What? Did you think i meant MY family?
BAHAHAHAHA
If you missed it, I wrote about us a couple of posts ago. It was a sincere post, from my heart. But perfect? Perfect enough for me, maybe. But are we the Bradys or the Cleavers? …mmm, NO.
(This is the monthly edition of Where Bloggers Live. This installment is about our unexpected encounters with the global pandemic. I know, I jumped the gun and covered some of that last month, but I’m revisiting it with a life update.)
A month of social isolation at home with six adults, six varying levels of stress and responsibility, six different personalities, all of whom have their own ways of dealing with this, um, thing, has been a little challenging.
Let’s just say I won’t be surprised if, rather than the kiddos saving for a house as we’ve suggested, there might be some rabid apartment shopping after the contaminated dust settles from this world event.
Me, I’m just trying to keep everyone calm and friendly.
(Make no mistake…I am worrying for everyone “out there” fighting this on the front lines. I know the next several weeks are going to be devastating outside our door. I feel the gravity, I promise. In our county, where testing is said to be rare, there are nearly 1500 confirmed cases, 33 here in Clarence. 53 people have passed.)
As a person who spent many early years watching reruns six inches away from a 12-inch black and white television screen, I often compare my family life with idyllic television. I’d like to hope I’m closer to the June with pearls, rather than “Mama June.”
But, lately, TBH, that’s been debatable.
I think about how the Cleavers would deal with a pandemic. Pretty short episode. Ward declares home isolation. Beaver sneaks in a visit with Larry Mondelo. Eddie Haskell sneezes on the grocery delivery but keeps quiet so he doesn’t risk his tip.
No…that’s a little dark for a Leave it to Beaver episode.
The Brady Bunch might be able to handle it. I imagine one of the kids gets a phone call noting they’ve been exposed by an asymptomatic friend. The family self-quarantines. Siblings ostracize the exposed Brady, there are fears over every sniffle and cough, constant temperature monitoring, Alice keeps the food coming, there’s a substantive sibling meltdown followed by a big family meeting where Mike and Carol talk about what’s important, and as the family self-isolates they hold an in-house olympics while the 14-days pass,
and in the end it was all a false alarm and everyone is safe.
Also, no one gets an apartment afterward.
At our house, there’s been good, bad and ugly. (And I’m not just referring to the days in which I haven’t showered, gotten out of my pajamas, or put on make up.)
The responses in our house range from treating everything and everyone as if they have been dipped in ebola and their outbreak is imminent with death immediately to follow, to plugging your ears and singing “lalalala” to keep the bad news out. Hurtful words have been uttered, overcaution (which comes from genuine fear) has been met with eye rolls, and there has been measurable levels of disrespect shown from youngers to olders, and also from olders to youngers.
There. I said it. We are not perfect. By a longshot.
On the flip, we have gathered every night for the nearly four weeks (thus far) to offer prayers as a group. Let’s just say this was an awkward nightly meeting at first, but has grown into a source of comfort. We don’t expect a magic wand resolution, but do want to say that we are grateful for every blessing and day we’ve been given, as well as to ask for help for all the people who need it.
And even on the one night when we did so as individuals (who weren’t speaking to each other at the moment), I later discovered that the rosary and novenas were continued in the privacy of our own spaces, voluntarily…and I have to say that gave me great hope.
BP (before pandemic) we were a buy-it-as-you-need-it family (as I think I noted in the last post). So it’s been a bonus for our kiddos that the food stash has been unusually deep (aka NOT purchased five minutes before I start dinner or the usual three days after the milk ran out).
We’ve been fortunate to use grocery delivery (God bless those people), who have kept us in Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs and “actual” supplies.
Happy hour starts whenever you pour it (yes, of COURSE responsibly, although we HAVE coined the term “breakfast wine”). There’s also lunch wine, dinner wine, and snack wine.
We’ve experienced adventures that have juxtaposed our caution in maintaining a protective distance with our desire to maintain our status as decent human beings. One of the delivery people had trouble finding our house, and subsequently overshot a three-point turn, leaving a memorable divot (okay, she made an actual valley) along with her car on a neighbor’s front lawn. We ordered her a tow-truck (but she neglected to note until after the driver arrived that she had gone on a two-mile hike). Nevertheless, she was rescued in absentia.
Another fellow brought us a package (okay, it was WINE), and both he and his companion left the car in the driveway…in the care of their dog, who apparently needed some alone time so it locked the doors with the car still running and the keys inside. (Although I now have the tow truck company on speed-dial, the Dog’s grandpa came to the rescue with back-up keys.)
Good times. Short of inviting everyone in for coffee and resetting our quarantine, I’d like to think we handled both circumstances both with caution and with appropriate humanity.
With our house fully occupied, I miss blasting my Spotify big ’80s playlist while I clean, sing, and dance with Kelly without disturbing anyone’s conference calls. (Yes, my old yellow labrador dances …unless she is actually telling me to turn down my music and I’ve misunderstood.)
At my last hair appointment multi-weeks ago, my stylist took a spontaneous day off and cancelled at the last minute…or neglected to if I’m being honest. So, I showed up and for the first time in 30 years, someone else cut my hair. Not my favorite style, tbh. It was okay at the time…but I will likely need to break out the scissors in the near future.
I think, given my skill set, I could manage a “Tiger King” cut.
In case all you cool cats and kittens are wondering, I AM all caught up on Tiger King, btw, and am now qualified to enjoy the memes.
Also, because I am out of flimsy excuses, I broke out the fabric for my living room curtains…which have been under construction in my brain and in sample sizes for several years.
I am hopeful that I will emerge from home confinement with eight completed panels. However, I’m not sure which will happen first, a virus cure or window treatments. My money is on science.
Because of multiple unusual occurrences over the last couple of months, (eg., Mr’s actual physical encounters with people who have been to Wuhan; my notable, mysterious, and brief loss of taste in early February; Bear’s horrific “cold;” and a couple of other suspicious things), we wonder if perhaps early on we were indeed exposed to you-know-what and eeked through unscathed. But who knows? It’s interesting to contemplate, but until there are antibody tests, it’s just an anecdotal exercise… and will be for the foreseeable future.
Noting that someday those of us who are safe and healthy may want to remember how we passed the time, I posted this to my Facebook account:
My answers: Six. OVERcautious. Yesterday. The Office and Schitt$ Creek. Instacart. Living Room Curtains. ZERO🤦🏻♀️. Less. Delivery. Losing. Well stocked. Too much. Home-made Pizza. Hug my parents. Yes. No.
In the interim, I wish safety and good health to you and those you love, and join everyone in their support of the people who are suffering, helping, risking, and serving. We are humbled by their experiences and sacrifice.
_____
If perhaps you’ve suddenly found a little extra free time in your day, I invite you to visit my lovely “Where Bloggers Live” friends to see how they’re dealing with all of this sudden change.
Who doesn’t like to peek behind the scenes and see inside people’s homes and areas? Over the next few months, a group of seven bloggers will be sharing their work spaces, their homes, towns and more! Check out:
Bettye at Fashion Schlub
Daenel at Living Outside the Stacks
Iris at Iris’ Original Ramblings
Jodie at Jodie’s Touch of Style
Em at Dust and Doghair
Julia at When the Girls Rule
Leslie at Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After
This post made me happy. And, seriously, anything that does that now sticks. I’ve thought multiple times about your “Tiger King cut” picture – and laughed out of nowhere. My daughter found me giggling and thought I was nuts — but it was your picture. So, not nuts. Because that’s just FUNNY.
I also love you for the prayer. Remembering those who have no margins, no safe place to go, who are fighting for their lives. Watching the news last night, people’s homes destroyed by twisters – RIGHT NOW, OF ALL TIMES – I longed for something, anything to help. I wanted to hug them, invite them in with us. (They are many states away, so that probably isn’t going to work, unfortunately.) What a terrible thing to lose your home during a pandemic and be forced into unfamiliar, insecure surroundings.
I also saw a photo of a girl in India – a girl with missing limbs, in a wheelchair – being pushed by a man who looked as hungry as she did. They couldn’t find a safe place to go, and because of government lockdowns, weren’t able to buy food.
Why is she there, and I’m here? In a comfortable house, full of food, with two legs to carry me around? It seems all wrong.
The world is a very unfair place. Today – quarantined or not – I’m in a part of it that’s unarguably enviable. I’m going to spend time praying for people who aren’t and thanking God instead of grumbling. Today there has to be some way to help someone, and I want to find it. Your prayer was the perfect catalyst.
You’re all right with me, Em. Perfect blend of humor, seriousness, thankfulness, perspective, and brighten-your-day. Bless you for taking the time to lift the rest of us.
P.S. My son got VERY sick in February with symptoms that seem eerily familiar now. He works in a busy restaurant with a lot of customers who travel internationally, and I can’t help but wonder. I hear you about looking back. Was it the Thing We’ve Since Learned to Fear? Maybe at some point antibody testing will tell.
Hello, Cathy!
I’m so happy that picture gave you a chuckle. I was going to clean it up a little but I liked it better as it was…HIDEOUS, haha. Think it may be one of my better moments.
I’d been avoiding the news lately, it’s bad enough that all of this is going on and our media and leadership are all still making this about themselves and their differences, bums me out!….So I missed everything else (twisters, etc) that has been going on in the world. No answers for why things are so unfair…and why I have it so cushy…but I hope it helps me become a better steward than I am.
I’m so glad you liked the prayer. I thought it was lovely, too. Although I’m nowhere close to being on their level, I have enough smarts to seek amazingly better women to hang out with and they keep nudging me along by sending me great prayers and inviting me to help with some of their projects. They’re wonderful teachers and examples. From your lovely comment, I think you would like them, too!
And your son!!! Doesn’t it make you wonder?!?!? Mr. just read that antibody tests are getting closer… One minute I’m very excited about that prospect, and the next I think…Yikes, if we DIDN’T have IT, we still have to worry about it. SEE? I’m never happy, haha!
Sounds like you do have a house full. I’ve been there, but am alone now and have gotten used to it. Hope your family stays safe and well.
Grace & Peace,Iris
http://www.IrisOriginalsRamblings.com
I have never appreciated a quiet house more, haha! Thanks, Iris!
Wow, your life is far more exciting! I love the material you chose for your drapes and wish you success with finishing this project. At least they don’t talk back! Thanks for posting in this format, I enjoyed reading the linked posts as well. All the best to you and yours!
Hello, my Penguin Pal (and Steelers, Pirates etc),
How nice to see you here! I can’t actually take credit for the fabric, for the first time ever, I let go and let someone else do the pricing for me. That took years off the project!
I can live with backtalk, sarcasm is a source of pride at our house, haha. It’s the negotiating that’s my stress point…I generally understand where everyone is coming from, but some days being responsible for world peace can be exhausting.
Thanks for the visit AND comment!
Wowza, wowza. I’m not sure I actually realized you all still lived in your house. I guess I thought there were apartments already?? Goes to show what I retain. So that would be quite the challenge. At least for me. Heck, mom and Lesley are here for two hours and I’m ready for them to go back home. Not as easy for you….
But I love the prayer time. And the breakfast wine (I can’t say that hasn’t happened here except it’s usually Godiva in the coffee…you should try it, it’s delicious.)
And how exciting you started the drapes. I will brag that I did alter a couple of pieces…nothing on the same level. But it did make me feel good.
Love to all, and that wine delivery….it’s our saving grace too!!
OXOX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Oh, yes indeed! They’re all here. Mr is a numbers guy and had strongly suggested they live here and save for houses. However, their world will likely go back to a new normal faster than ours, so apartments do make sense in the shorter term. I’m likely to loose them all at the same time, however. I’m trying to stay focused on how exciting it is for them…and it will be good for them to be on their own. On-line apartment shopping is fun, too. Mr has first dibs on rooms for an office (I won’t miss his “air traffic control center” in our bedroom) but eventually there will be a real sewing room for me, and THAT will not be terrible.
I’m guessing the Godiva a liqueur? That’s a nice way to coffee 🙂 I’m appreciating a breakfast Reisling on occasion (and lately every day seems like an occasion, haha!).
You haven’t tried Godiva liqueur?? OMG…the white chocolate one and caramel ones are my absolute favorite. Over ice cream, in coffee, in many drinks. There’s no shortage of ways to use them.
XOXO
Jodie
Have thought of you so often. Usually when I am in the midst of something and don’t stop to tell you so. But I have! So glad to read that you guys are well, new drapes are underway, you have plenty of TP with your fairly large family, and that if you guys were possibly exposed/sick early on, you managed to beat the beast!!
PC has been between fairly sick to slightly sick for a month. Was diagnosed with a sinus and ear infection but no one mentioned his dry cough. Ugh. I think we all have wondered at some point, with a sneeze or a cough, if we were getting IT.
My brother’s girl friend’s dog needed some isolation and did the same locking the door trick in her car twice. She got the spare keys, opened the door, it slammed shut again and the pup relocked it. That fast.
Take care, dear friend. Hopefully soon you can hug your parents.
How odd! Mr and PC have the same symptoms! Mr’s ears have been clogged and he has had a dryish cough for about the last month. When he sleeps or is distracted, we’ve all noticed it stops, but it’s the first thing that occurs when he wakes up. We were all thinking it’s an actual something, but enhanced by how much he worries about it (and he worries about it all the time, even though he knows that if it was somehow connected to “the beast,” he at least doesn’t have the concerning version.)
Thought about your nurse and doctor, and hoping they’re well. I know you miss your little bits, but love how you’ve still spent time with them. Keeping your mom in my prayers…I know that’s been challenging for all of you!
Ha, I love your stories! Ahh, I can imagine the CHALLENGE of being sheltered (STUCK) in place with family members. At this time especially, I am grateful to live alone! I know there’s pros and cons to both 🙂
I wish I had some time to work on the SO many projects there are here, but I feel like I have even less than usual! Work runs long most days and even goes into the evening sometimes and I can’t very well say “yeah, no thank you,” ha. I’m grateful to HAVE a job when so many others don’t.
But if I could just find my darn sewing machine I would try and come up with some WEARABLE masks. My DIY attempts so far have been dismal so far.
Love your family, enjoy the heck out of them, and go have a peanut butter egg for me!
xoxo Bettye
https://fashionschlub.com
Hello, Bettye! Yes, a CHALLENGE! I enjoy everyone being home, in general. They’re all fairlly occupied and have discovered that working from home isn’t the glamour job they all thought it might be… The days can run long, focus can be difficult, and hilariously, the two gentlemen who share a room had to do some hasty redecorating to present a more professional background for Face-Time/Zoom calls. The youngest has resumed classes and has claimed a school office under the basement stairs.
My daughter ordered mask supplies, so that’s on our radar, too. All you style bloggers are going to have to start posting about “five ways to wear a protective mask,” haha. I’ll be needing some guidance on this new “accessory.”
“A” peanut butter egg. BAHAHAHAHAA!
Reminds me of the fun times during the ice storm of 1998…. two weeks of no power, phone,… hauling buckets of water up, from a holding tank to boil for common baths, dishes and for 4 children all who had the stomach flu… hauling wood in, to keep the masonry heater going ,to keep the house warm as temperatures went well below zero. Dragging four kids out in icy snowy conditions ( once we’ll enough) to bond in a laundry mat 30 mins from our home , restocking groceries in the apocalypse bunker in the basement, burning a years worth of candles and lamp oil as it get’s dark at 4 o’clock! Supplementing kids school days, keeping a flock of 50 hens going out in the barn,…barbecuing dinner on the grill from the freezer stash of meat and grilled apple pie! Lol! Everyone sleeping together by the fire in the family room…board , games,card games, hide and seek in the dark, putting on theatre plays, and dressing the pets up to participate…Loving and Giving thanks to one another!
Wow, Dee! YOURS does sound like a perfect family!!! We have it way too cushy for that level of “fun times” and shame on us for every minute we don’t appreciate what we have. I do haul wood in for the fireplace, but only because we like the crackle and snap, and not because we’re dependent on it to stay warm. Can’t imagine what that was like when your kiddos were sick and you had both work and worry. From our yard I know there are few things heavier than hauling water. But I’m all in for everything after your second set of ellipses, haha. Sounds like a lovely memory and time together. THANK you for sharing!
I Lol’d at the dog locking itself in the car story! God bless you and your family. The prayer time sounds amazing–what a wonderful idea. The pleats on your draperies look great, I hope you finish them!
Oh my gosh, Kim, we couldn’t believe it! We were watching and figured there was something up, but didn’t know about the dog until they told us. Glad it wasn’t a warmer day!!! We set them up with snacks on the porch JUST before the rain hit. Oy! Fingers crossed on the window treatments (and, boy do I hope so, too!)
Good stuff, Em!
Well, thank you, Mary Katherine!