Covid, Corona, Crap

A lot of good has come from all this crazy.  Walmart pick up is AMAZING!.  Online shopping is faster and easier and more widely used.  Online DMV services.  Home Centered Church Supported materials better understood and implemented. Family time for those who take advantage of it.  I made it a matter of prayer when it first started. My answer was "Be kind. Be bold. Stand for what you believe."  Without that confirmation I would never have been able to deal with the backlash, unkindness and judgmental negativity.  "Your not a good Mormon.  You want to make others sick. If it weren't for people like you not wearing a mask this would be over by now."  bla bla bla.   SHEEPle are NOT nice.  They claim to be doing all this for the good of others like they are so self sacrificing but they would crucify a non-conformist in a  heartbeat.  I've had adults tell my kids going into stores to go get their masks.  Like it was a friendly reminder cuz they just forgot.  Then they see me not have one either and it registers "Oh one of those parents."

A guy in our ward has worn a mask for years- he has cancer and is taking an extra measure of precaution. He didn't insist we all wear one to protect him. I don't go out for like 3 months after I have a baby-extra precaution. I don't insist everyone quarantine during that time so they "get me". Head lice sweeps through the school-even though my daughter didn't have any I washed all our sheets. Got some Nix. Sent her with earmuff rather than hat for a week. Specific Extra precautions when and where I felt it was needed for me and my house NOT dramatic over reactions extending to everyone. That's my problem with the mandates and shut downs. It creates bigger problems then it helps.  Suicide, domestic violence, and depression rates are sky rocketing. Economy is tanking. Whole industries are dying. 
Covid came to our house back in February. we each got sick in turn. I lost 20 lbs in 2 weeks (by the way biggest blessing of 2020. Jump start famous new years resolution "loose weight" ) Why am I still "required" to wear one? Why not do as the Germans and sew a green virus ball to my clothes to show I have immunity? When children are virtually unaffected why do they need to at all? Mass hysteria is alleviated with my wearing a DIY old sock to mask project. 90% of people I see with masks don't wear them correctly. Contaminating them. by constantly adjusting it. Not over the nose. Pulled down to communicate. Seriously I've worn a piece of lace, a rock necklace and a belly dancers veil. All perfectly acceptable face coverings for a supposedly deadly disease.

My reply post on Wendell Elementary Facebook page when they took guff from staying in orange in stead of moving up to red for two weeks.  Red totally shut down. Orange is masks in school with early release OR home packets.  
"A big THANK YOU to the brave men and women of the Wendell School District for staying in Orange. I know it's not easy trying to find middle ground for those fighting against communist mandates and the hypochondriac minority. We thank you for your service and the educational support you provide to our children both at home and in class."

*Here in Gooding we had a guy back in like March caught up in a combine that was ruled as one of the first Covid fatalities in our area.  

*A good thing about Covid is it has eradicated every other illness known to man.  cancer, the flu, pneumonia, measles, mumps, rubella, whooping cough, croup, Dysentery, STD's, MS.  No joke everything from suicide to vehicular manslaughter is tinged with "died from effects of Covid-19" 

*various virus mutations are causing problems with vaccine or making them less effective to fight symptoms.  SHOCKER

*apparently this is a very racist disease there are several strains including: US, European, Chinese, African. and Italian 

OH Well at least the memes are EPIC> Here are just a few of my favs. 

Portland, Ocean

We borrowed a 15 passenger van from Dan and Malena for the trip.  It was awesome. We took one seat out so we had plenty of cargo space.   It was a good drive. We talked and laughed and had books on tape.  I'm listening to the Screwtape letters by CS. Lewis and it is fascinating. (  “One must face the fact that all the talk about His love for men, and His service being perfect freedom, is not (as one would gladly believe) mere propaganda, but an appalling truth. He really does want to fill the universe with a lot of loathsome little replicas of Himself—creatures, whose life, on its miniature scale, will be qualitatively like His own, not because He has absorbed them but because their wills freely conform to His. We want cattle who can finally become food; He wants servants who can finally become sons. We want to suck in, He wants to give out. We are empty and would be filled; He is full and flows over. Our war aim is a world in which Our Father Below has drawn all other beings into himself: the Enemy wants a world full of beings united to Him but still distinct.”)

SUNDAY-We made it to McCartys and our only argument of the whole trip was where and when to park. I thought Baler might actually explode from the elation of seeing us.  Carts house/yard is bigger than the pictures and explanations had made it seem.  Big shrubbery trees block her neighbors view.  I love my sisters and how even in a new house it still feels comfortable just because we are together.  McCarty had a list to show us and things to do.  Her camper, berries, punching bag, amazing garden, berries, ocean, berries and more. We ate fresh zucchini and berries all week. MONDAY --We got a flat of raspberries and marionberries.  Within 5 minuets it was gone.  Cart wanted to give us the experience of berry picking so Syringa and I picked raspberries for an hour in the hot humid weather in masks cuz Oregon is stupid. We weren't suppose to snitch but I totally did. They were as big as your thumb. The takeaway from the day. Its totally worth it to just buy a flat. We took a walk down to the creek.  Blackberries grow wild everywhere. They are poky and sour if not really BLACK.  Still the novelty  makes them tasty. 

 

TUESDAY- Woke up early and McCarty, Baler and Zaleah piled in the van for a trip to the Oregon Coast. We set up near Seaside. It was a foggy morning with a warm drizzle.  We weren't sure how long we'd last. Maybe a repeat of the trip to California coast in November. Thankfully it ended up being a perfect day.  Not to hot for those on the Beach. Not to cold for those crazy enough to body surf the waves. It was a little bit of a trek down to the sea shore.  The babies loved the sand.  Zaleah literally using  her digging spoon to scoop up mouthfuls of sand.  Zara laying on her belly licking the ground. For lunch everyone had sand-sprinkled sandwiches. YUM. We hunted for sand dollars, dead Jelly fish (pieces look like snot), and mole crabs.    Before we knew it-it was 5 and we were headed home. "but we just got here"   The only oops of the day was while the kiddos were well SPF protected the mommies got  more than Lobster red. try-CRISPYFIED.  

WEDNESDAY- much needed day of rest rest.  Mid afternoon we went blueberry picking. So much easier.  Actual bushes with bunches of berries.  Got some 15 lbs in less then 30 min.  $1.30 a lb.    They have several bird sounds over a load speaker. A sophisticated scarecrow.  The first time it sounded I thought it was hooked to a camera to catch people eating berries and I nearly choked on one.  So maybe it does serve two purposes after all.  THRUSDAY- A river adventure.  Cart had a little blow up canoe.  Syringa and Cart both drifted way down river but surprisingly both Katana and I made it across.  As we were loading up Katana wanted to try to row across again. I saw that she made it. A few minutes later we looked up and she was in the water clinking to a rock, trying to hold the boat and had NO LIFE JACKET.  My heart stopped.  Coming back she'd dropped an oar-jumped in to grab it-realized she didn't have her life jacket and with a swift current couldn't get back in so grabbed the rock.  Cart went out to rescue her. "Don't get out of the boat. You are more important than an oar. It can be replaced.  You can't" It was a little bit of a hike back to the van after a day on the water.  We stopped to pick some blackberries. Katana fell into a stand of them and got all scratched up.  Unloading at Carts house we realized we left the diaper bag.  Ran back.  It was already gone.   It had all 3 of our phones. Cart and Syringas wallets.  We pinged it using "find my phone" app.  After an hour it settled on an apartment building in a town 30 min. away.  Lots of tears that night. More for the contents of the phones then the actual devices.  Pictures, calendars, journal entries...     FRIDAY- Sleepless night. Against Brendon's better judgement we drove to the apartment building.  We looked in the trash. Asked those outside.  "not to be a dick but it probably in 12"  "oh lots of drugs pass by 12" "ya the cops know that apartment very well"   We asked a guy nearby if he would to go with us to knock on the door.  He eyed to window.  Jiggled the lock.  Cart thought-"oh crap he's going to break in for me" No answer. Bummer. Ok moving on.  Thankfully I had my wallet. So money for gas and more blueberries.  The banter surrounding me driving and bad navigators was ongoing.  "Turning after the barn, house, TURN."  So I was being belligerent  one time slowing way down and blinker on way in advance.  Barn-house-turning. When a little white car comes flying  past 2-3 cars into the ditch, jumps a driveway, nearly missing my front tire, hops back onto the road in a cloud of dust, fishtails and speeds off hardly slowing down.  We finish the turn and sit panting.  HOLY CRAP THAT WAS CLOSE.   A lady up the road pulls in "what was that guy thinking are you all Ok.?!"  I may or may not have needed to air out my shorts.  We had a hot dog roast and berry cobbler for dinner.  

*The kids all weekend had played / fought over a 12 volt Jeep. One time piling on top to stop the driver.  #welcome2Portland.  They also made forts with sheets, digging up the fire pit border bricks to make  their homeless camp more legit. #welcome2Portland.  We stayed up late talking  and playing cards.  It was the first time we really got to hang with Brandon. He's still in a mess at work.  His reaction to part of our conversation was priceless: gasps slapping the table  "You are sisters"  

SATURYDAY- home home on the range. First time in 4 days I wore a bra. I can peal off quarter size pieces of skin like a Zombie or Leper.  Kind of cool.  So fun. So going back.