Mom just called from Calgary. Over ten new cases of COVID-19 were announced this morning in her fair city, so our trip next week to get her moved to her new suite is cancelled, off, finis, done, kaput, ground to a screaming halt, NOT happening!
The lady in charge of her residence is going to telephone me and explain what is going on in regard to mom's move, but apparently since Mom signed the lease on her new place all ready, she will only have to pay April rent for that place, even though she will have to remain in her present suite until the ban on people coming into the facility from "the outside" is lifted. That is SUCH a relief to her that she will be okay I think with the whole event being delayed, as much as she was looking forward to having us there. No one knows how long this ban will be in place. Since we now do not have to compact the completion of our income tax preparation, research a new possible place to live by the end of May, have all of the Palm Sunday service sermon written, etc. etc. etc. all by the end of next week now, it is kind of relief to us to be honest.
Despite the obvious disappointment for all of us, we are so thankful, grateful, delighted, thrilled that this decision was made BEFORE we started driving all the way to Calgary, only to discover after such a long drive, that we had nowhere to stay overnight, no way to move Mom and had to turn around the drive all the way home again. We are too old to be doing a 16 hour turnaround trip any more, especially in the winter!!!
We all have a tremendous sense of peace, even Mom is doing okay with it, surprisingly enough. I thought she would be devastated, but she will be okay. As she said, "This isn't something any of us have any control over. It cannot be helped." When WE weren't upset, it was like we gave HER permission not to be upset either.
So, thank you Jesus for the timing of this trip cancellation. It is all good!
Saturday, March 14, 2020
Guess I Spoke Too Soon.....
So.....a giant fracas broke next door around 3am. Hollering, accusing, cursing, door bashing and slamming each other into the floor and walls. Fortunately we were able to hear with complete clarity what the fighting was about. Short version is that we ended up calling the trouble line for our management company and, at their request, the police. Sigh..... We have been determined to be as accepting and supportive of our actual “name on the lease” tenant, but her safety was in question and so we were forced to pick up the phone and start making calls. Our prayer is that she has been able to permanently evict the two freeloaders who have been causing all the trouble for the past two months, two people living there unbeknownst to the leasing office, however I suspect it is unlikely. We are praying for the safety of all of us who live in this unit. The one young man who she tossed out at 6am is likely to return and he will not be happy. My husband and I are praying this young gal will be able to stay in university and rise above her apparent circumstances in life. Standing up for herself and taking control of her own suite will be difficult for her because of her cultural background.
At 9:30am we decided we had better get ourselves to the grocery stores for a handful of grocery items we need just in case other people here heard the news about the panic buying in Calgary, leaving grocery shelves completely empty at many stores. Sure enough.....while not yet at the level of panic buying happening in Calgary, the stores here were terribly crowded and there are many products beginning to disappear from the shelves here too. The clerks in the stores said yesterday was even worse for crowds. A fellow we met in a check out line showed us a video he had just taken at our Costco store of two women wrestling over the last available package of toilet paper. Good grief. As one of my friends said earlier this morning, panic buying makes even otherwise kind people totally selfish.
So, it is nearly noon and I have been awake for nine hours. I need a shower and clean hair and a nap and lunch and a 💤 nap and a 😴 nap and a nap! hahahahaha
Stay tuned for the next chapter in my boring, yet somehow still crazy life. hahahahaha
At 9:30am we decided we had better get ourselves to the grocery stores for a handful of grocery items we need just in case other people here heard the news about the panic buying in Calgary, leaving grocery shelves completely empty at many stores. Sure enough.....while not yet at the level of panic buying happening in Calgary, the stores here were terribly crowded and there are many products beginning to disappear from the shelves here too. The clerks in the stores said yesterday was even worse for crowds. A fellow we met in a check out line showed us a video he had just taken at our Costco store of two women wrestling over the last available package of toilet paper. Good grief. As one of my friends said earlier this morning, panic buying makes even otherwise kind people totally selfish.
So, it is nearly noon and I have been awake for nine hours. I need a shower and clean hair and a nap and lunch and a 💤 nap and a 😴 nap and a nap! hahahahaha
Stay tuned for the next chapter in my boring, yet somehow still crazy life. hahahahaha
Friday, March 13, 2020
Cogitating On It
As I sit here remembering that gophers typically only breed and give birth once or twice a year, usually in the spring, I am wondering if It is a pregnant female. That would certainly explain her pudgy cuteness. Guess we shall see how many small gophers show up here in the next month digging holes! The little ones are self sufficient and digging their own burrows three to five weeks after birth if I remember my biology studies from long ago.
My husband and his two colleagues are even more grateful tonight that they went on their own mandatory retreat and didn't wait to go with the rest of the diocesan clergy. In response to the COVID19 virus arriving in our province yesterday, the diocesan retreat has been cancelled. I am rejoicing that my husband got out of town for a good break and some deeply spiritual fellowship because who knows how this whole mess is going to effect our own lives in the near future. Tomorrow morning we are going out to find some meat to put in the freezer and a bit more bread and breakfast foods that I can safely eat. Hopefully the rest of the city won't have the same idea! Many of the grocery store shelves in Alberta have been stripped of food and the news report photos show many shelves are completely bare even though in Calgary, where the photos were taken, there has been no lockdown procedure implemented.
We received an email from the pastoral team at my church as well this evening. For now we will still have Sunday church services, but we are to sit 2 meters apart on the pews. There will be no more shaking hands or hugging. There will be no coffee hour this coming Sunday. Instead there will be a meeting to discuss the best way to handle the upcoming crisis, what we should do about further services and meetings and some ideas brought forth as to how we can continue to assist each other and our community members if things become desperate in our city. One of the things I appreciated in the email we received was the call to caution in regard to taking on fear and paranoia, that we should avoid wallowing in terror over this situation and try to be practical without freaking out.
Interesting times.....yee haw....sigh.....
My husband and his two colleagues are even more grateful tonight that they went on their own mandatory retreat and didn't wait to go with the rest of the diocesan clergy. In response to the COVID19 virus arriving in our province yesterday, the diocesan retreat has been cancelled. I am rejoicing that my husband got out of town for a good break and some deeply spiritual fellowship because who knows how this whole mess is going to effect our own lives in the near future. Tomorrow morning we are going out to find some meat to put in the freezer and a bit more bread and breakfast foods that I can safely eat. Hopefully the rest of the city won't have the same idea! Many of the grocery store shelves in Alberta have been stripped of food and the news report photos show many shelves are completely bare even though in Calgary, where the photos were taken, there has been no lockdown procedure implemented.
We received an email from the pastoral team at my church as well this evening. For now we will still have Sunday church services, but we are to sit 2 meters apart on the pews. There will be no more shaking hands or hugging. There will be no coffee hour this coming Sunday. Instead there will be a meeting to discuss the best way to handle the upcoming crisis, what we should do about further services and meetings and some ideas brought forth as to how we can continue to assist each other and our community members if things become desperate in our city. One of the things I appreciated in the email we received was the call to caution in regard to taking on fear and paranoia, that we should avoid wallowing in terror over this situation and try to be practical without freaking out.
Interesting times.....yee haw....sigh.....
And So The Menagerie Grows!
This afternoon my husband called me to the kitchen window and pointed out a gopher in the process of crawling out from under our porch steps. I am NOT a gopher fan, but honestly, this little fellow (or gal), now to be known officially as "It", is the chubbiest cheeked, brightest eyed, roundest barrel-tummied wee gopher I have ever seen in my life. It is absolutely adorable and has obviously either found or had winter-stashed a magnificent food source. This one makes all the obese cartoon gophers look completely emaciated! Despite the weight, It's spindly, short legs carried It very quickly across the lawn away from us when we went out on the porch to take a closer look. hahahaha I am not reporting It's presence to the lawn maintenance department. The worst damage It can do is create a few holes under the porches and along the foundations. The maintenance staff will find It eventually if It hangs around very long.
So in the past week the mice have been removed and blocked from further intrusion into our suite, the rat traps outside have been emptied and are vacant for the time being, the rabbits have removed themselves to less icy grazing grounds at the park across the street and there are only three geese about. Guess there is always room for one more pest around here. hahahahahahaha It has no competition for space or food source at our complex for now. Aiii yiiii...........
There is a wonderful sunshiny sky outside. Unfortunately the temperature has dropped about 20 degrees in the past two days, so the sunshine is deceptive. It is not a nice day outside. The breeze is bitterly cold and we are expecting snow tomorrow. By the middle of next week we should be back in the -3C to +3C daytime highs, thank goodness.
This afternoon we received a notice of the temporary closure of our favourite art gallery in response to the COVID19 outbreak. We received a notice from the head of the chain of grocery stores we most often frequent advising us of new hygiene practises required of all staff member and letting us know that phone or online ordering has had the delivery charges suspended for the duration of the COVID19 scare. Tomorrow morning my husband and I are going to pick up a couple of protein items to get us through if going into self-isolation occurs for us.
Considering the number of people who die every year from cases of various types of influenza, I am finding the response to this new virus a bit over the top. "Flattening the envelope" approach to slow the spread of the virus is a good idea, but at what point is enough more than enough or just far too much. I don't know. My husband and I both have compromised immune systems, so we are trying to take some preventative precautions, but we don't want to give in to unnecessary paranoia.
My biggest fear, to be blunt, is that our favourite ethnic restaurants will be forced to close....yes, I am serious! As crazy as that sounds, the idea that I could be stuck here making bean soup and meting out bits of bassa fish for several weeks in a row, or months even, makes me want to gag! We haven't eaten out much lately, but knowing we can is what keeps me going when I have to continue to cook our boring, somewhat tasteless daily fare, me not being much of a cook if I am being totally honest. It is a psychological "thing" for me. I have had it my entire life. As long as there is a restaurant open somewhere to give me a break out of the house, I can cope with life and with eating my own cooking most of the time. Yes, I know...nuts! This woman is completely nuts! So be it.
My husband brought home some of his home made bean chili that was left over after his retreat earlier this week and we will have some of that for dinner. I ate my own home made soup every day for 5 days in a row so am ready for a change of meal. There is some cooked chicken I can add to the bean chili to make it more palatable for myself. Maybe I can have a slice of cheese toast with it for interest. There is sufficient chili to have another meal of it for us both tomorrow. Oooh goody...more beans and lentils.....o Lord, how I detest beans and lentils....BUT I am eating them more often as they are dirt cheap compared to chicken and beef. My egg intake has increased and so has my low fat cheese....I don't like either of those things, but they have protein. Yippee....she said in a phony voice reeking of pseudo cheer.
Anyway, we will see how this response to the COVID19 virus turns out over the coming days and how it may effect our trip to Alberta to get my mother moved to her new suite. If it messes that up I think my mother will have a combined nervous breakdown and heart attack....o please Lord, grant her (and ourselves) grace to get the job done! Thank you and AMEN!
So in the past week the mice have been removed and blocked from further intrusion into our suite, the rat traps outside have been emptied and are vacant for the time being, the rabbits have removed themselves to less icy grazing grounds at the park across the street and there are only three geese about. Guess there is always room for one more pest around here. hahahahahahaha It has no competition for space or food source at our complex for now. Aiii yiiii...........
There is a wonderful sunshiny sky outside. Unfortunately the temperature has dropped about 20 degrees in the past two days, so the sunshine is deceptive. It is not a nice day outside. The breeze is bitterly cold and we are expecting snow tomorrow. By the middle of next week we should be back in the -3C to +3C daytime highs, thank goodness.
This afternoon we received a notice of the temporary closure of our favourite art gallery in response to the COVID19 outbreak. We received a notice from the head of the chain of grocery stores we most often frequent advising us of new hygiene practises required of all staff member and letting us know that phone or online ordering has had the delivery charges suspended for the duration of the COVID19 scare. Tomorrow morning my husband and I are going to pick up a couple of protein items to get us through if going into self-isolation occurs for us.
Considering the number of people who die every year from cases of various types of influenza, I am finding the response to this new virus a bit over the top. "Flattening the envelope" approach to slow the spread of the virus is a good idea, but at what point is enough more than enough or just far too much. I don't know. My husband and I both have compromised immune systems, so we are trying to take some preventative precautions, but we don't want to give in to unnecessary paranoia.
My biggest fear, to be blunt, is that our favourite ethnic restaurants will be forced to close....yes, I am serious! As crazy as that sounds, the idea that I could be stuck here making bean soup and meting out bits of bassa fish for several weeks in a row, or months even, makes me want to gag! We haven't eaten out much lately, but knowing we can is what keeps me going when I have to continue to cook our boring, somewhat tasteless daily fare, me not being much of a cook if I am being totally honest. It is a psychological "thing" for me. I have had it my entire life. As long as there is a restaurant open somewhere to give me a break out of the house, I can cope with life and with eating my own cooking most of the time. Yes, I know...nuts! This woman is completely nuts! So be it.
My husband brought home some of his home made bean chili that was left over after his retreat earlier this week and we will have some of that for dinner. I ate my own home made soup every day for 5 days in a row so am ready for a change of meal. There is some cooked chicken I can add to the bean chili to make it more palatable for myself. Maybe I can have a slice of cheese toast with it for interest. There is sufficient chili to have another meal of it for us both tomorrow. Oooh goody...more beans and lentils.....o Lord, how I detest beans and lentils....BUT I am eating them more often as they are dirt cheap compared to chicken and beef. My egg intake has increased and so has my low fat cheese....I don't like either of those things, but they have protein. Yippee....she said in a phony voice reeking of pseudo cheer.
Anyway, we will see how this response to the COVID19 virus turns out over the coming days and how it may effect our trip to Alberta to get my mother moved to her new suite. If it messes that up I think my mother will have a combined nervous breakdown and heart attack....o please Lord, grant her (and ourselves) grace to get the job done! Thank you and AMEN!
First Contact
At last! Yesterday I met the three new neighbours who have refused all contact in the ten weeks they have lived here. I arrived home after a lovely teatime with a friend, to find my neighbours loading the trunk of their vehicle with items for recycling.
I greeted them just as the girl we did meet previously came out of their suite to join us. Her presence seemed to make the rest of them feel more comfortable to talk to me. We had a brief conversation, exchanged a couple of jokes and they eventually began making eye contact. Short ‘n’ sweet, but it is a positive start.
What the encounter did for me was relax me. Just getting a better idea of who shares our communal walls in the suites relaxes me. With the young fellow in particular I felt a bit of thawing in his attitude toward the “old white white broad” who lives next door to him. I talked about noise issues without attacking them, thanks to God’s grace, I apologized for a big noise I myself made early a few mornings ago at 6am when I missed a step coming down to the landing, landed with a thud and slammed into the wall. (No injuries, hallelujah!), and they had the joy of telling me it was okay about the noise waking THEM up. There is something so positive about asking for and receiving forgiveness, for everyone involved. The whole meeting lasted no more than a few minutes, but it helped me to relax last night when I went to bed. Subsequently I had a great sleep!
They were outside again after dinner when my husband returned from his retreat. He greeted them and for the first time they answered him. Thank you Lord for these little breakthroughs. It seems like there is a purpose to all this silliness, so we will continue to hang in.
I greeted them just as the girl we did meet previously came out of their suite to join us. Her presence seemed to make the rest of them feel more comfortable to talk to me. We had a brief conversation, exchanged a couple of jokes and they eventually began making eye contact. Short ‘n’ sweet, but it is a positive start.
What the encounter did for me was relax me. Just getting a better idea of who shares our communal walls in the suites relaxes me. With the young fellow in particular I felt a bit of thawing in his attitude toward the “old white white broad” who lives next door to him. I talked about noise issues without attacking them, thanks to God’s grace, I apologized for a big noise I myself made early a few mornings ago at 6am when I missed a step coming down to the landing, landed with a thud and slammed into the wall. (No injuries, hallelujah!), and they had the joy of telling me it was okay about the noise waking THEM up. There is something so positive about asking for and receiving forgiveness, for everyone involved. The whole meeting lasted no more than a few minutes, but it helped me to relax last night when I went to bed. Subsequently I had a great sleep!
They were outside again after dinner when my husband returned from his retreat. He greeted them and for the first time they answered him. Thank you Lord for these little breakthroughs. It seems like there is a purpose to all this silliness, so we will continue to hang in.
Wednesday, March 11, 2020
Paddling Through The Puddles
I started looking back at some of my postings from around this time last year and discovered the same hassle with insomnia had been occuring then as well....and the year before that! As I scrolled through some of the posts I remembered what part of the problem had been: not enough physical exercise in the great outdoors! Waltzing around the living room figure 8 arrangement for an hour or more each day after meals just doesn't work over the many continuous months of icy winter weather when I can't get outside. (Yes, I could go to the walking track but I used to do that when we lived in Kindersley and it nearly sent me nuts walking around and around and around with complete strangers all around me locked into the same holding pattern...no, I don't know why.)
So today I donned my leather spring jacket, boots and gloves and headed off after lunch on foot to the grocery store for a couple of things. Oooooh, it felt MARVELLOUS to be outside walking after feeling so housebound since last November when the first of the ice covered the streets and sidewalks here. The grocery store is only about three blocks away if I take the shortest route, so I decided to do that so I could check out the ice melt conditions, puddles, work my hip hardware slowly back into the change of pace, etc. I ambled along slowly, not enjoying the very cold breeze that is signalling a downturn by tomorrow in the temperature, but reveling in the contrastingly warm sun and relatively dry sidewalks and roads. SO WONDERFUL! I wandered up and down every aisle in the grocery store, not really seeing what was on the shelves, just trying to figure out the longest possible route for going home. Once I figured that out I paid for my purchases and away I went. Along the route I came across a neighbourhood library box and found three novels that look somewhat hopeful for a good reading once I am finished with my present rather depressing one about a woman reacting to being divorced....if you ever WANT to become severely depressed just let me know and I will pass the book on to you.
It was so difficult to have to admit that I really did have to complete my walk and go home. I had run out of route! One of my neighbours from the building next to mine was outside. We haven't seen each other for a chat since last fall sometime, so it was certainly fun to get caught up.
For someone who is so tired, today is certainly turning out well. YAY!!
So today I donned my leather spring jacket, boots and gloves and headed off after lunch on foot to the grocery store for a couple of things. Oooooh, it felt MARVELLOUS to be outside walking after feeling so housebound since last November when the first of the ice covered the streets and sidewalks here. The grocery store is only about three blocks away if I take the shortest route, so I decided to do that so I could check out the ice melt conditions, puddles, work my hip hardware slowly back into the change of pace, etc. I ambled along slowly, not enjoying the very cold breeze that is signalling a downturn by tomorrow in the temperature, but reveling in the contrastingly warm sun and relatively dry sidewalks and roads. SO WONDERFUL! I wandered up and down every aisle in the grocery store, not really seeing what was on the shelves, just trying to figure out the longest possible route for going home. Once I figured that out I paid for my purchases and away I went. Along the route I came across a neighbourhood library box and found three novels that look somewhat hopeful for a good reading once I am finished with my present rather depressing one about a woman reacting to being divorced....if you ever WANT to become severely depressed just let me know and I will pass the book on to you.
It was so difficult to have to admit that I really did have to complete my walk and go home. I had run out of route! One of my neighbours from the building next to mine was outside. We haven't seen each other for a chat since last fall sometime, so it was certainly fun to get caught up.
For someone who is so tired, today is certainly turning out well. YAY!!
So It Doesn't Take Much To Feel Encouraged!
I am feeling better about life since hearing from a friend who is also struggling, knowing we can pray for each other about this lack of sleep nonsense. I also made a hair appointment for next week while my husband is at an all day clericus event. That is a treat to look forward to! Getting my hair spruced up before we go to help Mom make her move will definitely make up for a few lost hours of sleep....at least I will feel and look somewhat human again! It has been six weeks since my last cut...no wonder I look kind of shaggy and unkempt and feel down on myself.
The other Wow Factor making today better with every passing moment is the weather! we have a forecast high this afternoon of +8C!!!!! 😀😀😀😀😀😀 The sun is shining SO brightly in a cloudless blue sky!!!! 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 As we head into the weekend we will be back to seasonal and below seasonal temperatures, with some snowfall, but today I don't care. Today it is beauuuuuuuuteeeeeeefuuuuul out there.
By this afternoon there may be enough ice melted from the sidewalks that I could risk walking to the nearest card shop to get my son a birthday card for his big FOUR O! He is going to be 40 next month. I can't believe it. You see why we are SO excited about the current lady in his life...it is about time he found someone so compatible....past time....we are too old to be mommying and daddying the man just because he has no one else that he trusts. I suppose it is natural that we have had such a close relationship after everything our family has been through as a family and as individuals; so many issues, so many struggles, so much craziness and stress.
Well, the last load of laundry is finished and needs to be pulled out of the washing machine to hang to dry. 10am and the laundry is finished with the first loads folded and put away, the garbage has been taken to the bin, there are fresh linens on the bed, I finished reading the last part of the book chapter we are discussing tonight at club, a hair appointment has been made. I suppose if I can't sleep I might as well be productive during my awake times, right?
It is all good.
The other Wow Factor making today better with every passing moment is the weather! we have a forecast high this afternoon of +8C!!!!! 😀😀😀😀😀😀 The sun is shining SO brightly in a cloudless blue sky!!!! 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 As we head into the weekend we will be back to seasonal and below seasonal temperatures, with some snowfall, but today I don't care. Today it is beauuuuuuuuteeeeeeefuuuuul out there.
By this afternoon there may be enough ice melted from the sidewalks that I could risk walking to the nearest card shop to get my son a birthday card for his big FOUR O! He is going to be 40 next month. I can't believe it. You see why we are SO excited about the current lady in his life...it is about time he found someone so compatible....past time....we are too old to be mommying and daddying the man just because he has no one else that he trusts. I suppose it is natural that we have had such a close relationship after everything our family has been through as a family and as individuals; so many issues, so many struggles, so much craziness and stress.
Well, the last load of laundry is finished and needs to be pulled out of the washing machine to hang to dry. 10am and the laundry is finished with the first loads folded and put away, the garbage has been taken to the bin, there are fresh linens on the bed, I finished reading the last part of the book chapter we are discussing tonight at club, a hair appointment has been made. I suppose if I can't sleep I might as well be productive during my awake times, right?
It is all good.
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