A Glimmer, A Stirring, A Possibility in Everyday Ramblings

This is from yesterday morning in the lilac garden with Mrs. Sherlock. It was exciting, it felt like a breakthrough, to spend time with her for the first time in six weeks. We both wore masks the whole time and I did not touch anything for the two hours we walked except my keys and my phone. Sadly, she did not bring Frieda.

Although Frieda has a harness Mrs. Sherlock keeps her on a long retractable leash; she said she would be too hard to control. She is a cheerful, curious and rambunctious dog and there were a fair amount of people out on the parkway.

When we used to walk, back in the before times, she would often wrap her leash around me moving from one side of the sidewalk or path to the other. It is how the two of them roll and I accept it. Other people who have walked with them have complained about the basic anarchy of it but it doesn’t bother me because I adore them both and I appreciate their interest in the physical world. When I have her on the leash I keep her close.

Still it was so great to see Mrs. Sherlock and spend time, walking, looking at the views and chatting randomly! It was a gorgeous morning and soon after I got home it hazed up so our timing was excellent.

There was an older woman, fit, but clearly recovering from a stroke we saw walking on her own both ways. There is so much courage and fortitude and grit going on out there in our world quietly. She could smile as we said hello and she did as well as consciously distancing by stepping into the bike lane when passing folks. Not an easy thing with the high mossy curb.

I admit I slept badly last night. I went to bed early after finishing reading yet another murder mystery but one of my students called later and it woke me up. We are all on different time lines these days. She needs tech help accessing my online classes and I am happy to get her squared away today but I had trouble getting back to sleep.

The webcam order I placed was canceled yesterday. I am sure the seller found someone to pay more. You can’t even back order these things. In the grand scheme of things it is no big deal but in terms of planning classes it is frustrating.

I did get the two tripods for the webcam that I won’t now get. One is a goose necked contraption that I can move easily and another stable one.

It is all learn by doing these days. I am so relieved and privileged that I am not dependent on the income from teaching for my basic needs and that I have Medicare!

Everybody in this country needs Medicare. What the heck else to we need to go through to prove that? People are not getting the care they need outside of the virus and first line workers are getting 20% pay cuts, including my doctor, because of that.

We are talking about consequences of this that will play out over the lifetimes of folks alive now.

Speaking of basic needs…this week it is brown rice. I have two cups left after making a batch for the week this morning. I have a delivery order in for this coming Thursday to see if the shopper can find some in the back.

Kes is going to try to come up one day soon when the weather is good and we can sit out in the park appropriately distanced and share supplies. We will use alcohol wipes for the doors and bathroom so she can use it while she is here.

We will be prudent. It would be nice to know, and I hope we will know, before midsummer for how long we shed the virus if we have it. I am not holding out any hope for reliable antibody testing any time soon.

But as we make choices and adapt and find ways to “see” each other I can’t help but feel a small stirring of hope.

Last updated April 28, 2020