A Quieter Week...

Monday, May 25, 2020
This was Memorial Day. The Marx family came for lunch. This was their first time in our home since Christmas. We have been to visit them a few times but they have not ventured this far. Governor Beshear opened up visits to no more than 10 people. So we took advantage of this opportunity. Claude would grill barbecued chicken. He had deviled eggs, Caesar salad, rolls, and potato salad to go with it. The Marx family brought dessert. Andie and Bailey made peanut butter cup cookies. Yum! Hayden and Andie also made breakfast burritos with a special dip and brought us some of these to enjoy through this week. Again, Yum!! I had sorted through all my crafting things and put several containers of things on the table in the family room downstairs. Andie, Hayden and Bailey went through it to see if they wanted any of it. They took it all!! Andie thinks the art teacher at school can use what they don't keep. There will a lot of cuts in funds with the financial setback from Covid-19. So these things may be really useful. That is great! It was a good visit and so nice to have family in our home. No hugs. We were going to use the patio downstairs under the shade of the deck above. However, it was miserably hot and humid so we opted for inside. We tried to stay spread out and be responsible. I had cleaned and designated the guest bathroom as theirs to use. We were all actually very well behaved in a social distancing sense. 

I received a link from Howard Carter for the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain. We listened to them as a family. Here is a link. https://www.ukuleleorchestra.com/ It was really fun to listen to them play together. They are very relaxed and have a great time. 

Michael shared this link with us also and we all enjoyed it and I sent it to Howard for the Carter family to enjoy. It is the Octopus Jig Tipperary style. If the link doesn't work, just go to YouTube and search for the Octopus Jig Tipperary. Two girls playing a banjo and fiddle, then a flute is added to the mix. The things is they are each playing a part of one of the instruments. It is amazing. https://youtu.be/bj5zgZsxNDO 

Before the Marx family left, we called Jake and included him in our nonsense. It was fun to have a little family time and I am grateful for that opportunity. 

I received this neat picture from my cousin, Hershel Culpepper. Hershel's mother, Vera, and my father, Vernon are brother and sister. Hershel was doing some family history research and found this document. It is a registration card for Carl Edward Lawrence, our grandfather. The thing Hershel wanted me to see is that he registered as having light red hair. Our Uncle Harold (another brother) had red hair. This would be where it came from. The thing I was also blown away with is the penmanship used on this document. Amazing.

I settled in after the Marx family left to finish the my Afghan of Many Colors. It really turned out nice. I am very happy with it. It is large enough to cover Claude completely if he napped under it. I still have yarn left over and I will make a second afghan with that yarn. In addition I have baby yarn and will make baby afghans out of it. Cleaning out feels great. But you sometimes have to be patient to get things done to empty out storage.

Tuesday, May 26, 2020
The subject of death has been very present with us lately. A friend from Church let us know her father passed away. Another friend's son died suddenly. He was only 23 years old. We also had confirmation that Julie, Cordell's wife (Cordell is Claude's brother), is terminal. She has pancreatic cancer. Joann, Claude's sister, posted this meme about death that was simply beautiful.

When I learned of Zachary's death, I notified Dusty that Claude and I would really love to help in any way they needed it. I volunteered to play the piano or organ, as needed, for the funeral. This is another area of our lives that has been strictly limited due to Covid-19. It turned out they could not use the Church building yet so the visitation and funeral would be held at Tucker, Yocum, & Wilson Funeral Home in Georgetown, Kentucky. They asked me to play the prelude and postlude music. The opening and closing numbers were to be done by playing a CD as choirs are not allowed. Then one special musical number was sung by Christina Holt and accompanied by Nicole Charles. I went Tuesday at noon to practice the electric piano. Then I went back at 4pm with Claude for the visitation. 

Before going to practice their electric piano I dropped off treats for Papa, donated a car full of things to Goodwill, treated myself to a biscuit and soda from Bojangles, and delivered a baby gift to the Hale home. May I just say that for someone who has been pretty much shut off from normal life, this was a whirlwind of a morning and then afternoon. Back to getting lots of things done outside our home. Reality was a little jarring!

Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Zachary's funeral was held at 2pm this day. I spent my morning with Claude on his laptop searching for lights for the outside of our home. We have determined it is time to replace these lights as they are rusting. We searched Lowe's website to find what we wanted and both agreed was a good fit for our home. The first picture is what we currently have. The second picture is what we would purchase at Lowe's after attending the funeral. They had more in stock than we needed so we got the six we needed and are very happy. 

Claude and I also requested our absentee ballots on line for the primary election. With this virus, another thing to be careful of is the voting booth process. In an effort to not spread the virus, they will only have one actual polling place in each county or maybe area of the state. Part of this is that the people who usually man the polling locations are in the age which is particularly difficult if you get the virus. They don't want to expose them to the virus. So this election they will offer and are strongly suggesting that everyone vote with an absentee ballot. While this is not a process I would normally think is correct, I absolutely agree with it in these circumstances. But you must request a ballot, then they check to be sure you are a registered voter and everything is on the up and up. The state then mails you a ballot and you return it via mail or drop box at the County Clerk's office. We have now requested our ballots. We have gone to the County Clerk's office to vote absentee before when we were going to be on a trip on the actual election day. 

Claude went with me to the funeral. The electric piano is in a side room of the funeral home. Claude sat in that room with me during the prelude and postlude. Then we sat on the sofa in the lobby during the other parts of the service. The opening hymn was a recording of the Tabernacle Choir on Temple Square singing "Abide with Me; 'Tis Eventide". This is such a beautiful hymn and speaks of the Savior staying near us as we commune (pray) with Him. His words fill our souls and provide light to our lives. This was a great hymn for this service. One of the speakers was Eddie Bolton. He shared the experience of his family immigrating from Ireland to the United States. He shared that when they left Ireland they were surround by lots and lots of family, hugging, tears, knowing and feeling their love as they left. Then they crossed the ocean in the huge airplane and landed in the United States. When they arrived there was again family who had already come to the United States in the airport with posters and balloons and tears of joy welcoming them to their new home. Eddie explained this is what death is like. You leave family that you will see again and you greet family who has gone before. I loved this mental picture of death and that it is a part of the great eternal Plan of Happiness. Eddie also spoke to Zachary dying at age 23 and leaving behind and wife and three little kids. Eddie said we are each given an allotted amount of time on this earth. It may be a long time but it may also be a short time, like Zachary. At the end of the day, it is enough time in Heavenly Father's plan. I again was deeply touched by the repeating of the phrase "in the end it is enough time" no matter how long or short it is. 

After the service Claude and I went to Lowe's and purchased the lights. Only one person from each family is allowed in the store. I sat in the car and turned the volume back on my cell phone. I realized I had missed a call from Julie during the funeral. I called her back. On Julie's bucket list is a trip to Kentucky to see the Ark Encounter. They have dear friends they have wanted to take this trip with for years. These friends want to help Cordell and Julie make this trip before Julie passes. Cordell had communicated this with Claude and Claude had assured Cordell it would be great to have them all come for a visit. Julie got to thinking and remembered that we were going to have a family reunion the beginning of June and didn't want to interfere with that. I was able to assure her that we had cancelled the family reunion with this corona virus and all the restrictions in the states we would come from and be in. So they should surely come whenever they can for this visit and checking off her bucket list. We had a sweet conversation. I shared with her the thought from Eddie about the time being enough and what peace that gave me. She said it also spoke to her. I love this Lady and her hubby. I hope it all works for them to be able to come. We will welcome them with open arms for a great visit. 

We finished our outing with a visit to Jimmy John's for something to eat. Then I would spend the evening working on the granny squares from the baby yarn I have left over.

Thursday, May 28, 2020
Spent my day crocheting granny squares from baby yarn.

Friday, May 29, 2020
Spent my day crocheting granny squares from baby yarn.

Saturday, May 30, 2020
Finally, the rain is gone. This was an absolutely gorgeous day. The forecast was for no rain and a high in the low 70's. This was an outside kind of day for sure. I got up and was outside in my grubby gardening clothes at 9am. Claude would join me. My goal was to weed all the flower beds along the north edge of our property where we have made water breaks and put plants in them. Claude's goal was to trim the bushes and trees and do a bit of edging. His edger quit on him after he mowed the grass during the week so he wanted to finish up that job. We paused once about noon for a break on the front porch with liquid refreshment. Then back to our tasks finishing about 1pm. After 4 hours, we were so tuckered out it was pathetic. 

I did take this picture of our front flower beds by the house. The peonies are in bloom and the lilac bushes at the far end are also in bloom. The signs Claude has repainted for the door, hanging birdhouse and sign in the flower bed are bright and colorful.

Oh, as I was coming back up the hill from weeding, I decided to get off the grass and onto the sidewalk along the side of the house. This was right at the spot where Claude has stacked the extra bricks we own. My shoe slipped and I fell forward toward the bricks. Terror struck my heart. I am to get the impressions made for my implant bridge tomorrow. I could see me hitting my face again and damaging all that work. I did hit my cheek a bit but not my mouth...thank heavens. 

We showered and then headed to Wendy's for something to eat. We both chuckled at this date. Thru the drive-thru for dinner. Parked under the tree by the back parking lot to eat. Drove through the drive-thru for Frosty's for dessert. Parked under the tree by back parking lot to eat. Then home. Such is the nature of a date during Covid-19. Thank heavens for that tree by the back parking lot providing shade in which to sit in one's car and enjoy one's meal.

We got this picture of the Roper family in their new back yard. So very happy they have a yard they can actually get out in with the girls and play. 

And, tah-dah, I finished one baby afghan. On to the next one. 

Sunday, May 31, 2020
We spent our morning doing reading in our scriptures, listening to Darin Griffith teach about that particular block of scripture, listening to the Zoom Worship Service with our ward, and partaking of the sacrament. A lovely sabbath morning. 

I found this ad for a t-shirt and am just sure I need to purchase eight of them. One for each of the grand and great-grandmonsters. What do you think?

So Covid-19 still directs our ability to get out and about. But things are beginning to open back up with big restrictions. There is a calendar of when it is anticipated things will open. But if we have a resurgence of the illness, we could have to tighten the rules again. The good thing about being retired is it is much easier for us to give in to being quarantined. 

The bad thing that has happened this week and is overshadowing a lot of the talk about the corona virus is the question of race. A black man was taken into custody by police in Minnesota. The officer held him to the ground with his knee on the man's neck. The man was pleading to be let up as he couldn't breath. The office did not let him up and the man died. This is just not good on any level. The officer is now charged with murder. The country is in a huge uproar about racial inequality and particularly police brutality. There are demonstrations that start peaceful enough and are to be our right as citizens. Then they turn into riots with burning of buildings and vehicles and looting of stores, smashing windows and so on. This is happening in cities all over the United States. One young black girl who was an emergency responder was killed in her home in Louisville. I heard on the news that the police came and her boy friend fired at them first and then they responded with fire and she was killed in the fire. The demonstrators in Louisville were demonstrating for her life and again it turned into a riot. The girl's family is pleading for the rioting and destruction to stop. Police stations have been set on fire. Claude read this morning that in Minneapolis, the people who were arrested were all from out of state. They came in just to stir up the hatred, not to peacefully protest. This is all just awful. Simply awful. I am happy to live in the country for now and not in the city. We are in a dark place in the country. A very dark place.