More thoughts in the time of COVID-19
Thursday, Day 15 … It was announced yesterday that all local schools are closed until next fall. Paul was issued an iPad (or something similar … a chromebook?) on which he does his homework, talks with his teacher, and interacts with classmates. He is writing a journal. He is actually printing … they no longer teach cursive in 2nd grade. He and I talked about how sometime in the future someone might be interested in how an 8-year-old boy experienced this pandemic and it seems his teacher had the same idea.
Sign of a good teacher?!
~~~
Friday, Day 16 … I am in the throes of switching banks. The one with which I have been banking for oh so many years has been sold and the new owners seem to have decided to switch from being a local server to being a big business bank and have started charging fees for everything.
Because I have Social Security and my pension straight deposited, I have had to make sure those deposits were sent correctly and then switch all the source information for paying my bills online. It was done with only a minimum of bad language.
~~~
Sunday, Day 17 … It is snowing again/still. Spoke with my chosen sister in LA this morning. Our grandson/great nephew will soon be thirteen and his Bar Mitzvah had been scheduled for the end of May at the family Temple (Isaiah, in LA). That is now on hold, as is my trip south.
Mark’s church is doing services live each sunday morning during the lockdown. This morning, due to the snow, the house lost power. I got out my Bible and a Bible Story Book from back in the 30s so Paul and I could do our own Sunday School lesson about Palm Sunday. Because Passover was the reason for going to Jerusalem, we learned a bit about Passover as well.
I now have my very own beautiful facemask (complete with removable, washable insert) thanks to Jennie, one of the ladies from St Barnabas. I’ll be right in style the next time I venture out, plus there is now a souvenir to put with family pictures once this is past.
My Sis and I also spoke about the lack of notices in re the posting of blogs. I lost my contact list when my old computer died and I have yet to make contact with someone in Yreka who is said to be able to retrieve info off a dead hard drive. I will continue to plan on that since a lot of my genealogical research was on that drive as well. But until then I am trying to reconstruct that list. If you haven’t been getting the weekly notice, and want to, contact me at wilma@dibelka.us and I’ll see you are added to the list.
And this seems a good time to say THANK YOU to all of you who choose to read this blog. It keeps me feeling alive and connected.
~~~
Monday, Day 18 … Snow started a bit after 0600. This is turning out to be a really interesting start to April … no fooling.
On my way into the store a few days ago, before the snow started, I saw a pair of Canada geese down at the reservoir. Only one pair. Makes me wonder how all the migratory birds are handling this weird weather … not yet Spring and yet no longer really Winter.
A couple of days ago I went through the almanac checking the moon signs for the next few months and marking my calendar in re the best planting days. Now if it will warm up so the dirt can can be worked …
Oh well …
~~~
Tuesday. Day 24 … I started thinking this morning about counting the days and thought ‘It’s been more than three weeks.’ So I took down the calendar and counted. Sure enough, I was off by almost a week. Oh well …
This morning the sky is clear, but it isn’t much above freezing. More plants to rejuvenate the courtyard garden are due to arrive this week. All I can do is keep them warm and watered in my room until the weather turns and I can take them outdoors. My new elderberry is having a bit of a struggle (it probably could do with a bigger pot) and the witch hazel isn’t yet budding although it seems, to my expectant eyes, there is slight swelling at some growth nodes.
The brown turkey fig tree is showing its appreciation at being upstairs with me. A new shoot off the root has nearly tripled in height, and the two cuttings I put in water are both showing terminal buds although I haven’t seen any roots yet.
Last week I did some pussy willow cuttings to see if I could get them to root and only one has failed to join the race to see who can grow the most new roots the fastest. I will have at least nine or ten starts to set out along a creek in a month or so. I think pussy willows are great welcome signs of Spring.
Also last week I rediscovered Lewis Thomas in one of my stacks of books. My teacher had given me copies of some of his essays years ago. I remember scanning them, but never did an in-depth read. Wow … I’m currently into “The Fragile Species” with essay titles like “The Life in the Mind” and “In Time of Plague” and “Science and the Health of the Earth“. Copyright date is 1992. A time of plague, like now, seems to be a time to relearn.
I am getting hungry for a bit of easy reading however. I may try Denman’s “The Queen’s Man” next. I’ve always been interested in Eleanor.
~~~
So here it is wednesday again … here’s a toe tapper to start a new week …
… and here’s a thought to make you smile …
Let your mind be as a floating cloud. Let your stillness be as a wooded glen. And sit up straight. You’ll never meet the Buddha with such rounded shoulders
(From the book “ZEN JUDAISM” by David M Bader)
So … ‘til next week …