March!

This Friday I have my dry run for the Board of Elections Staff, so I'm having to kick my prep into a higher gear this week. I've quit counting how many years I've taught Help Table, but it's enough that a part of me doesn't want to open my binder. I can only imagine how the training team must feel! Thankfully I have two classes to assist before I actually teach a class, so that will give me a little more time to fine-tune and get ready.  We're pushing for time again this cycle, so I have to remind myself to not elaborate but hit the points and keep moving.  I've yet to fit everything into the time slot while I'm practicing.

The situation with Ukraine is just as dire today as it was the day of the invasion. My heart is so heavy for everyone involved - the Ukranians who woke up and found themselves at war; the many Russian soldiers who don't want to be there; those trying to get to safety; those in Ukraine picking up weapons for the first time; the Russians who are opposed to war but are finding themselves in a quickly deteriorating situation at home due to sanctions; and my Belarus munchkins from years ago that we've lost contact with. We often think them and wonder where they are and what they are doing now, but to hear that this already poverty laced country is being hit with sanctions because they are associated with Russia, their bread and butter, hurts my heart. When I heard Belarus was considering adding their troops to the fight, I thought of one of the young men who came with the ABRO group is now in the Belarussian Army, not by choice, but by how he did on a test many years ago.  I know Oleg and Mikalai are fighting age, and I think of how sensitive they were then and how Mikalai was already struggling with an alcohol desire at age 14, and it hurts my heart to think of them possible being forced into battle.

To be honest, I never thought Ukraine would be able to hold out this long, and I think it is both awesome and miraculous that they are continuously doing what they can with what they have for their freedom.  I've read reports from fellow Ukranian believers who are telling of nonbelieving spouses writing home, asking the church to keep praying as they are seeing miracles happen that they can't explain. My prayer continues to be that God would protect as many as possible on every side, but that He would draw so many to Him during this time of crisis.  

On a much less important note, I would have thought with our mask mandates ending and things opening back up that things would being getting back to normal.  But no.  Juice, distilled water, frozen vegetables and french fries and tator tots are all still missing from the grocery store; we still have a 2 pack meat limit on some items; and today the grocery store was totally out of plastic bags...paper bags only. I don't think I've seen paper bags like that since I was a child. And there are still labor shortages everywhere.

So tomorrow we start this month at a quick jog, with hopes there will be a ceasefire in Ukraine and that on our little homefront we will be able to get some projects done.  God is good and He is faithful, even when mankind is not.

Strange days or new normal?

 To be honest, I've lost track of how long Covid-19 has been around. We live on the Johnston County/Wake County border, and sometimes it's like we're straddling two different worlds. If I do anything with Raleigh friends or shop in Raleigh or Cary, it's masks on, hand sanitizer everywhere and people keeping their distance. My Raleigh friends are just now getting to the point where they want classes or group meetings to be held in person, and even then they are being extremely cautious.

And then there's my town, which now seems to be evenly split. There's those who still wear masks but have decreased the social distancing, those who wear masks but no longer social distance, and now we're starting to see people ignoring the mask mandate all together.

When I go to church or shop in Johnston County (our church is in JoCo) you wouldn't know there was a pandemic happening at all. No social distancing, almost no masks, though I do see a lot of hand sanitizer being used.

But even though people are getting out about and starting to say "Life must go on, virus or not" things are not normal. Empty shelves continue to happen in stores (though we still have an overabundance of items compared to many countries). The craziest thing to me is all the "help wanted" signs EVERYWHERE. I'm reminded of my college days where I left high school and had searched for jobs for 6 months before I finally got one and then went to the big city where jobs were everywhere. I chose to stay in Nashville one summer with two friends simply because there was an abundance of jobs there. The three us of rented a one bedroom apartment in a lady's basement and I worked 70+ hours every week all summer. But even the, I don't remember restaurants or stores closing because they couldn't get help.

So these are the hiring signs I've seen up this week alone in places I've been or walked past:

US Post Office, Garner - carriers. sorters, clerks
Hudson's Hardware - Full time and part-time
Carolina BBQ - all positions
McDonalds - $600 signing bonus
Bojangles - up to $15 hr
Food Lion - both Garner locations
City BBQ
Sheetz Gas Station
Agri-Supply
IHOP
Target - $15 hr and up
Dollar Tree
Five Below

and the city of Raleigh announced yesterday that they will not be running the Christmas Polar Express this year because they do not have enough personnel...they are 80 workers short, and 70 of those would be used to operate the train and winter activities.

Wake County Public School System is also over 100 people short for its substitute teachers roster.  My sister, who lives in a different state, told me even if a family member tests positive for covid, she and her fellow teachers were told unless they themselves tests positive they still have to come to work because there's not any replacements for them. 

If it wasn't for the fact I want to be free to travel to Alabama and help out Mom and Dad as needed and I know I'll need two weeks during the holiday off, I would apply for a part-time job. It almost seems crazy not to do so right now. I imagine there are many other people in my situation who know it is best for the household for someone to be at home managing things, but it also seems a little crazy to see so many positions open and not help fill them.  I've seen numerous posts on social media about the reasons behind people not working or returning work. I do know several people who switched careers during the shut down, but I don't know anyone who was working and is no longer working, minus two people who lost their jobs because they refused to take a vaccine.

I don't know if this is a continuation of the strange days we are in, or if this is simply our new normal.  Time will tell.

the gas crisis

The line for gas at Sheetz at White Oak, Tuesday, May11.

 

Side view, heading toward Jones Sausage Rd.

And this line of cars has turned in from Hwy 70.
(We were leaving Zaxby's.)
The arrow shows where the gas station is.

one week later

 When I started blogging the electoral college last week, I was mainly wanting to record comments of the historical event because of the controversy surrounding the vote.  I never dreamed a riot would occur and our capitol would become under attack. Four people died that day.

Benjamin Phillips, 50, from PA had a stroke. His family members have not received any confirmation from anyone about where he was when he died or any contributing factors. He often went to Trump rallies and sold stuffed Trump kangaroos.

Ashli Babbitt, 35, from CA died of a gun shot wound received that she received from Capitol Police while jumping through the window of a door into the house chambers that protestors had just busted out. An Air force veteran, she had multiple videos on social media sites full of rants about Trump and immigrants.

Roseanne Boyland, 34, from GA. According to friends and family with her, she was trampled to death during the clash between protestors and police inside the Capitol. A former drug addict, she was hoping to become a social worker.

Brian Sicknick, 42. A former member of the Air National Guard who served our country overseas after 9/11, he joined the Capitol Police in 2008. According to fellow officers, he was beaten in the head with a fire extinguishers by protestors. After arriving back at the station he collapsed, and later died in the hospital.

Kevin Greeson, 55,  of Alabama was outside the Capitol when he died. He was on the phone with his wife when he suffered a heart attack. This photo is from an Alabama newspaper, which they found on his Parler account. He posted it in December with a post about everyone bringing their guns to the Capitol and declaring war. His wife claims he was non-violent and would never have advocated what happened, but his social media posts say otherwise.

Many media are trying to link the death of another officer to the riots, but he was off duty on that day, and died by suicide.

Today the House has impeached the President. There's a lot of division on whether or not that was the proper thing to do with him only having one week left in office. Debate on the House floor was very heated, very contentious, at times ugly, and heart-breaking to hear. 

Personally, I'm not sure if impeachment or criminal charges is the answer. I do think the President is held accountable to the law, even more than the average citizen. I don't think he should get a pass on this because his term is almost over.

But I do see extreme hypocrisy in the House members who brought the charges. Their contempt and rhetoric and behavior of the last four years have equaled that of the President's. The only difference is there's have not incited a coup against the government.

I am more concerned with the number of social media sites who are banning people and companies. I recognize it is not a government violation of free speech because these are private companies, but there is clearly two large segments of people who are being prohibited from expressing their thoughts. Granted, one of these two segments of society, like Mr. Greeson above, advocate some very disturbing things. My father always told me as a child that "Your freedom ends where your sister's nose begins." and I do think that the responsibilities that go with freedom mean there has to be a limit to what we can do or say. But the idea of limiting speech is a scary one. Not everyone agrees on where that line should be drawn, and once we start drawing lines it becomes very easy to redraw them or cut and paste them into another position. It's a slippery slope.

Also on today our Capitol has the national guard sleeping in its halls as they prepare and get ready for the inauguration next week. Our nation has not quartered troops in DC since the Civil War, and the rhetoric I heard today and the deep divisions I'm seeing online sadly remind me of many diaries and sentiments of the time a few years before the Civil War. I pray for healing of our nation. I pray for unity. I fear like my ancestors of four generations ago that there may come a time I have to choose a side and I will have family on both sides. Wake up, America. It doesn't have to be this way.

Watching history

The last time there was such a debate over the vote and electoral college, our nation went to civil war soon after.  As our representatives meet and are currently debating the results of the election, protests are happening outside. Below are excerpts from the Senate debate on whether or not to accept Arizona's vote. 

We cannot declare ourselves a national board of elections on steroids...Every time in the last 30 yrs that Democrats have lost the Presidential race they have staged a protest like this....Republicans decried it. There should be no double standard. We should not imitate what we repudiate. - Mitch McConnell, US Senator from Kentucky 

Democracy beats deep in the hearts of our citizens. Facts matter. Truth matters...Let the words of our oath ring in the ears of every Senator today. - Chuck Schumer, US Senator from New York

I am not arguing for setting aside the results of the election...I look for door #3 to investigate voter fraud. ..a 10 day emergency audit and examine the claims of fraud...telling voters with concerns to go jump in a lake...we have a responsibility. It is broader than the state of Arizonia. That would benefit both sides.- Ted Cruz, US Senator from Texas

This is only the 3rd time in the history of our nation this has happened.  4 Republicans were elected to the house from Arizona. These Senators did not protest the swearing in off those officials who won in the same election they are protesting today.  - Amy Klobuchar, US Senator from Minnesota 

Pat Tumey, Pennsylvania is now speaking but all networks are covering the protests outside. 

2:34pm...both chambers are in recess as the entire Capitol complex is on lockdown. Protesters have made their way up steps on one side of the Capitol but are stopping at the police line on the other side. While the group is a good size it is not huge nor does it appear violent or angry. I've seen several wheelchairs and crutches but so far that is all. I wish I could sit and watch everything unfold but chores will not allow it.

September first

I was a bit shocked last week when I saw my last project list on the sidebar was from many, many months ago.  And now, today is September!!!

Over the weekend I was determined to make some significant progress on one of the two memory quilts I need to get finished. I decided I would start with the two repair/redo tasks before I started working on one of the new blocks waiting to be pieced. While using the seam ripper, I realized I needed more light and reached up and over to turn on the floor lamp. When I did, the chair tilted sideways. In the fall, my head hit the corner of my longarm frame. Once I finally felt like moving into a sitting position, I reached up to feel my head and my fingers came away slightly red.

I texted for Bobby to come home, and while I was waiting applied a wet napkin to the area. By the time he got home, the bleeding had stopped, but he was able to check a little bit of the area and agreed with me that it wasn't serious. I went to bed with a bad headache, and the morning wasn't much better. I slept off and on most of Sunday, and by Sunday night the larger of the two lumps was almost gone. It is still very tender and there's still one small lump, but as long as I don't touch or brush that area of my head, all is good now.

Yesterday was a bit of a bad news day on Facebook. So many people hurting and suffering in so many ways.  Then during the rain storms last night a lady's car got washed off the road. She was able to call 911 and two water rescue teams came to her aid. They were able to get her and one child into the boat when it capsized, with the child escaping their grasp and going downstream. The other boat also capsized, as well as the next two rescue boats.  Last report I heard they had found the car, without the 2nd child in it, and had recovered two of the rescue boats, but so far had not found either child. All day my hope has been that they are simply unconscious or asleep, but as the day has gone on with nothing my fear is that will not be the case. My heart hurts so much for those first responders. The Clayton Fire Department has had 17 of their members, along with one spouse, out with Covid-19, and one of them is in serious condition in ICU. One of our local news stations interviewed the chief and really angered the community with some of the implications and rudeness of the questions.

Meanwhile there was another police shooting in Wisconsin, where a man was shot 7 times in the back. His children were in the backseat of the car. He is still alive, but paralyzed from the waist down. Personally, I'm shocked he is still living, but so thankful for the children's sake. So downtown Raleigh boarded up as if a hurricane was coming. Some of the storefronts are still waiting on glass windows to replace the ones destroyed back in May. Some stores have said it was too much with the pandemic as well and have closed. The riots came, though thankfully not as bad as before. They did vandalize a police memorial, the courthouse, and a few non-profits that were not boarded up (a drug rehab info site and an alcohol recovery place). They only arrested 14 people, which surprised me as there were well over 200 people out "marching" after curfew.  I use italics around marching because they were carrying umbrellas and attempting to block the tv cameras from showing their attempts at burning trash cans and American flags. They didn't want to be held accountable for the rioting and looting. I'm thankful for the groups who are truly working hard to make a difference and very disgusted with the late night anarchists. I still don't understand why rioting in Raleigh for something that happened in a state far away is even considerable a plausible thing to do. A march while people are outrage and attention is on the issue or meetings with elected officials? Absolutely.  But riots? Against your neighbors who had no more control over the incident than you did?  That just makes no sense to me.

Meanwhile NC State and UNC have cancelled all their undergraduate inperson classes, and students at several universities in our area have been fined, suspended, or even expelled for violating Covid conduct requirements. 

Churches in California are being fined for having services, even though they are social distancing. There are two court cases coming up this month about it. I think they're going to have a hard time explaining why a church can't meet with masks and distancing but protestors can with no social distancing. Both are constitutional rights, and they can't selectively allow one and not the other. 

So a lot is happening in our world.

One a good note, my mechanic got a good cancer report today and the biddies finally figured out how the ramp into the hen house works. It's taken them longer than other hatchlings, but they've finally made it. We both cheered.

Ongoing

As toilet paper and paper towels slowly make their way back onto the shelves, the ongoing coin shortage continues to baffle people. Some shops say it's because they want to protect their workers from the germs on money and will only accept cards as payment (which is actually illegal), other shops say they will round your bill up to an even amount instead of giving back change, and others will only accept the exact amount. 

I had one young person at a fast food place continuously ask to round my amount up, even though I gave her the exact amount of coin change. I've had some friends who own businesses say banks are limiting the amount of change they can get. Others speculate this a way to force our nation into becoming a cashless society. 

I don't know, but the longer this drags on the more frustrating it is.

 

Mask up

As my Facebook feed continues to fill with news from people back home who are very sick, I've continued to be amazed at all the photos of people gathering for fun at restaurants and other locations with no social distancing or masks. How many reports must there be of people stuck in the ER because there are no beds left in the ICU before people take this seriously?

MeMaw Ivy ( what AL people call their Governor...some endearingly, some derisively) has finally mandated face masks in public are now a requirement. Hopefully this will help things slow down.

Phyllis, my cousin's wife, was moved out of a normal hospital room into the ER so she could be placed on a ventilator. It was over 24 hrs before they could get her in the ICU. I'm praying the machines will give her lungs the rest they need to heal. The family would like for her to be moved to a hospital in Birmingham, but high school friends who work in those hospitals say things are just as bad there. So I'm praying for healing, for her to have incredible nurses whose information lines up with what the doctors are saying, and for someone somewhere to re evaluate  the policy of separating families from loved ones. It was hard on me when Bobby had a one night stay and I couldn't be there; I cannot imagine what Larry feels knowing how critical things are and getting totally different stories from a nurse and doctor. May God grant them strength and wisdom and healing.

plodding along

Garden - things are moving at a slower pace than normal this year. Not sure if it's because I've not fertilized as often as in the past or because I planted a week or two later than normal. We lost all our squash plants; not thrilled with two of the four tomato breeds we picked out (the Homestead goes bad too fast and is prone to worms and falling off the vine fairly easily; cherry tomatoes we just don't need quite that many). So far I've not had enough tomatoes to can yet; but hopefully by next week I can put up a few. Corn is finally starting to fill out, but not sure we're going to get two ears to a stalk as in the past. Beans have flowered but still are not putting out.

Snakes - I don't want to see another one. In the last three weeks we've killed two in the hen house...both of them over 5' long.  I saw a medium size one (between 15-24" - hard to tell when their slithering in their s shape) while cutting grass, and I've seen three small to medium sized skins...one between the front ramp and the dryer vent; one in my garden; one near the pond drain.

Berries - found some blackberries on the other side of the pond while cutting grass. I don't like them myself, but picked some for a cobbler for Mrs. Bryan and Bobby. When I looked again this week they were either gone or dried up.  Our one blueberry bush that has survived our plantings is actually producing this year and I've been able to freeze some. The wild ones our neighbor planted got mowed down by a friend while our mower was in the shop.

Virus - My cousin is still at home, but it wife is in the hospital and getting worse. She has it in both lungs; doctors at the local hospital are consulting with UAB about drug options. The brother of my high school friend is back at home, not back to normal yet, but improved enough to go home. And the father of another high school friend, after 40+ days in ICU, is now approved to move to an acute long-term care facility as soon as a bed becomes open. The Walker girls are well with an exception of they still have no sense of taste or smell. Meanwhile Wake County has announced there will be no fall sports (or band or other such activities), and schools everywhere are debating about what to do.

China  - more countries are taking note of China's cruelty and annhilation of the Uigher's. American placed some symbolic censorship on party leaders in the area, etc. China has now in turn placed the same travel restrictions and such on Senators Marco Rubio (R- FL, Ted Cruz (R - TX) and two other American officials. Canada is withdrawing some of their officials in response to the current Hong Kong situation as well as the Uigher situation, and India is blocking 50+ phone apps that are all created in China. America is considering doing the same, or at least requiring a warning label to go with those apps. TikTok is the one that Americans are most familiar with, and the Chinese are adding faces in the videos into their facial recognition database.

Elections - training will all be online this year, which  means I won't be teaching this fall. On the other side of the spectrum, that also means I am free to work early voting. I've applied, but we won't hear for another month who they will be hiring.

And that's where things stand for July 2020.

Covid-19

As reports from friends continue to come in from TN and AL of people I know who either have COVID or have a relative of theirs with the virus, it was a bit disconcerting to get my email from the Wake County Board of Elections detailing all the precautions we will be taking this fall for the safety of both the workers and the voting public. I'm thankful they're taking this seriously (I knew they would) and are and will be doing everything in their power to make elections safely happen. And yet, it still makes me pause.

There's still so much unknown about this virus. Parents are being asked to make decisions about their children's education now (will they attend school or do online school), when we are still several months away from the start of school. A lot can change between now and then. My sister was telling me that if a student is out sick, they will have to be tested for Covid before they can return. My niece has a lot of sinus and throat problems, so this would mean she would have to be tested for Covid at least once a month. And when I think about friends with children who have true health needs, my heart aches for them. I've not double-checked the department of non-public education to verify this but I've heard that homeschool registrations for this next school year have doubled.

Meanwhile, people we know with the virus have symptoms that range from "mild flu with ongoing loss of taste and smell" and "extremely severe sinus infection with fatigue" to days in the ICU (most being 3-7 days, though there's one now on day 43) or repeated visits and steroid treatments at the ER.

It's such a strange time to be living. These are the types of things you read about in history books. Sometimes I ponder if God didn't send this to make us all hit the pause button in our lives to rest and refocus, and other times I'm still baffled that we can have such a pandemic in such a modern world. Regardless of its cause or the reason behind it, it is here, and likely here to stay for some time.

two full days

Our lives have been a pleasant busy (housework, yardwork, animals, family responsibilities and some time for hobbies) during the shut down, but now that things are starting to open back up we are finding our schedules filling up a little more.

Yesterday the Raleigh chapter of Quilts of Valor (Patriotic Piecers NC) met outside the quilt shop where we used to meet (the classroom is still closed because it's not possible to social distance in there and the bathroom is still closed to the public) to swap quilt tops and completed quilts. Then we had a zoom meeting in the afternoon which lasted almost two hours to take care of some fun business needs. I would have never guessed we would shop online as a group via Zoom!! It was kind of fun, even if it did take a little bit of time, but it was good to catch up with everyone. Our new group leader has been able to make a few presentations via Zoom (when a veteran is late 90's or 100 years old or on hospice, you don't want to postpone that presentation!!!) and we have another Zoom presentation coming up in July.

Today some friends from church dropped off two "messes" (a plastic grocery bag full) of two different types of green beans. I managed to get them snapped, washed, blanched, bagged and in the freezer before we headed to Youngville for a wedding.

We were both a tad apprehensive about wearing a mask to a wedding. That is one of the thing's the Governor's order allows an exemption for, but when you are in a different town surrounded by young people you don't know, we didn't feel that was the time to let our guard down. We were more than a bit relieved to arrive and see others getting out with their masks, and outside the church they had hand sanitizer and masks available near the register. Inside there wasn't a whole lot of social distancing, at all, and for once I was thankful there was not a wheelchair space cut out in the pews and Bobby had to sit in the back away from everyone else. My mother-in-law took her mask off almost as soon as the music started. I'd say between 30-40% of the people were wearing masks, and most of the ones not wearing them were young people. The reception was postponed until a date in the fall since they felt there was absolutely no way they could have it and social distance. The wedding party and immediate family was going to meet at the bride's house for supper, which I thought was good.

We stopped for supper on the way home, then got home in just enough time to pull up Facebook live and watch Bobby's youngest nephew, John David Moffitt, graduate from Beech High School.

So it's late, I'm tired, and hope to be in the bed by 11:30 tonight. And if all goes well, I'll only have to get up once during the night. (But that might be too much to ask for!)

halfway and still facing both directions

Since the death of George Floyd, life in America has continued to spiral in ridiculously crazy circles, much like that teacup ride at Walt Disney World. I do not expect anyone to read all this, but I am trying to chronicle what is happening so I can look back at it later. I still cannot believe that we are halfway through 2020. A part of me feels like this year just started, and the other part of me feels like we have lived through three years already.

In the course of one day, I've had two different nurse friends living in two different states post about the overwhelming numbers of people coming in for coronavirus testing, all exhibiting symptoms that they have never witnessed before in their 20+ years of nursing. And in the same day, I've read posts from two other friends who are mocking the media for posting on the virus and making comments about how this is all government mind control and clearly not real.

Sunday we actually went to church for the first time since March. And while I knew the church was doing everything it could to enforce social distancing, I also knew from what little snippets we saw before and after church on livestream that a few people are not taking this seriously. We wore our masks. We got a few eye rolls, and had one person tell us he wasn't going to live in fear. I told him I wasn't afraid either, but I did want to be wise. We've seen firsthand how seriously the medical field is taking this virus, and I know what is at stake for us should one of us get it. The irony is not lost on me that in China students were mortified when I never wore a mask during flu/cold season. They do, by choice. And they considered me extremely reckless and foolish for not wearing one. And now, when there is a new strand of disease around the world, and many people around me are not wearing one, I am choosing to wear a mask. I'd say 60-70% of shoppers in Target wear one; the grocery store depends on what time of day you go, but it is almost always 50% or more. My family in AL says almost no one there wears one, but that could also be why their numbers are climbing ever higher.  The number of deaths from Covid in our country now equal the deaths of forty 9-11s.

Statues and monuments have been defaced and vandalised around the country with all the protests.  Some of them do need to come down, but I wish they had come down through dialogue and discussion and not by mob rule. There had been talks by the NC Historical Commission in the last 3-4 years about adding more statues and plaques that place a true historical context around the civil war era monuments, but nothing was ever done. I would have loved to see the one statue of the soldier removed from its pedastal and placed alongside statues of a Union soldier, a slave, and a farmer, with a plaque bearing the dates of the war, dates of emancipation, and an estimate of the numbers of deaths and costs from NC in each category, along with the refrain stated in letters over and over throughout those four ghastly years "War is hell." I think people would be startled at the high cost to everyone involved. But they didn't, and they won't. The reality is most people know there are statues and monuments, but I don't think very many people are aware of what they represent, who put them up, or how long they have been there. So if they truly aren't serving as reminders to the costs and sacrifices of so many, why are they up?  Historians and protestors alike would be appalled to hear me say that, for different reasons, but times like this make me think about God's command not to have graven images, and I can't help but wonder if we as a people, both sides, have failed to see this as subjective artwork and instead  have place more significance onto metal than there should ever be placed.

But the Civil War era is not the only area of history being targeted. Anything and everything pertaining to racism is fair grounds for vandalism and attack. I think the current list is George Washington, Andrew Jackson,  Thomas Jefferson, Ulysses S. Grant, some Catholic priest I've never heard of, Francis Scott Key, Theodore Roosevelt, replicas of the Vietnam War wall, and the WWII memorial in DC. One of the leaders in the Black Lives Matter movement is also calling for all stained glass windows or statues bearing a White Jesus or White Mary be destroyed, as they are inaccurate presentations of Christianity. While I totally agree with him that it is inaccurate and wrong, I am also aware that almost every culture has drawn the Biblical figures not in their historical, ethnic depiction but in their own likeness, whether it be Asian, Latino, or European. And that doesn't bother me much. Advocating for people to destroy another's religious structures is not cool. At all. It will be interesting to see if people adhere to that or draw the line there.

Meanwhile examples of police brutality continue to come to light. If I were President, I think I'd call together a few police chiefs from cities, a few from small towns, a few reps from NAACP, the heads of several gaming and app groups, a few lawyers, and a few drill sargeants from Camp LaJeune and attempt to have two apps created (one for city policemen and one for small towns) that would essentially be a video game that would take the police through real life scenarios and could teach/enforce what behaviors/comments cause triggers for escalation or violence and what would de-esculate a situation. It might not change anything, but it would be a good starting point for department heads to look at their employees and see who needs further training or dismissal. Speaking of dismissal, so far Raleigh's police chief, who is African-American, is refusing to step down and has the backing of the mayor. I cannot even begin to fathom the hurt she must be facing. There are changes coming about, though most of them are based on a city-wide basis, which is as it should be. Applying band-aids to every department when some need major surgery and others simply need an examination is not a wise practice.

All of this is a true reminder that sin of any kind, when swept under the rug, eventually causes heartache. I pray our nation heals, but also that it finds true repentance first.

current events

Pandemic - while our local count of the virus has dropped and is holding steady, things have only slightly opened back up. Groups continue to sue the governor for the right to open and attempt to abide by guidelines (churches sued two weeks ago and won the right to meet and social distance; bars, gyms, and bowling alleys were supposed to partially open this past week along with hair salons and restaurants but instead were told they could not. Those groups are now either suing or investigating their options as appeals for help and guidance go unheard.) Many restaurants are continuing to only have curbside and drive-thru as the measures required to open the dining halls are financially unfeasible to do. Several quilt shops have opened but one of their many precautions is that restrooms are closed to customers. So that basically means I won't go. I'm not willing to drive 40 minutes one way to then spend half an hour shopping and then drive another 40 minutes home without having access to a bathroom. My bladder would not survive.  And while America is still very much the land of plenty, I'm still amazed at the rolling shortages of items in the grocery store. Peanut butter, frozen vegetables and some pastas continue to be very limited in supply. Cleaning supplies with bleach or peroxide, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and many canned goods continue to be non-existent or so limited that there are quotas. I did find toilet paper at the Dollar Tree this week. They are very small rolls, but it's good quality and I'm thankful to find it period.

Racial injustice and murders - A black man named Gregory Floyd was murdered at the hands of police in Minnesota. His crime? Attempting to use a counterfeit bill. I've seen two video clips (and simply cannot watch any more) and in one (which has two parts) the media showed he was not resisting arrest in any form or fashion. But even the fact that they would attempt to arrest someone for using a counterfeit bill shocks me. I've been given a fake bill by a bank teller before. When I tried to use it a store, the lady asked me if I knew it was fake, and when I told her no and I just got it from the bank, she returned it to me and told me to take it back to them but I couldn't use it there. (The bank did replace it.) So I do not understand why the store owner or the officers felt it necessary to make an arrest in the first place. Even worse, I do not understand the officer placing his knee in an area that would cause a panic or anxiety attack at best when the person is begging for air and help. The most heart wrenching is long after they suspected he was dead, they continued to "subdue" him in such a manner and never once attempted CPR or offered in relief whatsoever. First degree murder in most places is a pre-meditated or planned murder, so I do understand not having a first degree charge, but I am a bit puzzled by the third degree/manslaughter charge. That is usually reserved for things like death by vehicle that is not intended to kill but does. Growing up in a small town, you know very well about the inconsistencies of police officers or the ones that are bad. You know that bad cops exist. I have several classmates who serves as police officers now. One of them lost his job for telling an officer under him not to comply with the chief's request to turn over the unused evidence (drugs) to him. My classmate lost his job over it, though the chief was later charged and found guilt and the new chief unsuccessfully tried to get him to return. I know there are many evil cops out there who use their uniform to abuse power. But it makes me sick to my stomach to think that black American males fear the cops the same way my students in China did. I don't know what the solution is. (Yes, I am an American and do think problems can and should be solved...used to drive my Chinese students crazy.) I've thought about a few things, but those are things that must come from our leaders and not from me. (Perhaps that's a post for another day.)

Protests and riots - As a result of the recent murder, there have been protests against police brutality, as there has been after other deaths at the hands of police officers (except for the two situations where white people were wrongly murdered at the hands of police here in NC in the last 5 years. No one but the media seemed outraged over those deaths, and even the media only talked about it for a day or two.) In Minneapolis, where George Floyd was murdered, one group of protestors attacked and burned a police station. I can kind of understand that one, even if I disagree with it. But when they began to attack and loot Target, the Dollar Tree, Starbucks, and bus stations, in my personal opinion, they stopped being protestors and were simply angry, anti-civilation idiots. The family of George Floyd is begging for this to stop. As the burning and looting has spread, there appears to continue to be three groups: the protestors wanting true change and justice; the anarchists who only want to destroy, kill and serve themselves by looting, and the helpers who are uniting to clean up the mess every morning after. They also attacked CNN media in Atlanta, along with a sports museum.  I can understand why they are angry with police and are attacking them and their vehicles, but I do not understand the rationale, or lack of it, for the destruction of all the other public and personal property.

China - India and China are once again in dispute over borders. China is finally cracking down on Hong Kong's freedoms, attempting to bring them more inline with the rest of their domain, and the rest of the world is rebuking them for it. Britain has actually stated that anyone with a six month work visa from Hong Kong can receive a British passport and China is having a fit over that. And of course our president is continuously creating ill will with them over the virus ( no pun intended there), but very few people are still speaking out about the human rights violations of the Uighers.

We have had rough times before, but today it seems as if things are very dark on the world's horizon. We truly live in a world broken by sin, and are in desperate need of redemption.

ups and downs

Last night was a bit of a roller coaster. I went outside to get the chickens' feed out of the car and into the bins, only to discover a) we have a broody hen...in the garage   and b) there was a black mouse in one of the feed bins. Do you know how much I hate mice?  Do you know how frustrated I am that half of our hens are now setting instead of laying eggs AND collecting the eggs of the other laying hens?
So we deal with the mouse, feed the chickens, start supper, halfway mop the kitchen floor while cooking (so while it looked semi-okay, it sounded sticky when walking...ugh), had Mrs. Bryan for supper, then watched church online. Went to bed early because Bobby had an online and phone conference this morning.

This morning was the upside of the roller coaster. I found toilet paper at the Dollar Tree!!! SCORE!!! I didn't find the coloring book or crayons I wanted for the kids' back to church packets, but I was able to order them online when I got home.

I am woefully behind on the Gatherings Quilt Project. We had a zoom meeting this past week and I was the only one in the group with no progress to show.  The day after our meeting I figured out how many blocks were in the quilt and looked at the calendar. I should have 65 blocks by the end of this month. After working on it quite a bit this last week, I now have 24 finished. I think it is safe to say I am woefully behind. The small part that fits on my design wall (it will be a queen size when finished and my design wall will only hold a small twin size) does not pop quite the way I expected, but the border blocks are not up there either. There are several layout options with this pattern, so I might change it around and make it look totally different once all the blocks are completed.

And my garden is totally planted (unless I have to replant the okra...again). The corn and squash and a few of the beans are peeping their heads out of the ground, so that was exciting to see. Too early for the beans or peas to show themselves since I just planted them Tuesday.

So while we are not having summer temps, activity-wise, summer is upon us.

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.

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.

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. :)

pause, play, pause

Life right now is a lot like a kid with the remote control. We advance forward, pause, live a little, pause.

Ventured out to Target last night to pick up medicine and a few things we needed. I was only  able to get some of the things, so stopped at Food Lion this morning on my way home from an errand and was thankfully able to get everything else we needed. But I was amazed that a four days after the craziness posted all over Facebook I was still seeing so many empty shelves. I will say employees at both stores were stocking as quickly as they could and were being as helpful as they could be. Living in the south and in a hurricane zone, it's not uncommon to see certain shelves go bare before a hurricane or snow storm, but never have I seen so many rows or shelves bare at one time. I mean, honestly, when have you ever seen the canned vegetable aisle, pasta aisle, fresh/frozen chicken , frozen vegetable, eggs, or soup aisle 90-100% empty?

My biggest surprise was last night when I kept seeing people posting on the pages of friends in Utah asking if they were okay. After looking at three different news sites I finally found one that mentioned the earthquake. It was barely mentioned on the news this morning, despite its severity (5.6) and the fact that there have been at least 80 aftershocks and 60,000 people without power.

The quilting machine we ordered the end of February is on backorder, not sure if that is due to all the virus mess in Europe, or if it is simply that the factory has that many orders. Either way, it will most likely be the end of the month or into April before it arrives. I have more than enough to do between then, so I'm currently keeping my focus on other things.

Bobby told someone this morning that the only difference in our lives right now is we don't have church and we're not eating out. And for the most part, that is very true! Well, half of my activities and appointments have been cancelled for this month, but I'm actually okay with that.

And we had 8 chicks hatch out today. One won't make it, but we're still pleased. There's still three eggs on the nest, but those were added 4-7 days after she started setting on the others, so I don't expect them to hatch. She won't sacrifice the safety of the early ones for 3 eggs that still need a week of constant setting. I'll try to post pics tomorrow.

the difference a week makes

I know if anyone starts to read this today there eyes will glass over and they'll pass on to something else. And that's okay. What I'm writing today is to help me remember years down the road.

One week ago today, I would have never imagined the things that are happening now.

One week ago today, Covid-19 was something we discussed and anticipated. Then it became an issue for two counties. Today it is in 14 counties with 32 cases. Nationwide there are 1694 cases with 41 deaths. Worldwide it is a rapidly changing situation with staggering numbers.

Since Thursday, March 12, the following things have happened:

• The ACC tournament and the NCAA tournament were cancelled. This has no impact on me whatsoever, but in all of my life, I have never heard of a nationwide sports event of this magnitude being cancelled.
• Professional basketball teams have cancelled all games and public activities.
• Universities are closing the campus for the semester and going totally online. Duke University has gone so far as to tell students they will mail or ship important belongings (meds, electronics, etc) but not clothes or furnishings.
• The Governor went from a suggested closing of large groups to a mandatory closing of any group over 100 for 30 days.
• All public schools will be closed for the next two weeks.
• Chik-fil-A has closed the dining halls of at least two of the stores and will only operate drive-thru after that.
• People have gone crazy with panic buying. Meat, bottled water, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, kleenex and wipes are very difficult to buy, prompting some stores to impose rationing on items such as toilet paper.
•  Garner's Meals on Wheels will be distribution only (grab-n-go) instead of providing a hot meal at the Senior Center every day. 

And on a slightly funny, not so funny note, a niece who is studying in England was unable to find toilet paper at all in her area of England. She went to the public library and while using the facilities saw they had extra rolls and stole one roll to take home.  It has us all laughing, as we simply cannot see her doing that. Desperate times call for desperate measures.