Random Thoughts on How Life Goes on While Under Stay Home Orders

Mug rug I made.  It was a charity design to benefit
fire fighters in Australia last winter.  Applies all over the world now!

I've been having random thoughts while showering, watching updates and specials on the Covid-19 virus on TV, listening to Classic Upbeat, Classic Country, 60's-90's music on my Echo.  As a matter of fact, Alexa and I have been having all kinds of conversations!  And, by the way, Audible, Chirp and the free books on Amazon have been very popular at my house too. Hallmark Movies and Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, and YouTube have all been my friends as well.  I have taken several sewing and embroidery classes online which has been quite intersting.  

6 more face masks finished!

Now my blog has been taking up some time and, oh yes, I've made multiple face masks for friends and family!  I do try to go for a walk around town each day that the wind is not blowing hard (which isn't real often, HA!).  

Filter fun while visiting on
Messenger

My immediate family has formed a group on Messenger and we try to get together each day to update each other and just joke around.  The filters on there are very popular as we are trying to have serious conversations.  All of kids are working from home mostly.  Marianne works from a tiny, one person office she walks a block to each day.  Danny has the Bowling Alley he needs to go to but he can do a lot from his office at home.  Carla and JJ are teaching preschoolers and kindergarteners online (quite a challenge for them as well as the parents) and Carla is trying online speech therapy for children which seems to be working quite successfully.  Just trying to set up a home schooling office at home has been very challenging for the teachers I have talked to!  I have been a guinea pig for Carla and, of course, my very outdated computer had troubles with Zoom!

Carla lives in Casper Wyoming where they have only suggested staying at home and have had no deaths from the virus yet in their city.  She says that the 8PM "Howling and Cheering" for all the emergency responders is very popular up there.  They go outside and everybody howls and cheers including all the neighborhood dogs. It is very cathartic and hopefully appreciated by everyone! Down  here around the trailer park I haven't heard a peep.  I wonder if anyone around town is doing it.....

I am amazed at what is being done for all us people who are at risk in this community.  As far as I know there are no confirmed cases of the virus and the medical center has not had anyone call or come in with symptoms.  Of course we would love to keep it that way!  People have suggested putting up barricades on the highways that go through town but that is totally unrealistic.  Trucks hauling supplies pass through town all the time and emergency vehicles and essentials must still be able to come and go!  It would be nice to think we will be untouched by the virus but I'm very happy that most people up here are abiding by the suggestions and orders the state has put in place for social distancing. I do worry about our safety once the stay home restrictions are lifted and tourists will be coming up to North Park.  Since no one has had the virus and we don't have a hospital, will we be vulnerable?  I think so. One other thought.  We live at 8500ft. elevation.  We have less oxygen up here and that is one of the problems people have with the virus.  They are having to life flight anyone who is sick with the virus to lower altitudes right now from other mountain communities. 

A doggy purse for Linus!

It has been very hard on the eating establishments up here.  They have a tough time keeping their heads above water in regular times.  Our family is very grateful to all the people who have supported the Bowling Alley by ordering take out during this time. I know teachers are working hard and probably stressing over their classes.  I have nothing but admiration for them.  I'm sure parents are having their problems "home schooling" their kids as well.  Good times for all!  Hehehe!

This brings me to what I appreciate about what is being done for seniors and others at risk in our community. Once a month the Food Bank of the Rockies sends a semi-load of food up to Walden for  anyone who is in need plus Seniors and pretty much anyone else as they bring enough food for all, and they don't want to take any back.  We all gather up at the Wattenburg Center and the food is set up like a cafeteria and people bring boxes, bags, carts or anything to hold the cans, bags, boxes, fresh produce, etc.  There is almost always milk, juice, cereal, frozen meat of some sort, dry foods like rice, beans, pasta and breads of all kinds.  Everytime there are some surprise things like bags of pistachios, Christmas candy, a gallon of raspberry vinegar salad dressing, a gallon of whole dill pickles, cases of yogurt, eggs, etc.  They have people there to help you carry all your food to your car.  It is very interesting and appreciated! Well, they have figured out how this will all work now that we cannot gather up there to get our food.  Volunteers will fill boxes for all and then we will drive up there and line up in our cars.  The volunteers will carry the boxes to our cars and put them in our trunk!  Problem solved!  I'll miss visiting while we used to wait in line inside the building but that's the way it is now!  

  A couple of the projects I had to make for the
 sewing class I'm taking online.  This is a trivet
or mouse pad made out of clothesline rope!

This is an i-pad holder that has prairie
points and a "Shrinky Dink" flower
for decoration

Another service the Senior Center is doing is paying a different eating place in town each week on Friday to prepare meals for any senior who signs up and someone will deliver it to our doors.  This will help the restaurants and the stay home people who are at risk!  I guess they are doing a similar thing and delivering school lunches Monday-Thursday!  How cool it is to live in a small isolated community!

More fun filters!

Well, those are a few of my random thoughts.  I have lots more!  Some are very radical, but that is for another time!