Friday, April 24, 2020

That's The Week

It's been a long week.

Alex and Stacia are in the final push to finish this school year.  We'll all be putting in time tomorrow, but I think they will both make it.

We continue to "stay at home."  Here are some glimpses of the week.... Tuesday, we made a run to the inside of a store to pick up a few essential items.  Michael found a mask in the garage. Honestly, we feel silly wearing masks...BUT our state is about to begin the experiment of opening back up. A big part of seeing success will be for citizens to voluntarily act responsibly...and our governor has asked we wear masks when inside stores or in places where we are around those who do not live in our home. It's an easy thing to do. Staying 6 feet away from grandchildren is proving to be much more difficult.


I've noticed some are getting far to wrapped around the mask so to speak....I lost my mask Monday between the car and the pharmacy....good GRIEF...the looks, the comments...you would have thought I was the vilest criminal in Alaska.  I had my mask on this trip...and again the looks from those NOT wearing masks.  Out of love for my father, my family, and those I come into contact with, I will wear a mask when out and about. Why? Because our Governor has asked us to, and because I have PERSONAL FRIENDS who tested positive and were totally befuddled when they did.  I don't THINK I have the virus, but shoot, Beth hadn't left her home in 4 weeks and somehow contracted it....so I will wear my mask out of care for YOU - even if you are one making fun of me for wearing the mask. How's that? You do you. I'll do me. 

Another odd mask thing - folks don't smile, or exchange greetings when wearing masks. I am working to break that trend. We may look like bandits, but we can be friendly bandits.  

I have a personal goal of walking 20 miles this week. I  have discovered it's fun to catch up on polos and to send polos while walking.... Stacia and I walked together one day which was fun too. 

This particular day I was exploring a new road...wow! I loved it, but began to feel like I was getting a bit too isolated with no bear spray or protection. It turns out I was walking my way to the shooting range....which was closed. On a typical day there would have probably been more traffic and it wouldn't have felt so eerie. 


This week has also had it's share of church Zooms. Tuesday night was Bible Study, Thursday was a church staff meeting, and this morning a coffee date.
Staff in a box

This has to be the saddest, and yet most hopeful, photo of the week. Our snowman has melted....he was created Feb 19th, so lasted a bit over two months...that's not bad. Spring...is....here.


We still have fabric on the free bolt from Joann's. Krista and I spent significant time making more masks today. We gave 20 of them away before dinner....we may never get enough to take back to Joann's.  Adding the masks all of us have made we are up to 117....and we have significant fabric left....I want to make some cute ones....The girls would like to work on their quarantine quilt....I gave up starting a quilt when I saw  mask making was the new skill I was destined to learn during this time. 

We ended the school week with pizza, Despicable Me, and some fun clips from Holderness Family. Stacia and I did have a Bible Study adventure which I'll blog separately, but this is our week.

Oh yes, our Covid numbers are great in Alaska. I think it's because we are spread out, our population is small, and our leadership began informing and putting mandates in place when the  first case popped up. Our Governor has begun to cautiously open things up. As of today, there can be limited retail and dining in....this amounts to 25% of capacity and family groups making reservations and eating together...at a table 10 feet from the next table. We can gather in groups of 20, but if we are with those whom we don't live with, we are to be 6 feet apart. High risk folks are encouraged to continue to stay home. OH! We can travel between communities on the road system. They are opening some service industries with new restrictions...no waiting rooms, one provider/one client at a time....hair salons, barbers, chiropractors...and elective procedures will begin again. The plan is to watch for 2 weeks and if numbers aren't out of control, they'll open more up at the end of that time. If things spike....they'll tighten those areas back up.  We've been told there will be more cases, but they feel the health system can handle it at this point. Frankly, if we all do the social distancing and wear the masks, wash our hands etc....things should go well....if not....there you have it....I think a big test will be the point where groups begin gathering again and air travel opens up....