Monday, May 25, 2020

An old lady's Covid-19 holiday

My original plan for this weekend was to weave the last of the purple towels from the loom, and finish them. This mess with internet set me back. I cannot get my printer back on line. So, this week I will engage my computer guru. Bouncing about in my head, I hear him saying I can buy a new printer for the amount he will charge to fix my problem from the maintenance man.



So, how did I celebrate? Cathy, who saved me with the loan of her internet, stopped with pizza. Neighbors who came by in the street were invited up to my "porch", and a nice bunch of us gathered, a fair distance apart. One tot did burst from her wheeled conveyance, and like a quarterback with the ball, worked her way from the street to Aunt Cathy's lap.



"Aunt Cathy, Aunt Cathy, do you want to go to the beach when the virus is over?"



I thought back to the viral epidemic of my childhood, the killer, polio. We didn't know children who died, but I knew three with crippled limbs. The state health services, and they did exist, had no advice on avoiding that virus. Our mothers were on their own.



I spent a long afternoon and evening enjoying the group that formed, thinned, reformed. 



The next morning my sister and I set out on the Memorial Day plant expedition. She drove right on by Suncrest Gardens' packed parking lot, then past Kreiger's even more packed lot. "Cochran's", I said. "It's still on the way home!"

We slowly pushed a cart up one aisle and down another. I picked up a lot of plants. I got up early yesterday morning, got my bucket and trowel from the shed and my bench from under the deck, and planted them all.



See the little rock elf? Mustache like Toby's? Life goes on, people remain much the same. This was to be a bumper graduation year for me, and it was, though I have been invited to no observances.

From high school, Laura and Francis have graduated. From college, Blake (nee Emily). Congratulations to all, and a big smile from the little elf.



36 comments:

  1. Your flowers look lovely. Well worth all the trouble to find them.

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  2. It sounds like a good weekend.
    And yes, congratulations to the graduates.

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  3. We are at gardening here too. Finally! Your plants look great!

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  4. Love the plants and great news on the graduates. How flat our celebrations are indeed and I love your recounting of your porch traffic. I miss my porches so much.

    XO
    WWW

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  5. We are missing graduations too. I haven't heard how the college is going to regroup to honor the grads. When I graduated from High School, we had our ceremonies in October.

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  6. Glad you had a good memorial weekend... even if it didn't follow your original plans.

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  7. A pizza party on the porch sounds like an ideal way to socialize during the Coronavirus - or at any other time for that matter.

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  8. Congrats to the graduates!! Wishing them the best in their next endeavors!

    Seems like a nice gathering at your place! Much needed I would imagine.

    I remember my mom talking about polio and what people did to try times I safe!

    Betty

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  9. Congratulations to your graduates. Your time spent on the porch sounds delightful. I miss porches on the front. All of our neighborhood houses place the living area in the back, or on the side (usually behind a wall) so impromptu chats are infrequent. These days conversations are held standing on either side of the street.

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  10. Kudos to the graduates! I'm glad you've had a happy, safe holiday. I too remember polio and the shots and boosters we got all through grammar school in the '50s. Next day everybody had a sore arm. But I fear geniuses, like those who formulated that vaccine are no longer granted government priority.

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  11. I think that we are all more determined than ever this year to plant things. Vegetables and flowers both. I see that as a natural and very healthy way to deal with all this strangeness and uncertainty. What a nice little gathering it sounds like you had! I'm so glad. That must have been cheering.

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  12. May the graduates feel like their quarantine celebrations suffice/d! I'm attending a high school grad. party via Zoom next weekend.

    Your socially-distant visits out front of your home sounds very pleasant. -hope all goes well with the printer issue.

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  13. Hari OM
    My word, graduation already? May they all go on to better things... Meanwhile, gran is cruising along just nicely in her own little 'hood! YAM xx

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  14. Lovely flowers! I just learned today that an old university professor of mine passed away recently. He had polio when young and lost the use of his legs. He got around with those silver metal arm crutches. He was a good professor who enjoyed a long, successful and distinguished career in academia.

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  15. Happy, satisfying flowers! I remember when the newspapers had lists of the newest polio victims. I was never allowed to swim in a public place..I had a very good friend with one leg much shorter than the other. And I remember how excited everyone was when they developed the vaccine!

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  16. How fun to set out and visit with neighbors like that. Congratulations to the graduates! My grandson graduates from high school but we're still not sure about a graduation ceremony happening or not. I'm looking forward to seeing what you planted!

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  17. You gave them so much and sent them to life well equipped. You are an amazing grandmother Joanne.

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  18. How lovely to have company all afternoon :)Your flowers are looking so bright and cheerful. I can't wait to plant out marigolds again and some zinnias too this year. congratulations to all the graduates.

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  19. It is good to get out into the spring/summer air, congratulations to your young graduation students.

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  20. Tilling the soil... so good for the soul in these strange times.

    LX

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  21. In this country, you can buy a new printer for less than the cost of the ink.

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  22. That sounds fun and all your greenery's so pretty! And congratulations to Laura, she must be delighted.
    In fact, congratulations to them all and I hope life returns to normal soon for all the young people who are starting off now. They deserve to have the chance to build an interesting and rewarding future together.

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  23. I remember that we couldn’t go to public pools before a vaccine was available for polio.

    Congratulations to the graduates who had no graduation ceremonies this year. How very sad for them, however, they are safe and healthy and that is more important. Here there are neighborhood car parades for them and I think that is wonderful.

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  24. What a nice weekend - friends (at a distance) and flowers.

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  25. I tried and tried and tried but I do not see the elf. sounds like everyone needed a little socializing.

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  26. I feel for the graduates this year. Graduation is a special feeling - a reward for doing all the work. Sounds like you had an absolutely delightful holiday. My neighbors celebrate by driving fast past my house (all the better to kick up the dust) and by firing off various firearms. They are not delightful. I love your plants - so much color!

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  27. I see the mustache. Glad you had a lovely weekend and congrats to all those graduates.

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  28. It sounds like you had a nice get-together and a safe one. Congratulations to all the chicks. It's a shame this year's graduates are missing their big events. Safer that way, though. And they'll never forget their last year, that's for sure.

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  29. The polio epidemic happened in my early childhood, but more or less passed me by. I don't remember anyone succumbing to it, or anyone in an iron lung. The first vaccine was released when I was eight, so I suppose after that it ceased to be a major threat.

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  30. My stepmom talks about the Polio epidemic. These days remind her of those days. Your flowers are beautiful and congrats to Laura and Francis.

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  31. your camera does red well. I have never had a camera that could do red as well. That's a beauty. And when this virus is over...there will likely be another, this one is just practice...

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  32. Love your flowers! I am missing having my usual summer bedding plants, I can't get them here. Graduation must feel very strange to those who cannot celebrate. It's nice that you had a little party, it's possible when you social distance, which many of the idiots currently crushing themselves together on the beach don't seem to realise

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