THIS VIRUS WILL PASS

I can’t spend a lot of time right now on this coronavirus.

Most people think this is a shameful thing to think – to feel – to say out loud.

But … I CAN’T.

I am still trying to come to terms with being a Widow.

I was raised military; but I buck following blindly.

My family background (before Bob) is sketchy … death is nothing new to me: I’ve seen it ALL, and have experienced death on every level; though no death ever affected me like the absence of Bob in my life.

I am STILL reeling from that.

Some days I’m good … other days, like when nonstop dramas and hysterics never let up – it’s hard to stay focused and I get stuck on second-guessing everything. That may be joke for the rest of you – but when there is NO ONE to help redirect and refocus your thoughts, it’s NOT ‘okay’. It's nothing to joke about. It's frustrating to deal with, and a little scary to be feeling.

All my life, until 15 months/12 days/9 hrs. & 29 minutes ago, I NEVER second guessed anything I thought, said, or did. N.O.T.H.I.N.G. I was focused ‘like a laser’ Bob used to teasingly say. Things have changed. A lot. Squirrely people (all over the place) annoy the hell out of me – and now I have become a squirrely person. I don’t like it.

I don’t like being hemmed in.

I don’t like having thumb screws applied - especially by Big Brother.

I don’t like being at loose ends when my thought process gets fucked with.

So, aside from posting links to my Blog – where I post pictures and such – I’m seriously practicing social distancing: from social mediums (FB, news outlets, gatherings. ect.).

I don’t want updates on conflicting and confusing coronavirus “updates” – I am confused enough, trying to heal from the greatest upset of my entire life: life without Bob is a confusion my heart & mind are having a hard time coming to terms with. I can’t deal with everyone else’s upsets right now.

I don’t care how that sounds.

I am still in survival mode – dodging fallout from the past 15 months.

THAT TAKES ALL MY ENERGY AND FOCUS. Hysterical trauma dramas set me back weeks - I am tired of finding myself back at Square #1 when second guessing kicks in and my focus is thrown for a loop.

I don’t want the added stresses of reading on family Pages that people I know, and love, are embracing socialism: that adds a whole new hurt that I just don’t want to feel right now.

I am an American. I am a Christian. I don’t want flagrant and misinformed socialist-communist-antiAmerican-babykilling-elderly, Christian, American abandonment twaddle in my face 24/7.

I have enough heartache to deal with right now.

I can’t spend a lot of time on coronavirus and the political hysterics everyone is caught up in.

The virus will pass: History tells us that.

History also tells us that those who willingly give up their freedom to chase after doomed political causes do not deserve freedom.

I choose freedom.

Freedom … in ALL it’s meaning, purpose, and intent.

And I don’t care if that labels me as being “selfish”.

{{Be Tolerant of Your Physical and Emotional Limits: Your feelings of loss will probably leave you fatigued. Your ability to think clearly and make decisions may be impaired. And your low energy level may naturally slow you down. Respect what your body and mind are telling you. Get daily rest. Eat balanced meals. Lighten your schedule as much as possible.

Ask yourself: Am I treating myself better or worse than I would treat a good friend? Am I being too hard on myself? You may think you should be more capable, more in control, and “getting over” your grief. These are inappropriate expectations and may complicate your healing. Think of it this way: caring for yourself doesn’t mean feeling sorry for yourself; it means you are using your survival skills.}}

We all, Widowed and Married and single people everywhere are concerned about the spread and the effects of the virus. However, things like this have been happening throughout the history of the world ... and life goes on.

There are many things we can do to protect ourselves from contracting the virus. The number one way is HAND WASHING with soap and water and not touching your face with unwashed hands. But you can still get outside and go for a walk. Play with your dog. Dabble at your hobby. Read a good book. Call friends. And all the other daily activities that make you smile.

Refuse to let every news story be a trigger.

Refuse to be a government pawn to save political careers.

And make good choices.

I TRUST ELOHEI WITH MY LIFE.

This virus emergency shall pass, and worrying about it does not make it go faster, staying busy and productive does!

WILD ROSES ARE A LANGUAGE OF LOVE ~ MOD Wild Roses Oval Crockpot Dustcover

A few weeks ago, I made this striped dust cover for my oval crockpot lid … but I didn’t finish the trim on it until this afternoon:

MOD Wild Roses Oval Crockpot Dustcover

I wasn’t sure which flower to highlight; nothing seemed to ‘fit’.

This morning, I looked at it again.

And roses came to mind – not overblown, gaudy roses … but the small, wild, appealing roses.

I chose to use those :-D

Small crochet wild roses used for Spring flower trim ...

I chose the small, wild rose because true love is not showy. True love is not overblown, or gaudy.

The small, wild, appealing rose is the language of love that comes unannounced and spreads its appeal with wild abandonment to take root in hearts and bloom prolifically.

The wild rose is strong and can weather the elements; its delicate flower pleases the eye. Its unobtrusive aroma pleases the senses. And its potent seed boosts the immune system.

A hybrid rose cannot speak the language of love – it lacks the stamina of strength needed to flourish without worried pampering. It’s gaudy flower, which at first catches the eye … eventually offends with its strident boldness. Its heady aroma which lures with scent … eventually assaults the senses and keeps admirers at a distance. And its sterile seed has no purpose.

In this time, in our American History, we need the strength and the power of the small, wild, appealing rose.

The small, wild rose speaks loudly the language of love.

And America needs love – true love – like never before, right now.

America needs a National boost to its immune system in order to withstand the daily assaults of anti-American twaddle being forced on us from enemies of America determined to infect the weak minded and the soul sick with the disease of socialism, communism, and terrorism – the unholy three that are the hallmark of the demoncrat party headed by the pope’s special ambassador of ill-will, pelosi; obamanite rabid dog, schumer; and the clueless binky bitch squad (alexandria ocasio-cortez, ilhan omar, annaya presley, and rashida talaib).

The small, wild, resilient rose is definitely needed and appreciated right now.

So that is the trim I chose :-D

MOD Wild Roses Oval Crockpot Dustcover

MOD Wild Roses Oval Crockpot Dustcover takes it’s place as the final addition to my own designed and crafted Spring Theme kitchen appliances Dust Covers :-D

MOD Dahlia 3-Pot Crockpot Dustcover: https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020/02/mod-dahlia-dustcover-3-pot-crockpot.html

MOD Tulip Electric Skillet Dustcover:

https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020/02/mod-tulip-dustcover-electric-skillet.html

MOD Dogwood & Cherry Blossom Dehydrator Dustcover: https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020/02/mod-dogwood-cherry-blossom-dehydrator.html

MOD Tulip Panni Grill Dustcover:

https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020/02/mod-tulip-dustcover-2.html

MOD Viola Crockpot Dustcover:

https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020/03/mod-viola-crockpot-dustcover.html

30th DIKE HIKE ~ Walking In The Rain

I logged into FB this morning, and saw that Big Brother is now cyber bullying me – with the help of obamanite lapdog, zukerberg:

This angered me. What part of “NO!” does Big Brother not understand? And how dare the government tap me on FB! Of all the fricking nerve!!

I shut FB down – giving BB the cold shoulder, finished my morning coffee, and decided to practice social distancing from the internet and other social media sources.

I decided to go for a walk. I called around to a couple County Parks to see if their trails were open; they were, and I was cautioned to practice the 6 feet distancing and to avoid the restrooms even if they were open, in case of contagions being on hard surfaces. While dressing and putting my shoes on, I thought and planned to drive to Riverside Park in Lexington, walk the dike there and see if I could spy a seal or two swimming in the Cowlitz River.

Driving through downtown this afternoon, it looked like Longview was open for business – I didn’t see a single business shut down. Fred Meyer parking lot was full; as was Les Swabb, Wal*Mart, Subway, Hart C’s Thai Food, Safeway, Walgreen’s, Lowe’s, the Dollar Tree, Harbor Freight, Big Lots, JoAnn’s, Church door were open and people were coming and going, ALL the gas terminals … the bank buildings were closed with curbside windows open, Winco was busy: only selling bottled water in 48 packs now (pretty heavy to lift and shift) & still NO TP (I do have TP - but it won't last forever). If there was any business closed downtown, it wasn’t apparent. It was business as usual here in Longview.

So, I stopped at Winco to grab water, paper towels, pringles, and some fried chicken to munch on while I hike the dike at 30^th. While I was in the checkout line, a woman in front of me was nervous about placing her groceries on the checkout counter – and then she held up the entire line while she bagged her groceries that were piling up in front of the cashier because she didn’t want them moving down the conveyer belt and ‘getting germed’…

Lady holding up traffic because she doesn’t want her groceries moving onto the conveyer belt.

I moved around her and waited to bag my groceries as soon as she got her stuff bagged and moved along. While I was waiting, and watching her paranoia play out, I shook my head when she stood there with gloves on her hands, nervously making sure none of her food touched any surface that would make her head spin around like the exorcist movie … and then, she slapped her phone and her calculator down on the touchpad counter while she slid her card into the touchpad slot. And as fate would have it, when I reached my car outside, she was parked directly across from me; she loaded her groceries from her cart into the back end of her car, pulled the plastic gloves off and threw them down on top of the groceries she had held the line up to protect. 

All that paranoid protectiveness undone in a flash. I felt like shouting, “BOOM!”

Instead, I went across the street to Country Village – the local Health Food Store – and picked up an herbal supplement I am adding to my Senior health regime. They were open for business … if you donned plastic gloves; which was ridiculous because the 6-foot-distancing was not practiced.

At the Dollar Store where I picked up some garbage bags for the kitchen, there were slashes of red tape across the floor, “measuring 6 feet” for safety precautions. And the cashier very dramatically said, “We have to have it because the police check us to make sure we’re following the guidelines”:

I don’t know it that is a truth or not, but what I do know is that as the cart in front of me moved forward to stand before the cashier, and I moved up to stand behind the red line … I was told, “Miss; Miss! You’ll have to move back.” I pointed to the red line and my toes that were clearly behind the red line, and she said, “You’ll have to move back”. She had me move back further: twice. When I gave her an exasperated look, she said, “The lines aren’t exactly 6 feet apart.” She totally contradicted her earlier self-important statement. I rolled my eyes and waited. When I finally stood in front of her cash register waiting to pay, the fan she had set up was blowing at about 100 mph right up my nose cutting off my breathing – I asked her if she could please redirect it until after I paid … and she snipped out a curt, “No!” I moved to the left and told her I couldn’t breathe with it blowing that fiercely up my nose (I’m a shortie), and she shrugged and tapped the touchpad: more fearful paranoia – all that fan’s forceful blowing is doing, is actually insuring she will get hit with a coronavirus bug if an infected person stands at her register sneezing and coughing. That hurricane force blowing is not doing a damned bit of good protection wise. But, people are caught up in hurricane force fearmongering insanity right now; there’s no reasoning with idiots. I moved back into the hurricane force wind of her {protective} fan and punched out my code.

By the time I left Dollar Store, I was not thinking kindly about people – at all. From Big Brother bullies down to snippy Dollar Store peons. I was d.o.n.e. peopling.

Chucking the bagged garbage bags into the back end of my car, I noticed there were angry gray clouds hovering over Kelso, so I also chucked the idea of going to Riverside Park … and decided to hike the dike on 30^th, instead. I hadn’t been there for a while; it’s closer to home, and it’s shorter. In case I get caught in a rain shower.

George Carlin’s take on stupid people ran through my thoughts as I drove out of the Dollar Tree parking lot: George was right.

Bob & I used to walk the dike on 30^th – it was Bob’s favorite place to walk – if walking was on the day’s docket: and it usually was … I like to walk ;-)

We liked to watch the ducks that swim here; and we saw some interesting species. But we really liked it when the babies made appearances.

Parking, I noticed the trail along the dike was empty of people as far as the eye could see.

Good – I was wanting solitude.

I clipped the walk-a-meter onto my jeans pocket, grabbed my walking stick out of the back of the car, and started walking …

Northern Pintail duck couple. Blue billed ducks.

Gadwall duck couple.

A Mallard & his hens resting.

Rural setting along the dike on 30th. We used to have that much property behind our home on Merritt Drive, 20 years ago – I’m glad we downsized: maintaining that much back yard is a lot of work.

Bufflehead duck couple.

About half way into the hike, it started drizzling:

IF YOU HAVE SENSITIVE EARS and a pious attitude, SKIP THIS YOUTUBE VID LINK:  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rh6qqsmxNs) - in today’s society, substitute pelosi and the rest of the hysterical minions for the Dan Quayle quip ;-)

Before I met and married Bob, I had never heard of George Carlin. Bob used to listen to the Johnny Carson Show (I hated that show; didn’t think Johnny was ‘witty’ at all: very dry – very droll), and Carlin was a frequent guest … one night I overheard George and thought he was a hoot: he perked up the Carson show tremendously – I watched him with Bob every time he was Carson’s guest.

Then, the rain picked up and started falling in earnest.

But, I was not deterred; I need to walk off some irritation, and I wanted to measure exactly how long this dike hike actually is.

Memories of Bob walking with me, holding hands and talking back-n-forth; and echoes of George’s off-color humor, kept me smiling while walking in the rain …

Angry female mallard duck.

Skittish Eurasian Wigeon duck (I researched it when I got home); Mallard in background.

Eurasian Wigeon duck: Bob would have loved seeing this colorful duck.

Nearing the end of the hiking trail.

End of the trail – time to turn around and backtrack back to the car.

Exactly 2 miles (1 hour) from start to finish. And 3/4 of that hike was done in falling rain.

By the time I got back to the car, I was soaked.

But, I was also stoked.

I did the hike in power-stride without breaking a sweat; and my knees aren’t screaming either. I actually felt more of a knee burn when I woke up this morning … walking kinda loosened the knees up, and helped alleviate that burning sensation.

I’ve noticed that when my knees are kept in a bent angle (aka sitting position) either at home – or while driving; that is when they pitch fits.

Walking helps stave off the burn.

Walking is what works for my fussy joints - and balances my pyche :-D

Sunset over the house ...

Sunset over the Columbia River.

HIKING CLUB

30 minutes ago I was outside dinking around with the rain barrels, hoping I have the downspout thingee inserted correctly to catch all this free rain – if I don’t, I will just have to fool around with it until I get it ‘right’: and write it down this time so I will remember next time I go through this setup ;-)

While I was outside, my back fence neighbors, Ed and Trudy came out to chat with me (I did ask Ed about the downspout insert, and he was clueless too); anyway, we were talking … and the end result is that I am now a member of the Mt. St. Helen’s Hiking Club :-D

It sounds like a lot of fun – and I love hiking.

This is a true answer to prayer.

I go to bed every night asking Elohim to help me get back to enjoying some of the things I loved to do in my previous life, with Bob; and to please put a companion across my path that I can do these things with … two companions moved into the house behind me, and asked me today to become part of a larger group of companions.

Doing these hiking adventures will also help me learn travel routes to various places outside my comfort zone – I will still need to find a ride with someone when the adventures moves into Portland, OR (as some hikes will); but generally, most of the hikes will be refresher routes for places Bob and I drove to, sans the backroad connects (those I will need to figure out on my own).

I am blessed and highly favored. Elohim is good!

While reading over the hiking club papers, I saw that many of the hikes are between 3 and 4 miles round trip; but I also noticed several of the hikes are 6, 8, 10 and 12 miles round trip – I need to get up to snuff for those! They go through beautiful terrain with waterfalls, so I definitely want to do them.

I knew we had bought a walk-a-meter counter a few years back, so I tore the house apart looking for it … and finally found it in the car’s console cubby: it is in my knapsack now, and I am going to use it every time I go hiking the local Parks, dikes, river trails, and Willow Grove hiking trail; so I can build up to those 6, 8, 10 and 12 mile hikes :-D

It’s not just a stamina issue – it’s a tolerance building up of my lungs, joints, and leg muscles that have not been used that hard in decades. Bob did not particularly like hiking, but he’d go with me … on short hikes. I have not been on a lengthy hike in decades: not since living in Cathlamet; we moved from there in 1993. While we lived in Cathlamet, there were days I’d go on a walkabout after Stacey left for school – I’d walk from where we lived on the flats down by the marina … out the Elochoman Road-up over Beaver Creek road-over to Oak Point; or over to Mill Creek junction … and back home again. That was a pretty looong walkabout. Sometimes, when my gypsy feet would start itching on a weekend and Bob had worked a long week, he’d watch the kids for a few hours while I walked around the Julia Butler Hansen Game Refuge, walking ALL the roads along the Columbia River and Steamboat Slough; and back home again. I enjoy getting out of the house and into the countryside.

Now this opportunity has come into my life.

I am jazzed.

I can’t wait to get back outside and start hiking again.

At the moment, it is raining:

Gray clouds heavy with rain rolling in ...

Wet & windy day near the river.

I hope and pray I got the downspout thingee installed correctly, to catch the rainwater ;-)

I LOVE YOU

First thing this morning, when I logged into FB, was a ping notifying me that I had a message waiting – I clicked on the link, and received this picture of Bob, from a fella he went to school with: I did not know Bob at this time.

This picture would have been taken either before Bob’s first marriage, somewhere around 1968, after he graduated High School … or somewhere around 1969-1970 while he was married to Gloria (before or during one of their many separations before his son, Alex, was born). I do know that it is a picture showing him working while Durrah and Martin Logging, Inc. logged the Mt. St. Helen’s area. In this picture he is checking the log wrappers to make sure they are secure – and making sure the undercarriage and tires are what they need to be to safely haul those logs. I am not sure if he is driving his Dad’s truck … or driving a truck his outfit rented at the time from Weyco Camp Baker:

My life misses Bob. My heart hungers for Bob. My eyes are starved for Bob.

Only Bob would know for sure – and Bob is no longer here.

Getting a glimpse into a part of Bob’s life I wasn’t a part of then, is like a love note dropped into my life, now; Bob had told me about working Mt. St. Helen’s … and getting hit with a July snow storm one day when they hadn’t dressed for snow that morning as they headed off to work. He always laughed when he told me that story – and I never really believed it until one summer day, 12 years ago, we drove through a freshly plowed mountain backroad with snowbanks piled high, covering road signs with only their tops showing: a summer snowstorm ;-)

This picture gives me a glimpse of what Bob looked like back then.

My PM chat box alerted me there were messages from my friends and from my cousin. Affirmations of love.

My phone buzzed, telling me I have texts waiting to be read from a granddaughter, a friend, and a niece. Confirmations of love.

My phone rang with friends’ calls … checking on me to see how I am doing. Reminders of love.

“I love you’s” are coming through loud and clear, today :-D

Those “I love you’s” were as much for their comfort, as for mine. They wanted to let me know they are thinking of me … and they wanted to hear me alleviate some of their fears – they know I do not panic easily: fear does not rule my life. People are rattled at the moment; they don’t know what to believe. The televised media is scaring them with political hyperbole.

They had heard that the National Guard has been deployed to WA State: I had expected that. It is concerning, but hopefully it will not become a new ‘norm’ – we do not need a military presence permanently in our populace. I think politicians have made the coronavirus a campaign tactic and are going into hysteria mode. It is what it is.

They heard that coronavirus is mutating, and that the incubation period has now been pushed further out than the estimated 14 days, due to the mutations and instances where some people have been reinfected after being ‘cleared’ by medical staff. Coronavirus is a virus … viruses are living entities; and this one is not behaving how scientists, doctors, and governments think it should/want it to behave. Scientists and doctors do NOT KNOW what to do because they do not know what is going on. How can a vaccine seriously be made that will effectively work on a continual mutating virus? People are going to have to use their own common sense – they cannot, in reality, be held a government hostage in their homes … and businesses cannot logically be shut down … indefinitely. Will there eventually be a revolt if this thing drags out the 18 months worst scenario? It’s possible. Anything, at this point – focusing on a depressing projection, is possible. That’s why it’s wise to turn off the back-to-back-fearmongering televised {updates}; and get outside once in a while.

They heard that doctors are telling people not to use paper money – use plastic instead, because plastic can be wiped down with disinfectant. The Feds are already disinfecting public monies that have been handled, and have touched solid surfaces. Could this play into the NWO moneyless era? Christians are understandably very concerned about that possibility. Already plastic cards have been chipped; we do not want the chip in our bodies. I understand: I am a Christian. But, I also understand that I have always known that at some point in my life, the possibility of a moneyless society has always loomed. Freaking out will not change anything. No matter WHAT happens, Christians need to trust Elohim. In e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g.

My friends, who have been expecting medical procedures before coronavirus struck, have heard that hospitals are now suspending “all unnecessary surgeries” – what, exactly does that imply? I don’t know … I choose not to have surgeries of any type: I’ve never had a surgery – I’ve had stitches in my childhood, and I delivered a baby girl … and I have had dental work done (referred to as oral surgery): but I’ve never had a surgery done for broken bones, internal adjustments, or joint replacements. And I don’t intend to. Meanwhile, abortions wholesale will continue. Ironically, saving lives is postponed for the fear of contacting the coronavirus; but ending lives is sanctioned ‘necessity’ and fears of contacting the coronavirus is pooh-poohed in that regard. It’s political correctness insanity on steroids. Personally, I believe this global pandemic rides on the shirttails of global baby murders – kind of an ‘balancing of the books’, if you will: a life for a life.

They heard the demoncrat party wants to raid Social Security monies to fund the {free} coronavirus kits for tent cities, sanctuary cities, and illegal aliens ‘who are afraid to come forward’. That is thievery, pure and simple – it is an outright theft of savings Seniors have put aside their entire working lives, so they would not have to end up on the streets at the end of their lives – and it is paltry enough, without having pelosi, schumer, aco, waters, and the other demoncrat blackhearts ‘tapping’ it: let them tap their own personal savings to pay for their political screwups. Elections are coming up – Americans will remember e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. the demoncrats have done these 3 years.

They asked if I had started my garden yet – I said not, but I hope to get seedlings started on the windowsills soon; to go into the garden sometime in April, in the garden boxes Bob built for me – and placed down the length of the side property line ...

Garden Boxes Bob built

Last Spring - 2019, I filled the last 6 boxes Bob had built and placed in line (4 small up front; 2 large out back) before the neighbor, and the Park manager here, killed him with their ridiculousness. I hope to get a good bounty this year. Last year, grief kept me from gardening effectively.

Currently, the only thing keeping me indoors at the moment is the pollen in the air, and the scattering blossoms blown off the trees by the river winds:

Right alongside my carport.

Outside my livingroom windows - down both sides of the street.

It will be nice to get outside to plant my garden, and sit on the front porch on the beautifully carved/finished Coho bench, Bob’s brother Kerry designed and built: to relax, and look over the garden area with Bob’s love in my thoughts …

That didn’t get to happen last year because ron cook was still living next door, making my life miserable after he killed my husband with his paranoid nonsense. But, ron is no longer living next door blowing cigarette smoke in my direction, boldly walking up my sidewalk to cut across my front yard into his carport (while looking straight at me!), or hurling ‘fuck yous’ at me ... or telling me to go back inside my house: because he was candy scott’s pet, and could, literally ... get away with murder and overt harassment. Thank you, Yeshua, that that murdering moron is gone!

I trust Elohim with my life; I have for 54 years … no matter what, He gives ‘peace that passes all understanding’; worrying steals joy in the moment, and it accomplishes nothing by the end of the day. That is why I don’t live my life hamstrung by fear.

That assurance calmed a lot of frayed nerves throughout the day.

I choose not to live in fear.

I choose life.

I choose love.

I am glad my day, today, was started with love – and continually filled with love. I am glad those who love me were comforted by the love I gave to them :-D

I love You, Yeshua.

I love you, Babe.

Always ~ OX

AMERICA TO TOTALLY SHUT DOWN?

Reported to start Monday ...

Trump 'may quarantine Americans and close businesses over coronavirus'

This will NOT WORK!

People - specifically the young and stupid - will STILL CONGREGATE in large groups and in close proximity in private homes. There is no reasoning with the young and stupid. And unless house arrests are going to be enforced, calling the National Guard in will accomplish nothing except driving the virus underground where it will thrive and prosper undetected until the hospitals REALLY SWELL with viral cases.

Open air where clean fresh breezes blow through; and sunshine, is what works. STALE AIR kills – and viruses breed at an insane rate.

People have been TOLD FOR MONTHS to keep distances ... and have ignored that appeal. These stupid people cannot be saved: they are self-destructive.

IF YOU SEE a crowd of people gathered together face-to-face, behaving stupidly: WALK AROUND THEM at a safe distance and be the mature one.

Government shutdowns DO NOT WORK.

President Trump should KNOW that ... and stop pandering to the demoncrats that are pressuring him - they will hate him no matter what he does.

Me?

I'm rebel enough to keep on walking solitary hiking paths where there is little chance of a face-to-face (but LOTS of fresh air and sunshine):

 

And my castle is in personal lock-down; that's the American way: FREEDOM OF CHOICE.

Viruses come and go.

Apparently, so does common sense when hysterical panic sets in.

This thing will run its course no matter what measures are taken.

Freaking out won't stop it ... it's a wild fire that is jumping the backfire.

Government imposed quarantines won't halt it ... Italy and calimexarabia have proven that fact. As of this morning, calimexarabia has given up trying to keep a grip on the virus outbreaks.

Sometimes the only way to fight fire is to let it burn itself out and use common sense in taking care of yourself.

America has gone through rough patches before - 2 wars on American soil BETWEEN Americans; several Depressions, and following Recessions, and decades after decades of the Young & Stupid.

WE HAVE SURVIVED.

We will survive this too, if cool heads prevail and don't get sweep into the tide of rampant hysteria.

Get right with your Maker - tell your loved ones you love them every chance you get (and mean it!) - and LIVE your life: you only have 1 life; wasting it on fear is not living. Fear will not keep you alive ...

... soap may. Grandma was right in nagging you to "wash those hands!"

People like to believe they can control Fate: but that is illogical.

Fate is called fate for a reason.