Returning to the land of doing the normal things
- col-teri-stein
- March 30, 2022
- 682
We have been anxiously watching the new COVID-19 case numbers go down so we can return to the land of doing normal things.
I wish I could take credit for that concept, but it was an out-of-town friend who texted me with the exciting news they had made a triumphant return to this land with a recent senior bus trip to a favorite location.
Joe and I actually made our own return to the land of doing normal things just last week. We headed to our favorite restaurant, which happens to be three hours away. I don’t usually reveal this information, but because they moved to a larger location with more seating, I will whisper it to you — it’s the Jolly Roger Seafood restaurant in Port Clinton on the beautiful shores of Lake Erie.
We had made a few trips there during the pandemic and compromised by eating in our car on cold, windy days and picnicking at the city park on warm, sunny ones.
This time we didn’t wear our masks and ate inside, but we weren’t going totally crazy with the no mask thing. Cold and flu season is still going strong. Who wants to be sick for even a few days? So we went for an early lunch.
We always get the fried perch. Joe’s grandmother lived in nearby Lakeside, and we have such good memories of going fishing with her. She would then fry up a large batch of perch, and it was a delicious all-you-could-eat buffet.
The restaurant was just getting crowded, and we were out of there, heading to a grocery store with our favorite deli. I’m going to whisper that one too — it’s Bassett’s. We loaded up on potato salad, fancy chicken salad with grapes and almonds, sloppy joes, and ham salad. I always love this because then I don’t have to worry about lunch for a week.
We shopped our way home, and it was great to be out and about. Ah, it sure feels good to be back to the land of doing normal things.
And I’m ready for spring too. Finally took down my Christmas decorations and packed them back in the attic, except for the ones I leave up year round.
In my younger years, I was quick to get those decorations put away, but now that I’m getting a little older, well, how many Christmases do I have left? You never know when your number is up. So I’m leaving my indoor decorations blazing brightly through January and February, and this year it just happened to be most of March.
If there is one bright side of getting older, it’s you don’t care what other people think, and that is very freeing.
So my house is now a lovely mix of general household decorations, bunnies, eggs, chicks, lighted Christmas houses, a lighted Christmas fence and our collection of “National Lampoon Christmas Vacation” movie ornaments based on Chevy Chase’s character Clark Griswold.
I didn’t feel like putting the Clarks back in their boxes, so they can stay out all summer. I’ll just have to dust them.
Anyway, I hope the return to the land of doing normal things will last this time. As I recall, last summer the pandemic was declared beaten, and then it came roaring back with a vengeance and took many more good people. I’m hoping the pandemic will leave for good and not ruin any more lives.
I’ll have to quit reading the news if I don’t want to worry though.
In recent reports, a new-to-our-country arachnid has invaded parts of the state of Georgia, and it could be on the move. The golden orb weaver or joro spider is as big as a human hand and can fly through the air using its web. That just gives me nightmares. They can take the cold but thankfully not as much cold as we have in Ohio.
Doing normal things may be back, but for me it’s not going to include a visit to the Peach State.