Time For A Rona Rhyme

My Son's Paper Flower Bouquet!

One of my son’s school projects was to create a flower arrangement with flowers made of paper.  Now, my son is a huge fisherman, so I can see him making paper fish maybe, but, paper flowers?  Hmmm.  He’s the type of guy that could easily wear a T-shirt that says, “I might look like I’m listening, but in my head…I’m fishing.”

During this quarantine, he and I have actually had quite a few talks about fishing.  I even have dreams about fishing now.  In fact, last week, I dreamed that I caught a record-breaking grouper.  It was gigantic!  Guess what I caught it with?  Chocolate.  Yes, fishermen, listen up…you might be on to something if you start using chocolate for bait!  Ha ha!

Anyway, in between my son watching videos on how to fly-fish, which rods and reels are best, and secret fishing “honey-holes”…he needed to sit down, focus, and create a floral masterpiece…from paper.  And, he did it!  Wow!  He sure did!  I was so impressed with his finished product.  My girls jumped in on the fun and helped to make some, too.  My children never cease to amaze me!

My ten-year-old daughter then grabbed an old magazine, cut out one of the pages, and made a beautiful flower for her recycled project, following her brother’s lead.  It was inspiring to see something so breath-taking come from something as simple as paper!

It made me think that even simple words, when put together in a special way, can create something new to enjoy.  For me, that’s a rhyme.  So, I figured it might be time for a Rona rhyme!

Rona, Rona…are you STILL here?

The unwelcomed guest who stays all year!

How long will you seriously be around?

We’re all feeling a bit unwound.

It’s now respectful to NOT shake a hand,

It’s something that’s just so hard to understand.

Hugs are no longer a way to show love,

This craziness is nothing I’ve ever dreamed of.

We show family our love by staying away,

That’s difficult to grasp on any given day.

The refrigerator talks to us, “Girl, step back!”

“You cannot be hungry for another snack!”

Stretchy waistbands say, “Don’t worry.  You’re fine!”

“You can start exercising after some wine!”

We’ve all become teachers…ready or not!

Even though math is a thing we forgot.

You made us lose track of weeks and days,

We just walk around in a Netflix haze.

We TikTok here and we TikTok there,

We barely wash or brush our hair.

Children are wearing the same clothes for Zoom,

We call it our homeschool uniform…Boom!

Now, we wear masks and live in alarm,

Before biting, mosquitoes sanitize my arm!

Rona, Corona, Covid-19,

Please, go away, you’re being too mean.

You made our world stand completely still,

And, truth be told…we’ve had our fill.

While you are here, you ARE teaching us though,

We need home, faith, and family more than we know.

We have time to feel grateful for people and things,

Building courage to handle whatever life brings.

We’re superheroes by just staying home,

Saving lives by choosing not to roam.

We’re learning what we’re capable of,

We’re especially learning new ways to love.

While we’re ready for you to go, Rona, please!

We’ll hold on to the memories; get down on our knees.

Lord, help us remember the lessons we’ve learned,

During Corona…when lives overturned.

As I look at the bright bouquet of flowers that my children made from simple paper, I’m reminded to enjoy some of the simplicity of these days.  While unpredictable, worrisome, and difficult as the days can be, let’s try to look for the simple joys around us. 

Let’s pray that God will give us the special sight to see and appreciate these joys.  Last week, I found joy…in paper flowers…and chocolate bait.

You can do it, Sunshines!  I believe in you.  God does, too.  Bye for now.

My Daughter's Paper Flower

It's The "How" That Matters

Growing up, I learned that it’s not so much “what” you say, but “how” you say it that matters.

One of the blessings that I’ve enjoyed observing during this Corona Craziness is that we are all finding new ways to make people feel special.  One of my Rona Revelations is that I see people changing the “how” in the way they express their love and I’m loving it!

Sometime in March, it seems we made a transition from Daylight Savings Time to The Twilight Zone.  I can even hear that eerie music in my head.  You’re humming it now, too, aren’t you?  It’s like doo-doo-doo-doo...doo-doo-doo-doo. 

Anyway, during this time, one of the days we’ve been figuring out “how” to celebrate differently are birthdays.  Just last week, we participated in a drive-by birthday parade to bring joy to a couple of friends on their special day.  So many friends and family members took part in this cool new way to celebrate.  They drove by with balloons, posters, noise makers, and music.  It was an awesome sight to see!

Another birthday project that we’ve joined in is the making of Happy Birthday videos.  My girls have shown me the ins and outs of all the Snapchat filters.  I love a good laugh, so I particularly enjoy the ones that alter your face and voice.  Wow…we’ve had some fun with that!  Try it.  Today’s Sips picture is one of my favorite filters so far.

Laughter has helped my family trudge through this Corona Mire.  My ten-year-old came up to me with a Knock-Knock joke.

Her:  Knock, Knock.

Me:  Who’s there?

Her:  Smell Mop.

Me:  Smell Mop Who?

Go ahead and say that last line again.  Yes…Smell my poo!  Oh mercy!  For some reason, I just lost it.  I was laughing so hard that I almost had to just sit down on the floor.  My make-up was mixed with tears and smeared all over my face.  I looked like I had had a rough, rough night on the town.

When she told me this joke, I happened to be in the process of getting my brownie ingredients together in the kitchen.  Coincidence?  I think not.  After putting the last scoop of brownie batter into the pan…I had some left on my finger.  Do you know where this is going?  Oh, please don’t judge.  My Corona-Crazy has to come out sometime.

I hid my hands behind my back and went to my daughter’s room.  I asked her to tell me the same Knock-Knock joke just once more.  When I said the last line, I couldn’t help but show her the brownie batter on my finger.  Yep!  I did.  She screamed, “Mommmm!  Moooommmmmm!  Ewwww!  That’s so gross!  Seriously?!”

I’m thinking that there’s a certain level of cuckoo happening in every household as we all try to hold down the fort and keep it together.  One minute, I’m thinking that cleaning the dust from the baseboards and fan blades with a Q-tip might be a good idea.  In the next moment, I think that eating an entire box of Lucky Charms cereal while staring at a lizard on the kitchen window sounds like more fun.  I choose not to clean the baseboards because if I stir up 20-year-old dust, I will be sneezing and coughing…and THAT, my friends, would be the end.  We cannot cough right now.  Don’t even.  Don’t.  So, I always opt for eating the cereal.  The positive side to that is that I consume like 500% of my vitamins and minerals for the day.  It’s a win!  Ha ha!

Another topic that comes to mind with “how” we say things is that we’re expressing ourselves with lots of texting, Facebooking, emailing, and typing these days.  Lots and lots.  So, we might want to be mindful of our punctuation.  Yes, it matters.  It’s “how” you write it.  If you need some laughs like I do, here are a few punctuation oopsies:

I’m sorry.  I love you.

I’m sorry I love you.

She finds inspiration in cooking, her family, and her dog.

She finds inspiration in cooking her family and her dog.

Drink.  Pee.  Repeat.

Drink pee.  Repeat.

A woman:  Without her, man is nothing.

A woman without her man is nothing.

Twenty five-dollar bills ($100)

Twenty-five dollar bills ($25)

I’m giving up drinking for a month.

I’m giving up.  Drinking for a month!

Here’s another cute one.  I saw this on a Mexican Restaurant sign and I can relate.  It said, “Sorry, we are closed due to short staff.”  A desperate Mexican-food-lover wrote in response, “Well, please hire taller staff because I need a taco!”  Ha ha!

Most folks these days are wearing masks or bandanas or Buzz Lightyear headgear when they go out in public.  We are covering our noses and mouths for safety.  However, one important facial feature can still be seen.  Our eyes.  I know countless people are in the trenches caring for others day in and day out.  Right above those masks they’re wearing, we see their eyes.  We also see “how” their eyes talk and that matters.  Our eyes can show great love, even without words.  Our eyes can show other emotions too, even without speaking.

As we continue to go about our days, let’s continue to remember that it’s the “how” that matters.  We’re six feet apart, but there’s still love in our heart.  I’m sure that God is smiling at all of the new ways we’ve found to make people feel special.  I’m certain that He’s happy about the creativity we’re using to change the “how” in the way that we love and celebrate others.

Hang in there, Sunshines!  Pray, laugh, and love…that’s “how” we’ll make it through this!

Bye for now.

Chalk and Tacos for Easter

Photo Credit:  The Kallus Gals

Sunshines, I hope you all had a Happy Easter!  I’m thinking this one was unlike any of the Easters you’ve experienced and celebrated before.  It was for us.  Like you, we were just at home, quarantined with our “peeps.”  Where should we celebrate?  Hmmm…the living room, kitchen, or hallway?  It was a “QuarantEaster.”

Last week, I was so impressed and inspired by all of the chalk mosaics I saw on Facebook.  Honestly, it’s been a few years since we’ve had sidewalk chalk in our house.  So, on Friday, I made a run to town for chalk, tape, and…toilet paper.  Seriously.  We had two rolls left.  No hoarding over here!  I promise.

My son was fishing for our supper on Friday, literally.  He was in his kayak trying to catch some fish for Friday’s meal.  Otherwise, he could have been chalking it up with us!  My girls and I embraced the chalk art idea and got busy.  We taped and then we colored and colored and colored our little hearts out, while inching around on our chalky knees.

The finished product was absolutely beautiful!  We were full of smiles, joy, and chalk dust.  I took some pictures and shared it with a few friends.  One of them asked me how long the colors would last.  Hmmmm…honestly, chalk probably won’t last too long with the wind and a little rain.  In no time, the chalk mosaic would only be a memory.  But...an amazing memory it would be!

Easter Sunday arrived and it was different.  It was full of memories, but definitely different.  We started the day off with an Easter Egg scavenger hunt with rhyming clues.  I love that part!  Awesome Aunt Kerri had also secretly hid some extra eggs outside, during the night, for a bonus hunt.  Her eggs had money, little papers with jokes written on them, or candy.  My ten-year-old daughter was initially a grumpy bunny when most of her eggs were light in weight.  She was sure that she only got the jokes in her eggs.  Much to her surprise, paper money doesn’t weigh much either.  She was the lucky one who walked away with the riches this hunt!  What a fun memory.  How quickly that frown turned upside down!

A couple of the little jokes are too cute not to share:  “What is the soft tissue between a shark’s teeth called?  A slow swimmer.”  Ha ha!  “A dentist tells his patient that she needs a crown and she replies, ‘Finally, someone understands me!’”  Hee hee! 

After the Egg Hunts, we were blessed to watch Easter Mass together on Facebook.  Then, I asked the kids what delicious Easter meal they thought we could enjoy.  Ham?  Tamales?  Potatoes?  Roasted Chicken?  Nope.  Guess again.

My children unanimously picked…wait for it…Taco Bell.  Yes sir!  That doesn’t really surprise me at all since I ate my weight in Taco Bell and Mexican food during each of their pregnancies.  It was a Taco Bell QuarantEaster!  No cooking?  No clean-up?  Okay!  I’m in!  We drove to town, picked up our $65.00 order and came home to savor it.  With a $65.00 order at Taco Bell, I think we made their day a little brighter.  That’s a whole lotta tacos, ya’ll!  I think they closed for the day after we left.  Ha ha!  What a memory!

After eating all the Taco Bell, I took a long walk…I mean waddle.  While walking, I thought about the chalk mosaic and how it probably wouldn’t last long on the concrete.  I wish we could enjoy it just a bit longer.

During our normal pre-quarantine days, we all moved pretty quickly, didn’t we?  We made memories, yes, but in a fairly fast-paced motion.  Maybe this slow-motion time we have now will allow us the opportunity to really soak in the memories we’re making.  Maybe.  Just maybe.

This Corona Craziness seems to be lasting FOREVER!  Seriously.  However, I think there’s a great chance that no one living during this time will ever forget how they felt, the memories they made, the struggles they had, what they missed, who they missed, and the Easter of 2020 they had without their extended families.  Over here, we missed our Mimi, Pops, Nanny, PoPo, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephew, and cousins!  A lot!  A whole lot!

It will be the Easter where we had the theme… “Come as you are and worship from afar.” Some families watched their church services on Facebook in their pajamas.  Other families got all dressed up in their Sunday best to watch it online.  Some families had their traditional Easter dinner on a beautifully decorated table.  Other families had Taco Bell on paper plates.  Some families dyed Easter eggs and had Easter hunts.  Other families didn’t have much time together because they had to work on Easter Sunday.  We’re all handling this Rona Time in our own way and that’s okay.  We’re going to be okay.  I keep reminding myself.

It is the Easter where we could be superheroes just by staying home.  Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that we’d play a part in saving others by sitting at home.  Are you kidding me?!  I never read a book like that in my life!  This is not an ordinary superhero story.

Sometimes, I wonder where God is.  Hello?  God?  Are you there?  I got an extra taco for you!  Maybe even two!  Hello?  But, then, I remember that the teacher is always quiet during a test.  Okay, Lord.  I’ll be patient.  While I wait, I’ll try to be thankful and I’ll say Alleluia, for our Lord has still risen!  Thank you for the QuarantEaster and the time to really soak in the memories. 

I will always remember the Easter of 2020 for chalk and tacos.  The tacos were delish, but they are long gone.  And, the colors in our chalk mosaic won’t last long either.  But, the memories we made will last. 

Make some memories, Sunshines!  One day FAR, FAR, FAR down the road, we might even say, “I wish we could have enjoyed that time just a bit longer.”  Maybe.  Bye for now!

More Than Germs Can Be Hidden

Photo Credit:  hurley_gurlie182 from morgueFile.com

Well, hello there, Sunshines!  Yes, it’s been awhile.  I wrote my last Sips of Sunshine in November of 2018 to be exact.  My 13-year-old daughter said, “Uh, Mom, maybe you should write a Sips now.  With the quarantine, you have tons of time, ya know?”

So…here I am!  It’s Blurryday, the 50^th of Mapril, I believe.  Is it still 2020?  Because THIS 2020 is definitely not the 20/20 where I can see clearly!  Seriously.  Wow.

How is everyone doing out there?  Hello?  Hello?  Anyone there?  This is certainly new territory for all of us.  We haven’t been here before.  Boy, this terrain is rough!  The waters here are uncharted.  These paths are unbelievably bumpy, with so many unexpected twists and turns.  Welcome to the Corona Region.  We’re the first explorers to set foot here.  Yikes!  Can we go back…to ANYWHERE but here?!

Coronavirus, COVID-19, The Rona, CV, C-19, Corona…whatever we want to call it…it’s affecting everyone in some way.  For the first time in my life, I’ve seen a type of storm that every single person is having to weather.  Different places all over our world deal with hurricanes, tornadoes, drought, earthquakes, tsunamis, blizzards, floods, cyclones, and wildfires.  But THIS!  This Corona Storm has impacted us all.  No one is exempt.  No one.

What I have seen is a whole bunch of humans just trying to do their best.  I do know that.  There is not one right way or wrong way to do “The Corona Dance.”  We just dance the only way we know how.  We actually just make up the dance moves as we go along.  It’s freestyle.  We weren’t taught the moves beforehand.  Nope.  Not at all.

So, how exactly are some of us trying to dance “The Corona Dance?”

Some send funny Corona jokes and memes to cope with the stress.  Others watch the news non-stop.  Some gals put on make-up to feel halfway normal.  Others don’t even know where their make-up is.  Some ladies are still tweezing those random hairs on their face.  Others now have eyebrows that connect into a unibrow.  Some men shave like they always do.  Other men will be able to donate their beard to make a wig after this is over.

Some people shower each day and change their clothes.  Others stay in their pajamas for days at a time.  Some can’t stay at home with their families because they’re working the front lines to protect our families.  Others don’t have a job to go to anymore.  Some have toilet paper to last until the year 2030.  Others literally have one roll left in the cabinet for their family of four.  Some are learning to cook.  Others don’t have food to cook.  Some sleep all the time.  Others can’t seem to sleep at all.  Some have sanitized everything and everyone in their home.  Others can’t find any sanitizer on the supermarket shelves.

Some are quarantined with their family.  Others are in lock-down-mode all alone.  Some aren’t able to hold their new grandbaby.  Others aren’t able to hold the hand of a dying loved one.  Some are learning how to teach their kids at home.  Others aren’t able to stay at home to teach them.  Some long to be back in church to pray.  Others have said a prayer for the first time in awhile.  Some get a tingle in their throat and are frozen with fear that it’s Corona.  Others work in healthcare and are exposed everyday to Corona and every other hidden germ.

I could go on and on, but through this time of fear, loss, and the unknown; it appears that more than Corona germs can be hidden in all of this.  It seems to me that blessings are hidden alongside the germs.  Some of the blessings are easy to spot and others require a deeper look.  Let me just list a handful of the blessings:

• Store employees are working endless hours to keep shelves stocked for us and they’re allowing the elderly to shop first.
• Teachers and administrators are thinking outside the box to ensure their precious students have lessons and lunches.
• Priests and spiritual leaders are making sure our souls are still fed with live church services and Masses on Facebook and church websites.
• Health professionals are tirelessly caring for their patients, while putting their own lives at risk.
• Families are spending more time together and praying more, I believe.
• More conversations are taking place while sitting around a family dinner table.
• We’re realizing what we need and what we can do without.
• We’re slowing down, living a bit more simply, and leaning on God a little more.
• We’re making use of our God-given talents because we have the gift of time.  We’re sewing, making music, painting walls, doing woodwork, baking, and landscaping.
• We’re realizing the value of the wonderful people in our lives that we miss terribly and can’t wait to see and hug again!

Maybe the hidden blessing is that we’re finding new ways to show love, while being our perfectly imperfect selves.  We’re making what used to seem impossible…possible.  We’re trying to do small things with great love, but we’re just having to do them a bit differently than we’re used to.

An interesting thought comes to my mind.  Corona is the Latin word for crown. Hmmmm.  I read how the scientists named this virus for the way it resembles a crown under a microscope.  But, a crown also symbolizes victory, triumph, glory, and Resurrection.  Yes, Easter is coming up…The Resurrection of Jesus Christ!  I have a good feeling that Jesus has some beautiful plans that will come out of this Corona chapter of our lives.  I don’t know exactly what those plans are, but let’s keep looking for the hidden blessings…right alongside those hidden germs. 

More than germs can be hidden.

Hang in there, Sunshines!  I’ll pray for you.  Please pray for me.  Bye for now.