Sunday, April 5, 2020

Remote Worship, Restocking Fresh Groceries and MIL's List

     


     Well, despite stay at home except for essentials, I've had a busy morning, and intend to be busy most of the day. I timed the grocery store well, in and out very quickly, list in hand and very few shoppers. I had no issues getting anything on my list, though I forgot more baggie/plastic wrap. There was no regular Tylenol, or generic, so I bought a big bottle of the arthritis, slow release, and DH's Bayer. What we had will run out before months end, and I hope to not stop again. They even had toilet paper and paper towels for my mother-in-law. When I let her know that, she called because she was looking at another stores add and decided there were things she will want/need. I thought it was funny her looking at ads, knowing the exact price of the items she wanted, but I am happy she is allowing us to run the errands for her. I'll probably do on Tuesday, taking a break early afternoon.

     I even bought DH his frozen pizza, ice cream, nuts, and lemonade! I also grabbed a frozen concentrate of both lemonade and orange juice for back-ups. There were a couple pantry items I grabbed for restocking as well, so truly am set for nothing but essential stops. I used one of the handkerchief masks they have shown to make. Maybe it will do nothing, but I feel like it at least may contined m spreadung anything externally, at least a bit. 10% is better than 0%. That was the one of our conversatiosn on the two hour happy hour with my family-does the homemade versions do anything? Your thoughts? Are you now going to wear a mask of any variety in public?

     After putting away grocery's, talking with my MIL, and having coffee and one of yesterdays muffins, I sat down to watch our church's Palm Sunday service. Am I weird for actually liking church this way? I know it will be good to be back gathered together once the crisis is over, but this was direct and on point with opening prayers, the scripture readings, the message, a couple contemporary hymns sung by a few members of the worship band, closing prayers, and the benediction. I had shared I have been a bit jaded about the physical curs-not the pastor, but the  hypocrisy. I set that on a shelf and just really listened to the message, and the song lyrics. One of my favorites, Hold Us Together by Matt Maher, seemed particularly appropriate for Palm Sunday and the times. 

     My niece was going to have a big blow-out gender reveal party today. Yeah, this is not my kind of thing, but this niece has always been a bit of an attention seeking missile, fueled a lot by how she was raised, where every event in her life was always just a bit more spectacular than the average-birthdays, graduation, wedding, She herself still throw's herself a birthday party every year, but usually in a bar or restaurant, a bit odd, where I'm assuming other people are treating her. I digress.  It has since been changed to a drive to their house/street/drive way and they are going to hit golf balls with pink or blue something to do the reveal, and then everyone is to honk. Were not making the 45 minute drive to annoy her neighbors, but I did give her husband my e-mail so he can send the link as they will stream it. Let me know your thoughts on gender reveal spectaculars. Do you find them quaint and special, or an attention grab? Am I being a bit of a mean B&^%G% about my niece? Go ahead, be honest. We maybe are having a Zoom video with that side of the family. 

     It's chilly now, but very sunny and should warm up. I'm excited to get seeds planted and report a plant that is very crowded.I'll then be able to regale the success of little sprouts coming through and start planning where to put the garden. I've already been loving the pictures from the UK by Scarlett on her allotment. If I get any of these vegetables to grow, I think they will be the best tasting carrots, peppers, or zucchini I can imagine. I'll do a little meal prep/idea generating but I'll save that excitement to post tomorrow. How will you all be spending Sunday? If you worship, have you been doing so via a streaming option or via YouTube like we have? I hope you are all staying well and healthy and soon, whatever soon may mean, life will move on to normal again. 

18 comments:

  1. I don't understand the whole gender reveal party thing. Not my style I guess. We have been watching our Sunday mass via Facebook livestream. I am contemplating watching Good Friday mass from Rome with the Pope and loading the Easter Vigil mass. I remember my great uncle doing that every year as his health did not allow him to go out to mass.

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    1. Gender reveals-to each their own, but we'll watch the live stream here in a bit. Part of my MIL's request was for a small ham and asparagus, so she could make herself a nice Easter lunch. It is sad for the elderly and it being a holiday. I am trying to think of something other than us all videoing, to make her feel a bit special. It sounds like that is a good plan for your Easter.

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  2. Your niece, I think I would feel similar to you. Is she an only child? Sounds a bit spoiled but then I don't know her. I am not sure I would go even if I wasn't under a shelter in place order lol. Seeds will make you happy I promise - they are a tiny bright light in my life right now.

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    1. Spoiled isn't the right description, as she is a hard worker, and generally a caring about other individual. It's just nothing can be a moment-it needs to be a spectacle. She has a younger brother but he is almost 10 years younger. He actually was more socially awkward and not a stand out in everything in life growing up, average, decent kid. He didn't even want anything more than just a family grad party which mom obliged. The sister on the other hand had 300 invitations sent (not counting the casual student to student open house invites), with literally every photo form every dance, team, event displayed literally around the serving buffet. Grad parties/open houses are big in our families/part of the country's but this was not an open house-it was an "event." Wedding was over 300 in attendance-not just invited. Add the usually 20 or so and she probably had a guest list over 350.

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  3. Heh. Glad you asked. No, I don't think you are being a #*%& about your niece. I loathe gender reveal parties with a flaming passion. Perhaps it's the way I was raised. I'm from a big family. When my mother was pregnant with my youngest sibling, someone at an appointment, (I think a nurse) asked what I was hoping for, and I said, honestly, parroting what my parents had said, "I'm hoping for a healthy baby." Disappointment in light of that never crossed my mind. Fast forward to my own half dozen pregnancies, and nothing changed, really. In fact, with the first, I refused to find out myself the gender once I knew baby was healthy. There are so many few good surprises in the world, why ruin it? Then again, I think most parties, frankly, are stupid, attention grabbing affairs, but the gender reveal, really irks me. So many things can go wrong in a pregnancy and during childbirth that a healthy birth is reason enough for celebration.

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    1. I wouldn't even want to think about anything bad happening-I mean, I love my niece of course. I of course knew she would be a new mom to do something like this, but the entire follow-up and making sure Corona didn't dim her light was a bit much.

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  4. I'm not fond of the huge spectacle events either. In fact when we got married there were just us 2 and 2 witnesses at the Mairie. We had a small wedding celebration in England later for my family but nothing huge as I just hated to be the centre of all that attention. Same for my 40th and 50th birthdays. Told my husband I just wanted to go out to dinner with him and the kids, nothing more. I had a friend who was very much like your niece. Very nice but everything was a major event. When she was leaving Switzerland for pastures new she organized a huge farewell get-together. I couldn't go as I was away but she organized this huge do anyway and hardly anyone turned up (which I think was rude) but then I think a lot of people don't want these things either. Same for my pregnancies. I was able to find out what my second child was but I kept it to myself as my husband didn't want to know. I think it's an attention seeking thing and you either like it or you don't.

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    1. That's sad that no one attended a moving party-that is different because she likely wanted a good bye to people she likely wouldn't see again. The "do" when I left my last job got a bit larger than I would have liked, but I think they used it as a fund raiser-invest in my legacy,kind of thing. I had actually started several of the programs and was responsible for doubling the size of the organization. It was more my team that wanted to go all out. It was odd, and I was awkward the whole time. I like being a small fish in a very big pond now-I do my work well, but fly behind the clouds!

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  5. I have a subscription to Ibuprofen from Target that is delivered every month, which was cancelled this month because they were out. I have enough to last, so I'm not too concerned. I'm glad you were able to get in and out and get what you needed without too many other shoppers.

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    1. I couldn't find regular Tylenol, or off brands, but got a big bottle of the extended release and DH's Bayer, so I feel stocked for the next couple months perhaps. He'll need his prescription filled by months end, but I have Vitamin D, and melatonin, so at least all of April is covered.

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  6. I am always up for a party. However, gender reveals are just so stupid! My gender reveal was when the baby was born...lol. When I was having babies--1968, 1970, and 1975--no one knew what she was having. I never mind going to baby showers and giving a small gift...small!

    I did not go to church until I moved in with Tommy. I really hate tv church. But, if his church had it, I would sit in living room while it aired. I am respectful of his desire for religion.

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    1. I hate the TV evangelist church's but this YouTube version was actually quite nice, for what it was.Now that I got my disdain for gender reveal parties out, I can let it go.

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  7. Your niece sounds somewhat like my sister in law. I love her to bits but she is definitely way more over the top than I am. I’m super low maintenance so she probably rolls her eyes at me too on occasion but we still find a way to enjoy each other’s company. An odd couple of sorts :) I live in PA and they are advising us to wear masks. We made some yesterday as a family project and I do intend to wear it when I shop this week. It fogs up my glasses so I guess it will help me make my trip faster? JoAnn

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    1. As I said, she sort of grew up this way, but I think my SIL, her mom,might even be thinking she has created an even bigger than life version of herself, and doesn't always like the reflection. Oh, and I know I am seen as the anti-social person in the family. My make do mask fogged up y glasses as well.

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  8. I will be heartily glad to see the demise of 'gender revealing' parties. oh the pain.

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    1. I love welcoming new babies into the world-I don't want my lack of enthusiasm for this type of party and event to dim that idea.

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  9. So far we have never been invited to a gender reveal party. In our extended family we have only had one nephew who had one. They had 2 sons and had a reveal for their immediate family, but they did stream it for the rest of us to see. Instead of the girl everyone hoped for they had sons 3 and 4.
    I really don't care what anyone else does though. I figure it is none of my business. That said I like the reveal we had from Son1. He just called us after the sonogram and said "She's a girl"

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    1. I shouldn't be so annoyed, but it was just the pattern of all life events for this girl. She also had sent a text telling us in early March to hold the April 5th date, and invites would come. Sent the invite via mail. Then sent new information of the change in plan. did a follow-up to see who was going to drive to their home for it, then sent message about video link, and then when all done, sent video to everyone. All this when people are in stay at home, getting sick, and even dying. Maybe we should be celebrating more so, and I have it wrong in my head.

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