7 Weeks Behind Us

 Well, we made it yet another week and 7 full weeks of social distancing are behind us now. This week is Briana's last week of school. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that Briana missed a bunch of special 8th grade milestones and that her middle school experience is going to end this way. I'm trying not to be too sad about it, but dang I am.

Last Tuesday, I forced took Briana out for a nice drive (we didn't get out of the car - just drove around). She had not left our neighborhood in over a month (and unusually content about it). I told her she needed to get in the car and take a drive with me to see the outside world again. It was a beautiful sunny day. I turned up the radio and we headed to her middle school. It was sad seeing the empty parking lot and only three cars parked in front of the school. We sat in the parking lot and chatted for a while. And then I made her take a picture with me (see above - see the buses behind us?). We took off from there and Bri sang along to the radio. We stopped in the Publix parking lot and people watched for a while. We drove around a little more and then headed home. It was nice to get out and pretend the world was normal - for just a little while.

I was challenged on FB by my sweet friend Miranda to post a picture each day for the "Class of 2020 8th Grade" parents' challenge - 10 days, 10 photos, 0 explanation. So for 10 days, I chose a favorite picture of Briana and posted it. Here is a collage of all the pictures I chose...

Briana made it onto her art class Instagram page again...

She also had an assignment last week to either take pictures or draw pictures of her day to day life at home. These are some pictures she came up with (with a little help from me) ...

Bri also drew her guitar for the assignment...

Mei Mei is still the happiest member of our household during this whole social distancing thing...

The weekend before last, I had to clean our two back porches. The yellow pollen in Georgia is no joke and it covers EVERYTHING. It's awful. It took me a while, but I finally got it all done...

I'm so happy my rose bush is blooming again. Doug and I planted this rose bush at our first house soon after Doug's brother passed away. When we moved to our current house, we dug it up, brought it with us and prayed it would survive the move. And it did. It is still blooming after all these years (except the blooms are a deeper pink now than they used to be - very unusual)...

 And in the midst of a pandemic, our lovely HOA decided to send out nasty-grams to pretty much everyone in our neighborhood regarding all sorts of violations. We got one a couple weeks ago (as well as a bunch of other people) regarding our dirty mailbox - during the height of yellow pollen, bird-pooping season. Let's just say our HOA got a lot of angry responses from residents about their timing of these nasty-grams. They sent out a semi-heartfelt apology along with a nice extension for people to get their violations fixed. I have no idea what they were thinking.

Our mailbox did need some freshening up and a guy in our neighborhood advertised that he painted boxes for a great price. So, our mailbox is freshly painted now...

And since I seem to always talk about food in my posts now, here is a picture of the slow cooker pork butt I made on Friday. It was so delish...

And we had some Mexican food delivered on Saturday - yum...

 Since this is an update post, I guess I should talk a bit about some of my deeper thoughts and feelings about what is going on in the world right now. I guess it's kind of my "thing" now, right?

First, I will say that I am so grateful that I was able to celebrate 23 years of marriage with my amazing husband yesterday. We have learned how to put up with each other and that's a good thing - especially during a pandemic. Heh. (My anniversary recap will be in a separate post.)

 So, I had a whole post typed up about my big time frustrations and irritations with the world. Now that I've calmed down, I decided once again to not post it. Sometimes just writing things down in "venting" type fashion makes me feel better.

I will say this though...

 I am completely exhausted. Mentally, emotionally, physically exhausted.

I'm tired of feeling frustrated and angry. I'm tired of feeling like I could cry at a moment's notice. I'm tired of ignorance (someone in my neighborhood FB group recently called this virus the "Kung Flu"). It's very difficult being a moderate in a very red state (minus the city of Atlanta), and I've kept relatively quiet over the years regarding my stance due to that reason. It does feel a bit freeing to finally voice my opinion, but it's a bit nerve-wracking at the same time. I wish people were being much more cautious as they venture out into society again. I know I tend to be overly cautious about lots of things, but I'm seeing way too many people not being cautious at all. Believe me, I know that Georgia had to open back up again at some point and I know we can't hide in our houses forever. People do need to get back to work. But I still feel this "opening" was done too quickly, in the wrong way and for the wrong reasons. I guess I don't feel all that safe here anymore.

 The virus numbers are not declining here in GA - they are basically zigzagging. There was a big spike in new cases on May 1st. With the shelter in place order ending and people moving around even more now, who knows what will happen. This does really concern me.

So, now we wait. Doug and I are not going to change anything we are currently doing until we see which direction things start heading. Then we will try to decide what is best for us to do. I guess that puts us in a "holding pattern" for now...

As an anxious person, I do a lot of living "in the future." I really have to try to live more day by day - and that's tough for me.

Well, that is my post for now. All the fun updates and the not so fun ones too. Thanks for reading. I'll be back soon.

Happy 23rd Wedding Anniversary

Happy 23rd Wedding Anniversary (29 years together total) to my best guy!  Happy times, sad times, scary times, sick times, tough times and now a worldwide pandemic - I'd say we've pretty much been though it all together!

It is so hard to remember a time when Doug wasn't in my life. We were literally kids when we met. I am so glad he chose me and that we've gone on this crazy journey called life together.

6 Weeks Behind Us

Wow - I cannot believe our lives changed so drastically just six weeks ago. It does kind of feel like forever now. But we have survived so far and have stayed relatively healthy, so that's a good thing. I'm not going to say it hasn't been difficult because it has. I miss my old life for sure.

One of the things that has kept me busy is feeding my family. For some reason at the beginning of 2020, I started keeping track on my calendar all the dinners I cooked (and also kept track of the nights we ate out). I did it because I felt I was repeating a lot of the same dishes over and over and wanted to try making new things and spread out some of the "usual" meals I relied on. Now that I am cooking 95 percent of the time, it's been become quite helpful! It is really crazy I started doing this before the pandemic. I swear sometimes I have a "sixth sense" or something. No joke.

Grilled cheese and tomato soup lunch the other day (so yummy)...

I started thinking the other day about things I took for granted or things I was frustrated with before the pandemic that I'll never take for granted or be frustrated with again...

One of the things I took for granted was going to the grocery store. I felt like I "lived" at the grocery store before this pandemic happened. I felt like I was there all the time and I was tired of it. I would get the groceries home and then forget something and have to run back. No big deal, but it frustrated me. I could walk all over the store, in any direction I wanted, and not think twice about it. I was so sick of it at the time. Now, we have Instacart deliver our groceries. I actually miss going to the grocery store. I don't think I'll ever complain about it again once life eventually goes back to normal.

I took driving Bri to and from school for granted. Getting up early for school wasn't fun. I hated trying to make a left turn out of our neighborhood every morning because of the stupid traffic. And I didn't love sitting in the school car line waiting for Briana to get out of school in the afternoon. It was pretty boring - and it was worse when I felt like I had to pee. I would do anything to take Bri to and from school now. I miss her singing to the radio in the morning as I drove her there. I miss her smiling face and daily updates when she got in the car after school. It really was enjoyable now that I think about it and I miss it so much.

I took going to the doctor for granted too. I had to push off/cancel a couple of annual checkups (including Mei Mei's) because doctors are only seeing emergency/necessary patients at the moment. I'm not sure when I'll be able to eventually reschedule them. I don't love going to the doctor, but I'll be happy to get those appointments rescheduled.

Crowds. I am NOT a fan of crowds. But I will be happy when I can see people gathering in large crowds again. It is really cool being in a large stadium or arena with lots of people cheering at a concert or show. Or being at the opening of an awesome movie with lots of other excited fans. I actually do miss that now.

And want to hear something weird?

Last year, Doug and I had all sorts of things planned out for our year. At the beginning of 2019, we had two big concerts on the calendar. Trips to both New York and Hawaii (places we had never been) were on the books. I had a camp set for Bri in the summer. Early this year - we had nothing planned. No concerts. No trips. No camps. No nothing. The spring break trip we planned for Amelia Island was a last minute thing. We booked it not knowing if we'd actually be able to go. I was just worn out from all the things we did last year and felt like "playing it by ear" this year. And that is not like me at all - I'm a total planner. It's so weird. Maybe I do have that "sixth sense" thing after all.

Ok - I guess I'll do another "my two cents" on what's going on in my neck of the woods (proceed with caution)...

All eyes are on Georgia now as Kemp has opened the state back up without the approval of the national government. Some businesses are opening. It’s still too soon for others - so some businesses are remaining closed and others are continuing with only takeout/curbside service. Doug, Bri and I have been super diligent with physical distancing for six weeks (we are blessed to have this privilege and will never take it for granted) and are choosing to stay home right now. We don’t want to possibly throw all our effort away without more information.

There are a number of Georgians who are happy with Kemp's decision, and there are a few who are even gloating about it a bit. It’s upsetting and kind of hurtful, but it is what it is.

As an admitted anxious person, I often go to Doug to gauge whether or not I am being overly dramatic or overly panicked about a situation. He’s the level-headed, rational, calm person in our relationship (don't tell him I said that - heh). We've talked a lot about this, and in this case, he is on the same page as I am. This makes me feel a little less paranoid and gives me the confidence to keep our family on the “wait and see” course for now.

Our nation was super divided on pretty much everything before this crisis and throwing a worldwide pandemic on top of that division was just fuel for an already enormous fire. I worry that all kinds of relationships might be severely and/or permanently affected by these drastic differences in opinion and how people are going around voicing them. I've already seen some relationships fraying.

On a different note, I had a whole diatribe typed up about “the president and the disinfectant” saga. I thought about it and decided not to post it. No matter what I say or how I feel about it, everyone is going to keep the same exact opinion they had before I put my thoughts out there, so there is no point. The dems are going to continue to vilify Trump while the republicans are going to continue to blindly defend him. All I am going to say is the president needs to stop talking so much about things he doesn’t understand. He’s made too many faux pas up to this point and to me, that does not make for a good leader. He needs to let those who know more do the talking. I honestly hope that he does cut back on the daily briefings. They are doing more harm than good in my opinion.

 So this is going to be my mantra from this point forward...

It's not going to be easy to do, but I'm going to really try. As I always say, I am a huge work in progress. My emotions, anxieties and fears still get the best of me. I'm going to try to focus on the things I can control.

If you have made it to the end of this post, I thank you for hanging in there. I'd rather talk here in my personal safe space than somewhere else (like FB) where things can get ugly quickly! Stay safe and healthy everyone!

Briana's Art And A Quick School Update

Last week, Briana's art teacher asked the students to complete an Earth Day assignment. She gave them the entire week to create something special. She said they could draw, paint, sculpt, photograph - whatever they wanted as long as it featured nature. Briana loves to draw, so she decided to do that. It took her several days to draw and color this picture. Please click on the picture so it gets larger. There is SO much detail. The sea animals are picking up garbage in the picture. She just amazes me.

This was her teacher's comment...

The week before last, Briana's teacher assigned parts of the face each day to draw - leading up to a self portrait.

Bri drew ears...

A mouth...

Comment from her teacher on her mouth...

An eye...

Her teacher's comment on her eye...

Finally, Briana did a self portrait (she has her hair in a ponytail)...

It was SO amazing! I couldn't believe how well it turned out.

This was her teacher's comment...

Her teacher liked her drawing so much, Bri ended up in her art teacher's newsletter and on her art teacher's school Instagram page...

I'm so proud of Bri. She has continued to work hard on schoolwork even though she isn't physically there. She wakes up at 8:30 each day faithfully and goes right to work. Routine has been the key for us to still feeling a bit normal in this crazy time.

We found out that last week though that the school year will be ending early - May 8th...

Briana will end up with all A's this semester (her big goal!), so she will be done on the 8th. I understand why, but I'm torn about it at the same time. It has given something to Bri to focus on and she's been able to stay in contact with her teachers and classmates. Art class has been a HUGE blessing this semester - Bri has really enjoyed doing all the art assignments even though they have taken her out of her comfort zone at times.

I'm sad the school year is ending. I'm sad this is how middle school is ending. I'm not sure how to fill Bri's summer days quite yet and continue to social distance at the same time. I'm going to really have to think about it. The only consolation is that Briana is so unbelievably chill about all of this. It's making life much more easy.

Of course, Briana is still drawing her Briana-type characters...

She liked this girl (see below) so much, she asked me to make several copies before she colored her so she could color her in different ways...

She has one more she is working on. Can't wait to see how it turns out.

Hope you enjoyed all of Bri's artwork! This kid is definitely headed toward art school one day (hopefully SCAD)!

An Update - Again!

Yep - it's another update from me! It's been a little over a week, so I guess it's a good time to blog a bit.

I struggled a bit last week emotionally - not gonna lie. It was hard for me to focus and get motivated about anything. I'm doing better this week - despite the announcement from our Georgia governor yesterday, but I'll get to that toward the end of my post.

So Saturday was supposed to be Briana's big 8th grade dance. She had a beautiful dress all ready. She was going to go with a friend. And, it obviously got cancelled. I think I was sadder about it than Bri was (but she's been taking so much in stride and that has made my life so much easier).

We watched "Phantom of the Opera" that evening on YouTube. It was SO good. We cried at the end - just like when we saw it on Broadway...

I've been playing a lot of Words with Friends lately. I literally got the letters for the word "corona" on a solo challenge. I can't escape this dang virus even in word games...

My little furry partner in crime is still loving having us all home all the time. She is the happiest one about this whole situation...

Like I said earlier, Briana is dealing with this whole situation like a champ. Being an introvert is so helpful in this type of situation. Bri's social studies teacher sent Bri's class a random picture she had snapped of the buzzing classroom toward the beginning of the year. (I cropped it for the blog - here is Bri talking with a friend)...

Bri did say she felt sad when she saw it. She said she misses those days and she misses school. I'm still so sad middle school is ending for her this way.

We had a robin build a nest on our front porch about a month ago. It's been entertaining watching her take care of her babies...

 Here is the mom and dad at the nest at the same time...

Spring is definitely here - this is a blooming dogwood tree...

My azaleas are blooming too...

I'm still cooking a lot. I made beef stir fry last week...

I don't necessarily love to cook, but I'm kind of enjoying the challenge of trying to mix things up in the kitchen. I'm blessed that I am able to buy food from the store (so many people are struggling for food right now), so I am going to cook and not complain about it. We get takeout once in a while now, so I am getting a break here and there - and that's a good thing.

Bri has been drawing a lot - I am going to do my next post on what she's been drawing, so stay tuned.

Before I wrap this up, I do need to talk quickly about what is going on in Georgia. It's part of my life and that's what I talk about here. This whole thing is honestly baffling to me...

The Georgia governor is opening Georgia back up with a bang on Monday (a few things are opening this Friday) - without having the 14 day downward trajectory that the national government recommended. Movie theaters, bowling alleys, tattoo parlors - all opening back up.

Georgians are basically the guinea pigs for the rest of the nation (and the world) to watch now. I, on the other hand, will continue to physically distance and be an observer of all this for a while - and wait to see what happens. My prediction is that the virus numbers will skyrocket because this is so easily spread. And it's scary because this virus is so unpredictable and can become so deadly, so quickly - even in seemingly healthy people. Honestly, I hope I am wrong about the skyrocketing numbers. I would be SO happy to be wrong. Obviously, I want to get back to normal life as much as anyone. I just think there has to be a safer, slower way. In the meantime, I have to pray that hospitals won't be inundated with extremely sick Covid people who had to get their nails done or desperately needed some bowling time. If I or anyone in my family get sick or hurt, I have to pray that the hospitals will have the resources needed to help.

Briana has 4 more years of school and then she will head off to college. Doug and I will have to have some serious discussions about our future and where we will end up when Bri heads off to greener pastures. Sadly, I'm not quite sure if Georgia is a fit for us anymore.

So, I will wrap this post up now. Sorry I didn't end it more positively. You all know I'm still working on that "half glass empty" thing. Heh.

I promise my next post will be more upbeat. It will be all about Bri's art! Be back soon...