March Madness......

It happens every spring....a rising tide of enthusiasm as sports fans cheer on their favorite college basketball teams. Traditionally called "March Madness" the TV coverage garners millions in advertising dollars and probably just as many viewers. Office pools pit employee against employee, each hoping to pick the winning teams at each level and end up with the pot at the end of the rainbow.   Fans wear team colors and gather at sports bars to add to the fun.

It happens every year.....but 2020 offers us a new kind of March Madness and it's not nearly as exciting for viewers. This year we don't bring friends over to watch games or lift a glass of our favorite brew at the corner pub. Sports fans can't watch or pick their favorite teams because the games are not on television and in fact, there are no games at all this year.

This March Madness means we stay away in our own homes and, if you like, you can watch repeats of some of the best games from years past. Have fun cheering on your memories.

Old March Madness cancelled..... 2020 March Madness in every headline. I wonder when this year's  tournament will be over and which team will win?

All Filled Up and Nowhere to Go.....

When we took our first RV trip west we were gone for about seven weeks and made it all the way from Milwaukee to north of Seattle and back. It was a grand adventure and showed us parts of America we'd never seen before, and we got to spend time with our son and his family in Washington. Our little Roadtrek was comfortable and drivable and made the whole trip possible.

Gas was over $4.00 per gallon....but we tried not to stress about that since we were staying at campsites and preparing most of our own meals.

Yesterday I walked down Port Washington's quiet main street past the gas station to drop off books at the library.  The sign caught my eye.

Hmmmm....both the car and the RV have full gas tanks. A bit frustrating.....all filled up and ready to go, but we are sheltering in place and just taking walks.

And walking is free....

We Turned Right.....

Once again, out the door at 7:00 for Fenway's start-the-day walk. Usually we leave the condo and turn left toward the lake but today Fenway's nose took us to the right. He sniffed the rocks along the bike path and then wanted to go a little farther along the side walk. So we did.

This route goes past a cement wall that borders the hillside just next to our building. During the summer for special events, like Port's Fish Day, chalk art rules and the wall becomes an art gallery of sorts. But most of the time it's just grey cement.

To my happy surprise this morning was a bit different and the wall started my day with a smile.

Sometime yesterday creativity took hold and the wall now offers some optimism and a little feeling of normalcy as we all face the challenges brought on by COVID-19. Someone grabbed their chalk and create sunshine on a wall.

Thank you someone - I needed this and it was a lovely way to start the day. I'm sure everyone who walks or drives past today will also appreciate the thoughts!

Quiet Start.....

Fenway and I walked out of the condo at 6:50 this morning for his begin-the-day-just-got-out-of-bed walk. The first thing I noticed was the quiet.....no wind, no cars, no other people, no waves crashing on the shore. Just a few bird calls and a busy woodpecker somewhere up a nearby tree. Rat a tat tat......

We turned toward the lake and Fenway's little legs scissored across Lake Street to sniff out the tree on the corner and then head for another interesting area in the grass. We made it to the water and I noticed two merganzers just off the walkway. The grey of the water met the grey of the horizon so the palette was muted, but the two birds were beautiful. They would disappear for a minute or so, diving below the surface, and then pop up.

I just stood and watched for a few minutes. These birds are just so beautiful and I love when they pass through our area.

A merganzer morning.....nice way to start my day.

Inside Stuff.....

Another few days spent basically in the condo. I talk to friends and family on the phone and we compare notes and share how-to-get-through-COVID-19-suggestions. I feel like we are living in a dystopian novel.

But I do have lots and lots of time to quilt. And I certainly don't need any more quilts. So I've been working on the baby quilts that my quilt makes for area hospital NICUs. Colorful, small and easy to do...and it makes me happy to think that one of these may help a family with a tiny baby working hard to grow strong while living in an isolette for the first weeks or even months of life.

Ten so far. Only problem is that my butt is getting sore from all the sitting at my sewing table. Will have to space a quilt with a walk around the block.

A New Normal....

So just what do you do when the new normal changes every day? The to-do and not-to-do list alters and I try to keep up with it without feeling completely overwhelmed and emotional. Dave and I are fine, so far, and basically staying in our condo. Walking Fenway gives us outside time and a little fresh air. A few errands mean we drive to local stores, run in and run out and use hand sanitizer as soon as we get in the car and wash our hands at home.

We are fortunate, two people and one small-ish dog living in a 1700 square foot condo overlooking Lake Michigan on one side and the Ozaukee County bike trail on the other. We can spot deer from the third floor.

But we don't see our friends, we don't see our family.....and who knows when that will change. I, along with everyone else paying attention to social distancing, miss these personal interactions. It may be that we meet our daughter and family tomorrow for a walk in the woods.....talking from a distance and no hello or goodbye hugs. But at least we could see them in person so I have my fingers crossed.

So today we continue with activities we've started over the past ten days. A puzzle, some good books,  quilts for the NICUs at area hospitals, playing card games meant for two...or altering those meant for more. And then we have a glass or two of something and watch TV in the evenings.

Luckily we found one container of wipes, a bottle of Purell, have some gloves and plenty of TP.

I think I'll move the bird centerpiece....it's getting lost in the fun.

For the American Citizens....

45 had his daily press conference this morning. It comes on and my TV goes off. I cannot stand to listen to his voice....the monotone reading of his prepared script or his ramblings if he looks up and goes off script.

After a nice long phone visit with a friend I walked into our family room....and the press conference was still going on. As I sat at the computer to check emails I couldn't help but hear some of 45's self-congratulatory comments or his hopeful feelings about the malaria drug that may be just terrific in combating this virus. (At which point Dr. Fauci had to step to the microphone and walk that back a bit.)

But it was a question from a reporter and the answer that followed that really caught my attention. He asked 45 something like "What do you say to the American citizens who are worried or frightened?" The presidential response?? "That's a nasty question."

I wanted to scream at the TV but instead I turned it off as quickly as I could.

"That's a nasty question."

How comforting. What great leadership trickling down from the oval office.

What a jerk.

Changes......

Such a strange, sad, scary time in our world. COVID-19 spreading across the world and a daily drum beat of frightening statistics and predictions. It's very hard to try to find the good news and to stay less-than-depressed. Our little town is so quiet with basically no one on the streets. Restaurants are closed. The library. The schools. The senior center. The YMCA. Area department stores....closed. Everyone encouraged to stay inside unless going out is absolutely necessary. You hardly need bother to look both ways before crossing the street.

So we walk the dog to get fresh air.....seeing a few others doing the same. We smile and say hi at a distance. We breath in the outside feeling "lucky" to have Fenway as a reason to get out. We notice the four deer along the bike path, appreciate a bright red cardinal calling from a tree branch, point out two black-capped chickadees zipping around near the bird feeder. Our trees are still leafless so everything basically still looks brown and grey....moods will improve once we see some greenery. Moods will also improve once it's a bit warmer and we can sit outside on our little deck.

The economic ramifications of this pandemic will last for a long, long time. It's hard for me to wrap my brain around the domino effect and all of the companies/jobs/events that will be forever changed or shut down completely. The news yesterday that Harley-Davidson shut down all of it's US plants was a slap-my-face-in-Milwaukee moment. Probably just because HD equals Milwaukee....and the rumble of their motorcycles is an integral part of our outdoor experience once the weather warms. Just one company and one notice....but it caught my attention.

The daily drum beat goes on. For me, personally, social distancing is my new norm, no book club, no newcomer club activities, quilt shop closed and quilt meeting cancelled, no meeting friends for coffee, no going out to lunch. The feeling of cold isolation builds and I decide to connect with at least two friends per day by telephone....to have a conversation instead of an email or text. The sound of a friendly voice helps remind me that connections remain and it also lets me check on my friends to confirm that they still feel just fine. Yesterday I connected with a friend in Florida and one on Cape Cod, and my condo neighbor on the other side of my kitchen wall! The conversations and laughter made me feel better.

Changes......unwanted but necessary changes.....

This Emperor Has No Clothes.....

For the past few days I've watched leaders speak to their countrymen about what was being done to try to mitigate COVID-19 or at least try to stay just a little ahead of worst case scenarios. Entire countries are "closed" and everyone is in self-quarantine. I watched Canada's Prime Minister (in self quarantine because his wife tested positive) speak thoughtfully and strongly offering steps the government was taking and hitting the right note of empathy and understanding. Even Boris Nelson in the UK spoke as a leader.

And then there was 45. Who over the past weeks has labeled this virus no worse than the flu, a temporary thing that would quickly disappear, nothing to worry about and America had "great numbers" meaning the infection would not dare to spread here. Until it did and we watched the news display a map of the USA with one state after another reporting active cases. Still 45 didn't seem to get it....the virus was within our borders and issuing a travel ban for some people headed to the States from Europe wasn't going to change that.

And then I watched with some fascination as State Governors stepped up and took charge on their own....no longer waiting for 45 and his minions. They were listening to those who spoke science and they were banning large crowds, closing schools, beefing up health care programs where they could. A ripple effect as, across the nation, parents scrambled to figure out daycare, food programs tried to figure out how to support families who needed assistance, Broadway closed down, sports teams stopped sporting, no March Madness, colleges closed and told their students to finish the semester's classes online, Disneyland and Disney World closed, people cancelled travel plans, there was a run on cleaning supplies and toilet paper at the grocery stores. Change after change after change.

I read  and share Heather Cox Richardson's post every single morning. A professor and historian she puts the days events in perspective for me and compares them to challenges America has faced during our history. She is a calm, steady and informed source......and her post this morning offered additional insights into 45's most recent press conference....the one where he stated that Google had 1700 workers who were developing a website to help us figure out where to go to get tested for the virus. The only problem there is that the statement is completely untrue. When asked, a senior engineer at Google said, "No comment because there is nothing to comment on."

She goes on to quote "lifelong Republican Peter Wehner, who worked in three GOP administrations, arguing that the pandemic crisis has finally forced Americans to grapple with the fact that Trump is unfit to be president. They have, Wehner says, seen the con man behind the curtain. Having recognized that he is worse than useless....they are treating him as a bystander."

"Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain." Let's send in the flying monkeys.....

Those Empty Eyes.....

I met her when we moved to Old New Castle, Delaware in 1990. Dave and I joined the Presbyterian Church because we liked the minister and that's where I met my soon-to-be-best-friend. She and I volunteered to help on some committee and right away she was welcoming and engaging and I thought to myself "I really like her!" Happily she seemed to feel the same and soon we were taking long walks along the Delaware River and developing a friendship.

You need to understand just how smart she was, educated at Cornell, she was into computers (and teaching college level classes) while many of us were still using Commodore 64s and Ask Jeeves was our search engine! She was a reader and a traveler and a community activist. Everything she did, she did well.

And happily, one of the best parts, our husbands ended up really being best of friends as well. The four of us shared so many meals while we lived there, we traveled together on our first trip to Europe in 2006 (they knew the ropes in London and Paris!) We chartered sailboats in the Virgin Islands and Belize. We had a fun "tradition" of cheap dates.....we would take turns planning outings where we would see who could spend the least money. (One of the most successful was a drive to see eagles migrating, tour a big dam at the north end of Chesapeake Bay and a stop at a potato chip factory, all free, and a picnic lunch.)

When we moved away I really missed spending so much time with her.....telephone conversations and a few scattered visits had to suffice. Until that was no longer an option.

This best friend is now in the end stages of dementia....and she no longer can communicate or knows who anyone is. She is still at home and her wonderful husband is her primary caregiver..... an amazing and loving man. I now stay in touch by sending cards and notes to let them know they are both in my thoughts and my heart.

Yesterday I got a quick text from her husband thanking me for the notes and a picture of my friend sitting in her wheelchair. I have been in tears ever since..... her eyes were just blank. Just empty.

So I am remembering Phoebe.... my laughing, conversational, smart, funny best friend. I'll try to think of her as she was when we shared so many lovely times together. When her smile was wide and her eyes sparkled......

There is just so much about this diagnosis that is so unfair, so hard, so complex. I can't begin to imagine how difficult this is for her family when it's this "hard" for me. I wish I could get that last picture out of my head.....I don't want to think of my dear Phoebe with empty eyes.

Second Sign......

Fenway and I bundled up to go out for our first-thing-in-the-morning walk. I opened the door from the lobby and was hit with a breeze from the south....a warm breeze! The first thing that came into my mind was "The air feels soft!"

We walked toward the lakeshore and saw the very beginning of the sunrise....a blurry bit of red before she came up and hid behind the low cloud cover.

Fen and I loved every minute of that short before breakfast stroll and it's subtle signals that warm weather is approaching. A southerly breeze, soft air and a sunrise.....spring is just around the corner.

I could have left Fenway's sweater in the condo.

First Sign.....

When I was growing up I remember my parents or my grandparents saying I should watch for a robin and that would mean that cold Chicago winter was almost over and spring was soon to arrive. That first robin meant warmer weather! So I would look and try to spot the bird with the red breast.

Driving home from Cedarburg the other day I glanced toward a field....corn remnants accentuated by a little left-over snow. There was a movement and I spotted something I didn't expect to see for a few more weeks.

Sandhill cranes! From now on my first sign of Wisconsin spring will be different....never mind the robin, my eyes are now on the prowl for more pairs of these interesting birds and then the babies to come.

Sandhill equals spring.....yea!

Moneys Worth......

I'm not the first to complain about packaging.....and the waste involved. Dave and I just ordered some health supplies through our Medicare insurance program. This is a new offering that allows us to order $40 worth of medicines or supplies each quarter. Such a deal! We ordered things like aspirin and bandaids and got four mid-size boxes in the mail.  Each box had ONE bottle of aspirin or ONE package of bandaids. Keep in mind they came from the same source so I had to wonder just why the company couldn't have put all four items in one box?

And then yesterday I drove to the store and bought myself some night cream for those age-related wrinkles magically appearing around my lips. (What!!!??? Age??!!! Wrinkles???) The box was pretty and the copy promised it would "plump" up my skin.

Opening the top I peered down.....the jar was in there, down at the bottom.

Now I'm sure that the idea is that the consumer (me) would think they were really getting a bargain....a pretty big jar of cream that would last for months. Not. Half of the box was filled with air.

Sigh. I flattened out the box and put it in recycling and I will use every smidge of the cream......and continue to shake my head about the way companies "fool" the consumer and waste trees.

That Odd Looking Pot.....

It was a birthday gift and when Dave unwrapped it I don't think he had a clue as to what to do with it....until our daughter explained. She told him to rinse it out with water, dump the water out, put an egg in (scramble it a little bit) and stick it in the microwave for a minute or two.

Then dump the egg on your plate or on an English muffin with cheese if you want a breakfast sandwich.

Works every time and he loves it! That odd little pot makes a good breakfast a breeze.....

....plus it has a beautiful glaze!