Small Talk: The Prayer Closet

[lookeyloo]

We are trying to establish a routine. Sick son is having some parts of some days where he feels okay but that is hit or miss (and no promise of long term). They put the maids on hiatus but they are from a company - son and husband called and wanted to pay until this is over. Company said no thanks. So we are all making hefty donations to food banks. And to a ministry that provides food for the school kids who only eat in school. It is scary to think what businesses won’t survive this. Let alone families. What a mess. 

[SunnyBeBe]

I try to think of a positive future and how much opportunity and zest for all things there will be if we are to get to a safe situation.  If we get another chance, the people will go, buy, consume, enjoy, etc.  If we can just get a reprieve at some point......

Edited April 1, 2020 by SunnyBeBe

[GeeGolly]

30 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I try to think of a positive future and how much opportunity and zest for all things there will be if we are to get to a safe situation.  If we get another chance, the people will go, buy, consume, enjoy, etc.  If we can just get a reprieve at some point......

 

[SunnyBeBe]

7 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

 

Bless you!  You nailed it! I nominate this song for America's celebration theme.  Just watching this made me feel better and renewed my hope.  

[ChiCricket]

1 hour ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I try to think of a positive future and how much opportunity and zest for all things there will be if we are to get to a safe situation.  If we get another chance, the people will go, buy, consume, enjoy, etc.  If we can just get a reprieve at some point......

 

40 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

 

Can we combine Sunnybebe's  thoughts and and Geegolly's video song choice and tweet it out to the world? The two are perfect together!  That's exactly how I feel rn.

                                                        ❤ 💜 💚 💙 💛

[SunnyBeBe]

I realize this might sound selfish and petty considering all of the major losses that everyone around the world and on these boards is experiencing, but, I do think that music is healing and inspiring.  I think there are studies that prove it.  I sure do hope that Brittnay Howard reschedules her concerts.  She was supposed to be at the NC Art Museum Outdoor venue this month.  Her group, Alabama Shakes has a hit song that seems fitting right now....it's called Hold On.  Lyrics here. 

https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/alabamashakes/holdon.html

[Westiepeach]

So, remember my family member that said God would protect him from the Coronavirus? I made a comment back to him that I was glad God was protecting him because apparently God was not protecting anyone else? Well, I got a text from him saying that his cousin was diagnosed with the virus and was at a nearby (to me) hospital. And asking me to pray for him. My gut reaction was to say something snarky. I ended up just saying I would pray for him and left it at that.

[SunnyBeBe]

It's hard to know what to say. I get how people are scared, confused, and angry.  How do we find any reason behind this?  I have no answers.  All I can do is hold to the faith that has been there my entire life. We are not promised any particular outcome.  I just pray for comfort and peace, regardless. 

Edited April 1, 2020 by SunnyBeBe

[Zella]

It was only a matter of time. We now have a confirmed case of COVID-19 in my county. :S 

[SunnyBeBe]

31 minutes ago, Zella said:

It was only a matter of time. We now have a confirmed case of COVID-19 in my county. :S 

That’s tough. Maybe it’ll hold to a small number. My state has some counties that have held to the single digits so far.

Garth Brooks and Trisha are doing concert from a booth on CBS right now. It’s touching.

[Zella]

2 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

That’s tough. Maybe it’ll hold to a small number. My state has some counties that have held to the single digits so far.

Garth Brooks and Trisha are doing concert from a booth on CBS right now. It’s touching.

I'd been telling myself ever since AR had its first case to just assume it is here, but it was still jolting to have it confirmed. There's maybe about a dozen counties in Arkansas with no confirmed cases. But I am sure some of it is the testing requirements in Arkansas. 

[Jynnan tonnix]

18 minutes ago, Zella said:

I'd been telling myself ever since AR had its first case to just assume it is here, but it was still jolting to have it confirmed. There's maybe about a dozen counties in Arkansas with no confirmed cases. But I am sure some of it is the testing requirements in Arkansas. 

Our county in CT still has only 27 confirmed cases at this point, and while it's still rising statewide, the curve has started to flatten out a tiny bit, so I'm hoping that they don't start to go up quite as exponentially as they have in other areas. We have around 270.000 people in this county, so that's still only one in a thousand,  and most people are really being good about compliance, so even when you do have to go out, the chances are pretty small that any space you might have to be will have had anything close to 1000 people in it recently, while the staff seems busy keeping everything disinfected in the interim....which makes me feel a little bit less like a sitting target. Granted, that figure is likely off by quite a bit considering the potential number of people who might be infected and not know it, and it will still doubtless get worse to at least some degree before it gets better....but I do feel as though the point at which things start getting back to some sort of normal is within fighting distance. The main thing will be not to get too complacent too early and cause a secondary spike.

[realityfan26]

16 minutes ago, Jynnan tonnix said:

Our county in CT still has only 27 confirmed cases at this point, and while it's still rising statewide, the curve has started to flatten out a tiny bit, so I'm hoping that they don't start to go up quite as exponentially as they have in other areas. We have around 270.000 people in this county, so that's still only one in a thousand,  and most people are really being good about compliance, so even when you do have to go out, the chances are pretty small that any space you might have to be will have had anything close to 1000 people in it recently, while the staff seems busy keeping everything disinfected in the interim....which makes me feel a little bit less like a sitting target. Granted, that figure is likely off by quite a bit considering the potential number of people who might be infected and not know it, and it will still doubtless get worse to at least some degree before it gets better....but I do feel as though the point at which things start getting back to some sort of normal is within fighting distance. The main thing will be not to get too complacent too early and cause a secondary spike.

I think your county is only 1 in 10,000. Maybe someone can double check my math. 

[Jynnan tonnix]

1 minute ago, realityfan26 said:

I think your county is only 1 in 10,000. Maybe someone can double check my math. 

I always manage to read extra zeroes wrong!

[Zella]

Pretty much all math frightens and demoralizes me. 😉 

[realityfan26]

Just now, Jynnan tonnix said:

I always manage to read extra zeroes wrong!

I just had my math major DH confirm it!. If we're reading our county information correctly, we have 6.6 per 10,000. A suburb of Chicago. So population high, but still suburban and not dense like a city. 

[Marshmallow Mollie]

We will be one family who buys a car as soon as this is over. Long story short, we have one car but we were about to have to buy a second car due to Husband’s new job. The kids and I are all at home now, so we can hold off. 

[GeeGolly]

I just read an article about a dad who lives in NY and wouldn't let his college age son return home after the kid went to FL for spring break. He loaded his son's car with groceries and put $300 on the dashboard. The son returned from FL, grabbed his car and drove to his off-campus apartment in MA.

So this spring breaker, who may or may not have covid, flew in a plane and drove through 2 states. How many gas stations did he stop at? Will he actually stay home? Where will he be spending that $300? Oh and the kid has roommates.

And while I get why the dad wouldn't let his kid come home, he sent a possible contagious child into multiple communities.

This is why no place is immune to covid. Most folks cross county/town/city lines in the course of daily living. And the ones who aren't taking the restrictions seriously, are still doing that. 

 

[doodlebug]

So many of us here are music lovers.  I just want to mention that Sirius XM is allowing FREE access to their services now through May 15.  Sirius has literally hundreds of channels devoted to every genre from Classical to Country.  They’ve got channels devoted to specific artists and eras.  My favorites are The Beatles, Springsteen and the 60’s on 6.  I’ve sampled and enjoyed lots of others

Go to their website and download the app and fill your life with music.

[Minivanessa]

Thanks for that, @doodlebug! I paid for a Sirius subscription for a few years after I got my car and really enjoyed it on road trips. I decided I wasn't using it enough to continue but I'm going to look into the free offer. I'm working at home and it would be nice to be able to stream some background music that way.

[Ohiopirate02]

11 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

That’s tough. Maybe it’ll hold to a small number. My state has some counties that have held to the single digits so far.

Garth Brooks and Trisha are doing concert from a booth on CBS right now. It’s touching.

In my part of NC, the numbers are low in some counties mostly the rural ones where people don't travel much.  My county had its cases spike after all the college kids came back after spring break.  Classes are all online, but so many of them live in apartments so they came back.  As far as I can tell no landlords or management companies let their tenants out of their leases insuring all of them came back.  The mayor of the largest city in my county is a landlord and of course he is still collecting rents.  These students came back and have been partying at home for the last two weeks.  

[BetyBee]

I think that confirmed cases can be deceiving. Many people have it and are not sick enough to be tested, since tests are limited to the very sick. It's possible that I may be one of them. I have quite a dry cough, but who knows? My state has a stay at home order and I haven't left the house since 3/13. My husband has only left to pick up (online orders) of groceries and gone to the drive up window at the pharmacy. Interestingly, our cat is sick  and he (my husband, not the cat!) had to pick up medicine from the vet. He paid ahead over the phone and picked it up curbside. 

By the way, Good Morning Small Talkers!  I hope you are all well today. 

 

[kokapetl]

Wow, they go deep!

 

Edited April 2, 2020 by kokapetl

[Barb23]

4 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

I just read an article about a dad who lives in NY and wouldn't let his college age son return home after the kid went to FL for spring break. He loaded his son's car with groceries and put $300 on the dashboard. The son returned from FL, grabbed his car and drove to his off-campus apartment in MA.

So this spring breaker, who may or may not have covid, flew in a plane and drove through 2 states. How many gas stations did he stop at? Will he actually stay home? Where will he be spending that $300? Oh and the kid has roommates.

And while I get why the dad wouldn't let his kid come home, he sent a possible contagious child into multiple communities.

This is why no place is immune to covid. Most folks cross county/town/city lines in the course of daily living. And the ones who aren't taking the restrictions seriously, are still doing that. 

 

I heard the dad's parent(s) were staying with him & that is one of the main reasons he didn't want the the son & his germs to live at home with them after the son returned from Spring Break.

But I agree the son could have infected a lot of people on his travels back to his apartment.  

39 minutes ago, kokapetl said:

Wow, they go deep!

 

Our local news station interviewed a guy who had the test done& the guy said something like "when the stick reached my brain, that's  when they pulled it out." 

[SunnyBeBe]

11 hours ago, Marshmallow Mollie said:

We will be one family who buys a car as soon as this is over. Long story short, we have one car but we were about to have to buy a second car due to Husband’s new job. The kids and I are all at home now, so we can hold off. 

There are some great car deals right now.  I wasn't in the market, but, am really thinking about it. Of course, I don't want to be in contact with a salesman or touch a demo model, so, how to pick and process......it's not so simple. Plus, dealing with DMV right now....they are open, but, it's limited. 

Edited April 2, 2020 by SunnyBeBe

[DangerousMinds]

2 hours ago, kokapetl said:

Wow, they go deep!

 

Yeah, I’ve heard it’s not a pleasant experience.

[SunnyBeBe]

I've had two nasal swabs for regular flu.  I didn't realize it was that invasive, though.  It does sort of take your breath away.

Well, it looks like Italy has a little good news today.  I'm grasping at straws.  Also, NC seems to have seen a slight stop of acceleration, with a slight flattening of curve. 

https://www.wral.com/coronavirus/nc-coronavirus-cases-live-maps/19010016/

[PikaScrewChu]

5 hours ago, kokapetl said:

Wow, they go deep!

 

Going to need some serious sedation or copious amounts of Ativan to get through that.

[Temperance]

North Carolina people: are there church services there or are they compling with the quarantine?

[SunnyBeBe]

48 minutes ago, Temperance said:

North Carolina people: are there church services there or are they compling with the quarantine?

Most that I know of are not having services or any activities in the church. The UMC has cancelled all services for the time being.   My parent's church broadcast on the radio and internet, which most listen to from home, but, for others,  the members have been sitting inside their car in the parking lot and listening to the service.  Preacher preaches inside the church. His daughters sing and play piano. People wave to each other, but, don't get out of the car or close to each other. There is also a local drive in theater who is broadcasting to people in their cars.  I think most are complying.  Sadly, some church in Durham County had an event at a major hotel about a week ago and it's caused some confirmed cases.  So, ridiculous.  Some people are beyond ignorant. 

My mom had her virtual doctor visit and it went great.  That's the way to go, unless you really need to be seen in person.  It really works well for those who have mobility problems. 

To keep things in perspective, I try to also look at the regular flu deaths for the 2019-20 flu season.  They are estimated between 24,000 and 62,000 nationally.  

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/preliminary-in-season-estimates.htm

Edited April 2, 2020 by SunnyBeBe

[Ohiopirate02]

48 minutes ago, Temperance said:

North Carolina people: are there church services there or are they compling with the quarantine?

I haven't been to Mass since the first weekend in March.  Our bishop gave us dispensation to skip Mass around March 10th.  I have been a good girl and have not gone out all that much in the last three weeks.  I haven't heard any news reports in my area about churches still meeting.  As far as I know, churches are complying with Governor Cooper's orders.

[SunnyBeBe]

Yeah, I think it's important to stay home and keep distance, but, the Order does allow exception for travel for worship.(I've read the order several times, to make sure, I'm not in violation.)  I guess that means, you still can go to church, but, must keep 6 feet away from those few people who are there. But, it also allows those who want to meet with a clergy member the right to travel for that purpose.  I think most are doing things by phone or internet.  Most all funerals are now private and/or graveside rites. 

[ChiCricket]

Chicagoland people, tonight at 10:30 you may see my sil Nathan interviewed on WGN. (my journalist daughter said you never know if an interview will actually run until it does.)

To the rest of you..if you hear of a murder in Illinois..that would be about me.

 This morning, before I woke up, my husband decided he *had* to go and buy a bunch of cement blocks that were on sale at Menards.😡

He just flushed our 20 day isolation down the toilet for THAT?! 😭

I really, really want to kill him. 😠

(why is Menards still sending sale papers in the mail anyway?!)

I just hid all of the car keys. Hope he enjoys trying that sh!t on foot.

He is a #COVIDIOT (even after we just lost our nephew to it) 😟

Edited April 2, 2020 by ChiCricket

[Mindthinkr]

I live in a college town near a beach. The kids haven’t gone home (after the school went to online only classes) and they have been taking boats out to an island nearby to party. Of course they need food, so I run the risk of being infected by them every time I go to the store. I haven’t left the house in 15 days, but will need to go to the pharmacy. For BP and thyroid meds. Dr will not give 90 day refills. They are cheaper by those mailing pharmacies when filled in that quantity. So I have to go out once each month. I have food. I keep condensed milk in my pantry. I wanted to make a quiche and used it. It tasted better than if I had used half and half. Neighbors are still having social gatherings, and one even had their son come down last week from NYC to stay with them. Yikes. What part of “this is a highly communicable virus with high death rate” do people not get? 
 

Stay safe and be well friends. 

[BitterApple]

My neighbors next door and across the street are having people over regularly. Both households are middle-aged couples with a few 20-something kids at home, so we're not talking elderly singles dependent on outsiders for help. The seriousness of what's going on just isn't sinking in.

[awaken]

13 hours ago, kokapetl said:

Wow, they go deep!

 

😱 yeah seriously that looks invasive!

people where I am are taking the stay at home seriously. No one out on the streets, public areas deserted, no one getting together that I know of. I’ve been outside a great deal exercising and doing yard work so don’t feel cooped up. Have to go into work tomorrow to see a patient with special communication needs but have only been in twice in 3 weeks and the entire place has been empty otherwise. 

[SunnyBeBe]

1 hour ago, BitterApple said:

My neighbors next door and across the street are having people over regularly. Both households are middle-aged couples with a few 20-something kids at home, so we're not talking elderly singles dependent on outsiders for help. The seriousness of what's going on just isn't sinking in.

Is an Order in place where you live? If so, I might consider reporting those violators. Sometimes, there are anonymous lines like crime stoppers.  A guy in N.C. was charged with throwing a party with a lot of people recently. 

[BitterApple]

1 hour ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Is an Order in place where you live? If so, I might consider reporting those violators. Sometimes, there are anonymous lines like crime stoppers.  A guy in N.C. was charged with throwing a party with a lot of people recently. 

There is, yes. 

[ChiCricket]

Here is a link to the interview my son-in-law Nathan did for WGN TV if anyone would like to see it.

https://wgntv.com/news/coronavirus/this-is-wartime-medicine-what-that-means-for-patients-and-health-care-workers/

[latetotheparty]

1 hour ago, ChiCricket said:

Here is a link to the interview my son-in-law Nathan did for WGN TV if anyone would like to see it.

https://wgntv.com/news/coronavirus/this-is-wartime-medicine-what-that-means-for-patients-and-health-care-workers/

Thanks for sharing that. Please tell Nathan when you can that I am grateful for everything he’s doing. 

[Mindthinkr]

Update: They are closing the island to the public tonight, so young people will have to try to find somewhere else to have their gatherings.  
I spoke to some of the neighbors. They say the stay socially distanced, bring their own glasses and booze, and see no harm in being in a small group. They don’t make noise. All I can do is avoid them and pray they don’t get sick or bring illness to our street. 
https://www.wect.com/2020/04/02/masonboro-island-shut-down-public-friday 

I’m praying for everyone to come out on the other side of this. 

[Minivanessa]

The Brown Palace (Denver's legendary historic hotel) has furloughed the band since they aren't doing afternoon tea. Here for your listening pleasure, the furloughed band performs the theme song for my month of April 2020:

ETA: Sorry, the first link I posted was to a YT video that wasn't just them playing the song, dangit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aO7FFpWjLeQ&t=4s

 

Edited April 3, 2020 by Jeeves

[Scarlett45]

Tomorrow I have an appointment to give blood. They are in need as all the drives have been cancelled. I’m O+ so although not as valuable as O- I can still help a lot of people. 
 

My appointment time is at 1:30pm, thats the only time I am planning to leave the house for the next two weeks. 

[Ohiopirate02]

18 minutes ago, Scarlett45 said:

Tomorrow I have an appointment to give blood. They are in need as all the drives have been cancelled. I’m O+ so although not as valuable as O- I can still help a lot of people. 
 

My appointment time is at 1:30pm, thats the only time I am planning to leave the house for the next two weeks. 

I would give blood, but the Red Cross doesn't like me.  I know the supplies are low, but they exclude so many possible donors.  I got a false positive test back in 1997 for either hepatitis A or B, and was told to never give blood again.  

[wilsie]

47 minutes ago, Jeeves said:

The Brown Palace (Denver's legendary historic hotel) has furloughed the band since they aren't doing afternoon tea. Here for your listening pleasure, the furloughed band performs the theme song for my month of April 2020:

ETA: Sorry, the first link I posted was to a YT video that wasn't just them playing the song, dangit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aO7FFpWjLeQ&t=4s

Thank you so much for sharing.  This was sad but awesome.  The musicians are great.  I hope that a proper vaccine is found sooner than later.  Or a successful treatment.   And that at least we can feel safe around each other again without the fear of giving this awful virus to someone we love.

[Barb23]

"Yay" &  "I am happy" (ala Jill Duggar Dillard)  because I got my month's supply of pain med filled yesterday.  That means I'm good to go for a month and is one stressor off my list for now. Like I've posted before, it is a crapshoot each month in getting it filled because it's a narcotic & I  have to go thru all the  hoops. Luckily I have two great pharmacists that  look out for me and realize I'm a person in pain and not a drug dealer.

Mr. Barb is our designated errand runner & he got most of everything we needed. He just went to one grocery store & the pharmacy drive-thru.  He's retired & is used to jumping in his truck at a moment's notice but he's adapted well to staying put. 

One of my two home nurses is coming later for her usual visit. It seems each time they come they are wearing more protective gear, which is great.  At the beginning they were just wearing their usual gloves but would wear a paper mask if asked. The next time they were wearing mandatory masks.  I'm not downplaying things but I'm expecting her to show up in goggles today and full military isolation gear next week. They are getting fitted for whatever the good masks are in case they have a Covid patient.  I'll repeat again I'm not downplaying things or making fun of them in their protective wear but it has been interesting to see the progression of their protective gear & am glad they care & are following guidelines. If someone would have told me three months ago they would be showing up dressed like they are now& the reason why I would have told them they were nuts.

I'm off to work on my jigsaw puzzles & am looking forward to my home manicure tomorrow. Trying to decide what color to choose.

BTW, I'm also praying & thinking about our front line workers incl my niece. She is a pediatric intensive care nurse at a large major hospital.  Thank you all!!!

Edited April 3, 2020 by Barb23

[Zella]

Have any of the rest of you watched Tiger King? I'm about halfway through and not even spending part of my childhood in a trailer park surrounded by meth addicts has adequately prepared me for how fucked up it is. 

[Scarlett45]

24 minutes ago, Zella said:

Have any of the rest of you watched Tiger King? I'm about halfway through and not even spending part of my childhood in a trailer park surrounded by meth addicts has adequately prepared me for how fucked up it is. 

Yes we have a good discussion going in the Non Fiction Show forum. I am rewatching. 

[Zella]

Just now, Scarlett45 said:

Yes we have a good discussion going in the Non Fiction Show forum. I am rewatching. 

Oh cool--thank you! I'll have to move over there once I finish. I was going to watch one episode a day, but I watched 4 last night and will probably watch the rest tonight. 

[kokapetl]

2 hours ago, Zella said:

Have any of the rest of you watched Tiger King? I'm about halfway through and not even spending part of my childhood in a trailer park surrounded by meth addicts has adequately prepared me for how fucked up it is. 

Are Siegfried and Roy or Tippi Hedren involved?