Sunday, November 29 - First Sunday of Advent
I went to Sunday School but not church. It felt odd to do that! At home, I made french onion soup for lunch that turned out pretty good. Then I worked on masks for the kids. I hope to get them in the mail Tuesday. Ruby Tuesday fixed supper for us. We are enjoying the Sunday Buy-One-Get-One deals. We both chose the salmon again.
Covid numbers continue to escalate and will be worse after the increased exposures during the holiday. We hope our care and sacrifice will keep us safe. Cases are setting records in Knoxville and everywhere.
Numbers:
TN Dept of Health
366.518 total cases; 4554 total deaths
age 0-10 - 18,111; age 11-21 - 48,783
Loudon County
2293 total cases; 209 active; 19 deaths
33.8 case rate
14.2% pos rate
Knox Co case rate: 46.1; 15.5% pos rate
US: 13.4+ million total cases; 266,700 total deaths
Last week there was an average of 162,681 new cases/day
Monday, November 30
As I've done for the past couple of week, Monday was bread-baking day. I want to get ahead a little with loaves in the freezer because the next couple of weeks will be busy. I also made focaccia from the discard. I divided it into two pans to cook so I could give one to the Brocks. Bill didn't get enough pumpkin pie, so I made a pie for him. So this was truly a baking day. For supper, I made Gumbo YaYa, with turkey and andouille sausage. With frozen okra from the garden and herbs it was delicious - served over rice and with the focaccia. Altogether, I was in the kitchen all day except when I was working on masks for the kids.
We had furious snow flurries all day but nothing on the ground. Just after sunset, almost too dark to see, a huge buck passed through our field. He must have been at least 12-points, maybe bigger. We think he was the biggest we've seen. Too bad I couldn't get a picture!
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Furious flurries flying all day
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Tuesday, December 1
Days don't seem to fly by, but months do! We started the month with the coldest temperatures yet, about 26 this morning, and the day didn't warm out of the 30s. Most of my day was spent at Family Resource Center working on Santa Helper
Numbers: 12/1, 2 pm
US: 13,693,700 total cases; 269,200 deaths; 96,039 hospitalized - a new record
TN: 380,186 total cases; 4638 deaths; 2369 hospitalized - a new record
age 0-10 - 18,876; age 11-20 - 50,396
Loudon County
2395 total cases; 258 active; 102 new cases since Sunday
55.5 case rate
16.8% pos rate
20 deaths
In November there was twice as much infection, hospitalization and death than any prior month. And it is expected to get worse because of the holiday celebrations and travel.
Wednesday, December 2
Another FRC Santa Helper day started at 9 am and lasted until 2 pm. Then it was back to town for a 4 pm GSC interview for Client Services Manager. I think we have our candidate. She is currently a CSM volunteer and will smoothly transition from volunteer to staff.
Lenoir City Schools have moved to all virtual learning until next Wednesday due to Covid staff shortages. The county infection rate today remained over 50 while state and local numbers while bad have not yet begun to show holiday effects.
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| Staging room for FRC Santa Helper gifts. Each bag is filled with gifts for one child. We are just getting started. |
Thursday, December 3
The morning news reported more than 3000 deaths yesterday and more than 100,000 hospitalized. Both are record highs. Each represents a life and family impacted. We have yet to see the effects of Thanksgiving.
I wasn't due to FRC until 11:30, so I had time for morning yoga. When I got there I learned that they had tried to call me to say I wouldn't be needed. On the way home, I stopped by the Matkeks to check on the progress of their new porch. I'm afraid that I didn't make very good use of my free afternoon.
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Foggy frosty dawn
Gave way to chilly sunshine
Preview of winter |
Friday, December 4
On this soggy day of cold rain I was glad that I didn't have to go out. Instead, I enjoyed the pleasures of home - yoga, sewing, cooking and hanging out with Bill. Online Christmas shopping is not fun, but that's the plan for this Covid year.
Claire and Amanda came over for lunch and a short visit and brightened the gloomy day. After they left I started on more Christmas theme masks for their family.
Using some ground lamb from the freezer, I made lamb patties with gravy, served over rice with green peas for our side. We ended the day with a pretty good movie - Emperor.
Saturday, December 5
I decided to try Bill's treadmill this morning. I managed to walk a mile in about 20 minutes. The sun is shining and the birds are busy this morning. I continued to work on more masks, thinking that I'll give them to my FRC colleagues and to Kathy. After a late lunch we drove over to the Matzeks to see the progress of their porch. It will be a great addition to their house. From there we went across the river to walk. So I ended up with at more than 3 miles today. We think we saw an eagle as we left. We will have to start looking for them. They like to fish below the dam. Football and tacos completed our day.
Covid cases continue to multiply. We are already careful, but we have to continue to be vigilant about safety measures.
Loudon County (from 12/5)
2497 total cases; 251 active; 21 deaths; 2 new deaths this week
57.3 case rate
20.3 pos rate - One in five people who were tested this week were positive
TN: 387,522 total cases; 4905 deaths
US (2 pm 12/6) 14,546,800 total cases; 280,079 deaths
Yesterday Covid was the leading cause of death
101,276 hospitalized. Many if not most hospitals are are critical care capacity
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