Coping with COVID-19, living in the present and hoping for the future while simply sitting on a towel on backyard swing enjoying the outdoors with a pet dog ... and looking forward to going to church again!
Pic: Public Domain, Pillars of Light Ministry
With all the recent great weather, it has been a blessing for us to sit out on our backyard swing in the mornings and evenings to view our beckoning pool garden's plants and vegetables.
Some of us also have had more time with the COVID-19 stay-at-home directives to slow down and smell the roses more, like we get to do with some of ours, especially the most fragrant Mr. Lincoln, as well as the Tiffany Rose.
I usually bring a towel out to comfort my sitting on the elegant wooden swing we had originally gotten from the recently closed Chenevert's Hardware on Perkins.
Sometimes, I also bring out my guitar on the swing to join in with the blue jays, cardinals, sparrows and squirrels nearby treating themselves at our bird feeder and tweeting such beautiful non-digital and non-political emanations!
The swing hangs lovely from our pergola, is shaded by some trees and is right next to our angel fountain which sprinkles wonderful, healing water drops sounds for us.
Also, a wonderful breeze is circulated right at that swing location where the edge of our house and cabana are found allowing a flurry of air to condition us comfortably and to hear the pleasant sounds of our chimes ringing in the joy!
It is so neat to watch from the swing view our poodle, “Nellie,” whom also loves to join us nearby, as she will gently prod her head up and down pleasingly enjoying that pleasant air pasture coming by!
I'll sometimes enjoy reading The Advocate while aloft on the swing with that comfortable all cotton towel below… and relish the upbeat, humorous contributions to Smiley Anders' Column that help all of us cope better with the other ongoing, disturbing daily news about COVID-19 deaths, stats, projections, etc.
So I guess my backside is trying to remind my topside to keep on keeping on and to not “throw in the towel,” but to use it for other purposes like making mini face masks and also using them to comfort myself when I may certainly cry and understandably sorrow over recent losses.
And not if but when things do get back to normal, in whatever way that will be manifested, I do plan to take my favorite towel with me to the beach!
Lastly, with Governor John Bell Edwards' recent proclamation now gradually opening up many venues to us, I just may bring that towel, my Linus-like (Peanuts / Charlie Brown) security blanket to Mass this weekend to sit on while relishing the opportunity to finally worship the Lord in Holy Communion with others, whom I and others haven't been able to since the beginning of Lent.
I need to belt out a belated Easter “Amen, Alleluia” to the Lord!
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I know that you have been hit hard in New Orleans and therefore closer to what the virus is doing to us. Every day I get outside to get a little sun and listen to the birds as well. Our two squirrels have disappeared. I hope it isn't the virus. But I did notice that the neighbor across the street has cut down a live oak that was threatening foundations being too close to the house. The squirrels may have had to move to a new home somewhere. At least that is my hope and not that they were poisoned or died from the virus.
Ron