Week # ?

I've lost count of how long we've been under the stay at home order, but this is still the view when you go near Target's toilet paper aisle. Food Lion is the same way. A friend gave us a pack last week. We shared it with a family member and are thankful for it every day! Other shortages come and go, but this one has remained. It still boggles the mind.

recipe fail

Several family and friends who love to cook (or just like to eat) are often posting recipe videos on Facebook. One of them shared a payday recipe, and I thought I'd give it a try. The only two variables were the salted peanuts (Bobby doesn't like sweet and salty mixed so I went with unsalted) and peanut butter chips (the grocery store was out of those, along with 50% of everything else on the baked good aisle that week).  So I substituted smooth peanut butter in place of the chips, thinking it would be about the same equivalent. It wasn't. While it was plenty sweet enough, the consistency was too oily. And the peanuts do NOT stick to the mixture. So I tossed the recipes and at Bobby's suggestion stuck it in the refrigerator (which did help some).

I looked online to see if I could find the original recipe/video, and found several other variations that I think might make the recipe work better. But since I'm supposed to be cutting back/out sugar amounts, I don't think I'm going to try it again. 

I'm thinking the next few days will be a new recipe out of a cookbook.

a lot of mixed emotions

Today Governor Cooper announced that North Carolina's stay at home order will not end with April's calendar but will extend until May 8th. Even then, if things continue to improve, not everything will open at all once but in gradual steps.

The pros & cons of all of this:

• The health care system will not be overwhelmed and they can continue to acquire medical supplies for those treating the virus. The health system may be somewhat strained, but when nurses at hospitals are not working full shifts and many offices are closed, it is hard to say they are overwhelmed. There are many people who need treatment or care but are not getting it because doctors are not opening their offices. Those who do seek care are treated in a crazy manner if they have a fever, even though multitudes of things cause a fever, not just this virus.
• People who have the virus but aren't showing symptoms won't continue to expose wide ranges of people to the virus. Watching people at the grocery store and the produce center is enough to convince me that people will not/are not social distancing on their own. Only people suspected of having the virus are being tested so there is no way to know who has it, who is immune to it, and who may or may not come down with it. We don't live in fear and radically alter our lives during flu season even though many people do not get vaccinated, so why are we panicking so much over this?
• Small businesses that can't afford the extra cost of social distancing and constant cleaning to protect themselves and their clients aren't open. Some small businesses are doing curbside pickup or deliveries only because there is no way to pay the salaries of all the employees necessary to clean behind the public and limit the number of customers. It's financially not feasible to open. Others are willing to take the risk, but that leads us back to point number one.
• Nay sayers have a command to practice common sense. It all comes back to the age old question, "What is the role of government?"  If it is to protect the health and welfare of the public, then to some degree this is answer. (but not totally...see point one). If people are truly free to do as they wish, open their business as they will etc, and the general public is truly concerned about the spread of this virus, then they will choose to stay home and the deterioration of the economy will still happen but it won't be because of a government mandate.  But it also leads back to the pro of the first point.

From social media I know that I have four former co-workers who have the virus. And from what I know of these men and their lifestyles, for them to be admitted to the hospital for several days, or treated and sent home only to return a week or two later, this virus is no joke. Three of the four are my age and are not in the high risk category. One of the men's teenage son posted that on the morning his Dad went to the hospital he was truly scared for his Dad's life.

I know of four people who have lost loved ones during this pandemic (all four non-virus related), and none of them have been able to hold a funeral. That's not right. That's emotional cruelty.

And I know someone in a nursing home. She is hard of hearing and very forgetful. She keeps getting in trouble for leaving her room. While she doesn't usually have many visitors, she does enjoy getting together with her friends living near her for game time. She is now deprived of her only social interaction. That is cruel.

In Alabama, my friend Misty has a benign brain tumor that cannot be removed because it is deemed a "non-essential" surgery. My aunt cannot have her shoulder cuff repaired, even though she cannot lift her hand above her waist or pick up anything with her arm. The hospital says it is not an essential surgery. In TN a friend from college was not able to see his optometrist even though as a diabetic he should be seen immediately if his eyesight changes.  And I've heard from many people here in NC who have been unable to see doctors about issues. I'm so thankful a nurse took Bobby's situation seriously last week and advocated for him with a doctor so he could be treated. I was thankful a surgeon saw him today to remove the drain and allowed me in to ask questions. But I am a tad bit concerned about the fact that whether or not he is seen in a month for the follow-up is up to us. If we see certain things then we go back; if we don't, we can call and say everything is good. They want to limit the number of patients coming in. And while I think I can handle that, I am neither a nurse nor a doctor. What if I think things are okay and they're really not? When we are sacrificing the healthcare of so many to make sure we have the capabilities of treating the ones who "might" get sick, is that healthcare?  Should we not simply have larger hospitals or plans in place to handle high volume times instead of refusing to treat people with serious needs? At what point is avoiding preventative care inviting problems in the future? Is refusing to treat a patient when you have the facility and the ability not a violation of the doctor's oath?

I understand there are places where the volume is so overwhelming that hospitals cannot handle it. But here in NC, the state has over 9,000 hospital beds and less than 500 people hospitalized with the virus. Where is the overrun?

I know from working the elections that people not familiar with the process often make comments that we are overstaffed or not doing our jobs. I remember the year when in my training cycle I questioned my trainer why I could not open certain spots up for voters. Her answer was that if we did, then those stations would not be in available to do their job when needed. I didn't reply, but I was thinking those spots had not been used all day. But sure enough, ten minutes later every single one of those stations I had wanted to use all had a line for their designated tasks. What we saw and observed at the hospital last week might not be the whole picture. I would never want to overwhelm the doctors and nurses who are helping those in need. But I can't help but wonder if there is not a better way.

I will probably be withdrawing from Facebook quite a bit the next few days. There were way too many mean-spirited and disrespectful, if not hateful, posts today after the press conference. Whether or not I voted for our Governor is irrelevant. Whether or not I agree with his policies is not the issue. He is our elected official, and if we as Christians truly believe that God raises up and demotes our rulers, then he is due our respect whether we like him or not. He is a created being of God and our leader, and we are subject to our government.

And at this point...it's only one extra week. For now.

Lexi

Things seldom go as we plan. Last fall we ripped out the carpet in one end of the house and had something similar to laminate installed. During this time frame I mentioned to Bobby it would be neat if I could rearrange things to make room for a longarm. He's never been to keen on the idea in the past, but he surprised me this time by telling me to research them a little more and measure the space while the furniture was out of the room. So I taped out the measurements to see if I had space for a longarm. I was four inches short. 

A few months later one of the dealers I had acquired measurements from gave me a call. I told him as much as I dreamed of having one, I didn't have quite enough space. He told me they had a mat you could spread out on the floor, and it showed both the size of the machine on the frame (all three possible sizes) as well as the amount of floor space you would need around it. I thought it was a waste of time since I had already taped the space out, but we went and picked it up and spread it out. One of the specialists in the shop told me to keep it at least a month and walk around it as if it was the actual machine to see how I felt about something that big being there. I was shocked that it actually would fit, but was also very hesitant because it literally takes up the entire room. I have a footpath around the everything. Bobby noticed it had the option of casters, and with casters, I can move it quite easily and give myself extra room if I need it. We ordered it the end of February. It was supposed to come between the middle to the end of March. And then came the shut downs, which included the distribution warehouse the machines were sent to. I had finally convinced myself that I wouldn't have the machine before May....and it came last Friday.

I've named her Lexi. (Bobby thinks it strange that I've named a machine, but I felt she needed a name.)

Some of the features that sold me on the Bernina Q24:
- the frame choices. I knew I wanted something large enough to do a queen size quilt. But also, I wanted a frame that came with solid bars. I've quilted on a model where the frame is connected in pieces. There was a bit of a tug as the machine went over those connectors, which did not make for smooth quilting. Bernina frames are adjustable height-wise, and their frames went low enough for my "short" stature. (I never considered myself short until I started using a long-arm frame.)
- the tension controls. The machine tension can be adjusted by the control pad. One thing they do not tell you in any of the advertising or in meeting with reps is that the machine comes with a tension bobbin tester...and it is AMAZING!!! Once you wind the bobbin, you can actually test its tension and know for sure what it needs before you even put the bobbin in the machine.
- the clamps. There's nothing wrong with the clamps (like huge clothespins) that many models have. They work great, but these remove with just a click of a button underneath. That is so much easier on the wrists. And this might be silly, but I like the sleek look of them. They look modern and neat and not like it was cobbled together from Dad's toolbox. I also love the size of them. Even though they are small they are wide in height. It would be quite hard to sew over them, which can be done with magnetic bars or smaller clamps (and for non-quilters, that would break the needle..not good!)

 - the handlebars. One of the two other models in a brand I've used quite a bit (and loved the way it quilted) had handle bars that would sometimes jerk to a different height while I was quilting. I mentioned it to the dealer and the response was "No, that doesn't happen."  Well, it did, and that gave me quite a bit of pause. Bernina's handlebars are adjustable and positionable in several ways, but the latches are very secure and they do not come loose or jerk while you are quilting.

 -and the thread placement. This might seem silly, but I like the fact that the thread is located at the front of the machine. No running to the back of the machine to change a color or rethread. It also has bobbin winder on the machine; it's not a separate attachment.


I didn't order the zipper system for loading my quilts. The store specialist brought out a container of very "cool" looking pins to use for loading the quilt parts. I already had some, but it was neat receiving something so stylish and cute. They make me feel a little artsy. My others are pretty and sensible, but these just make me laugh...

I'm still learning how to use the machine, and hope after this week is over I'll have a little more time on it. But I'm thrilled with what little I've learned in the short amount of time I've been able to use it this week.

week number what?

I've lost count on what week of the "stay at home order" we are in. I can tell you the things that have happened in the last ten days that I never thought would happen:

• A specialist we've used for twenty years refused to see Bobby.
• I became the owner of a longarmer. (a specialized quilting machine for those not in the quilting world)
• I yelled at a hospital receptionist. I must have been quite loud,  for an office worker down the hall stuck her head out the office door and answered all my questions/corrected all the receptionist's erroneous statements.
• My husband gave some very simple legal advise to a friend, and in return we are getting a toilet paper donation, of which I am ecstatic about. Last roll was going on the holder tomorrow!!
• Grocery stores shelves are still eerily empty or with large gapes in them.

I thought I would have all this free time on my hands, and while we have done several things we normally don't do (watch a few movies, rested more), in some ways I find that I'm just as busy as normal. With cooking every day there's more cleanup, and outdoor chores have started. I have managed to get a few projects done, but nowhere near what I had anticipated. While I will be thankful when things start to slowly reopen, there's a small part of me that has enjoyed having an almost blank calendar.

Half empty/half full

While in the process of cleaning out the sewing room, I decided it was time to use up a bag crammed full of scraps. I've now pieced two tops for quilts of valor. Not gonna lie - I was more than a little disappointed when I returned the remaining scraps to the bag.

Half full - it's loosely piled in the bag and 3/4 full.
Half empty- I wanted this bag GONE!!!

So for now I'm stuffing it in the top of the closet until another time. It's time to move on.

Flapjacks

When I was a kid, there were two kinds of apple pies that I liked: McDonalds  and flapjacks.
For those of you nor from the south, flapjacks are small, handsome, homemade apple pies. Many people fried them, though mum Mom always baked them. I was shocked when as an adult I discovered some people used a variety of fruit fillings for them.
Somewhere towards adulthood McDonalds started being healthy (sounds contradictory,  I know) and changed the crust and filling. Their apple pies have never been as good since.

I cannot make a decent pie crust. At some point I quit trying and accepted the fact that  bought pie crusts tasted as good. A friend told me her family used canned biscuits suits for their crusts. So I finally gave it a try, using some apple butter that we needed to use up as filling. And they're not as good as Mom's or ReaRea's pies, but they are good. I might do this again.

backyard scenes

Rumors

A few weeks ago an article started circulating on social media that everyone needed to take Vitamin C or an immune booster to help prevent acquiring the virus. I didn't think much of it, as I've heard many specialists say unless your body needs a supplement the only thing you gain is expensive pee.
Then last week Bobby was nearly out of his. Like most paralyzed people, he takes Vitamin C daily because of chronic infection. Combined with an antibiotic, it holds things at bay. Imagine my surprise when I get to the store to find the Vitamin aisle 90% empty.
I purchased the next to last bottle of what they had, and neither the pharmacist nor I were thrilled with it.

Top three ingredients are sugar, sugar, and water. Not exactly what the kidneys need.
Thankfully my husband is not a griper. He laughed last night and said it was the best tasting Vit C he's ever taken.
My Mom, who is fighting her 4th UTI for the year is facing the same problem.

I understand people are scared, but I don't understand buying medications you don't need and preventing those who DO need it from taking it. It's selfish and stupid.

I'm ready for the hoarding and insanity to end. Self-isolating I understand, but the hoarding I simply don't get.

April Fools

This April Fools I've only seen two jokes mentioned on Facebook...one was fake notices from state governments stating that all students would need to repeat this school year, ending with the tongue in cheek "We wouldn't want for seniors to miss out on their senior year." and the other was someone posting a very long list of names on their FB post saying they were tightening their circle to people who actually cared and those people would be removed at the end of the day if they had not responded. At the end of the list it said "What? You actually read to the end to see if your name was here? April Fool's!"

But the most common theme was that this year has been hard enough to attempt to prank anyone.

Because I might one day look back at this to see what I remember from the year, here's the update of this halfway week:

• We've lost two more chicks and are now down to 4 babes. Not sure what offed the one today. It appeared to have a broken neck with no other injuries.
• Sandra McGowan, the mother of a friend, and a FWB pastor's wife continues to hang on in very bad shape from Covid-19, in Michigan. Like so many others, the family cannot be with her during this time.
• According to John Hopkins, as of 6:00 tonight the worldwide death toll from Covid-19 was 46,809 people. 4,757 of those were from the United States, with 1/3 of that number coming from the state of New York.
• Quilters and crafters are still making face masks, though many hospitals now do not want them since their supplies are finally arriving. I attempted my first one today, and after an hour and half stopped working. My machine didn't handle the finishing touches on the ties too well, and it was time to start lunch anyway. Hopefully I will finish that one up tonight and attempt another one that is already cut out. I know of a few local groups that want them, and the media is now starting to debate whether or not it is beneficial for non-medical personnel to use them when out in the public. The rest of the world gives a resounding "YES!" but most doctors in the US still claim they are almost pointless for non-medis.
  
• Due to shut downs worldwide, it could be this fall before I get my longarm machine, even though it is paid for.
• My brother-in-law and nephew's coworkers claim to have been exposed to the virus through family members.
• My Mom continues to fight ongoing infections.
• My niece was supposed to move into her first house today. Due to mandates and orders for TN/VA (they're moving ten minutes away...across state lines but same town) they can't have their youth group help with the move.
• I spent Sunday and Monday mostly sleeping and dragging through things as I fought allergy medicine and pollen congestion.
• Someone is coming Friday to look at the lawn mower. 3/4 of the way through the yard the belt started slipping and smoking...again. New belt; old problem. I'm wondering if it's user error; Bobby thinks it is the machine as it has now happened with three different operators. It is ten years old.
• The men's resident director of my alma mater (Welch College) has the virus, which they believe he acquired from his part-time job as an EMT. There are only four students still in the dorm, what they call hardship cases, who cannot go home. Since the school told students not to return after spring break and classes are now online, there has been discussion among faculty about whether to provide a hot meal to those 4 students once a day (that the faculty prepares from home) or to simply provide them with groceries. I simply cannot fathom being the only person on the floor of my dorm. That must be creepy at night.

I'm still trying to find a balance between housework, cooking, outdoor work, projects and personal time. I figure I'll find the balance about the time the stay at home mandate ends. :)