Pandemic Journal - Day 249

The death toll now for Covid-19 is nearing 1,000 people a day nationwide, according to the media. We've had 261,000+ die from this virus. That's a lot of folks missing from tables when the holiday rolls around on Thursday.

Still, people think this is a hoax, and that wearing a mask is infringement upon liberties. I don't think it says anywhere in the U.S. Constitution (or anyplace else) that wearing a mask during a public health crisis is an infringement upon anything.

It might be the thing that saves your life. Goodness knows, you can't bitch if you're dead. Since bitching and not minding your own business is the national past-time, I'd hate for all of these people to miss out on that because they up and died.

****

We are planning a small Thanksgiving, with just my husband and me. We will talk to family members, I'm sure, but we are not having a big meal. I have hurt my back and am not up to cooking a big dinner, and while leftovers are nice, turkey is not really something I care to eat day in and day out. We will have a turkey breast, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, and apple pie. I may throw in some green beans if I decide we need something green on the table.

I had planned to decorate for Christmas on Sunday but that will now depend upon how my back is doing by then. I saw the chiropractor this morning and she said I had inflammation and muscle spasms in my left trapezius. It started after I had a rather long guitar session one night while my husband was out hunting with his buddies and I needed to entertain myself. 

Apparently, I overdid it, or maybe I lifted something that I don't remember and the guitar jam was a final straw.  It hadn't been bothering me to play the electric guitar, so this was a surprise.

It's too bad I can't find a decent small electric guitar that weighs about a pound. 

In order to keep my fingers calloused, I've pulled my guitelele out of the closet. It is small and light and hopefully will suffice for a week or so while my back heals. The chiropractor told me to leave the guitar alone until my back was all better, but she doesn't understand that the callouses and practice are necessary to my sanity.

****

I simply don't know what to do with people in general anymore. I've had folks say some nasty things to me over the past six month that I've overlooked. But I don't really want to be around them or continue to have much to do with them. I think they know they said things that hurt me, but they do not apologize.

"I'm sorry" would go a long way. I try to accept the subsequent actions as the apology I suspect it is, but I am tired. When I think I've hurt someone, I say, "I'm sorry," along with making amends if I feel it's required. I don't just carry on and hope they didn't notice I just told them I thought they were stupid. (I'm stupid because I want people to have health care. Gosh. How ignorant of me.)

Blue Jays and Cardinals

 

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. What did you do for Thanksgiving when you were a kid?

A. Ate turkey, set the table for my mother.

2. What’s your favorite family tradition?

A. We don't have any traditions. We just eat.

3. What’s your favorite way to give back and help others?

A. Hand over money.

4. Name one person who can make you laugh, even months later. Why?

A. My brother.

5. What is the funniest thing you remember about a Thanksgiving past?

A. My mom made a pumpkin pie that didn't turn out well. We called it "pumpkin pudding." My mother was upset but the rest of us thought it was funny.

6. Do you have any unusual traditions, rituals or habits around Thanksgiving?

A. No.

7. What time do you eat your Thanksgiving meal?

A. About 6 p.m.

8. Name one ancestor that you think about on Thanksgiving and tell us why.

A. My grandmother, because she liked to eat at noon instead of at 6 p.m.

9. Is there a family heirloom at the Thanksgiving table? What its story?

A. There is no heirloom.

10. What is your favorite part about Thanksgiving Day?

A. When it is over.

11. What is something that was done for you this year that makes you grateful this Thanksgiving?

A. My friends have kept me sane.

12. What foods do you usually have for Thanksgiving?

A. Turkey, sweet potatoes, dressing, cranberry sauce, green beans, rolls.

13. How has the celebration of Thanksgiving today changed from when you were little?

A. No little kids running around, no grandparents, not a lot of people. It's a lot calmer.

14. If you could share Thanksgiving dinner today with one person in history who would it be? Why? (Note: it can be a relative)

A. Jane Austen, so we could talk about writing and how life was like in her era.

15. What is one wish you have for the next generation as they begin to establish their own Thanksgiving traditions?

A. That they actually have traditions, and understand that there are things in this world for which they should be thankful, not limited to but including their health, their brains (hopefully they will have learned to use them), whatever financial security they have (however limited), and the people who love them.

________________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday 9: Walking on Broken Glass

Saturday 9: Walking on Broken Glass (1992)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) Annie sings that she feels she's walking on broken glass. What's the most recent item you broke?

A. One of my Corelle plates that came with me when I married. I have one of them left.

2) She sings about being cut until she bleeds. Tell us about a time you needed stitches.

A. I had thing cut out of my lip called a mucus cell. It was very painful and involved stitches in my lip. I remember I kept working, and I had to go to daycare center to take pictures for a news story. The little boys could not stop staring at my lip. The editor wanted to put the reason for their looks of fascination in the cut line of the picture, and I objected, but he did it anyway. I showed a picture last week but here it is again.

3) This week's featured artist, Annie Lennox, was born on Christmas Day. Do you know anyone whose birthday falls on a holiday?

A. I know folks whose birthdays are close to holidays, and one person born on February 29. But not anyone whose birthday actually falls on the holiday.

4) When Annie met Dave Stewart, with whom she'd form the duo The Eurthmyics, she was living in Australia and staying in a tiny apartment called a bedsit. The occupant has his/her own combination bedroom/living room with cooking facilities, but must share a bathroom. Tell us about one of your early apartments.

A. When we first married, we lived in a small four-room  house - basically a living room, kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom, with a half-cellar under it. It was not well-insulated and was incredibly cold in the winter, and the only place to put the washing machine and dryer was in the half-cellar which could only be reached by going outside and then down a short flight of steps. We stayed there 7 months, and then moved.

5) After the Eurythmics broke up, Annie went out on her own. Would you rather work independently, or as part of a group?

A. Independently.

6) Among her many honors, Annie Lennox was named chancellor of Scotland's Glasgow Calledonia University. What's the last college campus you visited? What brought you there?

A. That would have been Roanoke College, when I went to see my nephew graduate, and one summer we went to Virginia Tech to see the memorial to the 32 people who died in a shooting there. I can't remember the years. I may have been back to my own alma mater's campus since then, but details are sketchy in my mind.

Memorial at Virginia Tech

7) In 1992, the year this song was recorded, compact discs outsold cassette tapes for the first time. Back in the day, did you enjoy making your own mix tapes?

A. A very long time ago, I listed to the American Top 40 Countdown and made tapes.

8) Also in 1992, Johnny Carson made his last appearance as host of The Tonight Show.  The catchphrase, "Here's Johnny!" was associated with the show. Can you think of another popular TV catchphrase?

A. "Be kind to one another," which I think is Ellen Degeneres phrase at the end of her shows. And then of course, there was, "Here's your host, Alex Trebek!" of Jeopardy! Pancreatic cancer sucks.

 

9) Random question: Think of your past week. Now look ahead to the coming week. Would you like it to be more, or less, exciting?

A. I've been sick (not Covid) and we're not doing anything except staying home. It would be nice to have an outing, but we're not going anywhere. I mean, who would want to leave this view, anyway?

______________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however. 

Sunset

 

Thursday Thirteen

The other day one of my professors posted that she had written "just" 32 novels - and that she was now removing herself from the "just" society. Thirty-two novels is quite an accomplishment, but it was "just" mass market paperbacks, or ghostwriting, or whatever.

This made me think how that one four-letter word needs to be removed from every description of ourselves. Because we're not "just" a human being. We're all human beings. We're each as important as the other, from the beggar in the street to the man who would be king. It's also a matter of self worth. I'm not just Anita. I'm Anita.

1. I'm not just a woman. I am A WOMAN. (I can roar, too.)

2. I'm not just a writer. I am A WRITER.

3. I'm not just a wife. I am a WIFE.

4. I'm not just a lover. I am a LOVER.

5. I'm not just my father's daughter. I am MY FATHER'S DAUGHTER. (His only one, too.)

6. I'm not just a sister. I am MY BROTHER'S SISTER. (His only one, too.)

7. I'm not just a poet. I am A POET.

8. I'm not just a friend. I am a FRIEND. A pretty special one, to some people.

9. I'm not just a news reporter. I am a NEWS REPORTER.

10. I'm not just the recipient of three colleges degrees. I have THREE COLLEGE DEGREES.

11. I'm not just the chief cook and bottle washer around here. I am THE CHIEF COOK AND BOTTLE WASHER!

12. I'm not just a blogger. I am a BLOGGER.

13. I'm not just a video gamer. I am a VIDEO GAMER.

That's actually empowering. I'm going to remove that word from everything!

_____________

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while and this is my 683rd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

37 Years

Today is my wedding anniversary. I've been married 37 years. Funny, in my head I'm only 33!

My man doing what he loves to do

Us in 2020!

Us about 15 years ago.

Us 37 years ago.

As Autumn Leaves the Valley

 

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. Something held together with ribbon, string, or rope.

A quilt given to me by my great aunt.

2. Something related to travel.

Hot air balloon flying over the farm.

3. Someplace people gather

High school marching band at football game.

4. Something cold/frozen

Ash tree and fence after a snow.

5. Something with a hole in it.

My mouth after I'd had stitches
in my lower lip around 2006

6. Something striped

The remnants of a barn built circa 1859.

7. An animal.

A bee in the zinnias.

8. Something cute.

A doe washing off her second born after giving birth to twins in my front yard.

9. A food.

Cooked turkey!

10. Something warm

The sun during the 2017 eclipse.

________________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

 

Saturday 9: All of Me

Saturday 9: All of Me (2013)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) John Legend sings he loves his woman's "perfect imperfections." Tell us something quirky or imperfect about a loved one that you would not change.

A. He has a lot of body hair. More there than on his head, actually. It's turned silver in the front.
 
2) John wrote this love song to his wife, Chrissy Teigen. The couple recently lost their baby after pregnancy complications. To whom did you most recently send a sympathy (or "thinking of you") card or message?

A. My sister-in-law, niece, and nephew on the loss of my sister-in-law's mother to Covid.
 
3) While adventurous in his creative career choices, John admits his taste in food leans toward the tried and true. His favorites are chicken (rotisserie or fried), macaroni and cheese, and steamed vegetables. What's on your weekend menu?

A. Chicken. A baked potato.
 
4) When he was growing up, John's mother, Phyllis, helped support the family as a seamstress. Are you any good with a needle and thread?

A. I can sew on buttons, hem pants, and maybe repair something, but that's about the extent of my sewing skills.

5) As a child, he was such a big fan of Andy Griffith and Matlock that he wanted to be a lawyer. If you grew up to have the same occupation as the TV character you liked best as a kid, what would you be doing?

A. I'd be either a bionic woman working for the government or an Angel working for Charlie.
 
6) John is a judge on The Voice. Do you watch that show? Or America's Got Talent, or American Idol?

A. We recently started watching The Voice (just last week). We haven't watched any of the three before.
 
7) In 2013, the year this song was popular, twin baby pandas were born at Zoo Atlanta. Their panda parents had been given to the US as a gift from the Chinese, with the understanding that any offspring would be given to China. So, in 2016, the panda cubs were flown to a Chinese conservation center. They had a hard time adjusting at first, confused by jet lag, unresponsive when spoken to in Chinese, unimpressed by their new diet. Have you ever found yourself similarly overwhelmed when you traveled far from home? (BTW, the pandas are doing just fine now in their permanent Chinese home.)

A. I haven't been more than an 8-hour drive from home in 37 years. Usually I'm just tired when I get there and am fine after a good night's sleep.
 
8) Also in 2013, The Pope posted his first tweet. What social media platforms do you regularly use?

A. I use Facebook. I have a Twitter account but I don't use it much. I also blog. Blogging is my preference, because if people are reading this, it's because they want to be here to read it, not because it's in your face.
 
9) Random question: Have you ever a) written something on a public wall or b) carved anything into a tree of bench?

A. Somewhere in the mountains behind my parents farm, in the National Forest that is back there, is a big beech tree which I shall call the carving tree. It was riddled with initials. My brother walked me back there one day and we carved our initials into the tree. I do not know if the tree still exists, nor could I find it again if it does. It was in the middle of nowhere, honestly. How so many people came to pass it by and carve initials into it is beyond me.

______________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however. 

Thursday Thirteen

1. Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth. ~ Abraham Lincoln

2. In a free society, government reflects the soul of its people. If people want change at the top, they will have to live in different ways. Our major social problems are not the cause of our decadence. They are a reflection of it. ~ Cal Thomas

3. It was once said that the moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped. ~ Hubert H. Humphrey

4. The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter. ~ Winston Churchill

5. Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country. ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

6. The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only object of good government. ~ Thomas Jefferson

7. It is to be regretted that the rich and powerful too often bend the acts of government to their own selfish purposes. ~ Andrew Jackson

8. Our government . . . teaches the whole people by its example. If the government becomes the lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. ~ Louis D. Brandeis

9. We have the best government that money can buy. ~ Mark Twain

10. The greater part of the governments on earth may be termed monarchical aristocracies, or hereditary dominions independent of the people. ~ Ezra Stiles

11. Our future cannot depend on the government alone. The ultimate solutions lie in the attitudes and the actions of the American people. ~ Joe Biden

12. Our ability to participate in government, to elect our leaders and to improve our lives is contingent upon our ability to access the ballot. We know in our heart of hearts that voting is a sacred right - the fount from which all other rights flow. ~ Stacey Abrams

13. No government, no organization, no citizen can afford to be less than vigilant in combating bigotry, intolerance and hatred. And frankly, our way of life depends on that vigilance. ~ Barry O'Farrell

Read more at https://www.brainyquote.com

_____________

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while and this is my 682nd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Star Trails

 

A Cardinal

 

Birds

 

Even though I have that wonderful bird book my brother gave me, I still am not the best at identifying birds. The only one I'm sure of is the blue jay. I think the first two might be tufted titmouse, and I have no clue on the last one. I haven't found a picture that looks like that bird yet. Of course, it is a very fat book with lots to look through.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. What’s something no one wants to hear but everyone should?

A. No human being is an island unto his or her self. We are all connected; each death diminishes us all. And we're all going to die.

2. What’s the most annoying animal you’ve ever encountered?

A. A skunk. It wasn't the skunk's fault. The dog went after the skunk in the dead of the night, and cornered the skunk on the front porch. The skunk sprayed everywhere. It was awful. I couldn't get the dog away so the skunk would leave, I couldn't shoot the skunk because it was backed into the corner on the porch. My husband was at the fire station. I called him and he said he would come home. As he was coming home, I turned the water hose on the dog and finally she moved away from the skunk. For years, the front porch smelled like skunk every time it rained. And yes, we cleaned it with everything we could think of, multiple times.

3. How much does language affect our thinking?

A. Some people are visual and think in pictures, while others think more in words. But I think the effect of language upon our psyches, from commercials to casual conversation, cannot be overstated.

4. Do you prefer to watch movies in the theater or in the comfort of your home?

A. In the comfort of my own home at the moment.

5. What topic could you spend hours talking about?

A. Writing, music, books, religion, politics.

6. If you could run away from it all and start fresh somewhere new, would you?

A. I would give it serious consideration.

7. What’s the most polarizing question you could ask a group of friends?

A. What are your thoughts on a woman's right to choose what to do with her own body?

8. Do movies have the same power as books to change the world?

A. An Inconvenient Truth did a good job of changing some things, so probably.

9. What would you rate 10/10 ?

A. Van Gogh's Starry Night painting.

10. What are you really good at, but kind of embarrassed that you are good at it?

A. Coloring. Who'd have thought I'd be good at coloring?

11. Who do you go out of your way to be nice to?

A. Everyone. I always attempt kindness. I may not be successful, but I try.

12. What problems will technology solve in the next 5 years? What problems will it create?

A. I would like to see technology resolve issues with pancreatic cancer, perhaps better surgery techniques and MRIs, genetic testing or some other way to diagnosis it sooner. Generally this cancer is not caught until it is in its late stages. As for problems, I think that unless social media is regulated or otherwise controlled, that will continue to create individual bubbleheads who are incapable of understanding that people are multi-faceted and that there are many sides and solutions to various and sundry problems.

13. What from the present will withstand the test of time?

A. Amish wooden furniture.

14. What movie would be greatly improved if it was made into a musical?

A. I have no idea.

15. What is something common from your childhood that will seem strange to future generations?

A. A rotary dial phone. It already seems strange to current generations.

________________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday 9: For All We Know

Saturday 9: For All We Know (1971)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song is about newlyweds looking ahead to a happy life together. What are you looking forward to today?

A. I am not a newlywed and my husband and I are old. Mostly we look forward to actually waking up in the mornings.

2) They look forward to getting to know one another better. Tell us about someone who knows you well. Is it the person who has known you the longest?

A. My brother knows me better than most people. We have all that childhood stuff together, and he reads my blog. He's attentive. He doesn't always listen, but he seems to hear what is most important.

3) The song lyrics are credited to "Robb Wilson" and "Arthur James," but those aren't their real names. Robb Royer and Jimmy Griffin were founding members of the 70s soft-rock group Bread. Are you familiar with that band? If so, do you have a favorite Bread song? (Find their greatest hits here.)

A. I've always been a big Bread fan. Here's me playing my favorite Bread song. Probably not one of my performances, but it was a get-through-the-summer thing:

4) Richard Carpenter discovered this song on his afternoon off when he and sister Karen were on tour. He took a few hours to unwind at  the movies, heard this song in the film Lovers and Other Strangers, and decided it would make a perfect Carpenters record. How do you like to unwind?

A. Read a book.

5) Karen Carpenter drank unsweetened iced tea, every day, all year long. Do you prefer your tea hot or cold? 

A. I drink a cup of hot tea every morning. Otherwise, I drink only water, with an occasional exception of a ginger ale or root beer.

6) Elvis was a fan of Karen's and, according to the recollection of singer Petula Clark, hit on her when she and Clark visited him backstage in Vegas. Pet recalled Karen was very innocent and said, "I felt responsible for her so I got her out of there." Tell us about a time when you looked out for a friend.

A. I haven't seen anyone in months. If nagging my husband to do things to help out my mother-in-law counts, then that. He doesn't pay attention when she mentions she's having trouble with certain things, so I see a solution when I learn of an issue, and then nag him until he fixes it. Case in point: handrails on the steps leading up to the house. Just two steps, but the handrails made a big difference to her. We gave her a couple of Alexa dots to put throughout the house so that if she fell, she at least could shout "Alexa, call . . . " somebody. I recently found out Alexa won't call emergency, which seems stupid, so I've been trying to talk my husband into talking her into getting one of those "Help, I've fallen and can't get up" things. We only live 3 minutes away and we check on her twice a day, but a lot can happen in just a few minutes.

7) President Richard Nixon was a Carpenters fan, too, and invited the duo to perform at the White House at an official dinner for West German Chancellor Willy Brandt. If you could hear anyone perform live in an intimate setting, like a dinner party, who would you choose?

A. I was supposed to see Melissa Etheridge perform live last March, but the show was cancelled and then rescheduled and cancelled again, and now appears to be in a state of permanent postponement, so I'll go with Melissa Etheridge. I've watched many of her online performances during this crazy year, and she has a wonderful outlook on life, signing off with "Speak True, Choose Only Love, It's a Choice," a sentiment I agree with. Plus I lust after her guitar collection.

8) Today Richard collects classic automobiles. He has a 1964 Ford Thunderbird, like the one Beach Boys sang about in the song "Fun, Fun, Fun." Can you think of another song that mentions a car?

A. Fast Car, by Tracy Chapman. Nowhere to Go, by Melissa Etheridge.

9) Random question: Do you tend to feel more content at the beginning of the day, or at the end?

A. I feel most content around 3 p.m., when my chores are done, my husband isn't home yet, and my time is own.

______________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however. 

Timber!

During high winds the other night, a dead red oak tree fell over in the back yard.

I heard it crack and crash about 6:15 a.m.

We have lost a lot of trees in the last 18 months. The ash borer took out all of the ash trees and several oaks died. I think the ash borer also hit the oak trees, but maybe it was something else. Maybe they were simply older trees and it was their time.

I tend to think of trees as living forever . . . if we'd only leave them alone. But of course they do not, though they may live for thousands of years. Several trees are known to live over 4,000 years, and a grove of trees in Utah is thought to have been alive for 14,000 years. (This is called a clonal colony and is not an individual tree, but a large living organism.)

The oldest known oak tree in the US is thought to be 850 years old or more.

Mine, I think, succumbed to a disease or bugs.

Losing trees makes me sad.

Thursday Thirteen

I know Election Day and the current situation with the vote counting is no laughing matter . . . but I'm doing Election jokes anyway.

Q: On election day, what did Delaware?
A: Her New Jersey.

Q: What kind of limb did the candidate for president go on?
A: An executive branch

Q: What did the corrupt senator order on election day?
A: Stuffed ballots.

Q: What grows longer every election year?
A: The branches of government.

Q: Where did the politician take his wife for something sweet?
A: On a candydate

Q: What is the capital of Washington?
A: W.

Q: Where can children vote?
A: In swing states

Q: What is the capital of Alaska?
A: Don’t Juneau this one?

Q: Where do poll workers get trained?
A: Electoral College

Q: What do you call an argument between a politician and one of his donors?
A: A conflict of interest.

Q: What US state gives out tiny drinks to voters?
A: Mini-soda.

Q: Why did the county legislator fall asleep?
A: He was one of the Bored Members.

Q: How hot was it in Arizona this summer?
A: It was so hot that people were sweating like a politician on election day.

_____________

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while and this is my 681st time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Dona Nobis Pacem

 

The Lady Cardinal

This female cardinal took up residence on my bird feeder for about half a day recently. She sat regally in the same spot for a very long time. The smaller birds stayed away while she plopped on the side of the feeder. She wasn't eating much, but she may not have needed to. She was a fairly plump bird.

On the other hand, every picture I took of her has a seed hanging out of her mouth. Maybe she was having a big buffet.