Staying at Home

 We look forward to pictures everyday!

Isaac says they have started seedlings and are using the tent as a greenhouse for cold nights.  Can't wait to see their garden this summer!

 New curtains in the bedroom.  And I had my first nap on the new couch today!

It's been chilly all week and we even had a little snow during this  staying-in-place time. We do get out to take walks, to go to the grocery, and Mark goes over to mow V's lawn.   Tomorrow's forecast is sunshine and 60, so we're hoping for nicer spring weather even if we aren't all out and about yet.

Easter 2020

 

Our little Oceanna is growing up so fast!  Shes talking and kicking and reaching out for her ball. And I hear she really likes laying in the hammock with her dad. 

 Betsy and Rachel with their puppies.  No picture of Kyle!  He's not really into pictures these days.  And of course, we haven't seen them lately because of the stay-at- home.  We are so thankful we're all healthy and we're all able to be at home.

Such a strange time, we're all inside trying to pass the time and not make the problem any worse.  PJ is one of the nurses working during the pandemic and we're thankful she's healthy and not overrun at her hospital.  She took our mama some Easter treats today and traded for some of the masks and headbands that mama's been making for everybody.  Here's a couple of the ones she sent to us:

So even though we've all been staying home for Easter, we still remember why the day is special and we're thankful for each other. 

Oceanna Update

Quarantine

We're all staying in because of the corona virus.  We do go to the grocery store, and our bird feed store has curbside service but otherwise, we try to avoid getting out much.  

We have plenty of toilet paper, but the stores often don't have eggs.  Apple Barn up the road usually has nice eggs from a farm in Jacksonville and we like to shop with them.

Every day we hear more scary stories.  More people sick.  More people passing.  More health care workers who are scared to go to work, but they go in anyway.  Even without the equipment they need. 

 This is Skye in quarantine.  She doesn't mind a bit.  

Our facebook feeds are full of creative art

reminding us that love will get us through. 

This makes me cry.  A sight I would never have dreamed of.  Not even on 9/11. . . 

 I've been working one day a week at a little nonprofit that is dear to my heart. Yesterday I was making coffee to take with me and it just seemed like I should take a picture.  Because maybe it would be the last time I go to work for a while? 

 PJ, my sister and super-nurse, modeling the mask that mama made for her.  Another thing we would never have predicted--seamstresses all over the country making masks for our healthcare workers.  Although Grandma would have been tickled to sew those masks.  She and Mammy were used to making do with what we had.

Exactly.

A Different World

So much has happened since that last post when I was  going to yoga classes with Betsy.   The world has become infected with Covid 19 and we're all inside trying to maintain connection through the internet and avoid physical contact. 

 It seems like a lifetime ago that we went out to see Oceanna in California. From her perspective, it has been her lifetime!  If I had realized how serious the virus was, we would not have gone.  I'm thankful we were able to go out and visit and that we all continue to be healthy.  So many people have gotten sick during that time period. 

She is just adorable.  Isaac and Jennifer send us pictures so we can keep up with her.  She's getting to be such a big girl--every day a new adventure to her!

 V gave Isaac her grey mercury several years ago.  It's still running strong :)

 Those moments when your baby sleeps on your chest are so precious.

 She's been to the ocean already!  She looks a lot like Isaac here.

 Bright eyes

My birthday in California.  The Beatles song goes through my mind everytime I think about being 64 now. 

Jennifer and Isaac live close to the river and can go down to hike and swim.  

It's so beautiful, so peaceful.  You could almost forget about the virus there.  

I wonder how the restrictions will affect their visits.

And now it's spring. It's the dangedest spring we've ever seen . . . 

Yoga with Betsy

I've been having wonderful Monday nights lately.  Betsy has taken an interest in yoga and I jumped at the chance for us to go together.  She's growing up so beautifully and I am so blessed to get to hang out with her--in this case, literally hanging out in an aerial class!  After our first class, one of the other students asked her if she wanted to come back again, and she "well, of course!" with a big smile. 

I can't imagine ever taking a yoga class with my grandmother, things were so different back then.  I'm thankful for this time we are having together.

February News

 Look at this bright-eyed Oceanna, she's just precious.  She looks a lot like her mom, but we see Isaac's features in her sweet little face too.  We'll be going to see her soon, can't wait to meet her!

A swag from last week at Petals & Co.  Next week is Valentine's week, so it will be roses roses everywhere!

Today is V's birthday, she's 82 years young.  Rachel and Kyle were up for a Sorry challenge.  I loved hearing them laugh together.  I try to avoid Sorry.  I feel bad when it's time to knock other people off the board and have to send them back to start all over.  Now if there were a version where we all helped each other get home, I'd be in for that one!

Growing Up

Our little Oceanna girl is 4 weeks old already!

More from Christmas 2019

Ram Dass left us for the other side just before Christmas.

Ten years between these two pictures.

She gets cuter with every picture!

Scenes from a Christmas

 It's Christmas Eve and pretty quiet in the house right now, so I've been going thru some recent pictures.  Tomorrow night family will be here around our new dining room table.  Watch for more pictures then :)

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keto cranberry pound cake

I had so much fun decorating the lanterns this year.  This one went to my friend Cathy.

Oceanna's sweet little face.

Betsy & Kyle opening their gift from Grandma Peggy

Christmas Eve weather was so beautiful, perfect for smoking a bunch of ribs for tomorrow night's dinner.

V's vintage Santa sleigh and reindeer.  The boys always loved these.

Tucker, the new puppy at Rachel's house

The new hawk ornament is in memory of Judson.  And I found the red ornament from 1989 where he wrote his name.

Yesterday out of the corner of my eye, I saw a huge hawk landing in this tree in our neighbor's yard.  Once he was in the tree, it was hard to see him; he was perfectly camouflaged. I'll be watching for him again.

This little tree was made by Larry Green's mom, sometime around 1990 I think.  Mark and Larry were good friends and fishing buddies way back in our early McFarland days.  The little picture is of Judson and Warren, the year they both found letter jackets under the Christmas tree.

 Looking back, last year's Christmas was so hard.  We are thankful for moments of joy this year.

 Speaking of moments of joy,   new pictures 

of our little Oceanna, are instant hits of bliss.  She's one week old today.