I am trying a weekly photo journal of my life during this stay-at-home pandemic. The idea is to post on Sundays and include one photo for each day of the week with some text. I may not limit myself to one photo because I have a hard time with rules like that. It seems a perfectly logical thing to do on a family history blog. This is certainly an historic time.

My journal entries primarily come from my Facebook posts and notes I have jotted in my bullet journal. I’ve gotten behind. Playing catch up!

Sunday 5/31

* Zoom church. Prepped Book Club
* It seems like the country is on fire. Protests taken over by anarchists and far-right folks. Why can’t we let Black people have their voices heard in protest and demonstration without hijacking them? POTUS pours fuel on the fire and then hides from responsibilities.
* Rally at the Capitol sponsored by Austin Justice Coalition was cancelled out of caution.
* Offered some of my books as a lending library for my Facebook friends. There are a couple that I haven’t read or finished. A couple are from high school/college and the yellowed pages prove it. Found more stashed away in other places – Just Mercy! Plus kid lit books.

* I had to get out of the house and walk off some of the feelings. I found so many little signs of joy and care and beauty to lift my spirits.

Monday 6/1

* ESL Book Club – Ferdinand the Bull. Always good!
* Having completed 100 consecutive days of playing piano for 10 minutes, I decided to try memorization. My brain is not on board. The first day my brain was completely confused by what I was asking it to do. Day 4, my brain is still out of its element, but has agreed to try. I chose something that I can play with music and that doesn’t have way too many notes. Or so I thought. In fact, I think it may be something I was required to memorize for a recital and ended up walking off stage in humiliation when I was unable to find my place and continue. Memorization has never been my strength.
* Ready to Wear Orange June 5th. And maybe write a note.
* Listening to voices of church leadership regarding Trump’s photo op today.

Tuesday 6/2

* Late night hosts doing the best they know how. James Corden interviewed Eric Michael Dyson (Tears We Cannot Stop), then it got so emotional as he was talking to one of the black musicians from his show. And the pandemic means there is no adequate means of consoling.
* Glad to see a list of local Black owned businesses to support.

Wednesday 6/3

* Former Defense Secretary James Mattis finally broke his silence.
* Two people have made me laugh out loud today. One by text and one on Facebook. I’m still laughing about one of them. Thankful for the laughs!
* First real outing that wasn’t to a doctor appointment and I got to see the fabulous Cathy! David too! It was like real life. Empty building except for us. Foyer filled with manna bags, food items, books – all there to continue ministry to unsheltered neighbors who arrive for “breakfast in a bag“ twice a week. The church building is closed, but the church is active. I was afraid I might not make it because my rarely-driven car was flashing warning lights all the way there and back. Is my car upset that I have been ignoring it?

* This cracked me up. I walked by this house a week ago and saw a sign for an elementary school student. A few days later, another sign was right next to it, brother evidently decided to be recognized as well. Next time I walked by, the brothers were socially distanced at about 6 feet. Tonight I walked by and had to cross the street to get both signs in the camera frame. 😂  I wonder how they are getting along? 🤔

Thursday 6/4

* Freaking out about the singing at the memorial service for George Floyd. So needed and restorative … but we are in the middle of a pandemic and attendance is already putting them at risk.
* Drew Brees under fire for comments about kneeling during the national anthem.
* Group from church got on Zoom to take a picture of us in orange for for National Gun Violence Awareness Day. We will post the photo on social media tomorrow.

Friday 6/5

* Wearing my orange shirt – at home …
* Trying a much easier piano piece to memorize.
* Worked on masks.
* Dreamboat wants broccoli!

I am trying a weekly photo journal of my life during this stay-at-home pandemic. The idea is to post on Sundays and include one photo for each day of the week with some text. I may not limit myself to one photo because I have a hard time with rules like that. It seems a perfectly logical thing to do on a family history blog. This is certainly an historic time.

My journal entries primarily come from my Facebook posts and notes I have jotted in my bullet journal. I’ve gotten behind. Playing catch up!

Sunday 5/24

* Slept in and did not attend Zoom church.
* A cousin I have never met sent some photos and information about a family home.
* Phil’s Icehouse burger for dinner.
* Stormy night.

Monday 5/25

* Memorial Day.
* Christina took some succulents home with her when she left. Birds are eating them! Finches, she thinks. I have never heard of this.
* Made some t-shirt yarn and tried it two ways for masks.
* Church group learned our asylee and her roommate are hungry. They are down to Cornflakes.
* George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police today. An officer held him to the ground with a knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes while Mr. Floyd pleaded for his life, to be able to breathe, for his dead mother.

Tuesday 5/26

* I have such helpful friends! One brought a bunch of masks for me to take to TX Oncology. Love the colorful ear loops! And she was especially adorable in her mustache mask! Another had her daughter drop off some elastic. I didn’t get to see her though. I’ll add a few masks to my friend’s and I’ll be set to go.
* Dreamboat was vigilantly protecting the cookie he didn’t want to eat.
* Took my walk later than usual, but it was so pleasant! Almost cool!
* Zoom Book discussion of Me and White Supremacy.

Wednesday 5/27

* The country is devastated by the horrific images of George Floyd’s death. This comes on the heels of the murder of Ahmaud Arbery while jogging and Breonna Taylor, shot while sleeping in her own bed by police with a no-knock warrant who were at the wrong house looking for a person who was already in custody. In addition, the pandemic is far worse in the Black population, further exposing the systemic racism in our country.
* Zoomed with R to assess her English.
* Made bulgar salad, apple salad, and deviled eggs.

Thursday 5/28

* T’s birthday. We miss her!
* Taught ESL via Zoom.
* Made pesto.
* Protestors took to the streets around the country to protest the death of George Floyd. We have been glued to the news.

Friday 5/29

* Protests continue.
* Made more t-shirt yarn.

Saturday 5/30

* Completed 100 days of playing piano for 10 minutes each day.
* Made lots and lots of t-shirt yarn, which also makes a mess. Watched the news most of the day. When I needed a break from the news, I listened to an audio book.

I worry about the protestors and the virus! Wear your mask and keep your distance!

I am trying a weekly photo journal of my life during this stay-at-home pandemic. The idea is to post on Sundays and include one photo for each day of the week with some text. I may not limit myself to one photo because I have a hard time with rules like that. It seems a perfectly logical thing to do on a family history blog. This is certainly an historic time.

My journal entries primarily come from my Facebook posts and notes I have jotted in my bullet journal.

Sunday 5/17

* Zoom church – took notes again.
* Read this as I was preparing for ESL Book Club: “Good picture books are portable art galleries.” ~ Phillip Nel, from his piece “A Manifesto for Children’s Literature; or, Reading Harold as a Teenager”
* Ironed fabric for masks.

Monday 5/18

* ESL Book Club – Paul Bunyan. It was a little long and difficult in our time frame, but still enjoyable and good discussion.
* Also, I messed up some of the links for book and discussion questions and it was confusing and I had to sort things out in a hurry this morning. Plus the exterminator showed up unexpectedly, setting off the dogs, battery in my mouse died, and one of the new students had lots of background noise and I couldn’t get him to mute. I was worn out by the time it was over.
* Cathy B. and I discussed the need to add a lower level class as we go forward. Talked to Pastor Cathy to get my head wrapped around the need to work on the assumption that we will be doing things online for a long time – that this is no longer temporary crisis mode.
* Really hot day.
* Started another puzzle.
* Zoom meeting with UMW Circle sisters.

Tuesday 5/19

* Met R (asylum seeker) and her friend and roommate on Zoom. Seem like such nice young women.
* A blue flamingo on today’s walk.

Wednesday 5/20

* Day 90 of piano challenge.
* Made chocolate banana bread.
* Long phone conversation with Dad and sister. This almost created a grocery disaster because I was sitting outside and didn’t hear the doorbell. Meanwhile, husband was working upstairs and assumed I was taking care of it. I thought to look just in time – gelato only a little soft. Whew!
* No photos from walk or of banana bread, but I did try a new Chinese recipe.

Thursday 5/21

* Read that you shouldn’t leave hand sanitizer in a hot car. Could cause a fire. Sure is hot here.
* Tump wants churches open. So glad our church leadership wants to protect us and not contribute to unnecessary illness and potential deaths.
* Soup with kale

Friday 5/22

* I was tired today. Mostly did family research in old newspapers and worked on puzzle.
* A couple of finds: Fairfield, IA influenza quarantine. A $500 fine in 1918 would be a big chunk of money.
Good news/bad news at the intersection of flu epidemic and war. No church services, but you will be trusted to buy sugar – on your honor not to use it extravagantly.
* I enjoy this lighted window every time I walk by. It has changed from white to red, white, and blue for the holiday.

Saturday 5/23

* Got our veggie box. Has a green I’ve never heard of – mizuna.
* Made pasta with red pepper, chard and bok choy leaves.
* More research for family history.
* Friend in Rhode Island called me out of the blue. Such a nice surprise.
* Trump says governors must open churches.

Wear a mask; keep your distance; stay safe!