Monday, March 30, 2020

Day 17 of Social Distancing

Spring has sprung! I’m so greatful for another day with sunshine. The air is sweet and the neighbor’s chickens cluck. The windchime is mute today. This morning there is a very loud bird chirping in the bush next to the porch, right behind the porch swing where I’m sitting. I wonder if there is a nest in it, it would be a great place for one.

I’m not sure if what our family is doing is technically “social distancing” I think we are practicing “shelter-in-place.” Only Nathaniel has left to run errands and he has tried to keep those to just what is absolutely necessary. When all this started the terms didn’t seem like specific grades of precaution to me.

I still am happy to stay home, because I know at some point this will pass. Even now, I could leave and go somewhere, our area isn’t in an official lockdown. I did read recently a little about Typhoid Mary. She was a real person who carried Typhoid but didn’t get sick. Eventually she had to live in quarantine permanently. That sounds absolutely horrible to think about. That doesn’t seem likely to happen now, thankfully. Any time I think of those bizarre cases and get worried that could happen to me I remember— I’m not that special. The reason this situation isn’t upsetting to me is I have hope.

“Remember Red! Hope is a good thing, may be best of things and no good thing ever dies.”

Oooh! I just heard a glitter of wings and a grey blur went by, and suddenly that loud bird’s call is gone. Which reminds me of another Shashank quote…
“I have to remind myself that some birds aren’t meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up does rejoice. Still, the place you live in is that much more drab and empty that they’re gone.”

I’m greatful that this place I’m sheltered-in-place is bright and so free the birds come here on purpose.

Sunday, March 29, 2020

Day 16 of Social distancing

The morning is beautiful! The air is fresh and filled with bird songs. Yet even with the birds there is a stillness. I noticed it last night. It’s a quiet you can feel. Like the ground is still. There are new shades of green every where I look.

Yesterday consisted of a lot of chores. Nathaniel went to the store really early and shopped for us and my parents. When he got back we washed or wiped down everything he bought. Plus cleaned the kitchen and washed dishes, straighten a credenza we are using like a side board and covered it with an old plastic shower curtain and a cloth to protect the surface, fixed a shelf, sorted through the spices….it got tedious.

Then we had a bonfire and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows and we all wished we could have invited others over. Nathaniel got the boys showered and in bed–thank goodness. Turns out several Facebook friends were outside and we all saw that venus is near the moon and very bright. I bet it will be out tonight as well. It was pretty.

Today we will stream our church service through YouTube. Have lunch and I hope to do another “Formal Dinner Party” tonight.

Happy Sunday morning everyone!

• 

Saturday March 28, 2020

Day 15 of Social distancing

The sky looks a little over cast but doesn’t feel overcast. The air has the sweetness of a Spring Tennessee morning of memory. Its the kind of morning that makes me want to plant flowers, reminds of Easter mornings, and imagination.

This is my 3rd Saturday of not going anywhere. I haven’t been bored. My kids miss seeing people but I don’t think they have been bored either. The rain and fog last week may have made everyone gloomy and less inspired. Now that the weather is nice its brightened the mood.

I want to go through my sewing and stay out side and read books and bake and….so many things.

…but I think I’m going to have stay in with the little boys and direct them cleaning up their room. It’s a mess and its been a mess and since they share they think they can excuse themselves from cleaning by claiming, “I didn’t do it.” This sentence induces apathy to their plight in my heart more often than any other statement they utter.

Ugh I’d rather do laundry, dishes, or clean toilets…go somewhere…. than sit in their all day making them clean….then again 🤔 and I’m just thinking outloud….if I send them outside and I clean it, I can trash all the junk and instead of listening to them fuss and complain like children half their age I could listen to podcasts or play Netflix on my phone.
We shall see, the fresh air and birds call.

I watched Dr. Strange last night. That has been my favorite Marvel movie yet. I felt way more involved emotionally. There was loss and risk in the choices and power used that was far more convincing and engaging than anything that might have happened in Civil War.

How are you spending your Saturday?

• 

Friday, March 27, 2020

Day 14 of social distancing.

The bright orange sunrise is peaking through the trees. The air is full of Spring smells and sounds. The rain and fog are still lifted. The grass is so very green. The rodadendren has buds.

Two weeks ago today was my last day out. It was a C.C.* day with the younger boys and the last day the teens had school. Today my teens have all their schoolwork due for the week–the latest in public school conducting itself more like homeschool class. It’s still bizarre to me. My younger boys will have C.C. at home via zoom and they have been really looking forward to seeing their classmates even if it’s on a screen.

Then we start the weekend. I imagine this weekend will involve more Marvel movies. Since we were able to get Dysney plus for a year for free with our cell phone the kids have been getting me to watch all of them in order. Not only have I started the 3rd phase movies, I know what the 3rd phase is. The only movie I skipped was Hulk. I think Dr. Strange is next. My impression of Super Hero movies hasn’t changed since I started watching. They’re ok.

What are y’all doing over the weekend? I’m not sure how long we are supposed to be hunkering in place but I’m personally good to go for a while. Though at some point I might want take out from Rallo’s! I think they might even be delivering since they dont have dine in right now.

P.S. We made cowboy’s pie (what I think we should call shepherd’s pie if made with beef instead of lamb) for the second night in a row last night and doubled the recipe so we have leftovers. It’s so good.

*C.C. stands for Classical Conversations, it is the homeschool classes my homeschoolers are in.

• 

Thursday, March 26, 2020

Day 13 of Social Distancing

Today it’s so bright (🎶I gotta wear shades🎶) I can barely see the pond. The sun is hot on my face. More birds are joining the morning chorus, the wind chime doesn’t move. Light glitters off the leaves of the trees.

I have no idea if we will get much homeschooling (by the actual homeschoolers) accomplished today with sunshine like this. I expect we will at least try to do some of it outside. The “distance learners” of course will have their assignments. My daughter, one of the distance learners, is good with the ‘homeschooling’ part of all this but is really missing people and spent time in the phone with people. My son, who is distance learning, cleaned up much the school room all on his own compulsion, the sunshine we experienced yesterday gave him motivation to do something he told me.

Some ladies in our homeschool group are getting together for tea [in my case coffee🤫] via zoom this afternoon.

I’m down to mixed match socks today so I suppose I should do some laundry.

My nine yr old tells me this morning that he had a dream that Nick Fury gave him an eye patch. He has some great dreams that could seriously be turned into short stories.

Projects:
I still have some work to do in fixing my chair.
I still want to make some medical masks and also saw a thing about making caps (is that the term?). There is a need for ones that cover long hair. The caps seem less technical and I’m sure I have supplies that would work.

The sun is so bright and warm I had to turn my back to it. I am reminded of the end of The Voyage of the Dawn Tredder.

Have I become so accustomed to the darkness that the light hurts my vision?

• 

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Day 12 of social distancing

The sky is overcast. The air is cool. The intermittent breeze rings the chime. Birds sing loudly, a rooster crows and I hear chickens cluck. The pond looks green today.

Staying home takes a lot of my stress away. I know why it causes it for others. I have not been bored once in 12 days. There is always something to do, wash, clean, straighten, put away, create, teach, read, or watch. Plus kids to remind, discipline, correct, peacemake, instruct, encourage, love. Which, probably is why leaving my home stresses me because I can’t do all the things if I’m not home. And when I get back I’m too tired to do everything.

But even so, problems don’t quarantine themselves (like Epstien didn’t kill himself) just because there is a pandemic. My kids still argue about the same things they always fight about, the frustrating things about my husband still frustrate me…and I’m no peach. If anything we see our flaws more because there isn’t all the other activities to distract.

This is like all of us got put in one of those “Get Along T-shirts” It’s one big get-along boot camp.

Ephesians 4:31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Words to live by, if I can.

Oh the sun is starting to warm the air even through the clouds!!! Maybe it will come out and play. I hope so, the clouds and the fog feel like a blanket of tiredness and sadness.

• 

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Day 11 of social distancing

A gentle thunder drowns out the few birds loud enough to be heard over the constant rain fall. This morning I couldn’t even see the trees from the window because of the fog. This isn’t fog. This is a cloud and it’s a rain cloud. We are in the rain.

A friend and head of our homeschool group is doing a a craft via zoom with the kids from class today. I think the boys will like seeing friends. The craft is educational and has something to do with Shakespeare.

My teens are sleeping later, it’s hard to convince them not to sleep late. And with weather like this who can blame them.

Yesterday the younger boys ended up playing in the rain and went through more than one set of clothes. Today is even more grey, more wet, more gloom. If they can’t go outside today, they might be bouncing off the walls!

That’s is all from me, the girl living in a cloud, which isn’t nearly as romantic as it sounds. 😉

• 

Monday, March 23, 2020

Day 10 of Society Distancing

Its raining buckets. The porch swing was damp, I grabbed a mattress cover from a pile of clean laundry to sit on (there is always piles of laundry FYI). The rain is sounds pretty, the chime adds its notes, and the drum beats on.

I’ve been saying “social distancing” but I may have understated it. I haven’t left my house since Friday a week ago. My husband has run errands to his office and the store (and one trip to the ER🤦‍♀️). He washes his clothes as soon as he comes home and wipes down or washes what he buys. I know a lot of people who think it’s over blown, and I don’t honestly know if I would be in that camp if I had cabin fever.

I never really thought about it much until now, but every morning I wake up and think to myself, “What is today, and what do I need to do?” The days I remember I don’t have to go anywhere is a complete relief. You might think that means I don’t like people, but that’s not it. I’d love to have people over all the time (the major trouble being those piles of laundry…and other kid mess. Lol 🤣). No, it’s not really that. Do people go to each others homes to have dinner, and play games, or talk any more? My parents had friends they did that with when I was a kid.

I’m not sure how this “social distancing” thing will change us. And I wonder if my dread (Dread seems like a very strong word….yes, its definitely too strong. Think if a printer was almost out of toner had to print dread.) of going out will lessen or become worse over time. I seriously hope it’s not the later. Because barring pandemic leaving my house is kind of inevitable.

Yesterday was a good day, we had church at home, the normal kid problems of fighting and back talk, but not bad. We had a “formal dinner party” and I made everyone dress up. There was some grumbling at first by the younger kids but I think by the time they got dessert they were fine.

I started fixing one of my chairs but I won’t tell you how until its finished because you will definitely think I’m nuts if you dont already.

I haven’t sorted out my fabric and sewing. which is a complete jumble after moving, to see if I can make medical masks yet. Sorting will be harder than sewing them. But I have set things in order enough that I can do an exercise video in my room, which I’d been planning to do set up for about 5-6 months. Let’s hope it isn’t that long before I actually do the work out. 😊

How are y’all doing? If anyone as sunshine, post a picture!

• 

Sunday, March 22, 2020

Day 9 of Social Distancing

It is really cold outside this morning. My fleece blanket doesn’t block the cold breeze on my cheeks. The windchime is singing louder than the birds.

Yesterday was a simple day-movies, frisbee, the pond, and burgers. They’re was some melt downs and crying late afternoon when picking up brush in the yard to gather for a bonfire soon. But it was dinner time and we managed to get through the upsets. We’ve actually had more peace and less fighting lately. But that’s an easy bar because recently the kids had hit an all time high of arguing and bickering.

Today is Sunday and it will be family worship together with our church streaming on YouTube. They have comments turned off but I almost wish they would turn them on for 3 minutes durring the greeting time.

Whew. I’m gonna have to finish my coffee inside because my fingers are freezing trying to type.

Have a blessed Sunday.

• 

Saturday, March 21, 2020

Day 8 of social distancing

The clouds are back. The birds are more subdued, but still sing. I hear a wood pecker. The lateness of the hour probably explains the birds quiter chorus. It’s been a lazy morning in bed while the younger kids watch Ratatouille.

I’m posting a slightly different shot today, in hope’s that someone can help me identify the bush that’s by the front porch.

If the sun comes out we hope to go for a walk/mini hike and grill hamburgers tonight. I’m not sure right now though the sun and the clouds seem to be arguing whose day it is.

My coffee is in a pink mug that says, “Keep calm and do the laundry.” Today really ought to be a big laundry day–I do love clean sheet day.

Craft project ideas–

1. I have several old chairs where the seats are messed up (you know the woven kind of seat?) and I’m wondering what I could do to fix them so I could have chairs on the front porch.
2. What do my healthcare professionals think about the homemade surgical masks? Do you think they would actually be effective? I don’t know how much elastic I have on hand, but it would be nice to do something that is helpful.

My Saturday is different than the weekdays, but I’ve secretly fantasized about being able to stay home all the time (which by the way, I could have done far more easily if I had NOT homeschooled).

What does your Saturday look like?

• 

•