Wednesday, December 9, 2020 was a quiet day at home for me. Claude had an appointment with his audiologist. I opted for staying home and working on my laptop. So many projects I need to finish. I was getting nearer to finishing the scrapbook of our Japan trip and making it into a PowerPoint. This is something I cannot do in the car. So I stayed home and enjoyed worked on it.
In the evening Claude and I talked about food for Christmas. This is an interesting process this year for holidays. We are sure none of our Michigan family are coming. I cannot take Papa out of the nursing home. Our only guests could be the Marx family. We have agreed that we won't decide for sure if that happens until just prior to the day. This is because of concerns over the virus. If their home or ours is at all concerned about the virus, we will not get together. If we both feel comfortable with them visiting, they will come here. Usually that is arriving Christmas Eve and staying a few days after Christmas. This year that could be entirely different. The Mini's don't ever remember a Christmas spent anywhere other than our home. Hayden's first Christmas was in Maryland and he was a month old. Clearly he does not remember that. Bailey has never had a Christmas that was not at our home. So what are Claude and I to plan for. We determined we would look at the possibility of it being about like Thanksgiving with the Marx family arriving Christmas Eve (Thursday) at dinner time. They might stay until Sunday sometime. That gave us a starting point. We looked at what we knew we were having and worked from there to fill in the menu plan and determine grocery needs from there. I went into the kitchen to check the cupboards for cookie and cake mixes. It amused me when I realized I had an Angel Food Cake Mix by a Devil's Food Cake Mix. It felt good to see what we needed to purchase and to keep it to things we would eat if the Marx family can't come.
Thursday, December 10, 2020 I had my first Google Meet video chat. My temple recommend expires the end of December. I needed to have an interview with a member of our bishopric to begin the process of renewing the recommend. I put the Google Meet app on my telephone and found it in my laptop. I ended up receiving the call on my laptop. Worked great. And now I wait for a member of the stake presidency to notify me of a time to have my interview with them.
Daman Thayer, our Kentucky Senator, posted these pictures on Facebook. It seems our extension of the by-pass in Georgetown is complete. Now I have to learn a new driving habit to use it more.
I posted about the Christmas Star on Facebook. I read two articles about it and thought I would share it. I also shared it with Jacob, our son. https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/christmas-star-will-be-closest-visible-conjunction-jupiter-saturn-800-n1250418?fbclid=IwAR1H_nWsHh8eU71nGXlK50y39igMV0VH4LK_ZyEDa8DqK5sbfqJKZpyJmkc Jake sent me a text that he saw Saturn and Jupiter through an old telescope that he owns. Alas, Claude and I still haven't seen it. We shall keep trying. We are also supposed to have a slim possibility of seeing the Northern Lights here in Kentucky. As clouds are moving in today, I am not sure we'll see either of these things tonight.
Friday, December 11, 2020 we started our day with a call to see about getting another Covid-19 test. I called the place we have used for the last two tests. They could see us at 12:30. We left the house about noon and headed to Georgetown. After the nice lady rammed an extra long Q-tip up Claude's nose, he commented, "I think I just lost the 70's!! Even the nurse laughed at that comment.
After the test we went to Moss Park for our walk. The temperature that day was at 60 degrees and a good time to be out and enjoy a walk. We dropped a treat bag off for Papa . I also dropped off a heavy wool shirt for him. I really can't remember if he had one in his closet. When it is cold, he likes to wear one over his long sleeve t-shirt. So I fixed one up and put it on a coat hanger Mimi had crocheted around and left it with the bag of treats. This time, the person receiving these items at the nursing home said, "I can take the treat bag to him right now. The shirt will have to be in quarantine for at least three days and then we'll give it to him." And that folks is living with the virus. I also filled his bird feeder. Claude and I ate lunch from Taco Bell. Then we went to the drug store to pick up prescriptions.
In the late afternoon, I received a telephone call from Signature Health Care. When I see that name on my phone, I immediately feel concern. This time it was a lady from the Corporate Offices of Signature Health Care. It seems they now have three residents and four staff at the Georgetown facility with Covid-19. Up to then, we have not had any residents with it. There have been staff but they have stayed away till healed. Now it is in with the residents. This is a skilled care facility. Such a concern with it getting to the residents. I applaud this staff. It has been 9 months with not one resident getting the virus. This in itself is a miracle. They have quarantined the residents with the virus and they will take them to a hospital if needed. Prayers for this little nursing home, the staff and the residents are very much appreciated.
Saturday, December 12, 2020 I woke up feeling puny. I have felt this way for a while. Claude asked me about it and I told him I just didn't feel great. We opted to spend this day in our living room watching television. Claude found a series of documentaries on Egypt. I love these things. Egypt is one of my favorites. So we spent our day watching all about discoveries made recently in Egypt. I played some games on my laptop. I also worked on a crochet project making a thing to hold Claude's masks on his head without having to go over his ears. And I worked on a plastic canvas project making a new roof for a gingerbread house. Claude fixed us hamburgers, chips and beans for dinner. It was a good day.
In the evening we got a call from Barbara Baker at HealthCore where we had our tests taken on Friday. We both tested negative for Covid-19. Yeah!!
I also had two sweet friends tell me they put up their Christmas tree and enjoyed putting on the ornaments I had made them over the years. I quit doing this a couple of years ago. It makes me happy they enjoy those ornaments still. I know I love putting them on my tree also. It's nice to share good things with others.
A few family pictures from this day:
Our daughter, Andie, posted this cute picture of her happy self. She made this outfit a few years ago to be Teacher on a Bleacher. This year the PTA at the school where she teaches has put together a craft kit for each of the kids. On Monday, Andie will dress in her ugly sweater with a dinosaur holding a disco ball, take her daughter Bailey's disco ball, and Andie's newly purchased strobe light and be ready to give out those craft kits to the kids as they come by. She is an extraordinary teacher.
And last, but definitely not least, is our youngest grandmonster Bailey. She sent me a text with this picture telling me her friend gave this t-shirt to her for Christmas. The t-shirt is purple. My favorite color. The t-shirt says, "Best Grandma Ever". Hmmmm.... I assured Miss Bailey she was a fun Chick Maiden.
Sunday, December 13, 2020 we are tucked in our warm home this Sabbath Day. We enjoyed the Primary Children's Program for our Zoom Sacrament Meeting this morning. The Primary Children's Program is always a highlight. This year we have been asked again to not have in-person meetings due to the spike in cases. So, the program had be done via Zoom. I used an experience I had as I watched these children in my letter to the missionaries serving from our ward and the Elkhorn Creek Ward. I will share here what I shared with the missionaries.
This Sunday we enjoyed the Primary Program for Sacrament Meeting via Zoom. All the kids had prepared their part and sent a video to the Primary presidency. These were all put together to make the program. Children spoke and sang and played musical instruments. It was so fun to see them all and to hear their sweet testimonies of the Book of Mormon.
As I listened to them, my mind remembered Mosiah 24:10-15. Alma and his people are burdened and told they could not pray. This didn't stop them from praying in their hearts and Jesus knew the thoughts of their hearts. I pondered a bit on how grateful I am that, even though this pandemic has done its best to stop us from living the Gospel, we have all these things given to us before it happened to ease our burden and let us know that we are indeed watched over by a loving Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Think of just these two things: Come, Follow Me (Gospel centered learning at home) and Zoom meetings.
Here are the verses from Mosiah 24:
10) And it came to pass that so great were their afflictions that they began to cry mightily to God.
11) And Amulon commanded them that they should stop their cries; and he put guards over them to watch them, that whosoever should be found calling upon God should be put to death.
12) And Alma and his people did not raise their voices to the Lord their God, but did pour out their hearts to him; and he did know the thoughts of their hearts.
13) And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.
14) And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.
15) And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.
Each Sunday, I start my day with a prayer that I will have one spiritual experience that will uplift and strengthen me. This was my experience for this Sunday. There will be others. This is the one I will share.
Now we stay inside for the rest of the day. The Lexington North Stake is going to have a virtual Stake Christmas Devotional tonight and Claude and I will enjoy that together. All is good.
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