Some Thoughts During a Crazy Time

Hello!  It has been ages since I blogged.

It has and continues to be hard to cope and survive the Covid-19 Pandemic.  My heart aches and I feel a lump in my throat when I think of the millions of people in the world who are or know someone who is sick, lonely, stressed, frightened, unemployed, depressed, or dying lonely deaths due to this virus.  The lump grows bigger and I can hardly swallow.  Tears flow at a moments notice.  Hot and heavy.  Everyone is affected.  Everyone.  EVERYONE...

I  am struggling with what my mother euphemistically called "lowered feelings".  I really have never felt so helpless and desperate for hope before.  I miss seeing friends and family and hugging people.  I miss hugging my son the most of all.  Logan lost his job (as did my husband) through this pandemic and is working for a friend a few days a week doing construction.  Therefore he isn't staying safe enough to be close to us.  We are over 65 and my husband has a heart condition and I have diabetes.  Two strikes each.  Logan comes for dinner a couple of times a week and sits in the backyard six feet away from us to eat.  My entire body aches to hug him and hold him tight.

I miss the children in my kindergarten class.  I miss their daily hugs and small hands in mine.  I miss seeing their faces!  I worked so hard to learn all I could to continue to teach them well via Microsoft TEAMS that I developed stress induced shingles after two weeks.  (Yes, I had the vaccine.)  They covered the left side of my face, eye, and scalp.  Eight weeks have gone by and I look better but I continue to have some bumps, pain, and what feels like red ants biting.  There are still visible lesions inside my lower eyelid but the one on my cornea is gone.  Please take note:  the shingles vaccine prior to 2017 is obviously not as effective as the one that was developed later.  Please ask for the new vaccine the next time you visit your doctor.  It is a two part vaccine.

We have been blessed to have our daughter come and stay with us during most of this period of isolation.  She was and is our greatest blessing during this time.  She stayed with us (continuing to pay for her apartment) for six weeks.  She worked from home all during that time.  She is only 26 and has a full social life but kept in isolation for us.  She has gone back to her apartment now but continues to see us at least twice per week and is limiting her social interactions to those who are also maintaining social distancing.  We are so very grateful!

I long for what I took so for granted.  I long for the life and freedom we had before this pandemic.  I long for my classroom full of eager kindergarten children.  I pray that we will be that carefree again.  I pray that all those who lost their jobs gain new ones soon.  I pray for both effective medical intervention and a vaccine to eliminate Covid-19 are developed quicker than expected.  I pray that people will be kinder and softer and more willing to find common ground with each other.

I pray that we can hold onto HOPE.  Hope for the future of our country.  Hope for the economy.  Hope for the future of a free, equal, and appropriate educational system where children's emotional, social, physical, and character development are as important as meeting academic standards.

This is my last week of  'school' for 2020.  It is a week of enrichment activities (online) for the children, parent conferences (phone and TEAMS), staff and team meetings (TEAMS), a drive by promotion ceremony for the fifth graders, paperwork and cumulative folders, another drive by of the kindergarten children to pick up their belongings and goodie bags, time in the empty classroom to clean up things left in mid-March and put things away for the summer.

Giant Pineapple Upside-Down Cake for Family this past winter.

When all is wrapped up for school, I will continue to do what I have been doing to try to stay sane.  I will continue the daily gourmet meals, sewing, and working in the garden.  The house has been sadly neglected so I will give the house a thorough cleaning, including all closets and cupboards.  I will continue to thank God for the blessings of two new babies born to our family this past week:  EK was born in Kentucky and her family is beyond thrilled.  She is the only child of the only grandchild on her mother's side.  A longed for miracle.  IR was born to my niece just two days ago at home here in Florida with his daddy, grandmother, midwife and an acupuncturist in attendance. His mother was sick the entire pregnancy but continues to amaze us with her strength.  Another miracle! His two year old brother says that IR is his best friend!

As my friend Kaye has always said, we will just continue to put one foot in front of the other and keep moving, keeping in mind what my mother used to say, "This, too, shall pass."

I will be back with more upbeat posts in a couple of days featuring sewing and maybe a little cooking and gardening.

Blessings for good health, solace, peace, and happiness to all who ever may read this blog.

Two little Oliver + S Lazy Days Skirts for a friends little girls.