How YOU doin’?

So. How YOU doin’?  I keep seeing video excerpts of the TV show Friends pop up in my Facebook feed and the title of this post just seemed so appropriate for the times.  But really…how are you?  Everyone hanging in there?

It’s been a tough week here.  We lost a close family friend to Covid.  I’m still a little stunned and in disbelief.  She was so fun and just a genuine, good person.  This pandemic has been so unfair to so many people.  Not to mention what it’s doing to the mental health of so many.  I’m even finding it difficult to get excited about the future sometimes.  It’s hard to make plans when you don’t know what the world will be like by then.

HOLIDAY PLANS

Holiday plans are still iffy here.  We are used to big family gatherings, but that’s not the wise thing to do this year.  I have a 94-year-old grandmother on one side of the family and she lives with my mother.  We all go in so many different directions and live in different cities.  I also work around small children, although they stagger in on different days of the week.  I’ve already had three family members to have Covid, but thankfully they are alright.  I’m just really nervous because of my own health issues and plus I would never forgive myself if I happen to get it and infect someone else.  Hubby is adamantly against going to any gatherings this holiday season.  I’m leaning the same way, as much as I absolutely hate it.  The numbers are steadily rising where we live and it’s just not getting any better.

THE WORLD HAS GONE MAD

It just seems like the world has gone absolutely mad.  Pandemics, election crap, and people just turning on friends and family.  I can’t escape it no matter how many people I hide in my social media feeds or even by not watching any news.  I’m only 46 years old, but I don’t ever remember things being as tense as they are now.

So, to combat this I’ve been doing little things that make me happy.  I’ve taken up cross-stitching, although my first attempt with a mini/beginner’s pattern is comical, to say the least.

I’m not finished with it yet, and I’ve made some mistakes for sure, but it’s been soothing and keeping my mind occupied.  I play my Toon Blast game and do jigsaw puzzles on my iPad while listening to Arctic Outpost Radio on the Radio Garden app.

STOCKING UP

I’ve also been stocking a little extra food and household items for the winter.  I’m trying to stay out of the stores as much as possible because of the pandemic and flu season.  Instacart and Walmart pick-up have been game-changers.  I’ve saved time, but probably not a whole lot of money.  I know I could do better in-store with coupons.  I’m not terribly concerned with winter weather.  I live in Mississippi and we get occasional one to two inches of snow once in a blue moon.  Even still,  it’s good to be prepared just in case.  I always make sure we have plenty of things on-hand in case anyone gets sick.  Soup, Gatorade, medications.  I don’t stock to the rafters (but I don’t blame people that do), but I do like to have the basics on hand.

I’ve been reading where toilet paper is disappearing yet again in some states.  I don’t really think our governor will shut our state down again, but one never knows.  He has been adamant that our economy can’t survive if this happens again.  I stopped Friday afternoon and got a good hair trim and have made some essential appointments for the next week (dentist and chiropractor) just in case.

SEEING SPECIALISTS

I’ve decided to go see the chiropractor about my legs and back.  I had my MRI done last month and the cardiologist said he didn’t see anything of significance, but I’m still in some pain and he thinks it’s sciatica.   He didn’t seem too concerned and didn’t refer me to anyone else, but I thought maybe the chiropractor could help.  I’ve been in pain every day since September and it’s really annoying and affecting my whole life.  It’s hard to get things done and sitting seems to make it worse.  I’ll see what the chiropractor thinks.  I’m also waiting for an appointment with a top-notch endocrinologist.  My A1c numbers are just terrible now so we have got to get that under control.  I’m also going back for a check-up in December with the cardiologist.  He started me on a new cholesterol pill and wants me to get some lab work done before my visit.  Again, I can’t believe these health issues are my reality at my age.

But…But…BUT…..

Thanksgiving break is just around the corner.  I just have this next week to get through and it’s off for a whole week!  I am really, really enjoying teaching virtually but it will be so nice to turn the computer off for a while and just work on some things around the house. We always decorate our tree on the day after Thanksgiving while everyone else is out shopping the Black Friday sales, and I don’t care if the whole world crumbles around me, we WILL have our Christmas tree this year!  So take THAT 2020!  Hmph!