Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?

IllinoisLady

When we are conscious of being part of a wider universe, we can begin to see that what we do matters. Every action we take has a consequence somewhere, whether good or bad. Everything that happens affects a part of the whole body of life. Having this knowledge of being part of something larger may motivate us to contribute to the greater good in whatever ways we can. -Sallirae Henderson

IllinoisLady

Sunny outside today and it should get up in the 60's. Nice for us. I took down the really old ( here when we bought the house ) plastic slats drapes on the big bank of windows in our living room. A couple were hard to keep up as time plus brittleness was causing some cracks right where they slipped into the slat holders at the top. Also hard to keep clean. Found some curtains at Big Lots I could live with that will be highly washable. I hope I don't regret not getting the blackout drapes they had. Dh doesn't see too well at times and he very much did not like the idea. It's a relief to have something else.

Keywest, I can sympathize with some of your feelings. We are fortunate to live in woods with at least 10 acres separating us from any of our neighbors so we are VERY use to the feeling of being alone. Even more so when the trees and bushes in Spring fill in everywhere. We have trouble seeing a lot of the houses that are around us. I can't imagine living where you could interact with other apartment dwellers and not being able to. In fact, to consciously avoid them pretty much. Just an alien way of doing things. It does seemed to have kept EVERYONE well though which is priceless. I just wonder though how long, for that kind of assurance, you will have to live like that.

Carole, I haven't looked to see if the laundromats are operating. We don't have orders to avoid places as such. I don't know about the dry cleaners either which is another possibility. A bit costlier and I am concerned about some of the packaging when done. I also think some of the chemicals used are not so great for people -- so meant to try and avoid it. I'll have to see what is available -- or put my comforter away ( horrors - dirty ) and watch for when places re-open to get it taken care of.

I'm still thinking of checking out Speed Queens when it comes replacement time for my washer and dryer. WE started out having to have Maytags for our space at the end of one of my hallways, but changed to Kenmore front loaders by taking off the hallway laundry doors. Few people use the hallway so I didn't mind. It is a lot easier to deal with the laundry anyway.

I'm bad on menu's as well and I think it may get even more difficult now that a number of meat packing plants have had to close down due to the virus. I did a sm. amt. of stocking up, but I don't have a huge freezer. A smaller upright that fits in my pantry -- so I couldn't go too far with it. I think we will be okay though since we can make good salads with tuna and salmon and as well green lettuce salads with chicken strips. Fingers crossed that we don't lose too much ground.

MCBaker

This morning we went to the grocery store. Since a gallon of milk was on the list, we used the scooter. He ran there and rode back. He is sleeping now. Was really eager to get going, once I told him "Scooter ride!" It has been so cumbersome to move it from inside to outside and back again that I haven't used it recently, but now we are predicted to have a streak of above freezing nights.

Still making masks, and will be doing so for the foreseeable future. Listening to doggie music, really ought to get something more interesting. Usually I play that or Relevant Radio into Bluetooth, so he can have his music, which he actually begs for. Done.

I got my alarm clock yesterday. Now the maintenance guy needs to set up my doorbell, then I will order my cellphone cradle. I will be set for most nighttime emergencies.

Had my sleep study, only two events per night. I was reasonably sure of that. So where from here? She suggested that nighttime temps should be colder than daytime temps, and I ought to get an air conditioner. I have been stubborn at that, but with the stimulus check coming, I guess I ought to yield--I asked my BiL to do the research for that, he is really good at things like that. Maybe the weighted blanket will still be OK during the summer. I have halved my antidepressant without any negative effects, and she suggested that I have been on it too long and now it is working against me. Skipped it last night, and most of my sleeping heartrate was below resting, according to fitbit. I have a theory that physical pain can help resolve chronic depression. If so.... best to look for benefits of my experience of BC. That is partially derived from my reading of the latter years of the Jesuit Relations, and St. Kateri Tekawitha and her friends. So, once I resolve my sleep problems, I will be able to co-sleep with Tippy, and have alarms for all situations.

Puffin2014

Temps are slowly warming up here, in the 50's today, but I still have a 3 foot wide ridge of snow between my patio and the raised garden beds.

A friend and I went to one of our favorite early spring birding spots yesterday about 30 miles west of here to look at the ducks on the sloughs and lakes. We each drove our own car, parked off the road a bit and used our spotting scopes out the passenger window. (too windy to set up our tripods). After we'd scanned for a bit we'd talk on our phones and compare what we'd found. We were out from 10 until 4. The lakes were still frozen but had enough open water along the shoreline to concentrate the ducks. It was wonderful to get out of the apartment. I can leave as long as I'm not "co-mingling" with people - can use drive thru's but am not to go into a store.

One of the projects I'm working on is to downsize my oldest photo albums, those ones with the glue strips across the pages, that over the years have lost their stick and the photos fall out. I'm taking out the photos I want to remember, taking a close up photo with my camera and then using an editing program to crop and brighten up the picture. I'm saving a copy to my laptop, posting some of them in a Facebook album, emailing some to the people in the photos, and then throwing away everything else. They're taking up too much shelf space, and there's no way the grandkids are going to go through all my albums when I'm gone. For now I'm just dealing with those old magnetic albums, expect I won't tear apart the Creative Memories albums I made.

I bought a 4 qt Instant Pot and have been having fun trying it out. I bought a loveseat after I moved into my new apartment but it arrived at the same time our building went into lockdown, workers aren't allowed to bring it into my apartment and the managers won't let them in the building any way, so it's sitting in their warehouse.

North Dakota has the second lowest incidence of the virus, but our numbers are still going up every day so it'll be awhile before our governor starts letting places open up again.

Stay safe everyone.

ChiSandy

The only rave appliance reviews that ever get posted are generally during the "honeymoon" period of the first 6 weeks after purchase. Thereafter, no news is good news--only the complaints get posted.

Bob is staying over at the Oak Lawn Hilton tonight--he was at Little Company of Mary today and again tomorrow. He took a duffel with several sets of scrubs, changes of clothes, and hospital-only sneakers. Oh, and a trash bag of course for the hospital scrubs. But this new routine had him so flustered he forgot to take the lunchbag full of snacks and a bottle of wine for the hotel. He went through the drive-thru at Popeye's for lunch, and the line was a block long. He said the chicken sandwich was...a fried chicken sandwich, not worth the fuss. He ordered out Italian beef for dinner tonight and will eat breakfast at the hospital tomorrow--the hotel kitchen is closed so no room service. Fewer COVID patients today at Little Company (and his PPE was sturdier); he had one non-COVID consult at Holy Cross (where some telemetry nurses have been infected despite just sitting at their monitors. He has no COVID patients at Advocate Christ: all patients with symptoms (whether or not positive) are attended by only COVID-specific teams. He is really looking forward to a nice meal tomorrow night. I will either order out from Cellars, or defrost & sous-vide a ribeye if I'm not too wiped out from doing more laundry and changing the bed linens (including the dreaded duvet cover).

So far so good with my housekeeper & her DH--he is positive but no symptoms; she can't get tested. He was cleared to go back to dialysis today (special van transports him, every other lounge chair in the room is empty, and the patients all are masked & gloved). They put him on n-acetylcysteine prophylactically to keep his lungs open. (They usually prescribe it for COPD and CF).

I did soak off the remainder of the gels last night, and polished my nails today (Essie "Gel Couture" but not really gel). They are so thin and raggedy--I've had to cut them really short and put 2 coats each of "treatment" base and color, then the protective clear topcoat. They look passable from a distance--who's gonna see 'em anyway? But I couldn't leave them unprotected.

MCBaker

Re; Fingernails-- I think mine are finally getting stronger, I don't have to trim four a week down to the quick. I don't mind wearing an Afro, but now I appreciate my normally weak nails-- and I could have lost them altogether.

Every time I polish my nails, they end up weaker. I just leave them alone and make a reasonably good effort to keep them all trimmed to the same length. Never have gotten into artificial nails except for a very dark phase in my life when it became a hobby-- I regarded them as weapons.

The big event of yesterday was the purchase of some dirt for my garden at Ace. He piled four bags onto the floorboard of my scooter, and I took off, with my legs straight out, and part of my skirt under my legs to prevent the wind from exposing my legs. The scooter was running out of power the last few blocks, so I walked it, which was difficult, as I was also holding Tippy's leash. A couple on bicycles asked if they could help, by pushing it. I thought that it would be no advantage, so Ideclined, knowing something about how the battery behaves when low in power. In normal times, for such a sale, I would have gotten a cab for the ride home, but I just don't trust cabs in such times as these, neither would I ride in a friend's car. I suppose I could have given a friend the money to get them, but I didn't think of that. I'm sure some passing motorists got a laugh out of it. I plugged the scooter in for a few hours and then put the bags on the garden. Probably won't open them and spread the contents out until Wednesday, with a predicted high of 65.

Kudos for the husband management, Sandy. Just amazing!!

petite1

Good morning, ladies. Husband and I went on a little date. We went to Twisted Treat and had ice cream in the car. YUM

carolehalston

McBaker, I admire your independence and ingenuity in managing daily life. I could visualize you and the scooter.

I have a long grocery list and am considering venturing out during the am hours. The forecast holds rain and possible bad weather for this afternoon.

Sandy, you are normally so active and out and about that it's difficult to imagine you staying home and doing laundry. Before I use the new Maytag I want to read through the manual.

I watch three Sunday talk shows but I have them set to auto record. I can watch them later and skip through commercials and any interviews I don't care to watch.

IllinoisLady

Life rushes us along and few people are strong enough to stop on their own. Most often, something unforeseen stops us and it is only then we have the time to take a seat at life's kitchen table. To know our own story and tell it. To listen to other people's stories. To remember that the real world is made up of just such stories. Until we stop ourselves or, more often, have been stopped, we hope to put certain of life's events "behind us" and get on with our living. After we stop we see that certain of life's issues will be with us for as long as we live. We will pass through them again and again, each time with a new story, each time with a greater understanding, until they become indistinguishable from our blessings and our wisdom. It's the way life teaches us how to live.

Rachel Naomi Remen

IllinoisLady

McBaker. I'm with Carole. You have a lot of determination about getting on with things. Well, sorry things went awry, but sticking to work and getting the job done has to be satisfying. Good for you.

Petite -- ah, the good ole' days of dating. It is a sweet idea and maybe time to think about those kinds of things after we are NOT nearly forced to do them.

I would read that manual as well Carole. They are good at giving you tips and hints about how to make the most of the machine no matter how you do your laundry. I have found that figuring out the best settings for hot and cold water generally allow me to not have to change the settings much. I use warm and cold water almost all the time -- very seldom hot. I still find that my best advice ( gleaned from two repairmen ) was not to follow the line markings for soap and to judge myself for the amt. of clothes I was doing. Hard to do at first after all those years of thinking I was dong it so RIGHT because the markings said I should use so much.

Come clouds this morning and rain is forecast. Well, I started cleaning out my pantry yesterday ( quite a chore ) and will finish up today. It is not large, but I can call it a walk-in. One end holds my front-door freezer. Later, when the weather is a bit steadier I will pull it out, empty it, and move it out on the deck to defrost. I traded my old one to my cousin for this one. Old one did not need defrosting but was too big to fit in the pantry. It is a pain, but when the freezer was out in my garage we didn't use the contents often enough. Our garage sits at the front of our property. A real walk if it is cold, rainy or a boiling hot day so much of what was in the freezer got ignored too long. Better now even if I have to defrost once a yr.

Hope you all have a great day.

Wren44

I gauged my soap based on how well it rinsed. It uses about a tablespoon per load. That has suds visible while washing and seems to rinse well with a double rinse.

IllinoisLady

A leader is not one who says, "Follow me."
A leader is one who says, "I'll go first."
- Neale Donald Walsch

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more,...
do more and become more, you are a leader.
- John Quincy Adams

IllinoisLady

Sun is out today. Always gives me a reason to feel joy early in the morning. Plenty to do today. We 'goofed' off a little yesterday and took a nice long walk in the afternoon. We are so fortunate to live out here in the woods where it is easy for us to indulge in nice long walks. Talked to several friends along the way. One gave me a start of kitty ears. I think there are several names, but the feature of the plant is the velvety feel of the leaves. It is fairly prolific at spreading as well -- so you almost always have some.

I will go help my friend in town today. She can have her bath and I will do the work of feeding the indoor and outdoor kitties etc. That way my BIL gets a day off. He goes 7 days a week. Now that I go on two days for bath days -- I just do the kitties as well so he gets some time off. His wife ( my SIL ) who passed away five yrs. ago now made him promise that he would take care of this lady. He has been exceptional in keeping to that promise. I'm not sure either of them knew how much would be required. While I do not always get along with my BIL ( different politics ) I do have to admire how well he has kept his promise. That is really outstanding.

I hope you are all going to have a really good, safe, and healthy day.

carolehalston

I use the HE soap pods. The only thing I learned from the manual was that the Deep Water option doesn't work with NORMAL setting. I plan to do laundry today.

Yesterday I went to three stores to buy groceries, liquor and wine. It was an expensive outing but I am stocked up. We will still have to shop for produce and dairy about once a week. Other people besides me were wearing cloth masks including employees. A few were wearing the masks below the nose.

We got some needed rain last night but, fortunately, not violent weather. A nearby town had some destruction that indicated possible tornadic wind.

I plan to take a walk today. Maybe I will push for the 60 minute walk which includes all the cul de sacs in the subdivision on my street that isn't gated. I used to walk in the gated subdivision when there was still construction of million dollar houses but now the gates are closed.

petite1

Good morning, Ladies. Thunderstorms, high winds, and rain. Cats are sleeping and husband is watching TV. We had a pleasant day, Sunday. We ordered pizza and salad. We binge watched TV for 6 hours. (Schitt's Creek). LOL

ChiSandy

Bob's office nurse's kids' high school teacher made cloth masks for all of us--mine's reversible and ties rather than using elastic, so I can get it nice & snug. Even has the nose wire sewn in! Been wearing a surgical mask on my forays outside (walks when it's nice out, and today to the drycleaner). Found out that 15 min. at 170F in my SmartOven (with a small dish of water to make it a moist heat) disinfects it. But I will put the cloth masks in the washer & dryer.

Bob suspects his EKG tech who quit may actually be saving face while she self-quarantines. The Friday before, she was all gung-ho, but on Monday she declared she was not going to bring "his" virus home to her family. He wonders if she had been tested over that weekend. Now he wonders if she may have exposed the office and patients!

I have decided that from now on, only Bob's shirts will go to the cleaners (The Greener Cleaner, which washes & irons shirts & pants). They fray the bottom hems of his pants (cuffed or not). Today, one pair of his Dockers came back "distressed" like expensive trendy jeans. From now on, into the washer they go--if they're not permanent-press, I'll just have to haul out the iron. (We started sending his shirts there because my housekeeper & I detest ironing shirts--and he has tons of 'em).

IllinoisLady

However we understand our spiritual selves, most of us agree on how to foster them through peace, silence, and beauty, in meditation, and in what some of us call prayer. Just as every bud aspires to be a flower, and as the flower holds the secret of the fruit, so we enfold the beauty of our spirits. If we nourish the spirit, we can grow to be our better selves. If we allow nothing to hamper its growth, our spirit will unfold. -unattributed

petite1

Good morning. Yesterday's thunderstorms brought a tornado EF0. Many trees went down, power lines and damage to roofs, carports, siding, and screen rooms. Our house was safe. People can be amazing. The streets were quickly cleaned up. Powers companies worked together, Duke and 2 co-ops. Neighbors helping each other, people helping people. I was totally amazed by quickly everything moved along.

CindyNY

petite1- glad you're safe. The storms didn't roll through Ft Myers until after 8, giving us a much needed downpour. Probably not a lot of rain but we're in drought.

ChiSandy- a neighbor got us masks from a church lady making them for donations. There is a spot to put in additional filters, coffee filter folded over. Mine is a bright red with tiny white polka dots. LOL As I dressed to go out yesterday I put on my turquoise shirt, never thinking of the mask. I was a vision of loveliness!

keywestfan

Sandy,

I did read the new BC guidelines during the COVID 19 crisis and they remind me of going for a second opinion at Northwestern Hospital to the head of the Susan Komen BC clinic, who said to me, “ Less is More,” ala Mies. Reading these guidelines reassures me. I’ve always” obsessive as I am,” worried that I had partial hypofractionated radiation, instead of whole breast, though the head of radiology, Dr. Bloomer, when I questioned him right before my first session as to whether I was having the partial just to get me to have some because I was so frightened, assured me that partial in no way would compromise me and that the side effects would be less. As, I’m pretty sure they were. And it does seem as if less, in BC treatment, will be in the future.

Illinoislady, thank you for understanding the difficulties now of living in a retirement community. It is “congregate living,” and, as such, if we- 320- get one case we will be totally restricted and locked up/ down. So far, unlike other communities, we’ve bee safe, but when you write,” I just wonder though how long, for that kind of assurance, you will have to live like that,” you’ve completely nailed the issue occupying my mind. Though I walk in the garden here 8 miles a day, that, with one case, will be closed off to us. I will go nuts without exercise and just to be free to walk up/ down a street or drive my car seems like the height of freedom to me. Also, of course, we will be the last to be reopened. If it comes to the lockup, I sometimes think of moving out for the duration of this and renting a small house where I can walk the beautiful suburban streets and take my little cat, Dahlia, to the vet to get her nails cut. DH plays jazz and works on his paleontology all day and worries about none of this.

Found round , like size of silver dollar, bronze coin in my desk from when I worked in Chemical Dependency Unit with Serenity Prayer engraved on it. Following the steps is a good way to get through the Plague.

ChiSandy

Judy, can't imagine what it must be like for you to live in a locked-down building. Your current restrictions are far more draconian than in most of Chicago--and Lightfoot is stricter than most mayors,. If you have the wherewithal, renting a small house in a suburb (or a more "suburban" type city neighborhood) sounds like a wise move.

Those "BC-treatment-in-a-time-of-plague" guidelines (especially since they were co-written by my own surgeon, who is your surgeon's partner) are especially reassuring to me. They have me certainly rethinking the idea of elective non-urgent procedures & surgeries. I had my bimonthly weight mgmt. appointment today--by phone, rather than FaceTime--and have reached goal weight. When I mentioned that but for all the hanging skin I'd be 10-20 lbs. lighter, the NP asked if I would contemplate removal surgery once things returned to "new normal." Before this all started, I was considering a partial panniculectomy (for that hanging "apron" between my navel and groin--not willing to mess with my "bat wings," just wear sleeves). But now? The only surgery I'd consider going forward would be to relieve pain or disability (e.g., seriously ingrown toenails).

My DIY mani has been holding up well since Sun. My most heavily-used thin nails have seen the polish chipping, but still acceptable.

Wren44

I only polish my toenails and only in the summer for sandals. I've notice that they turn white under the polish so I know it's not good for them.

MCBaker

With numb feet that need a supportive shoe to get sensation, I will be wearing my New Balance athletic shoes this summer, and my toenails have not completely grown out. Sandy, isn't it a recommendation that people who use artificial fingernails give their natural ones a vacation, anyway?

We lost cable service here yesterday afternoon and into the evening. A friend called me, frustrated with the process of calling the cable company and informing them of the loss. I called them, and they predicted restoration at 7:00 PM. [Sarcastic LOL!]. My dog wanted music, and couldn't understand why I couldn't give him music. We have finally compromised with smooth jazz. He will be happy when we get music today, I might get a download of some for such situations in the future.

I delivered thirty masks yesterday. It is a nice walk over there. Tippy at first had difficulty recognizing that I was going somewhere, and he was not allowed to take me for a walk. Then he had a temper tantrum (biting the leash) when he realized that we were not going on to the grocery store.

The religious education director at church must have seen my hilarious ride home from the hardware store, She called me and asked how I was doing with the "safer at home" order. I told her that I regularly find need to go to the grocery store. I told her that I did not have the link for supplementary materials for a Bible study we had started before the crisis, and she told me where to find it in my junk email file. I found it, and it might well help me get away from the house, with a travelogue of the Holy Land. The dirt is spread.

I am grateful that my risk for re-occurrence of my HER2+ is so low that it is off the charts (due to small sample size). We can slide on the followup for a while, and he can concentrate on his other patients. I just read about a new HER2+ med that crosses the blood-brain barrier! Such an answer to prayer for people with late diagnoses.

I hope to be able to deliver another 30 masks today. Our quilting club is going to have a serious stash shortage when we are able to resume, if we ever will, since we are all well over 60, and some of us have significant health concerns.

One person living here would, in other times, be moving into a nursing home. I was setting masks on the table in the community room a week ago, with a reminding note that we need to protect each other. They were snapped up with regularity. I discovered that one person here was distributing, and possibly selling, them to her friends. Substantial irritation.

Had to backtrack to my previous entry. I stopped taking the antidepressant, but had significant anxiety, so now I am comfortable on quartered tablets. Ordered the air conditioner and the cellphone cradle. The person I have been working with subtly reminded me that the central module of the system has options for landline connectivity, so when I need a captioned phone, I will just plug it in. Our conversations go so smoothly I had not even realized that was what she was doing. I got fed up with the agency that was supposed to be acting as a go-between. They assumed that my hearing loss is simply age-related, and because I function so well with my HA's and did not know what I needed at the time, they dumped me. Will be nice that I won't have any reason to worry about what happens during the night. Some people wear their HA's 24 hours a day, but my ears need to have a chance to breathe!

Onward and upward!! Prayers for all of us in these historic times. This blaming China has got to stop. Just really wondering how Trump would have managed it if it had started here. Defunding pandemic preparedness is a hint.

carolehalston

I played golf yesterday, keeping distance between me and playing companions. I enjoyed being out. I wore my mask from the car to the cart barn but took it off to play. I even had a few good holes. It's dry and the ball rolls a long way even with bad shots.

I may play again today but may cancel out. It's overcast outside and the weather lady on tv just said it's muggier today. DH will play with some men.

He had a Face Time appointment with a dermatologist yesterday. She agreed that some sores on his left ear need to be biopsied.

We will see how the reopening of businesses works out. Maybe it will go ok if businesses take a lot of precautions.

petite1

Good morning. It is a pretty sunny day. We stayed up late binge watching TV, again. We slept in and so did the cats. I had to wake everyone up to eat, even the cats. Closing on Mom's estate is a noon. Everything is signed and payment will be an electronic transfer. Sad, but glad to have closure.

IllinoisLady

As you take a few minutes each day to quiet your mind, you will discover a nice benefit: your everyday, "ordinary" life will begin to seem far more extraordinary. Little things that previously went unnoticed will begin to please you. You'll be more easily satisfied, and happier all around. Rather than focusing on what's wrong with your life, you'll find yourself thinking about and more fully enjoying what's right with your life. The world won't change, but your perception of it will. You'll start to notice the little acts of kindness and caring from other people rather than the negativity and anger.

Jack Canfield

IllinoisLady

Getting and staying a bit warmer now although the nights can be a mite chilly. Nothing much going on otherwise. My kitty/lamb's ears are planted. The lady who gave them to me said I could have more if I desired, but knowing these should spread well I'm likely to be okay. I've not been able to get out for serious weeding as yet so I don't think I should be looking for anywhere else to plant just now. I do have a spot waiting for after the tree guy comes and takes down our dead tree. We tried last yr. to get it out but the bucket truck could get across the ground ( sunk to the axles ) and so we left it. Now we really need to go forward. After that is done ( the truck will need to go over the planting spot ) I will fill the area in ---- and hope that no other trees in that spot go bad.

Getting things done in the house. Got my silverware drawer cleared out and washed thoroughly and re-filled. For what little we do there at the counter an awful lot of crumbs and other debris seems to find the big inner silverware tray highly attractive.

Used the car wash yesterday -- warm, but not nice enough to wash the car and it was getting horrid. I do hope maybe ( since I won't have to be spraying water around ) I can work on the inside and really do a major job on the windows. I am really picky about this car. It is so nice looking on the outside and that makes it far easier to want the inside to be as nice too. My old car had gotten so bad on the outside that I had a tendency ( I did clean it well when I finally did it ) to not be in a rush to get it tidy inside and out.

Good to hear MC that the hearing aid issues are settled. I need to give my ears a rest too. I do now and then fall asleep with one hearing aid still on but since I spent all on time laying on my right side now -- I don't always remember that I still need to take it out before sleep.

Hope you all have a gorgeous day. Stay well.

ETA: Forget to day MC -- what a bummer that anyone takes advantage of your desire to help others and takes the masks you leave out and sells them. We ordered some 'cloth' masks and are still waiting. I guess they are held up somewhere in TX. Short-handed so we are having to wait. We do have paper ones in the meantime and grateful for that. Now I suppose we look at others in the store just like people were looking at us before we got our hands on the paper masks.

Wren44

We made it up in time to go to Trader Joe's during the senior time. When they were ready to open to everyone, the manager told us so we could leave if we wanted. It was nice to get our stock of good food replenished. They have so many things in packages sized for 2. It was fun to see all the different masks on people.

My sewing machine isn't working so I made 4 masks by hand for DH and me. The second 2 were much quicker and I think the pattern was better. I had no idea you could cut elastic lengthwise to whatever width you want until I saw a demo online. I think I watched at least 50 demos before making mine. I used to quilt so I had the fabric on hand and even one package of elastic.

CeliaC

Wren - Glad you could score some goodies at TJs. The only one near me is in OH and I live in KY, so will not be able to "cross the border" for awhile.

Taco1946

Bitter sweet day today. Joined a few in front of a local independent living center to wish a dear friend happy 90th birthday. She calls me her "Arizona daughter", a label I greatly appreciate. She was surprised. We had masks, gloves and signs and very off-key singing. I will take her to one of her favorite restaurants eventually. But if only she could have shared the day with her son, grand and great grandkids as her "other" daughter had been planned. I hope she will have the well deserved celebration soon, but not too soon. Family would be traveling from MA and NY. From what I read, Arizona can't even decide if we have reached a peak although May lst is the supposed "phase 1 date".

Stay safe everyone.