March 1
Brunch at Grandma's Pancake House after worship service
I like a little coffee with my cream
Ella is learning to feed herself with a spoon
She's very independent and prefers to feed herself these day
We enjoyed ice cream that afternoon at the Lazy Cow Creamery
Their ice cream is homemade with fresh and natural ingredients
So good!
Knox and Ella on their backyard swing
I think this was the first time she's been on it
She loved it
March 3
You wouldn't know it to look at this picture, but this is the day the world turned upside down in our town. An F-4 tornado roared through the west side of town and left death and destruction in its wake.
19 people died, some of them folks we knew and loved. Many families lost everything, including my nephew who managed to make it to his basement before his house was torn apart. Most of these folks along that stretch of devastation lived to tell the tale. Their survival stories are amazing.
And it seemed the whole town and surrounding towns and even folks from out of state showed up that day and the next day and the days afterward to volunteer in whatever ways they could to help.
Tennessee is called the Volunteer State for a very good reason.
March 5
Shelby and Elijah at Ocha for lunch
Schools were closed the rest of the week after the tornado
This is the only picture I took of these two this month
Haven't been able to see them much because our world shifted yet again, only this time on a global scale, when COVID19 made its ugly presence known and in the coming week would force us all into shelter-in-place seclusion/quarantine/lockdown.
Miss you two!
March 6
Yep, that's our president. He came here to our town to visit the devastation the tornado left behind and to speak with survivors. He also visited the Churches of Christ Disaster Relief Effort set up in our church gym. My brother-in-law Don Foy, news editor at our local paper, captured this scene in the gym. President Trump spent nearly an hour here and was impressed with the speed the disaster relief was put together. Everyone who had the privilege of speaking with him had nothing but praise for him and the sincerity of his kindness and sympathy. I believe this man truly cares.
I hope you don't mind my sharing your photo, Don.
I did get to see the president's motorcade as it left the church. Found out later, it had passed right in back of my house. Wish I'd been at home to wave as he went by.
March 7
God blesses us with these awesome sunsets
Always trying to capture their beauty but fail miserably
Ain't nothin' like the real thing
March 8
Neil and I were out for a Sunday afternoon walk around the block and ran into these three (Knox, Ella, and Kelly) who had the same idea.
March 8
Took this fuzzy snap of an almost full moon Sunday evening after worship service
Still meeting at this point, but it was shortly after this that services were suspended, our elders making the decision to cancel week by week
March 9
Kelly's snap of Ella too cute not to share
(Three weeks later, I think this is how we all look/feel)
March 13
Babysitting these cute little feet
Ella and Grandpa building skyscrapers
March 19
Celebrating the first day of Spring
Donuts are still a must during the pandemic
March 20
Ella loves her books
I love hearing her try to repeat a word
Sometimes she nails it. Sometimes it's hard not to laugh at her efforts. Right now she has a language all her own.
She's discovered the joy of crayons, mostly just carrying them around in her fists, and sometimes marking in her coloring book (and on other surfaces)
Grandpa stuck them between her toes
March 22
Off on another walk
That's about all there is to do these days
Physical distancing is a serious thing (and of course washing your hands and, for the love of Pete, stop touching your face!!)
Other than folks we volunteer with and help at Disaster Relief at the church gym, Kelly and her family are the only ones we've been in contact with close up. It's necessary when we need to keep the kids. Son in law Kerry works for a company that makes toiletry and hygiene products, and right now they're in high gear cranking out hand sanitizer, so he's had to work some overtime lately.
Beautiful day
March 23
Frankie sez that cookie sure does smell good, can I haz some?
Ella was not sharing
March 24
She was stuck between the cushions but didn't seem to mind as long as she had her bag of Goldfish
March 26
Kickin' back on the front porch, enjoying a beautiful evening, watching the sun set
They came by to play in the backyard for a while
They had fun flinging the discs at each other
Sooner or later it's gonna happen
Ella had fun running around too
These are blooming
Tennessee state flower, y'all
March 28
When life gives you bananas, you make banana bread
Does a double yolk count as two eggs? Just wondering.
Kelly and the kiddos came over to get out of the house for a while
Ella is loving running around in the yard, but she doesn't like to touch the grass. If she stumbles and falls, she'll sit there until somebody helps her up so she doesn't have to touch the grass.
The banana bread turned out great and was half gone by the time I thought of taking a picture
March 29
This was Ella's first Bomb Pop
She loved it
March 29
Red Bud, Forsythia, Crab Apple
These blooms sure do brighten up a life of shelter-in-place
March 30
Neil and I both had doctor's appointments this morning
Nothing remotely related to the virus
His was a six month follow up, and mine was for bloodwork
The last place either of us wanted to be is at a doctor's office
Our doc's office is efficient in moving folks in and out and never anyone in the lobby waiting
Today was different. Several patients waiting, a couple of them with masks on.
These empty seats prove we all were physically distancing, like good boys and girls in the land of coronavirus.
The powers that be announced yesterday another month of this
We may all go quite mad until we're turned loose to be free once again
March 31
Neil and I helped out at Disaster Relief today
The gym is packed with necessities for those who were in the tornado disaster zone
Some days are busier than others. Very few people stopped by today, perhaps because of the rain and cold, or maybe because of the virus.
March 31
Neil and I helped out at Disaster Relief today
The gym is packed with necessities for those who were in the tornado disaster zone
Some days are busier than others. Very few people stopped by today, perhaps because of the rain and cold, or maybe because of the virus.
Everyone who comes in is diligent in using the hand sanitizer we have available on all the tables.
Our courthouse square this evening
Thankful for the beauty in our hilly little town
We're all waiting for that green light to go forward with our normal lives
Pick up where we left off
Praying that will happen sooner rather than later
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
