Sunday, January 10, 2021

Glimmers of Hope

Here we are in January 2021 and I am looking back on the past few months. Craig and I have remained at home in our bubble, going out only to doctor appointments, a rare trip to our local supermarket, or a masked visit to Marjorie.

We have enjoyed many walks in the pretty little parks around town as we watched the leaves change color and fall from the trees. Halloween was passed by. Our street is dark and curved, so we seldom receive more than a few trick-or-treaters, which was a part of the reason we chose to ignore the traditional festivities. 

Autumn at the park

When Thanksgiving approached, we ordered a small family meal from a local independent restaurant that specializes in soul fusion cooking. I had little prep to take care of, as the turkey came seasoned and ready to pop into the oven. The sides were also ready to heat and eat. The meal was enjoyed by Craig and myself, Janey, and Jennifer. 

Sunlight through the pampas grass

We had hoped to be able to pick up Marjorie for Thanksgiving day, but she declined. Long car rides are difficult for her, and of course there was also the fear of exposure to illness. She had ordered items for a small dinner for one, but it broke our hearts to think of her dining alone. We arranged a FaceTime meet and ate "together". Marjorie showed us her table and I almost burst into tears as she scanned the room. She had placed photos of all her family members around her on the table. Once the meal began, we had a good time. There was a lot of lively conversation and laughter. 

As Christmas drew near and the Coronavirus continued to worsen and spread, we were forced to make the unhappy decision to remain at home within our bubble. Our children and grandchildren were very disappointed, but understood that this was the safest thing to do. I spent hours shopping online and making gifts to mail or drop off at their homes. Craig and I made a little road trip to the Kansas City area on a gorgeous sunny day to deliver gifts to two of our daughters and their families. We came in contact with only one person, and all three of us wore masks. We treated ourselves to our favorite burgers at DoB's in Emporia, on the way back. We simply drove through and then ate the deliciously messy burgers in the car while parked. 

On Christmas eve, Jennifer came over to spend the night. She was a huge help to me, wrapping gifts and prepping food for our Christmas dinner. I had scaled down the menu and tried to make items ahead, due to the annoying back problem I have been experiencing for months. 

Christmas day was fun, yet a bit sad. We missed having a houseful of boisterous grandchildren and their parents. The highlight of our day was a Zoom meetup with Desmond at his home in France. He joined us as we all opened gifts. Craig set up his laptop so that Desmond could see the four of us, and it was wonderful to be able to watch him as he unwrapped the gifts which had been delivered to his home. It almost felt as if he were in the room. 

Around noon, we sat down to a meal of baked ham, German rope sausage, cheesy scalloped potatoes, German green bean casserole, red-hot salad, and pecan pie. The only item not made from scratch was the pie crust, as I just couldn't handle using my rolling pin the day before. When the meal ended, Craig and I packed up double portions for Marjorie, along with a gift for her, and drove an hour to visit her. The weather was warm, so the three of us sat on the patio and we served her the meal. She thoroughly enjoyed it. Craig and I wore our masks the entire time when we were inside her home, but were able to remove them outside because we sat six feet apart.


Soon, we hope to be able to receive the Coronavirus vaccine. This deadly virus is still ravaging the world and we realize that it will be a very long time before anything becomes normal again. However, protection from Covid-19 will allow us a bit more freedom to visit our loved ones, go shopping, and perhaps return to our local gym. 

I hope that all of you will have a safe, happy, and prosperous 2021. 

Winter sunset