Today is our first “New Normal” Saturday. I am at my desk early just as I have been the first four days. The difference is that Kenny Roger’s music is playing on the Alexa device that sits on my desk, and Fox News is on mute on the TV behind me in the living room. I have not yet made my French pressed coffee. I have not looked at the new infection rate or deaths yet this morning.
The same is Potatoe is at my feet, and we are in the middle of a world crisis.
Islands in the Stream just began to play on my Alexa. Kenny Rogers passed away last night at the age of 81. Kenny Rogers is one of my favorites of all time. The MSN article this morning begins by saying, “Actor-singer Kenny Rogers, the smooth, Grammy-winning balladeer who spanned jazz, folk, country and pop with such hits as “Lucille,” “Lady” and “Islands in the Stream” and embraced his persona as “The Gambler” on record and on TV died Friday night. He was 81.“
I would have picked other songs to highlight if had written the MSN article. My favorite Kenny Rogers song is Love Will Turn You Around, but I love all of his music. Kenny Rogers is one of those artists that I can turn on every album of and never hit the “next” button.
What is new in today’s news: Don’t Fall in Love with a Dreamer just began to play. Yesterday’s news was that the world wide Coronavirus death toll had risen by 10% overnight. More than 11,000 people have now died from the virus. Italy is the hardest hit so far. I am beginning to hate the words, “so far”. Every indication is that things are going to get worse before they begin to get better. China is beginning to show signs of a full recovery; science shows that viruses run their course over about a four month period. This appears to again hold true in the case of China. If this is true, we have another couple of months to go.
Challenges with present situation: The economy. This will be a challenge for the duration of the “New Normal”, and for many months, possibly years to come.
My own personal challenge today is that there is something wrong with Trooper. One side of his face is swollen, and it seems to hurt him to open his mouth. This started late afternoon yesterday. He did not eat his dinner, and he did not eat his breakfast. We are headed to the vet’s office at 9 AM this morning. I had not thought about it until I picked up the phone to call the vet, what will I do in this situation if this vet does not answer the phone? What if they are not there to help Trooper? Luckily, they are.
Update on the Birds: Little Chirp is Captain Positive of our little family’s ship in the rough seas of the Coronavirus. He is embracing the time that he has with me and his brother, and he is loving home school.
I view this weekend as two teacher’s work days before school actually begins on Monday. I am going to set up a class room in the front room of our house, and I will have my class schedule and lesson plans ready. Little Chirp was beaming when I told him at lunch that this was my plan for the weekend. So far, math and recess appear to be his favorite times of day.
Ruben James just began to play on my Alexa.
Brainy Bird was late for home school on Friday, but he redeemed himself by joining the family during recess to play a game of “King of Tokyo”. I was already knocked out of the game, when a Facetime chat rang Brainy Bird’s phone. I said that I would take over his game, so that he could chat with his friends. Brainy Bird said, “No, they can wait. I want to play the game with you guys.”
I know that Brainy Bird misses hanging out with his friends, but he is embracing the time with us. He has done a lot of the cooking the past four days. I can tell that he is looking for ways to keep himself busy. He is worried about his AP tests not happening. Exceptional test scores are a key differentiator for Brainy Bird’s college application. We need the AP tests to happen.
Things I am grateful for: I am grateful for the kindness of others. In the limited times that I have gone to the store; I found that everyone is so patient and kind. I find folks waiting for others to get into the check out line; instead of rushing to jump in line ahead of everyone else.
There is a Facebook meme right now that says something to the effect of “It is as if God has sent us all to our rooms.” Maybe we all did need a reset, a time out to think about our lives.
I am grateful for my health.
Shout out to a friend: Today’s shout out goes to Woody and Mary. Woody and Mary are the boys’ grandparents on their dad’s side of the family. Woody is actually their dad’s step-father, yet he does more for the two boys that he raised, and his grandchildren than so many dads did for their own flesh and blood in the generation that I grew up in.
Woody called yesterday to see how we are doing and to let us know if we need anything that they are there for us. I know he means it, and this means a lot. I absolutely believe that we will be just find. But the one thing that scares me is in the extremely unlikely event that I should pass away or suddenly go broke – how will Brainy Bird go to college? Brainy Bird’s college fund is down about 30% along with the rest of the US stock market, and college begins in just a little over a year. It takes a great deal of stress off of me to know that Woody and Mary will make sure that Brainy Bird has a way to go to college if I am not able to do so myself.
Mary and Woody are incredibly hard working, and they grateful for everything. When folks show them kindness, they are truly thankful. They are simple, happy people with no need to prove anything to anyone. They simply have a need to work hard and be kind to others. They feel a sense of responsibility to help others no matter how simple the gesture.
Woody still calls Mary his bride, which I think is adorable. He is a lucky man. Mary is a beautiful woman. She has a great sense of style and decorating abilities, but she never needs to spend money to pull this off. They show the same kindness to one another that they show to everyone that knows them.
Mary is a middle school science teacher. Our nation is about to have a new appreciate for teachers. Teachers have always been some of my favorite humans, but I am definitely gaining my own greater appreciation for teachers. This happens every time that Little Chirp asks me a question, and my God’s honest answer is, “I have no idea. How do I not know that?” Mary passed her math and science brain on to her sons and grandsons.
Woody’s call yesterday made me realize something; this is a difficult time to be a grandparent. Grandparents are not only worried about their own children, but the generation that we are worried about as well. All they can really do is pray and wait. Woody and Mary’s generation were not raised to do nothing. All they can really do is watch what is happening in the world, while being passionately concerned about so many things that are beyond one’s control.
It lightens the weight on my shoulders to know that folks like Woody and Mary are there.
Positives with present situation: I am going to rock at the next Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? Trivia night at Sportin’ Woody’s when our “New Normal” is over. I am going to be as smart as a sixth grader!
My vet office is indeed open, and we now have an appointment at 9 AM with Dr. Crider. Dr. Crider loves her patients, and all of her Storey patients love her.
Love Will Turn You Around is now playing; it is the little things in life…
Great post! Love the authenticity!