Pandemic Times, December 20 - 26

Sunday, December 20

The rhythm of Sunday without church is different. I am compelled to treat this day as different from the other days of the week.  The old pattern of Sunday being set aside from the normal workday/Saturday routine is deeply ingrained. On Sunday, I have no compulsion to "be productive." Just a little cooking is work enough for the day. I don't do anything different that is particularly "religious" or "spiritual," but I do find more ease and rest. Not that I have anything to rest from these days! The rest is from obligation. Even going to church is an obligation. 

The weather has not been suitable for walking outdoors, so I have really been sedentary.

Covid Numbers were updated for Sat & Sunday.  Some of this information is from Brandon Goodwin's post.  He accumulates, analyzes and posts the Covid data for Loudon County almost every day.  He says that we now have 29 deaths, 8 in the last week.  Of 3571 total cases, 637 were diagnosed last week and 1,495 in the last month.  There are 751 active cases (by the state's definition of 14 days after diagnosis regardless of outcome). There are 11 ICU beds available in the Knox Metro area.  (I hope we don't have any non-Covid emergency!)

TN Dept of Health: 519,687 total cases; 6071 total deaths; 0-10 26,600; 11-20 67,741

LoCo: 3571 cases; 29 deaths; 168.3/100,000 case rate; 29.3% pos rate

I thought that when the case rate hit 30/100,000/day and the positivity rate was 12% that it was too high for public gatherings of more than 6 or 8.  Those were the rates the Sunday after Thanksgiving.  Less than a month later the case rate is more than 5 times greater and the positivity rate has more than doubled. I'm staying home. The CDC has issued guidance for TN that people over 65 should not go anywhere in public where people are not wearing masks and wearing them properly, including the grocery store.

Monday, December 21

Happy Birthday, Park Taylor - best and cutest little brother.

Happy Birthday, Claire Elise Matzek

I enjoyed picking out the photos for Claire and Park. Lots of good memories are captured in these and many other pictures.  Their shared birthday is Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year and longest night.  This year the solstice is marked by the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, low in the Southwest sky just after sunset.  I did not plan ahead to set up my telescope, but I was able to get a pretty good picture with my regular camera.

The two planets appear as one bright star, as seen with the naked eye just after sunset.  

A little camera zoom shows the two planets, Jupiter is the larger.

Tuesday, December 22

I completed my first GoCart online grocery order yesterday and scheduled an 11 am. No impulse buying, advance planning required, but it is a safe convenient process.  The CDC has issued guidance for TN that people over 65 or "with signIficant health conditions" should not enter any indoor public spaces where anyone is unmasked.  They recommend using curbside pickup or having groceries and meds delivered.

TN is #1 with 131.1 cases per 100,000. Knoxville is #1 in active cases for cities of its size (250,000 - 1,000,000). Loudon at 166.7/100,000 is 14th highest among all TN counties.

Wednesday, December 23

Bread-making day started after supper last night with preparing thd levain.  Baking the first of the three loaves began at 5 pm. Because of pan and oven limitations, the loaves are baked one at a time. 

In between kneading, I managed to work in some yoga and routine puttering about.  I made french onion soup for lunch and coconut curry chicken for supper.

Christmas Eve, December 24

This Christmas Eve is like no other: fewer gifts under the tree; Matzeks won't be here for dinner and overnight; no church service.  So I had much less food to buy and prepare.  Nevertheless, I spent all day until 3 pm in the kitchen.  I made a focaccio loaf and shared half with the Brocks. For our Christmas Eve dessert gathering with the Matzeks I made homemade from scratch eggnog and gingerbread.

Just after 3 pm, the rain changed to snow. By the time the Matzeks arrived at 4 pm, we had enough snow to qualify for a white Christmas.  We Southerners are never to old to be excited by a snowfall, especially at Christmas.  Via Zoom, we included David and his family in our gathering. When the Matzek's left, almost an inch of snow had accumulated.  They took all the gifts from under the tree.  We will go to their house tomorrow for gifts and lunch.  They have more room for us to spread out and maintain safe distances. 

Snow is just starting at 3:15 pm

By 5:15 we have an official White Christmas

For many years on Christmas Eve I have worked all day prepping food for our supper and Christmas Day breakfast and dinner, then going to Trinity for the 5 pm candlelight service.  Often, the Matzeks went to the service, too.  Bill, at home, would prepare tacos, a meal he can mostly make on his own.  The Matzeks brought all their gifts and spent the night so that we could celebrate Christmas morning together.  They have done this every year since they moved back to Tennessee when Claire was a baby. David's family has chosen to establish their own traditions by spending Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at their own home and coming here after, or us going there.

In every way, 2020 - Pandemic Times, is different.  The Matzeks came over for about an hour, 4-5pm. After our family Zoom visit, we had the gingerbread and eggnog that I made earlier. Then they went home, taking all the gifts.  Bill and I had our taco supper and watched some TV until bedtime - our normal routine. 

Christmas Day, December 25

For the first time in our married life, Bill and I woke up on Christmas morning with the house all to ourselves.  I don't report that because I felt sad or sorry for myself, but as a curious observation. We married on November 4, 1972.  For our first Christmas, Bill took me north to meet his parents in Westfield, NJ. We went with them to Boston (Newton), Mass to meet his sister Anna and her family - husband Jake, Jeff & little Heather. That was my first white Christmas, and quite a wonderful and overwhelming experience.

The next year, we were on the farm in Sunflower with my family and then back to Perth Amboy, NJ the following year.  In the years after we moved to Tennessee and until Laura and David were high/middle school, we spent Christmas on the farm. We celebrated one Christmas Eve/Day/Week in Orange Beach with my mother. More than once in those years, until Claire was born, we left on Christmas Day or the day after for the beach to spend the holiday through New Years with mother.

But never until this year have the two of us waked up Christmas morning with no one else in the house.  We woke up to 2+ inches of snow and icy roads and temperature around 20 and a forecast high of 25 F. With the snow and ice and , we weren't sure if we could even make it to the Matzeks.  

We were the first car up Matzek Road:

Matzek Road

At 11 am we had a Zoom gift opening with David's family.  We enjoyed watching them open their gifts and show off a bit.  Then we braved the road to the Matzeks.  It really wasn't too bad, and it was beautiful.  At their house, we had another Zoom session with the Missouri kids - so much fun!  

There were lots of gifts under the Matzek tree, so we had a long delightful gift time.  Everybody got something they wanted.  Our amazing Amanda got a sword (real) and throwing knives (and lots of books).  I never seem to remember to take pictures when we gather.  I guess I'm too "in the moment" to remember to record the fun.  I did get one of Amanda with her unique gifts. 

Laura made taco soup and brought bread - sourdough and cornbread- for our lunch.  It was a perfect day.  When we left, Mike had set up a piece of plywood and Amanda was trying out her throwing knives.

When we got home at 3:30, I realized that we had left all the debris of Christmas day behind - gift wrap, boxes and dirty dishes - for Mike and Laura to deal with.  Not a bad deal! The only down-side is no left-overs for supper. No ham or turkey to put in a roll with a little cranberry sauce. No left-over dressing. No left-overs at all.

While Bill was napping, I found enough Drambuie for a toast to Christmas 2020 - and a farewell toast to my mother, Clara Nelle Westmoreland Taylor.  This was the first Christmas I would not see her or talk to her on the phone.

Sardines and saltines with cheese, olives and red wine made a perfect light Christmas supper (in the absence of left-overs.)

Merry Christmas!

A beautiful finale to a perfect day!

Saturday, December 26

Liturgically, Christmas has just begun and will continue until Epiphany, January 6, my birthday, the 12th day of Christmas and the celebration of the visit of the three kings, the Magi.  Socially and culturally, Christmas is over.  This day has had nothing remarkable to mark it.  The snow has melted in the sunny spots, but the day is still quite chilly and I've stayed snug inside. I spent several hours on the computer, updating the church web site with tomorrow's worship video and updating this blog.

New is full of Covid and politics. The world is as scary as it was before Christmas.  Despite all our fine words of peace and love, nothing has changed.  I won't obsess with the negative, but keep steadfastly working to be a positive force without being naive.

In keeping with memories of Christmas past, I reflected on what my family did on the day after Christmas.  Deer hunting season opened, so my father, John Park, left for deer camp on Christmas afternoon and we saw little or nothing of him for 2 or 3 weeks.  Mother invited her side of the family - parents, aunts & uncles, coursins - for a country vegetable dinner (mid-day). I'm sure we also celebrated my mammaw's birthday (Emily Westmoreland) which was on the 28th. There was laughter and fun and everyone had a good time, especially my mother, even though she did most of the work.  They called it a "cleansing dinner" after all the rich holiday food.

A more recent memory is captured in a poem I wrote a few years ago:

The Day After Christmas

by Jane Clark Whitaker (with apology to Clement Clarke Moore)

Tis the day after Christmas, and all through the house
Not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings hung back by the chimney with care,
Emptied of goodies that had been placed there.

The children gone home to sleep in their beds,
While memories of candies now dance in their heads.
And I in my pj's with cat in my lap,
Have just settled just settled down for an afternoon nap.

Remembering yesterday's clutter and clatter,

I had to wonder, did it all really matter.
The paper in tatters and gleeful shouts,
As ribbons and bows were scattered about.

The voices of children both old and young,

Joined in the laughter of games and fun.

And to top it all off, what then did appear,
But a feast fit for Christmas for family to share.

The gifts were all given with hearts full of love
And the day had a luster that came from above.

The quiet is lovely, I'm glad that it's come

But I miss the chaos of my family at home.

I'm thinking of you who have traveled my way

Sharing the journey for part of a day.

Old friends from childhood, cousins and kin,

New friends and loved ones I'll see soon again.

To friends and family, nearby and far way
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-day"

May the love of the season stay in your heart

And the New Year have a prosperous start.