18 March 2020

"we are with you"

This morning, three things happened.
My GP called and told me to stay home.
My boss, the top one, sent me an email telling me to work from home.
My father called to inform me of his bp and temperature readings.

I find all of that reassuring. Not sure what to make of th bp readings but so what. We are both aware of the fact that personal visits, incl. driving from one federal state through three others to a fourth is currently only possible in an emergency and who knows what can happen to a 91 year old not entirely healthy man over the next couple of months or whatever eternity this may take. At least he is in good shape, shouting his scientific insights (all spot on) down the phone.

We are fine tuning our gardening tasks - ah spring, thanks for coming at the right time - and who knows, I may even wash windows. But to be honest, I am just being lazy and useless, reading in bed. The fruit tree flowerting is gorgeous and there's laundry drying in the sun. My subconscious takes note that the patio needing a good sweeping. So what.

On Sunday, we walked in the woods for a while, ate our sandwiches sitting on a log, coffe too hot from the flask. It was lovely.

Here, it's a semi lockdown scenario, schools etc. are closed and shops have started to reserve special opening hours for people at risk, i.e. the elderly. The shelves are not empty for long, we have enough tp. We have had many offers from younger neighbours to do our shopping. The situation may get tougher, e.g. curfew like France, Austria etc. if people don't comply.
At times,  I do want to shake every single entitled know-it-all into submission. But basically, so what.

I went to the osteopath on Monday morning and panicked only briefly until we both had washed our hands thoroughly and she had donned her mask (you do know that hand washing with hot water and soap is more effective than hand sanitizers?). R had a brief meltdown when I told him but he has recovered. Anyway, all other appointments have been postponed. The word is postponed, never cancelled. 

Together with probably millions of my fellow citizens, we are listening to the daily podcast by the country's leading virologist  and yes, we feel informed and prepared. 

An example of leadership in these times (Happy belated St Patrick's day BTW). I am no fan of Leo Varadkar and his party but this is where it's at:



Also. This here makes me - almost - weep.



We have been debating what selection of tunes could go down well here and elsewhere.

Obviously, for the German air force, it would have to be Beethoven's Ode to Joy.

Any ideas?





7 comments:

  1. Odd days. Strange times. Spring still comes. I swept the oak leaves from my porch the other day. No one cares but it was nice to see it finished.
    Stay safe.

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  2. Spring is a panacea. My husband is outside doing who knows what, hopefully weeding since I still can't kneel for long periods to do it myself. But I have done some repotting and planting, clipped and pruned. It keeps me sane, and gives me some much needed pleasure. I'm grateful that, unlike a hurricane, this crisis still allows us electricity and the ability to go out into the sunshine.

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  3. We are in self-isolation mode here, a request from our governor for the 65+ age group. We only venture out to get food and hope to only do that one day a week. The schools are closed with the possibility of not opening for the rest of the school year. We are learning this new way of life... still going out for walks and keeping our distance from any other humans we might cross paths with. Life gets very small. I am grateful for the internet and all of these kind-hearted connections on our one and only beautiful planet.

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  4. since I stay at home most the time anyway, life is pretty much normal, especially now that the bathroom remodel is done and I don't have to go out and get stuff. working out in the yard, starting to put the the bathroom back together. bought some watercolors so I'll practice some of what I learned. We are pretty healthy though my sister and brother have underlying health issues. stay safe and as healthy as you can. this too shall pass.

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  5. I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one being lazy. I thought today I might sweep out the dirty garage, but forget about it. There's always tomorrow, or the next day, or....I've been in self-imposed self-isolation for 13 days now. I have three underlying health conditions. I love watching how the Italians are dealing with their lockdown: the singing on the balconies, group fitness on the balconies, and that airforce display made me cry. Keep hope alive, we will get over this, sooner or later.

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  6. I'm very thankful your boss and GP are finally on the same page and you are safe at home. Spring would be lovely but we still have a ways to go here.

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  7. Hey, old V was pretty good, wasn't he? Emotion is best served by short sentences, a simple vocabulary, a minimum of adjectives and adverbs, and an uninflected delivery.

    Any ideas? you ask. Is the sea salt? Isn't Trump in the end ridiculous? Am I still yet breathing? Music can reach into you, tear your guts (in a nice kind of way). Funnily enough it doesn't really deliver tranquillity; great music animates the fact that you are able to respond to it; you sort of twang like a well-tuned violin string. Your choices will differ from mine but that doesn't matter a damn. Here's the product of a moment's thought:

    Dido's Lament (Transcendental mourning based on the virtues old V showed on telly)

    Brahms Alto Rhapsody (Ah the richness)

    Both sung by women, of course. Anyone who knows me will not be at all surprised.

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