Masks in October

Here's Madison for her daily picture in the morning in front of the fireplace, only this time you can see our two new guests there, a few pumpkins we got from Bradley's Pumpkin Patch.  Hers is to the right, and mine is to the left there.  You can see the smaller mini-pumpkins we were gifted with from there too.  

It was back to school again, and Madison continues to do well there.  She got a 96 on her recent Spanish quiz, and in fact on the way to taekwondo tonight, we were going back and forth with new vocabulary words to study.  She was trying to memorize words for a summative test that takes place next week, all the words being of things you find in a school.  We spent a good deal of time trying to look for and remember what stapler was in Spanish.*

Nana was a little on-and-off today, but the good news is that we convinced her to eat a little more than she usually does.  Mommy made a proper English breakfast this morning, with baked beans and toast, and British soldiers and eggs, and of course tea.  Nana had an egg, and that was as always a big accomplishment.  Later on, she had a piece of toast and some cheese.  It's one of those things you have to fight for.

We couldn't get her out the door today, so I went on to do a few chores on my own, like getting the new car tag.  It's a drive-thru experience, as was the option previous.  And there are two entrances, including this back entrance that I keep accidentally going into.  But it turns out that's the shorter line, so yay me.  Still, there are places where things are so super strict with these pandemic regulations, and this is one of them.  For example, part of the cost of the tax place is now pens.  Because the pen I touched in my car when signing the receipt is now contaminated.  The paperwork I returned, the paperwork I also touched... that's just fine, apparently.  Though people are still getting the virus, the curve is clearly flattened at this point.  Certain politicians go on and on about saving lives, but meanwhile Disney just fired tens of thousands of park employees.  Regal Cinemas is closing down again, because Hollywood won't send any new movies, because they don't want to take a loss on their films, so rather than take a loss, they'll keep all the theater employees unemployed.  We lost Pier 1 Imports this year.  Men's Warehouse is gone.  GNC, The Gap, and Tuesday Morning have closed down many locations for good.  Kay Jewelers and Stein Mart have also closed down over two hundred locations each.  JC Penney survived everything all the way back to 1902 when it started.  But not this.  Neither did many stores of the Children's Place, where we got a lot of clothing for Madison early on.  Another place she likes to go is Forever 21, which closed down over three hundred stores.  Macy's, Bath & Body Works, Hallmark, Nordstrom, and so many others - all these stores permanently closing down because of a virus that is spreading regardless of precautions, and one that people have something like over a 99.9% chance of surviving if they have no other pre-existing conditions. 

Tonight the President checked out of the White House, all clear from his recent virus experience.  Based on what the hospital staff is telling us, he experienced a fever a few days, and that's it.  His condition, according to a team of doctors, is good.  He's able to leave.  He was diagnosed only four days ago.  The entire world was praying for him, so that can never be discounted.  But we're talking about a guy who is in that age category that's supposed to be living in absolute fear of the virus, because that age category is the most susceptible to the it's wrath.  Only in his case, he's walking out of the hospital four days later.  And the only reason he's in the hospital is just in case things got worse.

This picture above is so iconic to me.  How ironic that it's October - he's taking the mask off there.  And as workers in all these places are losing their jobs, hopefully we as a nation will see how off balance all of this is.  Can we not open things up again?  Can we not save people's jobs too?  

I wore my mask to the library, where the plan was to donate some books.  The pandemic has created a situation with the library though, so you can't just drop off a book there at the main branch.  You have to come one day every six weeks or so, and for about three hours that particular slot.  I missed it by a week, because I had no idea things have gotten that way.  But at least I got to go for a little walk outside the library to see their scarecrows on display.

They had a little walk there, and a story actually posted on signs, one small page at a time as you walked along.  Also lining the path were various scarecrows, like the one above, and even a small butterfly garden.

It was such a pleasant day for a thing like this, so why not?  I sat there watching this pumpkin-orange butterfly flit about, the second day in a row where I was chasing butterflies for a picture.  The weather is just fine for something like this, and it was nice and quiet there at the library, of course.  

And there at the exit was Big Foot again.  The guy seems to follow me around!

Tonight, Madison did have her leadership class, and she was doing well with her bo staff.  There was no guest teaching tonight, but the students were practicing some maneuvers repeatedly, and Madison is doing well with it, and really enjoying this weapon so far.  I'll have to ask her which one is her favorite - she's got several weapons in the house now!
 

    Tonight we watched "Edward Scissorhands" together, and for Madison it was her first time.  She enjoyed the movie, and perhaps this will be a new staple for October movies.  It's such a beautiful movie, and the soundtrack stays in your head for so long afterwards.  This is one of my favorite movies ever, to be honest, but then again there's a huge nostalgia kick behind it, as I saw it in the theater when it came out, eagerly awaiting the next Tim Burton flick during his rise to prominence.  He and Danny Elfman were such a big deal, right after "Beetlejuice" and "Batman" and then "Edward Scissorhands" and then "The Nightmare Before Christmas."  We'll get to that one soon enough, but even today I was playing that vinyl record soundtrack on the record player.  But "Edward Scissorhands" evokes so many emotions that linger on, such an amazing movie.  He has a solid fan base, so I know I'm not alone in appreciation of his work, but the hope is that someday the "establishment" will honor him for his contributions to cinema.

     We read before bedtime, from our Elemental Devotional, and also from "The Choices of One."  It's a long book, so I need to read faster.  Madison really wanted to hear the next adventures of Mara Jade, but we start these things so late at night that I haven't been able to read as far!  We're all super tired by that point.  Anyway, we prayed together, and we're hoping that each day can be better and better for Nana.  She's sleeping through the night at least.  Mostly.  Tonight was a little difficult, and Mommy lost a lot of sleep taking care of her.  Mommy has been a real hero, a true warrior during this season.

*La grapadora!  That's what stapler is in Spanish!