Treasures of the Pandemic.....

When you spend four weeks sheltering in place because of a global pandemic...that has in fact killed way too many people world wide, you learn some valuable life lessons.  This is only one of those lessons.  Before we are totally turned loose back to society I will cover some other lessons, but for tonight here we go!

DO NOT pass up a chance to buy descent toilet paper and disinfecting spray and wipes.  

On the subject of toilet paper, I have always hoarded that item.  I do have a real fear of not having enough TP on hand at all times.  My garage has no less than 36 rolls always.  I do however buy the good stuff...like Charmin (remember Mr. Whipple?).  In the American way, once this epidemic started everyone starting buying toilet paper in maniac amounts.  It was like a black Friday fight if you saw some on the shelves!  What was available on rare occasion was SCOTT.  I have never bought this before, but for fear of not having enough I purchased it when I saw it.  NEVER AGAIN!  It is seriously 1 ply paper.  The tissue that goes in gift bags would be better.  It is so thin and rough that in order to do the job you have to wrap it around your hand a minimum of one dozen times.  Even 7/11 has better paper in their restrooms than this.  Lesson learned.

Next let me say I have never been a germaphobe. My way of thinking was let my kids build up and immunity, which they did.  They were never sick.  They all had perfect attendance through 6 years of elementary school.  This has changed my mind.  I never bought Lysol spray or Clorox wipes.  I just cleaned everything with windex.  It has ammonia so that should do the job.  These are also unavailable items.  Folks on Ebay are selling Lysol for $150 a can!  I finally found some and I will not be without it again.  I now see the value.  There are germs we want to avoid and those germs are causing America to hibernate in an unimaginable way.  So I spray and wipe everything now and will continue to.  Lesson learned.

We will come out of this sooner rather than later I hope.  When we do life will be different.  I know what matters and I will look at cleanliness in a whole new way and I will keep a respectable among of cleaning agents on hand...and better toilet paper.

It's a Good Day.....

 Sometimes in the midst of the lows you find a high!

Every day is a roller coaster during these pandemic times, but when a car pulls up and your grandkids hop out on an amazingly beautiful day you have to find JOY!!!

And along with their smiling faces came handprinted signs and a dollar for a special treat!!

 The sun was shining and the temperatures were mid 70's.

I have managed to sneak into Lowes for a few flowers so that is also cause for happiness!

Sidewalk chalk has sustained us during these dreary times, and though it washes off about every third day.  So....we just redo!

It's been a happy day and for this I am so very grateful!

He Is Risen!.....

Easter Sunday and another mass celebrated in the shelter in place safety of my home.  This is becoming a situation that is nightmare like.  I am ever so grateful for the fact that if I cannot be there in church, I can participate.  Missing Easter mass would just be enough to throw me into severe depression so there is a positive in this.

Dinner was prepared with all the traditional foods just so it felt a bit okay.  It was us...just us and Drew, Heather, and Adeline at a distance....a six foot distance.  Thank heavens for beautiful weather because there is no coming inside when you are socially distanced.  

I cannot really express how I feel about this. It is what science fiction movies are made of.  Each day is long, and motivation to do anything is nonexistent. All these hours to dig into the things that have been on my to do list and I want to sit...period.  I think half the world feels like this.

On a positive note maybe tomorrow will be better.

Holy Saturday......

Today is Holy Saturday.  

The church is empty, just as everything was empty 2000 years ago.

Jesus was gone. 

 The apostles were frightened. 

 He said he would be back, but he was dead, buried, and they feared they would not see him again.  

The apostles were huddled together, quarantined, having no idea what was next.

That is how we are today.  It is rainy, dark, and dreary.  We wait patiently.  Easter is tomorrow.  We will worship with the bishop tomorrow from our living room.  We are thankful for technology so we can indeed share the joy of our Risen Savior.  

We will see the light again.  Jesus will not forsake us. Families will be reunited and life will go back to some new sort of normal.  Until then there is much to be thankful for and that is what we will focus on as we wait.....
Lord, be gracious to us;
we long for you.
Be our strength every morning,
our salvation in time of distress.
  Isaiah 33:2

Mask Production and Other Things......

 Social distancing is not all that is required anymore.  Now we are required to wear a mask if we are venturing outside.  That would not be a problem but with our outbreak extending worldwide, masks are just not to be found anywhere.

What to do about that...get out the sewing machine and get to work.

It took about five prototypes to get it right.  This was not so easy.  Now we all have a face covering.

So honestly.....wearing this is not a problem.  People are more apt to stare at you if you appear without one that if you are with one.

 A beautiful sight is our  flag that is flying in front of our house.  Seeing it daily says that soon things will be normal again.  America will venture outside without a mask.  We will gather at church and hug our neighbor.  We will grocery shop and not worry about a toilet aper shortage.

We will be normal.

 With no Easter service this year except online my front door tells all that we are still a domestic church.  We worship within our walls.  God is still alive and well in our family.

And finally...my flowers are blooming.  

Life goes on.

When we are practicing shelter in place having a backyard that is full of life is a good thing.  It breaks the monotony of jigsaw puzzles, painting, baking and TV binging.

Thank God for spring blooms!

An Update......

So here we are again...another day, another 24 hours in isolation.

To be truthful, I am not going crazy yet.  In fact, my days are really going by fast.  We are here making the most of every minute.  We have finished what is probably our 5th puzzle, we paint daily from a great online web site, and wow, as we checked our email we see that we are now limited to one day a week trash pick up with no recycling.  So milk jugs, ketchup bottles and beer cans go in the trash.  Apparently there are a shortage of workers to do these jobs.  I do not blame them. Touching all those plastic bags with potential germs on them would make me want to stay home too.  

It is a strange time.  No, it is a historic time.  The world is shut down and we do not know when we will get past this.  

It is a daily change in protocol and so as long as we have amble food and toilet paper we will remain grateful.  We are not ill and that is a blessing.

Palm Sunday.....

Palm Sunday, the beginning of the Holiest Week of our Liturgical Year.  

It is the week I look forward to months in advance.  

We watched the service from the cathedral with Bishop Burns and Bishop Kelly.

The homily spoke volumes.  Bishop Kelly spoke with emotion that brought me to tears as he spoke to an empty cathedral that would normally be standing room only.

Jesus...our anchor, our rudder, our hope...always.

This week I will look at what I can put aside and how I can refocus without the normal church community I normally celebrate with.  God has a plan.  He entered the tomb and rose glorious three days later.  We will rise and we will be different.  We will find ourselves grateful for the lessons learned during this strange and unfathomable time.

Hold on to hope.

Missing These People!!

This is awful....it is sad.  I understand the quarantine 

 but I am missing my family so much.  I want hugs and kisses and I want to watch them ride their bikes and play volleyball.

We have food, we have all the supplies we need but what you realize is the material things do not matter so much.  It is your family, friends, church family and those that you are used to surrounding yourselves with that make your life what it is.

This will end, though the end is not anywhere in sight.  When it is over we will look at things differently and that is not a bad thing.  

Maybe God thinks we all need to press the reset button.

Life Today....

Just so I NEVER forget..... April 2,2020

Gas prices at Bucee’s was $1.37
School cancelled - At-Home Learning
Self-distancing measures on the rise.
Tape on the floors at grocery stores and others to help distance shoppers (6ft) from each other.
Limited number of people inside stores, therefore, lineups outside the store doors.
Non-essential stores and businesses mandated closed.
Parks, trails, entire cities locked up.
Entire sports seasons cancelled.
Concerts, tours, festivals, entertainment events - cancelled.
Weddings, family celebrations, holiday gatherings - cancelled.
No masses, churches are closed.
No gatherings of 50 or more, then 20 or more, now 10 or more.
Don't socialize with anyone outside of your home.
Children's outdoor play parks are closed.
We are to distance from each other.
Shortage of masks, gowns, gloves for our front-line workers.
Shortage of ventilators for the critically ill.
Panic buying sets in and we have no toilet paper, no disinfecting supplies, no paper towel no laundry soap, no hand sanitizer.
Shelves are bare.
Manufacturers, distilleries and other businesses switch their lines to help make visors, masks, hand sanitizer and PPE.
Government closes the border to all non-essential travel.
Fines are established for breaking the rules.
Stadiums and recreation facilities open up for the overflow of Covid-19 patients.
Press conferences daily from the President and the governess. Daily updates on new cases, recoveries, and deaths.
Government incentives to stay home.
Barely anyone on the roads.
People wearing masks and gloves outside.
Essential service workers are terrified to go to work.
Medical field workers are afraid to go home to their families.

This is the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic, declared March 11th, 2020.

Why, you ask, do I write this status?

One day it will show up in my memory feed, and it will be a yearly reminder that life is precious and not to take the things we dearly love for granted.

We have so much!
Be thankful. Be grateful.
Be kind to each other - love one another - support everyone.

We are all one! 

Daily News....

This is an outbreak like no other.  It is world wide and moving like wildfire.  There is no news unless it is related to the virus plaguing the world.

The Pope, in a beautifully touching hour long service gave a plenary indulgence for all that viewed the service live.  The Pope looked tired and frail as he led the faithful through this beautiful hour.

We are all hurting.  It is Lent, my favorite part of the Liturgical year.  Holy Week is coming up.  Every day of the week brings special meaning to my life as we walk the path that Christ did during that last agonizing week.  I have been there.  I have walked the roads that our Lord did.  The week holds special meaning when you have been to the Holy Land.  I can live those moments but unless I have a totally different mindset next week, it will not be the same.  

God has something glorious waiting at the end of this, I know it.  I just need to be prayerful and patient.

And so another day ends with the knowledge that tomorrow will be much of the same...rain and social distancing.  We will survive.

How Do We face This Quarentine?

A Beautifully Burdened Life by Jenny Albers

March 15 at 7:52 PM · 

Society: What about my plans?!

God: My plans for you are always better than your own. Don't worry. I'm going to work this all out for your good.

Society: We're not going to get anything done!

God: That's the point. You know how you keep spinning your wheels—always working, moving, doing—but never feeling satisfied? I've given you permission to stop. I've cleared your calendars for you! Your worth isn't tied to busyness or accomplishment. All you have to do is take care of each other.

Society: What does this all mean?

God: It means I'm in control. It means you are human and I am God. It means I've given you a wonderful opportunity to be the light in a dark world. It means you are going to learn to rely on me.

Society: What are we supposed to do when we can't leave our homes?

God: Rest. You are always so busy and overwhelmed, crying out to me weary and exhausted. Can't you use a break from your fast-paced and over-scheduled lives? Go ahead and rest. Pray. Love your families. Be still and spend time with me.

Society: You mean we're supposed to stay home with our kids all day, every day?

God: Yes. And you're going to be just fine. This time together is a rare gift. The rush of daily life has come to a halt. Play games. Bake cookies. Work on projects you've never had the time for. Teach them kindness and grace. Show them how to endure difficult circumstances and steer them toward me.

Society: We better start hoarding anything we can get our hands on!

God: Prevention, yes. Precaution, yes. Preparedness, yes. But after that, it's time to put the needs of others before your own. When you see someone in need, help them. Offer up what you have. Do not worry about tomorrow! Haven't I always taken care of you? Now, go take care of someone else.

Society: Why is this happening?

God: To remind you that I'm in control. To bring your attention back to me. I'm bringing you together as families and neighbors. I'm showing you patience and perseverance. I'm reminding you of your purpose and priorities. Now is the time to learn and teach your children what this life is really about.

Society: We don't know who to believe.

God: Believe in me. Trust me. Ask me for wisdom and I will surely give it.

Society: We're scared!

God: I've got this and I'm with you.
.
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Decade's End.......

Such truth.

I leave this year with these thoughts.

I remember ringing in 2000...good old Y2K!
Now we are moving on to 2020 and I am not sure where the last twenty years have gone.
If I simply focus on this last year I know it has been good.  I am happy. I spend my days doing mostly what I like.  I am not fancy.  I am happy with simple.  I realized that tonight as I finished this year at mass in the company of people I love...yes, my church family.  An altar with the lights of Christmas still shining, a choir filling the church with music that still brought thoughts of Christ's birth, and familiar faces in worship as we welcome in this year.  It was the way the year should end.
I am hopeful.  I know this next year will be as good as last.
My resolutions...simple....

Use the gifts God has given me wisely
Be grateful always
Be healthier, my body matters
Facebook less, be more present to others and myself
Patience!
Appreciate the ordinary
Declutter so my family won't have to do it when I'm gone
Just love

Just things that you should do everyday.
Goodbye 2019!

Years End......

It is almost then end of another decade.  Yes, it is almost 2020.  In years past I have loved blogging.  It is a record of my life in words and pictures.  It matters to me.

I quit and now I am sad and determined to restart.  Not in some creative and clever way but just in facts and thoughts.  

We wrapped up this year with a fun Christmas.  We created lots of memories through experiences.  

This next year it is my goal to record these experiences. 

I will be accountable.  It may only be once a week but I am going to leave my thoughts for whoever cares when I am no longer here.

Just love this family!!

Sacred Space......

This is my space.....like selfishly my own space.

It is not designer perfect by any means but I do not care.  

 This was the draw when we bought the house...this crazy, built by the original owner corner desk.  I loved that I could put my sewing machine on the desk and drag out all my fabrics without moving it off the kitchen table.

 After twelve years of coffee spills, worn spots, and needles stuck in the carpet, the carpet came up and wood went down.

 An old recliner went to Goodwill and and my chocolate brown marshmallow feeling recliner took its place.

 And on the shelves are all of my favorite things.  Family pictures, quotes that speak to me, quilt books, photography manuals, and sacred pictures painted by a special friend. 

   In here is everything I love and when I drink my morning coffee in my favorite chair I am in my happy space surrounded by "my stuff".

It is peace, tranquility, and warm fuzzy feelings because it is MY space.

Favorite Things.....

Not jewelry, not fancy cars, not designer clothes...though these things are nice.  My favorite things are empty journals, motivational books, and coffee cups.  The coffee cups that start my day off with a quote that can stay with me throughout the day.  

 I love waking up in the morning now that I can start the day without an alarm...retirement is perfect!

A cup of coffee and time in my favorite space (more on that later). 

I love to write.  I don't have an agenda but journaling my thoughts has always been a thing for me.  

So give me 30 minutes, sometimes more, to sip on coffee, read something uplifting and motivational, and then journal whatever is on my mind.  Just my thoughts for the day.  It is pen to paper and no one has to read it or like why I have to say.  It is for me.

I am always on the lookout for something to read, a pretty journal to write in and a coffee cup that inspires me....

Today "Scatter Joy"