Momentous

Today has been a day of moments. Some not so important and others more meaningful.

I received my second COVID vaccination. Again it took me only minutes before I was on my way home. Again I barely knew it was happening. And now I have a nice orange button announcing to the world that "I got my COVID-19 vaccine".  And again I am feeling no (NOT ONE) ill effects.

My sister called this morning. She was all excited because she saw on the news that they might be allowing visitors to nursing homes. I had seen the same news. She has not seen her husband or son in more than a year.

My son discovered that my county is now vaccinating people below the age of 65 who have health issues. He has diabetes. He connected with the web site and set up an appointment. He will receive his first Moderna shot a week from today. He was hoping for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. He will take what is available.

After I was done getting my shot we stopped to get fast food for supper. I do not have to cook.

When I got home I discovered that President Biden has already signed the newest stimulus bill. People who desperately need help will get a bit of a reprieve. It certainly does not solve all the problems but it will help.

My sister called again. As of Tuesday of next week she will be able to have visitors on a limited basis. She is thrilled. All visits will have to be scheduled. There will be a barrier of some sort between her and her visitors. It is not perfect but it is a start. She will be able to see them and feel closeness again.

It was a day of moments. I add them together and I had a really good day!

Purple Cow?

 I never saw a Purple Cow,
I never hope to see one;
But I can tell you, anyhow,
I'd rather see than be one.

                                           Gelett Burgess

That is one of the first poems that was not a nursery rhyme taught to me by my mother. It is cute and easy to learn.

The absurdity of a cow being purple makes the poem memorable.

There have been many parodies of the poem. They all add to the humor of it and some take it to a new level.

In fact Gelett Burgess grew to hate his poem. He even wrote a new one.

Ah, yes, I wrote the "Purple Cow"—
I'm Sorry, now, I wrote it;
But I can tell you Anyhow
I'll Kill you if you Quote it!

I thought of the poem today. I saw a commercial with John Cena and a purple cow. Imagine that. So Of course I had to write a poem.

Today I saw a purple cow.

It was a shock to see one.

Still I can tell you anyhow

I never thought there'd be one.

Oh My Tummy

 I made some spaghetti. I love spaghetti. I cannot have it too often because my son is diabetic and pasta is full of carbs that turn into sugar.

I ate a little too much and felt bloated. My son said it was the best spaghetti I had made in a long time. It did taste good. I think maybe I poisoned us.

In the middle of the night I woke up distressed. After regurgitating the spaghetti I went back to bed.

It was not long before I was up for another round. I decided to sit up for a while because I did not want to have an accident in my bed.

After several hours my son got up. He was sick too.

I could feel that I was dehydrated. I was afraid to even get a drink because I could not face having it come back up.

I finally went to bed to try to sleep it off.

When I awoke the upset had moved south.

I was able to sleep between trips to the bathroom.

The following day I got brave and began sips of water. Things were not pleasant but I began to feel more hydrated.

The next day I tried hot tea. It was so soothing. I had a fudge bar just to put something in my stomach. I was still visiting the bathroom too often.

A couple of days later I thought perhaps a malt would be good. Ice cream has nutrients and malt powder calms an upset stomach. It helped a lot.

Then came the day when I felt a little hungry and I was craving potatoes. I had some canned beef stew in the cupboard. I decided to try it.

The beef stew was just right. I ate more than I thought I could. I felt quite a bit better.

I was also sleeping through the night. What pleasure! I was actually healing.

The next day I wanted to nibble all day. A piece of muffin here, a bit of a sandwich there. I was going to live.

I am happy to report that I am back to normal. So is my poor son.

Doggone It

 I was driving to a doctor appointment today. The appointment was at 2:00 in the afternoon.

As you know I have to drive forever to connect with a grocer, a doctor, or almost anything else. I live in a little bitty town smack in the middle of nowhere. I love it here but it can be inconvenient at times.

Anyway 2:00 is usually a good time to travel here. Not a lot of traffic. 

So I was driving along. I was a little later than I like to be. I like having a few extra minutes because I hate being late.

I had seen some of the children in my town going to their homes after school. They were dismissed early because of the weather. The school bus drops them all off at a central location here and they then walk to their homes.

So I was not surprised to see a couple of school buses letting children off at their homes as I drove to the doctor. 

At a bit of a distance I saw a bus letting children off. It had its safety lights on and I prepared to stop.

First a little boy climbed down. After a bit a little girl came from the bus. Their dog had come running to greet them. 

Then the dog excitedly ran onto the bus.

I was surprised at the driver allowing a dog on the bus. I thought maybe the dog belonged somewhere else along the route. 

Then I noticed the little boy and girl calling the dog. Nothing happened. They kept calling. Still nothing happened.

Finally the little girl got back on the bus. After what seemed an interminable time she finally came off the bus pulling firmly on the dog's collar. She tried to lead it away from the bus and the lines of traffic that had formed.

The bus slowly pulled away. We slowly began to move. The dog broke away from the little girl and ran toward the road.

The story does not have a bad ending. After watching all of us creeping slowly away the dog turned and ran after its children. 

The End

I Have Been Shot!

 I received my first dose of Moderna vaccine yesterday. 

Iowa is a cold state in the winter and colder than normal right now. That means no drive up inoculations.

I arrived a few minutes early for my appointment not knowing what to expect. I walked into a large hospital hallway that was an impromptu waiting area. 

There were signs telling us to sit down and wait until we were called. A nurse with a clipboard was holding a list of appointments. She announced that we should all have our identification and insurance cards ready. 

When it was my turn she pointed me toward the door of another room. I entered. The woman there made copies of my information and handed it back to me. 

I then took a couple of steps to the registration table. The woman handed me a couple of papers and a card. She told me to step into the next room and take a seat.

I sat there for maybe 3 minutes before the nurse called me into a cubicle and administered the shot. I did not feel the needle but I did feel the vaccine entering my arm. It stung for an instant then was over.

I was instructed to go back to the registration room and wait for 15 minutes. As I sat there I read a book that I am enjoying. 

After 15 minutes and seeing that I did not fall out of my chair I was called to another table. I was given an appointment to return in 28 days to receive my second dose. I am to bring back the card given to me at the first table. When it is recorded that I received the second dose the card will be my record of vaccination.

I walked out, got in my car, and drove home. (After a quick stop for fast food.) 

The whole thing took about 20 minutes. 

I have had no side effects. My arm is not sore and I do not have an extra nose. 

When you can get your doses please do it. I want everyone to stay safe and healthy.

COVID

For those who showed concern for my sister I thank you. I have a quick update.

She is now negative and back in her room. I believe the first dose of vaccine made a difference but that is only my opinion. 

My sister has since received her second dose. I hope it protects her. The problem is that so far the experts do not know.

Turning the subject to me I have an appointment to get my first dose tomorrow afternoon. I will be getting the Moderna vaccine. That is what is available. 

I will be given an appointment to return for the second dose in 28 days. 

I am a little nervous. I will let you know how it goes.

Unity

 As I mentioned before the United States has a new president. One of his campaign points was uniting the country.

Now some people are saying that we have the same old thing. Division. Unity will never work. Balderdash!

Unity does not necessarily mean everyone thinks as one. If you take any two people and ask their opinions on various subjects you will find that they have different ideas on some if not all. It does not mean that they wish a different outcome to a problem; they only wish to go about solving the problem a different way. Or perhaps they do envision a different outcome. 

In either case if they are unified in wanting the best and fairest solution they will begin a conversation. Each will listen to the other,,, really and earnestly listen. They will find out what and why the other person believes is the best answer.

After they have truly listened and heard what the other thinks they can then decide if either or both of them can give just a bit and still have a good outcome.

When it comes down to it unity simply requires civility. Perhaps a compromise cannot be reached. At least both have been heard. Hopefully that will soften hard feelings and leave the door open for the next difference of opinion to be aired.

I worked with a wonderful woman. She is slightly older than I am. We have differing opinions on many things. Religion and politics are major ones. 

We had some marvelous conversations while we worked. I learned a great deal listening to her. She learned from me. Because we listened. Occasionally one of us would change an opinion too. 

It is amazing what can be accomplished if we operate in unity. We will never completely agree. We can learn to be tolerant and respect the other person when agreement does not happen.