Sunday Salon/Coronavirus Diary... April 26, 2020

While you've been busy learning a new language and expanding your cooking skills, I've been doing puzzles during this stay-at-home time. I'm on puzzle #10 now. And yes, that is an original Obama puzzle purchased in 2008 with the Borders Books sticker still on the box. While I worked on that puzzle I kept repeating to myself, YES I WILL, since it is a rather difficult one and I worried that I couldn't complete it.

Weather: (Saturday morning) It rained really hard in the morning and then was windy Saturday afternoon. 

At the beginning of the Stay-at-home order in our state I've been reading this classic Western Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. I finished it this week and absolutely loved it.  Read my review here. 

Currently reading:

• Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume. e-book, 33%. 
• Hum If You Don't Know the Words by Bianca Marias, audiobook, 52%
• So Big by Edith Ferber. e-book, my Classics Club spin selction for the quarter

Special occasion: Back in February 2015 went to Leavenworth, Washington for a special Wine and Chocolate weekend. We tested a lot of delicious wines and nibbled on a lot of good chocolates but the very best wine we sampled was a 2010 Malbec from Boudreaux Cellars. We decided to purchase one bottle, even though it was by far the most expensive wine we'd ever paid for. We justified the purchase because we would save it to drink on a very special occasion. That was five years ago and this week we decided that the special occasion had come--we were together and would make something of our love. One month of being home together 24-7 and still finding plenty to love and celebrate. We relished the wine and it was as good as we remembered. Here's to us!

Last weekend we went to a plant nursery...and two women were walking around wearing face masks with their noses exposed. I've been chuckling all week about how people don't even know how to wear face masks. In case you are not sure, here is an article to help: How to NOT Wear a Mask. (Do not wear it this way!)

Crazy week in the news. I am not even going to comment. Read the headlines, click on the hyperlinks if you want to read more.

• A spike in New Yorkers ingesting household cleaners following Trump’s controversial coronavirus comments (New York Daily News, April 24, 2020) 
• Trump speech will require 1000 cadets to return to West Point amid coronavirus scare (New York Times, April 24, 2020)
• Young and middle-aged people, barely sick with covid-19, are dying of strokes (Washington Post, April 25, 2020) 
• There is no anti-lockdown protest movement (Vox, April 22, 2020)
• Jay Inslee endorses Biden, citing private conversations on climate policy (New York Times, April 22, 2020) Good news!
• Covid-19 News: US not involved in global WHO plan to tackle pandemic (NewScientist, april 24, 2020) 
• The Infection That is Silently Killing Coronavirus Patients. (New York Times, April 21)

Book Club via Zoom: Five of our book club members, including me, attempted our book club meeting via Zoom. It was lovely to see everyone's face but that was about all that was good from my point of view. First my computer audio was fuzzy so anytime I tried to talk, I caused static for everyone else...keep your mouth shut, Anne! Next we tried to discuss two books instead of our usual one and we had less time to do it in, just 40 minutes. When we hit the time limit there was no warning. Poof everyone was gone. Ugh, no chance for goodbyes. I can't wait for our next meeting  when we hopefully can meet in person again.

I cried big crocodile tear when I watched this: A group of singers from all over the world sing Coldplay's song, "Fix You" and deliver such warm messages of hope and solidarity. Take the time to listen and watch!

Time for a little more coronavirus humor, to make things a little more bearable, right?

You have to be familiar with the old Star Wars films to get this...

A new title for an old favorite book.

Whew. I was a little worried when I started reading this.

Non Sequitur: 10 Types of Apple Varieties Thought to Be Extinct from Pioneer Days Found in the Northwest. Isn't that wildly fun, odd news?

On the TV, we've been watching: Absurd World; SNL at Home; Zoey's Playlist and we watched the 45 minute S.O.U.L. of the Nation Rally for Joe Biden. Watch it here. Since it is online there aren't a ton of boring speeches. If you are on the fence about Biden, I highly recommend that you watch this. He is such a likeable man.

And the required cat photo:

Scrunched

-Anne