I tend to depend on coordinating with other people for vacations/outings, mainly because internal motivation and exploring new places wo a buddy is just not really my thing, but also because these days, my son and I spending MORE time alone together in an unfamiliar environment tends to be a recipe for meltdowns. I found the motivation for camping, however, since I was familiar with a campground from a previous years’ expedition with extended family, and I wanted to give my kid some semblance of a summer something, since beaches, etc., have been mainly off the menu. But like all plans, BAM, hurricane hit and closed it. I scrambled, found another place and got one of the last spots. It ended up being probably the worst since the nearby road had consistent traffic and we didn’t feel quite like we were in the woods, there were meltdowns, my eye swelled up with a horsefly bite, it rained even though I specifically picked the dates BEFORE it was supposed to rain (and why there was only that single site left) and we really missed family since running around with cousins is one of the best parts about camping (for both of us since then I get time too), BUT we went on easy nearby hikes, saw lots of fly fishing and found this really excellent spider fly fishing spot. Sort of sums Up where I am with the pandemic: cobwebby, laced with morning dew. Sometimes I see the beauty and it’s sparkling; other times I tromp right into the sticky web.
August 16, 2020
9:00am Tuesday before Thanksgiving: I drove to get a nasal swab PCR test before hosting family, including my nearly 96 year old mother in law for Thanksgiving. The testing site was by appointment only, and still there was a line of cars. But it moved quickly. My husband and twenty-something kids also got tests before we all gathered for the holiday. We all got "negative" results and felt more comfortable in hugging, eating and just plain being together. It was wonderful to have a "normal" Thanksgiving after last year's holiday and all the other missed occasions. (And I've been tuning out the news of a new variant out of S. Africa.... I feel like I just can't deal with this pandemic continuing.....)
December 1, 2021