Wordless Wednesday

More Cabin Time

There's always lots to do up at the lake. Mowing, weeding, boat repairs, digging out dirt and rock so the basement window can open ...

And then yesterday we opened up the lid of the gas grill, and there was a family of field mice settled in, all comfy and cozy! There was an orange mama and four little grey ones, and yes they were cute, but I'm tired of dealing with mice this year.

Bruce started removing pieces of the grill, and they jumped off and ran away. I guess we were feeling pretty proud of ourselves for being so humane and non-violent, too.  😂 This morning we opened up the lid again, and they were back. We banged on the grill, and they jumped off again. Then we moved the grill into the screened porch and put an open box of drier sheets inside it.

I bet it's not the last we see of them. Poor things. But they do need to find somewhere else to  live.

The Way Back

We've just completed five weeks of a Stay At Home order for the state, and are now moving into the Stay Safe Minnesota phase. More businesses are allowed to open up, but only at fifty percent capacity, and then there must be a plan in place to enforce social distancing and safety. People are now allowed to have small gatherings of ten people or less together, but really, we're not much farther along down the road as far as knowing what the future holds.

Covid-19 is still killing people, and there is no vaccine available yet. Although most of the people who are dying are older, there are also younger people affected. And then, though many people don't feel safe leaving their homes to shop or work, there are others who feel that we need to just open up the country and get back to business.

It's confusing. Who doesn't want to go back to normal?

So, we walk. It feels normal to be outside. We walk many miles these days. Down paths, through the neighborhoods, to the lake, and then back again. It feels good. Sometimes we bump into neighbors and talk to each other from opposite sides of the road. It's amazing how everybody we talk to is also missing life the way it used to be. And are grieving.

We wonder how we will ever get back.

Mother's Day 2020

It was a quiet Mother's Day this year, and I was a little sad about not being able to be with the kids or Mom. I'm trying to have a good attitude about it all, but the isolation that goes with living through a pandemic is starting to get to me. I know I have much to be grateful for, and I am, it's just kind of hard.

But. Bruce made us French Toast for breakfast, and gave me a bouquet of flowers. Also, a cool card with a pineapple on it. Katie, Avi, and baby Aaron  surprised me with a box of fine chocolates in the mail! And Jake and Nick sent me texts wishing me a Happy Mother's Day.

I decided to make a special dinner, and found a couple of No Name Steaks in the freezer to broil. It would have been fun to grill, but the weather turned nasty with cold and rain. We had special mashed potatoes, sautéed mushrooms, and Caesar salad with the steaks. I also found a bottle of sparkling wine in the fridge.

I had already dropped off some candy and pretty rhinestone earrings for Mom on Friday, and we talked a few times on the phone throughout the day. I think the day was hard on her, too.

I also spent much of the day looking through old baby photos, and started putting them into albums for the boys. (I had already made some for Katie when she was living out of the country.) What better way to celebrate being a Mom? And, seriously, those albums will be wonderful to have in the future.

It's difficult to think that all this social distancing might become our new normal. I think about all the wasted, precious time for our elders living in high risk facilities, and not being able to be close to the people who love them. It's sad. But, I guess there's so much that's out of our control, and we do have to keep thinking positive about the future. Onward.

Little Boy

Looking back over all the photos taken of little boy while they were staying here with us, I can see just how much he's already grown since he and Katie went back to Maryland ... little boy is now holding his own bah!

And what a blessing it was to have them here. I miss them so much, but it was time for their little family to be back together. With the virus still raging, who knows when we'll be able to be with them again?

So for the time being, I guess I'll just have to be content with seeing them on Face Time.

Technology can be a wonderful thing ...