Sunday, May 31, 2020

Pandemic Third Month


May Journaling

1.    I filled up my tank only because gas is so cheap; 80 cents/litre. I could have easily gone six weeks to the tank.

2.    I’m growing vegetables hydroponically from scraps. I’ll plant them outside when it warms up.

3.    COVID19 week seven. Indoor grilled steak and shrimp.

4.    I’m so grateful we still have an income and employment. When this is over, I’ll be even more grateful for hugs from my grandkids.

5.    I planted some vegetables grown from scraps into my stand-up planter boxes. Made chicken fajita lettuce wraps.

6.    Beautiful day for a walk in the neighbourhood. So many people out walking these days. Made Lake Erie pickerel and corn on the cob. Virtual prayer meeting.

7.    Making turkey and mashed potatoes. My husband’s big project is to clear out the garage so he can fit both cars in instead of just mine. He also needs to buy a small shed for the backyard.

8.    Homemade mushroom soup and turkey club sandwiches.

9.    It’s snowing! Snowing! On May 9th! I can’t believe it. We had steak and baked potatoes and salad for dinner.

10. COVID19 week eight. Also the second Lord’s Supper. It’s Mother’s Day. My girls bought me a Downton Abbey cookbook for my next dinner party. We ordered High Tea to go from the Tartan House B & B where we’ve taken our moms before. I also ordered one for myself. I am going to my mom’s to share ours together in her backyard, while staying apart. I also bought her a washable mask from a local designer. I am bringing some salsa to my sister for her birthday.

11. I bought some groceries, took a nap, and worked on my podcast.

12. It’s my sister’s 58th birthday. I can’t believe we’re both grandmothers (Mummis) now. I also had a pain clinic appointment for nerve block injections to my back. Glad they’re still open.

13. Virtual prayer meeting. My husband did the Bible study.

14. My mother-in-law turned 75 today but because of the pandemic we can’t celebrate. My daughter’s mother-in-law turned 65 today. My mom turned 80 in March and we had to miss that celebration, too.

15. It’s been two months now since we’ve been self-isolating. They’re starting to ease restrictions. Looking forward to seeing my grandkids again. Our daughter is due with her third baby any day now. She will deliver at home with a midwife for obvious reasons.

16. Not sleeping very well for some reason.

17. Ordered Greek food delivered.

18. Victoria Day.

19. Ravi Zacharias has died. He was a Christian apologist and preacher. He was converted from Hinduism after attempting suicide at the age of 17. He lived to age 74. Another great Christian leader of our generation promoted to glory. He was a Hindu from India. One of his best friends was a young man named Nabeel Quereshi, who was a former Muslim from Pakistan, who predeceased him quite young. According to the world, these two should have nothing in common. But in Christ, they are brothers. I can imagine the reunion, as they meet at the feet of the Saviour they both loved and served.

20. Virtual prayer meeting. Today was so warm, our whole neighbourhood seemed to be out walking.

21. We have a third grandchild; Maren Emilia. She was born at home during the global pandemic. “Thursday’s child is full of grace,” as a poem says. The midwife barely got there on time. Her mom only had a few hours of labour, and only 20 minutes of active labour. They called 911, the police got there first. They must have been afraid they’d have to deliver; as they didn’t even go into the room. Then the paramedics arrived, so the police went out to their car. The midwife ran up the stairs as she was pushing. So the paramedics left. You were born on a beautiful sunny day. She weighed 7 pounds 10 ounces which is a good size. It took a while for her parents to agree on a name. She is a rainbow baby; a baby who is born after a pregnancy loss; because she represents hope, like the rainbow after the global flood in Noah’s day.

22. We went and picked up the other two to sleep at our house for three nights. We hadn’t seen them for ten weeks because of the lockdown. The new parents wanted some time to spend with the new baby alone. We never expected to have more than two grandchildren, so she was a nice surprise!

23. I forgot how busy these kids could be. They saw my husband’s mom today, which made them all happy.

24. My mom came over to see the grandkids, we sat outside. She hadn’t seen them in ten weeks.

25. Snow earlier in the month, then a heat wave. Crazy.

26. Pain clinic for nerve block injections to my face. So glad they’re still open. These two pain clinics make my life bearable.

27. The weather is all over the place; snow two weeks ago, then a heat wave this week.

28. We got a garage door opener on the second door. My husband’s goal since we moved in ten years ago was to fit both cars in the garage. He has cleared out a lot of junk but needs to buy a shed before it can happen. Staying at home, all our news is about the house.

29. Our new little granddaughter is so cute.

30. We had a virtual women’s ministry meeting to meet the new team.

31. My husband is staining our new deck that was built last summer.

Friday, May 1, 2020

Easter Dinner by Zoom






April Journaling

1.    April Fools’ Day, the only holiday of Atheists. “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” We did an online Bible study and prayer meeting. So nice to chat with friends from church.

2.    So my daily new normal is to have my coffee while I read my Bible, have breakfast, tidy up, then write for most of the morning, eat lunch, nap two hours, make dinner, and sit in front of the t.v. the rest of the night. Sometimes I write more while the t.v. is on. Nowhere to go, no one to see. We still have income, which is more than many, so we are thankful. My husband works for water supply, which is an essential service, so he still goes in to work every day. The gas prices are down and traffic is light. They’ve split up the skilled workers for safety because they’re the only ones who can run the system. Some days it’s just him and one other.

3.    Face-timing with the grandkids is all we get these days. I miss them.

4.    COVID week three for church online.

5.    Getting my winter tires off today. Walked back from there.

6.    Taking daily walks in the neighbourhood, so at least that’s good.

7.    With the new restrictions we can’t see the grandkids at all and may even miss the birth of the new one if it’s as stringent by the end of May when she is due.

8.    My daughter is in her third trimester and is nesting; getting the room ready for the new one. The other two are now in bunk beds we bought them.

9.    I’m pandemic-baking. Today was lemon poppy seed cake. I froze some, and will give some away.

10. Good Friday. We listened to some favourite hymns before the online service. Some of my faves are O Sacred Head and His Robes for Mine. We had Moroccan Carrot soup and crab cakes for lunch and pickerel and salmon, mushroom risotto and green beans and carrots for dinner. We’re eating well.

11. Nice long walk listening to preaching.

12. Covid week four online at church. We had a virtual Easter dinner over zoom with 21 of us. We were on for 2-1/2 hours. We look like the Brady Bunch. I’ll post the picture. It was nice to see each other. We also each did a rant and rave.

13. We’re all going to be fitter or fatter at the end of this. Even though we’re walking more, we’re also cooking more, so it could go either way. Today I made pea soup to freeze.

14. My husband took a day off to switch his winter tires.

15. Online prayer meeting again.

16. My chiropractor and massage therapist’s office is closed so my appointment was cancelled.

17. Thinking of trying to record some videos of me making soup. We’ll see how that goes.

18. Facetimed with the grandkids. I miss them so much.

19. Church online covid week five. Soup and crab cake for lunch. Roast chicken, steamed carrots, Caesar salad for dinner.

20. Beef stir-fry for dinner. Walked to the drug store.

21. Our three year old granddaughter swallowed a one-inch metal piece of a music box on purpose last night. They brought her to the children’s hospital emergency room and did an x-ray. It had already started traveling so they think she’ll be able to pass it without a problem. We were so worried about her.

22. Our granddaughter safely passed the little key from the music box. They washed and saved it. I’ll post a picture. I’m going to include it with the yearly letter I write to each of them that they will open at age 18. We had a virtual Annual General Meeting last night.

23. Virtual prayer meeting tonight.

24. Dropping off some food to missionaries we support. We are still getting an income and we have more than enough, since there are just two of us. I can fill five bags of groceries to give away and not feel it at all. They have a new baby and he just lost his job. My husband has his virtual exam for his seminary apologetics course that was started live and finished online because of COVID.

25. Church online covid week six. Shrimp stir-fry for lunch.

26. Last sunny day of the week so I went for a walk. Chicken and dumpling soup and Greek salad for dinner.

27. I’m trying to make some videos for youtube about making soup. Today was cream of mushroom.

28. Today is the national day of mourning for those killed or injured in the workplace. My dad died at the age of twenty-eight after being thrown off the back of a pickup truck at Algoma Steel when the driver decided to drive erratically. It was totally preventable and so tragic. How our lives would have been different if he had still been with us.

29. Writing, writing, writing.

30. It’s my birthday; 56. Over the hill and picking up speed. Ran some errands, a friend made me strawberry muffins, my husband bought me roses, and my grandkids sang me happy birthday over facetime. We ordered in; I got Italian. Many nice greetings on facebook.