Pandemic Times - July 19 - 25

Sunday, July 19

Uh-Oh!  No entry for this day.  Sometimes the spirit needs a break, I guess. I found this picture, so I must have made bread:

Monday, July 20

This was a home day, with gardening and housework. I took this photo of a garden supper: corn left from Saturday, cut off the cob and fried in bacon grease, Marguarite Stuart's  cheesy squash casserole, garden-fresh green beans with a few purple hull peas tucked in and a small pork chop.  I had enough green beans to put a few pints in the freezer.

Numbers:

Loudon County case count is now 408 with 126 active.  In Knox Co, the active cases exceed recovered.  The US has recorded more than 141,000 deaths and over 3.8 million cases.  TN has recorded 79,754 cases with 45, 974 of those listed as "recovered."

Tuesday, July 21

This morning I went to Lenoir City Elementary School to pack school supplies for the Good Samaritan Back Pack give-away program.  The work was scheduled for 9-12, but we finished at 11. Masks were required and the work was arranged so that it was not crowded.  After lunch at home, I went to Farragut for a much needed hair cut and picked up Fried Rice and Spring Rolls from Little Bankok for supper.  I read that LoCo had 25 new cases today, but I didn't get the numbers recorded.  

Wednesday, July 22

I volunteered again this morning for the Back Pack project.  Claire and Amanda met me there at 9.  We were finished by 9:45, so they had a short morning of work.  

Afterward, Bonnie and I went by Click's Funeral Home to pay respects to Bill Harris.  His death was unexpected and he will be very missed in our church and community.

Numbers:

US:  NBC reported more than 1000 deaths today, for a total of 142,505 death

TN Dept of Health recorded 2473 new cases and 17 deaths.

Loudon County case count is 443 with 151 active cases; 5662 neg tests total.  We are above the threshold

Knox Co has 1401 active cases

Rutherford Co, where Claire will be going to college, has 2518 active cases.

Thursday, July 23

Kathy and I went to the graveside service for Bill Harris.  It was hot, but not unbearable and lasted only about 30 minutes, including full Masonic rights.  A men's ensemble from Trinity sang.  Trinity has a number of members in attendance and all were wearing masks.  Most others were not.

After dropping Kathy off, I stopped for a doe and her two fawns crossing Grubb Road.  The fawns were confused and took several minutes to make up their minds about which way to go. They wanted to follow their mother who had gone up the steep bank on the left.  I enjoyed watching them resolve their dilemma.  After I got home, Bill went shopping to replenish his favorite shorts.  He came home with 5 pair!

Which way did mama go?

Not that way!

We can't find her

Finally going in the right direction!

Numbers keep getting getting worse.

TN case count exceeds 86,000 with 2570 new cases, 109 new hospitalization and 37 deaths since yesterday.

LoCo case count is 484 with 183 active

Knox Co has 1436 active

US (NY Times) case count is 4,011,100 with 143,700 deaths

The time it is taking to double the number of cases has been decreasing by half.

Friday, July 24

Video recording day.  I put up some of the "Reserved for Safe Distancing"  signs to make off pews so I could take a picture for the newsletter.  I think it will be many weeks before we return to in-person worship and activities.

Afterward, I picked up Bonnie for a funeral home visit for John Davis.  John was a teaching colleague and his wife Carole, also a teaching colleague is a friend. I have known them both for many years and taught their children.

Numbers:

Loudon Co recorded 7 more active cases today after an increase of 40 yesterday. 

Knox Co has 1544 active

TN added more than 200 cases

Loudon Co remains above the threshold of 10 new cases/100,000 residents

Nationally, new cases, hospitalizations and deaths are increasing alarmingly.

Saturday, July 25

I went to another funeral today, this time for John David. (Neither was Covid-related) I got up early to pick a few vegetables and water the garden.  Just as I was leaving to pick up Bonnie and go to the graveside service, the sky opened with a deluge of rain.  The service ended up being inside the funeral home in the visitation room.  There were not many there other than family and everyone was masked.  I am so sorry for Carole. 

Later, Bonnie came over for steaks and fresh corn.  The rain had cooled the air so that we were able to sit and eat on the deck.  After strawberries and ice-cream for dessert we decided to try to see the comet.  We (Bill, Bonnie & me) went down by the river where we had a good sky view.  We waited until "good dark," about 10:30 but all we could see through the scope was a smudge which might have been the comet.  It was in exactly the right location. Wish I could have gotten a picture.  We were very disappointed, but had fun anyway.  At least we tried!

Numbers: 

TN added 1718 cases to a total of 90,796, with 26 more deaths and 76 more hospitalizations.

The US has exceeded 4 million cases and is averaging 70,000 new cases every day.

Loudon Co has 195 active cases and a total case count of 503.  We are still well above the threshold.  LoCo has added 135 cases this week and has a 8.2% positivity rate.

Pandemic Times, July 12 - 18

I have been thinking recently that I should re-name these posts.  Quarantine Log no longer seems exactly right because I no longer have a sense of being isolated.  However, restrictions on activities continue for our family.  For instance, we still do not have worship in the sanctuary on Sunday morning.  We do not go out to eat.  We think carefully about any purchases in order to minimize shopping time.  I have not been to Walmart since the restrictions began in March.  I go to my favorite grocery store no more than once a week and do not linger.  We wear masks in public.  More national and regional chain stores are requiring them, while the state government and local government "encourages" the use of masks.  School in Loudon County will open August 7, but Amanda has enrolled in the iLearn online curriculum offered by Lenoir City Schools.  She is on the school golf team and matches start at the end of July.  We have become accustomed to, and in some ways prefer, our new lifestyle.  I miss lunches out with my friends and the freedom to pick up and go somewhere. Other than that, I like my home-centered life. I predict that this restriction of public activity will continue through the next flu season. By April, maybe we will be coming out of the pandemic.


Sunday, July 12

Waiting on the bridge was a "shaky" experience

We left the Whitakers of Cape Girardeau before breakfast and grabbed Egg McMuffins on the way out of town.  Even so, it was 9 am when we left. Bill decided to take the Cairo route home, across the Ohio, even though we knew that construction might keep us on the bridge for a while.  It did.  We always enjoy the majesty of seeing the two great rivers, the Ohio and the Mississippi converge just downstream from the crossing. On a clear day, you can see the difference in the waters as they meet, but have not yet mixed.

The Ohio and Mississippi converge with the Mississippi coming in from the right

Peeking through the blinds

We got home about 4:30.  We had left the house a mess because I didn't have the heart to make the kids clean up.  I knew I would have plenty of time this week.  It is good to be home and have the house back to ourselves, even though we miss the smiling faces of our dear ones.  We did have one smiling face just outside the window!

News when we go home is that Knox Co is now designated a CDC "hotspot" with 736 active cases.  Florida set a record of more than 15,000 new cases, more even than NY at its peak.  TN now has had 61,900 cases and 741 deaths and has administered over 1 million tests.  Loudon Co has had 328 cases and 86 are currently active.  The rate of new cases in LoCo is 22.73/100,000, well over the threshold of 10/100,000.  The 15 day avg rate is 10.55.


Monday, July 13

Today was dedicated to a variety of clean-up and catch-up chores, beginning with picking green beans, squash and cucumbers.  I always want to get the outdoor activities done first before the heat builds in.   There was also lots of laundry, changing beds, and general cleaning to be done.  Claire came over and helped for a couple of hours in the early afternoon.  That left me time to re-make the masks for the Whitaker children so they would fit better.  I meant to do that while they were here, but just didn't get a 'roundtuit.'  At 6:30 I had a church meeting to present reopening plans and set a projected date for resuming worship services.  The board set Aug 2 as a target date, realizing that may not be possible.

Numbers:
After a record of more that 15,000 yesterday, Florida today has more than 12,000 new cases.
TN: 65,274 cases, up 3314 since yesterday, this may also be a record; 749 deaths
LoCo: 331 cases, up 24; 244 recovered; 85 active; 2 deaths; 4537 neg tests.  LoCo is still above the threshold, but less new cases today.


Tuesday, Jul 14

I went into town this morning with several errands: First to take Amanda to softball batting practive, then to mail the masks to Cape Girardeau.  I also went to the Johnson's produce truck for a few items.  Before picking her up, I also went to the grocery store.  We heard today that the District Superintendent has suspended all in-person worship and in-church activities through the end of July. This does not immediately change our target date of Aug 2, but I doubt if we will be able to meet it.


Wednesday, July 15

This morning's report is that for the 1st time, active cases in Knox Co exceed recovered cases, a sure sign of a rapidly spreading virus. (1024/876)  It doesn't account for the fact that test results are now taking more than a week to get back.

We took a morning walk and I watered the garden. 
After lunch Claire and I went to JoAnn's to buy mask fabric to make masks for her going to college.  I am concerned for her because the rate of cases in Rutherford Co, where MTSU is located, is among the highest in the state.

After supper, the Matzek's joined us to go the the Melton Hill overlook to try and see Comet Neowise.  It is in the NW sky, just below and west of the Big Dipper.  There was too much light in the parking lot there. Nevertheless, after waiting almost an hour for dark, clouds moved in and obscured any possible sighting.  We will try again another night.



Thursday, July 16

I took Amanda to softball batting practice outdoors again.  The Matzek's have decided that Amanda will enroll in Lenoir City Schools iLearn Academy and have all her classes online for fall semester.  She has changed her schedule around, putting off Chemistry and Engineering until next semester.

I spent a few hours in the afternoon making masks for Amanda's friend Elijah and his mother as well as for Amanda, Claire and Mike.

Covid is worse every day.  LoCo has recorded 358 cases with 103 active, still increasing.  The US has more than 3.5 million cases with hospitalizations and deaths rising.  Only in the NE are cases decreasing.  More than 138,000 people have died in the US since February. TN has had 71,540 cases with almost 30,000 still active.  Loudon County is still above the threshold with 13.67/100,000.


Friday, July 17

Video recording day at church.  We have purchases a new video cam and tested it today.  Pastor Kristie discussed with us and announced that we would push back our target open date by two weeks to August 16.  She will be out for surgery that week and the next, so I will be on call for at least 2 weeks to lead worship and give a message, whether we are in church on Sunday or recording on Friday.

After recording, I visited with Bonnie for a while and then drove the the Shrimp Dock in Farragut to get lobster for Kathy's birthday celebration.  He BD is Saturday, but we will have our dinner on Sunday evening.

Covid Numbers:
Yesterday the number of new cases set another US record at more than 77,000.  This morning NY Times numbers:
US: 3,588,400 cases; 138,268 deaths
TN: 69,827 cases; 786 deaths
LoCo: 368 cases, 3 deaths (one new death recorded this week).

Saturday, July 18

Happy Birthday, Kathy!

I am still trying to get the sourdough right  I don't think this batch will be "it," but the dough is handling better.  Making the bread takes a whole day of being on call for turning, kneading, etc.

Our dinner party for four was a success.  Kathy and I had lobster tails.  Bill and Wayne had some of Bonnie's good steak.  Corn and salad completed the meal with an accompaniment of plenty of Proseco.  Pound cake with fresh peaches and ice-cream topped it off.  I can't believe I didn't take a single picture.  I usually don't remember until it is too late.  I guess being in the moment is a good thing too, but afterwards, I often wish for a picture.

Quarantine Log, July 5 - 11

Sunday, July 5

Busy Day!  The morning and early afternoon were spend getting ready for David, Owen and Allison to arrive.  That included a grocery run, picking green beans and prepping supper (Steaks, dill potato salad, 3-bean salad with garden fresh green beans and Owen's favorite corn-on-the-cob). 

Shortly after I sat down to sip on a healthy dose of "back medicine" they arrived - earlier than I expected.

Later in the afternoon, the Matzeks arrived and stayed for supper on the deck.  Fortunately, a thundershower had passed close enough to cool things down, but not disrupt our ourdoor plans.  We had a great family event even though we missed Trisha, Evangeline and John David.

Numbers:

Loudon County - 288 cases; 221 recovered; 67 active; 4092 neg tests. (6.6% pos rate)

TN - 52,155 cases; 663 deaths; 31020 recovered

Daily new cases continues to rise; hospitalizations & deaths, while still low in Knox Co are also rising.

Monday, July 6

Non-stop!  We managed to have our coffee while the kids watched cartoons.  Thank God for the Kratt Brothers.  After breakfast, David set off to meet Mike and Amanda for golf at Willow Creek.  Owen & Allison played outside and even got into the hose.

At 11:30 we went over to Laura's to play with the kittens for an hour.  Laura and the girls are fostering 6 adorable kittens for Young-Williams Animal Center in Knoxville. By the time we got back, David was home.  We tried to have some quiet time in the early afternoon.

Late afternoon, our gang went down to the lake for a swim.  Even Bill joined in!

Tuesday, July 7

David left early for his conference in Memphis.  I made picnic lunches, we loaded the kids in the RV along with Claire and Amanda and headed to Frozen Head State Park near Wartburg.  We hoped for some creek exploration and maybe a hike to the waterfall after lunch.  The waterfall hike didn't materialize - too many people on the trail and too little water running in the creek.  The kids, older and younger, had a lot of fun wading in the creek, throwing rocks and just being out and about in nature.

Wednesday, July 8

After French toast for breakfast we took Owen and Allison for a hike/bike ride on the "North Boundary Trail" Oak Ridge near the intersection of Hwy 58 & 95.  It was pretty warm, but we managed 1 1/2 miles, a little more than an hour.  Owen got a commendation for following instructions and Allison got a commendation for not complaining.  The awards were a scoop of ice-cream each. After lunch we spent some quiet time inside because of the heat.  I took the kids to the Matzeks about 4 where they played and had pizza supper.

After supper Bill & I joined them for a campfire and s'mores.  Great fun day!

Campfire concert

Numbers: 

Sevier Co has a mask mandate starting Friday and joining Knox Co.  LoCo Mayer has decided to suggest, but not require masks in public.  TN has a record of new cases and deaths: +2472 new cases, +909 recovered, +20 new deaths. LoCo has 302 cases, 288 recovered; 4224 neg tests.  From now on, LoCo Mayer Buddy Bradshaw will report the number of "active" cases.  Makes sense because that is the stat that really counts!

Thursday, July 9

In the morning we played/worked outside and in the garden.  Claire and Amanda came over for pancakes & bacon for lunch.  After lunch we (except Bill) went to the lake for a swim.  We all had great fun.  I even swam out to the pipes with the kids.  We swam and played for about 2 hours on a very hot afternoon!  We stayed in the cool for the rest of the day.

Allison's room with no prompting

Owen's room all week

Friday, July 10

We travelled with Owen & Allison in the RV to take them home to Cape Girardeau.  The kids were good travelers and we got them Chick-fil-A for lunch.

Owen's etch-a-sketch art

David got home from his conference/seminar on racial justice just a few minutes before we got there.  Friday is usually pizza night at their house, so we treated everyone to pizza from their favorite cafe, Paglaia's. 

Saturday, July 11

In the morning before it got too hot (it was already hot!) everyone went to the Mississippi River boat ramp for a walk and bike ride.  We then went to the playground to play in the creek.  It was a very hot day, so we spent the afternoon on quiet activities indoors.  After supper, it had cooled enough to play outside for a little while.

Quarantine Log, June 28 - July 4

Sunday, June 28

Steak and eggs and biscuits for breakfast...what a treat!  We enjoyed a leisurely day not doing much except enjoying conversation.  I did manage to put 2 pints of green beans in the freezer in addition to all that we've eaten which must be at least 2 quarts.

Covid news continues to be dire.

Monday, June 29

Melanie and I enjoyed a pleasant and peaceful morning.  After lunch, she left to Chattanooga and I left for a dentist appointment.  I left with an excellent report and clean teeth.

Coronavirus news continue to get worse as the rate of new infections is climbing exponentially in some places.

Numbers:

NY Times, 2:24 pm

US 2,584,700 cases; 125,961 deaths

    6/27 more than 42,000 new cases

    6/28 more than 38,000 new cases

TN Health Dept:  42,297 cases, up 2125 since yesterday; 592 deaths and 803 recoveries.  

    Every day new cases exceed recoveries.

LoCo reported 254 cases, 211 recovered and 43 active.  

Some state are re-imposing restrictions but I haven't heard that from Tennessee leaders.

Tuesday, June 30

The morning started with a trip to town and to the produce truck.  I bought 7+ lbs of cucumbers for  pickles.  I made a big batch of bread & butter pickles, about 8 pints.

I picked enough green beans for supper along with one yellow squash and one bell pepper.  Green beans with new potatoes, chicken thighs with tarragon-dijon cream sauce and a fresh salad made a great summer supper.

Some of the afternoon was spent updating the church web-site and responding to our Protocol for reopening.  I am dismayed that the announcement for Admin/Finance meeting said masks are encouraged but not required.

Thursday, July  2

A new high of new cases was reported for Wednesday, over 50,000.  Dr. Fauci says we may go as high as 100,000 new cases per day before this is over, especially if states continue to reopen without following the guidelines or requiring masks.

                       

We started the day with a walk up the hill past the Brocks.  Found a sweet wildflower on the roadside which turned out to be a Carolina poppy.  Later, it seemed like a good day to have a mint julep on the deck at 5 o'clock.

Friday, July 3

Video recording of our church service continues and we are beginning to plan for on-site worship (some day). It may be a while yet as COVID infections grow exponentially in many places.  Tennessee had a new daily high of new cases at over 1400, way short of Florida's new record of over 10,000.

A FB friend posted news from Orange Beach-Gulf Shores listing many restaurants and businesses who had infected employees.  There is not yet a bright spong on the horizon, especially in the South & West as 4th celebrations are upon us.

In other news, Washington Posts listed "11 things to watch to better understand American at this moment."  Looking over the titles and descriptions, these relate to race relations.

1. "4 Little Girls" Hulu documentary on the Birmingham bombings by Spike Lee

2. "13th" Netflix documentary on criminal justice system

3. "Da Five Bloods" movie, historical drama on black men in Vietnam and now. Spike Lee.  We saw this movie, but we didn't really "get" its significance.

4. "Do the Right Thing" Amazon Prime. Made in 1989 but with similiarities to today's issues with George Floyd, Eric Garner, and others.

5. "Get Out" Amazon Prime, 2017 Fiction/SciFi. Jordan Peele.  We saw this weird very disturbing movie.

6. "Hamilton" Disney + starting today. Lin Manuel Miranda broadway play on film.  Want to see it!

7. "I am not your Negro" Amazon Prime. James Baldwin manuscript (unfinished) turned to film in 2016.

8. "OJ: Made in America" ESPN Plus, 5 part documentary.  We will be watching soon.

9. "Watchmen" HBO Series, fiction with roots in the 1918 Tulsa race massacre.

10. "What Happened, Miss Simone" Netflix 2015 documentary, bio-pic of Nina Simone

11. " When They See Us" Netflix 4-part mini-series on Central Park 5 wrongful convictions.

Saturday, July 4

What a different kind of 4th celebration.  We had a quiet day at home.  Lenoir City and other towns in the county are going forward with parades and "Rockin' the Docks" music and fireworks celebration (20th Anniversary).  We cannot imagine that the crowds without masks is a good idea.  We don't ever go, so this year is not different.  We actually went a few times in the very early years when you could still drive into the park (Lenoir City, City Park on Ft. Loudon Lake) and set up your chairs and cooler under the trees to wait for the fireworks.

The Bolt family next door invited us to watch their fireworks.  At dark, we took our chairs to the front of Bill's house and enjoyed the show.  They did a great job!  Neighbors across the road also had a few.

Quarantine Log, June 21 - June 27

Sunday, June 21
Loudon County is up to 232 CoVid cases. 

Monday, June 22
We motivated ourselves for a walk at Melton Hill because the weather was just right.
Loudon County has 234 cases, 45 active cases. 

Tuesday, June 23
I took Amanda to Lake Tansi for a golf match in the afternoon.  Rain threatened all day, but she got in all 9 holes without getting wet. I walked the course with her.  She came in 2nd with a 46, no hole over 6 and 2 pars.  We got home about 6:30.

Good putt.

Amanda on the right, 2nd place medal.

Wednesday, June 24

I got up a little earlier and went to pick blueberries at Honey's Blueberry Farm on Hwy 70.  In 1 1/2 hrs I only managed to pick 5 1/2 lbs, even though the berries were prolific.  After leaving there, I stopped by Laura's where Claire and Amanda helped me pick some raspberries.  Beautiful and delicious!

Loudon County stands at 243 cases with 44 active and 3457 negative tests.

     

Thursday, June 25

This morning's headlines are of the largest single day increase in CoVid nationally.  Texas, California and Florida each reported largest single day new cases.  Knox County also had a single day record of 37 on Monday, while Tennessee set its high spike for single day new cases on 6/19 at 1188.  These are not prison or nursing home cases, but community spread among young people.

On Thursday afternoon, Tn reported 38,034 case, up 799 since yesterday.  Loudon County reported 244 total with 205 recovered.  NY Times recorded 2,414,200 cases and 122,226 deaths nationally.  These are 36,975 new cases, a record daily high, but deaths have not increased proportionately because many new cases in the last 2 weeks are among people under 40.

On the personal front, Marie C came for lunch on the deck. She brought her own lunch and I made iced tea and served ice-cream with fresh strawberries.

Friday, June 26

From Bad to Worse...That is this afternoon's headline.  Tennessee has 1410 new cases since yesterday.  Loudon County is still at 244.  Knox County has 34 new cases, not quite a record, but still a lot.  In the US, there have been 2,463,700 cases and 124,779 deaths with record numbers of new cases, mostly in the south and west.  Florida reported an astonishing count of almost 8000 new cases.  Tennessee has the 3rd day of setting new cases records for a total count of 41,113.

In other, better Friday news, the recording session was as usual. Our absentee ballots were received this week and back in the mail today.  We pray that the USPS will deliver them to the right place and they will be handled with care.  I have volunteered to be on the counting board for counting absentee ballots for Loudon County this fall.  I did this once or twice years ago, but our fall travels in recent years have kept me from working elections.  This is a civic responsibility and a way for me to contribute.  Absentee voting should be much higher than usual because of the pandemic.  A judge has ruled that for this year, anyone can request tovote absentee.

Based on Marie's recommendation, I started reading Marcus Borg's Convictions.  His writing reminds me a little of Jim Whitaker, but less dense. I think I'll like it.

Saturday, June 27

I am expecting Melanie in time for lunch.  She is driving from Chattanooga where she has spent the last two nights with Chris, Erin and Solis.  I had time in the morning to complete the sourdough loaf that I started rising last night.  It still turned out flat!  I also picked bush green beans.  They are producing prolifically and I filled a grocery sack.  Bonnie called from Costco and we'll have her and her tenderloin steaks for supper tonight, along with the green beans and dill potato salad.  

It has been great to spend some time with Melanie.  Laura, et.al. came for a visit before supper and Amanda treated us to a few guitar tunes.  Good Day!