Thoughts From First Week of Lockdown

We made it a week! Since my marathon shopping excursions a week ago Thursday and Friday, and a trip to the lab with Honey last Monday, we have not been anywhere. We are being very careful because Honey has been taking some medication that has him immune compromised at the moment. For the most part, we have been fine. I am so enormously grateful for the ability to shelter in place in peace and comfort, I know there are others who are facing uncertainty and even fear. We have food, a warm home, plenty to do and most thankfully, we have each other. The girls are with us to ward off isolation. And we are still good on the toilet paper front, although I am below my comfort zone in the butter department. 😦

On a lighter note, Guys, the memes have been on FIRE! 🙂 We need the funny right now, it makes things more bearable.

We are in full on comfort mode over here.

🙂

Oh dear!

Now this is funny!

Needed perspective.

Mousey and I finished #2. Took a little longer than the first one, but we persevered.

Found a bag that had a couple of my Mother’s photo albums while cleaning out a closet. I posted this on the Facebook page of the church I grew up in. This was a singing group called The Choralaires. My Mom is in the top row, 5th from the left, standing next to her good friend Nancy. I was glad I posted it, there was quite a bit of conversation generated from the folks who remembered this time. I have some more to post from a church Memorial Day picnic in 1952.

I am feeling sorry for these 2 😦 Because of Honey’s health situation and the fact that The Usher has still been required to work, he has not been able to come into the house. It was his birthday on Sunday, so he came over to go on a walk with Miss Mouse, in the street and adhering to the 6 feet away rule of course. Afterward they sat on the patio and visited for the first time in a week.

Socially distant dating is hard. Mousey made him chocolate chip bars for a birthday treat and he brought us a box of butter and a couple packages of English muffins. He’s so good to us ❤ Mousey sent him on his way with a pulled pork sandwich and salad on a paper plate with a plastic fork, to head home to his lonely basement apartment.

I could do more purging, I could organize our pictures, I have more cupboards, drawers and closets that could stand to be organized and rearranged, we could all go through our books and donate the ones we will most likely never read again.

There is much praying to be done, for our family, our world, our president, our state and local leaders, our AWESOME healthcare workers, farmers, truckers, warehouse workers, and anyone else doing their part to keep things from descending into chaos, the sick, the lonely and scared, those who have heard even more unimaginable bad news regarding health and employment, and the list goes on and on.

I’m thankful for God’s Word and His promises.

An ever-present help in trouble, that’s comforting. I am thankful for that.  Our best to all of you ❤

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Social Distancing

Well, I guess can’t say I don’t have time to blog anymore. This is unprecedented, in my lifetime at least. The Chinese –Wuhan- Corona virus- Covid-19 Pandemic of 2020 has caused all of our lives to come to a screeching halt. Or as introverts would say, BEST MONTH EVER!!!!!

There were a lot of rumors swirling last week, The Ab-Cat said they were predicting closings at her elementary school. The college where The Usher works said they were going online. I began to think about food, as I do in all crises. On Thursday I went to Sam’s, along with a good percentage of our town. I had a list. I had heard that toilet paper was scarcer than hens teeth, but I wasn’t in the market for TP, Beeve gets us the jumbo pack from Costco because we like their brand better. I was however not expecting the meat cases to be nigh unto empty. No rice, hardly any bread, no tissues and no eggs, but I managed to get the rest of my necessities, such as half and half, butter, and tortilla chips, among other things. As I waited in line I chit chatted with the people around me, as you do, and we were wondering why people were buying so much bottled water? There was a limit of 2, are people expecting a breakdown in our water system? I could see sewer problems because if folks run out of toilet paper they are going to be flushing who knows what down!!

On Friday morning Honey called to tell me that a local grocery was having a really good meat sale that he felt I should participate in. I went up around 8:30 and bought steaks and baby back ribs to go with the ground beef and chicken I finally found before leaving Sam’s the day before. I decided to hit up the library because I had just finished my book and CMB had told me about a book she had just read that was one of the best she’d read in a looooong time. Found that and about 5 others before heading on down the road to grocery #2. That’s when things got a little surreal. Lots of empty shelves and people and really full carts making checkout an exercise in endurance. God used the time in line to show me the perspective of one young mom waiting along side me. She was talking to her little boy and said lovingly “what are we going to do with you?” I said he will have lots of fun playing and doing puzzles and she said she was a nurse and had to find childcare. Wow, that is a real problem! I thanked her for her service. The healthcare community are our heroes ❤

On a lighter note, I had an informative conversation with a little, older, accented English speaking woman ahead of me who was talking with everyone around her. Not sure how the topic came up, but she mentioned window cleaning, and cleaning our French door windows is a task I loathe, I asked her what she used and she said vinegar and water, I asked the ratio. You should have seen the look on her face, she said I don’t know, I just pour a little bit and it smells like vinegar. Very scientific. She also stressed the importance of using 100% cotton cloths to wipe. She mentioned that she also cleaned her floors AND her produce with vinegar and water. She even came back to the checkout to tell me that last little tidbit, I thanked her for her wisdom!

I was going to hit up one more grocery on my way home to get chicken breasts and some cheese we like, but after the marathon wait in the Meijer line, I opted against it and went home. I knew I would be going out again because Mousey was scheduled to have LASIK surgery on her eyeballs that afternoon. She said she needed to pick up some special eyedrops, so we then proceeded to hit up the Kroger. They had no chicken, but did have the cheese and lunchmeat. In all of my wanderings I saw nary an egg. I found out later that day the library shut its doors for a month.

Things went well on the LASIK front, although Mousey would tell you it hurt, A LOT. But even walking out and looking through her tears, she said she could see leaves on the trees!!! So fashionable 🙂

Her big ole eyeball. They let me watch behind the glass, a very interesting field trip!

She is doing well and can see clearer every day!

First completed puzzle. Onto number 2.

The memes have been SO funny. I posted these on social media. Told the kids we have been training for this their whole lives!!!

So far I have cleaned out 2 closets, although my go to donation place, The Salvation Army, is closed, watched a couple movies, chemically straightened Abby’s hair, shaved Honey’s, made banana bread and peanut butter cookies. Have been on 2 walks, one with Keelyody and one with The Peanuts Champ. Have not been bored yet, thank you Lord! ❤

A Monday List

Y’All, it’s 63 degrees today in The Mitten! In March! I went out to bring in the trash and recycling cans and was ever so pleasantly surprised.

March is shaping up to be a super busy month. Lots of appointments, a couple procedures, some routine temple maintenance. We are doing some extra things because Honey could be retiring any minute, or in a couple months. Whatever, I don’t ask.

The Boy spoke about humbly approaching the throne of grace at his church on Sunday, we were ever so proud of him ❤

We were a little too far away to get a clear picture, or to show you his cute new boots 🙂

I’m a little out of order here, this was Friday. The Boy came to clean the basement carpet so we can put the furniture back where it belongs, since he and his family are no longer basement dwellers. The Girls and I took care of the little rascals while Dad cleaned and their Mom went down to Ohio to pick up some furniture.

They had a snack.

My most favorite hippo ever!

This one was telling us of her love for her shirt, it had POCKETS!!!

Moonpie was napping in the crib when it became apparent Little Dipper needed it. I was happy to be his nap spot ❤

Honey has been gathering papers for the meeting with our tax guy on Wednesday. I kid you not, it seems like we were just sitting in his office about 2 months ago. How does time fly so fast?

Mousey is having Lasik on her eyeballs Friday! She is super excited to see!!!

We hope she can see a little the next day because there is a food tasting where she is having her wedding reception, and we have been waiting for this a while, so she might have to go like Mrs. Magoo. You don’t need eyesight to pick out what your guests will eat at your wedding reception!

Let’s all have a smooth week.

Fun With MoonPie

We have had Moonpie several weekends over the last few months! Because her Dad is the Youth Director at their church, and because The Dane likes to be involved as well, we have taken her when they have travelled for retreats, or had big doings going on, and once when they took a quick trip to Chicago to help one of the students who lived with them in Washington move into his new apartment. She is always a pleasure to have and she seems to like it over here too!

She likes to do certain things, like art with Papa.

Make pancakes with Grammy.

This is a random picture of us at their church for a big Christmas party they had, she had just finished decorating a Christmas cookie and scarfing it down! We DID have her this weekend, so I guess it counts 🙂  I love her expression, this is what a bunch of jumping in a bouncy house, no nap and the afore mentioned sugar cookie looks like!

She likes the phone and can get into things I can’t even get into when I want to, can lock you out and is forever wanting to “take a pitcher!!” Snapchat is a big old favorite too.

 

She loved decorating these Valentines cookies!! So intense, so patient, So.Much.Licking. I am especially digging her new-ish cheesy smile.

She also likes to head down to the basement with Papa to cook and very creatively play with animals. This was a tea party, they all had names. I believe this was Linda.

Might be Karen here.

We have gathered all of Mousey’s kitties, and there are many. She brought them all upstairs and they live among us now. They go for rides in the stroller, Target cart, and she brings a good many with her at nap time.

We have trained her well in the love of feline. She sometimes tells me “Seymour is so cute!” She says this about her Papa too 🙂 ❤ My two Beebees <3<3

An armful of LOVE!

There is always great quantities of reading as well. Sometimes she walks in the front door and says “BOOK!” We were reading about The Little White House, starring Tom, Betty, Susan, Flip and Frisky! That is the book I learned to read with. Anyone else?

She was our Funny Valentine this year ❤

Papa had a special treat when she was here last weekend, PAINT!!! And yes, she is a south paw.

I had a Dum Dum sucker from the last time I picked up Lee’s Chicken carry out and she was a very neat sucker eater!

Was intrigued with her red tongue.

Wanted me to “take a pitcher!!!”

It has been so much fun having her around!

The Usher sent me this after the last time she was here! LOL!

Come again Moonpie, come again 🙂