The snow is melting and most of the sidewalks are mostly clear of ice, so
Holly and I went for a mini-adventure today (for the first time this year) 
It was only 900 steps (less than a block... we had to turn around twice due
to ice and a tree across the way) but she was super happy to be out sniffing
the ground and getting caught up on the neighborhood news 
I hate dog fights and have been wondering when one of the neighborhood dogs would come pick a fight with Holly while we are on a walk. Well... that would be today. Thankfully, no one is hurt, the owner came running (but the dog doesn't even wear a collar, so all she could do is stand back and wait like I did), and we were only one house away from home. Still... I am rather upset and trembling. So much for today's walk.
I heard a Chinese doctor talk on NPR that although the Coronavirus is serious it is concerning that people have been turned away from hospitals for treatment for other serious illnesses... for instance, he said that twice as many people died from flu complications because they were denied medical help.
I have read the symptoms on the virus. It does sound terrible. It is like a viral pneumonia-bronchitis cross. Being viral means that antibiotics will not help. It has a non-productive, dry cough that allows your lungs to fill with fluid. This is why so many are concerned about it.
However, the same, simple precautions that we take to keep ourselves healthy work on this virus.
Wash your hands. Eat healthy. Do what you can to maintain a strong immune system (fresh air, sunshine, exercise, take a multi-vitamain, some of us also use other supplements...).
And, if you do get sick, don't go shopping, visiting and such... Do your part to minimize spreading the misery.
I am awed at how the Lord cares about us... even to the itsyest,
bitsyest details! 
I couldn't bring myself to go for a walk
yesterday. I was still emotionally drained from the dog incident and
physically sore (I had forgotten how much physical work is involved
in trembling! 
).
So, I was rather thankful for the strong gusts of
cold wind that I totally used as my excuse for staying inside...
Today, though, I knew that I really needed to go out so that Holly could get some exercise. I admit that I was very hesitant. What if the dog came at us again (even though we haven't seen her a single time in the past two days)?
Although I looked at some options, I
didn't have any thing to fight a dog off with. So, I stepped out in
faith. Faith that even if a dog did attack again that the Lord would
send help and protection as He has always done. But, the Lord knows
my anxiety is strong and I sometimes need physical reassurance...
He provided me with a perfectly sized walking stick! It was just a few feet outside of our yard, at the base of the second tree we would go by. I normally don't pay attention to anything off to the sides of the sidewalk unless Holly is sniffing around, but this beauty caught my attention right away.
I suppose some of you
skeptics would say that it is totally coincidental... However, I
believe it was divine intervention 
http://smartlivingenvironment.com/lemongrass-pots-repel-mosquitoes/
My Dad needs about 100 pots surrounding his garden! lol
Snow today... rain tomorrow... gotta love Spring!
I found a new thing I want to learn! I'll have to start with a MUCH smaller staff so that I don't put a hole in the ceiling... lol
Bob is ok about it after I said I'd need to work up to a full size staff, but the children should be objecting in 5... 4... lol
https://informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/covid-19-coronavirus-infographic-datapack/
COVID-19 is here in SD now. Yay. Though I'm not terribly concerned about it, I am not looking forward to it coming to my house either. The #1 thing I hate about getting a cold or the flu? The coughing. Guess what? It's another bug that attacks the lungs. Ugh.
Even though it hasn't come to our town yet, there is a notice that the nursing homes are being closed to visitors in an effort to keep the most susceptible safer until this runs it's course.
A little whining about my slow moving exercise journey...
The Lord taught simple hygiene and immune support loooong before
modern medical professions had to get on the TV and radio to tell
the population to wash their hands
It is easy to get swept up in all the negativity surrounding the coronavirus. So, I've made a list of, what I consider to be, hidden blessings.
1. More young people are FINALLY understanding the
importance of personal hygiene and cleanliness, instead of rolling
the eyes. Yay!!! (of course, there are plenty going extreme, but I'm
sure that will settle down soon )
2. I was excited to hear that
hand shakes are being discouraged... I no longer have to worry about
offending someone if I miss an outstretched hand! 
I think a
simple hello or goodbye, smile (or not), and nod would be adequate
for most situations.
3. Personal space has been restored! Fewer strange people will be flying in for a hug, or pushing others out of the way to get past, or crowding while standing in line. As someone who doesn't like my bubble invaded, I can say: Yay!!!
4. People are
learning about supportive care for illnesses. As a person who has
embraced the holistic approach to sickness for over 20 years, I find
this very easy to understand. Now, I am hoping to be receiving less
ridicule about it.
5. People are learning the importance of
staying home when sick and not spreading it around
6. As irritating as the social distancing protocols being enacted are for an illness with so few confirmed cases in this country, I think it is a great way to practice how we as a nation would handle a bigger threat... something like a SARS epidemic, which would be vastly worse.
In comparison, measles is less than half the threat of
COVID-19 and people started changing laws FORCING vaccinations and
death threats were being thrown at those who have chosen to remain
unvaccinated! Obviously, too many people become mentally unstable at
the slightest threat (real or imagined) and chaos ensues. Being
faced with a virus with no vaccinations and a higher mortality rate
has many acting like an apocalypse has begun. These social protocols
can help slow the spread of old and new viruses alike and,
hopefully, maintain some order. Without it, I'm afraid there will be
thousands who will need to be treated for PTSD over a virus that
they never even got! 
Finally, With all of the above going on,
we're likely to have the mildest flu season EVER! Now, wouldn't that
be a blessing?
It bothers me a bit that my paranoid schizophrenic daughter is more mentally stable than the medical workers in her area, who have become seriously paranoid!
One person went in to the clinic with a cold. He coughed and the staff freaked out that he MUST have the coronavirus!
Another person went in for a sinus infection and they drilled him with questions... are you sure you don't have a cough? have you had a fever? Even though he tested positive for a bacterial sinus infection, they didn't want to give him an antibiotic because antibiotics won't help the coronavirus!
Good grief. You'd think that no one ever got sick before now.
On another note, a child got sent home from a day care because she coughed and had a "fever" of 99+ after working up a sweat running laps around the room. After a glass of water and a 5 minute recess both "symptoms" magically disappeared...
We have a serious epidemic of mentally
unstable people left in charge. At least my daughter is staying
level-headed through this ... though she has had to take a
break from the anxiety-inducing media.
We went grocery shopping and was able to get almost everything on my list. I'm glad the apocalyptic mindset hasn't hit here yet.
I love my Valor... helps me deal with the chaos in life.
Ugh! I know setting goals is important, but I stink at actually
getting any where near the time-based part right. It is nearly April
and I'm still working on stuff that I had planned on having
completed in February!
Discouraging? Yes. Unusual (for me)? No.
Anyone else have problems with this?
Ok, enough griping...
stretching done... oils applied... time to see what I can accomplish
today! Oh, wait... maybe I should grab some breakfast first...
We had some excitement last night... my husband came home last night
with a cough and tightness in his chest. He wanted to make sure he
didn't also have a fever. I was sure he didn't, but we went looking
for a thermometer any way... grocery store, Dollar General, and
Lewis Drug were all sold out. I check online at Amazon, but I
couldn't find anything for fast Prime shipping. I looked at Walmart,
Walgreens, and Target... all out. 
However, after a few hours of
being able to relax at home he felt much better and was back to zero
symptoms. It is apparent that he was either having a slight allergic
reaction to some dust he got into at work or some built up anxiety
getting to him... there is plenty of that going around!
Any
way, I'm glad to report that he is well, but would feel better
having a thermometer in the house for the first time. Since he has
to work in the city today, he's going to look there if he has some
spare time. If not, I guess I'll resort to snail mail
I also
brought a new plant home a couple of weeks ago. We thought I had it
in a good place for my kitty to leave it alone, but he's been trying
different directions all week. Around 3am last night, he finally got
to it - despite my dusting the area with cayenne as a deterrent
yesterday. It fell 5 feet and broke the pot. Thankfully, I had
another pot in the garage and was able to plant it again right away.
Bob put the plant on another (higher) shelf, but is has several
broken branches now and was traumatized. I hope it survives!
This, by no means, is a complete list... my youngest works in a
truck stop - essential for keeping the trucks running, delivering
needed supplies; my husband is a cable/internet/telephone guy -
essential for keeping lines of communication open for first
responders, government officials, and we common folks that have
family and friends across the nation (and, even, around the world).
Yes, they are essential too. And, thank you to those doing their
part by simply staying home when possible to make their jobs easier.
Is there anyone you'd like to add?
I woke up this morning with Psalm 23 on my mind, so I had a little
fun and created a slideshow for it Enjoy!
That moment when you clear your throat at work and watch the humans
scatter...
I've heard A LOT of bashing of our President the last couple of days (on the radio and here)... yes, I've actually listened to the radio of late
Please remember that we ARE a very large nation so it is not surprising to me that the numbers are so high - especially in New York where the governor refused to acknowledge the severity of the problem and refused to follow early guidelines until it was too late... even continuing the St Patrick Day parade even though a nearby town to NYC had many cases and were quarantined but allowed people to go to work in the city after having their temps checked. Yes, in NYC "the show must go on" when states with nearly no positive cases closed events before then.
As far as our president goes though... he closed the borders quickly (being told he was over-reacting), requested economic help and supplies to be distributed for the hospitals to prepare when the first dozen or so cases were reported (being told he was over-reacting), and asked for financial support for the general population (being told he was over-reacting) WEEKS before congress said... oh, maybe we need to do that (and let's add a bunch of irrelevant stuff to the bill so we can get stuff that we have been wanting too)
He doesn't want the people struggling for food like India - hence his remarks of the "cure" being worse than the plague... if people are out on the streets with no food to eat then this illness will take FAR more people.
It would be against the constitution to FORCE manufacturers to change what they are designed to do in order to create a different product. However, several have volunteered to make the changes and needed supplies are being made now. It all just takes time.
And, on that note... no, our constitutional rights have not been violated... this is a health care crisis... this is war with an unseen enemy. If bombs were being dropped from the sky on a lit city you likely wouldn't be complaining about minimizing the lights at night and drawing the blinds or staying home for the most part... This IS temporary.
There is a lot of anxiety going around, but the nation is pulling together
Honestly, quarantine doesn't affect me. I'm used to isolation and don't have little ones running around. So, I'm good. But, I feel this way about the media! lol
Bob's work has been declared a vital essential position in order to keep communications up and running. He gets to be in all the hot zones (nursing homes, hospitals, etc), but not in direct contact with quarantined individuals and they check his temperature before allowing access to the building. As a 50 yr old smoker (he hasn't been able to kick this habit yet, but continues to try), he is also considered to be at high risk, so we appreciate your thoughts and prayers.
Take a moment with me and say: I, even I, will sing praise to the
Lord 
Oh, the hypocrisy of some people! I know of some people that willfully disregard their state's (or the neighboring state) stay at home order. Yet, these same people insist that not vaccinating (with no regard to the reasons) is child abuse because it endangers the lives of others. Hmm... who is endangering whom now? These people also just roll their eyes about the need to use soap while washing hands. Who has the time and patience to teach their children such a simple procedure? I mean, it is soooo inconvenient! I respect people, like some sects in India, that violate a stay at home order in order to worship God in a way they believe is required while conforming to social distancing and other health practices to minimize the spread of this illness. However, I simply can not stand the willful disregard of simple health practices for no other reason than "the government can't tell me what to do" or "I can't stay home because I'm bored". What kind of example is that to the children? How dare they say the unvaccinated are a threat to society when they can't even wash their hands! Hypocrites.
MythBusters Germs: Experiment Proves How Easily Germs Are Spread
I loved seeing this again... what a great reminder of how easily germs can be spread!
After looking at blank walls for too long, I decided to make this
picture today and tape it to the door for the garage in the kitchen.
I find it soothing and a wonderful reminder of my purpose in life
Some morning praise with flowers... feeling the spring air and
looking forward to some blooms! Aren't you? I did something
different in this video... I didn't use the full Bible verse and
even changed a couple to become more personal. I've seen others do
this and was encouraged to do so as a child, but never actually done
it myself. Look at me blooming!