Sunday Salon and Coronavirus diary, May 31st

"The Kiss" Photo credit: D. Bennett

Weather: We woke up to a thunderstorm on Saturday morning. The weather earlier in the week was perfect. We ate outside almost every meal and found ourselves just sitting on the deck enjoying ourselves.

Making memories: Last weekend we babysat our grandson. His mommy went to visit her sister in SF and his daddy had to work. So we got to have fun together. We went to the Washington coast one day. We planned the whole event so we were self-contained and didn't need to interact with anyone else. Ian had a great time. He ran away from waves and tunneled, with his finger, for clams. See photo above, where Ian is poking his thumb in clam holes and Bingley is giving him a big kiss. Everything about the day was perfect. It was not even that windy or cold at the beach.

     The next day we took the rocks we had decorated and hid them in the park which has a forested section. Ian was so earnest in finding just the right hiding spots and so proud of himself when we were done. Later he told his mommy all about each rock as they looked at this collage I made of the event.

Better Days: This video, with contributions from around the world, was centered around the OneRepublic song, "Better Days." I love watching these. I get so inspired by the message that we are all in this together and it won't last forever.

"Oh, I know that there'll be better days
Oh, that sunshine 'bout to come my way
May we never ever shed another tear for today
'Cause oh, I know that there'll be better days."

Republicans Against Trump: This webpage is dedicated to republicans and conservatives who cannot, will not support Trump any longer and will not vote for him in November. There are over 100 videos of their stories. I watched about 10-15 of them to get a flavor for the project. It left me feeling hopeful. If you know someone who has turned (from the dark side?), suggest they record their story here.

Humor in the time of the coronavirus, because we really need to laugh right now:

• -This is really short so don't worry if you don't understand Spanish. Here a cooking demo doesn't go according to plan. ((Click the link. It is worth it. Come on. Don't skip this.)

• -Creativity is really blossoming these days. Here's a twist on the Billy Joel hit, "Longest Time". I've watched it a bunch of times and enjoyed it over and over. Click play right on the screen.

• - OK, this article isn't funny but it is about how humor can help ease stress during the pandemic. Click this link if you want to read more. This paragraph alone explains why I am including humor in my Sunday Salon posts.
  

  Humor helps people take back their sense of power in a powerless situation and it helps them connect with others—two things we have lost during this pandemic. And although there is nothing particularly funny about what we're going through, science suggests that those funny memes, crazy TikTok videos, and snarky online quotes may be just what we need to ease the overwhelming fear, anxiety, and grief many of us are dealing with on a daily basis.

• -Satire is another fun form of humor. Here is an excellent example. Imagine the headline of the NYT on January 20, 2021 (Inauguration Day) if Biden wins. This is very cleverly done. I spent quite a bit of time looking at all the article titles, too. Parody Created By Barry and Geoffrey Golson.
• Even Jane Austen is getting into the act:
  

Even dogs are practicing social distancing these days:

No need to explain this one:

Or this one:

We're living a cartoon life now:

I know this is hard to read because it is cream on purple, but the description of the holiday, Koronakah, is so funny:

What is with all the anti-science people?

Summer Bummer: There's disappointment about Seafair (Seattle's summer festival) being canceled this year. But I can relate to the Seafair pirates who now have more time for puzzles. I think I just finished my 15th puzzle of the coronavirus pandemic.

Copyright: David Horsey, Seattle Times

And finally, what do you do if you are a sports broadcaster and sports are canceled?

BBC sports commentator narrates Australia's penguin parade in lockdown voiceover

Reading:

• Completed in the last two weeks:
• Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. Audio. Carly's comment when I told her I was finally reading this book, "Everyone's favorite book in fourth grade." Well, I liked it a lot, too.
• A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood by Fred Rogers, with movie tie-in. Print. I loaned this one to my daughter after I finished it. I love Mr. Rogers.
• The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams. Audio. Sequel to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. So funny.
• Miss Kopp's Midnight Confessions by Amy Stewart. Audio. #3 book in the Kopp Sisters series. We were reading book #1 for book club that got canceled due to the pandemic so I am reading on.
• Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram Kendi. E-Book. Sadly this is a perfect book to enlighten me about the backdrop for what is happening in Minneapolis right now. The adult version of this YA book won the 2016 National Book Award for nonfiction. I highly recommend it.
• Currently reading
• So Big by Edna Ferber. Print. My Classics Club Spin selection. I'm supposed to be finished by tomorrow. I might make it. Depends on the weather. Good weather, unlikely. Bad weather, better chance. 60% complete.
• The Water Dancer Ta-Nehesi Coates. Audio. Next month's book club selection. About slavery and the underground railroad. Heavy stuff for heavy times. 53%

What are Fred and George up to? This week my daughter shared photos of the boys that made me laugh. First they keep playing in the entertainment center, one on one level, the other on another. Don't you love those tails? Next, in the spirit of their forebears, the boys spent some time on the top of the refrigerator. All our cats have loved getting up on the fridge so they can have a high vantage point on the world. Since my daughter's apartment doesn't have a fridge the cats can access themselves, she put them up there. They seemed to like it.

Prayers for the family of George Floyd and for our nation right now.

Stay safe out there as your state/country starts to open up more.

-Anne