Sheltering In Place With A Hodgepodge…

 

After well over a month of hearing about covid-19 on the news, and three weeks of sheltering in place, I’m ready for a little distraction known as “The Wednesday Hodgepodge”.  If you’d like to join in the fun,  just click the button at the top of this post, which will take you to our hostess, Joyce’s blog!

1. Has spring sprung in your part of the world?   

Yes, spring has definitely sprung here in Georgia!  How can you tell?  Our temperatures have been in the high 80’s for a while. (However, we’re experiencing a brief cold snap, today, with a low of 49 this morning)  For the first time I can remember, our azaleas actually bloomed in January!  Our winter was unusually mild.  Did March come in like a lion where you live?  Yes, it did!  At times, the wind has been almost unbearable for the entire month. Going out like a lamb or something more ferocious?  Not much relief in sight, yet.  The wind blew fiercely during the night, and we were under a tornado watch yesterday .

2. The last thing that caused you to spring to your feet?

The last significant thing that made me spring to my feet was our daughter running over to our house yelling “Call 911, your shed’s on fire!” It was lunchtime and Ed and I were sitting at our kitchen table, about to have lunch.  I’ll never forget that day!

3. Do you have a spring clean to-do list?  Yes, well sort of.  Actually, my list is a “to do” for Ed, who usually washes or paints our porches, cleans the outdoor fountains, weeds the flowerbeds, and takes the plants out of the greenhouse.  I usually supervise because my back won’t allow me to do much else. (Yes, I’m having back issues again.) What’s one chore on the list you’ve already managed to accomplish?  Ed’s finished everything on his list except cleaning the porches.  We don’t call him “Fast Eddie” for nothing. What spring clean chore do you most dread? Painting.  Ed feels the same way.

4. Tell us something you’ve learned about yourself or the wider world as a result of social distancing/the virus crisis.  I’ve learned that I am a rule follower, but, apparently many people are not!  I am appalled by the amount of people who are stubbornly refusing to stay home or social distance!  I’ve never seen such blatant disregard for authority or for other people’s health as I have during this virus crisis!  Stay at home people!

5. Something you love that’s the color pink?  I love the pink azaleas growing in front of our house. Sadly, they’ve already shed their blooms for this year.

6. Random:  Ed and I are adjusting to our “new normal” since this virus crisis began. Our days haven’t really changed all that much since we’re both retired.  However, we’ve recently learned how to use Walmart’s grocery pickup service instead of doing our own shopping.  We’re now enjoying weekly church services via Facebook instead of in person, too.  All four of our grandchildren are home-schooled, so closing the schools hasn’t affected them, which makes us happy.  The weather here has been wonderful, so, lately, we’ve been spending lots of time outside visiting with family, a few at a time.  Social distancing, while sitting outside in lawn chairs, isn’t so bad!

However, on the flip side, I’m shocked as I watch the numbers of sick and dead continuing to skyrocket, daily!  I tear up as I listen to the pleas of overwhelmed healthcare workers.  I’m horrified when I see people lying on hospital floors and bodies being loaded into eighteen wheelers parked behind hospitals!  It’s all surreal to me.

My prayers are for the sick, the families of the sick, and those who have lost or will lose loved ones.  My prayers are for all healthcare workers, working on the front lines, battling this contagious virus that we know so little about!  My prayers are for those who are suddenly out of work, as well as those who continue to work, but have to put themselves in harms way to do so.  My prayers are for the elderly who are “sitting ducks” of this virus, but can’t physically visit with their family anymore…and for those who have to die alone.  And last, but certainly not least, my prayers are for our men of God, who spend their days comforting and shepherding their flocks during these perilous times. May God be with them as they continue to preach the Word through any means they can, and comfort us, guide us, and remind us Who is in control when the world seems to be falling apart all around us.  Amen!