Monday, August 31, 2020

Here We Are


 I braved the heat and the mugginess this morning and went out for a shortish walk up to the county line and back which is two miles which is nothing but in this heat and after over a month of relative inactivity, was plenty. I saw that No Man Lord had put up yet another new sign and I love it so much that I had to stop and take its picture. Can you read what it says? 

"Gods word is Quick. Ain't No Man That Fast."

Tell me he is not a poet. 

The sycamore trees are beginning to turn rusty. Here's a quite large one I pass by. 


Even here in North Florida we get some color as the season changes. I took a picture of what the hurricane lily looks like today. 


I swear it's grown at least eight inches since yesterday. Here's the head of it, the blossom end. 


I'll take another shot tomorrow. 

I rewatched the video of how to make the mask I wanted to try and I have now made two. I am quite pleased with the pattern. It is very easy and very quick to make up. Here I am, wearing one. 



It's not perfect by any means but it'll do. It's got so much room to breathe and talk. I've made Mr. Moon one out of a little bit of black silk that I have had forever, leftover from when I made him a pair of comfy pants. I put a piece of interfacing in that one to make it sturdier and more effective. I hope he likes it. He had to go to town today with a list as long as his arm and is not home yet. 

So I feel as if I have accomplished something at least today. 

Jessie sent a picture this morning of the boys first day-not-back to school. It made me laugh. 


Lily had an anxiety-filled morning wherein the internet connections to the kids' schooling wasn't working and Maggie was being Maggie and no one was answering her emails asking for advice and of course the phones were all busy. 
She said it got better but I know she was so stressed out. This is sort of ridiculous. But somehow, it will work. She will manage. Her children will learn. After school was over, they all went to see Melissa who fixed up Magnolia's hair, gave Gibson a haircut, and trimmed Lily's. Lily said it was the biggest social event of the season and that of course it was so good to see our darling Melissa. 




I'm so proud of how all of my children are dealing with the virus, even now, months later than when we ever imagined we'd still have to be taking such deep precautions. Mr. Moon and I were talking this morning about how we're just about ready to loosen things up a bit. Owen told his Boppy the other day how much he wants to go fishing with him and I told him that if they both wear masks, especially in the car, they should go. I keep thinking about what my doctor said- quality of life has to be considered. My husband has been living to take his grandchildren fishing since he ever considered the idea of having a grandchild at all. 
Well, we shall see how things go. 
Here's a picture of Maggie, all trimmed up. 


It's also a picture of her tongue. That girl. Gibson looks quite handsome, I think. 

Like Linda Sue has been saying, I'm thinking a lot about how how different things were when this whole pandemic started. How we all watched Tiger King and couldn't find toilet paper in the stores. How after about a week people were posting pictures showing how wildlife was making a comeback all over the world. How everyone decided to make their own bread and yeast was as precious as gold. How we all felt like we had a mission- to do the right thing to prevent the spread of this disease. How people applauded and whistled and beat on pots and pans at seven in the evening to thank our front-line workers. How Italians sang opera from their balconies. 
How we all thought we'd be back to "normal" life by July. 

Oh, how silly and sweetly innocent that all looks now. There is plenty of toilet paper; yeast and bread flour can be bought anywhere. Wildlife is still endangered. Medical workers are still completely overwhelmed and there are even more people risking their lives in other occupations because things are opening up way before they should. There is still no vaccination. There is still no real consensus on the best treatments for the disease. There is no contact tracing, there is even less worry about testing. 
And some of us still haven't hugged our loved ones since March.
And at the RNC chairs were placed right slam up next to each other and hardly anyone wore a mask and worst of all- our country is suffering in ways that we could not even have imagined four years ago while our citizens have not been this divided since the Civil War. 
Our president incites violence daily and his fans, his base, his minions, his deluded deplorables cheer him on, strap on their automatic weapons and pretend to be patriots.

But hey! I gathered seven more eggs today! 

We go on, we go on, we go on. 

Love...Ms. Moon






26 comments:

  1. You summed it all up brilliantly. How innocent we were.

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  2. Every season's passing is marked partly by your pictures and words here. I think Mr Moon and the grands can safely go fishing. Masks in the car yes. Being outside makes things a bit safer too especially if there is a breeze, so maybe even no masks there. Six months in to this bizarre world.

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    1. Being outside, according to what I've heard, is infinitely safer than being outside. So yes, I think fishing would be fine.
      Thank you for saying what you said about marking seasons' passings by my words and pictures. I feel like people must be so incredibly bored by now by my lilies and tea olive, my rambling musings on it all.

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  3. I saw that mask somewhere, with the clever pleat that makes room for talking.
    Good to see all the grands (well, Owen's red shirt).

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    1. It's a very good design. And the easiest of all the masks I've made.

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  4. Yes how innocent we were. Now fall and the election is coming quickly and I am more frightened than ever. I don't know if in my lifetime things will be "normal".

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    1. I am too, Claudia. And the closer the election comes, the more terrified I become.

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  5. Do the right thing, all will be well, we thought, we did the right thing...we are still pretty much closed up here and will be until there is a vaccine. Just treading water.

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    1. And what about all the people who won't take the vaccine because...oh god. I'm so tired of all of this.

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  6. I Love your Mask, it's made out of the same fabulous material of one I bought Online from a lovely young Crafter in Texas, as a Gift she sent me a 2nd one since I referred so many people to her site. I get a lot of compliments on it and I've bought a lot of Masks as Accessories and so I can rotate them often. Everyone looks happy and healthy even though everything is still really messy in our Country, I think we're doing the best we can under dire circumstances. Be well and stay safe.

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    1. I love that fabric! Did I get it at Walmart? I can't remember. And yes, masks are definitely accessories now.
      You stay safe, too.

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  7. It really all is fucking absurd. You've captured it perfectly! You're perfect as well in your mask, as are your grandchildren with their new haircuts. The sycamore trees in Los Angeles always look like that -- they line our streets and have only one or two weeks of glorious green before they dry up. I've always thought it weird that they were planted everywhere here, the desert. Sigh. Thanks for helping us to "go on."

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    1. I've always heard that sycamores grow where there's an underground vein of water. Or whatever that's called. It does seem ridiculous to have planted them in the desert. They grow here on their own.

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  8. The way you say things! It is sometimes so damned brilliant! I especially loved the picture of August and Levon. How those guys are growing and they look so healthy, so alive. Fishing has to be one of the most ancient human activities - along with picking berries and looking at the stars in the sky.

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    1. Thank you, Mr. P! I have no idea what I said that you thought was brilliant but I'm glad I said it.
      You're right about fishing. Fishing and picking berries and looking in awe at the stars above.

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  9. I think that's exactly the approach we have to take -- gather our eggs. Enjoy our homes. If not HUG our families, at least spend time with them and yes, perhaps go fishing. I don't think we should ignore the wider world but I just have to continually remind myself that I can't do a damn thing about any of it. (Except vote.)

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    1. Vote, vote, VOTE! No, we can't ignore the wider (almost wrote "wilder") world but when it comes down to it, we have to spend our energy on what we can do to make a difference in our own world. I guess.

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  10. Joining others in praise of your summation of the past six months. Need to find that mask pattern and up my mask-making game.

    Family looks great--sorry to hear about virtual school start up issues. Expecting the same for us. School starts here on Thursday. It turns out it was a good thing my daughter decided, once she started getting the schedule/materials from the teacher last Friday, to have my grandson do his virtual schooling with me and not at daycare. On Sunday, his daycare provider was exposed to the virus when she moved her daughter back to college. The roommate was v. sick and (rapid)tested positive. Now the daycare has to close for two weeks as it is in provider's home. All her kids and parents are thrown into turmoil--four of them are school age. So yes, you summed up the mess we are all in very well.

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    1. I believe I'll just post the video I watched to learn to make the mask. It's a very good video, easy to understand, easy to observe what she's doing with every step.
      What a mess with the daycare provider! I keep thinking that if we had just stayed on lock-down longer this would all be over. I know your daughter is so grateful for you.

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  11. we are having to learn to live with it since there is no national response to get it under control. and Trump doesn't care how many people die as long as it isn't him. I am hugging my kids and grandkids. I stepped out into the wider world Saturday and did a couple of hours of volunteer work. I wore a mask, the 7 others did not.

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    1. None! NO national response and many governors don't appear to give a shit either. Take ours, for example. Republican, of course.
      I'm glad you wore a mask, Ellen. You are wise.

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  12. I had forgotten just how lovely and peaceful the world was at the beginning of lockdown and how you could hear the birds and the buzzing of the bees. It was a scary but special time. And I think Gibson and Maggie look great with their new haircuts!

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    1. It was scary but it WAS special, too. You're right. Here in the US we're not nearly as scared now as we damn well should be. I think Gibson and Maggie look very nice.

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.