Covid Confessions

 Our Schmidt family became subject to the omicron virus these past few months...east coast, west coast, Pacific northwest, and Midwest.

All independent cases except maybe 2  families meeting on the east coast.

Most are vaccinated, some are not.

We are blessed in that the cases were mild to moderate.  Some of us have lingering sinus drainage.

I came down with it Dec. 29.  I had a few days that were scary with respiratory symptoms.  I drank Eucalyptus tea and ginger tea, consumed crushed fresh garlic, drank tons of fluids, swallowed Tylenols. I wasn't bed bound and not fatigued, but didn't feel like doing much. Neither did I feel like eating or drinking. (I think that is where people get in trouble). The weirdest part is that it felt like a "foreign invasion", like it was not a "normal" virus...something was in me that shouldn't be there. 

The most negative consequence was that I had practiced for and planned to do a music outreach at my church on Jan 8.  I had to cancel that, leaving me with a sense of failure and defeat.  It is difficult now to get back into wanting to reschedule and practice.   

___________________________________________________

Yet life continues on!

Gram G Christmas on Dec. 27!

New York roast and baked chicken!

Family and presents!!

"Yes, Gram G, they do exist...a money tree,

but they only bloom once!"

Meanwhile back in northern Wisconsin...

Burt & Jen Schmidt semi Covid Christmas.

Family from Virginia, Alaska, Minneapolis, Germany

Covid cottage for infected; Main cabin for not

Winter Party outside

Dec. 31, 2021

Josh Schmidt and Neri zoom civil wedding ceremony in front of DC Supreme Court building! 

Neri is from Argentina.  They are having a church wedding March 19 in Dresden, Germany.  They needed a civil marriage certificate signed before then.

And "No", Gram G is not going to the wedding.

Washington DC Happy New Year!

___________________________

"Leisure" sick time...

worked a fun, colorful puzzle that Debbie and Angie bought out at Cannon Beach last fall.  I didn't work on it then.  Fun to do and recall our beach time!

Great opportunity to program the 

GeoLou Schmidt Family Happenings  

2022 calendar!

(Runs from February to February)

Wednesday, Jan 12 was a spring tease day!

 a break in winter, rainy weather.

I went for a mile plus walk...

Love seeing violets and daffodils starting to sprout.

___________________________

When you need a blast from the past!!

What to do on a chilly, rainy recovery day!

Homemade multigrain bread!

I baked homemade bread in early family years.

Tasty toast with butter!!

Will I make again?  

Probably, but maybe different multigrain mix.

REFLECTIONS

     One night while I was most sick I lay in bed unable to go to sleep.  I was tempted to be completely down on myself and depressed about life.  I made myself recall all the fun adventures of 2021.  There were so many that it took a long time to list them.  I was astounded and grateful at how much the Lord brought about. Why should 2022 not be as full of adventures, even though I can't foresee them?  I felt able to rest and be patient until my strength and health return.  Sometimes you have to simply live and let life take care of itself.     

This has been a difficult, but good 2 weeks plus in the life of Gram G.

"The Lord will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desires of his foes. The Lord will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness."  (Psalm 41:1)

 MERRY CHRISTMAS

FROM GRAM G'S TO YOU!!

I hope you got all your 

preparations done in a timely manner!!

That you got to sing!!

And  attend a nativity service!!

May you have snow if that's your thing!

Hope Santa is good to you!!

REFLECTIONS

I

wish

you all

all very merry

blessed Christmas

and a happy, healthy

New Year!

This has been a good 2 GeoGram weeks in the life of Gram G!

"For to us a child is born,

To us a son is given,

And the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor,

Mighty God,

Everlasting Father,

PRINCE OF PEACE."

(Isaiah 9:6)

Remembering November...

Early November Kahana and I enjoyed an outing in a northeast Vancouver nature reserve.

Blue sky, mild air and Mt. Hood

First a hardy breakfast at the Black Bear restaurant

Mt. St. Helens

I love PNW evergreens!

And weeping willows!

And ducks

This quacks me up...

_______________________________ 

How to enter a song writing contest when one doesn't know how to...

1. You call a music equipment store in Indiana and ask "What am I doing? and "How do I do it?"

2.  Honest Hoosier tech guy sells you an equipment "bundle" to record into a computer from the comfort and confusion of your home.

3. When bundle arrives you again call the Indiana equipment store to be coached on where numerous cords plug in and how does one remember that?

   How and which software does one download? 

   How the heck does one understand any of this?

(Kind of like jumping into deep ocean and then remembering you can't swim.) 

4. After figuring out what buttons to push on the equipment and one's computer one is ready to play piano and sing along...hoping that a recording is happening.

5. Eureka!! (that's a cry of joy or satisfaction for accomplishing something) An unknown artist has recorded a MP3 file, compressed to under 10 KB.

Actually she has recorded 2 MP3 files for 2 different songs.  

6. One does the necessary form filling, sending the MP3 files, pays the entrance fee and waits for acknowledgement of success.

BUT WAIT...NOW THE REST OF THE STORY

     A number of days after this I was checking my credit card bill.  I saw 2 entries for the same amount to some place I didn't recognize posted through PayPal.  I immediately called the credit card company to get more info.  They said it looked like concert tickets.  I did not order concert tickets so I claimed fraud.  The CC people closed my account and said they would send a new card.

    The next day I received an email from a kind lady working with the song contest to inform me my fees had been canceled and so my songs were withdrawn from the contest. Oops...now I remember!  Oh my, what to do, what to do?  She went on to say that maybe there was a misunderstanding and that I would need to re-enter my songs if I still wanted to be in the contest.  Fortunately the contest had been extended another few weeks so I was able to resubmit....after figuring out how to find the prized MP3 files in the jungle of computer data.  

      SO....this is the beginning or the end of my public music career.   THE END

P.S.  Anyone need some recording done at Gram G's home studio?  For a modest fee?? 

______________________

If you can't fly like an eagle, then play like a turkey...

I had the fun and privilege to play songs for our church's turkey dinner outreach  and then again for our LoveLove homeless outreach

Beautiful PNW November sunset!!

____________________________________

Happy Turkey made it through another Thanksgiving!!

Dinner at Deb's and then off to the Oregon Zoo Lights!!  Back to Deb's for a Gram G sleepover!

Earning my Wings...

Gnome Heaven...

Keys and Deb...

Back home Tyson enjoyed some apple pie!!

He was repentant...

______________________________

Time for...

Cranberry, orange, nut bread!!  Yum!!

Or, do you prefer...???

______________________________________

I hope you are keeping it all together, these days!

  NOT so at my house...

REFLECTIONS

     It's always hard for me to see fall morph into winter.  I don't like the long hours of afternoon and evening darkness.  My mind is focused on Dec. 21 when daylight starts to emerge again.  But the holidays give us positive energy to plug into.

    I confess that I struggle with BAH-HUMBUG.

(That "conveys curmudgeonly displeasure".  Now that phrase gives me word pleasure...It has such a poetic annoyance to it.)

    I get distressed  with all the emphasis on glitter and perfect festivities and decorations and presents.  (Grinch)  And  loud obnoxious store intercom music.

   But then I think about the original and proper reason for Christmas.  The remembrance of our true King born into this world.  That is cause for celebration.  Lights to brighten the dark hours and rejoicing in the thankfulness of what the Lord has done for us. Sharing his love with others.

     I do believe our greatest celebrations will be in heaven, but Christmas is worth keeping here on earth.  SO...I engage in the preparations, join in the activities (senior appropriate), enjoy the carols, and relish the love God has for us.

This has been a good 3 GeoGram weeks in the life of Gram G.

"At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.  And he will send out the angels to collect his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of  heaven." (Mark 13: 26-27)