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Bike, Clean, Happy Hour, Repeat...

4/8/2020 For years, on Tuesday evenings, a few of us that ride bike and live in our neighborhood would meet at the clubhouse and have a Happy Hour.  We would bring our own beverages and a snack to share.  There was always a lot of stories told and news to catch up on. When social distancing was needed because of the COVID-19 virus, we stopped meeting at the club house.  Then a small group of us decided to continue with just the beverage, outside on one of our back patios, and plenty of distance between us.  It is just six of us catching up and sharing time with each other.  It is a special time, the conversation never lags into silence, there is always another story waiting in the wings for its chance to be told. This Tuesday was my day to host on my back patio.  I cleaned up the patio and sprayed the furniture with bleach water.  It looks nicer now than it has in months!  I like that part of having company over, we get to enjoy a nicer, cleaner looking space for awhile. Mari a

Watching the Curve... What are you doing?

April 6, 2020 Each night I sit in my bed and write down the numbers in my diary. Last night it was: World Cases  1,272,860 World Deaths   69,424 US Cases  336,673 US Deaths  9,616 Florida Cases  12,350 Florida Deaths  221 Citrus County Cases  43 Citrus County Deaths 2 I look back and compare from a day or two ago trying to grasp and get my mind around it all and trying to see the bigger picture. Then I write down the things that I am grateful for that day.  Because it's all kind of scary, isn't it? I am grateful for blue sky, and butterflies.  I am grateful for conversations with friends.  I saw a humming bird today in the front garden.  I am grateful for the rain. I am grateful for farmers and grocery store clerks and truck drivers.  They are still working and exposing themselves and when they return home, the expose their families to possible infection. Since I last wrote the Governor of Florida issued a shutter-in-place order.  We are only to go out for

Riding up the COVID Bell Curve as Best We Can

Sunday, March 29, 2020 The surreal situation, we are now living through a pandemic that has: Put millions of people out of work because businesses have been closed; Overwhelmed medical hospitals as they try to keep their staff healthy while testing and treating those sick with this highly contagious illness; (There is not enough protective equipment.) Orders coming over our cell phones telling everyone 65 and older to stay home!  Shutter in place, don't go out unless it is essential; What is considered essential is grocery trips, pharmacy trips, and exercise in the fresh air. Thank goodness we can go outside and exercise! This amount of allowed (or recommended) activity is so much MORE freedom of movement than what Ann Frank experienced.  Ann Frank and her family were stuck inside in an attic hiding from the Nazis for 470 days. And they had to do it quietly.   For us today, there are no enforcement of the shelter-in-place recommendations, just civic duty.  Of course,

Surreal Living In the Beginning of COVID-19

It is March 26, 2020 Hello! I hope you are well and finding ways to stay mentally healthy.  We are social creatures and isolation and distancing are both un-natural and uncomfortable. I found a song on Youtube that was supposed to be funny, but made me sad. "All by myself, don't wanna be all by myself anymore..." Those of us that are retired are feeling very fortunate to not be depending on a wage right now, with many businesses closed for a period of social distancing in an effort to slow down the spread of the COVID-19 virus. I woke up this morning having another difficult night trying to sleep.  My shoulders hurt because they are used to heavy lifting at the gym, I think.  Or maybe they hurt from the lack of giving hugs and getting hugs.  This social distancing is physically difficult for those not living with family or pets. When I descend the stairs to start the coffee, I can sense my tears are ready to erupt.  This is a feeling I am very familiar with,

Covid-19 Changes

3/18/2020 COVID-19 Changes It is Wednesday, a lovely warm sunny day in Florida.  I decide that even with the "Social Distancing" that we are trying to abide by, I can go to exercise and yoga at the club house. Why? 1) there are only three of us spread out in that big room. 2) I decided to disinfect my hands before entering 3) I brought along a rag to touch any door handles or remote controls. 4) None of us are coughing It was great to be back among my friends and neighbors.  We did the "Covid Hug" which is standing far away from each other and putting our arms up like cactus arms and moving them up and down.  I know, corny.  But it makes us smile and feel loved, and THAT is so important.  ************** For those of you in the future reading this, in 2019 there was a flu that only resided in animals, but one day in 2019 it morphed and transferred into a human and then transferred human to human.  This flu, as I understand it, can sit on a har

Botanical Delights and Strains of Solo Travel

3/15/2020 It is Thursday, and my brother, my sister-in-law and her granddaughter Tasha are at LOVES truck stop souvenir shopping.  Tasha has promised to bring souvenirs home to her kids.  My nephew's wife texts me, "Where are you?" I text her back and with 15 minutes they are there to wisk me off for some sight-seeing.  YEAH!!! They take me to the Botanical Gardens.  I am excited because I have heard that the desert really blooms after a rain, and it sure has been raining! They also took me to the hole in the rock which was next door.  Thank you Tom and Sara, Jack and Mike for taking me along on your tourist adventures! We then returned to my brother's home and prepare to all go together to dinner.  Some bars and restaurants were already closing due to the COVID-19 virus. We all were still in denial, I think. Feeling the Fear It is Friday, 3/13/2020.  I am still in Arizona.  I have moved on from staying at my brothe

Corona Light - Going with the Flow in Arizona

Tuesday, March 10, 2019 Before I talk about my trip I want you to know Alzheimer's Trippin' with George e-book is on sale through April 1st at $2.99.  It is Monday morning. I am pedaling the e-assist Scorpion recumbent tricycle that my friend Bob has loaned me.  I am riding toward my brother's home south of Phoenix.  Google bike map has directed me down a bike trail along one of the many canals in the area. Every once in a while I am pushing the orange-painted plexiglass wind-shield away from me and studying how it is attached.  In time it creeps back toward me and my right foot starts going click click click as it hits the shield.  I know I could tighten it, do I remember where I put the tools? I am wondering if I can remove the wind-shield along with the canvas sun canopy that protects the rider from the strong Arizona desert sun.   The canopy keeps bumping the back of my helmet and it takes extra energy to fight against the head-wind and to ke