18underoneroof

Well, the other day we went for a drive, which is still legal here in New York state. We drove up to Lake Ontario, and oh dear it was fierce, but beautiful. Cold and windy and lovely.
(and the cookies, well, I didn't have any, but I did bake them...)(Mirielle is a nurse, and said her co-workers will still eat the cookies she bakes, so I am excited because I'm going to bake a HUGE batch of c.chip cookies for them!...gloves, of course...)

And yes, that is Samuel in that pic, he is staying with us for a bit here in NY. He'll be doing some of his Army Reserves training online, and hopefully he'll be heading back to Virginia in a few weeks.

Life doesn't always go in a smooth straight line, as we all know. And stories aren't always mine to tell. But I take comfort in knowing that God knows the beginning and the end of all things, and He causes all things to work together for the good, for those who love Him. Can you imagine? All things work together for the GOOD? No matter the circumstances in life, God is good, and He wants the very best for us.

Our Easter dinner will be very nice. We have ham, and will have mashed potatoes, and rolls, and a veggie from the freezer, oh, and we found a jar of applesauce in the pantry! Margaret and Adrian and Wulf will be coming over. Now shh, before you think judge-y thoughts, remember this: Evelyn lived upstairs from them before all this happened, and still works a few days a week in an office within walking distance from their house, and has to go back to their place to use the facilities, and also to watch Wulf while Margaret has doctor appointments, ect. So they still see each other. They are the one family we have allowed to still come over here, as they have been in careful lockdown at their place.

So are there risks? Probably. And I'm sure there are readers who consider them capitol offenses, and are calling the police on me right now, ha. But we still have to live our lives, and Mr. Wulf-in-stein, as Paul calls him, the Wulfmeister, has so much energy, he comes here and gets to run around and play outside and see his beloved Aunt Abby, and JONNY. He loves Jonny.

Our outings are sparse, and usually just consist of getting a coffee, and driving around. We are running low on things again, so one of these days we'll venture out and abide by the rules: masks on, one person in the store at a time, essentials only. Now, "essentials" is a tricky concept, as one man's essentials are another man's frivolities. I know someone who recently went into a store just to buy some jigsaw puzzles. We've all probably seen the news where in Michigan, and in Vermont, no non-grocery items, or "non-essentials" are to be sold at all, so the geniuses actually roped off the plants and flowers in the Costco stores, and all the other stores, and they get to sit there and rot, or be brought out and dumped, because heaven forbid someone grab some beautiful tulips or a rosebush while they're getting their big bags of potato chips.

What, I want to know, about all the Vermonters who want to plant gardens? Even in World War II we had Victory gardens!!! It seems this goes beyond keeping people safe. Assume we have no common sense at all, and take all of everything we have, in the name of peace and safety! I just hope we can get pool supplies, and yes, I do feel ashamed of my privilege sometimes, that if we cannot go anywhere this summer, at least we could swim in our pool. Does my heart break for all the kids, the moms, the teenager, the older people, who won't have that luxury, and can't even go to a local pool or park to cool down or pass the hours? Of course it does.

Keep praying.

This world is getting quite a shaking. My own take is that it's a good time to put your trust in God, if you haven't already. When you do this, all the things that happen to you take on a new meaning. Trials become opportunities, chances to get saved, to get oil in your lamp. You KNOW that the very hairs of your head are numbered! Instead of a hard and heavy life, days become short and light. I still don't LIKE the trials, but there is comfort in knowing you can get eternal value from them! You can read articles in activechristianity.org, which are really really encouraging and helpful.

It's plain to see that all we would put our trust in can crumble away, and that money and success are worthless. Yes, it's a good time to turn to God.

Today, we're doing an Easter egg hunt. I dug around in the closet and found plastic eggs from who knows when, still in the packages. I bought candy back in February, early March. Yesterday we put on some gloves, and filled six baskets for different friends and delivered them. We might make a cake and decorate it all pretty with jelly beans and little bunnies.

The weather here in the Northeast is bleak, cloudy, cozy, but warm today, will reach 60 degrees. Then tomorrow, warmer but really windy and then...the rest of the week, chilly, very cold at night, snow mixed with rain, only in the forties during the days...I just have to think of them as cozy days, right?

Ah well, have a really nice Easter, count your blessings, and give your heart to Jesus.