Gary Update

 Gary and Susan both have Covid. Susan is not well but not having as difficult a time as Gary. He has always had a great deal of stamina throughout his life and we are hanging our hat on that and hoping it is enough. He is on Day 9. From what others have told me Days 9/10 are the turning points. He is uppermost in both our minds so...till next time.

Later this morning: He is feeling well enough to eat a little and both of them are monitoring their blood oxygen levels and temperatures. So it is a make it through the day kind of thing and that is happening so we have to take our positives where we can find them. Susan has lost her sense of taste and smell. That seems to be something that happens. Laura's son Michael lost his taste and smell for 3 months. We don't realize what a joy they are until they are gone. Think about it! How much fun would eating be if everything tasted like cardboard!

The Best Gift

  This Christmas remember the Spirit of Christmas and keep it dear. And make the very first gift you give the greatest one: Give the gift of love.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, love is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things…. So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians Chapter 13

May you and those you love have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS filled with love and joy – and the true spirit of Christmas.

Have a safe and happy holiday season!

Barb and Butch Brooker

update 1

 I talked to Susan yesterday about Gary. Susan also has Covid but seems to be not as sick as Gary and from what I have read it does seem that women fare better than men with this virus. The two of them are pretty much constantly on our minds. I haven't checked in with them yet today but you can be sure that I will.

Last night Butch and I put a puzzle together. We haven't done that for years. It used to be a regular winter activity. It was a 300 piece puzzle of the US and it took us 2 hours. It was fun!

We are currently having a cold spell with highs in the 60's and lows in the '30s. The beauty of being here is that it will not last long.

We haven't been to many places. In fact, the grocery store and/or Costco are our only destinations so far. We are happy about the vaccine news and plan to get one as soon as they are available to us. We hope we are lucky enough to have both before heading home next Spring. 

Gary B is positive

 Our son Gary sent me a text yesterday telling me he has tested positive for Covid. He said they took two other tests at the same time. His symptoms currently are fatigue and achiness. I have asked him to keep me updated and I hope he remains healthy enough to do that. Missouri has been an open state since summer. Many people there do not "believe" in it so this has been a bigger concern for those of us who know it isn't a matter of belief. Gary is a teacher so his job has put him in a high-risk category. We know he has done all he could in the way of precautions. He is just that kind of guy. And yet here he is...

And our friend Renie was called back to Michigan to take her mother, who has Covid, home from the hospital. The hospital sent her mother home, a woman who had Covid in her late 80's who was on oxygen 24 hours of every day and there was no one there to care for her. So Renie had to go, and now Renie has Covid and her mother has passed so she is trying to take care of all that goes with that as well. Renie is struggling but still able to function. There are so many things wrong with this scenario.

Cribbage Board

 There was a park-only patio sale this past Saturday and we made the rounds. We didn't buy much because you just don't when you live in a motorhome, that is if you want some room anyway. We had a cribbage board on our list of wants because of our new pool hall in Jefferson. We have one of course but thought we could use a second one. We had planned to pick one up at the DonWes Flea Market. I spotted one for $2! and we snapped it right up. The people we bought it from said they didn't know how to play it so were selling it. We have offered to teach them so we may have to sell it back to them.

Oh yes, we wore our masks. Not everyone did.😕

Containers Contained

 I have always been a collector of containers. It hurts me to pass up a perfectly good box. Now I must say they do have to be special in some aspect. I do not rescue dilapidated boxes or ones that would take way too much elbow grease but a good sturdy shoebox is very hard for me to turn my back on. Here is one I dolled up a few years ago and it holds most of our excess electronic connectors like phone charger cords. I have all those kinds of things in one box so I know where to look when I need one.

And here is one I put together last night with a box my shoes came in. Its purpose is yet to be decided.

It is a new crafty hobby of mine that I enjoy. I always need a creative outlet and this is the latest. So I have stocked up on Duct Tape of all colors. As hobbies go this isn't too expensive.

Yesterday I played pool with the women. Too much conversation and not enough focus. Oh well...

Trivia

A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research says that if your spouse also happens to be your best friend, you’ll get about twice as much life satisfaction as those whose spouses aren’t. So if you’re not best friends with your spouse or partner, perhaps it’s time to plan a date and go do something fun!

Trivia

 This 'splains alot!

Trivia

You know how they’ve been saying not to go to a gym during the pandemic? Well, this might have something to do with it… FitRated.com collected samples from 27 pieces of gym equipment from three different gyms and found there were more than one million germs per square inch on every piece of equipment – hooooooly cow! The equipment with the most germs was the treadmill, followed by the exercise bike, followed by free weights. Free weights, they found, had 362 times more bacteria on them than a toilet seat.

T'was a Good Idea

 

T'was a Good Idea

 Moving back to our hometown of Jefferson Iowa was a good idea and we didn't even know to what extent at the time. As anyone who knows me can tell you, my Internet connection is important to me and surprisingly more so as time goes on. It is my one indulgence and I do not see that changing as long as I can rub two brain cells together.

And here is an article that surprised and pleased me on this subject.

http://beeherald.com/news/believe-hype-0