COVID-19 #2 Quarantine/Stay at Home

As I mentioned in the previous post, the day after Seth and I arrived home from Orlando, Governor Little issued a stay-at-home order due to the coronavirus. The kids still had the rest of that week as spring break before school would begin on-line.

The Lego table came out and a very fine little town was created. 

Sheriff's office and jail

Pet store

Pastor comforting a grieving parishioner

Church--Note the stained glass windows

Doctor's office

Hair salon

Bookstore

Krusty's Cafe

Town park

The girls also taught Seth Cat's Cradle.

Adjusting to having the church shut down and not meeting corporately to hear the Word of God preached has been pretty difficult.  Russ decided to just work from home, going in on Saturday mornings to tape his sermons for Sunday.  This means a very messy table and lots of books lying around! He did find an unused three drawer end table in our garage that he has used for storing some of his books.  I've been reminded several times, "This is only temporary." 😒

Watching our taped services.  After the first couple Russ, the elders, and a few pianists worked on adding hymns before and after the teaching as well.

We are still "meeting" via Zoom with our several Bible studies.  I meet with our women's church Bible study for an hour on Tuesday mornings, our Psalm study still meets on Wednesday night (I think we had about 30 people last week!), Russ meets with his Friday book group, and my BSF class still meets on Tuesday evenings.  Using technology has been wonderful to connect with people, but nothing can replace face to face teaching and fellowship! 

I can't tell you how much this encouraged Pastor Russ!

Easter Sunday, a couple from the church stopped by with this beautiful Easter lily and sang the first verse of "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today" to us.  We can honestly say it was the first time we'd ever been Easter caroled!

Russ tries to call all the elderly in the church every week during this time as they are even more housebound than we are.  Those in care centers are not even allowed to leave their rooms for meals.  He has also been Zooming his radio program on Wednesday mornings so he has stayed pretty busy even though the church doors are closed.  He is currently Zooming all his meetings for the Dordt Board of Trustees.  He had planned to be in Iowa this week for those meetings and to catch Nicolas run in a track meet.  When he is not doing church-related business, he is trying to fix our aging irrigation system which needs a bit of a tune-up.  

The kids have done quite a bit more baking/cooking while at home.  Anna tried a new Twix Bar cookie recipe, and Seth made lemon drops.   Seth has promised us some of his yummy yeast rolls...stay tuned.  Good thing Russ found a 25# bag of flour when all the shelves were empty.🙄

Anna also taught herself Morse Code when she was super bored (before on-line school started).  I found the song lyrics scribbled in Morse code in the middle of her puzzle pages to be quite hilarious.  If you are bored, see if you can figure out what song it is!

The weather was absolutely beautiful last week so I rummaged through the pantry and found smore fixings.

We are missing an "S" hook, so Russ just improvised with a padlock.  He did the same thing last fall.  Seth and I distinctly remember the day we rushed outside in a downpour to take down the hammock only to find it padlocked--WITHOUT the key.  Thankfully, he left the key in this time.  I have been reminded again that this too, is "only temporary."🙄

When we came in after enjoying our smores, snuggling on the hammock, throwing a frisbee to Zoe, and entertaining Iverson (cat) we were greeted by this look at the door.  She was so not amused to be left out. 

What else do you do when the spring weather is beautiful?  Clean windows!

Mom's cleaning windows?  The screen's out?  Why not just come in here?

We also experienced our first earthquake--the first since 1983 in Boise.  Having the earth move and the house shake is a very queer feeling, indeed.  My sister Cora dubbed this our coronaquake.  Lydia is sure with the earthquake, disease, forest fires, etc that our Lord is coming back soon!

We read in the paper and on social media about weddings being postponed or brides and grooms making alternate plans but saw firsthand the ramifications of COVID-19 on planned nuptials.   Last week Russ and I were out for a walk and stumbled upon a wedding taking place just a block from our house.  Notice the social distancing of the wedding party?

We have been trying to walk every day just to get out of the house; most of the time going to church to grab the mail.  Sometimes the kids go with us, sometimes they just run their track workout, sometimes Seth and Lydia will go biking instead.  Those who know Lydia know she is accident prone so it was no surprise to us when she came home all banged up from a fall on her bike.  She was mortified that it happened in front of the Einstein Oil building.  Evidently, the guys came rushing out to see if she was okay.  She said they had smirks on their faces like they were trying not to laugh.  I told her that wasn't very nice of them, but she reassured me, "I think it's because I slapped the ground really hard after I fell and yelled 'BLAST!"😂  Good thing she heals quickly.

Other than going on walks, I have not left the home since I got back from Florida.  Russ has been our designated grocery shopper, errand runner, etc.  After the CDC recommended that all grocery shoppers wear face masks, Russ reluctantly agreed to put one on when out and about.  The last time he was out he noted that he would have been in the minority without one.  

From the back page of the Idaho Press last week.