Monday....Really

Today has truly been a Monday, in every sense of the word.

The weather has been very Monday. Gray, and very rainy. All day.

We are still in Stay-at-home mode. The governor announced that all unessential businesses are to close and remain until further notice. I have no idea how long we can do this and stay solvent as a country. This hasn't happened before and I am sure some very smart people are working on this, but it gets scarier the more I read, so I am trying to avoid the news.

I went to the grocery store earlier in the day and there was still stuff on the shelves, depending on what you needed. I think going in the morning is the key.
We are so used to being able to go and shop and find whatever we want, and it is so odd to go and not be able to find just the basics that we need, let alone what we want.
People are going and buying out all of certain things so there is nothing left in the afternoon.
John is now Gluten free until he can determine whether he feels better without it.
He has a sensitivity and the doctor wants him to avoid it to see what happens.
So I am trying to make foods that suit that kind of diet. It a shift, but there are lots of options.


I have had no luck in finding a car. I extended my rental for a few more days.
The MVA is closed, and now the dealerships and probably the rental office, will be too, so I am not sure what is going to happen come Saturday.

I am not sure what is going to happen in all of this, but I know that God is in charge and He is taking care of us. I am trying to be patient and flexible.
He is trying to teach us all and I really hope we get it soon!

The guys are doing OK. Brendan is working a lot, because he works at the grocery store.
John is doing some online work and Tim is working from home.

Every day there is some kind of news. I just hope there is something good soon.

I think I will bake bread tomorrow!

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood!

I have been getting out for a walk every day, to break up the cabin fever.
There were so many people out today! People walking and jogging. People working on houses and businesses.
The weather was gorgeous! Almost 80 today!

Everywhere nature is waking, and stretching, getting ready for the warmer days ahead.
I have to say it is so welcome!

Stay-At-Home Projects

I get why Home Depot is doing a pretty good business in this difficult time.
Everyone is home and they are all looking around at those projects that they have been wanting to get done, and now they have the time. No one really has the money, but lots of things can be done on the cheap.
We are doing a very small project on the cheap.
We are building a fire pit on the slab in the back yard, so that we can have bigger fires than we can up here by the house.
Ever since we built the deck, building roaring fires has made me nervous, but I love them!
We have the nice flat slab in the back yard and we don't use it for much, so we are putting a small, square pit in. It will be fun to burn all the junk wood we have around here. Just have to let things warm up a bit. It is really freezing out today.

And This....

Happy St Patrick's Day...

....Weirdly speaking.

No parades, no bars, no gatherings of any sort, no Mass, just a mad scramble for a piece of corned beef and some cabbage. 

The stores are pretty much empty, and the conversation is always about "the virus". In fact the store is where we are all going to see other people now.
It's like the old days when the market was where you went to catch up on all the gossip.
There is no other place for it!

We are going back to a slower time, that's for sure.
We are getting a lesson in what it means to stop. Literally. On a national level.
I went to the church because we have been saying the Rosary every morning at 8:00 with the Blessed Sacrament exposed.
This morning the Monstrance wasn't there.
We can't have things at scheduled times because too many people might come.

I mean, it isn't crazy, but it's just the oddest thing.

Everything is all of a sudden totally different. Upside down. Backwards.

I am not too worried yet, because I think that there is a plan to get things back to normal after a couple of weeks, but I have been seeing some really worrisome articles. Now I know the news banks on worrisome, so I take it all with a grain of salt, but if any of it is actually accurate....it may be more than a couple of weeks.

Thank you Jesus for your presence here. Life would be far too uncertain without You!!

Went for a very nice walk today though and that was an amazing mood lifter!

The Lockhouse and Bridge

God is still in His Heaven....it can't be that bad.

New Car and Spring!

2016 Mazda to replace the Sienna van. She's a good one! 52,000 miles and many, many to go!

Beauty Begins

It's only March 14th and the flowers have started making a serious appearance!
It is so exciting!

I walked to the Church today and got a few photos along the way.

A Wild Week!

Well it has been a bit since I have written and and a LOT has happened.

We are in the midst of a potential health crisis here in the USA, so life has gotten much simpler and more local all of a sudden.

The Corona virus is kind of complicating life for everyone in the country right now, but with all the measures being taken, hopefully it is going to be "starved" into submission very soon.
Maryland only has 12 cases right now, and while there is preparation in the works in the event that many, many people get sick, it seems that what we are doing to mitigate the spread is the best plan of action. It is really the worst for the elderly, and those with compromised systems, and that is a very large part of the population here. So we are cancelling stuff all over the place, and stocking up on reading material. It's all good practice.

I am also waiting to see what the deal is going to be on the van. It was damaged way worse than it looked and it is possible that it may be totaled. Which would be unfortunate, because we are NOT going to be able to get one in that condition for what they will give us. I really do want a van or a small SUV, and I want a Toyota. I want something that will hold up and last, because that car was going to last for many years.
UGH.

So that's the news around here for now.
The sun is out, the weather is beautiful, and I am heading out for a walk!

The Lion is Roaring

Went for a walk yesterday

It's one of those days that gives March it's reputation.
Very cold and windy! It probably won't get above 45 today and it won't feel like it at all.

A good day to stay inside! I have been running every day, so I am very happy for a day to just stay in and get a lot done.
I shopped yesterday, and the store was mobbed. Everyone stocking up I guess.
Well, I did the same thing. Having Amazon delivering the basics regularly is great because we always have enough toilet paper!! We also have dog food, paper plates and other things in storage.
If this virus gets people in such a panic that the store shelves are empty, at least we are a little bit ahead.
The Covid-19 virus is all that people can think about right now. It has people in a panic, and the media is having a field day. People are glued to every news source and they believe whatever they read.
I'm not saying that it isn't serious, but I think people have a lot of misunderstanding and the media is notoriously irresponsible.

AND...something is cooking....so to speak.

All Kinds of Gorgeousness!!!

What a masterpiece today was!!
Such gorgeous weather and I got to get out and enjoy it for a bit!

It was a perfect day for a walk on the promenade, and around town.
I am so looking forward to the warmer weather.

I also had an appointment with the tax people. Ugh.
It isn't as easy as it used to be. There are fewer tax breaks running around here.
I won't have to file for the business next year though, so that will be great!
I can just use Turbo Tax in the future.  The business tax fees are ridiculous.

No updates on the car, yet again. Yesterday I spoke to the adjuster, and she said that they are investigating some kind of "coverage issue". I have no idea what that means, but it sounds like the other guy may not have been as covered as he should have.
If that turns out to be the case I guess we are going to have to have our insurance pay for the repair.
UGH!! That means a deductible.

But still, the sun is warming things up, the birds are coming back, and the deck will soon be warm enough for morning prayers.
It's all good.

Ah....

The weather was so beautiful this morning!
It was actually a bit warm after the morning chill disappeared.

I wanted to get out for a walk, but with Adoration, and then getting ready to get dinner on the table, I missed my chance. Now I can hear the wind in the chimes and I think it's probably getting cold, but there is another day to walk tomorrow. It is supposed to be nice all week!