Monday, August 23, 2021
A busy Monday, what with E having both a yoga class and an exercise class in the morning, a dental checkup in the middle of the day, and her friend PF coming for a visit at tea time. Tea consisted of ginger lemon drop cocktails, maple sugar candies, and blackberry cobbler. M thought that it was only polite for him to participate. Beyond that, he was occupied with yard maintenance issues and such.
Our cleaner, who has not been vaccinated, has texted to say that she won’t be able to come tomorrow because she had been exposed to COVID and is quarantining for two weeks. We were glad to see her taking things seriously at least in this way.
Tuesday, August 24, 2021
Eve worked for a couple of hours in the garden this morning. M was also outside, installing new roll-up sunshades on the south side of the house.
In the early afternoon E went to a meeting of her HEPAJ group at J’s house. She was smartly turned out a lightweight wool jacket and her new denim skirt. Alas, no photos were taken. In the late afternoon, both M and E were busy filling in for the absent cleaner. No photos of that either.
The Oregon COVID spike continues to worsen. COVID hospitalizations are at an all time high and many hospitals are reporting zero available ICU beds. Over the last ten days, the average daily death toll has been 13.5, which is the highest level since January. The daily toll could be even higher over the next ten days.
Wednesday, August 25, 2021
We’ve learned that an old friend and colleague of ours has died. We both met Edith more than forty years ago when we first started working at OSU. Although she has not been able to attend in recent times, she was one of the original members of E’s HEEPA group (which has since morphed into HEPAJ). She was smart and unsentimental, but always kind. We’ve been missing her since she moved to a care facility in Portland. We miss her still.
Thursday, August 26, 2021
This morning we had just a few drops or rain. It’s been a while, seems like a long while.
We’re feeling very unhappy today as we wrestle with a COVID-related dilemma. In the spring of 2020 the son of our good friend F was planning to be married. Because of the pandemic, they had to defer their plans and wait for a better time. This year, in early July, when the virus seemed to be very much in abeyance, they decided to proceed with the wedding and scheduled it for August 28. They live in Boise, just a day’s drive away, and we immediately told them we’d be there. Now, alas, the virus situation is much worse than it was in July and is not expected to get better anytime soon. There are a lot of factors to consider here, but we’re thinking that maybe we shouldn’t go. It’s hard.
Friday, August 27, 2021
We discussed our dilemma early this morning, in what M called the ‘cold light of dawn.’ After breakfast we spent an hour composing our regrets. We sent one message to F and another to the bride and groom. Now we’re depressed.
We need to plan something else for the next few days, can’t just stay home and mope.
Saturday, August 28, 2021
We took the Porsche down to Eugene today. Eugene is home to the Euphoria Chocolate Company, a really good Ethiopian food truck, and the M. Jacobs furniture store, all three of which we visited with good results.
Sunday, August 29, 2021
Drove the Mazda up to Hood River in the Columbia Gorge. Three hours from Corvallis, Hood River is home to Full Sail Brewing, makers of M’s favorite beer. You don’t have to go to Hood River to get Full Sail beer, but you do have to go there if you want to visit the Full Sail brewery pub and get some of their Caesar salad, which is one of E’s favorite things. Fortunately they offer curbside pickup, which wasn’t as much fun as being in the pub, but was a safer alternative.
We stayed overnight in a motel where our car could spend time with others of its ilk.
Monday, August 30, 2021
Eventually we did get up and after breakfast we crossed the Bridge of the Gods and wandered around Washington for a while. Then we recrossed the river and went for a hike at Wahkeena Falls on the Oregon side. We hiked steeply upward until we got tired and ate the last of our chocolate.
so, so sorry for the loss of your friend, your housekeepers exposure to Covid, and the cancellation of wedding plans.
Its a difficult time we are living in with some so against the vaccine…and the biggest problem being we dont know who. I dont allow anyone in the bakery without a mask, as you cant ask people if they are vaccinated, and even if you could, they feel the need to not tell the truth about it. Seems the only way some minds change is if then contract the virus, then they seem to have a sudden vision and wish they had gotten vaccinated. Its very tough. And here I am waiting for a booster and glad to get it. I’ve lost friends, friends have lost parents. We’ve lost the ability to enjoy functions without having to worry. So sad. Hopefully someday soon we will be able to relax. I’m reading the new book out by my favorite author, Louise Penny. The books are set right where i live, only just over the border in Canada. When she started writing it Covid was just a small threat..so its pretty amazing that she wrote such a book that comes so close to what we have experienced. There are some really scary, thought provoking things that come up in the book..She never fails to rope me in and have me thinking and wishing for more book. If you care to read it, this one is called “The Madness of Crowds”. I think this is the 17th book in the series…each one better than the one before. Well worth the price of the hardcover..let alone the far lower cost if you enjoy kindle(i do not..i want to hold a book!)
O my. I can actually feel your sadness. So much loss and all at once. It is such a bummer to seemingly be reversing our COVID gains. And so much of the decision making involves little awareness of responsibility to others. What has happened to us ? 😢🌿
I’m so sorry to hear that Edith has died. She was such a wonderful support to me when I first started at the ELI, a good listener and someone who helped make things smoother for me.
She had a wicked funny sense of humor, which I loved, and her beloved husband, Ted, wrote the most amazing and clever poems.
Excellent photos. Missed those that might have chronicled house cleaning.