March

Who would have thought that a month could bring so much?  We were gone all the month of February.  The plan was to come home for a couple of weeks, then fly back down to California for Daniel's birthday.  But those plans were changed.  A few times.  First we thought we would drive, then we decided to fly and so we could stay longer.  But then things started getting bad with the Corona virus spreading and we didn't feel good about flying, so we cancelled the flights and decided to drive after all, and go through Reno for a night or two.  As the days ticked by, we sadly decided it  would be safest for everyone if we just stayed at home.  Good thing, because the day after we decided that, Reno shut down all of its hotels.

The first week back home, Arianna had an event at school for her family to see.  They had studied colonial times and set their desks up as a little business of the times.  She was a Cooper.  It is so cute to see her in her school environment, even though this is not the normal look.  She took me around to meet all of her new friends and teacher.  

We were still planning on a trip back to California, but Ruth had just moved into her new apartment at the first of February and so we decided to take a quick trip over to see her new place.  She really seems settled and happy there. We saw Ann there too.

On the drive over, I was playing with my GPS on my phone and discovered that you can pick your own little vehicle to have on the map.  So funny that the choice for a truck was green like ours.

Mt Hood was unbelievable in color this night.  Sometimes I just feel like everyone is thinking it is photoshopped color, but this was the real deal!!!

The neighbor called me one evening and said look outside! and then hung up.  It was the worm moon rising.  Gorgeous.  I still don't know how to expose the moon in the same shot as the mountain to get them both to show up as I see them.  I can do it in photoshop and put two photos together, but I didn't mess with it.

One by one things began shutting down around here due to the Corona virus.  First schools, then all non-essential businesses.  The governor declared a Stay At Home order.  I felt good that John and Rachel were home and safe, but Josh and Emily and Matthew still had to go to work at the grocery store where they work part time and go to college.  Dennis spent a insane week helping the staff at CARD get set up to do online therapy for their clients and finally he was ordered to stay at home.  By then he was able to manage the rest of his demands from home, with Abby and the boys.  But Jessi and Ariel are still clocking in, putting in the hours. I worry about the 5 of them working taking care of the essential demands to keep life moving along.

 I used to worry about John and Rachel and all the grandkids going to school.  What if there was a shooting?  I know, the odds, but it does go around and around in my head.  I never thought that Jessi had a dangerous job before.  But here she is in a hospital face to face with people who might be carrying the virus.  I feel so sad for her to be worried that in order to do what she is trained to do, she might bring this virus home to her kids.  Then to top it off, her hospital gave them a mask and said that was all they had and that they needed to keep it in a paper bag between shifts and reuse it!  So she asked me to see about making her a few masks to cover the one she wore at work, so at least she could wash it before reusing the protective one that she kept against her face. Then Dennis saved the day for sure when he dug out and sent to her, N95 masks from his garage left over from when there were fires close to his home the first year they moved there. She changes into her scrubs at work, then back out of them to go home.  Once at home, she strips off her clothes and puts them right into the washer and goes up to shower before she touches the kids.

Tents set up on the hospital grounds, ready to take on cases.

Here is my trial mask.  We needed to tweak it a bit, but now I have it figured out.

The weekend before the huge shutdown, I was able to have the kids overnight.  And to top it off, we had snow! A bonus!

Befores and afters.  What a difference a day can make!

So the school shut down was only going to be until the first of April. (it has now been moved until the end of April with an expectation that it is out for the year).  It just seemed it was an added week of spring break.  The boys went fishing. (not my photos)

We kept a safe distance away from each other and I was able to hitch along on a couple of hikes with Jessi and the kids.  But then things got real serious and now I don't see them except from our porches or cars.

Just before the Stay At Home was put into action, I went to the grocery store to just do my normal shopping.  I had already done my after trip shopping to restock from being gone a month, but I wanted to just pick up a few things and be prepared.  Unfortunately, the hoarding had already begun!  For some stupid reason, toilet paper was the item to be had.  Well, not really, it was what everyone thought that had to have and they cleaned the shelves out of every paper product there.  I know it will go down in history as the main memory of all of this.  Hand sanitizer too.  Good thing I didn't need either one of those items.  Jessi took the shot on the right of the line at Winco that went all the way back to the meat department in the back of the store!  Everyone was going wild!  Snow alone will cause a grocery rush, but add in quarantine and it was beyond belief.

I had a deer peek in the window while I was doing a puzzle.  Well, sorta.  I was working on a puzzle and heard a tapping noise.  It thought it was rain going down the gutter, but it kept going and the rain had stopped.  I got up and looked out and there was a deer up on the steps eating a shrub.  I think he was as surprised as I was when he looked up.  I wish the window had not reflected, this would have been an amazing shot.  

Between the deer and the rabbits, my tulips and grape hyacinths and lilies are chomped to the ground.  Oh well, it is fun to have the wildlife.

A baby hawk spent a long time sitting on the hot tub one day.

I really enjoy working jigsaw puzzles.  And with the rain and having to stay home, it was the perfect time to get one going...and another...I stopped after the second one.

I have been trying to get out for a walk almost every day. 

And while I work puzzles and go walking and knit and read and work on my photos on my computer and sew masks and cook, John got bored and shaved his beard and mustache.  The grandkids just cracked up!

Well, even though our lives have come to a standstill, God has kept the flowers exploding and rainbows bowing and lemons ripening. The yard is coming alive as we wait for whatever it is that is going to happen.  That is the whole thing.  The waiting.  For what?  We don't know, but it is an eerie feeling.  Just waiting.

The lemon tree is in the garage for the winter.  Last year it had about 2 dozen ripen up.  This year I picked about a dozen.

I think the hardest thing to happen this month was what didn't happen.  Missing Daniel's birthday.  Poor guy had his party cancelled.  Then to top it off, he got sick.  Really, really sick, for days.  First Abby was sick, then Daniel and then Dennis.  Somehow, Gabe was spared.  Here is a shot that Abby sent a few days after when they were all well enough to celebrate.

His little celebration, with Mommy sick in bed. 

They made the most of it with a piñata for two.

Jessi and family drove past and dropped off Dairy Queen sundaes.  YUM!  I forgot to get a shot before I dug in.  I wish they could have come inside and had them with us.  We have been seeing each other at our driveways.  I can't wait to get back to normal with real hugs and conversations!

Air hugs are ok, but I can't wait for the real thing!!!

We did a Zoom McCool family get together.  

Cyndi came to each of our houses and took a picture of us on our porches.

So after I made the pile of masks on the right for Jessi and Ariel, I decided to make one for Joshua and Emily and Matthew. Just a little something to make a Mom and Grandma feel like she has done what she can do to protect her family.

And now the authorities are saying that they were wrong in the beginning to tell us not to wear a mask unless we were sick.  We are now being told to wear a mask whenever we go out.  So back to my machine I went.  I made 50 masks all totaled.  I think I have all of my family covered now.  Pictures of everyone will be coming next.  Not all have sent me a selfie yet.