Saturday Morning and Another Dial Back

      Now that Minnesota has another four week Stay at Home executive order to try and curb the rampant case counts, our Thanksgiving will be even more different. Here's the short run down. No social gatherings inside with people from different households, but  if for educational purposes, can be allowed. DD2 is likely to need to go to  my older daughters for her school work for three weeks as our WiFi is often glitchy and we had challenges last spring when we both tried to work and do school. That's allowable, but then does that mean we can consider our older daughters in our household since the two have merged? We don't want to risk a fine (though i think those are directed to curb parties and bigger gatherings), but seems common sense if we are both isolating our houses, and one member has to be at both anyway, we are really the same household. We'll figure it out like so many others, and hopefully  ding dongs will play their part and this gets us to the next hurdle of this Covid battle. 

     The dilemma is DH's mom. When we met by zoom nearly a month ago now, there was a plan that she would join us for dinner and maybe spend time with the other families over the other weekend days. My son let us know that he thought that was the stupidest plan he had ever heard. We agreed we all would play it by ear. I had kind of hoped she would just say, since the new restrictions went into place, she is choosing to stay home. Nope-she put it back to us. Do we want her to still come for Thanksgiving? This will be up in the air for a few days. Here's the other Minnesota restrictions

• All youth sports and activities in person  are on pause, indoors or outdoors.Members of same households can still do activities.
• Adult sports on pause-except professional.
• Bars and restaurants closed for indoor and even if they have the heaters and tents for outdoors, it's a no go. Take out is still allowed. 
• Renewed push for any business that have resumed people coming into the workplace, to have those workers work from home.
• All gyms (so sad for my daughter) and entertainment venues closed.
• Schools are still on a district to district call, but more and more are moving to distance learning at least to the end of the calendar year. If interested, here is the chart for schools in Minnesota safe learning plans. I'd be curious what you are seeing in your part of the world. I would much rather we all do our part and at least keep the children under age 12 in school.

     On Saturdays since I post  a two day recap later in the day, I'm reminiscing about life in the past on this date. Last year November 21 was a Thrifty Thursday and several  mentions are not doable this year. I remember play Drag Queen Bingo with my daughter at the brewery. It was great fun! I hardly remember it, but I was still in Philadelphia for a work trip when I had posted. What stood out from that trip was our whole Minnesota team walking after our 10 hours of meetings to the museum with the Rocky statue and walking through where the Christmas market was being set up.Even the workers setting up the stall frames seemed festive and jolly. We even had a small Christmas market in St Paul last year. I doubt those will be a thing anywhere and I'm disappointed. I vow future years I will soak up all those nichey, kitschy pieces of European culture that has finally made its way across the ocean. Still, life is good and I will say that 1,000 times.