@MusicCandy @SadMe70 A place to communicate
@MusicCandy Hello! I have to get ready for work but will post more later!
Hello my friend, I am thinking of you and hoping you are well.
We are well here, staying in except for groceries. We really have enough food to last a couple of months, but have gone out to get things we want, like fresh produce or milk. So many people have been acting stupidly (including friends of mine), going unnecessary places and/or in crowds, that I don't know when we will be back to normal.
My son had to go to urgent care 2 days ago, for what is probably a UTI. He is on antibiotics and we are hoping it clears up and is not something worse like kidney stones. I could hardly sleep that night, between hoping it was not something bad, and hating that he had to go to a place full of sick people.
I have been working on cleaning out about a foot deep of built up, decomposed, compressed hay and droppings in the goat shed. It is good exercise and will make for a nicer place for them to be when the babies are born, possibly as early as next weekend.
I have also started weeding our garden areas. We have 5 big built up mounds (one of which is a blueberry bed) and 3 framed beds, so I have plenty to do. I did nothing with them last year. Typically I plant stuff and then it's on its own. This year maybe I will actually keep up the weeding since that gets me outside and active.
I have done well with my eating and exercise, actually have more time to exercise than usual. I try to do a video of some sort most mornings. I have not eaten too many treats either, and of course being away from school helps that a lot. I was terrible with my Lenten abstinence last week though, drinking on 3 days. I feel bad about that. I prayed for my son, and he seems to be getting better, so I am trying hard not to drink for at least another week.
Hoping again that you are well!
@SadMe70
Hello, I'm sorry I missed reading your post last weekend. It was more stressful than usual. With all the new precautions for everyone coming in the hospital - it changes every day - it is scary to even come in to work especially around the ER. We don;t have the tents outside like the big hospitals, but it is going to get worse. Last weekend, my ex hurt his back so he could not take care of Rachael. We managed between fiance and me with keeping her routine as much as possible. but I had to get her night wash up here at work - sneaked her inside a side door because they are not letting anyone in without the questions and a mask and no visitors. He is OK now and keeping her this week-end but that was exhausting trying to take care of everything..
I read your notes about your work/ school closed. It is also hard now to even find a park that you can walk in - the governor/ mayor has closed the parking lots and entrances because people are stupid. Rachael and I are walking in the neighborhood every morning - 75 minutes straght - which is good for us both. After lunch her caregiver is taking her for a few hours because she works for an agency she can do that. she lives alone and they are going to her house some days and working in her garden - but thats all ( I hope). I know I'm taking a chance but Rachael loves her time with her and I guess i just have to trust that she is obeying the rules,
I miss my church activities too and we are finding ways to stay connected. The services are streamed and I am still taking meals to the shelter - just dropping it off. I actually am teaching one piano student with video calls. It isn't perfect but she is a pretty bright little girl and I think that helps her too since everything else is cancelled. Prayter groups are starting to ZOOM .Im not good at the tech stuff but enough to get by. It is hard to imagine what daily life will be like 2 months from now.
I hope your son is beter and that your Mom is coping. We can only wish everyone will stay home and maybe this will pass sooner than later. Keep us in your prayers - we are anxious and that makes health care harder. I do as much self care as I can at home. Still cleaning out C--- that is therapy too. Keep up the good habits as much as you can. Reach for something else to drink before the wine and at least you won't have as much - at least I'm trying that now. Peace.
Hello, and Happy Easter. I hope your week has been a bit less hectic. I hope your ex is also better so he can help with Rachael. I especially hope you are safe and well!
I made one outing this week, to the library, which has curbside delivery. You pop the trunk, call and tell them you are there, and they put the stuff in your trunk. No need to get near anybody, and I left the books in the car for a couple of days. I have not gone anywhere else, so I'm trying to keep up with exercise videos and walking up and down my driveway. Some days I do it, and some days I do nothing.
I am making slow progress toward a garden, weeding a bit here and there. I've planted strawberries and 2 rhubarb plants, and put a bunch of seeds in cups this week. Tomatoes, squash okra, and a bunch of herbs. I discovered that I have a couple of edible plants in my yard, so I've been throwing them in my salads - wild onion, violets, lamb's quarter. I feel very pioneer-like doing that :-)
That is awesome that you are getting those long walks in! I might go to a county park when I get really sick of being here, but for now am trying to just stay isolated. My last trip to the state park, about 3 weeks ago, there were way too many people there so I doubt I would try that again.
My mom has been watching mass online every day. She found a group she likes and is watching their service, though I think she's going to watch the Pope tomorrow. I prefer just to pray on my own as I usually do, and have been reading a little in the Bible some nights too.
My son says he is better, thank goodness. The walk-in clinic forgot to send out his sample, so hopefully it is actually healed up and he won't have further problems.
I am still waiting for baby goats!
Thinking of you my friend!
@SadMe70
Hello, It is a strange world for sure. Everyday here at the hospital they change some thing. Now no visitors, no elective anything - temperature and masks for everyone including when we walk in the door. We have enough PPE for now and we havent really seen a surge yet. But a lot of staff laid off for now since there are fewer people having procedures so that means the rest of us have less help. They are giving those folks 70 per cent pay - I'd take that except my job is one most people can't do. too bad. But I'm being as careful as I can.
The parks are closed entrances now because there were crowds like you said. Rachael and I are still walking every day though and we have a loop that goes through the neighborhood that we can go diferent ways for at least an hour , usually 10 extra minutes. We went every day even the raimy morning. It hels with a routine and the exercise outdoors is good for us both. That takes up time in the morning and then i get back to cleaning and sorting. Easter service will stream but it looks so strange with the sanctuary empty. I'm glad for your Mom to find a service she likes- and you just do whatever makes you most comforted - prayer is an individual practice anyway.
I have kept a convo line going with my far flung sisters and that has helped. My mom would not do well with this at all - in fact anyone in the nursing or Assisted Living homes must be struggling. One home here has over 40 deaths - no way to keep it from spreading. Family seems more important than ever. We share pics ( mine was the lemon balm taking over my garden plot) and music that is uplifting and quotes. Its nice to open up the message and see something one of them added. It was interesting that you are adding some things from your yard to meals.Ii have lots of violets and wild oinions but i never ate them - and i don't know what the lambs quarter looks like - i'll have to look it up. I know you can eat dandelion leaves and there are a lot of ways to use the lemon balm in tea and cooking - and o yes, my lavender is growing more leaves. There is a recipe for lemon balm and levender shortbread cookies. They look delicate and delicious. but I'm finding since I have to cook 3 meals a day I don't really have extra time for cookie making. I'm busy back to back with my full time hours and Rachael - so it isn't a break for me.
I'm glad your son is better and hope the lab work didn;t make a difference in his treatment. I broke off a tooth and the dentist said - tough luck.It needed to come out anyway but not anytime soon - unless it abcesses .F iance said i should have lied and said it was swollen and painful - but just have to try to clean around it - one more thing!
I have one more shift to work tonight and so far it hasnt been too bad. I hope the babies come soon - that will brighten your day with cuteness. Till next time - thank you for thinking of me. It means a lot.
Just a short post from me today. On Wednesday, my oldest female goat, Sophia, died. She had a baby in the morning and then I saw what appeared to be a small sac of fluid that looked like the beginning of the placenta. A single baby is unusual for goats but not unheard of, and it did not look like an amniotic sac. The placenta usually takes an hour or more, up to a day, to expel so I wasn't worried. When she stood up I felt her sides and felt no second baby. Hours later the small sac was sucked back inside her which I had never seen happen, but I still felt nothing in her sides. She had been periodically pushing all day. I finally called the vet that evening and he told me to feel inside her. I hadn't done that since I thought it was the placenta and worried about tearing it from inside her which can cause hemorrhaging. I reached in and immediately felt a baby, it felt like it was sideways and back-first. The vet came and pulled the kid, which was rough and traumatic for her. She fell to the ground and was just staring, like in shock. In 10 minutes she was dead. The baby was of course long dead. I had not expected that at all, because though she was tired, she looked basically fine all day. My son came the next day and helped my husband bury her and the second baby. Lots of people have had far worse losses lately, but I am still crying and so very sad. We had to bring the first baby in the house to bottle feed her. We got diapers which would to stay on but my husband rigged up a strap to hold them up. I was not prepared to care for basically an infant 24/7, and I miss my Sophia so much. If I had only realized earlier that there was a kid, she would possibly not be dead now. I was supposed to be caring for her, and I let her down utterly. Her last day was spent suffering, which I could have prevented. I feel sick and guilty and grief-stricken. I think too that I could have been more gentle than the vet in pulling out the baby, and maybe she would not have gone into shock, but I can't know that. I don't know that I could have found the head or legs to pull it out at all without damaging her anyway. He had to rummage around to find something to get hold of. He came when I needed help, and I don't blame him, I just wish the whole day had gone differently. This post is not so short after all I guess. I needed to pour all that out of me.
@SadMe70
O my dear friend, I am so very sorry for what you sent through all day. Losing a loved and cared for goat and her baby is almost too much. I know you will blame yourself for what you might have done - but logically there is no way to know if it would haver been different. Still, I know you can't talk yourself out of feeling just terrible. And now you have to nurse a newborn. It must feel completely overwhelming. I don't even know how you pulled your thoughts together and had the strength to write it all out to me. I wish I could have held some of those tears in my hands.I know there is no comfort so I won't even try to say something stupid. Each day will bring some tiny ray of sunshine and I pray that will sustain you.
My week was , well, just like the week before and the week before that. work is just getting on my nerves and I am a little bitter that some of my coworkers are home doing nothing and getting paid 70 percent salary. I'd like to do that but no one wants to or is qualified for my position. I'm tired. And I got a swollen eyelid last week that is still red and painful. I read that pink eye is a rare symotom of COVID sand I called the infection control nurse - she said go home and get tested. The ED doc then said, no its just a sty don't worry about it. I know i have plenty of reason to feel very tired even without COVID but they don't test unless hyou have a fever /cough - according to Patient First. I hope it is nothing but it is alarming. I think testing should be available to every hospital worker but we arent there yet. so much to worry and be sad about. I'm thinking of you and virtually sending many hugs and warm blankets to surl up with and a cup of tea or whatever. 
I've been thinking about you all week and hoping your eye has cleared up and that it was not an early symptom of COVID. I'm sure you are still tired regardless. I am grateful every day for the people like you who are keeping our world going. I have prayed that you are safe and will continue to be! It is sad that there are not enough tests so that hospital workers can get tested. I know some MD residents are angry that their governor spent so much money buying tests from Korea, but I say good for him. He is trying to do what he can to protect his citizens.
I so appreciate your understanding about how I was feeling last week. My husband just wanted to tell me it wasn't my fault and not to feel that way. I knew you would understand that I can't help feeling that way. I just had to voice it and get it all out of me. For me that is part of working through it. I can't just not feel guilty. I had to express it and then try to move on from there. My friend who usually feeds the goats twice a week for me in normal times dropped off a cage for me that I might need to use for the baby later (so far she is sleeping on the floor and being very good at night). She also brought a huge basket of petunias and put them on Sophia's grave. I was so touched. She loves my goats too and she was sad as well. It was good to have someone to grieve with me. The baby is doing really well. She is not as big as the twin boys who were born 2 days after her, since they have constant access to milk, but she gained a little weight this week and seems healthy and normal.
I hope that your fiance and daughters are all doing well. Do you have to take a lot of extra precautions at home since you work at a hospital? I wish I could send you dinner or give you a hug of gratitude or something concrete, but at least know I am out here praying for you.
@SadMe70
I am glad you are feeling a little better. I guess the mama goat with the others doesnt accept another baby to nurse? It sounds like you are being very good with being the surrogate and I believe the nurturing may help with the grief. Good to hear that you have a friends who truly understands - and leaves flowers . That is so special. Does the baby have a name yet? It must be more work for you. do you have to do any online teaching? At least it is near the school year end anyway.
I am much better this week-end. I went to the CVS clinic and the NP gave me some drops- and yes it is a stye.I still have it, but almost gone now. Easier work at the department too. Not too busy. I just peel off my scrubs and throw them in the wash and shower when i get home, but otherwise no different that everybody else. Walking with Rachael every morning helps the most. I made a video call to one of my sisters in FL which was warm and fuzzy. I heard that the lack of gace to face time with friends is causing mental health breakdowns - even for introverts like us. We just like t choose our people and time and so on. I called a friend who is recovering from surgery - abd also my younger daughter face time. she is hosting a ZOOM Christmas in April party - with friends - sweaters, cookies and carols- the whole deal1 It sounds like fun and creative. Of course, that generation is so used to it already.
Thank you for your heartwarming comments and prayers - they mean more than you know. People are bringing us food sometimes and MCD's gace me a free breakfast and big thank yous. So we are all helping each other along the way. Sending you a long hug too.
Good morning,
The other mama declined to take on the other baby. I did try! It is a lot of work, but the baby is doing well. She's gained weight and seems fine. The last 2 nights I got her to finally sleep in a cage in the living room instead of in the bedroom, so that's been helpful. She's just over 2 weeks old, so I have about 6 weeks to go. I did not name the baby. We used to always name the babies but in recent years I have not done that so much. The new owners usually re-name them anyway. Before all this happened with my goat, I had ordered chicks and they came in Thursday, so now I've also got 16 chicks in a brooder box in the living room. Our border collie is most interested.
I am not doing any teaching. My job involves working with kids in small groups, who need additional support because they are struggling. Our district is mainly using paper packets that they are handing out at the meal distribution. They are not doing online lessons because of lack of access for some of our kids, but I think some teachers are doing online group meetings mainly just to check in with kids. They are also in touch by email. There isn't anything for me to do, which makes me wonder if they will hire the paraprofessionals back if school doesn't start in August. (My contracts run Aug to July.) I have loved being home all spring, but I do hope we can start back on time. They are going to have teachers come into the building in small groups this month to start cleaning out their rooms and bagging up kids' belongings to get them handed back out to families. I think I will need to go in and clean up my space but not sure how we are working that yet. I share a small room with 5 other people, so hopefully we can schedule around each other and go one at a time.
I am so glad to hear you are feeling better and your eye is healing! I was worried for you. I'm glad last week was less busy also. You need a break! I am glad you are getting your morning walks! I tried video calling with my mom over facebook and it worked twice and now says it can't access my camera or microphone. The permissions are set so I don't know what is going on, so we are back to phone calls. I don't know how to use zoom or anything like that. So far I am doing fine with very little face to face interaction with people.
I can't remember if I told you last week but I got to a state park one day. I went the day after it rained on a day that was rainy looking, in the hope that it would be pretty empty there, and it was. I saw a ranger on my trail but no other hikers. I went to the dump this week and it is beside a small park that has a short loop trail around it so you can see where everybody is and fit yourself in between. There were a few others walking but I was able to stay far away and got a half hour walk, so that's two walks within a week! Although I am not missing seeing people, I have been missing getting out to walk in the woods at the park.
I see sun through my window! I hope you get out in it today, and that you are having a great week!
@SadMe70\
You are a rock star baby-goat-mamma! It must be a busy place around your"farmlet" with babies of all sorts. I remember as child when the chicks came in and they were in the kitchen at my grandparent's farmhouse with a warming light all nght. We loved playing with them when they were tiny. If my life was a little less busy Id have chickens ( LOVE the eggs) - and BEES! I'm not giving up on that dream. But it hasn't slowed down yet - but i did agree to give up 2 shifts a month for a coworker whose hours were cut due to the business at thr hospital. I am sure i need a break even though I don't like to admit it.
We do have positive patients here now , but just a couple. The other HCA hospitals have up to 20. It is still uncertain in a lot of areas, but the out patient procedures are starting to open up next week. no change in Rachael's care though. I can't imagine how they would do distancing or masks with that group in their facility.Her afternoon caregiver does help thogh - mosrlty to give her another segment of the day with someone else. Walks with her are still going fine, over an hour unless it rains. /we missed one last week. Good for you getting in some walks and hikes. We take the same walk around the neighborhood- but routine is good for her. I myself look forward to some river views and hikes - one day .
I am sure they will let you have space cleaning out your room at school. I guess you won't know for awhile how things will start back in August. Just enjoy your days for now - its something you can't change anyway. I' glad you can at least talk to your Mom. I am keeping up with my sisters on a text thread and sometimes with Fb Messenger since i have android, not an iphone. This week-end at work was not busy last night but picking up tonight. but it will be over at 7. Grateful to hav the job and my hours. and hey - Mcdonalds still giving me a free breakfast. God love'em. I'm Sending love to you too.
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Hello, Not really much to report this week! Just hanging in there. I didn't go to school yet to clean up. Maybe this coming week. We had an outbreak at the nursing home here this week, only 4 cases so far and 2 were staff, but they are going to test everyone there. The state park where I walked last week is now closed for cleaning because a staff member has it. I was outside while I was there and only saw one person, a ranger, and we were about 20 feet apart, so I'm not worried. I hope they reopen soon though. I'd like to walk again if we get another almost-rainy day!
I got invited to a local Facebook group called sisterhood of the traveling wine. People within the county sign up and post your address, and a person picks you secretly and delivers wine and treats to your door. Nice idea, but I don't understand how they can think it is a good idea during a pandemic for random strangers to take their germs to other people's houses. There were about 100 women already signed up for it too, so we'll have lots of people running around unnecessarily. My son's gf who has been staying with him is visiting her mother in another part of the state this weekend for Mother's Day. Presumably her sister will be there too, and they have been working and shopping, etc. so there's a bunch of additional exposures for her to then bring back to my son. I wish people would just stay the heck home.
I think it's good that you gave up a couple of shifts. You work so hard all the time, you do need a break. That will give you some time to rest and do other things for yourself. I'm glad you are still getting your walks with Rachael too! I would like to be doing more walking.
Happy Mother's Day to you!
Hello friend! I hope you are doing well and had a good Mother's Day!
I went to school this week and cleaned out my area. I saw a dozen or so people in the building, and only one person other than me was wearing a mask. That person came by to talk with me and we expressed our frustrations with the others not taking things seriously. We both have spouses in their 70s who we want to protect, partially by not getting the virus ourselves, and we certainly don't want to spread it to others. As I left the building, I saw in the front office the 2 secretaries at their desks, the principal, and our IT person sitting on chairs, nobody wearing masks. Very discouraging.
I also got out for 3 more walks! I went to our rail trail 3 times. The first time there were 8 cars but everyone was going in the direction of a very pretty swamp so I went the other way and nobody else went that way! The other two times I went to other locations on the trail and hardly saw anyone. One of those walks was on Mother's Day and I drove past the state park, saw about 100 cars, and kept right on going. I've had really good luck with my walks so far. That's 6 walks in 3 different locations in the past month or so, with few or no people encountered. I still also walk on my driveway some days. I tend to call somebody on the phone to chat while I walk so it's less boring!
I dropped off eggs to a lady down the street who has been my customer in the past, because I have a surplus here. She traded me for two catfish filets (her husband's family are watermen), and she had a shirt she got me at Tractor Supply back in Dec but I hadn't seen her since then. It says "You've goat to be kidding me." I love the shirt! It's so nice to be around nice people!
The baby goat is doing well. She's a month old. For the past week, she has spent most of the day outside in the pen with the other animals. She was getting way too rambunctious to be in the house, and she needs to learn how to be a goat anyway. I take her bottles out to her but then leave her out there until a couple of hours before bedtime. She sleeps in a cage in my living room, along with the brooder box with 16 chicks in it! Yesterday I eliminated one bottle (the bedtime bottle) and put grain and hay in her cage, a first step toward weaning. I should put water in there too, but haven't figured out a non-tippable container, since she knocks over the hay container every day. I also took the chicks outside for the first time yesterday and put them in a cage on the yard while I cleaned their box. They got to be out for about 2 hours in the nice air.
The next time I write to you, I will be 50 years old. I plan to bake myself a 3 layer cake! It's been a long time since I baked a cake, and I'm looking forward both to the baking and the eating! I have saved a $25 bottle of wine that my son bought me at a winery for a Christmas present, and will drink that on my birthday too. Back in March, we bought about a dozen entrees from our favorite Indian restaurant and froze them to eat occasionally for some fun food. I'm going to have some of that for my birthday dinner. I have been playing online games on the weekends with my sons, and my older son said he couldn't play this weekend but could we do it Wednesday. That is my birthday, so I'm guessing he picked that day so we can have some birthday distance fun and sort of be together. Maybe I can get out for another walk that day too!
I have been prayng for you and others who are out there keeping our world running. I hope that you are well.
Ii just lost a long post - GRRRR. I wished you a Happy birthday and s bunch of other kudos for the babies in and out of the house. I'll try again next week to log on from home. bummer.
I hope all the mummas out there had a fabulous mothers day :)
