Happy Holidays

I’ve been thinking lately about this neglected blog site.  I recently received a message from a very old friend who mentioned something he read on my blog.  I had no idea he even knew about it.  Then Debbi, my cousin, mentioned it (or lack thereof).  THEN I was remembering Amy’s blog.  While living in Florida and writing finallyflorida.net I would read her blogs.  She wrote lots of stuff at the time I considered “woo woo” – like a new moon ritual (which now I do faithfully every new moon) or following the Artist Way journal, which I then bought but never ever read. She also wrote something about a particular sort of journal that I thought I’d try, and then didn’t.  And then she just quit writing that particular blog. I think she initially moved to another platform/website that I didn’t know how to follow and now I just follow her on Instagram on her professional site.  She is hands-down the very best wedding photographer in the WORLD.  Seriously she is. And she travels the world as well for these weddings.  But the bottom line is I miss following her life.  Her cat, Mo. Her dating life (or lack thereof).  She became my friend in Nova Scotia.  But not really, but yea she is.  And now, like her, I have seemed to have moved on without a thought to my friends and family that I’ve left hanging. I feel kinda bad.

What a year, huh?  What. A. year. I mentioned to Debbi that I quit blogging because I couldn’t help but be political, then the social unrest was/is heartbreaking and didn’t feel appropriate to blog about my nothingness…and then well, then I fell down the work-at-home, sweat-pants, ordering groceries online, Amazon shopping, rabbit hole.  I RARELY, if ever, go out (although I’m getting out there tonight).  I mean it’s so rare when I go out that I notice how good the air feels in my lungs.  And with winter now here the windows are primarily closed.  I open them when the temperature goes over 40 (like today).  Sometimes I wonder if I’m gassing myself, like carbon monoxide poisoning, with all the space heaters I keep on all the time blowing on me.  Only one floor of this tiny house keeps the heat so I leave my new electric fireplace on all day long to take the chill out.  My electric bills are astronomical. But it’s better!  And cozy. I love working at home.  But I also love the fresh air, I love my view at the end of the street that I used to see every single day, I love going for walks but I don’t.  I just don’t.  I’m blaming it on the Covid.  I never had trouble making myself walk on the beach. I just wonder what the underlying issue is. Too much sugar (cookies) Covid-itis and cold?

I’ve been watching a lot of TV, but not really current TV.  It’s either so stupid (game shows) or really way too violent.  Like this new show “Clarice” – really?  Who thinks these shows are good ideas?  The FBI shows seemed interesting but they are so twisted and violent like what is happening?  Isn’t there supposed to be a murder and then it’s really more about the characters?  Am I saying this right?  Now it seems to focus more on the sick mind of the murderers.  There’s something wrong with that being the primary focus of TV shows.  Where’s our shows like Joan of Arcadia? Touched by an Angel? Even the Good Wife.  I mean who is in charge on CBS?  Netflix is good and so is Prime and Hulu. And I’ve finally bit the bullet and am paying for HBO Max.  The trouble is when you watch shows on streaming channels you really have to pay attention.  But on regular TV you can cook, look at a magazine, talk on the phone or write a blog.  You just have to look up once in awhile.

What else,,,, I am a grandma to two pups.  Daisy the boxer girl , now 1 ½ years old and Rooney the beagle boy, about 5 months old.  I keep photos of them at my desk and love puppysitting them.  They seem to know me and get excited when I visit.  It’s so fun. I am really into it. They both go to daycare on occasion and get report cards for the day.  Daisy does art projects and they have picture days.  I mean it’s effing crazy. You just can’t help but laugh and love them. And I do, love them

It will be two years that I’ve been back in Pittsburgh, this January.  January 25 exactly.  I’m going to celebrate by spending a week in Daytona in January to celebrate my Return-to-the-Burg anniversary. My plan is to spend a week alone, on the beach and walk everyday like the old days. Hopefully read a couple books. I could take the computer and see if I can come up with a blog but I’m afraid I would look at work emails.  Then I’d hate myself. Am I afraid of the “rona”? NO.  I’m going to mask up and wear gloves on the plane. And then stay in my room, on the beach with the balcony door open (except it will be freezing) but you get the idea. From what I hear there is no Covid in Florida.  Right Ron DeSantis? (asshole) My niece who lives in Sarasota just got over the Rona.  She was positive and sick for a week or so.  She got a negative test today so very happy to get out of her apartment and in the fresh air.

I’m very very happy to be back home in Pittsburgh. It’s bizarre having to zoom with my kids on Christmas this year, like I did when I lived in Florida, when they are only 2 miles away.  But we all decided it was safer.  My house is too small for distancing, not enough windows to have the air move and well it’s just so crazy out there that it seems like the smart thing to do.  I think we will have a different appreciation of being together next year.  At least I will.  They will probably want to zoom every year after getting a taste of being able to stay home and not having to go 17 places on Christmas day (mom’s house, dad’s house, other mom’s, other dad)

So my kids and I are doing the “smart” thing Christmas morning but I am expected at my sister/mother’s/niece house for Christmas dinner where it is a ses-pool of who knows what germs.  Last year on Christmas day my baby niece was so sick I brought her home here so the rest of the family could do something the day after Christmas.  Her symptoms were a very dry cough that she just couldn’t stop coughing and a 104 temperature.  Her mom took her to the hospital twice and they couldn’t find what was wrong with her.  They said upper respiratory.  Things that make you go hmmmmmm. I was sick a week later with a low grade fever. Wrote it off.  Now, we just all wonder.  I imagine someday I’ll get a blood test and see if I have the antibody.  But I’m just getting over all the payments for the medical bills from last year that were “covered” by my medical insurance.  Ya know?  They charge for everything and then say “it’s covered, but this is what’s not covered” but “it’s covered” – it’s crazy.  I won’t get started on healthcare.

If I got started blogging again regularly, I would probably get in the swing of the everyday nonsense, it’s just hard to get started (just like eating right and exercising).  I understand how you can get hooked on it.  Even when it’s about nothing.  Especially when it’s about nothing.  It’s a nice distraction.  It could be a nice social service, a distraction from our homebound lives. Except I’m part of the homebound social scene as well.  OR maybe, maybe it would motivate me to go for a walk and report on the outside surroundings.  Well now, there’s a thought.  I could talk about the snow, the grey skies, the neighborhood.  Hmmm, could be a 2021 goal.  I’ll call it “the great re-opening 2021” – maybe the great re-awakening – the new “great” . Maybe it would catch on.

Well, I will think about that later. Now, I have to mask up and go out for eggs and sugar. The great Christmas baking frenzy has begun.  Although I don’t know why, now that I live next to the real cookie queen, I should retire the kitchenaid mixed.  Here’s a photo of her Cookie table as “we” packed boxes for her to ship and deliver.  I have become her taste tester.  I never want to move.

Oh and Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy New Year.  Let’s be happy to move on from 2020.  Take what we’ve gained (introspection) and start again.  Maybe we’ll have a better perspective on the world.  It could happen!