Junk Food

If you have nothing else to do ( what a joke, I could clean until next year and never finish) in such times, your mind might run to things you can do to make yourself healthier. My rational mind is buying the bigger package of blueberries, downing extra C, throwing chia seeds on whatever holds still, swigging water.  Alas, I have an irrational self that's keeping pace and is ever eyeballing that bag of chips and wanting a lunchmeat sandwich on white bread with mayo. Comfort food is not called that for no reason. When we were kids, believe it or not, lunchmeat sandwiches were a treat.  With seven kids, Mom could stretch one chicken a lot further than a package of lunchmeat. Wait, lunchmeat didn't come in a package, you had however much you wanted cut.
 My saving grace, I really do love celery.  I bought two packages to keep myself entertained with something crunchy.
I am the Queen Bee of chasing every thought down a rabbit hole.  I wonder and ponder at how awful this is and all the conundrums spinning around me.  Like the admonishment not to hoard, but just do your regular shopping, so I go out to do that today and there are a million people there. So how does that even work, don't hoard, but keep your distance.
Then there are things I'm loving, like seeing music entertainers entertaining us is in their sweats and messy hair in the kitchen with nothing but their beautiful voices.
All those wonderful grocery people putting up their biggest smile and stretching their patience as far as it will go.
As mind wandering goes, I imagine what good could come from such times.  Even while thinking that I am reminded that none of that would much matter to me if this costs me another person I love.
Still, since this menace is upon us, I love seeing people show their best selves. Encouraging one another, saying things that should have been said a long time ago, maybe even crazy things like having voice to voice conversations. What?
I feel like I am going to have to completely reinvent myself here without a classroom.  That has so long been my passion, I don't know where to look for another one.  I can send packet after packet of work and I will, but nothing I can send will ever substitute for the one on one teaching I do day after day when a child doesn't get a concept and I show them for literally the 40th time. You might say I'm being dramatic. I promise you  I am not.  While I continue to push through the curriculum, I continuously review and keep at with a little one who, for whatever reason, struggles with moving information to their long term memory.  Then, there is the one, or two or five, who have an amazing muscle memory, who I refuse to leave sit and have to teach them deeper material one on one and keep them going.  I also want there to be joy, so keeping a revolving list of go-to activities that they love like coloring, sewing, creating, signing.  It is my multi-ring circus every day.  I'm going to be so bold as to say there is no packet or online anything that can replace me.
It never turns off because as soon as I come home I'm hatching a plan for the gramerlings and a camp I'll do in summer.
Okay, let's have some more smiles.

Elderberry

While in the past I have firmly believed elderberry to be my friend, it apparently is not in the case of this new evil beastie.  Doctor friends who use it as well say it can do more harm than good in this case.  Somehow it feels better to feel like you are doing something positive for yourself, but guess I wasn't.  So far, Vitamin D, C and Magnesium are still good choices- especially from natural sources. So if there is sun today, I will be in it and I'll make some homemade lemon/orangeade.

Let's smile awhile!

Ever a First

So today is my first official day of having nothing going on.  I got all the medicine mess attended to yesterday, only four trips to three different pharmacies, but we're good now for 90 days.  I dropped off and picked up Uncle Jimi for Physical Therapy, which I know he needs, but I wish he wasn't doing. After six weeks of visiting in a hospital setting, it was sure good to see him in his ovie alls, and walking with just his walking stick.  I was scheduled for a Dialysis pick-up, but Jake is working from home today, so I don't need to go.
I've never been a productive person when there is no other person involved.  I assume I will work as long as I can.  I don't like pod casts, I prefer to read. I don't like TV at all.  I hate to clean, especially by myself.  Kaye would always come over back in the day and boss me around while I cleaned my own house to her specifications. It was great.  I have three hundred and forty seven things I could do and don't want to do any of them.
I will bake some bread to make some home door knob deliveries.  I have cards and stamps, so will send some notes, I will make some good chicken soup.  What you going to do today?

Do you know who these spring beauties are?

I listened to, "His eye is on the sparrow" this morning. Thank you Johna, that is great tune to have rolling around in my crazy brain.

Oh, Corona

My mind flies in crazy circles, or flinging tentacles or ways I can't describe.  I think of all the could have beens, which are soon crowded out by all the could be's and still try to focus on the right here, right now. It is a challenge.
Fear is such a huge factor.  I do not enjoy being fearful. I don't know how to not be fearful.
For me, cutting me off from my classroom and my people is just painful.  I know people who love their own company and aren't in the least bothered by such things. I was only in that crowd once, when I had that revolting food poisoning issue. Then, there was not a single thing that interested me. I did not cook, text, talk on the phone, or even read, if you can believe that.  So. Weird.
I haven't read much about what you can do besides distancing, but no matter, I will only be able to distance so far when my brother needs to be toted here and there and we have to have medicine and after switching Handy Man to my insurance I must go to negotiate with various sources about what to do about this $1400 med my insurance doesn't cover. Then there are medical people dear to me who need childcare. My brain is a whirring dervish.
So, believing in being proactive, I looked around.  I know there are science people who don't believe in natural paths.  I know I teach in a small room with a bazillion germs floating about.  When I started   using X-Clear spray and taking elderberry at a flu symptom and Pine extract, zinc and extra C at a cold symptom, my number of illnesses was greatly relieved.
So I poked around to see if somewhere there were things to do in addition to distancing and handwashing and found this site.
https://fullscript.com/blog/covid-19
All of us have to pray, and be as wise as we can.  When I try something new, I do it one thing at a time in case I do have some sort of weird reaction.   I also look at different places to see what reactions have been reported.  My theory is, if it doesn't hurt and it might help my immune system, I am taking it.
Even in my prayers I question why I should get a break someone else is not getting.  Then I go back to Word, "You have not because you ask not."  So I'm going ask, for myself, for my people, for your people and for the world.
And because no one can be uncheered by a baby goat, who am I kidding, a baby anything, here ya go.
And may God bless us every one!

 Then a little painting.

Change of Birthday Plans

UPDATE-They are tightening up rules at rehab in light of the current corona virus situation.  Uncle Jimi is supposed to get out on Sunday, so we're moving his birthday celebration to my house on Sunday evening at 5.

Moving On

Handy Man headed off to his new job today, both of us feeling a little nervous.  So, what do I do when nervous, cook.  I didn't think it would hurt to arrive bearing gifts, so I sent  him off with cinnamon rolls and a prayer.

I had been in contact with the secretary via e-mail for things I needed to scan and send  and was surprised to get a note from her this morning, thanking me for the rolls- sweet.

He said he fit right in and didn't appear to be in any way traumatized.  He said, "A mold is a mold."  So, while the money is less and he's back to newbie vacations, it seems like it will be a nice place to work.  I really don't know how it will feel to him to not be cussed at on a regular basis, but I'm guessing he won't mind much.

We are starting week six with Uncle Jimi.  Aunt SuZQ and Aunt Tish rode in like the calvary last week, praise the Lord.  I've been able to mostly just go first thing in the morning to take coffee and first breakfast.  

His birthday is Thursday.  He is 63, same age as Kaye and Glenda when they left here. Needless to say, we're looking forward to this birthday. It is next to impossible to make plans because I don't have clue one what criteria they are looking for to boot him out of rehab. At this point, he is still having transfusions.  But if he is there till Thursday, we'll have cake and ice cream and whatever else we can pull together last minute between 5 and 6:30 at Southern Indiana Rehab.  Come and see us if you'd like too. 

We will all be so glad for him to be home, but his health will now be his full time job.

I try to do Sunday dinner, no matter.  We've enjoyed having the fire pit moved closer to the house. Without fail, if the coats can go, then a trip to the creek is in order. Rock skipping was the order of the day.   Mr. Smiley said, "Look Gramerly, an arrow head."  I thought he found a triangular rock. Yeah, he did.  This is four inches long and very obviously hand knapped.  So. Fun. He was so excited and like the gold rush, his brother started looking, right? Giddy-Up made some comment and Mr. Smiley said matter of factly, "I believe you're jealous."  His brother replied, "I am, but not so much that I'll complain."  Wow, I love that kind of honest communication. Way to use your words boys.

I was able to get  my students in the creek today too, which makes for all told, happy gramerlings and happy students!  Thank the Lord for some spring!

On the Move

Uncle Jimi was transferred to Southern Indiana Rehab, not without the usual nonsense. He was exhausted last night, but about as exhausted this morning because he didn't sleep last night.  Today his heart rhythm is again wonky and  he has to have dialysis again this evening after just having it yesterday morning.  If this one doesn't get the water off and let that heart rest, we will be headed back to the hospital I fear.  I had very mixed feelings about him leaving the hospital, but after an entire month he certainly needed a change a scenery. Thank you for your prayers on his behalf.