the quarantine makes me crazy

It's been a little bit over two weeks since we went into quarantine mode.   No visiting anyone.  No having anyone over.  Social distancing, the catch phrase of the times.   The Covid 19 is very contagious.  People are getting sick and some are dying.  Washing hands frequently and having hand sanitizer around are important.

It's just plain strange to sit and not really do anything but watch TV and knit.

So today I started on a project that I have thought about for years.  Organizing letters.  So far I am working on letters we have received over the years.  I'm pretty sure that there are letters that I wrote to people that were saved and returned to me too.

Here's what my work looks like so far:

 

Oh yeah!

I forgot, I cleaned out the pantry yesterday,  There were three trash bags full of expired foods.   It feels good to accomplish something.

I found a picture of my sister and I standing on the Golden Gate Bridge in 1970.  You could see the bridge in the picture, but I cropped it so my sister and I were closer.   We were both so young and blond!

Nick brought a box of letters in from the garage.  They are letters that we received when we were overseas mainly.  I wrote tons of letters, and I received a lot too.  There are boxes and boxes of letters.  Some, from friends or family, I might make copies of for myself and send the originals to the person who wrote them.

Okay, bed time now

What's normal?

Yesterday I decided to call some of my elderly relatives.   Almost the only ones left of my mom's family.

My mom's younger sister and her husband are really something.  They said that in all their years they have never experienced anything like this.  But, they told me stories about their lives- how he was in the service and it worked out well for him. They have raised 5 children and had their share of sick kids, broken bones, broken hearts to deal with.  But they always say "all in all we've had a pretty good life".  Someone else who lived through the exact things as them could say the opposite and complain about how hard life has been.  They are a good reminder and example of how to get through life.

In their 80s they are pretty up to date on some things.  They have Alexa, and sometimes Alexa talks and my aunt said it always startles her.  She reflected on how they would never have imagined having cell phones that you could just take anywhere with you!

I called my other aunt who lives on a farm with her daughter and son in law a a bunch of cats.  And horses but they don't come into the house.  My uncle, my mom's younger brother was her husband.  He died about two years ago.  My aunt said that my uncle was the love of her life.  She misses him.   I cannot imagine, but I guess that's a part of life.

The current situation with Covid 19 (coronavirus) is strange.   I am in the house and yard most of the time.  But that's fairly normal I guess.  True, I am not going out anywhere.  I go through moments that almost border on terror about what's going on.  And then I watch a TV show and work on my knitting and everything  just seems normal.

I guess every day we re-learn what normal is.  

Random thoughts

Life.  yeah, life.  It seems like with this social distancing and self imposed isolation, I'd be getting all of the things I have been putting off, done.

Sewing?  I could do that.  I have a great sewing machine.  But I haven't touched needle and thread for ages.   Knitting.  yes, I have been knitting.  I've made two beautiful scarves.  I am working on a third.  But the one I am working on keeps getting messed up.  I cannot understand what's going on.  The pattern is 36 stitches wide.  Yet, every few rows I count and find that I have one fewer or one more than 36 stitches.    Of course I am not perfect.  It is normal to make a mistake, or find one when looking at a finished product.  And this is not a complicated pattern.  There are only two different row differences- rows 1&2 are the same, rows 3&4 are the same.  So what gives?

I think my mind is boggled.  My concentration is lacking.  I operate on automatic, but somehow that isn't good enough for this pattern being done by this person at this particular time in world history.

Nick and I often find ourselves in our pajamas much of the day.  One day I fell asleep in my clothes and just kept those clothes on all the next day

The kitchen floor needs to be swept.  The toilets need to be cleaned.   Vacuuming wouldn't be a bad idea.

There are canned goods in the pantry that passed their "use by" date.  Okay that's what I'll work on.  I'll clean and organize the pantry.
Or will I?   I don't know.  I feel that inertia is keeping me from moving.  From "doing". 

People are joking on Facebook about how much they (we) are all eating and the weight we are probably gaining.

I think we are all boggled,  uncertain of the future.  Scared.  Is this the end of the word?   Gun sales have gone up.  Will there be civil or uncivil disobedience?  Will houses get broken into and robbed by people seeking toilet paper?  There has been a lack of toilet paper in the stores due to people hoarding it.

I plod along.   I am still in my nightgown.  Buddy the dog is at the top of the stairs whining.  That's his "normal".   Unless some thine really exciting happens, like someone coming to the door,  Buddy has a phobia about stairs.  he will not walk down the stairs unless one of us is up stairs and behind him encouraging him.

I'll go upstairs now and get a shower, get dressed, and help Buddy come down the stairs

so now what?

All that is on the news is the story of Covid-19 aka corona virus.  There are more and more cases.  We have an insane narcissist for a president.     He is full of blather and no sense.  Making comments and predictions about something he knows nothing about.

On the one hand, I am really pretty comfortable with staying at home and maintaining "social distance" from the world.  On the other hand,  somewhere deep in my brain I am worried/ scared/ confused.   

I am not afraid to die (I tell myself) but I am not ready to go just yet.   I seem to get exotic illnesses and this is one that I really don't want.

I am knitting a fairly simple scarf pattern and yet I keep making mistakes.   I am not sure what I am doing wrong  I just know  that every few rows I count the stitches and I have too few or too many.  How did that happen?

I can't articulate everything going on in my head right now.

When will life ever be normal again?  Or will it?

Corona virus

Right now I am supposed to be in the operating room having a knee replacement surgery on my right knee.  I wanted to get it done and get it over with.   But now there's "social distancing"   Which means we should not be in close contact with other people.  Knowing that I would be needing a lot of intense physical therapy, and knowing that means close contact, I decided that I should postpone the surgery.  No idea when it will happen at the point, but that's okay.

Sunday evening I went to bed so tired that I fell sleep in my clothes.  When I got up I figured, hey I I'm already dressed, so I didn't change.  I did put on a nightgown to sleep in last night.  And now here I am in my nightgown desperately needing a shower.  

We are on a self imposed quarantine I suppose.  Nick has gone out shopping a few times.  I resist because I honestly am concerned about getting this disease.  I think that I am pretty healthy.  But somehow I tend to get weird and exotic things. So I stay home.

I am knitting another scarf.   I'm sure at the end of this I will have a pile of scarves and dish clothes to show for my time.    Not sure what I will do with all of these things, but it keeps me busy.

As much as I miss my parents and Nick's parents, I am not sorry that they re not here right now.  I would be a wreck worrying about them and their health and well being.  My own kids are worried about my/ our health.

Okay,  time to shower and change out of my smelly nightgown  and get back to my knitting.

Hello Boomer

CNN)Dear Boomers,

We've had our differences. You don't like that we're still living in your basement, not paying rent and taking selfies with our avocado toast. We don't like that you sat back and let so many terrible things happen, like Steely Dan and climate change.

But today, we're going to move past "OK, Boomer." We're going to stop posting EmojiGrams, put down our phones, and have one of those Serious Talks you like so much. Are you ready?

See, Boomers, we're worried about you. We're worried you aren't taking this virus seriously enough.

We're worried you might get very sick at a time that hospitals are overloaded with other sick people

 

 

 

We're worried you might die from Covid-19.

We know, we know. You're healthy, for your age (somewhere between 56 and 74)! You're strong, all things considered! You exercise regularly! You went hiking in Peru just a few weeks or years ago or hunting with your buddies from your old job. Anyway, we know, disease barely touches you!

Doctor: Coronavirus like an 'angel of death' for elderly 02:14

But there's a reason the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending all people over 60 years old — not just unhealthy ones — stay home. Today and for the foreseeable future while this pandemic plays out.

Look at the numbers from South Korea, or Italy, or China, Boomers. For those between ages 60 to 70, the case fatality rate is somewhere between 1.44% (in South Korea) and 3.6% (in China). And it goes up from there dramatically if you're older. That includes a lot of relatively healthy people, like you. Please don't assume this thing will pass you by. As annoying as you are sometimes — and we say this with love — we are not at all interested in taking a 1/30 chance on your life. (See, we were listening when you tried to teach us about probability all those times.)

And we hate to say it but the time to act is now.

We know that seems aggressive when there are just a few coronavirus cases in your neck of the woods. But it's what the epidemiologists are saying. Days matter, and the earlier everyone starts staying home and distancing themselves from others, the more people will make it through this OK.

I know what you're thinking: "My children and grandchildren are saying they can't visit because of science and public health now? How convenient." But it's not an excuse, we swear, and we're happy to triple down on FaceTime to prove it.

Travelers share their coronavirus complications 03:08

If you won't start exercising extreme caution, today, for yourself — which we really hope you will — do it for your friends and for everyone else who is older or immuno-compromised. The fewer people that get this virus at the same time, the less hospitals will be overwhelmed, and the better they'll be able to take care of the people who are sick.

Staying healthy yourselves is an act that might save other peoples' lives. And if that means you need to hole up with a few seasons of "Masterpiece Theater" or "NCIS" or whatever weird shows you watch instead of "Game of Thrones," that seems like a worthwhile trade to make. (And if you do watch "Game of Thrones," we don't want to talk to you about all the sex scenes. Even though we're all grownups now, it's still, just ... don't.)

So, what should you do? You probably know the drill. Reduce your social contact as much as possible, for everything that's not an emergency. Cancel bowling, singing group, yoga, your book club, your other book club, that book club you've stopped going to anyway, and beers at the bar. If you go to church, skip that for now and pray at home. Get vaccinated for flu and pneumonia. Wash your hands and don't touch your face. There's a more complete list here.

Lawmaker gets CDC chief to promise free coronavirus tests 04:37

In exchange, here's what we'll do. We'll happily help get you supplies. We'll talk through your plans if anything goes wrong. We'll provide free IT support to help you video chat, order groceries online, and start playing Minecraft. If this means that we must accept more viral email forwards, that's a trade we are willing to make. Ask us for help.

Boomers, you're probably sick of us alternating between rolling our eyes and admonishing you. You're probably sick of us learning something and then acting like we were the first people in human history to ever discover it. You're sick of being told you're doing things wrong.

But it's better to be sick of us than to get sick yourself. We're writing today because we care about you. And we want you to stay safe.

Just like you wanted us to stay safe when we were kids.

We love you, Boomers. We should probably say that more often, but we love you and we appreciate everything you've done for us in our lives. And we'll call you in a little bit to check in.

<3,

The Millennials

Hunkering Down

The world is experiencing a pandemic.  Corona virus is popping up all over the world. According to the CDC there are 110 countries affected by this disease now.  

These numbers are changing rapidly for the worse.  People are on self quarantine.  Stores are crowded and people are storing up necessities.   It's almost a joke that people are stocking up on toilet paper.   It is something that I guess we all need.   Hoarding is for real.

Watching the news feels like watching a doomsday movie.  Like there is something evil letting itself into everyone's lives.  Not sure how it ends.  Pretty badly for the sick, dieing or the families of those already dead.

People are still wondering if it's real.  Is it a hoax?  

Meanwhile we try to be "normal".   Worrying about ourselves.  Trying not to go out into the sick world.

And, me, I have hives. an allergic reaction to an antibiotic I have been taking for a UTI.   I see the doctor in a while about my hives.

I am scheduled to have a knee replacement surgery next week.   Tuesday March 17th.    I hope that the hives don't have any impact on my surgery.  If so I guess I'll re-book at a later date.

And time keeps moving fast

We lived in Chiang Mai, Thailand from 1981- 1983.  When we arrived there, Courtney was three and Morgan was six months old.   Our predecessors had a maid, cook, gardener and baby maid.  Through correspondence, I asked them to find other work for the baby maid.  I was going to be home with my kids full time.

The cook lasted for a while, but I had to send her to look for work elsewhere.    So we had the maid and gardener, a married couple and their two children.  Daughter Ann was a few years older than Courtney, and they were best friends!

I spent many hours with Alec and Julie.  The kids really loved them and they loved the kids.   They really felt like family we were so close.

It was Alec and Julie who paid me the greatest compliment on my mothering I ever received.   Since we practiced co-sleeping (the kids slept with us), and extended breastfeeding, they told me that I raised my babies just like a Thai.  For Thai parents, attachment parenting is the norm.

After we left Thailand I lost touch.  I was fortunate enough to be able to make a trip to Thailand in 1987.  Austin and I attended a WHO conference as a representative of La Leche League. While there, we visited friends in Bangkok and flew up to Chiang Mai.

I had a La Leche League Group while we were living in Chiang Mai, and had kept in touch with many of the moms I met there.  I was lucky enough to have a friend to stay with.  She knew where I could find Alec and Julie.  Austin and I were able to go to their house and have a visit.

Since then we have exchanged a few notes here and there.

In the years in between then and now, Alec and Julie immigrated to the US and became US citizens!    They are now retired and have had a house built in Chiang Mai.

Alec and Julie are in Virginia for a while visiting.  Alec contacted me, and we were able to get together yesterday for the first time in 37 year.

So much time has passed and so many things in our lives have changed.   But the feelings, closeness, friendship and love are still there.   I have an album/ scrapbook with pictures of our time in Chiang Mail.  It was pretty neat to look through it together!

I called Morgan, and put the phone on speaker.  They remember him as a curly haired little boy and now he is a 39 year old man.   Morgan (and the whole family) was invited to visit them in Chiang Mai!

We took them to the Thai temple near our house.  It was closed, but they were about to see it from the outside.  Then we all went to lunch together at a Thai restaurant.   Alec talked mostly English.  Julie and I chattered away in Thai.  I get stuck now and then when I can't remember a word, but for the most part we did very well.

It's friends and connections that make my world a happy place!

My how time flies!

Last week, after much planning, my high school friend, Celestine and I met for lunch.   She and I went to the Barrie School together in the late 60's  she went there for a year or two and then went to different schools.  I went there all through high school- graduating in 1972.

As far as I can figure it has been 50 years, more or less, since we have seen or spoken to each other. It's only through Facebook that we found each other.  

I have some old pictures, but they must be on my desktop computer.  

Nick and I got together with a few Barrie folks about 10 years ago.  And I went to a small gathering at an alum's house around 5 years ago.  But this is the first time Celestine and I have gotten together.

Life is funny.  We have both had our separate lives.  We've both raised families.  She has grandchildren and even one great grandchild.  I don't have any.

But at lunch, we were just a couple of girls talking as if we just saw each other a week earlier.

Life is amazing that way.