A Year Ago

          It's now been a full year since the pandemic struck.  This past year has been difficult and we've all made adjustments that we never expected to make.  So I've decided to go back a year and see what I said in my blog at the beginning of this experience.  Here is the blog which I published on March 28, 2020.

          Oh how fast life can change!  Who would have thought a few months ago that a virus that many of us didn't even know existed would soon force us into isolation and drastically change our lives.

          Now this virus is serious and very dangerous, especially for those of us who are seniors.  Both my wife and I are now 79 and I think that qualifies us as being seniors.  I have COPD and diabetes and other serious issues.  My wife has UC, a pacemaker, recent heart surgery and a weakened immune system.  If we catch this virus we probably will enter heaven much sooner than expected.

          Because of this possibility we are taking every precaution that has been recommended.  We wash our hands regularly.  We stay away from people.  We use the computer for online ordering and communication.  And as of Saturday our county is now in a "lock down".  We must stay at home except for necessary grocery shopping and medical needs. The virus has "imprisoned" us.

          Of course we have abandoned all church activities.  And the longer we are out, the more we miss the people.  Like many churches, ours has begun to stream sermons and Sunday School lessons.  They are using a program called Zoom to allow us to participate in discussions.  Lessons and programs are being prepared for children and youth.  Online giving is now available, but unfortunately few have yet to use this.  All of this is good but does not replace needed fellowship, especially when living in isolation.

          Shopping has been a challenge.  For the past year we used Stauffers for purchasing online. They would shop for us and then place the groceries in our SUV at an assigned time.  That was a great service and eliminated the need for us to walk to shop and then stand in line to pay.   But when the virus hit, the demand for this service forced them to stop it.  We then tried Wagamans but we could never get a reservation time from them, so we had to try elsewhere.  We have switched to Giant, but we've never received more than 50% of the items that we ordered with them.  Once they gave our reserved time away and once items were dropped from our order.  This has been very disappointing and difficult.  Our daughter-in-law went shopping for us and purchased some water and ground beef which we needed.  But we really don't want to ask for help and ask folks to risk exposure to the virus just to help us.

          And I really need a haircut.  The day before my appointment, barbershops were forced to close.  I'm not a hippie yet, but I am getting close.  I guess in a few weeks we'll know everyone's real hair color.

          We've had medical visits and tests called off.  Instead we have had some telephone chats with doctors.  But they haven't been much help.  My pulmonary lab has been called off and I miss the exercise.  I also miss three friends and fellow participants who I've met there.  They are older than I am and all must use oxygen.  They are not well and I pray that they will survive this virus.  I miss our conversations.  I guess over the months they have become my "small group".

          So what do you do when you are isolated?  Well you can watch television, but that often makes one feel more anxious.  It is filled with dumb shows or news reports which are always negative - not good when you are already stressed.

         You can read.  I have many books to read but my eyes can't take too much and they now tire too quickly.

          You can put puzzles together.  That we have done.  So far we've taken on the challenge of two 1,000 piece puzzles.  We've completed one and now are half way through a second.

          I can write more blogs.  I really enjoy doing that but at times it is difficult to find new topics.  My hymn blog is doing very well, but this one, my personal blog, has few readers.

          And you can pray.  The older I become the more I realize how important this is.  And the Lord continues to give me more time to do this.  My prayer list grows longer and longer.  There are so many needs.  We've also tried to encourage folks we pray for by calling them and sending notes or e-mails to them.  So many need to be encouraged.  Maybe we all do.

          Now I don't know what is ahead for us but I don't think a solution is in sight.  This could grow worse and more days of isolation and suffering could be in our future.  And that could give us more time to pray, encourage others, and spend time walking with the Lord.  After all, He is the only one who knows our future.

          Well a year has passed since all of this began and I wrote this blog, but with the Lord's help we've survived.  We miss being with our family and our fiends.  We now are dealing with some new and more challenging physical problems.  But God has been good and has blessed us with his presence, protection and provision.  To God be the glory!

Is Spring Really Here?

            Spring starts today, at least on the calendar.  And I did see my first robin last week.  But March can be a difficult month to plan for.  On March 18, 2017, I wrote a blog about my most memorable March event.  I've decided to repeat it once again just as a reminder to all of us.

            It was Saturday, March 18, 1958 - 59 years ago today.  I was excited because my high school choir director was taking me and a classmate of mine to Harrisburg to hear the concert of the district high school choir.  At that time neither of us knew that the following year, our senior year,  both of us would audition and be named to the choir.

              What we also didn't know was that an unexpected snow storm was about to hit.  The morning weather forecast made no mention of snow, except for the Lancaster Intelligencer Journal which did call for a few snow flurries.  But by late afternoon a light rain began to change into big wet snowflakes.  I don't recall these huge flakes, but one report said that some of them were two inches in diameter.  And the snow fell for over 28 hours and had a huge impact on the region. While only 13" of heavy wet snow accumulated in Lancaster city, 2 to 3 feet of snow fell across the higher terrain of northern and eastern Lancaster county, including Lititz. About 30" fell in the Ephrata/Adamstown area and an astounding 50" was measured at the Morgantown exchange of the PA Turnpike.

            In Harrisburg we first stopped for a brief visit with our choir director's mother and then we headed for the concert.  When the concert ended we were surprised to find that several inches of snow had fallen and we began our trip home to Lititz through heavy snow.  I don't remember how long that trip took, but it was memorable.  Numerous times we had to push our car as well as cars that were stuck on the highway blocking our way.  At times the highway was impossible to see.  But thankfully some how we finally got home.  It was a scary trip that I will never forget.  Later, after becoming a teacher myself, I began to realize what a difficult experience it must have been for our director to transport two of his students through that dangerous experience that night.  I hope that I thanked him.

          But that wasn't the end of the experience.  Under the weight of the wet snow, it didn't take long for trees to start snapping. Wide spread power outages took many days to restore and even the PA Turnpike was closed for a number of days. Drivers were stranded on the Turnpike. Even the trains of the Pennsylvania Railroad capitulated that last full day of winter. There was no service at all between New York and Washington after a power failure at Havre de Grace. Six passenger trains were stranded there.

          By March 20, the newspaper was calling it a "sneak storm" that left 75,000 homes without electricity, with "no estimate of restoration."  Meteorologists now suspect that this storm was a powerful "nor'easter" that blew up the Atlantic coast.  Milder temperatures at the shoreline meant that larger accumulations came inland.  Philadelphia and New York City each got 11 inches.

          The storm cut off all access to Lititz for over a week.  Huge drifts closed the Lititz Pike (Route 501) and all the smaller roads into town.  There were pictures of drifts as high as the telephone poles near the Lititz Airport. Half of Lititz lost electricity.  Fortunately our half of town retained power.  My friend actually stayed at our house for several days because his parents had no power or heat at their home. Shrinking supplies of necessities also created a problem for borough residents.  Several days later, a train was finally able to get through the drifts to deliver bread, eggs and milk to the residents.

          As I recall this experience, I can't help but be thankful for the Lord's protection, especially on that dangerous trip home.  

          But I also recall how times have changed things.  Today we have instant weather updates available on television, radio, smartphones and the internet.  None of that existed in 1958.  And today we have huge modern plows and blowers to open the highways and we have workers trained to deal with these situations.  But, unfortunately, drifting and loss of electricity are still dangers to deal with.

         And so when people think winter is over when we hit March, my wife and I often reply, "We remember 1958", and we do!

         

That Was Us (Or At Least Some Of Us)

A little house with three bedrooms

One bathroom and one car on the street 

A mower that you had to push 

To make the grass look neat.

 In the kitchen on the wall 

We only had one phone, 

And no need for recording things, 

Someone was always home.

 We only had a living room 

Where we would congregate, 

Unless it was at mealtime 

In the kitchen where we ate.

 We had no need for family rooms 

Or extra rooms to dine.

When meeting as a family 

Those two rooms would work out fine.

 We only had one TV set 

And channels maybe two, 

But always there was one of them 

With something worth the view

 For snacks we had potato chips 

That tasted like a chip. 

And if you wanted flavor 

There was Lipton's onion dip.

 Store-bought snacks were rare because 

My mother liked to cook 

And nothing can compare to snacks 

In Betty Crocker's book

 Weekends were for family trips 

Or staying home to play 

We all did things together – 

Even go to church to pray.

 When we did our weekend trips 

Depending on the weather, 

No one stayed at home because 

We liked to be together

 Sometimes we would separate 

To do things on our own, 

But we knew where the others were 

Without our own cell phone

Then there were the movies 

With your favorite movie star, 

And nothing can compare 

To watching movies in your car

 Then there were the picnics 

at the peak of summer season, 

Pack a lunch and find some trees 

And never need a reason.

 Get a baseball game together 

With all the friends you know, 

Have real action playing ball – 

And no game video.

Remember when the doctor 

Used to be the family friend, 

And didn't need insurance 

Or a lawyer to defend

 The way that he took care of you 

Or what he had to do, 

Because he took an oath and strived 

To do the best for you

Remember going to the store 

And shopping casually, 

And when you went to pay for it 

You used your own money?

 Nothing that you had to swipe 

Or punch in some amount, 

And remember when the cashier person 

Had to really count?

 The milkman used to go 

From door to door, 

And it was just a few cents more 

Than going to the store.

 There was a time when mailed letters 

Came right to your door, 

Without a lot of junk mail ads 

Sent out by every store .

 The mailman knew each house by name 

And knew where it was sent; 

There were not loads of mail addressed 

To "present occupant"

 There was a time when just one glance 

Was all that it would take, 

And you would know the kind of car, 

The model and the make

 They didn't look like turtles 

Trying to squeeze out every mile; 

They were streamlined, white walls, fins 

And really had some style

 One time the music that you played 

Whenever you would jive, 

Was from a vinyl, big-holed record 

Called a forty-five

 The record player had a post 

To keep them all in line 

And then the records would drop down 

And play one at a time.

 Oh sure, we had our problems then, 

Just like we do today 

And always we were striving, 

Trying for a better way.

 Oh, the simple life we lived 

Still seems like so much fun, 

How can you explain a game, 

Just kick the can and run?

 And why would boys put baseball cards 

Between bicycle spokes 

And for a nickel, red machines 

Had little bottled Cokes?

 This life seemed so much easier 

Slower in some ways 

I love the new technology 

But I sure do miss those days.

 So time moves on and so do we 

And nothing stays the same, 

But I sure love to reminisce 

And walk down memory lane.

 With all today's technology 

We grant that it's a plus! 

But it's fun to look way back and say, 

"HEY LOOK, GUYS, THAT WAS US!"

The Treasure Hunt

          Did you ever go on a treasure hunt?  They can be fun and sometimes even rewarding.  But when the prize is really valuable they can also be very frustrating.  And that is the case with the great hunt that our government leaders have established for many of us.

          Now the prize of this hunt is controversial.  Many of us think the new  covid vaccines - the prize of this hunt - are important and we want to get them to protect ourselves and those we contact.  But others feel that this pandemic is really a hoax and that the shots are a way for the government to control us.  They refuse to get them.

          Now who is right?  I guess that is a good question and nobody can be sure of the correct answer.  Now I consider myself a conservative as are many of my friends and opponents of the pandemic.  I don't like the government being able to take control of our lives and activities.  But I see thousands who are dead from covid.  Some were relatives and friends.  And I see it being very dangerous for seniors who have physical problems just like me.  And at present I have decided to follow the scientific guidelines which try to protect me and those I contact.  

          Many of my relatives and friends disagree. I will accept your opinion should you choose not to get the new shots and follow suggested safety regulations.  But, please understand if I decide to accept them and then continue to avoid you for our protection.

          Now this treasure hunt began a few months ago when two new vaccines were developed and approved by the government.  A plan for distribution was developed.  It called first for shots to be given to first responders and medical folks who worked with covid patients.  I think that was an appropriate choice.

          The second group was to be those over 65 and those with serious physical problems which made them susceptible to covid.  These were the ones most seriously affected by the virus and I think that was a very good second choice.  I fell into that category as I am a few weeks away from 80, have COPD, diabetes, cancer, had five heart bypasses and a variety of other problems.  That made me eager to get the shots.

          The distribution started well.  But then some government officials opened it up to the many thousands in the second group before the first group was taken care of.  And since there was a shortage of vaccines we were suddenly forced to begin the treasure hunt.  Then weather and uneven distribution problems made the hunt even more difficult.  And finally some facilities incorrectly used shots that were supposed to be held for the second shots, adding to the shortage.  Only the government could screw things up like this.

          Here in Lancaster County we were shortchanged and received limited supplies while others had plenty.  In fact many local folks went to other areas, such as Lehigh and Monroe Counties were they were able to get shots.  When asked about this in a news conference this week, our great Governor Wolf had no comment or solution.  I can't help but wonder if this wasn't a political pay back since our county is strongly Republican and our state leadership is strongly Democratic.

          Now when the eligible group was prematurely announced, folks began to scramble for the few available shots.  Folks like me spent many hours and days online trying to schedule.  Some were very lucky and found an appointment while most were not. Openings quickly filled. Frustrations grew.

          Now the Lord surprised us when early in the hunt my wife received a message on her LGH portal that said she was eligible for an appointment.  We made one immediately and she received her first shot on February 9.  She is scheduled for her second on Tuesday, if supplies still exist.  I tried to find out why she was invited and I wasn't.  I finally was told that patients of the LGH cancer and diabetes centers were invited.  Even though I had both conditions, I wasn't invited because I was treated by two doctors who weren't part of the LGH system.  On the other hand, my wife is seen once a year by a surgeon from Philadelphia who comes to the Lancaster cancer center twice a month.  So even though she doesn't have cancer, this qualified her for a shot.  PTL!

          In the meantime, as part of the hunt, I contacted eight of my doctors who all said they couldn't do anything for me.  I contacted the head of pulmonary rehab at LGH.  I was in that for over a year and thought that should qualify me.  No help.  My family doctor did tell me that I was high on his list.  I was finally contacted by Penn State and spent hours on their website trying to get an appointment.  Finally, after many tries I did receive approval to get an appointment.  But there were just four left - all at Hershey- and despite five tries I couldn't get any confirmed.   And the hunt went on.

          LGH added a survey on their portal asking if you wanted a vaccine shot.  I completed it five times but over a week later none of these had yet been read.

          Hearing of successes by others I daily tried Weis Markets, Rite Aid and a few others without any success.  I did get on a lengthy list at our local drug store but have heard nothing.  I tried other area hospitals without any success.   Then my son and his wife were able to get appointments from Wellspan.  So four times I tried there but was unable to get through because I needed a customer number.  I tried unsuccessfully to get a number online without any success.  I called their number and was on hold for an hour and finally gave up.  In the meantime I heard of others who had success in various ways through relatives and friends.  But without such contacts, I continued my hunt with no treasure in sight.

          Then last week the governor announced that a new vaccine was available but that it was being reserved for educators.  Now as a retired educator I can understand the need, but those shots could have been used to help us who have been trying to get covered due to our physical needs.  Again another roadblock in the hunt.  I imagine that all the decision makers have already had shots for them and their families.

          So I decided that my choice that remained was the one I should have taken originally.  Trust the Lord who has a plan for my life.  He will protect me whether or not I receive the vaccine.

          Then two days ago I received a surprise message on my LGH portal telling me that I was able to make an appointment.  I did so immediately and will get my first shot on March 9.  PTL!   My treasure hunt is over.  The Lord does know and just wants us to depend on him for all of our ways.