how about drinking?

Hi friends- catching up here and sounds like everyone is doing okay. With the holidays this week, hard to plan on things unless you live with people. I don't nor am I one to celebrate the religious holidays traditionally. I usually go sit in the hot springs on Easter Sunday. Not this year though.

I was out yesterday for a bit and tried to shop at Sam's Club but had the hours screwed up with the changes (not correct on line either), so instead I went to Lowes to start my "victory garden" based on something I saw on CBS Sunday morning this week. I have not done a veggie garden in some time because my property is not ideal for it, but decided to do some plants in pots and got some purple kale, baby romaine, and an heirloom tomato plant yesterday. Some flowers too and will do some planting in the back yard, otherwise known as my refuge. Shhh, don't tell the neighbors.....

Our gov extended the stay at home order yesterday to end of the month, which is no surprise. Her original orders she issued on 3/11 including reducing time out, then on 3/23 she tightend up the stay at home orders through that date. We are expected to hit our peak here in a few more weeks. Right now we are pushing 700 dx, about 50 in the hospitals state wide, 12 deaths. NM has been noted nationally for doing a great job so far, but had learned listening to the Gov last week they have been practicing pandemic drills for a couple years now. We are really sort of behind here on a lot of stuff, but thankful they have been preparing for this. I am praying for NYC, NOLA, Detroit, Chicago and many other places really not doing well right now.

Cami- sorry you cannot have a party for your sister or much of any kind of celebration right now. Remember those can be celebrated later, make a list so you don't forget!

Chi and Karen- blessings to you both on the Passover holiday. Karen, what a cute pup!

Goldie- my sister can more talk to her partner than have her return any conversation. With the respirator in her throat, it requires some type of speaking device and not sure if that is in or not. She says some days when they do Facetime, her partner does not want to participate. It is good they try, I think maybe more so for my sister to see they are taking care of her. And about her not taking my advice to begin with, that is the typical dynamic of the older to younger sister paradigm. I have some friends who have similar relationships with their older sisters so it seems to be a thing in some families. I hope your family is doing okay......

NM- wow, a foot of snow? We can get snow here in New Mexico in to April, but we have not had much snow here in the new year. Early spring for sure. I think someone needs to tell Old Man Winter it's time to hibernate? I am sorry to hear the old place is struggling too, no doubt the majority of supplies are going to the hospitals right now.

Shell and Lily- welcome to our thread!

Genny- how are you faring through treatment? How is DH doing too? Lots of change for both of you this year with everything going on.

Ill- how are you doing sister? Any improvements with food, speaking, etc.?

Mistyeyes, Janky, Celia C, Teka- hoping your day is good and some of you maybe enjoying some early spring? Okay, maybe not Janky as she is way far north and maybe too soon?

I am on a small-ish board with a prof org and doing some clean up on their current member list. They were talking about doing some targeted communications and said do we have a good list of current members? They said they get one monthly and said "send it to me." Because I have done a lot of work here in town with the healthcare industry, I know a lot of people on that list. Their list was really outdated including people I know are no longer active with retirements, moves out of state, and there was even a person on that list that I worked with long ago that passed in the last 10 years. Going to clean some things up and help them get a solid list for the going forward. Going to try to help on a volunteer basis with things where I can in the industry until my work can start again.

There is going to be a super moon tonight called the Pink Moon and it has been really pretty here as it has been coming into fullness the past week. Be sure you get out to see it tonight if you can!

Stay well friends. Will check in again soon.....

Jazzy, this calls for--if you can find it--a video of Nick Drake's classic "Pink Moon."

Bummed out that John Prine died tonight. He was a huge influence on me, although nobody--not even Dylan or Springsteen--could so accurately reflect ordinary life with so few and beautifully-arranged words and chords. He had some terrible health challenges--throat & neck cancer in 1998-9 that caused his voice to go gravelly, and then in the past decade lung cancer, resulting in the loss of a lung.

Tonight was a dry run of Seder (in case Bob doesn't get home early enough tomorrow night). He brought home a Costco roast chicken; I made matzo ball soup, charoset (good ol' Ashkenazi-style with apples, crushed matzo, walnuts, cinnamon, honey and Concord grape wine--instead of that weird Sephardic date & fig jammy paste I brought home from Israel last year), and grilled asparagus. Truth to tell, since my iCal said Passover was Wed. the 8th, I assumed that "Erev Pesach" (Jewish holidays start at sundown the night before) was tonight. iCal always lists the High Holy Days as starting on their first full day, so my assumption was logical. We will do Seder again tomorrow night (gonna tweak the chicken soup, this time not from mix). We both thought it, but were afraid to say until after, that even though it's just us two it might be our last. DOTD was Manischewitz sacramental wine for 3 of the 4 "cups" (I used cordial glasses) and an Alsatian riesling (in normal glasses) as the 4th, and with the gefilte fish & chicken.

Bob's EKG tech quit today, after finding out he saw COVID patients over the weekend. (Albeit in full PPE and staying 6 ft. away). Her husband retired and wanted her to, so this was her excuse. Bob suggested that if she needs an income & insurance she should go to work for one of the cardiologists who refuses to go to hospitals. So he & his two part-time nurses will have to do EKGs themselves...assuming there are any to do. Those nurses aren't getting any younger too--but not yet old enough for Medicare (nor is his partner who is facing radiation for her own bc), so he has to keep the practice going for at least 3 more years, with a patient base that's dwindling and not coming back. He's cut his draw by 2/3 and we've had to start dipping into our retirement savings.

It hit 80F, even here by the lake. But I didn't dare take a fitness walk--too many careless selfish crazies out there. I got my outdoor fix by taking out the recycling (including breaking down shipping boxes now that they were safe to touch) and--ugh--cat litter, then sitting on the deck soaking up the afternoon rays (after peak UV time) chatting across the fence with my next-door neighbor. We're going to lose power in the morning when the arborist comes to take down the huge ailanthus tree at the edge of our property by the alley--its roots caused the fence to heave and warp. So I have to unplug all my (now fully-charged) electronics lest their batteries drain while plugged into dead lines. (TVs, etc. are on surge-suppressors, VOIP phone has a backup battery). Then the new & improved fence will go up. Our neighbor will then (supposedly) have the concrete slab poured on Thurs. and garage built on Fri. I say "supposedly" because the temps will go back down into the high 30s tomorrow night and not crawl up out of the 40s for most of the week (not to mention rain).

Love the moon picture, Jazzy! Our governor issued a Work or Home order. He also said you could visit family! Well, yesterday he had to qualify that to only visit family if they need assistance. People thought it was permission to party with your cousins. LOL! DH and I took a long car ride to a dam and reservoir for an inside the car picnic. There were people fishing and some sitting in the sun. People were fairly far apart. Did not have my kids over last night. Out cases and deaths from Covid-19 keep going up. Guess I will crawl under a rock and wait this out.

Will walk this morning and do some housework. Might phone some friends to check in on how they are doing. So sorry about John Prine. DH sang many of his tunes in the band.

Mornin' ladies,

Oh my stars, it got so warm yesterday, I thought I had a fever. Sandy it was upper 70's here but storms, I was surprised. I've closed myself off to the news mostly and that means weather too.

Beautiful pic. Jazzy, but I don't see a pink moon, but TY for taking it and if anyone can find a video of anything I'd count on Jazzy to do it.

Sandy so she just up and quit like that. <not that I blame her> but now Bob just has more work to do. When he stops at the store does he wear his mask, just curious.. I wonder even tho u wear all the garb for this virus if u can build up resistance being so exposed to it so much. I think it has to be over 130degrees in order to kill it. So our normal heat won't do it. U really go all out for just the 2 of you, how nice tho. I guess all religions and nationalities have their own foods to celebrate occasions, I know we do. For Easter we have calzone, made with ricotta and sausage an all the flavors in a 18 in pie like crust, so good. And it;s for Christmas too, along with the 7 fishes and <hold on> onion pie. Made in a 9x13 pan. If u like onions u'd like this one. But my mom taught Jodie how to make these 2 so for sure we don't have any this year. She taught all of her grandchildren different things when she knew she was leaving us, of course not her D's, she knew us to well.

OK praying to hear good news today.

LUBS U ALL

Hi friends- just a quick pop in. Been working on the gardens and got one corner in pretty good shape. I see a family of little mice has taken up residence along the border gardens and saw them doing sommersaults along the way with each other today. I think I need a cat, but with allergies, I cannot have one. Fortunately, a neighborhood cat has been found visiting early in the mornings and can use her help.

Genny- oh your DH is not helpful right now is he? Well you know men like to fix things and he can't really fix any of this. So much stress with the changes and now with this pandemic that helps nothing. Although I don't have a significant other, I have learned with family and friends who like to tell me what to think or how to feel that I have to just create a boundary and say "I am sorry, but that is not helpful to me right now. What I can use help with is ......" I think we all have people who have difficulty support us in times like this and well, everyone is struggling right now, right? Your DH has been struggling with your health changes from the get go. Good for him that he chose not to imbibe this week, maybe you don't need that? I am glad you have some good food planned for Easter sunday sister. Sending a big virtual hug.

Cami- they call it the "pink moon" as it comes in April when many flowers are blooming. The night before last it had a pinkish glow though, last night was more big and yellow. I saw it setting this morning over the mesa and it was nice then too.

Chi- I was bummed to hear about John Prine too. I knew he had been in the hospital for a couple weeks now and not doing well. A friend shared something on FB that he had battled lung cancer a few years back and only had one lung. Poor guy. His music was legendary. I will look for that song you suggested too.

Okay that's it for now friends. Stay well and try not to let this crazy get you down......

Librarian, I know this is the wrong thread, buuuut.....your Governor is an idiot. "Give me liberty or give me death" doesn't have as its corollary "I don't care whether my liberty gives YOU death." Bob & I are really nervous about a spike in cases when restrictions are lifted as early as May 1.

His nurses are disgusted with the EKG tech. She's offered to return when restrictions are relaxed, but Bob & his partner aren't sure they want her back. The practice has slowed to such an extent (even before the pandemic--as a geriatric-heavy office, their patient base had literally begun dying off) that there are fewer EKGs to do, and the nurses can do them in their sleep. They long ago (like 15 years) stopped doing echoes in-house because the new color Dopplers were budget-busters, so when their echo tech quit to get married and have a family, they didn't replace her.

I'm gonna tell Bob tomorrow if he stops off at Costco he should look for (besides Clorox wipes and paper towels) a couple bottles of Crown Royal. (Or if he pops into Binny's Liquors, for that matter. The liquor store next to our Whole Foods, Independent Spirits, carries exotic single-barrel bourbons, boutique Cognacs, weird ethnic spirits--e.g., cachaça for making caiparinhas, and Pisco brandy). I don't they'd let Seagram's darken their door (and I doubt WF carries Crown Royal either--simply not a millennial hipster quaff). The two layers of velvet would likely block better than a HEPA filter (some HEPA vac bags have fiberglass, which particles are dangerous to breathe).

So before the tree guys and ComEd came to kill my power, I brewed Bob a K-carafe, put a full teakettle on simmer and ground up plenty of coffee (for pourover drip) and espresso (for my manual ROK contraption, but also for one last shot while we still were "on the grid"). But it was waaaay too early in the morning and I'd forgotten to take my night meds again till nearly 3 am--got distracted talking--I was so wiped out after disinfecting stuff, cleaning kitty vomit and feeding the cats that I did a couple of crosswords and went back up for a nap after only one cup from the K-carafe. No internet save for cellular, because the cable modem and Eero mesh router & satellites plug into AC outlets. Power didn't come back on till after 2pm, at which time I made a pour-over, fried egg and low-carb toast (the last bread I will have till after Passover--it'll be whole wheat matzo instead). I knew we'd have another Seder tonight, which would involve carbs again, so that's why brunch was light.

DOTD was same as last night--Manischewitz wino-with-a-brown-paper-bag Concord grape, and Alsatian riesling.

Jazzy, sometimes you just have the best advice to give, just like NM. I love your response to Mary "I am sorry, but is not helpful to me right now". I fight with those little 4 legged critters constantly out here where I live. I guess they like my garden as much as I do. They have eaten my Hollyhocks almost to the dirt. Love the Dolly meme.

NM, hi back to Sadie with some belly rubs and ear scratches. Naps, oh I only wish. How are your mom and Dick holding up with this virus? Wow 30% discount, that's pretty significant! Do try the grilled pineapple, I will be doing it more. And the onionls and the bbq sauce. I saw where you could also do terryaki sauce instead of bbq. Glad you are being a good role model and setting a good example, even how hard it is. Yummy looking drink, but I wouldn't want too many!

Not sure how many of you know Chrissy in Australia, but she is not doing good. She's been in the hospital, pnemonia and renal failure and will be going on hospice. I started a thread for her so people can stop by and leave her messages to read. She is still logging in, just not posting.

https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/104/topic...

Ha Cami- you think I can do nothing? I am not doing as much, just finishing some projects I started in Jan. I have done a lot around here, but still clearing out some clutter. Today is about paperwork.

About China, they released Wuhan where the virus started and was so bad to allow travel again. I don't know all the details of what that means, but saw people getting on trains, in airports, etc. All wearing masks.

A friend told me today he has lost 11 friends to Covid. I was stunned into complete silence. I can't even......

We got flurries, then sleet, then big fat wet flakes of snow, and now it's just cold. Bizarre weather swings, but that's April in Chicago. I remember Passover 1982--April 8. Woke up the next morning to 16F and 8" of snow--with my big old boat of a used car (AMC Ambassador, rear-wheel drive) parked out on the street. Took me half an hour to dig and rock it out, just to be able to get to the train station and go to work. Last year on April 23, we got 4" of snow. Any weather can happen here at any time--our first day in Chicago, June 6, 1978, it was 47 degrees by the lake. And several years ago it was 85 degrees on St. Patrick's Day.

Bob called from Union Health--he believed he'd inadvertently locked his car keys in the trunk (they'd fallen into his briefcase before going in to work). I didn't even bother to change into real clothes (I wear scrubs as PJs in case I have to go out), just out of my slippers into sneakers, grabbed the spare set and drove down there. Put on my mask, opened my passenger side window, pressed the "trunk open" button on the spare key's fob, and tossed him the spare. He rummaged around the trunk, and triumphantly extracted the key from his briefcase. Whew! He went on to get gas at Costco, and I went home and defrosted Indian leftovers for dinner. He got home a little before it was ready. Considering it's a half-hour drive, he must have had the pedal to the metal.

He's been sitting around playing John Prine songs on Amazon Music, just looking at the album cover art on the TV screen. I asked him why he was no longer binge-watching anything, and he just opened up and said he was grieving "for him and for me." I asked him what he meant by the latter, and he said "for the way of life that will never return." He went on and said he was angry at our governor & mayor for "cheerleading" (i.e., using language like "we must pull together, etc.") instead of explicitly using language of grief. I said that if they tried that, people would be jumping off roofs. I prefer to grieve for people. Grieving for things I'll never have again is paralyzing. He is despondent that if we must social-distance for the rest of the year (our governor is urging cancelling all festivals and large gatherings through the summer, as well as not reopening schools until Sept.), orchestras will never come back and the next generation of musicians will never be taught. I said that musicians are now teaching online, and he replied "fat lot of good that does for poor people who don't have the internet." I replied that the Chi. Bd. of Ed. is sending 100,000 laptops to poor families, and he countered that poor people who work in essential jobs can't stay home and home-school their kids, and even if they could they don't have the education to do that. He is convinced that the class gulf will only get wider.

He is angry at the mayor for closing the lakefront, because "people in overcrowded conditions who can't socially distance at home need to go outside." But not if they are irresponsible enough to not socially distance outside, continuing to endanger everyone else. Remember, when you infect someone, it doesn't stop with them--you are infecting everyone that person contacts.

But what can we do about that? The only way we can close that--especially the disproportionate effect of the virus on communities of color--would be for all of us to be willing to give up essential services, including grocery shopping, deliveries, mail, everything because it's the poor who do those jobs that enable us to all to eat and stay in touch with the world. That's not going to happen.

I will grieve for people. But I refuse to openly grieve for losing a way of life we were lucky to enjoy that didn't exist a century ago. I believe the proper emotion is anger at those who lied to us (the real, unconscionable "cheerleaders") and let this happen; and at those selfish and reckless people who say "we can't let the cure be worse than the disease" and insist on their right to ignore rules, go about in public unprotected and congregate in groups, spreading this virus around. The problem these days with "give me liberty or give me death" is that it doesn't limit that "death" to the person exercising that "liberty."

Oh Sandy. Your DH sounds like he is running out of steam. He has tried to hold things together, but is running out of the necessary strength. I totally feel that. Between Coronavirus, his office patients getting older and his own aging he is facing a huge change in his life. Very easy to hit bottom. I do think that there is a large gap between the haves and the have nots. When I was working, my library branch was located in a predominantly African-American low income area. it was also a food desert where residents would have to walk or drive miles to anything that looked like a grocery store. When the building was renovated, we put in a community kitchen so we could teach cooking classes and food prep to families that had no clue how to do it. We provide exercise classes and job skill training as well. Even now the library’s wi-if is on so people can sit in the parking lot and access the Internet. We have to see the disparities, then work to mitigate the social difficulties. I am not a fan of ‘handouts’. Instead there needs to be education. Sex Ed, financial education, career education, etc. As for this current problem of more minorities dying from Coronavirus, I do feel the reason is more that minorities have more of the underlying problems than the healthy middle class. It is a sad truth

Bob is considerably calmer today. (A night of sleep will do that). He read a column in the NYTimes by several ethicists about balancing economics and public health, and how they intersect. But we both agreed over dinner tonight that the time for deciding between extreme caution and "normal" is gone. That choice no longer exists. We are confronted with "painful vs. even more painful." It's not about "lives vs. economy," even if economic hardships ruin quality of life. When quality of life is incompatible with saving lives, the latter must prevail. To paraphrase what I said in my previous post, nobody gets to make the individual choice between living and living pleasantly these days--because that choice is now a collective one,

I used to mildly criticize hipsters & millennials for spending their discretionary income on experiences (food, entertainment, travel) rather than tangible things. In retrospect, perhaps they were wiser and more prescient than we knew.

I was surprised this morning by my housekeeper--she had dropped her DH off at the V.A. for dialysis and came to pick up her paycheck (she doesn't do Zelle or Venmo, and needs quicker access to funds). She also was overjoyed to interact with us (albeit masked, gloved, and 6' apart) and feed & play with the kitties, and do some cleaning that I've been unable to do. (She has a system and didn't want me to screw it up for her eventual longer-term return), Her world has been caring for her sick DH, driving to & from the V.A. (no longer allowed to wait in the lobby, much less the dialysis/infusion rooms), grocery store and backyard, period. She was impressed by how I've managed thus far. I wished we could have hugged before she went to pick her DH back up, but it is what it is.

FaceTimed with my sis again for her birthday. She didn't do Passover this year, but she will do a semblance of Easter (even though my BIL is an atheist he enjoys holidays).

Ordered out from Cellars tonight--fish, because Bob takes Good Friday seriously (though not seriously enough to livestream Mass--although he will on Sunday). DOTD was 2017 Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Santa Barbara Chardonnay (lightly oaked),.

Jazzy, it was me that asked about the lilacs. I have one, but the deer always get to it. Currently it's wider than it is tall, 2'-3' only. And it's probably 10 years old or more! I always tell people, don't "ask" if you can help, JUST DO IT. I too am one that can't do nothing. Occasionally we might have a lazy day if it's ugly outside, but that doesn't happen often.

Cami yes, going to town is usually an all day affair, but mostly because it's such a long drive. My dear friend, you need to eat! Even if you have to force yourself. And not just junk. Do you usually have trouble with your BP? If not, I wouldn't worry about it.

JCS, I don't really like long phone calls either. My MIL is notorious for that, but she only talks to my DH. Always has the same things to say and repeats herself several times during one conversation.

Sandy, nice that you got have a short visit with your housekeeper.

NM, this week went by fast, at least for me it did. I doubt it did for you, but the weekend is here and time for you to unwind with Sadie.

Went for my injections yesterday, hour and 15 minute drive one way. Asked the nurse if they have had any covid patients, she said no and only 4 at the hospital, in Show Low, whith one of them was a nurse. Show Low is usually where we shop. Then I went to look for some veg. seeds. Can't find any online! Went to Ace and they were really picked over, but I managed to find some beans, cukes and canteloupe, but that's it! Also, if you all remember my neighbor that I have been trying to help (Julia). Well, I took her my dinner the other night, huge chicken breast, some beans and corn with red potatoes, also took her a huge bowl of spaghetti and a piece of garlic bread. She doesn't have any transportation and can only do online ordering. She'd been living on beans and rice. Well, I was talking to another neighbor that I passed on my way back in and was asking her about the food bank and was telling her about Julia and that neighbor took her over a box of food and she wrote this post on FB.

You know what ? I just had to pop on here and say something quick.
I feel so grateful for the people in my life.
People I haven't even ever met. Ya know.
I was kinda running out of food and my insides were rebelling at the thought of another pot of rice and beans.
I had ( have ) some potatoes with eyes and some stale corn chips left in the bottom of a bag..... Quarter inch of Raisens bran in the bottom of a box. No milk....
You know, the stuff that makes you go hmmmmmm. I probably should think about hitting up the Wally Mart.
But I've been up on this big hill since October. Truck's in storage, needing a new Tranny, since November. Soooooo....
Ok anyway..... Nearest neighbor brought me some dinner plates last night. She is a beautiful human being, a compassionate, loving woman, living with stage 4 cancer in such a gracious, selfless manner, always thinking of others and literally one of the most precious souls I've ever known.....
Well I ate part of one plate, sharing the chicken breast with my kitty cuz it's his ( spoiled lil self and worth it ) favorite.
Thinking I could divide up the two plates and get 4 or 5 meals from them.
I was feeling a bit poorly, under the weather, yesterday. Ate part of one plate early on but went to sleep with my stomach chewing on its insides.
Got up and ate one piece of a flour tortilla, so I could go back to sleep.
Today, somehow, GOD'S Grace blessed me with food boxes.
One neighbor spoke to another and low and behold ,just inside my gate was food. Meat and cheese and milk and bread and fruit and vegetables and let me tell you my tears Rolled down my face.
Not once but Twice and now I have enough, now, to last an entire nother month.
Anyway. GOD IS GOOD AND PEOPLE ARE TOO and I am blessed beyond belief and measure.
Don't ever give up. Ever. Cuz just when you think maybe you won't make it, GODS grace and human Angels Do show up.

Wild Carrot Cake here!

And one for Cami...