We had a family meeting over the weekend - Ed set up a zoom conference and he and Meg met us from their home in North Hollywood, Jake and Audrey met us from their home in Pleasant Ridge, MI, Abigail from her Omaha home on Blondo Street and Darcy from her temporary location on Mason Street here in Omaha. It was great fun to see and talk to everyone and we managed to chew up nearly an hour and a half of internet time. So much fun in fact that we will try to do it again this weekend.
If nothing else, this pandemic exercise has urged that we spend a lot more time getting in touch with family, checking in and making sure that all is in order. Jake and Audrey check on their two, Adrian living with his Mom in Jackson Michigan and Sabrina sheltered at Ft. Hurlburt in Florida, courtesy of the USAF. Ed’s three are spread around the State of Maryland. Avery in her apartment at Towson University in Towson, and Spenser at home in Hagerstown. Chris, likewise, is in Hagerstown, being a hero delivering the mail with USPS.
Tuesday evening, Deb usually has a girls night out - “drinks nite” - at a local watering hole where she meets with a few of her friends, most of whom read this blog, so I won’t name them. This week, the plan was to continue over Zoom; however the technology was defeating for some so it is now rescheduled for Friday evening to try again.We did, however, have a “social distance” cocktail hour with our friends, Deb and Tim Duggan; Tuesday evening, they came to our house, carrying their tote bag of wine and beer. We had set up a tray of hors d’ouevres, properly gloved up, and set on the patio table under the Cinzano umbrella in the back yard. We stayed up on the deck, a good 12 feet away as they arrived directly from the car, avoiding entering the house. We spent a nice 90 minutes talking and enjoying our cocktails. Mark made a pair of martinis for the ladies and it was nice to see friends in the flesh. The weather was cooperative and ended on a very pleasant note.
We went on our Wednesday shopping tour - Mark stayed in the car while Deb fought her way through three grocery stores, Costco, and the gardening center. Masked and gloved, she was appalled that, even though our state is under a mandate to wear a mask in public, she encountered less than a handful of the hordes in the stores wearing a mask. Masks were seen mostly on store staff. People evidently have adapted an attitude that either they are invincible, immune, or just don’t care what happens to others - every one for themselves in our selfish society. Perhaps if Dear Leader deigned to mask up, others would get the message? As thousands die in NewYork, all that can be talked about is how soon we can get back to work.
We spent a number of hours in the garden this week. As expected, the snow of last Friday disappeared in less than 36 hours and the plants stretched out as if newly fertilized. Now we are enduring low temps and winds gusting to 40 mph, this too shall pass. Mark has stepped back from the Master Gardener gig for a while - his immune system is suppressed due to his lack of a spleen from a childhood accident. Medical advice and carping from children finally prevailed.
Cooking also takes up time. Mark continues to make bread, Deb is gearing up for more cookies and pies, and our friends and neighbors, also over cooked, are dropping off food as if we either had a death in the family or are infirm. To be fair, we do the same to them. We have received potato salad, chicken noodle soup, soda bread, naan and curry dip, not to mention the support we have shown to local restaurants purchasing lasagna and fried chicken. This too we shared. We still have two meals a week designated as “clear the fridge” or “leftovers” nights.
Some evenings, we just sit on our front porch, share a glass of wine and watch the glorious “pink” moon in the evening.
