HOW OFTEN HAVE YOU COVID PANICKED?

Covid panic attacks were something new to me. I remember my first one, after a family gathering on a Sunday in March of 2019. Our county had only a handful of cases then, so there wasn’t a lot to worry about. And then, the CDC rang the alarm bells. I woke up that next morning with a stuffy nose and slightly scratchy throat. Not at all unusual, because I have year round allergies. But this time, I felt prickles of alarm under my skin. The next two days had me in a state of worry. Was I coming down with Covid? Finally , I calmed down, thinking that was the last time I would have such a scare. But it wasn’t. How often have you Covid panicked these past couple of years?

At first, since we had under 10 cases in our city I decided it would be safe to go shopping Only a few people wore masks. But I had a box of surgery masks that I began to use immediately. Along with hand sanitizer and gloves. As the weeks wore on, panic began to spread in our city as cases rose.

Once, I was grocery shopping when I heard someone cry out “don’t wear those gloves.” Startled, I turned to see an angry masked woman standing a few feet away. “Don’t you know those things spread the virus?” She said. “I’m a nurse, and I know.” She proceeded to show me how you touch everything with your gloves, then your face and skin, etc.” She said using hand sanitizer was the only safe way to go.

I realized that as a nurse, she was in a heightened state of fear because by now, she had seen people die of Covid. So I didn’t argue with her. But I did remove my gloves in the car and apply more hand sanitizer. I used so much of that stuff in the next year that my fingers began to itch and burn.

Nevertheless, I wasn’t about to give up my shopping trips. , I only went out once a week ,and came back with a car trunk loaded with bags .Afterwards, , I might have another Covid panic . I heard rumors of people who had caught the virus on trips to the pharmacy while picking up prescriptions.

It was another year before the vaccine was developed, and we were the first in line to get one. After our second shot, we thought we were back to normal. Went out to dinner Celebrated birthdays. No more Covid panic attacks. Had a great summer in 2020—even celebrated my birthday with children and grandchildren from afar. Got a booster shot in the Fall of 2021. Then came omicron, hundreds of cases, and we were back to masking, staying home, and yes, having covid panic attacks after shopping trips..

The cases are beginning to ebb, and soon, we can stopping wearing masks. However, a lot of us will never feel quite so safe again when shopping. How often have you Covid panicked in the last two years?

January 12, 2022January 12, 2022

REPORTERS’ DIGS FASCINATE ON TV

One of the interesting things that came out of the pandemic was individual news reporting away from the studio. Instead of reporters or discussion panelists sitting around a table, they’re broadcasting live from their own homes. Their glitzy digs often steal the show. Especially on national news programs like Washington Week in Review. The moderator, Jamiche Alcidor, is in the studio. However, that’s not too interesting. But when we see the panelists inside their homes, it grabs my attention. Especially with high profile journalists in glamorous settings. I devour every detail. The plants, pictures, furniture, lamps, etc. Often, after the person has finished speaking, I can’t remember what they said. All I can recall is that beautiful sofa, the dramatic fiddle leaf philodendron, those upscale cabinets and other decorative highlights. Reporters’ digs fascinate on TV .

Consequently, you wonder how much time they spend setting the stage. Do they have a decorator come in and paint the walls—usually white—and arrange the furniture? Or is this how they really live? . After awhile, the backdrops seem to follow a pattern. At least half of them will have a bookcase in view. I guess that is supposed to indicate that they’re educated and well read. There’s often a plant. Do they actually water them, or were they just ordered from a florist? Pictures on the wall are carefully arranged along with interesting accessories.. I love it when someone is sitting in their kitchen, because I get to see all the sparkling, new fangled appliances

It’s even more fun watching home grown news programs like Indiana Week in Review. The Midwestern backdrops are modest in comparison to national news.. But it’s interesting to see the image they’re trying to project. Ann Delaney, the leading Democratic panelist, started out with upscale décor in a sophisticated setting. Now she’s switched to an egalitarian persona in a plainer room with a sloppily arranged bookcase. Mike Obrien, the major Republican panelist, has a patriotic, business like space, with plaques and flags and the usual white walls. I love reporter Mickey Kelley’s pink walls. Sometimes you can even spot a microwave in her kitchen.. Now, there’s a lady everyone can relate to. John Schwantes, the legal eagle, also sits in front of a bookcase where the books are slanted, not straight up as if unused.

If things ever get back to normal, I’m going to miss seeing how famous reporters live. Their digs fascinate me on TV news shows. .

October 29, 2021October 29, 2021

SQUIRRELS ARE TELLING US SOMETHING

Most of us agree this has been a weird year, weather wise. A long, hot summer extending into November, and lots of rain. All of which has produced a bumper crop of acorns and walnuts falling from our neighbors’ trees and cluttering up our walkways. The squirrels have been busy, reaping the benefits. For weeks now, they’ve been scampering across our fences and lawn with cheeks bulging. They’re storing up food all over the place, and from the looks of it, they’ll have enough to last the winter. When you consider what’s going on in this covid-19 pandemic world, it seems the squirrels are telling us something : Stock up on food now, because it’s going to be scarce.

Many supermarket shelves have empty spaces, and what products are available go up in price every week. I’ve recently noticed my shopping cart is much fuller than it used to be. I’m not consciously emulating the squirrels, but I seem to be buying a lot more of everything. Instead of one can of vegetables or beans, I’m coming home with three or four. Probably have enough toilet paper to last until spring. It’s not actually hoarding, because that would mean I’m getting stuff I will never have a chance to use.

For example, during world war II sugar was rationed. My mother’s best friend was childless, and apparently had more disposable income than we did. She and her husband began hoarding sugar in huge tin storage cans up in their attic. Lift the lid on their piano bench and you could see it was packed to the brim with hard candy. They didn’t eat the candy, and the woman seldom baked. As I remember, she never offered to share as much as a cup of her sugar. .

When the war was over, she invited me up to her attic to see all the sugar she had stored for the duration. It was hard and lumpy, and I think it was drawing ants, so she threw it all away. The candy had melted together during the summer months with no air conditioning, and so it, too, went into the trash pit.

Squirrels are telling us something. Time to stock up for the winter. — Squirrels are telling us something. Now is the time to store food for the winter.

In comparison, my overbuying isn’t really what you would call hoarding. I’m just filling my cupboards to the brim. Nothing will go to waste. But I’m bracing myself for a long hard winter of shortages and higher prices on everything we buy. The squirrels are telling us something.

Food shortages are coming.

September 29, 2021September 29, 2021

COMMON COLD MAKES A COMEBACK

Every since the Covid-19 pandemic began, I didn’t have a single cold or bout with the flu. Thanks to all the masking, social isolation, and hand sanitizer, my body was shielded from those nasty cold viruses for a year and a half. In fact, the last cold I experienced was in February of 2020—right before we found out we were facing a pandemic. It was a really bad cold that went on for a month (might have even been the virus). But then the world got turned upside down, and I forgot what it was like to be sick. Now, the common cold makes a comeback.

In case you’ve forgotten, a cold creeps up on you gradually. You’re unusually tired for a couple of days. Then you feel a sneeze coming on. Next day, you’re feeling achy and just plain awful. It’s scary. Are you coming down with the virus? No temperature yet, or other symptoms like a cough, fever, diarrhea, etc. However, you make up your mind if it gets any worse, you’ll get tested. Lose a good night’s sleep with worry.. And then, you wake up, sit out in the sun, (yes it’s back to 80 degrees) and start feeling better. And that’s when realize you just had a plain, ordinary cold. On top of allergic rhinitis, maybe., because this is ragweed season. It all feels the same.

They say a change in weather makes you more susceptible to sinus problems. Last week, the weather went from 90 degrees, to an overnight 46. Cold rain thrown in to the mix. Being a fresh air nut, I’d left the windows open. Apparently, abrupt changes in temperature lower the immune system. It didn’t help the next day when I went grocery shopping during a cold, windy downpour. Only half the people at the supermarket were wearing masks. No one was social distancing in the long lines at the checkout.

Our defenses have gone down this past month, even though Covid cases have increased. People have stopped using hand sanitizer and started going to restaurants and shops. Most have quit wearing masks. The weather is often cold and rainy. And even though we’ve been vaccinated, we’re being exposed to germs that cause the common cold and the flu. The scary return of the common cold is a reality. Be careful. Mask up. Use hand sanitizer. Don’t catch a cold if you can help it. .

May 7, 2021May 7, 2021

OLD DOG LEARNED 10 NEW TRICKS

No one can predict how much time we’ll spend on this earth, but there’s a general perception that everything goes downhill after 80 years. In some ways, that’s true in regard to physical capabilities. There’s arthritis, high blood pressure, and all those other physical conditions that the elderly must cope with. However, this old dog learned 10 new tricks after her 80^th birthday. Since that milestone, I have learned to:

1. Start a blog. This was like learning a whole new language. I could never have done it without the generous help of younger folks at Ivy Tech Community College and the Vigo County Public Library.

2. Make a smooth omelet. My omelets were always lumpy and falling apart. Finally, I went on You Tube and learned the secret is using a blender to whip up the eggs before pouring them on the skillet

Old Dogs Learn 10 New Tricks. You can learn to play Mahjong after 80 — Old Dogs Learn 10 New Tricks. You can play Mahjong at any age.

3. Play Mahjong. I was a bridge player since college. Years ago, I attempted to play Mahjong, but soon gave up, as it seemed too complicated. And then, three years ago, I was lucky enough to find the right teacher. I still enjoy bridge, but Mahjong is just as challenging, without the pressure of pleasing a partner. And you can play online!

4. Navigate Netflix. We started sending for Netflix CD’s several years ago. But when the pandemic hit, we kept hearing about all the Netflix series that could be streamed . It seemed way too complicated, but a Netflix customer service person walked me through all the details. Binging on a Netflix series like Bridgerton helped us through the long winter of Covid-19 isolation.. We’ll be watching less TV this spring, but I’m so glad I learned how to stream.

5. Rebloom an amaryllis bulb. Three years ago, my husband ordered a pot of amaryllis just in time for Christmas. I had never seen anything so miraculously blooming in the winter. After reading the instructions, saved the bulbs, and repotted them the next winter. It was exciting to see the leaves shooting up slowly, and 6 weeks later when the flowers bloomed again. Now I’m hooked. My basement has nearly a dozen bulbs hibernating until next winter.

6. Stop a nosebleed. My husband is prone to them because he’s on blood thinners. Usually, we called the doctor if it happened. But during the pandemic, we didn’t want to sit in a doctor’s office with other patients. We got online and found this advice: : Have the patient lean forward, not back. Take a cotton ball and soak it in liquid nasal decongestant. Put the cotton up the nostril that’s bleeding. If you have a nose pincher, use that. Otherwise, pinch with your fingers. Within 15 minutes, the bleeding has usually stopped.

Other new skills acquired were: 7) Online banking: transferring money and paying bills via the internet, 8) Practicing daily meditation using the Calm app. 9) Texting messages and sending photos on my cell phone 10) Completing jig saw puzzles.

If you dread turning 80, or have already reached that milestone, just remember: It’s never too late for old dogs to learn new tricks.

April 26, 2021April 26, 2021

WEARING YOUR MASK AT HALF MAST

Things are looking up in our city. Covid-19 cases keep going down, and vaccination rate is very high. About 50% of people over 65 have received 2 shots. So naturally, we’re feeling more relaxed when out in public. What I’ve noticed the past couple of weeks is that while most everyone is still wearing their masks, they’re letting them slip down below their nose. Is wearing your mask at half mast OK?

Wearing your mask at half mask feels better but it's not okay. — Now that you’ve been vaccinated, it’s tempting to wear your mask at half mask. But it’s not okay.

I can definitely see the point. Wearing a mask that covers all your breathing apparatus is a sweaty experience. By the time you’ve spent some time at a supermarket, your face is wet when you finally get back to your car. But scientists warn us that it’s no use wearing a mask that doesn’t cover your nose, because you’re still breathing in all the polluted air around you. Also, contrary to common belief, you can still blow polluted air out your nose and infect others if you’re carrying the virus.

Unfortunately, there have been several cases of people coming down with the virus, even though they’re fully vaccinated. I read that a psychologist caught it from one of his patients and died. I suppose that’s possible in a crowded room where you can actually smell the other person’s breath. Same thing if you’re on an airplane where you’ll be in close contact for a long time.

I would feel more comfortable wearing no mask at all as opposed to one under my nose. It wouldn’t look half as silly. But I have the feeling masks are going to be in style long after we’ve reached herd immunity. Especially in the winter months, it would make sense to protect yourself from all the cold and flu viruses floating in the air. But it won’t do any good to wear your mask at half mast.

March 22, 2021March 22, 2021

WHY DID YOU GO TO COLLEGE?

College enrollment is nosediving everywhere. In college towns, that affects overall prosperity, as retail businesses and restaurants see less revenue coming in. Obviously, the covid-19 pandemic has started this downward spiral. It’s not just because so many people are unemployed, and college is less affordable. It’s also because the main appeal of higher learning isn’t all about academics. Why did you go to college?

When I graduated high school at age 17, I lived a mile from campus, and could walk to class every day. Coming from a small Catholic girls school, most of my 17 classmates entered the workforce as secretaries, factory workers, and other occupations that didn’t require a college degree. But I didn’t want to go on with my same old life. I wanted to re invent myself. Meet new people. Go to parties. Get involved in clubs and activities. Socialize with students from all over the state, the country, and a few foreign students. If college had meant enrolling in online learning, I’m sure it wouldn’t have had the same appeal. In order to broaden my experiences, I would probably have moved to some exciting new place like California.

Another reason many women went on to university was to get what was laughingly called an MRS. degree. They really didn’t want to have a career. But they did want to meet an educated man who could provide them with the ideal life at that time, as a stay at home wife and mother, with a house in the suburbs, a car, and two or three children. That’s all changed. Many people do meet “the love of their life” in college. But now, most female graduates move on to careers in accounting, engineering, and other formerly male dominated occupations. They may decide to marry around the age of 30, or not at all.

Still, the major appeal of college life has more to do with the social aspects. Getting away from home Making friends with new, like minded people. The partying, the activities, clubs, sporting events. When you take away all of that, college loses it’s appeal to those less academically talented. Maybe that’s a good thing, in the end. There are plenty of careers that don’t require a college degree.

Why did you go to college? .