I know a lot of people who have been exposed to or have caught Covid: my son-in-law’s brother, the boss of one of my daughter’s, my neighbor and her mother, people at my place of worship, the next door neighbors of my brother John (whom I help out all the time), and a very good friend. These are just a few. My neighbor told me that she thought Covid was fake… until she caught it! Unfortunately, her mother did not survive Covid, which is extremely sad. My good friend was hospitalized twice for it. The second time, he said the hospital was overwhelmed and the care was very poor as a result. He just wanted to go home. He said he would crawl home if he had to. He is at home now, and I know he is not completely well, but I hope he is continuing to get better. In the meanwhile, our state’s cases continue to increase and the Federal government’s vaccination plan is not going so well. “Operation Warp Speed” needs a new name. Any suggestions?

The state of our nation is deeply disturbing. As one congressman said, the event of this week – the person who incited it and those who stormed the Capitol – must be met with swift action by all, so that it does not occur again. Our state sent many state troopers to help. My husband saw the lines of unmarked cars driving down I-66. My son-in-law saw the lines of state police cars driving down I-95. I’m grateful for our governor’s actions as well as the actions of other governors in the surrounding states. I am so grateful that the big tech companies are taking action too.

I’m keeping busy with my many plants and animals. I see now why Mom loved both so much. They have been successful in keeping my spirits up, but the tropical look and “sunny” grow lights have also caused me to dream a lot about booking a very long vacation to a warm place. Maybe I’ll do that. One of the things I’ve discovered while being at home all the time – I really miss seeing people. If I spend too much time with others, I become drained and crave downtime, but I love people and cannot live without them. Zoom is not the same, but it beats not seeing anyone at all. Interestingly, my hope and faith are becoming stronger each day. I know that this too shall pass. It’s taken a long time and will take a bit longer for things to change, but they will. Don’t stop hoping. All of the hugs and social events will be glorious.