Almost Spring 2020 – Uncertain times

Almost Spring 2020 – So, as most of you know, I generally have projects/posts complete and scheduled for publication a couple of months ahead of time. I don’t mean for you guys to not see what I’m working on as its happening but deadlines kill me. It is what is. However, this doesn’t totally ring true of my personal updates/blog posts like this one. Generally I write these a couple of weeks (maybe a month) before they come out here. (That’s about as close to a deadline as my anxiety will let me get.) However…

Because COVID-19 is changing our daily lives constantly right now I expect I will probably be updating this post right up until it goes live….

On Friday at 11:59pm Minnesota moved to a shelter in place order closing down all non essential businesses etc. Turns out what I do is essential so I’m still working.

(Our governor Walz gave the most impressive press conference on Wednesday, it’s worth hearing. I am so proud of my state. I was sitting in my car yesterday behind a school bus watching them delivering lunches just crying my eyes out.)

We are all practicing hardcore social distancing ESPECIALLY from my Mom. She is totally grounded. We all agreed that no one should be stepping foot in her home except me but only if I absolutely MUST.

Spring 2020 – WTF

After twelve weeks and six chemo treatments my Mom only has two more treatments to go!

Taking her to get her chemotherapy right now feels like a rush to get there and then a rush to get her home like we’re being chased or something!

It would not surprise me at all if I won’t be able to even go to her last two treatments. Sandford currently allows one family member per patient but I doubt that’ll last very long and rightfully so.

After a break for her she’ll be going down to the Mayo in Rochester for her big checkup and beginning her five weeks of radiation. She shouldn’t feel near so shitty during the radiation treatments as she did with the chemo, so her worst treatments and side effects are probably almost behind her.

Thank you all so much for your kindness and love sent our way!

Almost Spring 2020 – One day at a time.

The blog post I wrote for today a couple of weeks ago sure did make me shake my head when I read it.

Isn’t it amazing how the kind of things we were worrying about, taking so serious a few weeks ago, seem so trivial now?

I look forward (like everyone else) to return to that kind of normalcy again but I hope we all remember these days and have better perspective on what’s actually important once they’re over.

This post was going to be all about the happy news that Lodi and I made the decision to move in together.

A few weeks ago Lodi’s place sold and he found an inexpensive pay-per-month room in his city until he found a job here. In the meantime we moved his furniture out here and Annie permanently in with me at Grandma’s house.

(Annie is a good little senior pupper. As once a working service dog to soldiers with PTSD there isn’t much that fazes her. She spends most of her time looking at me with the withering patience of a slightly-annoyed-but-still-loves-me Big Sister.)

Last week I picked up the three basic food groups for my little farm: dog food, horse oats and alcohol. All my beasties are set for a long while no matter what happens and yes I have enough food for me too – I didn’t JUST buy alcohol LOL.

I’ve sucked at sitting my entire life.

Working on something is mandatory for my peace of mind and sanity but all of this just killed my ambition. last weekend I didn’t get off the couch or out of bed. All I did was feed the animals and (sometimes) myself. That was it.

But I think its understandable – I think we’re all going through it right now.

I feel like this spring 2020 will be summed up with one word:

WAITING

Waiting to find out if what we did was enough, waiting to be OK again. Waiting for anything resembling normalcy – jobs, schools, bars, restaurants – just waiting for answers of any kind.

PS: Let’s spoil ourselves and our pets and our families a little. Let’s have more patience with each other and maybe some junk food that’s usually off limits. Let’s give ourselves a break and just the one goal to get through this safely any way we can – we can worry about the rest later.