It's been a really long and tumultuous year for all of us, from that fateful Friday the 13th in March last year, when all the kids were sent home from school. We have all had struggles, some more than others. We are lucky that we haven't lost anyone that we know and love to this virus. Lately though, it seems that there may finally be a light at the end of the tunnel of a pandemic.
Today the CDC has announced that fully vaccinated people no longer need to mask or social distance unless it is a requirement of the state they live in. Also this week, the FDA approved the Pfizer vaccination for adolescents ages 12-15. Luckily there is a vaccine clinic this weekend locally where L can FINALLY get vaccinated - that means that in another 5 weeks, ALL of us will be that much safer.
breathe a sigh of relief
One step at a time though! Prom is this weekend too . J missed it last year, but jumped at the chance to wear her gown this year. I made her a coordinating mask to wear with it...here's a sneak peak. I'll post more pics this weekend.
It has been cold and rainy since JP tilled my garden. I was hoping to plant today, my first opportunity since then, but it didn't happen. Instead, JP and I travelled north to the Apple Store to replace my phone, which died last night. Sigh. Tomorrow the seeds will go in the ground!!
Last weekend, for Mother's Day, the girls and I made our annual pilgrimage to the nursery to buy a trunk full of plants. I usually get herbs, annuals for my outdoor pots and hanging baskets, and sometimes a house plant or a perennial for my flower beds. On the way home, we stopped at the Humane Society and picked up Toad, the cat, who has been neutered, vaccinated and checked over by the vet. We released him on our veranda, where he promptly chased Ernie under the table and kept him trapped there by pacing and growling in front. Lizzie took off for the woods at the first sign of conflict. Eventually Toad could take no more, he hissed at and took a swipe at L again and then took off for the woods himself. I'm pretty sure he came back later that evening and ate all the cat food, but we haven't seen hide nor hair of him since. The vet estimated his age between 5 and 7, so it is unlikely that we will make a pet of him.
In other news, my mother is also seeing her own light at the end of the tunnel. She is being discharged from the skilled nursing facility on Sunday. She has not been home since her surgery early March, and is anticipating this highly! She is no longer having the chronic pain that she had pre-surgery, and is getting stronger all the time. The thing slowing her down for the foreseeable future is the hard neck immobilizer for the neck fracture.
For my foreseeable future, I need to quickly plan and then execute a delicious and nutritious meal! Last night I made Pasta Puttanesca - I thought all of the prepped ingredients looked interesting:
From left going clockwise: parsley, olives, anchovies, red pepper flakes, parmesan, oregano, capers and garlic.
Here's to life without masks you vaccinated herd!
