Let's Do Something!
Last night I was laying in bed wondering what I could do to help and it caused me quite a bit of sleeplessness. I thought back to all of the amazing childhood memories I made with my maternal grandparents, Ruth and Chuck Olson and it made me realize something... All of the fun activities we did, games we played and meals we cooked were extremely thrifty using mostly things you already have at home and we had a blast! Grandma Ruth was born in 1914 and Grandpa was born in 1909. They lived through the depression and were very thrifty and resourceful. I never realized until now that the time spent with them shaped who I am today and how I view things. I never told people that I used to have a blog because the things I do seem weird and old fashioned. This blog really is a tribute to the things my grandparents taught me in all the fun hours I spent with them. I plan on posting some of the things here over the next days that we did, because I think kids today would still enjoy some good old fashioned fun.
Back to why I'm posting here... How can we help the world be a better place while practicing social distancing?
1. You need some basic sewing skills for this first one, but I am going to make some cotton face masks to donate. You could argue the effectiveness of this endeavor but a cotton mask is better than no mask at all. Obviously they will be washed before use.
2. Visit someone at the Lutheran Home from outside their window. My mom and I did this and it was really fun. It's not the same as a regular visit, but it is better than no visits at all.
3. Take a meal to someone that could use a pick me up. I did this the other day. They were lasagnas that I made about a month ago, covered in several layers of foil and put in the freezer. I did NOT make these meals now, while the germs are flying. I also told the person to wipe down all of the foil with clorox wipes since I had just touched the packaging to deliver.
4. Pastors Heather and Rich talk a lot about fasting to get in in better touch with your spirituality. This is not something I had ever really thought about before and it is going to be a tough one for me, but I'm going to try it for a day. What does it feel like for the people right now that aren't lucky enough to have a house stocked with food? What would happen to the overwhelming demand for food if we each fasted for just 1 day?
5. Resist the urge to hoard. This is a super tough one but it is definitely the thing killing the supply chain.
6. Be kind, especially on social media. We all have differing opinions and that is okay. What is not okay is to berate and demean someone else for having a different opinion than you. I don't personally know anyone that has changed their point of view from being berated on social media. I know for myself, it just makes me dig in deeper and hold an even stronger version of my already formed opinion. I keep my thoughts about it quiet and to myself, but I'm just being honest about what is going on in my mind.
7. Stay away from people! It is killing me not to see my mom and in laws, but it is for the best. I did finally go to see my mom on Tuesday and it was a bad idea. Literally less than 2 hours after I saw her I found out that a passenger on Jamie's return flight from Ft. Lauderdale to Buffalo on the 13th was later diagnosed with Corona. It wasn't Jamie or any of his friends, but they are now self-quarantined until the 29th as a precaution. The bottom line is none of us know if we were exposed or not, so just stay home! He found out about it from the Buffalo news, several days later.
8. Enjoy your family. Reassure your kids that things will eventually return to normal. Play board games, build blanket forts, and have family movie nights!
Hugs to everyone! Virtual hugs, of course!
