Zum Gali Gali

I last wrote on July 2 which was my parent's anniversary. So a month has gone by and the pandemic is worse now in South Carolina. And to add to it we are approaching hurricane season. As I write a tropical storm is in the Bahamas and heading towards Florida and us. Hopefully it will not become a hurricane. Our big fear is would we evacuate and where would we go?

We keep busy with ZOOM classes, meetings and visiting friends, Brian & Rori online. We read, watch lots of TV and spend way too much time on the computer. It is too hot to do much walking so Sirius and I go out early in the morning and again just before dark. Usually Jeff takes us for an evening golf cart ride and that is a big treat. Either Jeff or I go to the grocery store and I love going to the local farm stand to get fresh vegetables and peaches. We rarely leave the house except for doctor visits. We did go to the beach again and I love swimming in the ocean. I will not go to the outdoor pool as there are too many people.

I continue my Hebrew lessons on Monday afternoons and have enjoyed many OLLI classes online. Every Wednesday I take a class with Rabbi Haas and I try to go to services on Saturday morning. My calendar actually looks full as I take so many classes including a great series from JewishGen which helps with my genealogy research. I am continuing with the plant based eating and have taken several online classes to learn more about this healthy lifestyle. Jeff and I both spend a fair amount of time cooking and enjoying it. Jeff also bakes and has been making challah most Fridays. He is also doing blueberry cobbler and some baked goods with peaches.

We had the Trabb's over for dinner on the porch. They brought their own food and sat at the table while we sat 20 feet away on chairs. Another night we went to Lynn & Neal's porch where they set up a separate table for us and we all had Chinese take out. I am wearing my binoculars because we were going to see the Neowise comet. We did see it one night, but kind of blurry. Still something to add to our life experiences.

On July 14 I attended the Hadassah National Meeting which was an all day event and wonderful. There were great speakers and information sessions. Now they are offering monthly workshops for leaders and they are well worth the time too. July 26 we did a family zoom with Terry, Marilyn and our California cousins. We see these family members more now then before the pandemic.

I am still playing Mah Jongg online and have discovered several Israeli TV series that we really enjoyed. Tonight we treated ourselves to Hamilton as new subscribers to the Disney Channel. Luckily we saw the play two years ago at the Kennedy Center in DC. Just as wonderful seeing it on our TV.

I cam up with an idea for my Hadassah chapter to make up snack baskets for the health care workers at area hospitals and nursing homes. I am chairing this project and today delivered the first basket. We have had a great response from our members and it felt good to do something positive for these health care heroes.

Brian and Rori modeling their Washington Nationals masks.

This afternoon I put on another hat with my Indivisible Chapter. We are advocating for everyone in South Carolina to be able to vote absentee in the upcoming election. So we created a petition and got 2000 signatures. Today we delivered the petition to our State Senator, Tom Davis. He was so gracious and sat with us for an hour discussing voting, the pandemic and answering all our questions.

This cute Carolina Wren visiting our feeder

Let's Do the Twist

A few more weeks have come and gone and our situation is a little worse as South Carolina has become a state leading in COVID cases. By now BLM is a secondary lead in the news as the virus takes the headlines.

On day 92 I ventured to Hilton Head and the dentist's office. I was nervous, but they were very careful and I had already canceled one appointment. Next day I had my annual eye exam and my annual mammogram figuring I would lump everything together and then get myself tested. Jeff visited the dentist too and had a few more doctor visits.

I continue to take classes and have meetings on ZOOM. Most fun is visiting online with Brian, Rori and her parents. I walk Sirius twice a day and try to take my own walk too. One day I heard The Twist and it really helped me to move quickly and dance down the street. Cattails along the boardwalk.

June 22 we went to the beach. It was wonderful and we found a secluded area to pitch our umbrella. I loved swimming in the ocean - twice - and walking in the sand. Wonderful!

Now we are counting down to the November election and I am working with Indivisible to get the vote out and ensure absentee ballots for everyone who wants one in our state. Continuing with the Hebrew lessons and taking courses with the OLLI summer program. Lots of time to do genealogy and writing to people who are DNA matches.

After all the doctor visits Jeff got an email from one office that his doctor had tested positive for COVID. OMG! Now we are panicked. So on Friday, June 26, Jeff and I went to a drive through COVID testing site. It took about a half hour and they came to the car with the long swab. I'll say it was unpleasant, but not painful. They certainly go far up the nostril and do both sides. Now we are waiting for the results by mail and six days later - no word yet. Meanwhile we are totally quarantined just in case.

So this week we stay in except for my walks and it is much too hot to even sit on the porch. We watched all three seasons of The Handmaid's Tale and found it fascinating and frightening. Now we wait for season four next year along with Bosch and Ozark.

A special treat is driving around in our golf cart with Sirius. One night we visited the bird rookery a few blocks away. We saw Ibis, Wood Storks, a Little Blue Heron, Egrets and Anhingas.

So now it is day 108 for us and things are not better. We ordered groceries online for curbside pickup as we were running out of food. I long to go the farm stand down the road, but have to wait until I get the test results.

We did have some backyard visitors although fewer birds are coming, probably because it is so hot.

Our Blue Jay returned

Our first Hummingbird

Jeff and Sirius schnuggling on the couch.

Eve of Destruction

Another Friday and more days have gone by. It is now our 88th day hunkered down and staying as safe as possible.

Last week was uneventful for us except for the peaceful protests going on around the world. Watching TV is unbelievable and, hopefully, this time a tragedy will bring about change. It is good to see the young people take to the streets and reminds me of the Viet Nam War protests. Sadly, more people have now died from the Covid-19 virus then in that war and that is the second lead on most news shows. We also have torrential rains this week and it seems that the world is coming apart. I long for "normal" times, but with changes in society for the good of all and a vaccine for the virus.

Jeff is continuing his physical therapy for his arm and I am taking conversational Hebrew through a Hadassah online program. I find it harder to remember as I get older. I do remember lots of words from my Ulpan lessons years ago. I continue to walk and have some study groups and lots of ZOOM lectures. OLLI has started it summer series on ZOOM and I have a busy schedule lined up. Jeff taught a class this week on his passwords plan. We play games online with Brian and Rori and also our friends. We go to doctor visits and both have dental appointments coming up. Other than that we stay in except for the grocery store and some errands.

Jeff celebrated his 73rd birthday with a visit from friends. No one comes in the house and we meet in the driveway or a few folks we allow on our back screened porch.

I did early in person voting for the primary election. It was well run and good social distancing. Of course, I wore my mask. Better than going to the regular polls and fighting the crowds. Oh the privileges of being a senior. I am working to assure that everyone in South Carolina (and the US) can do an absentee ballot and avoid the polling places.

Not much going on in the backyard. This cormorant came to visit and everything is soaked and lush from the rains.

I Walk the Line

Well, more time has flown by. Since I last wrote I continue to walk with and without Sirius. It is getting hotter and usually in the 80's now. The smells are so intoxicating as honeysuckle, jasmine, magnolia trees and gardenias are in bloom. You actually feel drunk as the aromas mingle in the air.

I did an exciting thing on the 67th day of quarantine and got my hair done. What a relief and I was completely masked and covered as was my hairdresser. other than that we only venture out to walk or do grocery shopping. I did drive to the beach one day and took a walk in the sand. I go to a little known beach with few tourists. There are no waves or swimmers and lots of shore birds.

Memorial Day weekend came and went. Our community opened the pools and athletic venues and gyms. You need a reservation and there are limits to how many people can enter. I am not ready to take the plunge yet. Inside with air conditioning feels safer. I do have my cleaning gal come in every other week. We stay on the porch while she is here and it seems comfortable and safe.

I continue to take classes on ZOOM and we played online games with friends and Brian  Rori with her parents. Still watching lots of TV and working many hours on genealogy.

Today is Sunday, May 31. This past week has been horrible with the senseless murder of George Floyd and our country coming apart by its seams. I am having trouble coming to terms with the hatred that has been unleashed or at least acceptable to act out in public. I can't understand the hatred and I condemn it. Watching the TV coverage is sobering and sad. The looters and people taking advantage of this horrific situation are just as bad as the murdering cops. I pray that the next weeks see things calm down and we get back to worrying about people dying every day from this terrible pandemic.

So ends day 76 and I'll share some bird photos from our backyard.

Pine Warbler with a mouthful of meal worms.

Blue Jay - an infrequent visitor to our yard.

Juvenile Eastern Bluebird. Our babies have fledged and this could be one of them.

Not a bird, a butterfly outside our bedroom window.

Pileated Woodpeckers keep trying to eat at our feeders, but they are too large. These photos are taken through the screen.

Lazy Day

I am back after missing many days. Even though we are still in quarantine the days go by quickly and always something needs to be done and more to accomplish.

So, back on May 7 we had our new roof installed. It was a clear, cool day and the work was completed and all cleaned up by late afternoon. It is now good for 25 years and, hopefully, something we won't have to worry about again. Best was we had hail damage and insurance paid for most of it.

We continue to meet friends in parking lots and driveways and we sit in our golf cart or bring chairs. It is good to see people in the flesh. On Saturday we had a Glazer family Zoom call. That was fun and good to see several generations. One afternoon we did a Zoom with Brian, Rori and her parents and we played an online game like Pictionary. It was lots of fun.

A big event happened on May 13 as Sirius went to the groomer. Wish I had taken before and after photos as he looked more like a sheep before his trim. Many businesses have opened up here and the beaches are opening too. So far we continue to only go to the grocery store and WalMart, Target or Lowe's when necessary. Terminix came out to do our quarterly service and they will not come inside unless there is a problem. So he did an outside service and we smiled through the storm door. That same morning I arranged a Zoom board meeting for Hadassah and it was great seeing the gals and hoping to reschedule all our events when this is over.

The weekend was very sad as Brian & Rori were to be married on May 17. Everything was postponed and we all stayed home. We look forward to their wedding and hope it can be soon.

Saturday night we sat on friend's patio and brought our own chairs and dinner. I spent Sunday morning insidd at a Zoom Hadassah regional convention. It was good with speakers and lots of valuable information.

This week is quiet with hot weather and torrential thunderstorms. As I write it is May 21, day 66 of our quarantine. I did a few online classes and a meeting set for this afternoon. We have a parking lot visit scheduled for Saturday afternoon. The beaches are open and I may venture out to take a walk. I will avoid the weekends and tourists who are arriving despite the virus.

The newest fad on Facebook is to create your avatar. Here is mine.

House of the Rising Sun

A few more days have passed and we are still quarantined. We are so lucky to be healthy, have a nice house and shady porch and good friends to talk to and sometimes see at a distance.

A few things have been interesting this week. I saw a wild turkey roaming around the dog park. Hope he/she can fly out if the dogs ever return. Jeff was able to buy yeast on E-Bay and made his first     yeast bread. It was very good and he then baked a blueberry cobbler. Developing new talents.

I did the four mile walk again around the back loop of our neighborhood. Feels good to get serious exercise. I usually walk two miles after a mile walk with Sirius each morning. Sticking to the plant based diet too and feeling good. Just trying to keep safe and not get the virus.

Jeff got me a new pendant and I can't wait to go somewhere and wear it.

This afternoon we did another birthday celebration in a driveway. We show up in our golf carts or    bring chairs and visit for an hour or so. And the best news is that we are getting our new roof installed tomorrow. We had hail damage and insurance is paying for the new roof. Very exciting! It will be noisy and I have arranged to take Sirius to the kennel for the day.

Like A Rolling Stone

Sunday is day 41 and sadly it was to be our annual Hadassah Starfish Walk on Coligny Beach. This is the biggest fund raiser of our year and, hopefully, it can be rescheduled for the end of summer. I continue to walk and even did a four mile circuit around the back end of our neighborhood. Today's title is for the music I listen to while walking - Rolling Stone Magazine top 500 songs.

Monday and everyday seem to blend into one another. I constantly have to check my watch to see what day it is as I can't tell from the calendar anymore. I have so many appointments crossed out and have rescheduled many doctor appointments and regular tests and dental visits.

Tuesday was a sad day as our new sister-in-law Elaine was laid to rest in New Jersey. She became ill in January and cancer took her life very quickly. RIP poor Elaine as she and Rick would have been married one year in July.

Wednesday is a day I look forward to for my regular class from Mickve Israel. We now meet weekly and discuss a variety of topics including TV and movies. So many wonderful things to stream and watch on TV or my computer. Makes the time go quickly.

On Thursday Jeff and I took a walk at the Pinckney Wildlife Refuge. We were surprised to find the parking lot full and saw a few people on the walk to the pond where egrets are nesting with young chicks. Lots of Little Blue Herons.

Mama Egret with a chick.

Snowy Egret with "Golden Slippers."

Common Gallinule

I was walking around the pond when an alligator began to bellow. The noise was terrifying and I ran back to safety near some other folks.One guy thought it was a motorcycle - it was that loud. Just a giant mating call and we soon saw him swim across the pond to court a lady gator.

Later that afternoon we took our golf cart to visit Susie and Art. It was Susie's birthday and we met two other couples there to sing Happy Birthday from our well spaced carts.

Friday (May Day) was a long day as we drove to Charleston for Jeff to have a CT Scan at MUSC. I dropped him at the hospital and then continued on to shop at Trader Joe's. I had my list and a few requests from others so I brought a large ice chest so I could purchase frozen stuff. I got Jeff and we stopped in a parking lot to eat our bag lunches and then continued home.

Saturday we treated ourselves to dinner from the new Frankie Bones in Bluffton. Sunday we were scheduled to do services at Parris Island, but it was cancelled. There are no recruits on base now. It is amazing to realize how much this virus has affected every aspect of our lives and our country.

Today is Sunday and so exciting as I had a pair of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks at our feeder. This is not a bird usually seen here. Top photo is the female and bottom is the colorful male in breeding plumage.