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.
Sunday, 5/3/2020
* Zoom church
* First person I have known personally to die of Covid-19. Dr. White was my kids’ dentist until they aged out. His office was so accommodating to children and parents, they did everything to make the experience a good one. A prize to choose a the end. A report card to go over with parents. He was just a really nice man and skilled dentist who was good with his pediatric patients. I had a “mishap” with my first born that required a trip to the dentist. He smiled and said, “I always like to hear the story behind the visit.” I was embarrassed by my story, as I think he assumed I would be. He had to leave this life without his family by his side.
* Matty got a bath today. He likes to try to eat the water.
Monday, 5/4/2020
* ESL Book club – The Gardener. Good discussion. I keep finding that these books take on new meaning during a pandemic and sheltering at home.
* I’ve been making new friends on my walks. A couple of days ago I met two women who live across the street from each other. They are both named Barbara. They know a friend of mine who has recently moved back to her roots in Alabama. One of the Barbaras was sitting in her yard so we chatted a minute.
Last week a young man ran past me and said, “Hello Ma’m!” We passed each other again and he asked my name and said, “Nice to meet you!” as he ran on. This evening I saw him lying in a yard looking up at the sky – right beside a yard sign congratulating a high school senior. I called to him and told him he had learned my name, but I had not learned his. His name is Slater. Such a nice young man with a beautiful attitude and presence. This is a completely new experience for me. Maybe people are being more social during social distancing? Maybe I am more open to engaging with others?
Tuesday, 5/5/2020
* Day 70 of 100 day challenge. 🎹 10 minutes a day.
* Tomato harvest. We don’t know what kind they are. A little bigger than cherry tomatoes with a brownish hue. …probably heirloom. Friends suggested black cherry or black krim.
* Tried new recipe – Hominy Corn Soup. It was good.
Wednesday, 5/6/2020
* C trimmed my hair in the back, so I thanked her with some vegan pumpkin bread (just substituted applesauce for eggs – I think my mom would approve of the change to her recipe.) As you can see, we don’t like this at all, given that it wasn’t out of the oven until 9:30 tonight and we could barely wait for it to cool enough to get out of the pan.
* Learned that C has been called back to her job in Kansas City. She will leave Monday. I am so, so, so sad. Dreamboat is going to miss her too.
* C has been accumulating plants while she is here.
* I was thinking the crochet trellis might need a bird up top. I’ll have to wait until morning to see if it is the right size. Colbert multi task.
Thursday, 5/7/2020
* The red bird is now on the trellis.
* I realized this morning what I should be researching for my family history – the 1918 flu pandemic. Wonder what stories family have heard and what I can find? My g-g-grandfather was an Old Settler in Lincoln County, KS when the county health officials decided they must cancel the big celebration to flatten the curve. Newspaper article could have been written today.
* Going around Facebook today: “Just to see how simple infection-chains can be, this is a real story from Chicago. The name is fake. Bob was infected but didn’t know. Bob shared a takeout meal, served from common serving dishes, with 2 family members. The dinner lasted 3 hours. The next day, Bob attends a funeral, hugging family members and others in attendance to express condolences. Within 4 days, both family members who shared the meal are sick. A third family member, who hugged Bob at the funeral becomes sick. But Bob wasn’t done. Bob attended a birthday party with 9 other people. They hugged and shared food at the 3 hour party. Seven of those people became ill. Bob became sick, was hospitalized, ventilated and died.
But Bob’s legacy lived on. Three of the people Bob infected at the birthday went to church, where they sang, passed the tithing dish etc. Members of that church became sick. In all, Bob was directly responsible for infecting 16 people between the ages of 5 and 86. Three of those 16 died.
The spread of the virus within the household and back out into the community through funerals, birthdays, and church gatherings is believed to be responsible for the broader transmission of COVID-19 in Chicago. (ref)”
* Tonight’s flower from a different texture of yarn scraps. Not sure if the color pallet will work.
Friday, 5/8/2020
* As Texas opens up more and more, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Thursday said that the state’s first case of community spread in the coronavirus pandemic happened in a nail salon.
* Finished crochet flower and hung on fence.
* Late morning walk.
* C is trying to sell stuff for us on Facebook Marketplace.
* I’m printing this Facebook post I read as a lament and a call to do more than lament:
Black people are so tired. 😓
We can’t go jogging (#AmaudArbery).
We can’t relax in the comfort of our own homes (#BothemJean and #AtatianaJefferson).
We can’t ask for help after being in a car crash (#JonathanFerrell and #Renisha McBride).
We can’t have a cellphone (#StephonClark).
We can’t leave a party to get to safety (#JordanEdwards).
We can’t play loud music (#JordanDavis).
We can’t sell CD’s (#AltonSterling).
We can’t sleep (#AiyanaJones)
We can’t walk from the corner store (#MikeBrown).
We can’t play cops and robbers (#TamirRice).
We can’t go to church (#Charleston9).
We can’t walk home with Skittles (#TrayvonMartin).
We can’t hold a hair brush while leaving our own bachelor party (#SeanBell).
We can’t party on New Years (#OscarGrant).
We can’t get a normal traffic ticket (#SandraBland).
We can’t lawfully carry a weapon (#PhilandoCastile).
We can’t break down on a public road with car problems (#CoreyJones).
We can’t shop at Walmart (#JohnCrawford) .
We can’t have a disabled vehicle (#TerrenceCrutcher).
We can’t read a book in our own car (#Keith Scott).
We can’t be a 10yr old walking with our grandfather (#CliffordGlover).
We can’t decorate for a party (#ClaudeReese).
We can’t ask a cop a question (#RandyEvans).
We can’t cash our check in peace (#YvonneSmallwood).
We can’t take out our wallet (#AmadouDiallo).
We can’t run (#WalterScott).
We can’t breathe (#EricGarner).
We can’t live (#FreddieGray).
We’re tired.
Tired of making hashtags.
Tired of trying to convince you that our #BlackLivesMatter too.
Tired of dying.
Tired.
Tired.
Tired.
So very tired.
Saturday, 5/9/2020
* “Walked with” a friend by phone.
* CSA veggie box. Martin also brought home two little apple pies from farmers’ market and 2 dozen roses for me for Mothers’ Day.
* C is getting lots of plants planted in pots to take back with her.
* Families don’t seem to know much about 1918 flu pandemic.
* Chalk art on walk. Some kids are missing swim team. Go Sharks! And an Amazon guy left his message.
Wear a mask!
