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This content uses referral links. Read our disclosure policy for more info. This means if you make a purchase, I get a little change to keep up my Diet Coke habit. It’s a win/win.
1.
My county just got bumped up to a level three emergency level for Covid-19. That means that with all the testing they’ve been doing for free, they’ve been finding a lot of infection. Not a lot of hospitalizations, not a lot of deaths, just a lot more people under the age of 40 with Covid-19. Mandatory facemasks are now in effect per the state. In the city they want to have fines and penalties too, but the police are not enforcing this, the health department is. I have no idea what that looks like.
I do know that people are getting nasty with each other, online and in person. Last week I was driving back from the lake with Rosie and her friend, and Miss C. A motorcyclist who looked to be in his 40s or early 50s, whipped around the side of my van, turned to yell an expletive and then gave me the one-finger salute. I’m still not sure what I did to deserve that. But I don’t think you have to do much to make people pissed these days.
We still can’t sing at church. I’m not allowed to play. I went to the protestant church in my back yard and sang with them last Sunday. The mask rules say that we don’t have to wear a mask outside if we maintain 6 feet distance, and their service is outside. So I might go back this weekend. Then I’ll go to our outdoor mass, but we might have to sit in the back because the powers that be in the diocese of Cleveland have mandated masks at mass. But we’ll be outside? So I’m not sure.
The effects of this have been that for feast days that I love, like St. Thomas the Apostle, Maria Goretti, or Kateri coming up this next week, I don’t hop in the car and head over to mass. It’s too stressful.
Going to church, to be in front of the Blessed Sacrament, feels stressful.
You know what feels calming? Praying the rosary in my backyard.
And now singing with the Protestants.
2.
I am also in a flute funk. It sits there in its case next to the music stand with exercises and pieces that I want to play, and I just can’t muster the energy or the motivation to practice!
Part of that is that I have nowhere to play, no performances coming up, and not even the opportunity to play for mass. I always do better when I’ve got a reason to play. Maybe I’ll work on something to put it online at the end of summer, but … maybe not.
3.
What makes me feel almost normal is cross country practice, even if it’s not official. Parts of the team are meeting in small government-approved groups of 10 or less. Rosie runs, and I walk. I did two very challenging trails by myself last week while listening to 1984 on my Audible account. When they did a flat trail, I was able to get 3 1/2, almost 3 3/4 miles in for the hour. It clears my head, makes me sweat, and I keep thinking my endurance and speed is even better. If I can walk 4 miles in an hour, that will be something considering the state of my knee.
4.
I found this Youtuber last week and he is one of the highlights of my Covid-19 stay at home experience! I must have watched this 10 times.
This is awesome too!!5.
A couple of Covid-19 anecdotal stories.
I truly believe that this virus has had an affect on the Cesarean section rate. I’ve heard from three of my “older mom ” friends who are now becoming grandparents including my sister. It seems that hospitals are allowing moms to take their time and they aren’t rushing them to surgery when labor gets a little longer. When the dust settles on this virus thing, I will be fascinated to see the stats for C-sections in 2020.
Also interestingly, there is an uptick in interest in homeschooling. I’ve had several people approach me personally and the Facebook groups online are exploding with new members asking Newbie type questions. I’ll be interested in those stats as well.
My post on getting started with homeschooling in Ohio is here.
6.
Next week, starting Monday, you’ll be able to get 75 ebooks, printables and online courses from more than 50 homeschool bloggers in a big bundle from Homeschool Grab Bag. It’s the perfect opportunity to get DIGITAL homeschool resources at a steal!
Want a sneak peak at the kinds of products in the grab bag for FREE ? Check this out!
- The Geography Binder Builder from Adventure Homeschool ($15.99 value)
- The Homeschool Mom Life Planner from Mom for All Seasons ($20.00 value)
- 45 Presidents of the USA Notebooking Pages Powerline Productions ($10.00 value)
- Old Testament Master Teacher Ebook Part 1 from Grapevine Studies ($14.95 value)
7.
The Friday Freebie! College applications Simplified! Remember my honors graduate who just finished college this past spring? Well four years ago, this was one of the webinars I took to help us get through the process!
Merged Resource
Let Lee Binz show you how to unlock the mysteries of the college application process. You will . . .
- Learn how to assess each college by location, fit, affordability, worldview, degree choices, and critical statistics, to find the perfect fit for your child.
- Understand what colleges are looking for and learn how to convert your teen’s awesome homeschool experiences into compelling essays.
- Understand the critical components of homeschool records that you will need to submit with the applications.
- Get some tips for letting go so you can release your teen on to college and career with joy and confidence.
Choose between these two dates and times:
Tuesday, July 14 2020 at 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time
and
Thursday, July 16 2020 at 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time
[…] As I blogged over the weekend, one things that is keeping me sane right now during the second wave of Covid-19 regulations is walking every morning while Rosie is at unofficial Cross Country Practices. I’ve slowly moved away from my daily sessions with the elliptical machine and moved on to the great outdoors, tackling hills, trails, and distance. Sometimes I walk with friends. Most days I walk with my phone and a book on Audible. Sometimes I listen to Ave Maria Radio and Al Kresta. Considering that two years ago my knee was so swollen and painful with osteoarthritis that I could barely get across the room, I’m pretty proud of my 3+ miles per hour and ability to tackle some pretty hilly courses. […]