As I promised last fall when I temporarily suspended my posting on the “Observer” (with the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas greetings) here is my first attempt of 2021 to get something that may be of interest to you all out there.
As the pandemic dragged on in 2020, our activities here in our new community near our Washington State capitol city of Olympia necessarily wound down and then stopped altogether. Before Covid-19 struck we had a community potluck dinner every Friday evening in our community hall; but then this was scaled back to each of our blocks sort of meeting socially distanced in the street around 4pm every day just to check on each other. This lasted for several weeks, but interest slowly wained and we’re not gathering as street people any longer.
As this thing dragged on we all celebrated the ensuing holidays generally alone, except for the few that didn’t believe there was a health crisis and got together with families, shot off fireworks or had a barbecue. Fortunately we haven’t heard about any of our friends or family getting infected.
Karin had been having a group of ladies over every month to make fancy cards. She’s stopped that activity, but plans to begin again when it’s safe to do so health-wise. (I’ve said to my brother who lives in Seattle that we’ll probably get together for dinner in 2024. Heh heh!) Karin has been keeping busy using her Cricut machine to make the most beautiful paper crafts (like cards, old-fashioned books and other projects).
When the weather is decent (like today’s clear blue sky after the last few days of really heavy rain and wind) the dogs and I get out for a few minutes and get some exercise. I’ve also taken up a new hobby that I did way back in the last century when I was in junior high. I’ve started model making.
When I was a kid I had built lots of different airplanes, mostly from WW2. But I did build a Revell model of the ballistic submarine USS George Washington (which eventually pulled off the market because decided it was too detailed and the Russian were using it in their never-ending cold war spy work!). It was beautiful when I completed it; I took it to school during some kind of fair and I’m sorry I no longer have it, after all it was way more than 50 years ago!
Over the past few years I purchased three OV-1 models that I have never opened. So, in order to not be so bored during the next many months of this pandemic I’ve started working on one of the B-model airplane I had. It’s been fun to work under a magnifying light the my son game me and begins painting the itty bitty parts of the plastic model’s components prior to assemblage.
So far, my assessment of our hunkering down during the nasty virus time is that it has caused me at least to reevaluate how I spend my time during the long hours of what could be boredom. Cooking, taking the dogs for a walk, building plastic models, reading, traveling to other countries via television, exercising. There are plenty of ways to relieve stress and be productive. I think that in some ways that’s what it’s all about as we are all getting to be in our 70s and 80s. Go on admit it! Most of us are there now! My 80 year old brother told me that his new goal is 81, so he brought a treadmill a few days ago! Good for you Dave!
