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

Sunday Salon and Coronavirus diary, May 16

Every Sunday we "attend" church at the First United Methodist Church of Eugene (pictured) and our church here in Washington State. One good thing about on-line church, we can attend services wherever we want. Doesn't it look like Hebrew symbols in the light? I am so inspired by this photo. The above photo was taken by Adam Briddell.

Weather: Mostly rainy, with moments of  glorious spring weather interspersed throughout the day.

Habbakuk: This week in my Zoom Bible Study class we turned, for a short time, to a minor prophet: Habbakuk. (The book is found near the end of the Old Testament.) We were all blown away by the scripture as it spoke to our situation today with the coronavirus pandemic. Here are a few of my insights.

• Hab. 1:2-4 essentially asks, "Why is this happening?" with questions like: "How long, O Lord, must I call for help? Why do you tolerate wrong? Strife and conflict abound but the law is paralyzed and justice never prevails or is perverted." Don't you want to ask God why this pandemic is happening? I understand that the pandemic and climate change are all wrapped up together. We have harmed our environment so much that viruses can escape the wild population of animals we should have no contact with.
• Hab. 1:5 is the Lord's answer: "Look at the nations and watch--and be utterly amazed. For I am doing something in your days that you would not believe." He hasn't abandoned us. He is moving. His answer will utterly amaze us. One good thing about the pandemic is we are using less fossil fuels worldwide. It is predicted that greenhouse emissions will fall 8%--the largest decrease ever. (NPR) Could this be one of those utterly amazing things?
• Hab. 2:1 says, "I will stand at my watch. I will wait to see what God has to say to me about these complaints." This scripture reminds me that I need to move my focus off of myself and back onto God.
• Hab. 2:3-4 is God's reply, "The revelation awaits the appointed time." God's timing, not my timing.
• Hab. 3 is one long prayer where Habbakuk remembers all the good things God has done and even if things are bad (no fruit on the vine, no olives on the trees, no animals in the pen) we should still praise God for he is good. "The Sovereign Lord is my strength, he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go to the heights" (v. 19). In other words he is preparing me to be part of the answer. I don't know why we are going through this time of personal isolation, but I do know that God is with each of us right now. There's your sermon for today.

My town should be famous: because it clearly has the hugest rhododendron around. See photo above. (Okay, I see it is two bushes, but they are still huge.) Notice the plants are taller than a house! Not my house, though. I just noticed it as we were driving home from the store yesterday. We had to take a long detour to come back around to snap the photo.

Reading:

• Completed this week---
• XX: Poems for the Twentieth Century by Campbell McGrath---a very clever collection of poems that started at the beginning of the century and moved to the end of it. Each poem covered some event or an important person living during that time period. For example, Picasso had several poems since he lived for a majority of the century. Print.
• Hum If You Don't Know the Words by Bianca Marais---set in South Africa during the late 1970s in the midst of apartheid. A young white girl and a black mother come to mean very much to each other as both are grappling with grief and aspects of apartheid. Audiobook.
• Currently reading---
• Big by Edna Ferber---this is my Classics Club Spin book. Written in the 1920s, it was a Pulitzer Prize winner. 25%, e-book.
• The Restaurant At the End of the World by Douglas Adams. This is the sequel to a favorite book, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe. I relish lighthearted things right now. Can't get much more lighthearted than this. 40%. Audiobook.

The best picture in my head: My husband (Taw-paw Don) and my grandson playing rock-n-roll on the Guitar Hero guitars. Well actually, they pretended to play. Ian would do everything his grandpa would do including jumping up and down and leaning back while crouching on the ground. So cute. Of course, I didn't take an actual photo. Dang!
 

Now for some coronavirus-related humor:

I'm pretty sure all of my appliances are saying these exact words. Though I don't wear pajamas all day, I have been wearing the same clothes for days on end. And I can't believe how often we have to run the dishwasher.

I'm sure this Senator from Arizona meant well. She just misspoke. She meant to say "Asymptomatic" which is very different than "asymmetric." Ha!

Imagine being this newscaster when he discovered what the sign behind his head actually said, not what it was supposed to say. This goof-up really cracks me up.

I am often shocked at how many people in my country are anti-science. This is not so much funny as it is mystifying, really.

I actually wonder if there is anyone who voted for Trump in 2016 that wishes he or she voted for Clinton. Anyone? Think how things would be different if we had someone in charge who really cared about the country and didn't want people to die from this disease.

Seems about right.

Be careful out there. Even if your state opens up early, it still isn't necessarily safe to return to "normal" activities.

What are Fred and George up to this week?

George explores a cupboard he's never noticed before.

Which reminds my daughter, a Beatrix Potter fan, of Duchess in The Pie and the Patty Pan

While his brother was exploring the upper cupboard, Fred was enjoying the lower drawer, which happened to be empty at the time (except for the cat.)

In a quieter moment, the boys pose for a photo together while they survey their domain.

I'll leave you with this thought: It was posted on Facebook by my sister, a preschool teacher. I think it is very apropos---

  

Stay safe and healthy!

-Anne

Sunday Salon and Coronavirus Diary, May 10

Happy Mother's Day!

Her name is Shirley,
but we call her Mom, for short.
Ninety-one years young!

Mom: her other name
is true love--- personified.
We treasure you now.

 

Our first rose to bloom this year. Aptly named Ketchup and Mustard.

Weather: Gorgeous and almost hot. We've done a lot of gardening and just hanging out together in the yard.

Coronavirus---the bad and the good

1. Bad: States are opening up too soon and are allowing the virus to spread. In Florida and Georgia people are arriving from out-of-state to visit these beaches since their states are still closed. Then they will go home and we know what happens next.
Good: There is this guy who dresses like the Grim Reaper and stalks the beaches reminding people what they are doing. Who knows maybe a few people will stop and think.

Maybe they'll listen the to Grim Reaper, since they haven't listened to the message in Jurassic Park and the sequels.

Or maybe authorities should just let them self-destruct.

2. Bad: The President and Vice-President keep going places without face masks, saying they are safe and don't need to wear them. Trump was quoted as saying he wore his face mask backstage before going out to the floor of the face mask factory he was touring. Backstage? What? Does he think he is on a reality TV show playing role of the President?
Good: OK, I can't think of anything good about the poor role models our leaders are, but I thought this cartoon was funny.

3. Bad: School is canceled for the rest of the school year and parents are having to teach them at home or at least make sure that they do their on-line school work.
Good: Maybe now, finally, parents will understand how hard it is for teachers to teach a class of thirty+ students at one time and will quit blaming all social ills on schools and teachers.

4. Bad: We're all quarantined and stuck at home.
Good: Parents, children, and dogs are everywhere in my neighborhood. I've never seen so many families out and about: walking, biking, skating, gardening, playing, chalk-drawing, playing games. We even had a few little fairies grace our neighborhood trees with hanging god's-eyes. They are everywhere and such a happy little reminder of loving- kindness.

5. Bad: We can't get together for worship, meetings, dinners, or other gatherings. There is always Zoom meetings, which are a poor substitute but better than nothing.
Good: At least we get to see other people during a Zoom meeting and then, when it is over, we all say goodbye, which if you've ever noticed is a lot like this Laurel and Hardy sketch.




6. Bad: Society and the economy are now in the toilet. When will we get back to normal?
Good: Maybe getting back to "normal" shouldn't be the goal. Our environment and climate are experiencing unparalleled corrections since our use of fossil fuels is down this year by 4-8%. BBC News. This pandemic should give us a moment to stop and think about how we want to live going forward. I love this quote by author Arundhati Roy.:

And this inspiring thought:

7. Bad: Being at home is so boring. There are only so many closets and drawers that need cleaning out.
Good: We have time to clean out those little hidey-holes where we stash our junk. Plus time to read, draw, do puzzles, play games. Though I am reading less for some odd reason I can't explain, I am still reading and working lots of jigsaw puzzles. I just finished my tenth puzzle. Ha!

8. Bad: I'm not reading as much as usual.
Good: I am spending more time writing these thrilling coronavirus diaries. In case you missed my mid-week diary, I highly recommend that you go back and read it. It is probably my best so far, but who's bragging? Check it out here.

And I'm sure you are wondering what Fred and George are doing this week:

George is trying to break into the bathroom when his mistress shut him out.

Fred emerges from under the bed while George looks on, a prime place to play

Stay home. Wear a mask when you go out. Wash your hands lots. This coronavius is not a hoax.

-Anne

Coronavirus diary, May 5th

Weather: Lovely and sunny, just right for a long walk

Today we went on a magical walk and found some unexpected things. Refer to the collage above as you read about it:

• A garden full of rock people
• God's Eyes hanging from trees on our street. We stopped counting at 26 (because we got home.)
• A flowering cheery, I mean cherry, tree in full bloom
• A tree stump with an artistic display of fungus growing up its side
• A helpful sign in the forest that points two ways with the words, "This Way"--- "That Way". 
• A forest path under cedar trees lined by sword ferns, trillium, salal, huckleberry bushes, nurse stumps, and, of course, blackberry vines.
• Little painted rocks strategically located on mossy stumps in the forest. (We are fairly sure that a lot of fairies have recently moved into our neighborhood.)

Stay home--Stay healthy. Insights and reflections:

• Clean out the drawer where the brushes, combs, and dental floss are stored more than once a decade. Yuck!
• When cooking with rice, pasta, or beans first check to see if there is already one open. I found 25+ open bags of these items in my pantry.
• Action-adventure movies are preferable to Rom-Coms or some serious film. They allow for two hours of coronavirus-free thoughts. "Gosh, that person's life is much worse than mine."
• Attending a drive-by birthday party, baby shower, and/or a welcome party will have to suffice these days.
• I don't like ZOOM meetings or church. I'd never heard of Zoom before this pandemic and I'm already sick of it.
• Lots of people don't wear their masks correctly. What the heck.  But at least they are trying. (But don't cut a hole in it like this lady.)
• The people who irritate me are those who think only of themselves. Read this from Governor Andrew Cuomo;

Time for some humor:

1. Couldn't stop laughing. Watch the reaction of the reporters:

2. Need instructions how to sew a mask? Don't follow Kay.

3.Before posting on TV, be sure to check spelling

4. This one just cracks me up. Simple sense of humor, I guess.

5. And this one is funny to our family because we all have Fitbits and compete each week to see who gets the most steps. (Non-coronavirus humor.)

6. Sounds like good advice.

And now for those requisite cat photos. Let me set the scene. A. George is under the bathroom vanity playing with the white rubber tip from a door stopper. B. Fred is inspecting what his brother is doing under the vanity. C. Every once in a while it is necessary to retrieve the rubber tip if it escapes from George, that is his paw you see.

In the words of James Taylor "Shower the people you love with love! Show them the way you feel. Things are going to be much better if you only will." Watch him and The Voice cast sing it. 

-Anne

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