Monday, May 4, 2002
This day started with the first doctor's appointment in months. The plan is to gradually lift restrictions. The first of these is some medical appointments. IF your doctor can provide their own supply of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and meet other strict criteria set by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) they may start to see patients again. Our dermatologist was ready to see regular patients and it was Claude's turn to have his check up. I rode into the appointment with him.
Doctor's cannot have patients sitting in their waiting rooms. So we pulled up in the bright green Jeep and parked out front. Claude called in and told them he was out front in the bright green Jeep. I must say that bright green color is a blessing in this age of curb side service. No trouble finding us in a crowd. The receptionist told him to have his insurance card ready and she would bring out the paperwork for him to complete. She came out with a clip board and gave it to Claude and took his insurance card. She returned inside. When the doctor was ready, she called Claude on his cell phone and told him to come in. He went in and directly to the examining room. And this is how a doctor's visit will be handled during this time.
The cool part for me was finding a rock ledge covered in honeysuckle. I hopped out of the Jeep and, with my trusty cell phone in hand, took several pictures of that beautiful honeysuckle.
"It's a honeysuckle kind of morning. Waiting for Claude's appointment, I noticed a beautiful rock face laden with honeysuckle. Growing up in Louisiana, there was a big hedge between our driveway and the neighbor, Buddy Seaton, and it too was laden with honeysuckle. As kids we would take a flower, pinch off the base and enjoy tasting the nectar. In our motorcycling days I loved driving by honeysuckle and enjoying that sweet fragrance. Here are some pictures of the lovely honeysuckle I enjoyed this morning. Yes, I did taste that nectar and also taught Claude Christensen about the nectar. Good start to this day."
While Claude was in the doctor's office, I called the Berlin Resort and cancelled our June family vacation to celebrate out 50 years of marriage. We were really looking forward to this time as a family. Plotted it and planned it for over a year. Didn't really want anything else for a celebration of 50 years but this time with our family. Well, we wanted a couple of trips together. We were able to make the quick trip to Tombstone, Arizona in February before all the madness began. We will probably not get the big drive around the country we wanted to do this fall. But we didn't want any party or that kind of thing. Just time with family. I must admit that in some ways the virus has caused us to conscientiously try to keep in touch with each other. Claude challenged us to do that at the beginning and we have all tried to keep up with each other in a more determined fashion. This was a hard one to cancel though but we both felt it was time. We talked with our children and got their opinions also before canceling. Sometime in the future we will make this happen.
A friend sent me a YouTube link about the SpaceX Starlink Satellites. They form a train of white dots in the sky and have caused some to wonder if we are being invaded from space. Not so. Jake says they do have a life span and will eventually drop out of orbit and into the earth's atmosphere where they will burn up before hitting the earth. Absolutely amazing!
Meme for this day will only make lots of sense if you are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
My sweet friend, Laura, shared this picture with me. Years ago I was the Stake Relief Society President. Laura was one of my counselors. This is our presidency singing a song at our Relief Society Retreat. (Lisa Adams, Laura Carter, Barbara Mason and Sandi Christensen) These ladies I will always treasure. They were there for me and became such dear friends. Forever grateful that Heavenly Father brought us together at that point and time in each of our lives.
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
Back to being productive. This day was cleaning out more of the house. I headed to the basement storage area. I had two shelves of glass jars for canning. I really don't need nor will I use all those jars. I posted on Facebook to see if anyone wanted any of them through the Church Facebook pages. The first three people to comment are who I would split the extras with. I pared what I kept down to a dozen quart, a dozen wide mouthed pints and a dozen regular pints. I kept all the canning pots and equipment. Some of this was my mothers so it holds a special part of my heart. I am now down to one shelf of canning things.
Then I went to the shelves that I had saved 3-ringed binders. I had a couple of those shelves. Sure didn't need all of that. However, our daughter, Andie, is a school teacher and she might could use some of them. I took them all off the shelves and sorted them into three kinds. The first had the plastic outside that you can put a picture into the cover, the second is had a plastic slot on the back for a label card to go into, the third didn't have any of this and would definitely go to Goodwill. After sorting them, I made a list of the kind that Andie wanted and she told me which she would keep. I put those in a box for her. Saved three of the ones I wanted and Claude took a couple he wanted for his recipes. The rest are in a big box to take to Goodwill when it reopens. It feel really good to get those shelves cleared. We will not fill them up again. We'll just have that part done in preparation for an eventual move.
Now the interesting thing that happened had to do with a big plastic tub I used to sort the binders in. When I finished cleaning out the tub of binders, I noticed a Styrofoam peanut like you use for packing things in the bottom of the tub. I reached in to take that out of the tub to put in a trash can. I noticed something along the edge at the bottom of the tub. You see, I used this tub throughout the year to save Christmas presents that are wrapped and labeled for the next Christmas. I keep a grid of what presents I have purchased throughout the year. On Christmas Eve I empty the tub and put the presents under the Christmas tree. It seems there was a present in the bottom of the tub that didn't make it under the Christmas tree. It was a gift card for Bailey. Oops!!
I took this picture and sent it to Bailey with an apology for her not getting it at Christmas. I was to see her on Friday so I saved it to give to her then. That didn't happen so I put it in the mail Saturday morning. Oh me, oh my!!
Todd Tyler, our son-in-law, posted these pictures on Facebook. He and our daughter, Nissa have been on the Keto diet for some time now. Todd has dropped 70 pounds and 3 pant sizes. Nissa has dropped 60 pounds and 4 pants sizes. So proud of them for picking a plan and sticking with it.
Thursday, May 7, 2020
This day I finished my puzzle. Andie and the kids gave Michael a soccer puzzle for Christmas. Michael put this puzzle together the end of January at the same time I was putting together a puzzle while I healed from oral surgery. When we finished our respective puzzles, we shared them with the other person. I have had this puzzle in its box on my dining room table waiting for the right time to make it. We have been in quarantine quite a few weeks and it seemed like it was okay now to take some time to work a puzzle. I am a puzzle addict. I will readily admit that. So I don't start one until I know I can devote a good bit of time to getting it finished because I have a very hard time stopping the work of making it to do other things until it is finished. Tuesday evening while we were watching television I finished my letter to Papa, then I cleared the breakfast room table and started on this puzzle. I did the outline and sorted out some of the other pieces onto two cookie sheets and the bottom of the box. I went to bed at my usual hour and got up before Claude. I worked on the puzzle for a while in the morning on Wednesday. Then I spent a good bit of my day cleaning off shelves in my basement storage and getting takers for the items. Then I went back upstairs and set to work on my puzzle making. I finished Thursday morning at 3:30am. It was such fun to make this puzzle. It is very whimsical in artwork and the pieces were cut square and it just all worked together to make a good experience. I love the mental and eye challenge of puzzle making. So making a 1000 piece puzzle by myself is another blessing of the corona virus. I usually only make one real puzzle each year and that is at Christmas. This year I have already been able to make two. Yeah me!!
My day was spent in my sewing room. I hemmed the two additional drapery panels for Andie and Michael's bedroom. Then I took the scraps of fabric from cutting the length off of the panels and made throw pillows out of them just for fun. I also repaired Bailey's leggings.
I made Claude another face mask. Claude wears glasses and has a hearing aid in each ear. When he wears the masks I made with the elastic to loop over your ears, his hearing aids tend to pop out of his ears. Just too many items going behind his ears. A friend posted a picture of face masks she is making with shoe laces and a big button. I made Claude one of these to try. He is going to wear it when out for a while to see if it is as good as it looks like it will be for him. If it is, I will make one more out of the other shoe string. Claude is also going to look for more shoe strings of the right length and as small as we can get the ends so they can go through the button holes easily. This is the picture Lisa posted of her mask.
Friday, May 8, 2020
This turned out to be a rainy day. I was so hoping that would not be the case. It was to be the day the Papa's hall at the nursing home would be wheeled outside for a 1pm parade by family and friends in their cars to wave and yell hello to them. Andie was going to drive over with the Mini's to wave and yell hi to Papa as well. Sure enough it was rainy and that meant no parade. I called the nursing home to confirm that was the case. Ugh. I sent Andie a text and told her not to drive over as the parade was cancelled. I had created a box of the 3-ringed binders for her with her shortened and hemmed drapes, throw pillows, Bailey's gift card and leggings and some books. That will now sit in my dining room until we can deliver it to them. Maybe this next week when we need to take a drive.
Andie called and we talked for a bit. It turns out she was given an award during their staff call that morning. She is the Teacher of the Year at LaGrange Elementary School. So proud of our daughter. She is talented at her profession and it was wonderful knowing she was recognized for this work. She is to get a parking place at the front of the school all year during the next school year. We laughed as Andie said that, with the corona virus, they probably won't have in-class school next year and it will be NTI instruction and she won't need the parking space. We had a good chuckle over that. Andie is wearing her 'quaran-teacher' t-shirt in this picture.
This night we would break the record for the coldest night on record for this day in May. We had a freeze for sure. Even the weather is weird.
Saturday, May 9, 2020
Spent my Saturday morning doing my ironing. Yep, I still iron some things.
I finished this in time for Claude and I to go to Georgetown. We took the glass canning jars for two of the ladies in Georgetown. Dropped off bottles at the first lady's home. Then to Burger King to get Papa a chocolate shake. We dropped that and the General Conference edition of the Ensign off for Papa at the nursing home. Then we drove to Bojangles to have some dinner. Off to the next lady's home to drop off glass jars. Back to the park for our walk. When we finished our walk and were back at the Jeep, I suggested to Claude that we should have something for dessert together. We wouldn't leave our home for Mother's Day so we should have something this day instead. He heartily agreed. We both thought donuts were in order. There is a Krispy Kreme place in Lexington where they make the donuts. We drove there and waited in line for 1 hour to get them, then we drove home. Between the time to drive and sit and the cost of the donuts and the drive home these are probably the most expensive donuts we have ever purchased. However, the light came on signaling they were making them fresh while we were in line so we got fresh, hot donuts. They were simply delicious.
Sunday, May 10, 2020
Today is Mother's Day. I just like a quiet Mother's Day. No fanfare at all. So being in quarantine was perfect for that. I got up at about 9am and didn't feel great. I waited till Claude awoke and then I got my shower and even curled my hair. We ate the last of our donuts for breakfast. While I did this, I listened to a recording on my cell phone of Jacob, our son, singing Happy Mother's Day to me. He left that message several years ago and I still love listening to it. Then we watched a gospel study video. We joined others in our congregation for a Zoom Worship Service. Jake called me after that and we talked for about a hour. He sounded so good and it did my Mother heart good to hear that. Claude headed in to take a nap and I watched some "How Things are Made" television shows while working on getting things ready to Blog about my week. When Claude woke up we started to watch the nature shows we have DVR'd and enjoy so much. Andie called and I had a great chat with her, Bailey, Michael and then Hayden. Claude called Bonnie, his Mom. Now we are back to our nature programs. I do love this way of learning.
My daughter, Nissa, mailed me a gift. I waited to open it until this morning. It was a rain meter for our flower bed made with a turtle in it. I love turtles so much and this is just a perfect gift. Claude took a picture of me with my gift and I took of picture of it in the flower bed.
Claude prepared me one of my favorite meals, Hot German Potato Salad with Kielbasa and Spinach. Yum!!
I found this picture and made this post on Facebook about Mother's Day.
"There are a few things about us that really tell the story of our lives. Hands are one of those things. Today is Mother's Day. This is a picture of my Mother holding my daughter's hand about one month before she passed away. Most of you know my Mother had Alzheimer's. The importance of touch was always there for her even if names and memories passed. Today this picture celebrates to me the importance of the 'mothering' done by each female in the world. It is a part of us that we exhibit without even thinking about it even if we didn't bear a child. With that understanding, I want to wish "Happy Mother's Day" to all women everywhere who use that nurturing part of our natures with others in so many ways. May each day be a Mother's Day for each of us all through the year. Happy Mother's Day!!"
It has been a great Mother's Day and a good week. They are trying to open some things with strict guidelines to help prevent the spread of Covid-19. There are target dates set to open different types of businesses and establishments. The hope is to not have a spike in the number of cases. We'll continue another week of quarantine and enjoy it as much as possible.
No comments:
Post a Comment