Jerri's first quilt started, Bob Braund writes a poem

Michael left for golf on Wednesday (4/1), while I drove my babies (Lucy & Ethel) to Pineville for laser de-clawing.  I almost changed my mind at the last minute…..I don’t want their personalities to change…and I don’t want them to think we are abandoning them.  They will stay there until Saturday morning…I miss them already  :~(.  

I made a quick stop at FOOD LION (Loree…I looked for you  :~) with my trusty wipes in hand, before heading home.  There is no shortage of bread….so I am at a loss to explain the empty flour shelves….can anyone explain that to me??  

I had time to make my tea when I got home before SKYPE-ing with Janice.  She has been diligently working on a beautiful rainbow project that I cannot wait to show you!!!!  It is so pretty, and has so much work in it, that it will be revealed over a period of days.  It is an ALL scrap project…..and just proves beauty can be made with teeny, tiny, leftover things  :~).  I was kind of in a funk when I finished up with Janice…and just lazed around the house.  The vet called at 1 PM and said that everything went well, Lucy and Ethel were awake, and they would get some food later on today (I’m sure they are starving).  Michael came home just after that with an 83…having played his round with a ‘scratch’ golfer, who made 4 birdies in a row!!!  

I finally headed to the studio feeling a little better and got Jerri’s first quilt loaded and basted:  

I dithered back and forth over what color of thread to use, and consulted two expert friends, before finally settling on a medium blue.  

I don’t think it detracts from the center panel eagle, and it really looks pretty on the large areas of white.  My honey was in the studio for a bit in the afternoon, so of course Cookie was snoozing away:

I finally quit sewing/quilting around 8 PM and headed upstairs to be with my honey.

My friend Ginny is doing a bit of on-line retail therapy during the quarantine:

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Bob Braund, husband of extraordinary Thursday quilter and and quilt judge Susie, writes poetry when he has too much time on his hands (at least that’s how Susie put it:~).  He took the current crisis and came up with this ditty, specific to SCCL:

Apologies to Clement Clarke Moore

His 1823 Poem now known as ‘Twas the Night before Christmas”

NAMED AFTER A BEER?

‘Twas just starting Spring here in SCCL

When more and more residents began shouting “What the Hell”.

In the Lakehouse and Lodge activities are non-existent.

People are learning new words like “Socially Distance”

We wave and we smile and now shout to neighbor’s we greet

Remembering the guidelines to do so at 6 feet.

All this is due, from all the news sources we hear

Of a worldwide sickness named after a beer.

History will show that Spring 2020 changed in the blink of an eye,

The entire world searching for the answer as to “Why?”. 

No answers are simple, no solutions are seen …

for this Pandemic virus named Corona, officially Covid-19.

Hard times and sacrifice, at our age these things don’t faze us.

We’re all of the generation that’s been taught not to “raise a fuss”.

Through life’s cycle of “ups and downs” we don’t get in a “tizzy”

We just “hunker down” and find ways to stay busy.

We clean and we read and work puzzles galore

We relish the fact that we need no excuses for naps anymore.

Neighborhoods gather, each household by driveway

To check on each other and pass news of the day.

A strange sense of solitude and peace envelopes our community.

Bringing a rebirth of the concept of true social neighborhood unity.

Activities, clubs and exciting events they await.

When this is over, we’ll run to them like race horses do from the gate.

The “Pause Button” has been pushed on each of our lives

Giving us time to ponder and reflect and perhaps to suddenly realize

Material things thought so important, that we couldn’t do without

We’ve established the fact that most we could eliminate, of that there’s no doubt.

Neighborhoods are quiet except for the occasional diesel truck clatter

It’s Amazon and FedEx delivering goods that in times like these really matter. 

We look on the porch and find our orders left from afar

And probably don’t stop to consider how lucky we really are.

We’re “stuck in the house” with only four walls to accompany our misery.

With Internet, cellphones, and endless streaming remote-controlled TV

Imagine for a moment while pondering you have nothing to do

How much your grandparents would have given to change places with you.

We have food, magically ordered, in packages delivered as we wish.

Our parents and grandparents only experienced this, when someone died, it came in a casserole dish.

We miss each other, our children and grandchildren the most.

We miss the gatherings no matter the reason to host.

We pass the hours marking time between our loved one’s phone calls. Scrubbing and scrubbing down to the bare wood on our floors and our walls.

So finally resolved that we must find something to do with less talk.

We do what we should have been doing all along – we walk, and we walk, and we walk.

Those among us, who have geological collections, can now sort their rocks.

Most of us, way less talented, just reorganize the drawers containing our socks.

Some will craft, and some will sew. 

Some will, just sit and contemplate the lint in their navel, don’t you know?

So, it must be said to you all, as we await each new day,

We’ll be fine, we’ll get through this, and be sure to check and make sure your neighbor is Okay.