Even though I am not a father, I was out enjoying the day.
Here’s my day in pictures starting with this father playing in the sand with his little girl. It was a lovely day.
It was wonderful seeing the many diversions dads and families were engaged in.
I had a video, but sadly I didn’t know how to include it. 🥺
I hope all you father’s had a good day!
My buddy at PhicklePhilly has a great post on his blog site right now and it’s worth reading. The only reason I didn’t reblog, is I wanted to tie in my two cents worth. As some of you may know, my replies can, at times, be quite lengthy. So this is kind of it. The tie in to his story, I mean. All my favorite blog friends know my response can sometimes be a story of their own. What can I say? I’ve lived a long time and lead a rather full, if not colorful life. I like all my blogging friends because they almost always have something that triggers a memory for me into a response of some sort and I hope they don’t mind.
Today, though … This hit home, mostly because of last night. Or, errr, by now the night before or I should say Thursday night?
Excerpt from PP:
“Monday I went to breakfast, wrote, talked with friends and loved ones, had dinner, and watched my shows. I, for once… had nowhere to be.
Tuesday, pretty much the same.
Wednesday, More of that just living and breathing thing. Daughter came home. I was happy to see her. She went to the supermarket and bought a bunch of food. She cooked dinner for the two of us and we actually sat and ate, and chatted like a real family.“
What it triggered is, sure, being house bound sucks in a way, but on the flip side, what a time to get reconnected, to plan and do things you’ve put off doing because you’ve been to busy. Life as we’ve known it has changed and that could be a good thing. Maybe getting back to basics was a long time coming. Sure, for some it’s going to be economically hard, but we are survivors. Americans are survivors.
Most of my siblings and kids are not working right now. I’m not working either. My hubby doesn’t put his foot down about most things, but he did this. As an Uber/Lyft driver, he doesn’t want me out there exposed. Especially since, many of my passengers are generally in the service industry or business people who travel a lot and have contact with a good number of other people; their chances of exposure are exponentially greater. Plus, I am in that at risk age group.
My hubby now works from home, so he’s okay for now, but that could change at any minute. My TX son’s new job got put on hold, so he’s home supervising his kid’s schooling. His wife, a teacher, is out distributing food. My SLC daughter is an RN, so she’s working.
My traveler GA daughter, just got home but even after self quarantining in SLC, won’t be going back to GA to work either. And, possibly, in time, my SLC granddaughter or My SLC son, both in the hotel industry. They are senior enough, but even their work hours have been cut back. What’s worse, is my SLC RN daughter just closed on a home in December! All of which, she shares expenses with the SLC granddaughter and my SLC son, her brother. So, the only one with a decent paycheck is her… for now. Here’s the bunch of them having their last dinner out before the shut downs.
Even so, we are all in good spirits.
I’ve been chatting BS with siblings, keeping up with nephews and my sister and having long chats with the kids.
Because of our normally hectic work schedules, we seldom get to visit all at once or for any length of time, but last night the kids and I had a great time chatting til late. It went like this:
6:50 pm Group Text and try to keep up. lol
Me: The governor just announced a total lock down for the state as of tonight… unless seeing a doctor, needing medicine or groceries. I guess those workers are exempt. But… masks are being distributed.
GA (daughter): thanks for the update.
Me: lol he’s such an idiot… then he lists all the thing you can still do. get food, meds, play outside walk the dog, etc. basically what we’re doing now. He predicted 56% will get it with 20% hospitalized. Ugh! (my thoughts- How about scaring the shit out of us?) He did say to be kind to one another. I told GA, she got out in time.
RN (SLC daughter): Who’s he and where are you…FL or CA?
TX(son): Yikes! I had just landed a new job… now I’m a first grate teacher indefinitely. All schools here are closed, probably for the rest of the year.
Me: CA and FL (nephew) said they’re next, expecting it soon.
RN: OMG TX! That sucks!
TX: I’m ok. Just wish everyone out there would be a little more considerate. I think we were a little too primed by all the apocalyptic entertainment. (laughy face)
RN: lol Hey but we kinda know what to expect in an Apocalypse now!
TX: Yeah… people are starting to buy guns here now because they think they’ll be the next shortage (sad face). I don’t think we’ll EVER have a shortage of guns in TX… or really anywhere in our country.
Me: Yeah, I heard that was happening.
RN: That’s funny, bc I saw a gun store the other day and based on all the shelves at the stores being empty, I actually had a split second thought of… “Hmmm. guns are probably next… should I get one?” But… the next day we had a 5.7 earthquake… so I b like… get the hell out!
Me: I thought that too…
TX: (laugh emoji here) I have a pig with a hard head. I’ll bet he’d fight an intruder for a burrito and his head would probably stop a bullet. If not… bacon??
Me: (laugh emoji) I would think your job secure – You still working RN?
RN: Yep
Me: Poor piglet GA mute your phone lol ( she just got off her flight from Amsterdan to LA to SLC, so I knew she was tired)
RN: Hehe… when all you guys are confined to your houses I’ll be able to get in my car and drive straight into the heart of death.. 3 times a week!
TX: He’s not poor, he’s indestructible. (Laugh emoji) He ate a pound of glue and borax with giant pieces of sharp plastic glitter… didn’t even give him indigestion.
Be praying for you RN. Seriously
Me: Yes!
RN: OMG! Def eat the pig… all I have is a cat and I already warned the family that I’ll eat him if necessary. (oopsy emogi)
Me: Well, when I worked at the health department, I was fitted with a CDC quality face mask specific to me. I’m so glad I kept it!
My cat is sickly and skinny.
TX: It’s all the same after it’s fried. I’m sure that’s an old proverb of the south… probably
Me: And all my neighbors have lost their dogs in the last few month. You’re on a roll TX. (You have to understand, this son is the least communicative of all the kids)
RN: I’ve had a fit test bc we have 4 TB rooms on our unit… meaning negative pressure rooms… so we were slated to have COVID pts… until the earthquake.
I’m fattening mine up.
TX: That sounds pretty serious RN
Definitely need to fatten them up first. Pigs are great for that. Feed them almost anything. They get big fast and they taste great!
Me: No way! Utah has a low COVID rate, so far. Or at least it did.
Better not let the kids hear you!
TX: They can’t hear text (wink emoji) Hunter will pick up on sarcasm from a mile away though.
Me: Well the shelves were bare, so we’ll be eating lost of chili with beans.
RN: Or fried scrawny cat
and so it went. later my other two and grand daughter would chime in with
GD: OMG. I went shopping today again. I’ve spent more on this month then I have ever, honestly. It’s nuts.
TX: Really? Shockingly, there were a lot of frozen pizzas here. Plenty of chips and dip too. Good excuse to eat unhealthy I suppose.
Me: Our butcher meats were all gone.
RN: Right!? And I thought cereal would be all gone
Me: Nope!
RN: NO!
Me: Ice cream still there.
RN: EAT HEALTHY BUY VIT A,D,AND C
TX: The Asian markets were the last hit here. Might be some stigma there. Poor Asians. (Tearful emoji)
RN: don’t drink… hey Ross (her ex) grab me another beer while you’re out there! Ooops
LOL
ME: You’re in GJ? (That’s where her ex lives)
GA: RN you can always stop by Larry’s when you’re in GJ and grab one of mine. For free. (She’s referring to her gun broker who was trying to sell some of her guns)
Gun that is … as long as you promise not to aim it at me.
RN: (to TX) Don’t worry about them, they’re usually healthier than any of us. (to GA) A bit risky (to me) yes.
TX: I’m sure they are. Now I have a hankering for kimchi darn it
Me: Love it! Where’s SLC Son?
GA: Haven’t seen the stores yet. Just got to Utah. Not looking forward to tomorrow.
RN: Ga, if you an J come near the house GD will shoot you before I get a chance! (kidding of course) They’re quarantining you guys aren’t they?
SLC son: Like 49 cases, 0 deaths so far (referring to SLC)
Me: Wow! big change from last week.
SLC son: Yeah, well that’s exponential growth for you.
RN: UT quite good, but… really we are just behind the curve
SLC son: Exactly
Me: It seems areas impacted worse are those with large international airports and traffic
SLC son: And we tend to have a pretty compliant population with strong community focus.
And Washington is the worst. I’m convinced it’s their lack of adequate sunlight.
RN: That’s one way to put cult followers ( a series of of emoticons with different expressions of laughing)
Me: (laugh emoji) did I bear comedians? Love it!
Anyway, the ramblings became more nonsensical and crazy but with everyone still somehow knowing which line was directed at them. It was like we were all together with giddy, silly bantering.
After a bit more and some in between, (I didn’t put it all in) we signed off.
While this was going on, my siblings and I were also enjoying some communications along with a separate one with my nephew in Florida. We may be in different states but with technology we can still keep in touch and with COVID-19 it was like we were in a room all together, talking over each other as families tend to do and which hasn’t happened in a long time. It’s all good.
States represented last night were
(2) Texas, (1) Colorado, (3) Utah, (4) California, (1) Florida, (1) Georgia, (1)Arizona and (1)Oregon
Like PhicklePhilly says: It can be a good time.
Keep the faith. Be productive.
Stay positive, Stay safe and yes, Be Kind. It’s a good time to reconnect with family and friends.
My TX son just said, National Guard is coming in. He’s thinking they’re getting ready for a lock down. Interesting. I hadn’t heard that anywhere else. I mean about the National Guard. Oh well, it is Texas.
I live far from my family and keep these links open to stay in touch with them, or so I tell myself but even so, I sometimes wonder why.
I wonder why I really want to see my family members in their various morphing stages when after reading some of their comments, I’m thinking maybe I’d prefer to disown them altogether and wonder how I can.
Several years ago when I first logged onto social media, I thought it would be a great way to keep in touch outside of handwriting them a letter. We are several states away and for awhile it was marvelous. I got to see what they liked and we’d talk and it was great. Then, things changed. I’d comment on some of their pics and controversial extrapolations, but found myself crossing swords with them and that’s fine, it was friendly. It wasn’t however, something I wanted to do on social media. I’m an eye to eye sort of debater, I want to look you in the eye when we disagree. You can see far more that way than by words alone. As it is, I unfriended grandson #2 because it was just too much. Every other word began with F—!
When grandson #1 begins postulating on various topics be they political, moral or religious, which he often does, I wondered how at the ripe old age of 16, he thought he could be an authority on anything. Unfortunately, the child is gifted with high intelligence and has a knack for being eloquently verbose. 
Today, he legally grows Marijuana, yet I can see him one day … becoming the president of a large pharmaceutical.
His younger brother on the other hand may be singing the same tunes only far more discreetly. He seems responsible and polite and he’s not afraid of hard work.
He’s a diplomat. He seems to pretty much say what you expect him to, in other words he has all the makings of and could become a politician. Perhaps he’s better equipped to be president because you really don’t know what’s going on in this kids head. At the rate this country is going, I suppose he’d probably do a better job.
Will they grow up and turn out alright? Perhaps, but the transition is too painful to watch. Look at all the ex hippies that are heading major corporations now. Some actually became president and some are teaching our kids.
I will say this. When I talk to them (the grandkids) one on one and in person, they seem like very nice kids, but on social media… Yikes!
Their younger two siblings are so far doing fine. My grand daughter has begun filming her own little five minute shorts. Her slightly older brother is shy and seems to be staying out of harms way. He see’s his older brothers and seems to be taking a lesson on how not to be. One, of course, never knows until they are all grown.
The same for my grand daughters. On social media, for awhile there, they for all appearances appeared like hussies! I know, the word is dated but it fits. Their pictures all came across as provocative, impudent and superficial. In other words slutty. I wondered then, do I even want to know what they’re all really doing?
Then, my youngest second grand daughter, an unwed mother, does this twerking thing in front of a couple of boys, shows pictures and videos of herself in various situations and wonders why she keeps getting treated badly. She has no clue? One day I hope she will wise up. I hate seeing her hurting, she’s truly a good kid.
Her older sister, still posts a ton of pictures but does them beautifully.
She’s become a responsible mom and many of her shots are well done.
As for the next cycle of grand kids, who knows? I think they will be fine. For some reason, my first two were very lenient because they said I was too strict.
My son, the former Marine does not feel the same way. His children so far are doing fine, but they are still young.
As for me and my own social media presence. I try to keep it simple. I “like” and “share” what I find interesting. I try to avoid politics because, first of all, IF you judged my grand kids by what they post, you might wonder about them, so you can’t believe all that you see or read about a person by what is posted.
Social media can be manipulated way too much and too easily that is for certain.
Am I for Trump or Hillary? I won’t say. Both fall short tremendously and both come across as idiots no matter how you slice it.
I remember as a child, I wanted to read the Bible but really didn’t know how to go about doing it, so I decided one day to just close my eyes, open the book and let my little hand point a finger to the page or verse I’d start at. In this way I’d be letting “God” direct where I would begin. (That’s not how I intend to vote, but I did give it some thought). Eeek!
Whatever happens at this point, in any event, is in God’s hands anyway. I do believe that He is in control and will determine the outcome whether we think it’s right or wrong. I think everyone in this universe has his/her part to play and whatever “they” do is predestined for a time to work out His ultimate plan. Like people in the past, we will probably never see the end result of that plan, but it never hurts to pray for something better.
Cheers!
Note: Above photos were mostly done by my #1 grand-daughter, the photographer.
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