12/27/2020

Update 12/27/2020

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas Day. My day was quiet and nice. Thank you to Ishy, Marcia, Sylvia, Cara, and especially Sarah and Jack for the wonderful gifts!

My Thursday group that meets in Green Square, met at Helen’s on Monday for a delightful holiday treat. She made sandwiches, and served them with eggnog, and homemade cookies for dessert. Because school was out for the holiday break, Patsy joined us too, but was not very interested in the old ladies. She politely colored in her Trolls activity book, and played games on Vicki’s phone. But just being near a 6 year old at Christmas is magical!

I went to the grocery store on Wednesday, because I was afraid selections might be picked over if I waited too long. I didn’t have that much to buy, anyway, since I was only cooking for myself. I chose a very nice filet steak (which was so thick I sliced it in two), a baked potato and roasted brussel sprouts. I wish I’d remembered to buy mushrooms, but I didn’t. And I had a nice petite sirah.

Because so many live performances were canceled because of the pandemic, the Savannah Ballet Company aired the Nutcracker Live on TV. It was all recorded in Savannah – inside a historic private residence, in the squares, and along River Street. Not only did I enjoy the dancing and the music, but I love to see it all happening in places that I recognized. I tried to take a photo of my tv screen, where the sugar plum fairy is dancing at the Westin, with River Street in the background.  

I am totally disgusted with the US Postal Service. If you did not get a card from me, it doesn’t mean I didn’t send one. I have no idea if they were delivered. The packages I sent were mailed on December 14 with 2 and 3 day delivery payments made so they would get to the destination on time. Allen’s arrived Dec 24; Ishy’s is still in a warehouse in Jacksonville FL. I had one card to me that was forwarded, but I suspect that the post office may have returned other cards that did not have my Reflection Way address on them. My mail is not being delivered until after 8 pm every day. I have been receiving daily political ads from all the clever people running for the senate in the Georgia runoff – those seem to be a priority for the USPS. I so angry about this holiday non-service. So, I hope you received a card from me, but I’ll never know.

Of course my favorite gift was from Sarah and Jack. Next summer I’ll become a great grannie. Baby Venuti is eagerly anticipated by many.  

As we move toward a New Year, I think we are all anxious to leave 2020 behind, and hope for better things in the coming year. Some things will never be the same after this horrible year. I will always be reticent to hug friends. I’m a Southerner now, and hugging is what we do – when we meet, when we part, all the time. I’ve become used to this, and I like the sentiments that are given and received by hugs. But we have had to give that up, and it may be hard to recapture. I will always be suspicious of elections.  Not only because of the conspiracy theories that are never-ending, but also because of my own experience with the post office. I do not understand how I can get a pop-up ad when only minutes ago I searched online for some product, but they can’t figure out if I’m dead or alive, or if I’ve already cast my ballot, when voting. Education has been set back years, if not decades, as teachers will have forgotten how to teach, and students will have forgotten how to learn, and harried parents who are working from home are unable to encourage their children to learn and stress the importance of education in this crazy environment. Even the way we mourn will be forever changed, as we cannot come together to express sympathy because of the 6-foot distance and the small group policies. That may change; I hope it does, as it’s an important way we care for each other. Yes, 2020 has been a terrible, horrible year, and we are forever changed because of it. As we begin a new year, I wish you all the very best: good health, happiness, and everything you need. I wish the same for all people everywhere. Go Bills!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!