life goes on

I distinctly remember attending my uncle's funeral years ago when the fairground area was still by the graveyard.  It seemed eerily inappropriate for the playing of Taps to be accompanied by the gaudy carnival music.  Yet that is the way of life.  In spite of death, pandemics and other disasters, life does indeed go on.  A state of emergency has now been declared by the governor of Tennessee.  You can see the effects by visiting a store and trying to find toilet paper, hand sanitizer and antiseptic wipes.  I snagged the last of the cheap wipes at the 'gentral this morning.  Only one.  That's all I need.  It makes me mad to see so many people stockpiling with no regard for others.  And retailers are loving it.  

Self quarantine is not a biggie to me because I'm a homebody by nature.  I did, however, hug my friend at the tax accountant's office when I dropped by to pick mine up.  You gotta have hugs, ya know?  My cool hospitalist at Baptist came by every day and looked at my progress.  One day he turned up with a mask on and insisted on a fist bump instead of a handshake.  This was way before Covid had reached the US yet he was showing proper precautions because he was sick.  It's common sense, y'all.

I think back to when we had to find a babysitter on a snow day or holiday and marvel at what parents are facing now.  With schools out, not only is childcare an added burden but some of those kids won't get to eat.  Sad stuff.  Their parents can't afford healthy food at all, much less stockpile it.  Several care facilities for the elderly here at on lockdown which means these folks don't get to see their families.  Also sad.

Oscar bit me on the hand last night because I startled him when he was asleep by trying to get him to move.  This dog doesn't have a mean bone in his body but when he's asleep and wakes up suddenly that's his normal reaction.  Part of it is being a terrier but the other part is that he was abused by his former owners.  He literally escaped from their house and came to live with me after having scoops cut out of his back.  He and Ellie both are missing Sammy D terribly.  So do I.

I will not criticize Trump or anybody else today because I'm not perfect.  He scares me to death with his lack of understanding on a lot of issues and his bad ass persona, but it is what it is and me complaining doesn't change anything.  I just try to look on the sunny side.  My friend has a son who lives and teaches in Japan.  His wife is a physician and they travel often but she has advised that they cancel plans.  This is what it's doing all around the world.  No March Madness.  No NBA.  No concerts.  No large gatherings period.  Passing the peace at church now consists of jazz hands!

Democrat caucuses at both the district and state level will be held by teleconference to avoid the large gathering of delegates.  Pretty soon we'll all be doing face time by computer.  I miss my girls but I'm still not up to the hour and a half travel time driving myself.  Ellie had an appointment for a yearly exam today at 9 and I just didn't have the energy to handle that.  It is an ordeal to get her big strong self into a car and vet's office.  Last time she pulled me down on the floor trying to get to the back!

I still miss my parents terribly even after five years.  I suppose that never really goes away.  Part of it is that I am the elder now in our family and that's kind of scary.  What's even more scary is the piles of their history still occupying my house.  Time to downsize.  I've been working at it a little at a time and the "stuff" is now on three surfaces waiting to be culled.  Damascus will get a lot of it.  Lauren will eventually get the rest.

My mother's penchant for detail and recording history is evident in the boxes of personal diaries and photo albums.  Every event was captured and categorized.  I wish I had half of her organizational skills but I'm not the one who got that.  My brothers did!  We all got the running Stafford fit gene.  Just saying.

Be safe and wash your hands ^j^