Changing Direction

4/8/20

CHANGING DIRECTION

My blog in the past has mostly been about travel.  Well since there is no travel at this time I will redirect my thoughts to life -- which of course is interesting.  This is such a historic time that I will hope is never repeated.

I've been trying to post positive things for myself and to share.  My post for today was:

I watched the most fascinating Netflix documentary the other night, "Life Overtakes Me".  I had never even heard of this type of trauma before in immigrant children in Sweden (now being seen quite a bit in Australia).  It is called Resignation Syndrome where some refugee children go into a coma-like state upon notification that the family is to be deported back to their homeland.  The documentary is 40 minutes long and I was amazed by this information.  Highly recommended unless you're only a light comedy person.  

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/03/30/521958505/only-in-sweden-hundreds-of-refugee-children-gave-up-on-life

Puzzles, when was the last time I've done a puzzle.  This is like being a child again and looked for fun and play.  How enjoyable and distracting working on a puzzle can be.  I find my total attention devoted to finding that one piece and that gives my brain some rest.  

Something so simple, but I just read this about the benefits: 

"Solving puzzles helps reinforce existing connections between our brain cells. It also increases the generation of new relationships. This, in turn, improves mental speed and thought processes. Jigsaw puzzles are especially good for improving short-term memory."

 https://classifieds.usatoday.com/uncategorized/the-surprising-benefits-of-puzzle-solving-for-adults/

A friend of a friend wrote this and I think it is meaningful.

TRAFFIC is gone, GAS is affordable,
BILLS extended.
KIDS are at home with their FAMILIES.
PARENTS are home taking care of their CHILDREN.
FAST FOOD replaced by HOME COOKED MEALS.
Hectic SCHEDULES replaced by NAPS, REST, and RELAXATION.
The AIR seems CLEANER.
The WORLD quieter.
PEOPLE are conscious of HYGIENE and HEALTH.
MONEY doesn't seem to make the WORLD GO ROUND anymore.
DOCTORS AND NURSES are being praised and recognized instead of athletes and celebrities
And WE now have TIME, finally,
to STOP and SMELL the ROSES.

Home Sweet Home - Corona19 - 3rd week up to 4/17/20

Hey, still sane, well somewhat.  I seem to be less motivated each day with a few exceptions.

Two nice walks today, one at Phillipe Park.  I always enjoy that park and it reminds me of John since he enjoyed fishing there.  Walking makes me feel better.  Some people can't get outside at all and I can't imagine that.  Glad I don't live in NYC.

Florida is so full of beauty and wildlife at every turn.  Right in my neighborhood I saw my little goose girl who I met two weeks ago.  She has diligently been sitting on her nest and today when I went by she was standing up for a minute.  I can't imagine sitting on a nest day after day.

All photos taken 4/17/20, while on my 15 minute walk.

Picking this straw from grass.  Maybe making a nest?

Oh let's get these eggs hatched!!!!!!!!

I was taking some pictures of her (from a distance so as not to disturb her) and I was standing on a fire ant or red ant hill.  I felt this burning around my ankles, looked down and shoes and socks were covered.  Stings like hell.  Luckily I had a paper towel with me and I'm sure I looked pretty comical swatting and trying to kill ants, stomping my feet.  They started going up my pant legs.  This was scary and awful.  So now I've had up close and personal experience with these beasts.  How can something that small hurt so much.  Very scary because I overheard a conversation once at a restaurant where this lady was telling about how her son was killed by fire ants in Louisiana.  He was an underwater diver, 34 years old.  He went camping and guess pitched his tent in the wrong place and he died of anaphylactic shock.  Probably one of the saddest things I ever overheard.  I wanted to turn around and hug the mom, but of course I couldn't.  So then and there I realized the seriousness of those critters.  I had probably 150 on me in one second.  So now I will be watchful for any mounds where they could be.

I home made potato salad yesterday and also baked a wonderful coffee cake, called the LSUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District) cake, a recipe from 1957.  I used to eat that coffee cake most days when I was in junior high school.  It turned out great and I ate too much.

Staying in touch with friends via Zoom about once a week.  We even had a trivia game on line that was fun.  We also meet for park dinner, bringing our own chairs and sit 10 feet away and eat our own food.  But so fun to talk and see each other.  We had some lonely man sort of join in with us last week.  I just think he needed someone to talk to, so we did visit with him too.

I'm sure you are all experiencing up and downs like me.  I do notice that daily walks seem to help.  I'm only going to the grocery store once a week during "senior hour" with a mask, in at 7am and out by 7:45 am, not like my old shopping days of wandering the store finding new delights.  This last week there was no crowd as before, I'd say only about 20 peole in the whole store.

Been working on getting my plane, hotel, Airbnb, tour and train refunds.  Some places are great about it, some I am having to work with quite a bit and the worst are the foreign airlines that give credit.  It is nice to know that I have a credit from Ukrainian Airlines!!!!  Also EasyJet, but I can use that for any place they fly, which fortunately is lots of places.  I would be leaving for my trip on April 22nd, so that will be a sad day for me.

I've had some people who don't seem to know to not come close.  Wanted to punch a lady who just walked in front of me yesterday putting the trash out.  I was there before she was and she just walked right past me - close.  Some people are so rude and thoughtless.  I also noticed several really speedy cars on somewhat empty roads, I mean really enjoying the open road and going way too fast.  It makes me wonder where they are in such a hurry to get to.  

This could help people mind their distance:

But no real complaints, I've got a roof, food, internet and A/C so probably compared to a huge population I've got it made.   Now we will see where things are going and how we move out of this isolation.  It is a little scary and I hope it is smooth with no backlash.  Slow and sure.

Bless our front line people, doctors, nurses, paramedics, grocery clerks, gas station attendants, food workers.  These are truly brave souls.  We owe them so much.

So chins up, doing our best, caring about our neighbors, lending a helping hand where we can.  We can now appreciate the small things and I hope we take some of what we'velearned individually and can apply it when we are free again.

Stay safe................