Big Girl

One of our busiest hikes at Harris Nature Center today--my four kids, L&T; B&L, V&C, plus CF and VC and JS and, and...

I've been feeling... sad is the best way to describe it. And as the human kids traveled up and down the hike group chatting away, I brought up the rear with just the puppy kids, giving myself permission to be alone for a while.

Back home, we made a pantry-sourced, vaguely Thai-inspired soup with sweet potatoes, beans, veggies, lemongrass, ginger, basil, and coconut milk, and then settled in to finish watching the Gerwig adaptation of Little Women after dinner with Big A.

Ever since I won a copy of LW in fourth grade, I've steadily read most of Alcott's novels, contributed to the Alcott encyclopedia in grad school, and generally adore her--that I loved this adaptation with its duplex ending so much means something.

The kids had already seen it with the grands in OH when it first came out, and I found it so sweet the way they watched my reaction as they re-watched the movie with me. Also, they think it's hilarious to call it "Big Girls."

Duck Distance

I mean "duck" is what autocorrect does to my swearing, but also see how seriously those ducks in the picture are taking social distancing?  Haha.

Just me and the river here, and while the deserted paths feel eerie, sunshine and water rippling calm at me = good.

Lots of online work (teaching prep, classes, and grading) and a bit of a bicker with Big A--about nothing as usual. Not sure how I'm going to hang on like this for months.

Drama

Happened upon this graffito in the Hagedorn Woods yesterday. 

Random/terrifying/dramatic.

Have been feeling increased anxiety about Corona and Big A's proximity to it at work (they finally have masks and tests, and are beginning to see an uptick in cases). My mom has been lovely about sending me WhatsApp messages of support and prayer every day. Big A has been joking that if anything goes wrong he’s going to shame her on FB for “not doing it right.” 😂

New Hires

My teaching assistants were great this term, but since we're all only online now and I don't see them anymore, I hired these guys (for the price of two fake-beef chewies).

Legg Day

Legg Park hike; some glimpses of the river, but mostly muddy and ordinary. Scout and Huck loved it, and At and Nu approved of our shorter outing. Lots of distance between us--L and T, B and L, and KP.

And OK--it appears that health care workers seem to be getting sicker from coronavirus--I had noticed this from bits of news, but thought I was just sensitized to notice those bits because Big A works in the E.D. But no. So I've been expressing some panic, anxiety, and fear over here. (understatement)

Yogis/Doggies

I turned around after a yoga sesh yesterday, to find Scout and Huck had been following along (well, kinda ;) ).

And while that was a nice distraction, I'm beginning to appreciate how long this pandemic might last and how intense the health costs might be for us, for so many people. I'm prepped for all sorts of eventualities, so now's the time I begin to worry about people I don't know and things I have zero control over.

I wish I could live through this thing in a yoga trance.

Rambles

Today's ramble was to Lake Lansing, and I may have rambled back to FB too...