What does that mean? Well, spring in Central Texas means wildflowers and yesterday I took a few pictures to share while I was on a solitary walk. Just me, my headphones, my audiobook, and the lovely bluebonnets. Flowers are coming up practically overnight here because we've had some nice rain and because it's their time. Enjoy!
In other news, my husband is working from home. My volunteering is paused for now as the libraries are closed. Our church will be online for several weeks. Restaurants are closed except for takeout and delivery. I'm trying to take solitary walks in my neighborhood and the weather has cooperated. We live a bit out in the country, though there are houses around us. I wave to any neighbors that I see and we might shout greetings across the way. I'm now thinking of all those things that you mean to do 'one day' - like sorting through old photographs or clearing out drawers or files from long ago. I may do some of that. Pulling weeds in the yard. And I'm trying to make a few calls to friends and family to check on them and also say that I'm thinking about them. That would have been something my Mom would have done. So, consider this your 'call'.
Please take care of yourselves and your loved ones. Please take a minute to be grateful for the medical personnel that must continue to be available and serve. I ask that as the Mom of a long-grown Labor and Delivery nurse. She's doing fine, but babies will come on their own schedule and my daughter has an important job to do in helping run her L&D unit. So far staffing is OK, but it wouldn't take much to tip the balance in another direction and then she and others might have to 'remain in place'. I try not to worry too much.
Again, take care. I'll be around more often to your blogs to check in. Enjoy your extra reading time!
The bluebonnets are such a delight! We are in memorable times and making adjustments, large and small. It continues to feel surreal to me that schools, businesses, libraries, and more have closed their doors in the hope of limiting contagion. There are many folks to admire in these times, especially those who help see to the birth of babies. Thank your daughter for her efforts!
ReplyDeleteI agree that things are surreal. My husband had one of his younger staff members ask him if he remembered something like this before - he told the guy that he definitely did not, but our grandparents were alive during the flu pandemic of 1917. Sadly, I suspect no one is still alive that remembers that.
DeleteThere are trying times. Our son has been self-isolated since last week at the advice of his doctor since he's on medication to suppress his immune system. We made the difficult decision to temporarily close our small business this week. I hope everyone takes it seriously so we can get past this.
ReplyDeleteKathy, sorry that your son has to self-isolate, but I'm glad he is taking the doctor's advice. Also sorry about your business. I hope the closure time will be short. Thinking of you guys...
DeleteFor me the hard part will be not seeing our daughters and grandkids, though with the one that lives close I'm thinking of meeting her in the park and having a chat but keeping a good distance apart. I don't think the staying at home will bother me much as we do an awful lot of that already and I have Hobbies... LOL. You and yours take care, Kay. Good luck to your daughter, I wish her well. I'll be around on my blog a lot and others have decided to do the same to keep our spirits up. Challenging times but we can all do this *and* be kind at the same time.
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm sorry that you won't get to see your family as much, Cath. I can imagine you and your daughter in the park 'shouting' back and forth. Ha! Take care!!
DeleteI hope you continue to do well. I just got the okay to work from home, finally. It's been crazy because I am in essence on the pandemic communications team so as you can imaging it's been nuts and every minute I am required to change or update or delete or create some additional resource.
ReplyDeleteMy son lost both his campus jobs for next quarter which is hitting him hard. He can't come home for break either. I am working here in the dining room and my daughter is doing online class upstairs. Definitely requiring an adjustment.
Yes, Ti, I know that you are in the sort of job that has a lot of challenges right now. I said my husband is working from home. All the people at the company where he works are doing that. The ability is part of their official disaster protocol, but it's not ever been enacted in full before. There have been a few glitches and he and his team have been quite busy yesterday and today. It will settle out though.
DeleteAlso sorry about your son's jobs. Hopefully the time will be not too long. Will he be able to come home at semester end?
Thank you for sharing these beautiful pictures. Bluebonnets and other beautiful things always lift my spirits.
ReplyDeleteSending prayers for your daughter.
We Texas girls love the bluebonnets don't we? I'm serious that the wildflowers seems to have just 'burst' into bloom the last few days. A hopeful thing. Thanks for the prayers for my daughter. She's a tough one and will just soldier on.
DeleteIt is very strange right now. I am working at home full time also, after working 2 days in the office and attending group exercise. I need to get on the stick and do my own exercising. My daughter is also a nurse at one of our main hospitals in town and I hold my breath when she tells me about their process changes; 2 lines for employees to enter, being checked and questioned, hospital locked to any outsiders, and that they may be sent to other areas to work if things take a turn. :( Hope we can resume our book club in the not too distant future.
ReplyDeleteGayle, did I ever know your daughter was a nurse in town? Perhaps, but I didn't remember. Yes, lots of rules in place now. Know that they are there for a reason and we'll get through it all. As to book club, maybe by May? I'm thinking of sending a note out soon that we all will be invited to send their thoughts on what they've read this month by email (like C&G) and I'll compile and send out to everyone. Several mentioned doing that. I'm betting the library doesn't reopen by meeting date.
DeleteThanks for the reminder that we should be very grateful to those who work in the medical field. My husband is also working from home, which I like but he is a bit restless. I keep reminding him he is lucky to still have his job.
ReplyDeleteI have been amazed at how courteous and polite people have been when I have gone to the grocery store (customers and staff). Everyone looks a bit stressed at not being able to find the items they need or being overworked but they still remain kind.
Tracy, my husband will be struggling a bit too, though he will get used to it. Right now they are still working on issues with everyone tele-working. I've found that people have been very nice to me at the grocery too. I've tried to smile and be helpful when I could (and not buy too much - ha!).
DeleteThanks for the prayers, Vicki! I hope you and your family will be well too. And, yes, the walking has been great and helpful to easing my worrying mind.
ReplyDeleteMy husband is working from home too but other then that are lives aren't hugely impacted since we homeschool anyway. Our co-op classes are canceled and the library is closed but other then that it's school as usual. It hasn't been long enough for us to get stir crazy yet but I'm sure that'll happen. I think your plan of a walk with your headphones sounds like a good way for getting out some of the restlessness! My daughter is a teacher and her husband is a lawyer and both have been exposed but are waiting to see what comes of it. They're staying isolated regardless. I hope your daughter stays safe and sane through all this!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Katherine, and I hope all goes well for your family and kids who have been exposed. What a blessing that you had already started homeschooling! We did that with our daughter for a couple of years when we lived in Oregon. Take good care and I'll be around to see what you've been up to.
DeleteThese are unusual times and I hope you and yours continue to be well. So far so good for us right now. We're looking at some possible downtime from work but it is what it is. Your photos are beautiful. Love the flowers.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much and thanks for the comment! I need to check out what you've been up to as well. Take care and we'll get through all this.
DeleteThanks for sharing the flowers pics, Kay. They're beautiful!
ReplyDeleteWe're now in both memorable and unusual time indeed. What we take for granted yesterday becomes a precious moment now. I appreciate and salute to all medical staff who are braving under this circumstances to help save others. Thank you to your daughter, too! Sending best wishes!
And I'm hoping this nightmare will be over quickly. It still seems surreal to me. Meanwhile, stay well and take care, Kay!
Melody, I appreciate all you said and I agree that surreal is a good term. I love that you mentioned precious things that we all have taken for granted and hopefully, will not so much in the future. You take care all the way around the world from us. And we'll weather this together, right?
DeleteHappy Spring! We've gotten enough rain lately that it's pretty green here in our desert. I've seen lots of blooming flowers, which is always a cheery sight :)
ReplyDeleteThank goodness for all the medical professionals out there. May God watch over your daughter and her colleagues. They're doing a dangerous and important job. Heaven knows, babies aren't going to "stay inside" for the duration! Yay for your daughter and all those who help bring them into the world and care for them. What would we do without them?
Blooming flowers in the desert - what a gorgeous thing! Thanks for your good wishes and prayers, Susan. Yes, those babies will do as they want to and though it's scary right now to think about, babies bring hope and joy. Thinking of you and your family and hoping all will continue to be well with you.
DeleteGlad you're having such nice spring weather. Those wildflowers are beautiful. We've been getting a lot of rain, but it is starting to feel like spring here in Utah. Which is something to be grateful for. Stay well in Texas! :D
ReplyDeleteI think spring will be hopeful everywhere. There's just something about wildflowers...
DeleteKay, glad you updated us and shared the lovely pictures. Life has changed dramatically for so many. For me it's the closed library (glad we still can download), no yoga (except if initiated by me at home) and no more eating out....think I miss that the most. Glad everyone is safe and hope it stays that way for us and you and your loved ones.
ReplyDeleteDiane, the same right back at you. Yes, yoga can be done at home, though I haven't been doing much. I'm kind of obsessed with walking outdoors right now. But there is a lot of space here to do that.
DeleteGlad you're staying safe and keeping busy! I'll be home starting next week, and I made of list of all those things I mean to do but never quite find the time to! I think we are supposed to get a lot of rain, but hopefully I can get outside and at least walk a bit.
ReplyDeleteAngela, I hope you're able to walk outside some too. For me, just something about breathing deeply and the fresh air. And no TV, computer, etc., with news updates. Ha!
DeleteWaiting for the flowers to bloom over here as we've had so much rain last week. Weather has been beautiful as well so far. I think for once, these trees and flowers can have the season of their life with little human intervention as we're all shut out, for now. For some strange reason, that actually makes me happy but it's unfortunate in how it's coming by. I love that you get to take such lovely solitary walks. We live in the suburbs and have been taking walks in the neighborhood. We occasionally see a few people out and about but it's not too many so we've all been able to keep a respectable distance.
ReplyDeleteI'm a newcomer to your blog ... and like your pics of bluebonnets here. It reminds me of my Texas days long ago .... when I went to college in San Antone. The drive between San Antonio and Houston .... has views of the bluebonnets. But it's been years since I've been back. Enjoy your spring (despite all that's unfortunate right now) ...
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and visiting! Always happy to have a new friend. Yes, Texas spring wildflowers are some of my favorite things - my favorite season. And they are beautiful this year as we've gotten and continue to receive a lot of rain.
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