My blog’s silence started when my right rotator cuff separated from my upper arm. Sixteen months of healing to get to the place where both hands worked on the key board. I now type with the miracle of modern science — a titanium rod and shoulder mechanism. Yes, I used the voiced activated feature on my computer, but word processing’s reaction to my speech proved to be slow and frustrating.
I regained my strength and speed on my computer. I started to complete my second book. The pandemic arrived. My husband and I went through a few negotiations to get to juggle our schedules in harmony.
Outside of doctors’ visits and picking up groceries, we stay home. No dinners with friends, no Writers Group Meetings at my home, no wandering in a library or book store. Everything familiar now morphed into adaption .
We spent some time on ZOOM.com with family and friends. My writers’ group and professional organization moved to virtual meetings.
Face masks increased my awareness of individual’s expressions that are visible, their forehead, side of a face, and cheeks. The mask (some stylish) often muffle their voices. This is the first time in my life people ask me to shout.
My yard is a shambles. The weeds won the battle this summer. I sprayed, but the temperatures skyrocketed to triple digits and voided my efforts. My plants shrivel, but the weeds persisted.
A 5.4 earthquake shook everyone and everything. Our bed rocked and rolled for a good minute. The aftershocks made my cat run into my arms. Damage was minimal, but the houses nearer to the epic center crumbled.
This year’s upheaval report needs to include the Utah’s version of a march for Black Lives Matter. First, the event happened on a Sunday. This in itself made this activity unusual. Nothing of any significance happens on the Sabbath. The protesters did not look or dress to reflect the population. The big giveaway included women in halter tops and cut off jean shorts barely covering their rear ends. The men with spray paint, fire crackers, and equipment to turnover cars while shouting profanity hid their white faces with bandannas. These protesters did not mirror our population.
Monday after this mayhem another group marched again, these were the people I know. These are my observations and not necessary the media’s report.
The smoke from the fires on the West Coast made our air difficult to breathe. A blue sky is a lost reality. The weather forecasters warn us not to work outside if one possesses lung problems. Caution is also mandated to healthy individuals to limit outdoor time because of the caustic air.
A week ago, our news at noon, five, and ten instructed viewers to put their garbage cans, outdoor furniture, trampolines, and all tools and toys in a secure place.They caution everyone to shelter pets.
The weather map showed a destructed weather phenomenon headed our way. A collusion of a high pressure ridge with a low pressure ridge created a collusion coarse that pushed winds into the valley with speeds from 65 to 125 mph from 8 p.m. to 12 noon the following day. A hurricane without the water described this event .
Pictures tell the story. Hundred year old trees up rooted. Trees rested on houses. Power outages for 150,000 residents. It took more than a week to restore the electricity because the outages were not linear. The winds blew off half of the leaves on one side of bushes and trees leaving branches bare, while the other side was left with its leaves. Everyone in the path of these winds needed days and heavy equipment to clean up. The biggest problem happened to be the environmental disposal of the trees.
The healing journey of my shoulder replacement appears minuscule when one considers the upheavals of the last eight months. Add to this, America’s population unrest around the Presidential Election, this blog needs to end before it becomes a book.
So my friends continue to wash your hands, wear your masks, and stay out of large crowds, as talk of a second wave of the Virus grows and the Flu season begins.
Pat W Coffey @Wordpress.com 