We are now fully vaccinated, save for a two week period that will end on April 14th. I have to say that Walgreens does a good job of it, very gentle, efficient, and there are no crowds. Also, everyone in the store was masked and keeping a good social distance. Don went first and then me. We were very happy to have it done but the actual shot was sort of anticlimactic – a tiny prick and it was done. It wasn’t until I had been home for a bit and took a nap (I was tired) that I realized upon waking how enormous this was. After a year – 54 weeks to be exact – we were finally vaccinated. A whole year. And then I thought about the over 500,000 Americans who were not so fortunate, who were taken from us before a vaccine was available. It’s heartbreaking. As I said to Vicki in yesterday’s comments, I am humbled by the enormity of what yesterday means to us and by the incalculable loss of life in the past year – all those who weren’t so fortunate.
We had some sparkling cider on hand and we toasted each other in the evening, stopping to remember all those lost, especially my colleague Terrence McNally and the late, great John Prine.
As of this morning, the only side effect I have is a sore arm. Same with Don.
More egg cups, this time on the folk art shelf in the den: a gentleman egg cup (they were usually sold in a pair and the heads were salt and pepper shakers,) a red transferware cup, a little egg and cherub, a goose egg cup from France (found here in the States,) Humpty Dumpty with a hand painted egg from Prague, two wooden egg cups with salt and pepper egg tops (sent by a reader of the blog,) and a glass egg cup I found a couple of years ago. And my little family of wooden ducks in the foreground. The shelf itself was found in a shop on the other side of the river when we were living in our rental. I really love it.
I just finished Snow by John Banville. Beautifully written. It’s a haunting mystery that takes place in Ireland in the late Fifties. Banville is a Booker Prize winner and I can see why – he’s a poet. I loved the book. Now to decide what to read next.
I have a few other things to share with you and I’ll do that tomorrow.
Stay safe.
Happy Thursday.
Hurray for the 2nd shot. My husband and I are getting ours today, and we’ll join in the celebration. It’s been a long time coming. I’m glad to hear that you had no side effects other than the sore arm. I have hope that that’s all we’ll get as well.
There’s light at the end of this awful tunnel, finally.
It does feel like light at the end of the tunnel, but the tunnel still feels like a long way to go. I hope everyone will not take the vaccines as a ticket to opening everything. After my second shot, I”m tempted to book a trip in June but I keep telling myself keep calm and carry on.
hej, nora mills …
there are lots of people here in iowa (as elsewhere) treating these vaccines like “they are “get out of jail free” cards so i very much agree with you about people still needing to take precautions, even if vaccinated. it takes all of us following all precautions to end this nightmare!
hope you and your family are safe, well and stay that way!
kathy in iowa
Glad it went so well at Walgreen’s. I had my 2nd dose yesterday, too, when Walgreen’s called me in the afternoon to let me know they had an extra dose for me. So I popped right over and it was all so quick and easy. Sore arm today but not bad otherwise.
It feels great to be able to make plans to visit some of my grandkids that I have not seen for quite a while. Can’t wait!
Have a pleasant day!
Mazel Tof! (I hope I’m using that correctly…this achievement seems like it deserves more than congratulations, of course that’s appropriate too). I believe it was Birks who recently said that after the first 100,000 Covid deaths, most every one following could have been helped. I cannot fathom why no one, especially those on the task force or whatever it was, did not speak out before. It’s momentus that virologists and immunologists from around the world worked together on vaccines, and while we still don’t know if we’ll need yearly boosters like the flu, having had two shots now myself I’m a bit in a daze. Can it be real? Have fun at the bookstore!!!
Yes, though I don’t have grandchildren, for my friend who do not being able to be with them, especially new born ones, has been the most difficult. I’m sure there will be loooooong hugs!
congratulations, claudia and don! i am very happy for you! also glad you have had nothing more than some sore arms … and hopefully they feel better by now.
when i think of all the people who have died too soon and the unnecessary grief for them and their families, all around the world and in this country especially, i can barely take it in … it’s just too much sadness and anger and so much could have been prevented. a reason i stopped watching the news (except to get winter weather reports)..
yesterday at lunchtime, i stopped at a drugstore. in line, i felt a large, middle-aged man standing right behind me … so close i could have elbowed him. to be honest, i wish i had. instead i turned, looked at him and loudly told him to stay at least six feet away from me. he gestured to markings on the floor and said i could “move up”. i told him no, that i was being conservative and again told him to back away from me. he said he was being “conservative, too” and gestured to himself wearing a face mask. he didn’t move so i did and i yelled at him that it wasn’t enough and he needs to stay away from people. especially women. creep! as i left, i heard him tell the cashier “i couldn’t hear a word she said … she was muttering …”. what a liar … double creep! makes me shudder just thinking about it to tell you about that incident. ugh.
in about four and a half hours, my sister will get her first vaccination. hopefully i get my first one tomorrow (unless they deny me on the spot for having reactions to the bone-building shots i had as recently as march 30). our father and brother have had both of their vaccinations and my sister-in-law gets her second one in a week. i am so glad and grateful for that. i will, however, still yell at creeps if they get too close at stores.
the egg cups are beautiful. my favorites in this group are the figural ones where eggs look like the tops of their heads. and the row of ducks … so sweet. thanks for sharing them!
that row of ducks just made me think of animal figures i have at home … stuffed toy animals made/given by my beloved parents, a carved wooden dog, rabbits on pillows (thank you), nature in other artwork and how important that all is to me. and that reminded me of a favorite zen saying … “you should sit in nature for twenty minutes a day … unless you’re busy; then you should sit there for an hour”.
sunny and milder day here with less wind. glad for that and hope you get such pretty weather soon.
back to work here.
hope you are having an easy day!
kathy in iowa
ps … might the crockpot recipe be shared, please? thanks.
I hope you are able to get the vaccine soon, Kathy! I’m so sorry that you had to experience that rude person. I’m proud of you for reacting and telling him off though. I think that’s the only way they will learn some manners and thoughtfulness for others. Or not…but we can hope!
hej, roxie …
thanks for your kind support.
i don’t think that creepy guy got the message at all. too bad.
hope you and your family are safe and well and stay that way!
kathy in iowa
It’s been over a month since we got our 2nd dose but I still feel really cautious. Michigan is not doing well right now. We are having another surge. I’m not sure why it’s hitting so hard here. I know there are more people who are defiant now. Anyway, we are going to continue to be cautious.
Have a restful day. Stay safe
I felt very much the same way after the 2nd shot. Relief and gratitude and sadness for all who lost their lives. I did have some reactions later the 2nd day but as I tell everyone, well worth it to be vaccinated. We are now past our 2 weeks so our immunity is good. We are still not going out too much but I am venturing out a bit more. For my Mom at 90 any outing is tiring. Still she will be glad to be able to go out some and soon!
This is a good day, Claudia. It’s a milestone. We have lived to tell our stories. And they will always (must always) include our sadness for those lost. There is no gloating here; only gratitude and relief for the vaccine. And for all the people who’ve had to continue to go to work each day over this long, long time, from medical workers to grocery and pharmacy people, janitorial and other sanitation workers, those who work in the overwhelmed funeral homes, our first responders; postal workers, other government workers; animal rescue shelters and zookeepers (because the creatures for whom they give care have to be fed [and cleaned up after] each day); utility workers who still have to be out there fixing electric lines and the like … the list goes on and on … they deserve medals. Heroes all.
Me, too – I think of all those lost. I thought of my niece & nephew in law, who both had covid – my niece had rough time with it but both recovered (she is a CNA). And my coworker, who went all these months and then he caught it in February, though I suspect due to him not be diligent while out in the common areas of our work environment – he got a little lazy about masking up and social distancing and we were always ‘reminding’ him. He also had a rough case of covid. And I was terrified for 2 weeks, worried that even though I had social distanced, ALWAYS, and ALWAYS wear masks, and wash ALOT, that I was exposed and in turn may have exposed my disabled foster son. So I am thankful beyond words that I am fully vaccinated now and my foster son gets his 2nd shot Apr 8th. Thankful !!!
Claudia — nearly instant relief, right?? we took my sister for her 2nd yesterday — so far no side effects. to me, it is a disgrace that USA had so many deaths — cannot understand such stupidity w/ignoring the virus instead of addressing it as the problem it obviously was. know that precautions will be necessary for lots more time but just maybe someday we will be OK. mask wearing will be part of my routine for a lot more time. hope all will be good w/you/Don. stay safe, healthy
These vaccines, Gary and I get our second dose tomorrow at Johns Hopkins Hospital. I really don’t drive into the city much anymore and that is sad because I used to love going there, especially in the areas I traveled to, the State Office Complex, the Inner Harbor, the Convention Center, the Met and of course Camden Yards. All beautiful places and I felt like a hayseed for the first few years as I only went 2 or 3 times a month to meetings and conferences. After a while I became more comfortable and enjoyed it very much, until the rioting started because of the death of the boy in the police vehicle. Since then, when I am alone I only go to the hospital parking garage specifically for the building where my appointment is and use the elevator without going outside. I guess that means I have reverted to a hayseed.
I read something on Apple News yesterday about these vaccines only being viable for 6 months. Do you know anything about that? I guess I won’t ask the technician giving the shots tomorrow, probably the only thing she knows is how to give them.
Anyway, Happy Spring!
Take Care…
I think I commented last year how much I like your egg cups (and that special cubby hole cabinet you keep your collection in!).
Both my husband and I have our vaccines and though we live in a tiny county it was very easy to get both vaccines for both of us. So, it is nice we have gotten the vaccine but so very sad of all the lives lost and the sickness still going on this pandemic has caused.
You and Don take care also.
I am sad for those who died and their families…I am mostly sad because so many didn’t seem to care because mostly the elderly were dying. I have to say that in my area of Florida I have not been around any unmasked…I was isolated from March 14 until the moving trip here March 10 of this year.
My grandchildren in Indy still haven’t seem me without a mask exc for FaceTime. Now that I am fully vaccinated and way past time, I am around the two little ones here. I have not been in a mall, a restaurant…or large store really….i filled up my gas tank on March 13 last year and in August when I braved to go pick up food….family had been doing it and bringing it outside apartment…I still did not need gas…did not go again until February this year…for gas…I mean I isolated…I believe I survived because of that…I still mask and distance and avoid people…I go in one little store…Kathy….don’t let anyone get so close…that is rude…prayers to all of you and Happy Easter.
hej, brendab …
first, glad you are fully vaccinated and also unpacked from your move! i am very happy for you.
i would never intentionally let someone get that close to me, especially nowadays. that guy at the store swooped in quietly behind me, but didn’t stay long (a couple seconds maybe) ,,, i quickly moved away from him because he wasn’t moving … gross. and i very loudly yelled at him twice. pandemic or not, i don’t want anyone that close to me unless they are my beloved family or someone else special and safe. and that guy is in neither of those categories. a stranger who would do that, get so close, especially a man to a woman, is just a creep. i have no better word for him at this point. creep. or perv. at 1:00 at the drugstore. gross.
thanks, though, brendab. i appreciate your concern!
prayers as you continue to settle into your new (32nd?) home!
kathy in iowa
Exactly. The enormity of what it all means. It’s huge. I could breathe again. And SO grateful and humbled and sad. So very glad you are in the vaccinated zone. Best news ever!
I am unwilling to go out in crowds. I avoid shopping in stores, still get grocery delivery. Maybe once in a while I get up early and go to our local Trader Joes at opening time…8 in the morning and quickly go thru the aisles and pick up a few items. I haven’t had a haircut or mani-pedi, seen my children and grandchildren or had anyone over to my home in over a year. We will be seeing our children in a couple of weeks. They are in their 40s and still not vaccinated. Neither are our four grandchildren. The trip is a 4 hour trip each way so we will spend the night. I am anxious and excited. I can’t relax. The numbers of active cases and hospitalizations have gone up in Suffolk county. People are dying here. This is not over. My sister in law was recovering from Covid at home but in the last three days has had complications and is now in the hospital. When I spoke to her last week she sounded congested and exhausted. She was exposed to it by her grown son and in turn exposed so many others that have now developed milder cases of Covid. My husband and I have been very careful and were ridiculed by the rest of his family for not attending family functions during this past year. It doesn’t seem to click with some people that this is a pandemic, a plague and life cannot go back to normal. Not yet. I feel grateful for the vaccine, sad at the loss of so many lives and hopeful that we can get this under control if people would just use their heads and follow science.
We American’s are so very lucky to get the vaccine so soon. I hope the whole world is able to be vaccinated soon although I know that is not likely. I was fortunate to lose only one friend and that was recently so we still need to be careful.
I am enjoying the annual egg cup parade.
hej, kay …
so sorry for the loss of your friend. i will be praying for you all.
i agree that we (people everywhere) can’t stop taking those precautions right now. vaccines are only part of the solution!
hope you stay safe and have peace, a lovely Easter.
kathy in iowa
How nice of you to comment. Thank you.