Covid Adventures
Hi folks
Just a short note on what's been going on for the past few months. COVID has knocked the living jeepers out of everyone and everything that all of us hold dear. Except for regular posts on Facebook, I haven't been doing much in the blogging end of things. I just haven't been in the mood. One of my buddies suggested we share our COVID adventures as a means to clear our minds and get on with things.
Although nothing particularly dramatic happened to us personally, there's still a lot of stress and uncertainty to deal with. My spouse and mom are both considered very high risk. So far, we have all come thru this healthy. I must say, I didn't realize how much I was affected until we started coming out on the other side of the crisis.
We did almost get caught in the United States. That was exciting…. My spouse, mom, kitties and myself winter in the Charleston, SC area every year. It is lovely there, and the ocean is a beautiful relaxing place to hide from the cold Canadian Winters. We had been following the news soon as the virus started rearing its ugly head. My spouse, being an American… was quite comfortable where we were and didn't want to go back to Canada so early. We were all quite content among friends and relatives and didn't see anything in our immediate area that gave us cause to worry. I always find American news a little on the sensational side anyway. So, we put off leaving, and we put it off some more until finally, we hear on the news that Canada's borders are going to be closed – as in You better get your rear end home, or you're not getting back into the country.
Canadians… as we know are not ones to get particularly excited unless there's something really worth getting excited about. Let me tell ya, that border news lit a fire under our pants! The next day we packed the truck, closed the house, loaded the kitties and hit the road. That had to be the strangest ride back to Canada I have ever made. There was NO ONE on the roads. When you did see people, everyone was driving like idiots. I don't know if it was the fact that the police were few and far between, or they just genuinely wanted to get home. There was a noticeable lack of law enforcement all the way up the interstates. (which is VERY unusual) We ended up having to stay in a hotel one night. When we were checking in, all three of us (and the kitties) were given the 3rd degree. Where have you been? For how long? Have you had any symptoms? Have you been in contact with anyone with symptoms? I understand why they had to ask those questions, but it didn't make it any less scary or nerve-racking. Both kitties knew something was going on as they didn't leave our sides all the way home. Joe has renamed our one cat, Velcro Kitty…..
When we finally got to the border, there was a grand total of 3 people in line. Fort Erie is usually one of the busiest crossings in Canada. The border guard was very kind and welcomed us home – just in the nick of time she said. Oh lovely… She got us to fill out that Who, What Where questionnaire that everyone had to do when they crossed the border and told us to go straight home and hide for two weeks. Well, you didn't have to tell me twice.
We came across the 407 (that's the toll road that runs across the top of Toronto) with maybe four other people. No trucks or cars or service vehicles. I expected to see tumbleweeds coming at me at any time. Weird. The whole experience reminded me of being in one of those post-apocalypse movies.
Finally… HOME! Yay! I was never so glad to see the snow!
So, as we've been pretty well locked in the house since March, I have been sewing my brains out. All that nervous energy has been rerouted and dumped into my studio work. A bit of creativity, a pinch of "I gotta get my mind off things" and holy smokes!.......6 completed costumes, 3 buckram bonnets, 4 day caps, 4 hoops skirts and 6 more "fitting" shells ready for the new dress owners to be fitted on. Phew! I started posting pictures of the dresses last week and plan to post another each Wednesday. So, check back on Facebook - Wednesday nites. Along with my usual "interesting" things I've run across while surfing, will be a new gown and its construction notes and stories.
I will be so glad when we can all safely go outside and be with people without masks and social distancing. Bring on that Vaccine! For something did no one thought would last any amount of time….
Wow! Life as we knew it will never be the same! GRRRRRR!
