Never a Dull Moment!

I’m trying something new to see if this post can be less boring than the last one! I really should have waited to make the last entry because I was definitely in a blah mood and found it difficult to put thoughts together as I would have liked. Anyway, we will see if you notice a difference…..or if life has just become blah!

First off, I'll share my political T-shirt collection. The Black Voter’s Matter was given to me by Tamika when we got the Black Voters Matter bus to come to town and to other parts of the county before the pandemic struck. It is very large so I use it as a nightshirt, and I often wonder what a neighbor would think if they came to my door in the middle of the night (or anytime after I walk Rosie!) and see the shirt! In any case, I am glad I was able to help with the voter issue and I just learned yesterday that they will be coming back to the county in October for a major event targeting young people. The VOTE shirt I ordered to make a statement and I have worn it in the neighborhood a few times, receiving no comments! The first one I ordered was too small so I gave it to my “Resista Sista” Tippy and ordered a larger one for me! The third one is a result of a comment on something of Facebook. I don't remember the post but my comment was, “Looking for the T-shirt.” Deborah B responded by asking that I let her know when I found a good T-shirt. The next day she texted to ask what I thought of this one. How could I not like it when she went to all that trouble? This, too, is large (or more long than large) and will be a nightshirt at some point.

This is a Rosie story that I forgot to tell you…..and I know you’re wanting to hear more Rosie stories! One morning we’re out on our walk and I meet a neighbor whom I often run into. She asked if I knew who lived in the yellow house because she had just seen an armadillo go around to their back yard. I did know them (Norma and Kurt) so I rang their bell to tell them. They were aware there were two in their yard and were okay with it – my kind of people! Anyway, we just stepped inside the door for this exchange but Norma wasn’t visible. Well, Rosie did her half-bark, half-howl, which she had not done there before. We stopped for only a minute and were off again. Then, a few days later when we are passing their house, Rosie goes as far up their driveway as the leash will allow. Usually, I just stand and wait for her to decide that we aren’t going for a visit. Well, this time she just sat down looking longingly at their front door!! I tempted, cajoled, threatened, but nothing helped. Finally, I thought I’d just let her walk to the door and when no one answers, she would give up and go home. She does her little whine and suddenly the door opens. It’s Kurt who asked if I rang the doorbell. I say “no” and explain the situation and showed him the photo. He had a hearty laugh and said,’ Well, I’m sitting here with my coffee thinking that my stomach is growling…..then I realize the sound is coming from the door”. Sure enough, Norma is in the bedroom and Rosie doesn’t see her. She does her howl thing again. Norma calls her and she goes tearing to her. After that, all is well. I think she just wanted to check on Norma. What a silly (spoiled) girl!

Along with the political angst, I’ve been dealing with little fires around the house.

Ø  My icemaker had to be replaced and it wasn’t covered but my home warranty. Finding anyone locally was not productive, so I contacted GE online. Hundreds of dollars later, it was replaced and all seemed well. The next morning, the well in the door of the fridge was full of water and the rug in front of the fridge was soaking wet. Figuring out how to get the same guy to come and look at it was not easy. Eventually, he was able to work me in the next day and this time replaced the valve. I probably didn’t even need the icemaker replaced, but that’s how it turned out! $$$

Ø  Something has happened to my mailbox. I don’t know if it was hit by something or if there is rot. The arm on which the mailbox sits is pulling away from the post. My newly found handyman was able to patch it up and extend its life for a while longer. $$

Ø  My car was due for a service that required brake pads, shock absorbers, etc. $$$$ Anyway, it's done.

Over Labor Day weekend, I did some baking as a thank-you to neighbors. Some have loaned me jigsaw puzzles, my next-door neighbor mows a little strip of my yard that is missed by the yard workers and the golf course, others have invited me over or just been very tolerant of Rosie and me! I had gotten two delicious recipes from Chris (Toblerone Shortbread and Carmelites) that are so rich I would only make when I could give most of it away! I baked on Sunday and delivered them on Monday. I totally enjoyed the whole process and it was an unexpected surprise for them. We sometimes forget how a small gesture can make someone’s day.

While I was doing my baking, five neighbors dropped by to pick up postcards to write to voters on behalf of candidates running for office in  SC. This is part of the Crescent organizing that Lynn and I have been doing. We ran a little contest to name our group and we are now the Crescent Blue Wave. In our small neighborhood of 400 homes, we have identified 50+ liberals and we keep adding new people. I think everyone feels happy to know they are not alone in the neighborhood. If the pandemic is ever over, it will be fun to get together socially. For local readers, there are community groups in most areas of HHI and Bluffton. If you haven't found yours, let me know and I'll try to help.

This past Sunday the Beaufort Country GOP opened their headquarters and Lindsey Graham was to speak. The Bluffton Democratic Club thought it a good opportunity to remind Lindsey what he had said (and reneged on) about installing another Supreme Court judge in an election year. There was little time to prepare and when the event began there were only 5 of us with signs. Eventually, our group grew to about 14 - 15. To be honest, I didn't think their group was as large as I would have expected, but boy were they nasty! We were at the back of the crowd - with masks and socially distanced, neither of which made a difference to them, Behind us were two policemen and you can believe I knew them in my sight at all times!

Here is a link to local WJCL coverage. Sorry, there is an ad in the beginning.

https://www.wjcl.com/article/beaufort-county-republican-party-campaign-rally-met-by-peaceful-protesters/34090598#

What the news clip did NOT show. 

I wasn't holding my sign backward! The other side said Lying Leningrad Lindsey.

 

 Finally, a link to a Letter to the Editor again stating that we were peaceful.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZfriFl8jLxP7CGOpjnCe6jzgzIvjrxh5/view?usp=sharing

That was a frightening experience. There were several times I was aware that I was shaking! You wonder what makes these people so angry that they behave this way. It was like some kind of bullying frenzy!  WJCL was there filming and they didn't mind at all that their behavior was being filmed. At least now we have been informed to whom this country belongs - old, white men!  This should tell you why we feel this November election is probably the most important in my lifetime. Four more years of this and there won't be enough pieces to pick up and patch together. It's a very sad and anxiety-producing time.

I'm taking this weekend off but next weekend I plan to do speed canvassing for the Bluffton Dem Club. We won't actually be knocking on doors and talking to people but rather leaving printed materials on their doorknob or in the door jam. I figure with a mask (and I think they provide face shields) and hand sanitizer, it will be safe. Needless to say, I will be glad when this is over and just hope we can regain some semblance of sanity and humanity.

Dog Days of Summer (lethargy, inactivity, and indolence)

It's been almost a month since I last posted and I don't know where the time has gone. It seems to be passing quickly even though I'm not busy with anything. Some groups have started meeting via Zoom and while that adds activities to the calendar, they take less time than usual with not having to get dressed, driving to and from, etc. For that reason, I really like them though I do miss seeing the groups in person.

Yes, our pandemic group continues, and Tippy and I get together regularly. The last time the weather cooperated and we had a nice lunch at Ruan Thai (Thai-ed one on, as we say!) The dining room is closed but they have set up tables outside under a tree and on this day it was overcast, cooler, and breezy. While there were people picking up carry-outs, there was only one other couple dining outside and they were at the opposite end from us. 

Rhonda C. also came out for dinner recently and Rosie went berzerk! It had been a long time since Rhonda had been over and she stayed with Rosie for one of our Africa trips. I swear that Rosie recognized her car! She always carries on at the door, but this time it was louder and prolonged. Then when Rhonda got inside, Rosie had a running fit. It was a fun evening and while we ate dinner, I put Rosie's bed beside Rhonda's chair and she was perfectly happy.

Here is Rosie contemplating her ball! When she gets on the rug like this and wags her tail, she wants to play. Before I can get to her, she will flip up and run to her toy basket (in background) to select the toy of the day. Sadly, she had a shivery episode on Monday after our morning walk. I'm not aware that we did anything out of the ordinary, but as I was sitting on the couch, she lay down between my feet, which is unlike her. That's when I realized she was shivering. I then just comforted her until it was over and she was very low key for the rest of the day. That is always so unsettling for me and I'm sure it's even worse for her.

This past week I've been working on the Liberal Ladies newsletter. Though I enjoy doing it and it's great to work with the ladies on the steering committee, it is one of several obligations I'll be cutting back. I've done the newsletter for 2 years so it's time for someone else to take over. The pandemic has shown me that for someone who is a homebody, I was really overextended. I'm hoping the election will provide relief for all of us and we can move forward with less anxiety overall. 

Of course, we political wonks continue to do our best between now and November. I did these 50 GOTV (Get Out the Vote) cards. Luckily, I figured out how to print labels from the list of names I was given, so that saved some time, which I used to write a more informed message (listing Biden/Harris, Jaime Harrison, Joe Cunningham, and all local Dems. - leaving nothing to guesswork!) It took a while but I was happy to help. Lynn and I continue to organize our Crescent Democrats and we've identified 48 already. We try to keep them informed of events and volunteer 

opportunities....and several have volunteered to do postcards. It will be great when we can actually get together socially and get to know one another.

I would be interested in what you folks abroad are hearing about everything going on here and what you think about it. You have to know that these last days leading to the election are tense ones for us. My personal feeling is that a lot of damage can be done between now and the election (whenever it is decided!). Even if trump loses, he can do more damage between November and January. And if the wins, there won't be enough left after four more years to recognize. It feels like a now or never situation and I hope people will vote with the wellbeing of our country in mind. What a mess!

I'm sorry this is dull and boring but that's life during quarantine! I know that kids in the UK are back at school this week, while we can't seem to do what is required for that! While you are getting back to some semblance of normalcy, those of us here with concerns about our health are hunkered down and the rest think it's a hoax. We could be here for a while.

I will leave you with something funny. Tom of our pandemic group has taken to Tic Toc and keeps finding these funny talking dog videos and sending them to me. Below is the one that had me laughing out loud.

I hope this finds everyone safe and well! 

Love to all.

2020 Just Keeps on Giving!

As if there hasn't been enough to deal with this year, let's just throw in a hurricane! Early on it looked like we were in Isaias's direct path; however, it was downgraded to a tropical storm and began veering, ever so slightly, east. While we have had a few very bad storms since I've been here, we are in a tiny "notch" that seems to give us a little protection. We took all of the usual precautions but as it turned out, they were unnecessary. The morning it was to hit, it was a bit cooler and very still. Late morning brought some steady rain. It remained overcast and we received several more rain showers - and that was it! No excessive rain and no wind! One enjoyable side effect was that this morning was cool (74-75) and tolerable. We all enjoyed that!

As you know, since the pandemic I have been ordering some of my groceries for pickup. Whenever I place an order, I indicate that they may substitute if something isn't available (and they notify me online). This order did not indicate that there were any substitutions. I had ordered Rosie a small (12-16 0z) log of Pet Fresh food. As I'm unpacking the groceries. I discover a 6-pound roll!! If it had been 6.5 pounds, it would literally have been half of the bodyweight!! My first thought was to check my bill, which didn't seem excessive. As I looked closer, they had discounted me the difference between the small roll and the large one!! Even so, Rosie could never work her way through all of that, and the texture changes when frozen. So, I kept 1.5 pounds for Rosie and split the rest among her boyfriends - Max, Festus, and Buster. Of course, her favorite boyfriend Bogey would have been at the top of the list were it not for his restricted diet. I took a photo of the huge roll, but it never dawned on me until much later that I should have put it beside Rosie and taken a photo......so, I made this one!!

Chris and Bogey. He's a good boy!

 

After my 2 week quarantine, the Pandemic Pals got together again at my place. It was great to see everyone and we had a lot of catching up to do. You can see from the photo how comfortable Bogey has also gotten. Unfortunately, I missed the best shot! We were having a bite to eat when Bogey ran over to Lynn, his mom, and edged toward her plate. Lynn scolded him and he ran right over to Chris and put his paw on her arm! It was just priceless!😄

Lynn and I have been busy with Liberal Ladies' things and as "community organizers' in the Crescent. The Liberal Summit has an initiative for democrats (liberal, open-minded folks) to organize within gated communities in order to be able to disseminate information and get candidates into private house parties. Lynn and I organized a Zoom meeting with Nathan Campbell who is running against Tom Davis for the SC Senate. What you may not know is that when I first moved here, Republicans ran unopposed. Over the years we have gotten more and more Democrats willing to run, especially young people. It will be a heavy lift for Nathan to win but he can at least make Tom work for his position.

In the midst of all of this, John Lewis died. Of course, I was glued to the TV for his service in Atlanta (3 real, civil, intelligent, compassionate Presidents spoke!), but I was also touched by the whole journey to his final resting place, for all of the places he, one last time, stopped and honored. It was an emotional time.....and with life as strained as it is, events like this become more emotional. I guess losing great heroes of our lifetime exposes our own vulnerability, our own desire to make this world a better place before we are gone. Few can compete with John Lewis in that respect. I wasn't at the original March on Washington when the greats spoke, but I was at the 50th anniversary. Thank you, Jim and Anthony, for making it possible.

If that isn't enough, my TV died! It was actually like my remote died. I could turn on the TV but nothing happened after that. Finally, I got online with a Sony person and he walked me through the solution. I had to reset to factory setting and start all over again! Once I reinstalled all of the apps I like, I realized that my Fire Stick would not work. At that point, I gave up for the day. The next morning I set that up again....and I hope that never happens again!!

Last weekend I read Mary Trump's book, Too Much is Never Enough. The Trump family really seems to take the fun out of dysfunctional. After seeing him for 3 years, I can't say I was surprised by anything, but when you see how they related to each other, you can begin to understand (but not excuse) why he is like he is. When Jonathan Swan asked him the question about John Lewis, had you turned off the sound, I could have told you what he was going to say. He is a damaged human being who were he not the leader of a major nation, should be given our pity, compassion, and care. Unfortunately, his dysfunctionality is damaging our nation...... I just hope we are able to survive him.

With so much chaos in the world, I'd like to leave you with this photo from my friends Rhonda and Bryan who have recently moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Bryan manages a golf course and took this beautiful, soothing photo of a sunrise. I just love it....and I love their experience of discovering New Mexico. I've driven through a couple of times and I really found it unique and charming....and very different from most of the US. Saudi friends will be interested that Albuquerque is abbreviated ABQ! What do you think of when you see that? Anyway, enjoy this lovely photograph. Thank you, Bryan and Rhonda.

Summer is Here!

Yes, I no longer check the temperature before taking Rosie out in the morning because I know it's going to be hot, very hot, or damn hot.  I can tell how she feels about it by the path she chooses. If she heads straight across the street to the cul-de-sac, I know it will be a short walk. If she's up for a longer walk, we go either right or left determined by the scents she picks up in the driveway!  It has been nature week here. A few days ago I took Rosie to a shaded area for her afternoon walk and there were 6 to 8 juvenile squirrels just absolutely frolicking in the leaves and chasing one another up the trees. It was a riot to watch. Then on the way to the car, we saw a bunny. Several days ago there was a fawn in my backyard. I saw it fly past the window and I thought it might be a neighbor's dog. It stopped under the trees and lingered in the yard for quite a while. Rosie just sat and watched. I kept wondering where its mom was. I hope they reconnected.

Over the last two weeks, I've been more quarantined at home more than usual - all because of a haircut. The first time I had it cut, I felt fine and I knew that my hairdresser had a mom at home who was undergoing radiation for lung cancer and she was aware of her mom's vulnerability. This time, she began by telling me that her daughter and her co-workers had come down with something - they didn't think it was COVID, but they were tested, and days later they still had not gotten the results!! She had moved her daughter out of the house and quarantined her.  THEN, she tells me how good it felt to drive down to FLORIDA to visit her boyfriend and everything they did. Then, on the way home, they stayed overnight someplace so they could go to a CASINO!!  Well, I couldn't get out fast enough. I really didn't think I had anything to worry about, but who knows. So, I let my usual Friday social buddies know that I was going to decline for the next two weeks. I've felt fine (except being totally depressed about the state of our country!) but I really could not have run the risk. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to having everyone (Chris, Lynn, Tom, and Bogey) over this Friday. Our little group really is a nice moment of normalcy.

Thanks to everyone who voted for Rosie as Best Pet in the Hilton Head Monthly magazine contest. I haven't heard anything so I guess she didn't win, BUT I'm sure she had the most diverse and far-flung voters. Mary shared the info on Twitter and, when Pilar and Tippy tried to share it with their friends on Facebook, they got scolded by FB!!  Of all the misleading things that need to be "censored" or removed, they catch someone trying to drum up votes for a pooch!! In any case, Rosie and I thank you for your support!

Well, Tippy and I did our Zoom class about our trip to Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Capetown for OLLI. It was 2 hours for 2 days. Amazingly, we had 128 people sign up for day one and 134 for day two!! They really seemed to enjoy it and asked lots of good questions. Someone was even impressed with my photos and asked what camera I used!!!  OLLI sent us the evaluation that people had completed and it made my day! We have not yet gotten tired of talking about the trips and we love having a captive audience. They have asked us to repeat our Kenya and Tanzania class via Zoom in the fall. We have (long ago) determined that we will have to take a 3rd trip to Africa in order to have new material! With the world as it is, who knows how long it will be before we can do that.....and I don't have a lot of time to waste!! PS.....our class is based on the slideshow I shared here with you first.

Not a lot else happening here. I hope that things are good and safe where you are and that we will all see positive changes in the last half of the year.  God knows we could use it! I know how fortunate I am that I have to only look after myself and Rosie. I have friends who have had 5 kids at home this school year....and will probably look forward to more of the same; friends whose children had to postpone their wedding because the family couldn't travel;  friends whose relatives have passed away and there has not been the due respect paid and closure afforded; a friend whose husband is in a care facility and she (who usually visits daily) has not been able to see him for months. These are not normal times and we all need to count our blessing and help in any way we can. I know I'm preaching to the choir.....and I count myself fortunate to be in this choir!

July is Already Here!

I began this post in the middle of June (11th) when we were still having beautiful, mild weather. That morning I wore a light jacket to walk Rosie as it was about 69 degrees. Most of that week had been below 80 degrees. Well, that was a couple of weeks ago and summer is here. The last few days have been in the mid-90s and plenty hot. We continue to have the little morning breezes so I try to give Rosie a long walk in the morning because neither of us will want a long walk in the afternoon.

You are probably hearing about all of the Black Lives Matter protests going on here and we have had several locally. On June 7, I went to one on the island and was not even sure I would participate (due to the virus) until I got there and checked it out. Luckily, it was held at a soccer field and there was plenty of space for people to distance. Most people also had masks. There were about 1000 people there according to the police count. The speakers were very good and thought-provoking, though it did run a bit long and I left before the end. Following the speakers, there was to be a streetside march (one of my favorite things!) but I didn't stay for that as I figured the distancing would be tricky. Since then, there have been several others though I didn't attend. I'm picking my events to remain safe and well.  The following video was done by Cody Yeager and I was lucky to be able to share it with you as it is much better than anything I have.

There was also Community Conversation in Race held this past Saturday afternoon, which I did attend. The panelists were from the black community and it was interesting and informative. It, too, was held in a large outdoor space but was poorly attended, which is a shame as we need more conversations of this type. The panel was very good with diverse backgrounds including the FBI agent who went to Shelby, NC to bring Dylan Roof back to SC after the Mother Emanuel killings in Charleston! It started late and it was very hot so I didn't stay for the whole thing but the part I attended was very well done.

This past week or so has seemed as busy as before the quarantine! Liberal Ladies did a newsletter after many months of not doing one. Lowcountry Coalition Against Hate also wants one (still waiting for submissions), though it will be much shorter than Liberal Ladies. Tippy and I have been working on our Africa class to be held on the 7th and 8th. Once I finish this post, I"m going to concentrate on the class and get it under control. After that, I hope things settle down again.

Bogey enjoying the sofa!

Chris, Lynn, Tom, and I continue to have our Friday Social Bubble and it is good to get together and catch up on the previous week and, believe me, there is never a dull moment. This week we have learned that the President has known since March of last year that Russia was paying Afghan soldiers to kill US soldiers - and has done or said nothing, other than inviting Putin to the G8! And now that the EU will no longer accept American visitors, I may have missed my window of opportunity to move to Spain!!

As though we don't have enough on our plates, Lynn and I have become community organizers and I am the Belfair Precinct Executive Committeeperson! Don't even ask how that happened! So, last Sunday Lynn and I ran a Zoom meeting for known Crescent Democrats. It was attended by about 10 people but several folks who missed it have been in touch expressing interest. Since then, I've been working on a survey to determine interest and direction. I've also set up a Google Group as a means of keeping everyone informed of political events between now and the election. If we get those up and running, communication should be much easier.

Hopefully, the pandemic is lessening where you are, but you know what is happening here! We have no Federal leadership and, being a Red state, our governor is taking the trump route. So, we are on our own. There has been enough local concern/commotion that Hilton Head and Beaufort passed a mask order several days ago and Bluffton followed yesterday. I ran to Sam's this morning, thinking there might not be many people at that time. WRONG! The line to get in ran down the building and as I walked to the end, everyone had on a mask! That made me feel much better! I was in and out as quickly as possible and sanitized once in the car - just doing what most of us have been doing for months. I'm sure some people have given grief today, but I was pleased to see that those I ran into were complying easily.

A more enjoyable project has been to write Rosie's Story! Our friend Paula in Spain, who is very active with a dog rescue there, is putting together a book of dog stories. I was thrilled

I like the ears - both sets!

when she asked me to write about Rosie and the possibility that she might be included in the book. I'm getting my first draft to Paila this weekend and am eager to see how it all develops. I just hope I can do my girl justice! In doing the story, I went back to Noah's Ark (who saved her!) website and re-read their account (at that time Rosie was called Baby Ruth!). I discovered something I didn't know or had completely forgotten. In addition to her back legs and pelvis being broken, she also has a life-threatening hernia that enveloped her liver and guts! It was pressing on her inferior vena cava and could have killed her any minute. Had she not been found and treated, she would surely have died!! It makes me feel even more fortunate to have her as my sidekick. She is a real miracle girl!

On that note, I'm going to close. I hope everyone is well and making every effort to stay that way. This is proving to be a year for the books and one I'd just as soon forget. Even so, I think it is going to remain as is for the remainder of the year, but I'm hoping November will be a positive turning point!

Each Week is Worse Than the Last

Where to begin? You all have probably seen the 9-minute video of George Floyd being murdered on the street, in full view, by four policemen. That has haunted me all week, especially with all of the destruction that followed, though I can understand the anger and sadness that his death caused.  It is just incomprehensible that institutionalized racism continues to beleaguer our country. And I mourn for communities of color that have suffered and been held back for so long. I am happy to report that Savannah had a large gathering yesterday and it was peaceful. Our little community had a car procession in support of Black Lives Matter and justice for George Floyd. As Rosie and I were in the procession, I realized how creative the idea was - it minimized the possibility of violence and allowed for social distancing. Cars were decorated with slogans and signs of support and one estimate was there were about 150 cars. That's a large turnout for this area. As we drove along, people on the streets cheered us, people came out of their house to wave, etc. It was very uplifting. I had signs on most windows of the car and wondered about the reaction of my neighborhood as I drive through. As luck would have it, my neighbor's grandkids (the girls who love Rosie) were walking down to my house to show me their new puppy. So, I pulled over and chatted for a minute, also explaining the signs on the car. This morning, the grandmother was out riding her bike and asked how it went. We had a nice chat about it and the general situation. So, overall, I consider it a positive experience and I'm glad to see the diverse elements of the community coming together for something like this. 

One interesting thing I've been doing lately is text banking for Jaime Harrison (running against Lindsey Graham) and some voting issues. This was an informative process that is so well organized. You have to set up an account on something called ThruText and then they will let you know when they are going to do a texting campaign. So, you sign on and are given a list of names and cell phone numbers. There is also one of those pre-set statements like "Hi, I'm Donna with the Jaime Harrison campaign. Blah, blah, blah". You send that message to everyone on the list. Eventually, people begin to reply. To make it even easier, there are pre-set replies to their questions or comments. You may occasionally have to reply personally or edit a pre-set reply, but it is so well thought out and intuitive. I've enjoyed it. And my guess is that cell phone contact may be the way to reach a lot of people.

I'm also an alternate delegate to our Democratic state convention, which is going to be virtual this year. The unexpected thing about that is that I'm receiving robocalls, postcards, etc. from those running for Democratic National Convention Delegates and Executive Committee members. Voting begins today and will be complete by the end of the week. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.

Last week, I finally ventured out to have my hair cut. It's one of the few "risky" things I've done as I continue to order groceries online and pick them up.....and keep a low profile. Kelly works in a salon with lots of other stylists but she has her own little room, which made me feel a bit better. She also had a full face shield and is conscientious about cleaning because she goes home to a compromised mother. Everyone HAS to wear a mask (and she had received grief from some!) and they keep the door locked. No one can enter until someone comes out to get you.  Kelly and I were talking about being sequestered, being bored (not me), eating too much (me), and that kind of thing. She said she was going to call it the Corona-15 - the 15 pounds put on between mid-March and the end of May!

Other than that, not much is happening. I've almost completed another puzzle. Chris, Lynn, Tom, Bogey, and I continue our little Friday afternoon "social bubble", which gives us a chance to hash out the trauma of the week. Tippy and I get together as we can, and Drinking Liberally is going to try our first live meeting in a while. We will order food from Juan, our favorite restaurateur whom we're trying to support through these difficult times, and then tailgate in a nearby parking lot. We'll see how that goes.

That reminds me that Tippy and I will be teaching a class on our second Africa trip - Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Cape Town, SA. It will be done through OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute), which is nationwide. Since they have been unable to run live classes on campus, they want us to do a Zoom class and open it up to all OLLI groups nationwide!!  No doubt we will miss the personal contact, but this is the trip that has all of the unexpected stories (elephant flatulence, unexpected storm, Black magic woman, etc.). It should be fun and in preparation, I'm taking an online Zoom class this Thursday.

And last, but not least, I think we have a definitive answer on the mystery bush. Mary commented on my last post that it is ligustrum, one of her mother's favorites. After checking it out online, I am in agreement. The small blooms of the jasmine that I found online didn't seem to form the cone-shaped flower shown to the left. Sadly, they have bloomed out and we are without that wonderful scent, but I am glad to know what it is. Thanks, Mary.

I hope this finds everyone doing well but still taking necessary precautions. I'm not sure the coronavirus has finished with us yet. It has also been predicted that it will be an active hurricane season, which I don't even want to think about it. The only things left are locusts and zombies, and the way 2020 has going so far, nothing would surprise me!