CELEBRATE MIRACULOUS RASPBERRIES

One of the advantages of being an octogenarian is that you appreciate what others may take for granted. When my husband I were children, any fruit for dessert came from jars stored in the basement. Women didn’t work outside the home unless they had to. However, they did plenty of work at home. Both of us remember our mothers sweating over a pressure cooker on hot summer days. Most everyone drove to the farmer’s market, and bought peaches and pears by the bushel. Consequently , any self-respecting house wife did their share of “canning”–especially during World War II. Fast forward to 2021. Our frig is sight to behold—full of colorful fresh fruits and vegetables. We’re grateful for the truck drivers who deliver them, and celebrate the miraculous raspberries available in the winter.

The highlight of our days during this pandemic has been grocery shopping. Especially during these dull winter days. The produce section of any supermarket is bound to give you a lift. Isn’t it amazing that we can still purchase so much fresh fruit? Big, juicy strawberries that come from California. Pretty pink raspberries grown in Washington & California. Pineapple from Hawaii. They say we’re “at war,” with the virus. But I can’t think of any modern war zone where you could buy fresh fruits and vegetables from all over the world, any day of the week.

The covid-19 lockdown has been long, dreary and stressful. However, compared to other plagues that have occurred through the centuries, we are blessed here in the good old USA. You can download e-books from the library. Watch television. Listen to the radio. Stream movies. . E-mail, text, and zoom your friends and family. And yes, you can have a dessert of ice cream topped with fresh raspberries and whipped topping.

Let’s celebrate miraculous winter raspberries.

January 15, 2021January 15, 2021

KIDS HELP ELDERS GET VACCINE

It was an amazing, long anticipated day– entering the clinic parking lot to finally get the Covid-19 vaccine. But as we pulled in, I noticed a car where a young guy sat behind the wheel. His appearance worried me a bit—partly shaved head, piercings and metal coming out of every orifice. While waiting for my husband to get out of the car, I saw a dark sedan pull up. As an elderly couple opened their door , the young man got out and headed their way. An alarm went off in my head. Was he going to mug them? But no, he held out his arms for them to lean on, and slowly walked them inside. It’s touching to see kids help their elders get the vaccine.

Inside, everything was highly organized and efficient. Since we had preregistered, there was no wait. But after getting vaccinated, we had to wait awhile to make sure we had no reaction. That’s when I could observe the patients coming in. This was the over 80 crowd, and at least half of them were accompanied by what appeared to be a child or grandchild. It’s safe to say that the kids were the ones who had gotten their parents or grandparents signed up.

You couldn’t just walk in to get vaccinated. You had to be in the “eligible” category (over 80) and provide your insurance card. Then, you could register for an appointment either over the phone or online. The phone lines were jammed all day long, so the best way to get an appointment was online. I’m lucky to know my way around the internet. That’s because I had a job that entailed the use of computers. Many octogenarians wouldn’t have the slightest idea. So I’m guessing the metal kid got his grandparents registered online.

kids help elders get vaccine. Hooray for these young caregivers. — Kids help elders get vaccine. It’s heartwarming to see children take care of their parents.

There were sons with fathers on canes or in wheel chairs. And daughters who brought their parents to check in. Love was in the air. Lucky, my husband and I can still navigate on our own. But It was heartwarming to see so many children taking the time to get their parents or grandparents vaccinated. Hooray for family caregivers, and kids who help their elders get the vaccine.

January 13, 2021January 13, 2021

FACING A POST PANDEMIC WORLD

We’re getting our vaccines this week. After the second booster shot, we’ll be good to go. But where? How soon will we get our lives back? If you visited East Germany decades after the end of WWII, you could still see the effects of that devastating event. Shattered windows, bombed buildings. The post war period was a time of hard-sharp and suffering that lasted for years. This covid-19 pandemic has been compared to a world wide war. How can anyone believe that everything will be the same when it’s finally over?

About a month after being vaccinated, we should feel a bit less apprehensive about shopping, socializing, and visiting relatives. But we octogenarians comprise only 4% of the population. Which means that 96% of the people we see every day are still vulnerable. Yes, we can feel safe eating in restaurants and visiting relatives, but we’ll still have to wear masks and social distance.

The stock market is booming. People who kept their jobs now have bulging bank accounts, because they haven’t had anywhere to spend their money. Investors are betting that a huge buying spree is on the horizon. But is it? Will you ever feel the same in a crowded theatre with the sounds of people coughing and sneezing? Remember all those conferences you attended for work? You got to see cities and visit places you’d never been before, and it was all paid for. But do you really want to sit in stuffy conference rooms listening to presentations, while seated next to strangers from all over the world? And what about indoor sporting events? Remember the first cases of Covid in this country came from the gymnasium of a basketball game.

I grew up in the era of the big department stores. Even in our small town, we had a couple of them. You could spend half a day smelling the perfume, trying on clothes, going from department to department just to dream about all the dazzling merchandise. Guess what, most of those stores are gone. Shopping online isn’t half as much fun. And often you have to go to the bother of dealing with returns.

Are we ever going to feel perfectly safe without masks during the flu season? Will we shake hands when introduced to someone? A cougher or a sneezer will not be welcome anywhere. We all know too much about the way viruses are spread.

Millions of people have lost jobs or closed their small businesses. Their lives will never be the same. After climbing out of debt, they’ll have to re invent themselves and start all over again.

Are you ready to face a post pandemic world?

January 11, 2021January 11, 2021

HAPPY TO LIVE IN FLYOVER COUNTRY

Once upon a time, there was a young girl who couldn’t wait to get out of town. She thought big cities like New York and Los Angeles sounded far more appealing as a place to live out her adult life. But after college, she didn’t have more than $50 in her bank account, so she settled for the nearest big city—Chicago. After that, she moved to Miami, and then the 1972 meltdown brought her back home to Indiana with her young family. And somehow, she never left. And now, in the midst of all this upheaval in our nation’s capitol, she’s happy to live in flyover country.

That’s not to say that people in the Heartland don’t have strong opinions. We’ve lived here long enough to have family and friends at both ends of the political spectrum. They will passionately argue and defend their viewpoints. We see trucks flying American flags rumbling through the city. And there are Black Lives Matter signs in many quiet, middle class neighborhoods. So yes, people do care. But riot in the streets? Storm the courthouse? I don’t think so. There’s no big city anonymity here. Having grown up in the same place, most of us have friends and acquaintances from grade school on up through college and the workplace. We’re not going to start rioting against our fellow churchgoers, relatives, colleagues and friends.

I was born in New York City, but the great depression drew my family back to the safety and security of the family farm. Still, I often dreamed of what my life might have been like had we been able to stay. Now, I’m very glad we didn’t. Did you know that people are leaving New York City in droves?

Here in flyover country, I’ve lived in a state where Democrat Evan Bayh was a much loved Governor and Senator. He was repeatedly voted into office by both Democrats and Republicans. Our current Republican Governor Holcomb won re-election by a landslide. Both men are known for their common sense approach to government, and have a down to earth persona that appealed to people throughout the state. There was nothing in the temperament of either man that was– or is–likely to incite a riot. So yes, I’m happy to live in flyover country.

January 9, 2021January 9, 2021

LUCKY TO BE A HOOSIER OVER 80

It’s not often that an octogenarian feels especially lucky–except for the fact that we’re still around. But right now , if you’re a Hoosier over the age of 80, you’re fortunate. That’s because our Governor Holcomb has issued some common sense guidelines for dispensing the covid-19 vaccine. Since 50% of deaths from covid-19 are with people over 80, we are next in line—after healthcare providers and first responders. I don’t know what they’re doing in other states, but it’s very impressive how efficiently it’s being handled in Indiana. Right now, I’m feeling lucky to be a Hoosier over 80.

As State Health Commissioner Kristina Box said, “ By opening the vaccine to those who are 80 or older, then adding people in their 70s and 60s when vaccine supplies allow us to expand, we can best protect the populations that account for 93 percent of our COVID-19 deaths,

Lucky to be a Hoosier over 80: You don't have to wait in long lines to get vaccinated — In Indiana, you didn’t have to wait in long lines to get vaccinated. Lucky to be a Hoosier over 80.

Starting Friday, December 8, at 9 a.m. you could call or schedule online an appointment at a local hospital or clinic. But of course, they hit a few snags. When I called the 211 number, they said they couldn’t take my call. That wasn’t surprising. What was surprising: when I contacted the Department of Health via chat, they gave me a link that actually worked. It told me the wait time to get registered in minutes and seconds. I knew that if I stayed online for about 45 minutes, it would be my turn. And it was. I entered the required information as to age, name, etc. and voila: I had an appointment for next week. And they let me make one for my husband, too.

Are you afraid to get the vaccine? I know I was apprehensive when I started hearing of people who’d had bad reactions. But the minute I heard I could get a vaccine right away, I felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Did I really want to go on this way for the indefinite future? Not going anywhere, doing much of anything, or seeing anyone I care about? It’s been an emotional roller coaster, and I am ready to get off. I’ll take my chances. And I feel lucky to be a Hoosier over 80.

As of noon, Friday, 33,000 octogenarians in Indiana had registered for the vaccine. And no one had to stand in long lines or wait in their car for hours like they did in other states. Cheers to Governor Holcomb for doing a great job.

January 6, 2021January 6, 2021

6 THINGS BRING HOPE FOR 2021

Everyone agrees that 2020 is a year we would rather forget. The social isolation of the pandemic, and subsequent economic and mental anguish has brought the entire world to a standstill. And yet, 6 things bring hope for 2021.

1. Indy just landed the entire NCAA Men’s Basketball tourney. Who says Indianapolis is a hick town? This tournament is usually played throughout the country in March. We’re talking 67 men’s college basketball games, all to be played right here in the State of Indiana. Love it that Indy Governor Holcomb met with NCAA President Mark Emmert and planned the whole thing back in November. Proud to be a Hoosier, and hoping more exciting things will happen for our State in the future

2. Seeing a friend fight cancer. Some forms of cancer have a worse prognosis than others, and this was a bad one. The median survival is only 8 months. And yet he’s still here after 2 years. . We’ve watched him go through chemo, and bravely battle the disease. He walks and prays daily, keeps an upbeat attitude, and can still drive, travel and enjoy life.

3. Indoor gardening. I love seeing greenery inside the house on dreary winter days. Lots of hanging planters in the windows. I have enough amaryllis bulbs to last through Spring. Watching the buds and leaves slowly emerge , inch by inch, gives me something to look forward to each day. And when the gorgeous flowers finally bloom, I feel a surge of joy.

4. Mastering a mean omelet. I’ve always loved omelets, but never could get one to turn out smoothly. Mine always fell apart somewhere, and ended as a jumbled up mess on the plate. Finally, I found an omelet lesson on you tube that actually worked. My cheese omelet last night was smooth, perfectly done, and slid right onto a plate. I’m not too old to improve my cooking skills.!

5. Vaccine. 2020 has been a lost year for everyone. Too many people have died from Covid-19. My grandchildren missed out on a whole year of in-person schooling.. Folks have lost jobs, are going hungry, and losing their homes. The vaccines for Covid-19 give us hope for a return to normalcy by the end of this year.

6. 2020 election is over. The spam phone calls from politicians at all hours of the day and night have finally stopped. I’m still getting emails from The Trump folks, but I believe those will end after Biden’s inauguration. Whether or not you like the outcome of the election, you won’t have to endure all those invasions of privacy by activists who call, knock on your door, post on your Facebook, and clog up your email account

Better things are coming in 2021!

January 4, 2021January 4, 2021

WHAT IF IT WERE TRUE?

In a couple of days, the electoral college will vote to certify the presidential election. A lot of Republicans are going to protest, saying there’s proof of voter fraud in several states. I doubt if that effort is going anywhere, but it makes you wonder if they’re going to keep pursuing it, like a dog with a bone. What if it were true, after all? Would we have to redo the entire election?

This latest election has been a wake up call for many voters, who thought the voting process was uniform across the United States. In my state of Indiana, you have to have a valid ID, and a signature check in order to vote in person or by absentee ballot. That seems like a pretty reasonable requirement. However, I did not know that other states have different rules. You can vote by mail with no signature or identification. Paper ballots can be run off on xerox machines, and they will be considered valid. In states like Nevada, people can vote twice.

Up until now, I believed that real people counted the votes. I was unaware that the task had been assigned to machines. It really undermines a person’s faith in the entire electoral process.

If certain states have allowed these loosey goosey voting requirements to go on for a long time, then it seems that both political parties are at fault.. Somewhere along the line, someone should have stood up and asked for election reform. But since they didn’t, they have only themselves to blame for the current mess we’re in.

What’s happened now is that most American’s believe that our electoral system is deeply flawed. Many of us have lost faith in the entire process. That’s not good for our country in the long run. The Democrats may have benefited from the loopholes in the system this time around, but it could come back to bite them in future elections if the Republicans figure out ways to beat the system in future elections.

Again, what if it were true? What if proof of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election finally comes to light a year from now? Would we have a do over election? Would Biden have to move out, and Trump move back in the White House? There’s no precedent for this scenario, and no rules established. I guess the legislature would have to figure it all out.