now, and we have asked everyone to come along. Usually, when I am blogging, we are traveling. No, we did not have cruising plans for Spring. We pushed pause last spring, but are scheduled to be in Alaska in August-time and temperatures (bodily, not land) will tell. So, in that spirit, I am spending time writing. Add in the fact that we are practicing social distancing...like on the second floor, while Eddie stays on first..doing whatever he does, putter, make stockings, read, drawing plans for Lucy and Grace's new dress and nightstand and vanity he is going to build...he has to have a pass to come upstairs and invade my world. He wants to start practicing the piano and working on his spanish language software---both have not been touch since before Ike...No, I have enough unwanted noise in my own little head. Me, I have my diversions---I have made face masks---there will be no more sewing project for the foreseeable future...no Etsy store. Can sew, but don't love it. Read...heck, we have the Book Ark on the second floor.I have my genre, Eddie loves them all. Right now, murder is the word of the day. We do have the Dean Koontz book on the a similar pandemic out of China book written in the 1980's...not quite sure if I will dip my toe in that pool...little too close to home. Work on my Ancestry tree---will there be a "*" for those that catch the Covid19 Virus? Attempt to stay away from the News feed, etc. that is online. George has already called me out passing along bad information. Reminding me that during this time it is prudent to practice social media distancing...and if it is BS, say something. Sorry, to the 30 or so of you that received my "on good authority email" . We have never watched TV during the day, except on weekend--so, we aren't turning on to carpet bombing coverage of Coronavirus, CoVid 19, Trump, Trump, Trump....poor Bernie, he is barely a footnote these days...until 5:00. Lauren has put us in lock down, since we kept popping out for just one more little thing---Toilet paper comes to mind. We are not to leave the house except to pick of our standing Monday at 3:30 order--60 items only, no additions 3 days out, thanks for shopping HEB. I will be allowed to go to Target/CVS on Wednesday morning during Senior Hours (8:00-9:05-pharmacy does not open until 9:00) to pick up any medication orders. Decisions, Decisions. Bottom line I am getting antsy bored, and you simply can not organize and clean, take naps, or sit in a hot tub of Epson salts all day every day. So, here I am on the second floor which I might add is a relative safe distance from my hoarder stash of chocolate, but not the toilet paper that I have gathering. Priorities, priorities.
I think back over the years on the national or global humps/wars in the road...our parents were called the "Greatest Generation". It was those hardships, those sacrifices that made them more mindful of what they had and how fortunate we are to live in this country with the opportunites and freedoms we take for granted. That generation and those lessons are slowly fading...in all (yes, even us) of our collective memories. Perhaps this is a huge reset button for all of us. Time--- that our adult children complain that they never have enough of....poof, you got it. Use it wisely. Our grands that are plugged in for dawn until dusk...reconnect, even if it is just watching a movie together on TV. Bake cookies, make popcorn, play a game together. Understand the need for delayed gratification, saving rather than spending. We have all become "grasshoppers" instead of the ant(s)---please read this to your young children...fables have great lessons in them. Family, church and a strong old fashioned moral code, rather than peer or random social influencers, guiding our decisions. Face it, everyone one wants to sit at the popular kid's table. For those that are attempting to "homeschool" with or without technology, this a chance to realize the value and worth of a teacher...then pay them accordingly when this is over...at the very least, work with them in shaping your child and thank/respect them for the job they do. The lesson of Compassion...enough said, there are many that touch our lives that will not have a paycheck, perhaps a job in the coming weeks...what small thing can you do. Small things make a difference. While this is something that will go down in the history books, for sure, and not be deleted or minimumized in the future, I hope we will lean into it and help us all to be a "Better Generation", with new lessons seeded by the old.
I catch myself in the crazy days thinking about what my Mother would have said about this. Of course, there would have been "you know, this is all about our lax (non-existent, horrible---pick one, cause she used them all and many more) cleaning standards" and of course, her go to "this is casued by excess sugar in your diet". That being said, sister Kathy and I remember getting in trouble for not wearing shoes outside. Punished by a soaking in Clorox water and a harsh scrubbing with a stiff brush. There were no nail salons or pedicure places, so a foot and leg massage was not happening. After all, let's be honest, that is why we love to have our toes done these days. It was dyi, mom had a green handle paring knife and pumice stone in the tub so you could buff and cut your callous heel down. We did not paint our toe nails, only "bad girls" did that. Along with wearing a red dress on Friday. Good girls, simply did not do that. Yeah, Midwesterner "no-nonsense" transplanted Southern Lady...with a backbone of steel. Gosh, I miss talking to her about all of this her... 96 years of wisdom would have come in handy...and a little more reassuring than the daily news.
Next, when you did wear shoes outside, the soles were to be washed with a rag in the outdoor sink that had pine sol or Lysol liquid (in the brown bottle, full strength, no bouquet here---reminds me of a diaper pail), then left off when you were in the house...usually in the laundry room if you planned on going back out, if not, straight to the closet to be placed in a tidy row. Your purse, pocketbook, book bag, backpack, man purse or whatever item had been outside was never to be placed on any kitchen surface. Period. No excuses, I am sure it probably got a heavy dose of Lysol spray (gold can blue writing-very no nonsense marketing) when we were not looking. Hand washing was done only in the bathroom, never the kitchen sink. Heaven help you if use the dish rag/towel to dry your outdoor cootied hand on...because 20 seconds is not long enough, and you now have to scrub the kitchen sink, because your cooties are there. We washed our hands in the bathroom a lot back then. When we would come home from the grocery store, each can lid received a hot water/Lysol wipe down before it was put away. Fruits and vegetables were soaked and washed throughly before storing. Tell me you have not heard ot the "lettuce bug" that lived on the only kind of lettuce---iceberg---that we ever had. If you accidentially ingested it or it larva, it would eat your intestinal tract. Mom would make it out to be this 2 inch long bug, caterpillar like....I assumed I would see something in my bowl of salad, I did not need glasses then. So, we would carefully wash every leaf of lettuce as if our life depended on it. No swallowing watermelon seed (yeah, they had seeds back in the day), not swallowing gum, fingernails, or boogers---there were bad bodily malfunctions lurking in all those things that are not meant for consumption.
Well, now that I have made you rethink how you enter your house, my work for today is done. I guess it is time to wander downstairs and check on Eddie---in coming days, I am sure there will be Eddie stories. Meanwhile, I am filling my wash tub with Pinesol water and grabbing my rag for the bottom of my shoes---when I get to go outside. Until, stay healthy, remain positive, and pray for this to be over soon...and finally, laughter is absolutely the best medicine...do it daily.
Yup, that would were we are right now, and we have asked everyone to come along. Usually, when I am blogging, we are traveling. No, we did not have cruising plans for Spring. We pushed pause last spring, but are scheduled to be in Alaska in August-time and temperatures (bodily, not land) will tell. So, in that spirit, I am spending time writing. Add in the fact that we are practicing social distancing...like on the second floor, while Eddie stays on first..doing whatever he does, putter, make stockings, read, drawing plans for Lucy and Grace's new dress and nightstand and vanity he is going to build...he has to have a pass to come upstairs and invade my world. He wants to start practicing the piano and working on his spanish language software---both have not been touch since before Ike...No, I have enough unwanted noise in my own little head. Me, I have my diversions---I have made face masks---there will be no more sewing project for the foreseeable future...no Etsy store. Can sew, but don't love it. Read...heck, we have the Book Ark on the second floor.I have my genre, Eddie loves them all. Right now, murder is the word of the day. We do have the Dean Koontz book on the a similar pandemic out of China book written in the 1980's...not quite sure if I will dip my toe in that pool...little too close to home. Work on my Ancestry tree---will there be a "*" for those that catch the Covid19 Virus? Attempt to stay away from the News feed, etc. that is online. George has already called me out passing along bad information. Reminding me that during this time it is prudent to practice social media distancing...and if it is BS, say something. Sorry, to the 30 or so of you that received my "on good authority email" . We have never watched TV during the day, except on weekend--so, we aren't turning on to carpet bombing coverage of Coronavirus, CoVid 19, Trump, Trump, Trump....poor Bernie, he is barely a footnote these days...until 5:00. Lauren has put us in lock down, since we kept popping out for just one more little thing---Toilet paper comes to mind. We are not to leave the house except to pick of our standing Monday at 3:30 order--60 items only, no additions 3 days out, thanks for shopping HEB. I will be allowed to go to Target/CVS on Wednesday morning during Senior Hours (8:00-9:05-pharmacy does not open until 9:00) to pick up any medication orders. Decisions, Decisions. Bottom line I am getting antsy bored, and you simply can not organize and clean, take naps, or sit in a hot tub of Epson salts all day every day. So, here I am on the second floor which I might add is a relative safe distance from my hoarder stash of chocolate, but not the toilet paper that I have gathering. Priorities, priorities.
I think back over the years on the national or global humps/wars in the road...our parents were called the "Greatest Generation". It was those hardships, those sacrifices that made them more mindful of what they had and how fortunate we are to live in this country with the opportunites and freedoms we take for granted. That generation and those lessons are slowly fading...in all (yes, even us) of our collective memories. Perhaps this is a huge reset button for all of us. Time--- that our adult children complain that they never have enough of....poof, you got it. Use it wisely. Our grands that are plugged in for dawn until dusk...reconnect, even if it is just watching a movie together on TV. Bake cookies, make popcorn, play a game together. Understand the need for delayed gratification, saving rather than spending. We have all become "grasshoppers" instead of the ant(s)---please read this to your young children...fables have great lessons in them. Family, church and a strong old fashioned moral code, rather than peer or random social influencers, guiding our decisions. Face it, everyone one wants to sit at the popular kid's table. For those that are attempting to "homeschool" with or without technology, this a chance to realize the value and worth of a teacher...then pay them accordingly when this is over...at the very least, work with them in shaping your child and thank/respect them for the job they do. The lesson of Compassion...enough said, there are many that touch our lives that will not have a paycheck, perhaps a job in the coming weeks...what small thing can you do. Small things make a difference. While this is something that will go down in the history books, for sure, and not be deleted or minimumized in the future, I hope we will lean into it and help us all to be a "Better Generation", with new lessons seeded by the old.
I catch myself in the crazy days thinking about what my Mother would have said about this. Of course, there would have been "you know, this is all about our lax (non-existent, horrible---pick one, cause she used them all and many more) cleaning standards" and of course, her go to "this is casued by excess sugar in your diet". That being said, sister Kathy and I remember getting in trouble for not wearing shoes outside. Punished by a soaking in Clorox water and a harsh scrubbing with a stiff brush. There were no nail salons or pedicure places, so a foot and leg massage was not happening. After all, let's be honest, that is why we love to have our toes done these days. It was dyi, mom had a green handle paring knife and pumice stone in the tub so you could buff and cut your callous heel down. We did not paint our toe nails, only "bad girls" did that. Along with wearing a red dress on Friday. Good girls, simply did not do that. Yeah, Midwesterner "no-nonsense" transplanted Southern Lady...with a backbone of steel. Gosh, I miss talking to her about all of this her... 96 years of wisdom would have come in handy...and a little more reassuring than the daily news.
Next, when you did wear shoes outside, the soles were to be washed with a rag in the outdoor sink that had pine sol or Lysol liquid (in the brown bottle, full strength, no bouquet here---reminds me of a diaper pail), then left off when you were in the house...usually in the laundry room if you planned on going back out, if not, straight to the closet to be placed in a tidy row. Your purse, pocketbook, book bag, backpack, man purse or whatever item had been outside was never to be placed on any kitchen surface. Period. No excuses, I am sure it probably got a heavy dose of Lysol spray (gold can blue writing-very no nonsense marketing) when we were not looking. Hand washing was done only in the bathroom, never the kitchen sink. Heaven help you if use the dish rag/towel to dry your outdoor cootied hand on...because 20 seconds is not long enough, and you now have to scrub the kitchen sink, because your cooties are there. We washed our hands in the bathroom a lot back then. When we would come home from the grocery store, each can lid received a hot water/Lysol wipe down before it was put away. Fruits and vegetables were soaked and washed throughly before storing. Tell me you have not heard ot the "lettuce bug" that lived on the only kind of lettuce---iceberg---that we ever had. If you accidentially ingested it or it larva, it would eat your intestinal tract. Mom would make it out to be this 2 inch long bug, caterpillar like....I assumed I would see something in my bowl of salad, I did not need glasses then. So, we would carefully wash every leaf of lettuce as if our life depended on it. No swallowing watermelon seed (yeah, they had seeds back in the day), not swallowing gum, fingernails, or boogers---there were bad bodily malfunctions lurking in all those things that are not meant for consumption.
Well, now that I have made you rethink how you enter your house, my work for today is done. I guess it is time to wander downstairs and check on Eddie---in coming days, I am sure there will be Eddie stories. Meanwhile, I am filling my wash tub with Pinesol water and grabbing my rag for the bottom of my shoes---when I get to go outside. Until, stay healthy, remain positive, and pray for this to be over soon...and finally, laughter is absolutely the best medicine...do it daily.
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