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.