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.

If my life were jeopardy questions...

 Category: Nocturnal

Answer: coyotes howling, beagles baying, siren sounding, Bobby snoring

Questions:  What are noises you hear at night?

For the life of me, I do not understand how he can sleep through it all, especially when the windows are open.

Stephen Smith

 

I first met Stephen in 1996. I was home from China for 6 weeks during the summer and came to Garner where my sister and brother-in-law were working as the Associate/Youth pastor. He was graduating from high school and considering attending Bible College. His parents had some valid reservations and we spent some time talking about respecting our parents even when we disagreed with them. I was impressed with his attitude. It wasn't one I often saw in people his age.

Two years later I was moving to Garner to make sure Bobby (who I met the following summer) was as real in person as he was in emails. Not long after our engagement Stephen and I met at the McDonalds near church so we could talk. He had something he wanted to pray about...two somethings actually. One was he had met someone and was thinking she might be "the one". He wanted people praying that he would make both a wise head and heart decision. I'll never forget how his entire face lit up as he talked about Amy.

Stephen's older sister Lynn is near my age, and I hurt for both her and Amy. I've prayed for his parents and children too, but Amy and Lynn are the ones who have come to mind so much these past few weeks.

Tomorrow and Sunday will not be easy days for them.

September

 Yesterday we kicked off this busy month with a trip to see Bobby's niece and her family. It was a treat to see their new hobby farm and spend time with the great nieces and nephew. They were proud to show off their chickens and goats and sheep and their garden spot and it was just fun to watch their excitement. 

Today is a home catch up day...laundry, produce, cleaning and so on.

I canned the last tomatoes for this year.

Have a small handfull for sandwiches this week, but I opened the garden gate so the chickens can now go in and scratch until their hearts are content. I was going to wait a few more weeks but the peas are drying out and okra is barely producing so I'm putting myself out of turmoil and saying "It's over!"

Beef comes in this week so I need to clean the freezer. Squirrels are already attacking the pecan trees even though the nuts aren't ripe yet. They got almost all the pears and apples this year.

A man in our church has lost his job because he refused the vaccine. He's already had covid, so I don't know if that is why he refused it or not. I do know many people who have not taken it for very different reasons. Many work places are not requiring it but do require employees to be tested every day if they don't get it. Personally, I don't think that is an unreasonable thing to ask.  

It continues to amaze me the vastly different precautions and reactions people are having towards the pandemic. 

Meanwhile life is going forward for everyone, whether they are staying at home or returning to some semblance of a normal life. I'm not seeing a huge difference in infection rates between the masked and unmasked in my circles. I don't know if that is the norm anywhere else or not.

goodbyes

 Last week a friend of mine from college died unexpectedly. Wendy Southwell Briscoe had a quick wit, was an avid fiction reader, loved her family, was an encourager, did her best to cook for her family, knitted scarves for Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes every year, and often did Facebook fundraisers for her sister and her family who are missionaries in Spain.  She leaves behind her husband and a young son. 

Today we received word that Bruce Kimbrell died in a car wreck. He served with my brother-in-law at two different churches. My prayers are going out to his two daughters who have now lost both parents (his first wife died of cancer many years ago) and his recent wife Julie.

I wanted to write beautiful tributes to both of them, but my brain is not processing very much right now. So much hurt for so many people. Lord be their balm of Gilead.

mid August

Yesterday I received my materials that I'll be teaching the end of September. My "dry run" (where I teach to the Board of Elections staff to make sure I know the material and am prepared) is September 9th. We will be teaching in a mask, thanks to the surge of Delta variant covid cases.

Tomorrow Wake County enters mask requirements for anywhere in public once again. This time they are not mandating social distancing, just masks. Personally, I think they may fear the outcome of the upcoming elections if another stay at home order comes. But that is solely opinion and not fact.

Today Alabama Free Will Baptists lost two more pastors to Covid.  One of them, Bro. Glen Hood, was very influential in Dad's life when he first started as a pastor. I attended college with his oldest daughter Stephanie, who is one of the kindest and classiest people I've ever met. My heart goes out to her and her Mom and younger sister Allison.

My great-niece Lucy started school this week. I think there were many prayers going up from the Stox/Parrish/White family.  While she is only two years old, (three next week!), we are so thankful the state of Virginia provides special education classes when children need them that includes helpful therapy free to families. The report from her first day made me laugh, and my understanding is that on day two she was still loving school. She did actually speak a word the first day, which now makes twice in six months she has spoken actual words. We are rejoicing!!

Tonight we went to GPAC (Garner Performing Arts Center) to hear the Chatham Rabbits. I loved it!! They limited the crowd to only 50 people and livestreamed for others. We were the only ones sitting in the back of the auditorium. My mother-in-law acted like she does in church - the mask came off not long after she sat down (her church requires masks inside and never dropped that requirement), Bobby was getting too hot so not enjoying it, but I have followed the group on  Facebook and might actually see if they have some of their music on itunes. (Yes. I still use my ipod.)

A mole destroyed the root system of one of my tomato plants; snake skin found in the garden; peas are dying out but okra stalks have suddenly appeared. I did pick one eggplant this year. One! Ha!  Bobby said our younger dog actually dug up a mole last week and set it down and backed away as if to say "What am I supposed to do with this?"  I don't think she killed it.

My heart continues to hurt for the craziness happening in Afghanistan. My thoughts bounce all over the place as I attempt to pray.  I do not understand why God chose me to be born in a country of such great freedom and wealth when others who are so much more talented are born in places of suppression, poverty and no opportunities. But I do firmly believe the principles of Genesis 12:1-3, that we have been blessed in order to bless others. A group that helps refugees relocate and restart is located in Durham NC and they are preparing for up to 30 families to settle here within the next two weeks. The tutoring/mentoring volunteers that they need do jobs very similar to what I had to do in language school in China, so I am seriously praying/considering whether that is an avenue to pursue, or if that is more time/energy than I have to invest at the moment. Meanwhile, I can help gather needed items to stock apartments for families who literally had to flee with only one or two small bags.

And I have been very disappointed with American media and am again going to BBC for world information. While our nation is amazing, we are also so inwardly focused that the country term "navel gazing" aptly applies.

While Mom & Dad are doing well, they are aging. It's harder to hear/read reports and not be close enough to help them with daily activities.

And my goal to reclaim the dining room from two massive projects has not yet happened. But I am steadily plugging away, hoping that one day they both will actually be finished. Or at least in an acceptable state of progress. Several years ago a friend of mine posted a statement that read something like "I can't stop a bird from flying overhead; I can stop that bird from building nests in my hair."  That has been my mantra these last two months. I'm still in the pulling twigs out of my hair stage, but thankfully there has yet to be the shape of a nest forming! Meanwhile I agreed to do a project for my sister in the next two weeks. I'm hoping it's as quick and easy as the pattern says! 

And that catches us up to this point in August!

July

•  kidney infection for Bobby
• 2nd failed and final attempt at a colonoscopy for Bobby
• being able to sleep through the night for almost 2/3 of this month...HOORAY!!!
  
• still no new vans available...trying to keep the starter and ramp door working now...hit 193,000 miles this week
• wedding party in TN for Bobby's nephew/completed his quilt 1 day before we left!!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• new set of biddies
• 2 more hens trying to nest
• confirmation there will be no October election
• canned 8 quarts of tomatoes
• peas and eggplants are FINALLY starting to bloom
• Mom is OFF oxygen!!!!
• able to see my Grandma's house before it's possible sell/demolition (house is at least 75 years old)
  
  
  
• walked some of the family property with Dad...we each found 2 ticks
  
  
  
  
• got to meet my great-nephew Jack for the first time
  
  
  
• my great-niece Lucy received confirmation of her autism diagnosis and level assignment; starts therapy/school a week before she turns 3
• One of Mom's doctors at the lupus clinic has scheduled an appointment...finally...turns out she has not been seeing patients most of the last year because of her own struggles with covid
• In addition to all the appointments with Lucy's doctors, both my niece and her husband have been sick this month. Ellen is improving; Kevin has seen slight improvement and is awaiting biopsy reports.
• helped clean out Mom & Dad's deep freeze
• weeded about 1/2 of Dad's tomatoes
• made pickles
  
  
  
• bought a bushel of corn at the farmer's market and put it up
• found out unless covid spikes much higher, elections training for the November election will be in September and first week of October.  Less classes this year. :)
• given up on grape vine wreaths...hauling the vines off next week