Today on Facebook I read a post asking for prayers. The post was from a son needing prayers for four family members. He said his Dad would likely not pull through. The other family members weren’t doing great either and a couple were being moved to ICU with a variety of issues.
My 2019 brain thought it was a car accident most likely. My 2020 brain realized the family all has COVID-19. 🙁
While so many are gaining weight during the pandemic, Dharma has been on a diet. She has her girlish figure back, you guys! Wish I could say the same for myself.
She needed this nap after an exciting ‘house guarding‘ experience that started with a short siren whoop. I could hear Christmas music playing loudly outside before I got to the door to see it was a firetruck decked out with flashing Christmas lights.
There were several cars following behind — one with a kid that shouted at me… so I shouted back. 🙂
How severe the pandemic is in the places where people I care about are located… Daily NEW COVID-19 cases (7 day moving average): Indiana-90.2 (up); Jackson Co – 108.2 (tad down) — 7.77% infected (up); Florida 47.9 (up); Nevada – 79.3 (down)
TIL (today I learned): The Tin Man in “The Wizard of Oz” movie cried chocolate syrup. Actual machine oil didn’t show up well in film.
There’s a new survey that lists the four things that make practically everyone feel loved.
They are:
When someone shows compassion toward them in difficult times.
When a child snuggles up to them.
When their pets are happy to see them.
When someone tells them, “I love you.”
All those things are wonderful and do work most of the time for most people — but that #2? I’m not snuggling with any child. Not mine — and not my amazing granddaughter either. 🙁
I certainly feel the Oxytocin dumped when my puppies gaze at me the same way they look at turkey noodles (they LOVE turkey noodles!), but I’m not the only one missing hugs of compassion and love right now. You are too, right?
Still, the study is a reminder of the simple things we can all do to show appreciation of one another and make this COVID beast a little easier to carry. Let’s all try harder to spark feelings of warmth and tenderness during these totally shitty challenging times.
COVID-19 isn’t all that’s changed things around here, and a fire in the fireplace isn’t the only difference between 7 years ago and now in the ‘escape the 80’s house’….
How severe the pandemic is in the places where people I care about are located… Daily new COVID-19 cases (7 day moving average): Indiana-93.1 (down a tad); Jackson Co – 123.1 (up) — 7.45% infected (up); Florida 45.9 (up); Nevada – 82.5 (up)
TIL (today I learned): Every Christmas season, an estimated 3.6 million Japanese families treat themselves to Kentucky Fried Chicken. It’s become a nationwide tradition! Although my Mom would love that… Chinese restaurants are the only eateries that I know of that remain open around here on Christmas Day. 🙄
WASHINGTON — The latest report from the White House Coronavirus Task Force said Indiana must increase mitigation efforts to combat the ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases. (Read the article here..)
Masking, distancing, hand washing, no indoor gatherings of anyone outside of immediate households, and aggressive testing are all listed as what Indiana SHOULD be doing. But we’re not. Considering it’s COLD, we aren’t going to be having cookout or picnics — not much to do outside in the winter in Indiana.
It’s going to be interesting to see if the Governor of Indiana pays attention to this and rolls us back a notch. It will be interesting to see what the Seymour Mayor does. I want to know what the Jackson County Health Department’s response is too! Because as bad as Indiana is… Jackson County is MUCH worse.
On the upside, local hospital employees will begin COVID vaccines next week. They’ll be getting the Moderna vaccine and not the Pfizer one because of storage requirements. But on the the downside, the Jackson County Public Health Officer said regular people would likely not have a vaccine available until AT LEAST the end of the 1st quarter of 2021.
And on the upside, at least I have some presents wrapped and under the tree…
Figure it up — we’re looking at summer before the average ole’ general public is vaccinated and has some immunity built up. That’s if there’s no shortage and it goes as planned. I’m thinking I need to get the peskies in a nursing home ASAP! Otherwise, they’ll likely lose their ever lovin’ minds before they’re able to get a shot.
How severe the pandemic is in the places where people I care about are located… Daily new COVID-19 cases (7 day moving average): Indiana-102.6 (same); Jackson Co – 157.3 (up again) — 6.7% infected (up); Florida 44.2 (up); Nevada – 83.3 (up)
TIL (today I learned): General Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in 1947 as part of his standard USAAF $283/month Captain’s salary. He died on 12/7/20 and was the man for whom the term “The Right Stuff” was originally created. This West Virginia hero had eyesight better than 20/20 and he served as a fighter jet pilot in 3 wars.
(My favorite brother, SIL, Gen. Yeager and his wife)
While the inside tree was up and decorated just a wee bit early, the outside lights just made their appearance today. Thanks to Perry… he did 100% of the work.
I had other things I had to do at the exact same time! Important things! You know, like things that simply couldn’t wait…
I’m ready for the snow that’s supposed to begin around 3:00 AM. I’d love a foot at least, but the forecast says less than an inch. This time last year we’d already had a decent amount — a ground covering snow.
Perry detests winter and snow makes him grumpy. He constantly complains because he’s cold (the big baby). I’ve got to hand it to him this time though, I didn’t hear even one utterance of “bah humbug” as he was decorating outside.
But… that might be because I was doing those other important things. 🙂
How severe the pandemic is in the places where people I care about are located… Daily new COVID-19 cases (7 day moving average): Indiana-89.7 (down a tad); Jackson Co – 111.8 (down a tad) — 5.25% infected; Florida 37.4 (up lots); Nevada – 73.7 (up lots)
**Still no ding dongs, large packages of bounty, or turkey breasts.
TIL (Today I Learned): Taco Bell has failed twice to expand their operations to Mexico. Once because Mexican customers thought their tacos were too expensive (1992), and another time because they were unfamiliar with the menu items (2010).
My good friend, Alisa, is the best cook I know. She gives me recipes I never try. By giving me recipes, I really mean that she rattles off ingredients in one looong run-on sentence. To me it sounds like, “Blah blah blah, milk, blah blah flour, blah blah blah.” At the end she always exclaims, “It’s really easy!”
No. No it’s not.
Since March, I’ve spent more on groceries than I have in the past 10 years combined. I’ve cooked all my standby dishes that everyone seems to like… multiple times. I’m famous (probably because no one has gotten sick yet) for my chili. I make a mean chicken fettuccini alfredo. I’m good with gravy. My deviled eggs are amazing. Ummm… that’s it!Tada!
Post-Rona, I’ve been cooking like I think I’m in line to be the next Betty Crocker. I’ve been saving recipes to try and have dabbled a bit making new things. My chicken nuggets with Marion Kay breading have made it to the good list. Yippee!
Our family has never made a big deal over Thanksgiving. Nanny used to cook — pies the night before and early to rise to cook until grace was said at the table — but once she died, no one wanted to be passed the Turkey Day baton. No one wanted ME to take it, for sure.
That’s life. You don’t always get what you want. I don’t want to cook; others probably would be happier if I didn’t. As my favorite granddaughter says…
You get what you get and you don’t throw a fit.
I just got word the Peskies will be home for the holiday! Because of the RONA, I’m going to make a traditional meal and just let everyone know to pick up a sampling.
And I’m going to try something new, you guys! Some sweet potato fancy shit stuff. Now don’t get in your head I’m making this dish all from scratch or anything, but for me — I’m going pretty far out of my cooking comfort zone. You’ll know how it turned out as soon as I do. 😉
I get frustrated with the current situation, but for all the disruptions and challenges, I still feel grateful my family is healthy. Even though work is in the toilet, I still have food to screw up. This too shall pass. And I have this to look at…
How severe the pandemic is in the places where people I care about are located… Daily new COVID-19 cases (7 day moving average): Indiana-94.6 (UP); Jackson Co – 93.0 (up significantly); Florida 33.7 (up); Nevada – 57.9 (up)
TIL (Today I Learned): The Lewis & Clark expedition only suffered one casualty. Dysentery, snake bites, a dislocated shoulder, venereal disease and Lewis being shot in the buttocks after being mistaken for an elk all threatened the group’s well-being, but the only man to die did so as a result of a burst appendix. Read 10 little known facts about the expedition…
