Well, here we are. Thanksgiving 2020. Some might say that’s an oxymoron. This year has taken quite the ribbing from all of us. The lockdowns, toilet paper situations, a hurricane season that required two alphabets, and the most insane election season on record. The murder hornets never came, but 2020 is the gift that just keeps on giving, isn’t it? With every thing that has gone wrong, we’ve just learned to expect no less from this hellacious calendar year.  

Carson will be home tomorrow night for Thanksgiving. Actually, he’ll be home until January. Yes, the boy, who wants to know what we’re having for all three meals as soon as his feet hit the floor, is coming home for 6 weeks. This means I have to step up my cooking game. Or start it up might be the more appropriate wording as I haven’t cooked much since Covid struck. This should be an extended time of fun for me. 

I’ve put up our Christmas tree, which is something I never do before Thanksgiving. I’ve got pumpkins, cones, pilgrims, gourds, acorns, turkeys, squirrels, and berries adorning the whole house and there sits the Christmas tree in the midst of it all. I’m almost embarrassed- like I want to throw a sheet over it until next week. I only put it up because we’re going to the mountains on Friday and I have so much going on when we get home. I was trying to get a head start, but it just doesn’t feel right. It’s 2020, so I guess anything that doesn’t feel right is fitting. 

Probably like you, our annual Thanksgiving plans have been altered this year. Davis’ family is very small, so that celebration won’t require any tweaking, but my extended family is a different story. We decided that having 50 people come together from different cities, colleges, schools, and workplaces- probably wouldn’t be such a good idea, this time around. Like most families, we have some among us who we want to especially protect, so the four branches of the family tree will celebrate separately- making this Thanksgiving look a lot different than all the others. I’m sure there’s been one, at some point, but I don’t remember a Thanksgiving that I didn’t spend with my aunts, uncles, and a house full of cousins. I will certainly miss that. 

Our branch is celebrating here at our house. My mother, brothers, and sisters-in law are coming and also any of the children who aren’t going to be with their in-laws. This is a first for me to host Thanksgiving. That’s a whole different level of hosting, you know. I tried to manage expectations by calling it our Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. Coming into it, if the guests have images of ping pong tables, mismatched beach chairs, toast, and popcorn then surely those are expectations that even I can exceed. That was my strategy. To set the bar low. And I’m confessing right here on the World Wide Web that I’m not following CDC guidelines and asking the guests to bring their own food, plates, and utensils. When I saw that, I had to cackle out loud. I mean, we’re going to have a laid back affair, but not so laid back that you’re going to need to box up your dishes and bag your own turkey to join us. If the weather agrees, I’m hoping to set the tables outside. My sugar maple tree should be at peak color to help with the centerpieces. My mother is bringing her caramel cake, which has forever ruined everyone else’s caramel cake for me. Heaven on a plate. And I’m sure a football will be flying through the air before the day is done. 

The menu won’t be exactly the same. The food table won’t be as sprawling. The crowd won’t be as large. The location will be different. The time of day will be different. Everything will be different. Nothing will be the same. Just like the rest of the year has been. But, there is good in all of this. Maybe we’re just being shown our blessings from a different angle. In all this absence, we’re learning to appreciate the gift of presence. Maybe in the sickness, we’ve placed more value on health. In these unsettled times, we might have become more grateful for the ordinary day. Maybe when we aren’t as prosperous, we can learn what’s really valuable. In our loss of control, we may just find peace in knowing He has it. And maybe it’s only when this life seems fragile or is hanging by a thread that we fully appreciate the gift of eternal life in our heavenly home. 

Nothing is the same, this year. But maybe that’s the point. To see our blessings from another vantage point. Always looking at things from the same old place can dull their splendor.  

I am thankful for you! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! 

 

I’m seeing a lot that disturbs me. I’m sure you are, too. Oddly, I don’t want to talk about what you might expect. What has really stuck in my mind are the messages our young girls are getting from us, women. Under the pressures of political correctness, we have all lost our minds. All of us. Whether we want to admit it or not. Not demeaning anyone in these organizations, because I know it was a decision made by only a handful, but, as a woman, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the Girl Scouts and Kappa Delta sorority removing, rescinding, and apologizing for their congratulatory acknowledgement of the newly confirmed Supreme Court Justice. Completely set aside who nominated her- only 4 other women have achieved what she has and neither female organization had the courage to stand behind a simple congratulations. She is a widely acclaimed brilliant legal mind and has an admirable family life, but was not found worthy of any kind of acknowledgment because of her beliefs. So, for the young girls and young women in those organizations and even those who aren’t, what does that say to them? Well, it sounds something like this- Stand up for what you believe is decent and good and admirable- until you receive negative feedback for what you believe and then you should take it back and apologize for feeling that way. And only women who fit into a certain belief mold are worthy of public praise or admiration, so stick to the mainstream set of beliefs if you want to be successful and accepted. And don’t forget, girls, public opinion and keeping others pacified are always more important than truth, character, or conviction. Is that really the legacy we want to leave for them? What kind of example are we being to our girls? How can we expect them to embrace inclusiveness, have the courage to take a stand, or feel secure in their beliefs when we can’t do any of those things?  

We have come to the place in America where we can’t grant any measure of acceptance, approval, or positive acknowledgement of anyone who doesn’t hold our same beliefs, political views, or values. Because of that, we are fractured. We’ve become like bitter enemies who only want a win for our side. Each time we apologize and cave to social pressures, we become weaker- our word, our credibility, our strength, our integrity, our resolve. I’m not sure that we can continue to put our words and actions in reverse whenever public opinion demands it and continue to be respected by anyone- the people who think differently from us or the young people we’re trying to influence. There is such a lack of courageous conviction in our country. We all have caved to the fears of the cancel culture. There is no appetite for expressing opinions that might cause backlash or loss of business or loss of followers or even worse in our current climate. We want to go along to get along because no one likes to experience criticism or ridicule. We just keep our opinions to ourselves and keep our heads down and, because of so little push back from us, social media and news channels are deciding what we hear and see and say. Articles require “special explanations” before we read them, comments are removed, commenters are placed in Facebook and Twitter jail, and news channels suddenly lose their satellite connections when dissenting opinions are speaking. 

This isn’t my normal type of post. Y’all know me. I like to keep it light around here. But, I’ve felt convicted of my lack of courage, lately. And, no, I’m not a conspiracist. I’m not talking about politics here. I don’t do that because that always alienates half of the people you’re trying to reach and sharing God’s love is more important than sharing my political opinions. No, I’m talking about the conservative Christian beliefs and values of a large group of people that are being dismissed, muffled, ridiculed, and phased out and we are, for the most part, sitting by and letting it happen. We’ve adapted to the new rules. There is no courage behind our conviction. We have been bullied into playing along in silence. Even among Christians, I think there is a trend encouraging us to always be positive, stay above the fray, and not speak of such things for fear of sounding anything but exceedingly joyful at all times. But, sometimes, we are called to speak of such things. And take a stand. Otherwise, we are weak and obsolete. 

Our nation has always celebrated free thinking and unique ideas. We are free to speak and worship and believe any way we choose. If you’re not seeing us trending away from that in a seismic way, then maybe I’m the one who’s nuts. I don’t think that God wants us to go along to get along or to measure our words to please the crowd. He certainly never did that. I believe we’re expected to give praise to those things which are good and right and have the courage to stand up and call out those things that are not right or just- using God’s word to determine which is which. Above all, may we set ourselves apart from the rest by doing it all with a spirit of warmth and love- but with an unwavering courage. If we don’t speak up when it’s needed, we are letting down our God, our country, and our children. 

God, give us courage.  

A more typical post will return next week- hopefully, bringing my taste and smell along with it. 

Y’all have a good Thursday!!

JONI

Well, it’s been an eventful time since we last talked. I was diagnosed with Covid a week ago and I’m on the downhill slide of that now. Thankfully, no one that I was around before getting sick has gotten it and Davis has managed to stay well even though he’s been in the same house- keeping a far distance. He has O positive blood, which they say may help keep Covid away, but are we really sure about anything when it comes to this crazy virus? For the lack of anything else to write about -considering I’ve not been anywhere or seen anyone for 9 days- I thought I’d tell you about my week.

Late last Monday night, I got a little dry, tickly cough. Fall in the South is prime time for allergies and sinuses to get stirred up so I just assumed it was more of the same stuff that I’d dealt with since September. By the time I went to bed around midnight, my throat was scratchy, which followed my normal allergy pattern, so I took some allergy meds and went to sleep. I slept restlessly and kept waking up enough to realize I was aching all over. I woke up the next day feeling really achy and my throat was hurting. I thought I certainly had a fever, but the thermometer numbers didn’t match all the aching I was having- just a smidge of temperature. I had an appointment to meet a friend at her house, that morning, to help her with some Christmas projects, but I decided I’d better play it safe and cancel until I knew if I had anything contagious. Dr. Fauci would’ve been so proud. 

I got up and got a shower and put on my makeup. I was going to be productive during my day at home and I was. I felt good enough to do a lot of things that I wanted to get done. I got up again on Tuesday and felt the exact same way. Body aches, back aches, sore throat, low temp, and a stuffy head. Not too good, but certainly not too awful, so I stayed at home again to be safe and got so many other things accomplished with the help of Tylenol. I was supposed to meet some friends for dinner that night and some girls from church on Thursday night, but I let them know I’d have to cancel. I was sure it was all sinus related, but I wanted to be cautious about it. Again, proud moment for Fauci. 

I woke up again on Wednesday and felt like I was starring in Groundhog Day. Same stuff- different day. I decided I’d give it one more day and, when I woke up Thursday feeling no better, I called my doctor and went for a test. They came out to my car- it was all very convenient. I never realized that a stick could go that far back into your sinuses. I’m not sure a brain biopsy could have been any more invasive. They called within a couple of hours telling me I was positive. The nurse explained the quarantine rules and gave me advice on what to do and what to take and when to call for help. 

They informed me that anyone I’d been around within the last 48 hours would need to quarantine, too. Thankfully, our outdoor family gathering was just outside that 48 hour frame and I’d kept myself at home since I’d started feeling bad, so I held my breath that I’d not given it to anyone. We’d not gone to church that Sunday because we’d had company so late, the night before, and I was just exhausted. That is one church absence that I believe God’s nudge may have inspired. I did let my family know in case something came up with any of them. That’s a group text you don’t want to have to send. “So, about that great party we had. Um, I just tested positive for Covid. Y’all feeling good?” At times, it may take a while to hear back from texts that you send out about different things, but that one will get you some expeditious responses. Ding. Ding. Ding. 

Over the next couple of days, my symptoms continued to be pretty mild. Aching was the main thing and a fast heart rate. I was aching like I had a high fever, but I didn’t. People would call to check on me and I’d describe it as a mild, mild, mild flu. I couldn’t insert enough milds. I bragged about having a light case and how I was still up and doing things. All the advice I’d heard since March on what could help, I started doing them. I walked slowly on the treadmill, each day. I sat outside in the sunshine. I took high doses of vitamin C, and supplements of D and zinc on top of my usual krill oil, Goli apple cider vinegar, and beet powder. It looks like a GNC over here, right now. On Friday night, I ate supper and was so thankful I’d not lost my taste or smell. A couple of hours later, I went to get a snack and realized I couldn’t taste my Oreos or smell them either. It had all left that fast. 

On Halloween, day 5, I woke up feeling awfully witchy. My head was pounding horrifically. My sinuses were throbbing. My ears hurt. I was in pain from head to toe. My fever was higher and pretty much constant. All the bragging I’d done about my mild symptoms had backfired. So much for real clothes and makeup. I was looking the part for Halloween. The only thing that would give me relief from the pain was standing in a really hot shower, so I did that a few times a day. All of that energy that kept me busy, the first couple of days, had disappeared and I did very little except when I’d make myself walk laps inside the house. I had that weak feeling that comes when you’ve been sick a while. I tried to stay up and out of bed as much as I could. And food brings so little joy when there is no taste, but I still wanted to eat. And I craved certain things even though I couldn’t taste them. It’s never affected my appetite- I really think I’ve been even more hungry than usual, which has been odd. 

Day 6 and 7 were repeats. I was feeling bad with so much sinus pain and my shoulders hurt. Naps were a must to get through the day. I’ve lost some weight even though I was eating. My aches were better, but my stomach was feeling nauseous and my sleep was just awful at night. The mornings have been the worst time of the day as far as feeling bad. 

Day 8 brought sweet relief. I finally woke up with no fever and felt some better. It was Election Day and I’d been worried about how I could vote. I was told they’d allow you to vote curbside if you were sick with Covid, so the two poll workers came out geared up- looking like they were headed to defuse a dirty biological bomb and I don’t blame them. I pressed my driver’s license against the window so they could check it and they slid the ballot through a tiny crack in my window. Hats off to the poll workers for that extra mile. Anyway, I stayed fever free until night time and even then, it was low. For the first time, I slept so good that night.

Today, day 9, I’ve felt pretty good except a slump this afternoon, but a nap got me back on track. Those are still a must to get through the day. It’s so strange that it waxes and wanes like it does, but I’m really improved over all. I walked around the yard in this beautiful weather we’re having. And I felt good enough to cook for the first time and I made soup. I have no idea if it was good or not, but I ate it. While it was simmering, I thought I could barely catch a brief whiff of its smell, so I’m hoping my taste buds will come back alive soon. Taste buds play quite the important role in my life. I can be freed from this solitary confinement prison on Friday if I stay fever free until then. 

After watching the news and hearing other people’s stories, it’s weird to experience the thing that’s dominated so much of our 2020. It’s such a strange and random disease that, sometimes, kills people you wouldn’t suspect and barely brushes up against those you’d think wouldn’t do well. I talked to friends who’d had it and we’d compare notes, but I’ve learned that it doesn’t do any two people the same way. I had a couple of times when I’d have an episode of feeling like I couldn’t get a deep breath but they never lasted very long- well, except for Day 9, but that was more of an Election Day shortness of breath than Covid. 

I have no idea where I got it. I get out and shop and eat out and go places that I’ve always gone. I’m careful and wear a mask and wash my hands, but I’ve basically gone on about my business, so I’ll never know- like most people. I’m most thankful that I didn’t pass it to anyone- that I know of, at least. I just want Covid, the election, hurricane season, and, frankly, 2020 to find a good end soon. They’ve all been doozies. 

Until then, let the Golden Rule be our guide. 

With our words and our germs, be kind. 

Y’all have a good day! 

Joni