So, this is my 50th Year...

Pretty sure I think I can safely say that 2020 has not been a stellar year for most everybody. 

It is also my 50th year on earth.  I had tried to put a positive spin on this.  I am trying to eat right, exercise, reach out to people and do more...and I was doing pretty nicely and everything just crashed...

I am still working pretty steadily on the exercise and eating right, although frankly, it is a lot harder with everyone at home and wanting comfort food.  I have lost some weight, but I can tell I need to work harder at it to lose more...

I worry about my health, my husband's health...Michael's mental and physical health...and whether we can survive Willow's teen years....

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Thing is--even though the world is a shit-show right now--personally, our family is doing alright.  We both are still working full time.  And we may complain about shortages, but we are not going to starve and we definitely have enough provisions (and access to them) to get through.  We are in generally good health and mentally, while on a bit edge, we are frayed but not broken.

There are many other people suffering and dying and we are the lucky ones.

So...while this has not been my favorite 50th year...its my only one, and dammit...gonna keep trying and hope to also make a difference in the world.

Masks, Cats, Distance and Spring....

The weather is finally acting like spring and we are starting to wearily venture out with our masks...

Ana made me this one!

The cats have been a LOT more affectionate now that we are always home.  They are also more in our FACE....and demanding!

Kif wanting me to not work and to PAY ATTENTION TO ME!

So far, I have not been able to really "Utilize" the extra time I have--mainly because I am still working when I am at home---and Willow is now required to attend distance learning google meet-ups every M-Thurs.  Keeping her on track, and just maintaining the laundry, groceries and toilet paper...that mainly has left me with less free time than one would think.  Not a lot of extra time to read books or clean up clutter...not when you then want to just relax and maybe play a board game!

So far, while I have not accomplished many goals--I have indeed gotten to have more quality time with my husband and children AND CATS.

Thursday I actually had my first socially distant dinner date with my friend.  It was a bit strange---we got curbside take out from Chilis and ate in the parking lot next to a creek...sitting more than 6 feet away in lawn chairs....it almost felt like camping (esp. when I started to get bit by mosquitoes).  While strange--it was also closer to normal--so I look forward to more of this type of "new normal".

So, Happy Spring! Made some of my Grammies Orange Fluff to celebrate (it was gone within 2 hours--Chewy and Willow gobbled it up).

Observations on a Drive

Went on a drive with Willow on a beautiful Sunday...in our new normal of Corona...

• Lawn signs and sometimes balloons popped up along the way---for 2020 High School Graduates

• Our Thai place has decided to be temporarily closed rather than do take out

• We saw an Ecto One...not sure why, but it was just parked on the street...

• We saw people walking with masks, some not walking with masks, all seeming to keep social distance.

• We saw a person with a sign trying to get people to a rally tomorrow to protest against quarantine rules.

• We saw a contemporary band practicing on the lawn of the Masons building.  We stopped to listen for a bit.

• We saw random signs on people's yards Thanking HealthCare workers and other essential workers...including a person who had a Christmas Lawn Inflatable of a Bumble holding a big old sign.

• We saw a random Goose.  And a small baby squirrel.  And a plastic pink flamingo taped to a branch high up in a tree.

• Dairy Queen was opened and a tradition that we usually observe every Memorial Day (getting the first summer ice cream) was somewhat practiced.

• We saw buds on trees, new green leaves and flowers.  

It was a good day.