Two activities ~ snacking and coloring

This is the second blue bag I've received this year, both full of goodies to nibble, nosh, and drink.  This one has balloons on it.  Inside were these kitten socks for my birthday, socks that came from Hallmark — who knew Hallmark had socks?  The little black kitten could be Clawdia, except it's missing the white spot below its chin.  Being a word person, I love the name across the top as much as the socks:  "Toe of a Kind."  Someone was very clever to come up with that.  Lauree and Tiny gave me this blue bag as well as the earlier one that I lost, and then found).  They are such sweethearts.

Yesterday, I ran across The Unwind, an article by the people at Yahoo, detailing how they are finding calm during quarantine.  One has been gardening, one adopted a cat, and another came up with Gratitude Sundays.  One family has been watching animal videos online, and the writer shares links, if this interests you.  I was intrigued by the one who decided it was time "to jump on the adult coloring train."  I may print out this picture and color it myself, since it is one of the free coloring pages among the links this person shared.  What have you been doing to stay sane during this time of social isolation and lockdown?

A book, exercises, and our Café re-opening

Book for Crown Readers

Purple Hibiscus ~ by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, 2003, fiction (Nigeria)

Fifteen-year-old Kambili and her older brother Jaja lead a privileged life.  They live in a beautiful house in Enugu, Nigeria and attend an exclusive missionary school, but their home life is anything but harmonious:  although their religious father is a respected businessman, he is fanatically religious and tyrannical at home.  When their loving and outspoken aunt persuades her brother that the children should visit her, Kambili and Jaja take their first trip away from home.  Once inside their Aunty Ifeoma's flat in the smaller city of Nsukka, they discover a whole new world.  And when they return home, changed by their newfound freedom, nothing can be the same as before.  Tension within the family esalates, and Kambili must find the strength to keep her loved ones together — even after her mother commits a desperate act.

I had an unexpected knock on my door after meals had already been delivered.  It was David, delivering this book and a note, that says:

"We are so pleased to let you know that Book Source, a Crown Center community partner has generously donated a book for our Crown Center Readers and residents participating in reading groups. . . . This book is just a small way to let you know that the Crown Community and Book Source are thinking of you."

I first read this novel in 2013, but it was good enough that I am quite willing to read it again.  Since I have a book discussion blog called Book Buddies, it occurred to me that I could invite my book-loving neighbors to discuss it together there.  That will only work for those who have computers (our computer center is one of the locked public rooms right now), but it's a way to have a book club while self-isolating.

Oh, one more thing:  On the back of that sheet about the book is a drawing for us to color.  Above a striped easy chair is a framed saying, "Keep calm and read."  Plants are on the wallpaper, on the floor beside the chair, and on the windowsill, as well as hanging down from a tree outside that window.  Spread out on the floor are a dozen books, stacked and scattered on the floor, with one book open.  Some books have titles:  Jane Eyre, Art Deco, Rebecca, Easy Bakes, Cake Recipes, and Interior Design.  There is a cup for the tea I presume I would be drinking, though I would never, ever set a cup of tea on a book.

Exercises from RPI

Residents have apparenetly mentioned that they would relist some different stretches and workout routines.  So the Crown Center reached out to Rehabilitation Professionals, Inc. (RPI).  Kim Meyer, a Physical Therapist Assistant at RPI, teaches our Introduction to Movement class on Monday (at least, she did before everything went into lockdown).  I was part of that free class on days when I didn't have something else scheduled.  Kim shared some exercises and stretches for us, all of which we can ccomplete while seated.  And we are to complete the exercises within a comfortable range, if we have a weak arm or leg.  The front page shows:

• Heel Raises
• Toe Raises
• Knee Extension
• Hip Flexion
• Hip Abduction

The second page, shown above, says:  "You can use water bottles, can goods, or other small objects as hand weights if needed or complete exercises without holding anything."  The front page says "complete up to 10 repetitions of each exercise at a time," but to take rest breaks if needed.

• Press Up
• Forward Raise
• Rotation
• Side Raise
• Elbow Curls

RPI also share additional resources to consider:

• For those with Silver Sneakers, they also have 200+ videos on their website.
• Jane Fonda Walking Cardio Video, Level 1, on YouTube.

Circle@Crown Café

Good news!  Tomorrow, our Café will begin taking orders over the phone and delivering freshly-made food directly to our apartments.  Really!  The new menu is on the back of the announcement and includes my favorites:  scrambled eggs or omelettes, Circle@Crown Salad (lettuce with walnuts, dried cranberries, and shredded mozzarella, topped with balsamic vinaigrette dressing), tuna panini, and flatbread pizza-for-one.  Although we can't dine together at this time, we can continue to support the Café.  Hurray!

Happy 60th Birthday to my twins

Happy Birthday to you both, from your proud mama,

with lots of love coming your way today and always.

UP-date on the lock-DOWN

Bonnie a few years ago in an art class at the Crown Center

How are you coping?

The Crown Center sent out an email last week asking, "How Are You Coping?"  It featured four residents, and I was one of them:

"Bonnie Jacobs uses her blog to reflect on what’s happening in the world at large, and in her world at Crown Center and beyond.  Her daily posts that often include the antics of her cat Clawdia, provide continuity of community between friends and neighbors during this crisis.  And if you’re looking for the name of a good book, Bonnie’s the one to ask.  Keep blogging, Bonnie."

Sharon

Sharon, my neighbor at the other end of the hall, who is also Clawdia's good friend, was another.  Sharon, being tech savvy, now uses Zoom, FaceTime, Skype, and GChat to study Torah, practice yoga, attend her cancer support group, and keep in touch with her family.  Miriam Roth was shown FaceTiming with one of her graddaughters, and I learned that Sandy Moreno got a list of people born in April so she could wish a Happy Birthday to those who would miss having a Birthday Bash.  Every month, we have a party with cupcakes and ice cream and a musical group brought in to play for us, so we can party with that month's birthday people.  This year, I got a call from Sandy (and others) instead of cake and ice cream and music.  Sandy is very thoughtful.  So is her daughter, Tricia Falmer, who provided face masks for every person at the Crown Center last week.  I have great friends and neighbors, don't I?

Clawdia is coping with the lockdown by finding unique places to sleep, like in the opening of her upside-down box.  New boxes are so much fun, if you are a cat.  She also likes sitting in an open window, looking down at the birds in the tree tops and watching people walking by on the sidewalks, sometimes social distancing themselves with one on the sidewalk and one out in the street.  I have had our windows open more this week, since the pollen count is not nearly as bad as it was when it was driving me crazy a week or so ago.

I got a call Friday morning from Pamela, and we chatted for about an hour and a half.  She's one of the Café volunteers, who has now become a Facebook friend.  Later, I got a call from Emily, one of two university students living in the Crown Center with us.  It's nice to have the young people residing here.  Emily, who is finishing up her Master's degree, exercised with a group of us on Friday afternoons before Crown's public places needed to be closed for our health.  I had called her yesterday to let her know there's a package for her on the delivery table downstairs.  I took Faye her prescription that had been dropped off at that table and called when I got back home to let her know I'd hung it on her door knob.

Linguine with chicken livers

Donna suggested we order dinner from Pasta House, a couple of blocks away.  Restaurants are closed here during the lockdown, but they still do pick-up orders.  So I placed an order online, donned a face mask and blue glove, and took my cart out for a walk.  People were waiting in several cars in the parking lot when I arrived and called the restaurant to bring my order out to me.  It's really a strange new world we're living in right now, isn't it?  I brought home eggplant parmigiano, a salad, and fresh broccoli for me; Donna got pasta linguine with chicken livers, a salad, and her favorite dessert — tiramisu.  Nothing like having dinner "together" in our own apartments in separate buildings.  But the food was good, and we'll probably do it again occasionally.

With all that time I spent talking on the phone, it started beeping at me that the battery was down to nothing, so I had to (once again) recharge my phone in the middle of the day.  Then I had to recharge ME — in other words, sleep — before I finally finished composing this post that I mostly wrote yesterday.

Recipe for Date Torte

While under lockdown at home, I've been cleaning out boxes of old papers and came across a 3x5 card with a recipe for Date Torte in my mother's handwriting.  The second line on the card says this recipe is "From the kitchen of" and Mom wrote "Ruby Thayer."  Ruby was mother's cousin, who lived with mother's family after her mother died.  So it's a family recipe, even though I don't remember Mother ever making it.  Here's the recipe, just as my mother wrote it.

1 cup dates — diced
1 cup English walnuts — chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
Bake 275° — 50 minutes

I chose the illustration above from an online search because it seems to have similar ingredients, but I have not yet made Ruby's date torte.  I'm putting the recipe here, so I can find it later and try making it.  It seems simple enough.  Want a taste of it?

Stay mentally active

A fun way to maintain strong mental health during this lockdown is to play mind-stimulating games and solve riddles.  How many of these can you solve?  (I'll give you the answers at the end of this post.)

1.  Where is the ocean the deepest?
2.  If you were running a race, and you passed the person in 2nd place, what place are you in now?
3.  If you have me, you might want to share me.  But if you share me, you will no longer have me.  What am I?
4.  What gets wetter as it dries?
5.  There are three apples on the table, and you take two away.  How many apples do you have now?

Take a virtual tour

If there is ever a time we need a dose of beauty and inspiration, it’s now.  You can tour the Frank Lloyd Wright House in Ebsworth Park (the Kraus House) from home.  Just click on the blue link.

Answers to the riddles:

1.  On the bottom.
2.  Second place, since you didn’t pass the first place runner.
3.  It’s a secret.
4.  A towel.
5.  You have the two you took away.

Meaningful May Calendar ~ 2020

Click to enlarge calendar

This Meaningful May Calendar from the Action for Happiness folks has daily actions for May 2020 to help us respond to this global crisis with a sense of purpose and meaning.

May 1
~ Take a minute to remember what really matters to you and why.
May 2
~ Do something meaningful for someone you really care about.
May 3
~ Reconnect with nature today, even if you're stuck indoors.
May 4
~ Focus on what you can do rather than what you can't do.
May 5
~ Send friends a photo of a time you all enjoyed together.
May 6
~ Take a step towards one of your life goals, however small.
May 7
~ Let someone you love know how much they mean to you.
May 8
~ Set yourself a kindness mission.  Give your time to help others.
May 9
~ Look out for positive news and reasons to be cheerful today.
May 10
~ Tell someone about why your favorite music means a lot to you.
May 11
~ What are your most important values?  Use them today.
May 12
~ Be grateful for the little things, even in difficult times.
May 13
~ Today do something to care for the natural world.
May 14
~ Show your gratitude to people who are helping to make things better.
May 15
~ Find out about the values and traditions of another culture.
May 16
~ Look around you and notice five things you find meaningful.
May 17
~ Take a positive action to help in your local community.
May 18
~ Hand-write a note to someone you love and send them a photo of it.
May 19
~ Find a way to craft what you are doing to give it more meaning.
May 20
~ Reflect on what makes you feel really valued and appreciated.
May 21
~ Share photos of 3 things you find meaningful or memorable.
May 22
~ Ask a loved one or colleague what matters most to them and why.
May 23
~ Share an inspiring quote with others to give them a boost.
May 24
~ Do something special today and revisit it in your memory tonight.
May 25
~ Give your time to help a project or charity you care about.
May 26
~ Recall three things you've done that you are really proud of.
May 27
~ Today link your decisions and choices to your purpose in life.
May 28
~ Tell someone about an event in your life that was really meaningful.
May 29
~ Think about how your actions make a difference for others.
May 30
~ Find three good reasons to be hopeful about the future.
May 31
~ Look up at the sky.  Remember we are all part of something bigger.

"Start where you are.  Use what you have.

Do what you can." ~ Arthur Ashe

Feast of the Found Blue Bag ~ REJOICE

Feast of the Found Blue Bag ~ REJOICE

Luke 15: 8-9 ~ "Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?  When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.'"

Have you ever hidden something from yourself?  I've done it before, but this one "takes the cake," as the saying goes.  Lauree brought me a gift bag full of goodies, as I wrote on my blog three weeks ago.  I put the cranberry chicken salad in the fridge right away and opened a bottle of mineral water.  I put away the graham crackers for me and the treats for Clawdia, who soon ate her cat food gift.

Then one day, I couldn't find the blue-and-white gift bag.  Thinking "it has to be here," I searched for days.  I hate it when I do things like that.  "It's GOT to be here," I'd think, "but it's NOT."  I couldn't have thrown it away, could I?

Last week, I woke up thinking about the lost bag of goodies, and I had a thought from somewhere (the back of my mind, maybe?).  I got out of bed and went straight to that spot.  Yep, I had hung the gift bag on a handle where I later hung the empty plastic bags from my Instacart order, completely hidden under many brown bags.  It was right there in front of me all the time, but buried.  Now that it is found, I invite you to rejoice with me at what I'll call a Feast of the Found Blue Bag.  All of you readers are my friends and neighbors, right?

Preparing the Feast

Here's the Crown Center crew packing meals for residents last week.  Left to right are Kari, Genevieve, and Judy.  Notice they are all wearing face masks as well as gloves.  Below are the individuals at work.

Judy in the kitchen putting it all together.

Kari in the kitchen cutting up the bread (sounds like lyrics for a song, doesn't it?)

Scott ready to deliver, with the list in his hand.  The delivery person varies, and that was the day Scott brought mine.

More Feasting

Just before noon, as I was taking my blood pressure for a medical study I agreed to do, I got a text message from my buddy Sharon at the other end of my hall:

"Purple people eater blueberry muffin.  I tested it this morning.  Fit for human consumption.  Outside your door."

Sorry, people, but you don't get this at our Feast.  I have devoured it, even the crumbs.  It was so fit for human consumption that every single crumb is now gone.  I didn't even think about taking a picture of it until I was down to the last bite.

While I was typing this, my neighbor Galina knocked on my door and backed away after handing me a small, unopened container of carrot-raisin salad.  I had given her the carrot sticks from one of our recent meal deliveries because it's hard to crunch big pieces of carrot with my dentures.  She thoughtfully gave me shredded carrots which I am able to eat.  Such thoughtfulness among neighbors here at the Crown Center is very common, maybe more than usual during our lockdown.  Like today, Donna got an Instacart delivery and shared her grapes with me, along with some of her fresh bread.

Lest you assume those meals being delivered from the Crown Center are just our normal fare, it isn't.  This is an independent living retirement center.  We have our own kitchens in our apartments.  This is something special they are doing to keep us happy and healthy.  Those who choose to be part of this program during the lockdown get five meals each week, whether we have ever been part of the food program in the dining room or not.  No charge.  We can make a donation later, if we like, but for now they are taking care of a meal for each weekday, if we want them.  Thanks, Crown Center.

Cousins together

My closest cousin is Carolyn, who now lives in California with her son's family.  We had a nice conversation this afternoon by phone, catching up on family news.  She's a year older than I am, but for two days every year we're the same age.  My 80th birthday was Sunday, and she's 81 today.  Happy Birthday, Carolyn!

There's a cat licking your birthday cake

Here's the birthday girl, wearing my face mask "uniform" as usual when leaving my apartment.  Notice the tissue in hand for punching elevator buttons, so as not to waste a disposable glove just to take the elevator down once and back up.  Donna had ordered me birthday dinner from Panera — Fuji Apple Salad with chicken and apple chips, and a blueberry muffin for dessert.  I met her where deliveries are left on that table next to me because outsiders may no longer roam the halls of the Crown Center.  We met the delivery guy there and each took food to our apartments to eat, all socially distanced to stay safe.

I'll show you what I ate, and it was delicious.  I shared a few nibbles of the chicken with Clawdia.  Maybe it's because they are trying to be extra good to any customers they can get right now, but it seemed to me there were more of all the goodies in the salad today — more sliced up tiny tomatoes, more feta crumbles, more pecans, even more of the chicken.  It was very delicious.  Clawdia concurs.


Donna sent me a singing birthday card, and I've found it on YouTube for you.  If the video here quits working, click on the link to view it there.  The words are appropriate, since Clawdia would act just like these cats.

Cats on an antique player piano

As if one musical card weren't enough, I got another lively one from Mary Grace (Gigi) entitled "Kit Cat Boogie."  She wrote:

"Happy Birthday!  Hope you'll boogie on your birthday, Bonnie!  Last picture I saw of you, you looked well and happy — hope that is still the case.  Enjoy your special day.  xxoogg"

Yes, I'm doing well and have been doing the boogie all over my little apartment today.  My cat didn't lick my cake when I ate a little Hostess cake for lunch.  For breakfast, I ate a small can of Vienna sausages and the last three green olives left in the jar.  There's a back-story for that.

When I was ten, I went off to summer camp with my cousin Carolyn, who's a year older than I am.  Mother sent me a care package that week, and in it were a can of vienna sausages and some green olives.  She knew I loved those special treats.  So for my breakfast today, I gave myself a treat from my childhood and thought about what my Mom sent me seventy years ago. 

Marie brought me a gift last night and, wearing our masks, she handed off the bag she'd used to bring it up to me and backed off across the hall.  I had a hard time deciding whether to open it last night — who would know, right? — or wait for my actual birthday.  I did manage to wait to discover a wooden box full of Tea Drops.  On the side are directions:  "Pour in boiling water, add Tea Drop, stir and enjoy."  Tea Drops, it says, "are pressed teas made with genuine tea leaves that dissolve in hot water."  And inside are five kinds of tea:

• Citrus Ginger
• Sweet Peppermint
• Blueberry Acai
• Rose Earl Grey
• Matcha Green Tea

I've had so many text messages and phone calls and long conversations that I had to recharge my phone at midday:  Barbara, Sandra, David, Sheila G., Susan, Sandy.  I got Facebook birthday wishes from Sylvia, three books shopped off her own shelf from Donna (stay-home orders, you know), and these birthday cards from Donna, Miriam, and Marie.

When Clawdia woke from her latest cat nap, we ventured out into the sunshine for the walk she's been wanting for days.  Miriam called happy birthday to me from a distance, while she was out sitting in the sun after days of rain.  We're both 80 now, since her birthday was in March.  As Clawdia sat in the lush grass looking around, I decided the pollen count seems to be down.  The mowers and trimmers were working here on this sunny Sunday, even though they usually come here on Mondays.  Maybe they've gotten their days as mixed up as the rest of us during this lockdown, or maybe they're worried about "rainy days and Mondays."

That's not all, yet.  Later in the day I got a couple of other singing electronic cards, both from Sharon.  One was these goats yodeling, and the other was William Shatner singing to me and putting my name in lights as I posted at the top of the page.  Okay, Sharon, how'd you do that, getting both of them to sing my name?  Thanks for the shout out!

And at the end of the day, more birthday wishes on Facebook from Gina, Toni (who included another birthday cat for today's collection), Annette, Judith, Charlotte, Bonnie M, Jimmy, and Terri.  Thanks to all.

Update 4/27/2020:  Birthday wishes keep pouring in, like floodgates have opened.  Facebook friends continue to send belated good wishes ~ Nancy, Jess, Alyssa, Cindy M, Jean L, Dora, Sharon L, Sylvia, Diana, Laurie, Mary Virginia, Cindy Z, Carol H, Ginger, Rosemary, Vickie, my brother Jim, Pamela, Ginny D, Candy, Sheryn (who added a dog to celebrate with us), and Rosie (who added a cat flying around in a small bi-plane to my cat collection).  And I forgot to include the twenty-plus who have clicked "Like" or "Love."  Feeling very blessed by all of you.

LOCKDOWN ~ humor

For more fun during our lockdown, here's a short video from a music teacher, who has composed a sweet little song.  In her viral video, Liz explains:

"As some of you guys might know, I'm a music teacher, and I've found that one of the best ways that I can process the whole transition to online learning and teaching is to write a song.  So, I wrote a song, and I'd like to share that with you guys now.  Here we go."

 What follows quite succinctly sums up the collective feelings of many, many teachers, parents, and students around the country.  And I'd say, it applies to the rest of us, too.  Shall we sing it with her?