Still Not Over!

Well, the need to record day to day, went away.
I started working again on July 6th to get the store ready and we opened our doors on July 13th. Ten people max, make on and we keep the doors locked to enforce this easily.

The stress of Covid-19 strangeness, elevated my blood sugar again to get high levels, and I had to go see the doctor. She put me on Metformin, but that only helped half way. After a second visit, she added a lot dose of another medicine and for the last ten days my blood sugar is normal and I can feel various small little health issues go away again.

I have been very good with my diet this last year, first cutting out all sugar and 80% of all carbs. So over the year since being diagnosed with diabetes, I have lost 50 pounds and I feel so much better.

It is not easy, especially seeing some isles in the grocery store, packed with things I used to enjoy.

Covid19 Day 48 Friday May 15

This week I decided that I am not going to stress myself out by feeling obliged to post something in this special journal every single day.

So I am just going to make journal entries when I have something to say.

In my mind I have slowly sorted out why all people are not just happy go lucky at home, enjoying the abundance of free time.  On Tuesday I wrote this:

I think a few very abnormal factors work together to cause havoc in people’s existence:

  • The insecurity about the future, short and long term, is in every thought and every conversation.  It is an inescapable part of EVERYBODY’s life.  This is not normal for a human being, especially not experiencing it non-stop.
  • We are social animals that need human touch and face to face interaction – even introverts.  We are deprived of most of that and it goes against our very nature.
  • Sub-consciously we all know that there is a very real possibility that any one of us can imminently be affected by this pandemic in a few very severe ways:
  • We can become sick ourselves or loved ones can become sick (with no hospital visits allowed when we need it most),
  • We can lose loved ones or acquaintances to death, or we can die ourselves,
  • We can face practical problems like a lack of money or food or a roof over our heads, and
  • We have or can lose our jobs.

And all of this is what I see in a “developed” country.  It is much worse in places like southern Africa, where huge parts of the population belong to the informal sector.

 

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Covid19 Day 42 Saturday May 9

The day was cooler, with a threat of rain, but I took a break and drove 30minutes south to Cleary Lake to go on a barefoot hike with three other barefooters.

The soil was nice and damp and cool everywhere and I marveled anew at the many varied sensations we can feel through our foot soles.

The new green that is appearing for spring is at that very tender stage.  And so refreshing to see.

I read long ago that it is good for mental well-being to look far away and at the same time to look at green vegetation.  It was tangible how this played on my mind yesterday.

On Facebook I described the day as a beautiful, informal,social distancing, soul cleansing, brain resetting barefoot hike, ending just before the rain arrived!


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Covid19 Day 41 Friday May 8

75 years since the end of World War II.  

I did my army stint halfway between then and now – 1976 and 1977.  I happen to come across my army ID photo:

And a bit of leatherworking got done:

I still have a problem with sleep.  No matter what I do, I sometimes just cannot fall asleep.  And then I roll around almost feeling as though I am just half asleep dreaming crap and hearing every small little noise.

Not sleeping well last night, left me in somewhat of a zombie state today:  not much creativity and my brain in a slow funk – there are things I want to do, must do, can do ……  and the uhmpphhh is just not there to do it.

Covid19 Monday May 4

After coffee with Judy, I spent most of the day sorting and scanning old photos – very time consuming.

But I am very proud of this montage I made with 4 photos I took very long ago – probably early 80’s:

Covid19 Sunday May 3

Did not have a good night’s sleep.  Started a new Facebook group a few days ago for ex-students of the private college where I taught computer programming.   This sparked memories and I started looking through an old tote full of old pre-digital photos.

Before I knew it, it was after 12 and I had not had breakfast yet (Gine was at her offic the whole day ending off a four day Zoom course).

These are two of those photos, just to show I did once sport a beard (circa 1979…?).

My grandmother is seen here making bobbin lace – she taught herself from books and with the help of a correspondent in England.

Covid19 Day 34 Friday May 1

This amazing poem was read to us this morning during our Coffee with Judy session:

BEFORE THE PANDEMIC

By Deborah Twigg

Before the pandemic,

I did not know the flowering tree outside my window is a star magnolia

Or take walks around the grounds of our apartment complex

Or notice, in the symphony of bird songs filling that air, the hoo hoo’s of an owl

Before the pandemic,

I never Zoomed with my elderly parents

Turned a windowsill into a container garden,

Or made my own bread

Before the pandemic,

I mistook a busy calendar for a full life

Broke eye contact with my children too early and often

Never called friends just to talk

Before the pandemic,

I played CNN instead of Bach or Springsteen in our living room

Took for granted singing with other people in church

Let dust accumulate on the closeted case storing my guitar

Before the pandemic,

I never wore a mask

Or imagined the double danger, so attired,

If my skin was darker or my eyes another shape

Before the pandemic,

I never thanked a grocery store employee for stocking shelves

Or contemplated who I owe, perhaps, an apology,

Or forgiveness, should I die in a few days

After the pandemic, if—God willing—I survive it,

I hope I will remember, inwardly and outwardly

What quarantine has taught me:

All that matters

I worked on my coffee mug holder  and in the late afternoon we went for a nice brisk walk again.