Freedom!

 I received my second COVID-19 shot today.  Within hours, a friend texted me to say she and her husband received THEIR second shot today, too. And could we come to dinner in two weeks? Dinner? At someone's house? IN PERSON???  Hallelujah! Praise God!! Amen!

(The HUB gets HIS second shot in two days. Life is good.)

We WILL wear masks. Hugging is still not recommended. But visiting in person!!! With someone I am not related to? Wow!!!

The funny thing is this: I was not aware of the negative effects of insularity on me. Yes. I have dragged and yes, I also felt sluggish and reluctant to engage every morning. 

Still, when I sat in front of my computer screen to talk with groups of people, I felt huge waves of gratitude. I enjoy NOT going to stores. My younger sister started a music sharing hour with me each week. That would NOT have happened in non-quarantine times. See? Things worked out for me! I prefer eating at home and don't miss restaurants.

Right now, I feel so light, so unburdened that I suspect the whole looking-on-the-bright-side thing kept me sane but not unaffected by quarantine.

Some things will change. In a couple of weeks, Hub will want to go out to eat. If I need one ingredient to make a recipe, I will run to the store and get just that one thing. We might drive to upstate New York to visit the above mentioned sister's palatial new home. We CAN GO PLACES!! Masked, of course, socially distant, but NOT HERE!

Here is what I hope will not change:  Music with my sister; Scrabble games with my Mom two or three times a week; walks - but NOW I can walk more places once the snow melts; staying home - I do like staying home; a slower pace; an appreciation of what we have.

It may be the Spring sun returning. It may be my second vaccine dose but Hope is in my heart today.

Thanksgiving dilemma

 He asked again today. "Are we making a turkey on Tuesday to share with A & L & D when they pick D up after work?"  

Me: (Blank stare)

Him: Or, what?

Me: (Frowny face and helpless shrug)

Him: Should I get a small turkey at the store?

Me: Uh, um, I don't know.

Him: What are we doing for Thanksgiving?

Me: (Drops head to the table.)

My latest coping strategy is to wait until it is too late to do anything and do nothing. That can NOT happen with Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is our favorite holiday. We open the house to our son, our daughter-in law, our granddaughter and our daughter-in-law's family and to my mother and sometimes to one or more of my siblings. Dinner is followed by a walk and card games, silliness and chatter - and football on TV.  It is a day to just be together.  Also, FOOD!!!

When family can't attend (last year, they planned to be out of the country) we invite friends. No matter who we host, it is always the same. Food, conversation, laughter, football, games.

Um, not this year. 

I already texted the usual suspects and cancelled a large gathering.  However, I can't let go of the idea of pies and roasted Fall veggies and stuffing.  Should I bake pies and drop them off, masked and socially distant - set them on the doorstep, ring the bell and run away?  I can easily peel and slice enough vegetables for all of us and deliver them on Wednesday.

Should we take a chance and invite my son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter to a short celebration? We see them twice a week anyway. (We see the parents for five to fifteen minutes at a time. And D for the afternoon. That doesn't count as "residing" with them, I guess.)

WHAT SHOULD WE DO??? I. DON'T. KNOW.

Kim and Penn Holderness made their decision to stay home. And then they made a video about it. Check out that Grammy's dance moves. 

I have a lot to be thankful for, anxiety aside. So far, my closest circle is COVID-19 free. I have a roof, the Internet, a sister who works at a yarn store if I run out of yarn (!!!), books, enough money, lots of food, a nice husband. What else could I need?

I need hugs, lots of hugs, to and from everyone I love. So, I WILL bake pies and peel veggies. I will fill those pies with hugs and drop them off with the ones I love. We will Zoom or Skype or Facetime our meal and NEXT YEAR we will all be together.

Stay safe, everyone.  Happy Thanksgiving.