Fleur de Lis Homeschool Blog

Wednesday, April 8, 2020

March 22-28, 2020 Bunky, Zoom, FaceTime, Stairwell, MI Lock Down

March 22-28, 2020

Bunky, Zoom, FaceTime, Stairwell

By the end of the week, we managed to get the three new stringers properly installed and the under-layer of runners down. We can finally go up and down the stairs again! Who knew was a big job it is to replace your infrastructure in stairwells! As you can see we had to replace a lot of drywall that had been damaged when we were taking out the old stairs; we'd made a lot of holes!

Hello, Friends!

The beginning of the week was snow, but by the end we had sunshine. I thought I'd just save the snow-free pictures for next week. Dh and I are still getting over our flu, but are spending more time off the sofa and having some hours of relief.

This flu is weird because you feel like you are better one day and then the day after that you feel totally exhausted again.

We had one day where we got to 99.5, but most days we were actually 95 degrees, much colder than we normally are which was a surprise to us.

This week my lungs continue to mildly hurt each day, but this wasn't a problem for Dh.

Reunions:

With the government shutting things down and making our state closed brought an awakening to all our family members that had been believing this outbreak was a "hoax."

Now, even the farthest right family members are coming to terms with reality. Dh had so many phone calls this week! Most of his family only talk to him at the Christmas party, but this week BOTH his brothers called him! Even my brother, Bunky, that hadn't called me in about a year, called me and chatted for around 2 hours!!!! It was so great!

Church:

Dh and I watched my church's live-stream at 11am on Sunday morning. I'm thankful Dh is not only willing to watch with me, but is really enjoying it! I'm hoping Dh will slowly get used to Pastor Jeff and then maybe he will be willing to try going with me when churches open again.

Stairwell:

Whenever we felt like we had a little energy, Dh and I would spend an hour or two on the stairwell. We progressed a little bit each day, but we also had a few days that we felt so awful we didn't get anything done other than holding down the sofa! This picture is of the three new stringers. You have to use balances and make sure each one is placed absolutely perfectly.

Bible Studies:

On Monday our Thrive group met online at the Zoom platform and it worked out great! We are still working on:

The Unexplainable Church: Reigniting the Mission of the Early Believers: A Study of Acts 13-28

On Wednesday our Bible Study Fellowship, BSF, group met online at the Zoom platform and it also went well. We are working on: Acts and The Letters of The Apostles--which is awesome!

I'm really learning a LOT! I've always been very active in my Bible studies, but this year has been extra intense. Although I do worry that I 'share' too much in my classes and hope the other ladies don't think that I dominate too much air time. Some women go the whole class without answering one question and I have a hard time not adding something to every question...I do make an effort to let others share but if there is dead air or something vital isn't brought up I often will contribute. It is a fine line and I do make an effort to "read the room" in regards to my class participation.

Dd's Pizza Job:
Dd gave her notice to take the next few weeks off due to concerns over Covid-19. Her boyfriend suffers from asthma and Dh and I have isolated ourselves, so she was our weak link working with contact with people at the pizza shop.

Grocery Store:
Another week without grocery shopping, or anything outside of our home. My last time at the store was on March 9th. It looks like I will shop next week as we are out of all produce and Dh keeps asking for a salad. It's almost funny how he craves things he hasn't wanted for months now that he can't have them!

Michigan Lock Down:
Michigan, among other states, declares state lockdown. From what I am hearing there isn't full participation. Dd's pizza shop had been switched to take-out only, but that still brought people into the shop and in contact with her.

It's hard to believe that in a few weeks I'll be turning over the soil and getting it ready for greens~!!

Dd's Progress For The Week:

Bible and Devotions:
Dd went to church with Seth again this week, but now they watch together online. Dd got all dressed up this week, she's a hoot.

Grace Co-Op Classes:
Due to Covid-19, the classes are now being held online.

Science: Anatomy and Physiology (Apologia)

Art: Painting Studio

Writing/English: Analytical Writing for Essays and Research Papers (IEW) (They are doing this online)

Math: Algebra II (Spring Break)

Foreign Language: German with DuoLingo

Drawing at home: 5 sessions at 20 min each

Physical Education: 4:00 hrs

Audio Reader:
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin

Read Aloud:
To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolfe

Work: Dd is still enjoying working at the pizza shop, but gave her notice that this was her last week until the pandemic improves.

...........

Sunday, March 22, 2020

March 8-14th, 2020 C19, VOTE, Andy Stanley, Flu

March 8-14th, 2020

Corona/COVID 19, VOTED, Andy Stanley, Flu

Can you make out Henry down the path on the left side?

Hello, Friends!

It's been a hard time trying to figure out how to prepare for the COVID-19. I've been having nightmares about it. I made my last trip to the grocery store; at least for a few weeks, on March 9th. I've stocked up on dog and cat food, but at some point, I will have to find a very slow time to run into Tractor Supply to get chicken feed bags. But, at least all our grocery store items are bought and we should be good for a while. I know we will have to go to the grocery store again in a few weeks, but hopefully, I can plan enough that I won't have to go very often and limit my exposure. It will be interesting to see how long we can go!

Social Distancing:
I have to admit, "social distancing" isn't a problem for me. Besides Bible Studies I don't have much interaction with people. Going to the grocery store barely elicits a sentence or two from me. I am quite content at home! I do feel for the social butterflies in the world who truly need social interaction as much as their three daily meals; this must be SO hard for them.

This week I had six outings: 1)Costco, 2)Aldi, 3)Library, 4)Thrift store, 5)Thrive Bible Study (5-6 ladies), 6)BSF Bible Study. I skipped church---our church attendance is huge and I didn't want to risk it when I can watch online.

Knee/Hand: Physical Therapy

I'm not sure what I did, but I hurt my knee again. My PT said to stop doing the exercises she had been having me do each day. I don't know why but instead she is having me do the yoga pose I call "Cobra" instead of doing the exercises? I think she has decided there isn't anything she can do for my wonky knee. She seems to be focusing on my carpal tunnel problems on my left palm. She gave me some yellow puddy to work with last week. This week she did 'cupping' on my left hand, for the carpal tunnel inflammation and that really helped. I've ordered the set she uses on Amazon so I can try it at home.

Stairwell Saga:
After working on the stairs to the basement, Dh found the stringer boards (the bottom tier of wood) were too broken and had to be replaced. While taking out the stringer he accidentally tore up the drywall. We are living without stairs to our bottom floor and have to walk around the outside of the house to get to that floor---what a hassle!!!!! This week he continued trying to make progress on this job. Although we now have all the new wood for the replacement stringers, we need to repair/replace all the damaged drywall. Throughout the week, Dh worked on making patches for the holes and adding new 2x4 reinforcement pieces to go behind the new patches...it has been a tedious job.

Britbox: Free month trial

Since I started fighting the flu again this week I decided it would be a good time to use Dh's free month on Britbox so we could see the new episodes of one of my favorite series: VERA! I love Vera, especially the first four seasons. As the seasons have gone by she has lost her first assistant, the actor David Leon, who somehow was just perfect with Vera. So, there was a blessing this week.

Hiking With Henry:

Just Henry's pawprints in the fresh snow!

As it is "March" now, I am aware that my special winter walks with Henry in the cold and snow are precious.

I am so thankful for the woods and a dog that never thinks it's too cold!

VOTE:

Dh and I arrived in the dark to our voting station. We waited in the car for a while before Dh finally submitted to my excitement to go find the line. To our surprise, there was one man in line before us! Dh and I chatted for the thirty minutes before the polls opened. When we went in the man in front of me didn't have his ID ready and they took me in first and I had the privilege of being the first person to vote in my area!! Although I don't share my politics online I am incredibly up to speed and couldn't wait to vote! I hope we all get out and vote in November!!!

Flu:

Since I was down with the flu, yet again, I called the doctor to ask to give blood work and get my hormones checked too. The good or bad news is that everything checked out normal, but a few little things, like my white blood cells, showed I'd been fighting an infection. So---nothing to see there. I just wish I knew why my immune system seems so weak this year. I had planned on going to a homeopath that I've heard good things about, but with the COVID 19 going on that will have to wait!

Bible Study:

Thrive Monday Night Bible Study:

The Unexplainable Church: Reigniting the Mission of the Early Believers: A Study of Acts 13-28

Bible Study: BSF

Bible Study Fellowship on Wed. mornings

Acts and the Letters of the Apostles

https://www.bsfinternational.org/

I've added the link, above, so you can check out this wonderful Christian, nondenominational, Bible-centered, international program.

Sick Chicken:

Bunny is still sick and isolated. I've brought her out and let her free-range in our garden area a few times this week. She looks good one day and bad the next... I wish I could 'will' her to improve!

Chickens:

All the other chickens are doing well. They are getting to spend so much time outside now and they always love that!

Family:

I called Giz this week and offered for her and Grampy to come up and live with us until we know what is going to happen with this COVID-19. They are part of that group of American's that mostly watch one cable show, and that cable show has spent the past weeks reassuring them that this whole virus is a hoax, so she practically laughed at me for calling with concern for their welfare. I knew before I called that she would laugh me off and I did indeed feel her slight towards me. I did try.

I called my mom and voiced concern to her too as I encouraged her to stock up her food. I told her she should try to have 2-3 weeks' worth of food in her apartment. She told me she had been "stocking up cans of soup." So, I asked her to go to her pantry and count exactly how many cans she had managed to amass... her response? FIVE. Yes, her idea of stocking up for this pandemic was to hoard *five* cans of soup! Oh my! If only I could laugh, but it really makes me want to cry! She is so very far away; in Maine! and I am genuinely concerned for her. I'm sure my concern for my elderly family is right in line with millions of people around the world and we all are facing the situation of having absolutely no control over any of this.

Andy Stanley:

(I just realized some may not know who Andy Stanley is---in a nutshell, he is a Christian preacher. His father is extremely well-known---Charles Stanley---you've probably seen him on tv many times.)

Dh and I have so enjoyed Andy Stanley over the years. We are currently watching (on YouTube, for free) his series called "90." It is fantastic! Ever since last June when we left our old church, Dh has been yet again hurt and disappointed in churches and hasn't gone to any services except the Christmas one, but he is thankful for Andy! I'm glad he is being fed; even if it isn't at a church...yet. I'm hopeful that he will eventually heal from the last church experience.

Friday Dinner with Seth:

Dd said she was going to make dinner for Seth on Friday, but they never arrived at dinner time. So, around 6pm I started cooking and made the taco dinner she was planning on having and they arrived just before I was done. Seth and Dd cleaned out the car while I finished up and then they had dinner here. Dh had to work late, so we didn't get to do card games like last time, so I put in a DVD I'd checked out from the library: The Addams Family (2019) was a fun animation.