Happy Easter! It was weird listening to church on Facebook live instead of worshipping with the congregation. Grateful for the technology we have so we could participate via internet.
After church and lunch we took a four hour drive. We went west about 120 miles and then headed north and then came back east. Drove past the Glass Mountains which I love. It was nice to get out of the house and see open prairie. The winter wheat is beautiful. There were lovely spring wild flowers blooming in the ditches and fields. Just what I needed today!
I must say though it was almost surreal being out of the house that long. We didn’t stop or talk to anyone on our drive. Not much traffic any where we went. We drove through Enid on the way home and the town was empty. I really hadn’t been out much since the lockdown and it was eerie driving past all the closed restaurants and shopping centers. The full impact of what this shelter in place is doing to the economy hit me today.
I fixed tacos for dinner while Jim ran to the grocery store to pick up a few supplies. We didn’t need much this week. Jim loves tacos and enjoyed his dinner when he got back from the grocery store.
I haven’t gotten any masks made today as we were gone much longer than I had anticipated we might be this afternoon. Oh well, that will give me something to do tomorrow.
It was 70 degrees out this morning but by 3:00 it had dropped to 50 and by the time we got home it was 40. We have a freeze warning for tonight. It will warm back up by Wednesday. Hoping this will be the last freeze of the year. The wind was in a big hurry all afternoon. Jim had white knuckles trying to keep the car on the road on our drive. The little ponds we passed had white caps on them.
I am surprisingly tired for having done nothing today but sit in the car for four hours. It was good to get back home and relax. I have gotten into the rhythm of staying home and it almost felt uncomfortable being out of the house so long.
Not sure what we will work on tomorrow. It is to be too cold for me to be outside painting so will probably try to get a bunch of face masks made. Jim needs to finish making two drawers for the kitchen so we can get that task completed. Not sure that is what he will do though. He has so many different projects started it is hard for him to know what to work on next.
We were to be moving to KS full time this next weekend. Doesn’t look like that will happen. Haven’t heard if the shelter in place orders that are in effect until April 30 will be extended or not. I am guessing they will be. From what I have read in order for them to lift the authorities need to be able to do lots of testing and have few enough cases that they can do the needed contact tracing. Oklahoma case count is still growing 5% plus a day and some days they have double digit increases in case count. KS is doing a bit better but still growing too. I am kinda preparing myself that the orders will be extended through May.
I haven’t heard if the Symphony on the Prairie in KS is going to be postponed or cancelled this year. I hope they don’t have to cancel as they had to last year due to storm damage. Not sure how they will recover if they can’t hold their event two years in a row. However I’m not sure how many people will be ready to be with 10,000 other people in June the way things are now. I also haven’t heard if the Strong City Rodeo is going to be cancelled. I have guests from the Rodeo that are to come stay the end of May. Not sure I want a house full of strangers with the situation the way it is now. Thankful the Dirty Kanza was postponed and rescheduled for September. Very wise in my opinion.
I’m still trying to figure out how I felt being out of the house today and seeing the empty town of Enid. I have been so isolated here that the full impact of the shelter in place was hidden from me. It was spooky and unworldly somehow. The world is changing before my very eyes. May it change so that it works for more of the people and not just the rich!
Grateful for the ride through the countryside today, grateful for a warm, comfortable house to return to, and grateful for the hope that Easter brings to me each year.