Sarasota #AtoZChallenge #WordlessWednesday

I was Supposed to be blogging about "America the Beautiful" as my Blogging from A to Z theme,but looking at some of my travel photos make me - wistful?  Some of them were from only three months ago, when we weren't trying to stay safe and away from a deadly virus.

What a beautiful flowering plant.  These pictures were taken, mostly in January of 2019, in Sarasota, Florida.

It's fun around Christmas because there's no Snow in Sarasota, despite what the sign says.  It makes me wonder: why even have snow on a sign to begin with?

If you visit Sarasota, the Ringling Estate, Ca' d'Zan, is a must see.  This is a small portion of it.  The red flowering plant above was also from that estate.

The estate is full of statues.

In Nathan Benderson Park each November-February, there is an outstanding photographic exhibition called "The Fence". 

A turtle swims in a waterway.

Roses bloom, so unlike the winter clime of upstate New York, where I live.

But when I see it next, how will it all have changed?

I'm coming out of my Self Imposed Shell today for Sandee and Comedy Plus's #WordlessWednesday.

Also Natasha and Esha for their #WordlessWednesday.

  Today was "S" day in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.  My theme (most days) "America the Beautiful."

Respect Recovery and Remembrance #AtoZChallenge

Oh dear, I tried to Resist but I'm deviating from my A to Z theme today.

I haven't blogged about my autistic brother in law, "B", for a long time.  He's had a lot of life changes in the past almost five years.  Here's a partial list: his elderly mother needing to be moved up here so family could take care of her (and, as he lived with her, he had to come along), her eventual death, and him moving into what is called supportive housing.

But all that was to pale besides what happened two weeks ago yesterday.

We got a call that he was being taken to the emergency room - a nurse at the agency that runs the housing and provides other services to him didn't like what she saw in her daily screening of the occupants.  His oxygen was lower than it should be. He was running a fever.

He was seen at the ER, given various tests, and released.

But the next day he was worse.  He was coughing, his oxygen was still low and his fever had returned, higher.  This time, at a different hospital, he was admitted and placed into isolation.  That was two weeks ago today.  He was monitored continuously in this ward that once was a pediatric ward.  It had been repurposed, but the baby monitors remained for monitoring.

A COVID-19 test came back two days later - positive. He was moved into a COVID ward but they couldn't maintain his oxygen level and he was moved to another COVID ward where he could receive extra oxygen support (high flow oxygen) and a lot more monitoring.  He had double pneumonia (we found out after we were told initially it was only in one lung).  He was on IV antibiotics and a number of other medications. 

He's been in that ward ever since.

Let me tell you about that ward, which we have never seen.  We have never seen any of the various nurses who looked after him, either. (My spouse did meet the hospitalist who has been caring for "B" back when spouse was hospitalized last year.)  But I know their names, and they will have a Respectful place in our hearts for the rest of our lives.

This COVID ward is a former Respiratory ward.  It has negative pressure, meaning air can only enter.  Needless to say, everyone working in there wears the PPE we have come to know and Recognize.

As is the Rule, none of us were able to see him.  His family became the nurses and doctors, and they would also update us when we called. 

Eating was too exhausting for most of his time in the ward.  He didn't want to answer the phone, many times.

The head nurse at the agency providing his housing was a tremendous support too, as were some others who have worked with him.

He started to make slow progress several days ago, and made substantial progress (slow but that's how it goes with the coronavirus) yesterday, when he was able, with help, to stand up and be placed in a chair.  Before then, he could hardly move without his oxygen slipping down below acceptable levels.  He lasted an hour in the chair before he had to return to bed and the land of healing sleep.

He has a long Road to Recovery.

We Realize how close "B" may have come to the brink.  With that, we Remember the tens of thousands who passed over that brink, and entered the next world.  We know they were alone except for those nurses and doctors.  Each lost life was a tragic loss.  Those aren't statistics, they were people. Everyone I know who lives in New York City, where some of my family lives, knows one or more persons who are no longer in their lives.

Calling the essential workers: the health care people, the transit workers, supermarket employees, the mail deliverers, the sanitation people, farmers, meat processors and more, "heroes", can not be idle talk when all of this finally Resolves, but that is a post for another day.

And for you out there who think the coronavirus is no worse than the flu:  I will put this as succinctly as possible.  If you develop any symptoms, call your health provider right away.  It could be nothing.  And please, please, listen to those health authorities.

To all those who are or having been involved with my brother in law,  I present a virtual bouquet of flowers. This was taken in April of 2017 in Richmond, Virginia.

Stay well, my dear readers.  Stay safe.

"R" day in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.  My theme probably doesn't matter anymore.

Quarantine #AtoZChallenge #MusicMovesMe

It's time for another episode of #MusicMovesMe. It's also Q day on the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.

Who are the members of Music Moves Me ?  We are bloggers who blog with music each Monday. If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! (Music Posts Only- Please post containing links to You Tube or Vimeo for actual music.  Other posts are subject to removal or labeling as "No Music".)  Every other week we have a theme and on alternate weeks we have "You Pick".  

Our conductors? First, there is XmasDolly.  Her chief co-conductor is Cathy of Curious as a Cathy. Her other co-conductors are Stacy of Stacy Uncorked, and me.  

 

For April, our guest conductor is Binky the Cat and his Granny at their blog Angelswhisper2011. Their theme for today: You Pick.

I am picking songs done by groups whose name begins with Q, or song names beginning with Q - perfect in case you are in Quarantine.

Queensryche - Jet City Woman.

Quiet Riot- Cum On Feel the Noize

Let's Quiet it down a little with Queen and Under Pressure. 

A favorite of my Mom - Que Sera Sera by Doris Day.

I will close with two Questions- first, from the Moody Blues, Question.  For this I chose a live version.

One final Question - the Leonid and Friends cover of Chicago's Question 67 and 68.

It's a wrap!

Join me again next Monday, same time, same place.

Sounds of Silence

My spouse and I walked along down the silent street in Binghamton, New York.

It really wasn't silent.  Windchimes chimed in the breeze.  Birds sang. A church carillon played to an empty congregation.  

Nature spoke. Daffodils swayed in the air, and cherries bloomed.

It was the humans living on the streets who were silent.  On this one street, no one moved.  Other streets had one or two dog walkers.  One had a young mother with a stroller.  In the distance, a sole lawn mower spoke its roar on a Sunday morning.

In some ways, I could get used to these silent streets with little traffic. My spouse and I have listened to woodpeckers, observed bright red cardinals, and even saw a hawk alight in a tree, during this time.

But in other ways, I know it shouldn't be like this.

My theme for the A to Z Challenge (today is an off day, by the way) should have been "Planning to Write about One Thing and, instead, writing about something else."  This wasn't what I was planning to blog at all, today.

Today, I ran across this blog post.

In the midst of fear and uncertainty, nature is paying little attention to us.  But I do need to pay some more attention to nature.  I had thoughts of getting into birding, but the mere thought is overwhelming.  There's so much detail.

I sat in my back yard one day recently, and watched some black bird in a tree court (I assume) a female.  It had its wings outspread.  It gave a cry, then spread out its wings again.  Or maybe it was mad at another bird.  I had no idea but it was a nice distraction.  Would I have noticed in better times?

We humans have been both drawn inward and outward.  Is this how the hunters and gatherers of old felt, time almost standing still, and only the march of the seasons revealing the passage of the minutes?

All I know is, sometimes I do enjoy the Sounds of Silence.

Parks (And no Recreation)

 The snow flurries fly.  The sun refuses to shine.  The virus still has its hold on New York State.

The Parks are empty. We stay at home and if we go out and know we may not be able to keep social distance, we wear masks.  It's the law now.

Let us visit some parks from afar.

The Blogging from A to Z Challenge is challenging me to Paruse the over 10,000 Photos on my iPhone, and I realized I had a number of Park pictures.

Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn, Christmas Day 2018.

MCU Park, where the Brooklyn Cyclone minor league ballteam plays - except, of course, this year.

Speaking of the Brooklyn Cyclones - here is the original Cyclone, which my phone says is in Steeplechase Park.  This was taken on Christmas Eve 2018, when there were no crowds.  Normally, in the summer, it would be quite crowded, but this year, the opening is delayed indefinitely.

Kershaw Park, Canandaigua, New York.

 Recreation Park, Binghamton, New York.  It is said that Rod Serling of Twilight Zone fame (who grew up in Binghamton) carved his initials into this bandstand, but I've never seen them.   Right now, there is no recreation in any New York park; the playgrounds are roped off.  I'm sure the carousel and swimming pool in this beautiful park won't be opening any time soon.

Finally, Breitbeck Park, Oswego, New York.  It's a beautiful place to watch the sunset.

We can all hope these parks will reopen soon.

"P" day in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.  My theme "America the Beautiful" has turned more into a local theme, but I hope you are enjoying it anyway.

Oswego Onondaga and the Other O's #SkywatchFriday #AtoZChallenge

It's O day in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, and the Challenge threw me a big, juicy softball.

For us in New York State, the letter "O" isn't a challenge at all.  The Native Americans had so many words beginning with O:  Owego, Oswego, Otsego, Onondaga, Otsiningo, and many more.  Here is a sky sample.

I've taken some nice sunset and other pictures in these "O" places.  Right now, travel is a memory, but the photos on my phone remain.

Oswego, New York, is noted for its snowfall, but I visited it in fall, when sunsets Overwhelmed.

Oswego's northern border is Lake Ontario.

Onondaga County.

Ontario County includes portions of New York's wine country.  I chose this picture overlooking vineyards.

Owego?  Once voted the "Coolest Small Town in America" this old home in snow is a photographic delight.

Finally, Otsiningo Park in Broome County, New York, with more of the overcast we are famous for.

I hope my pictures bring some joy to your life.

"O" day on the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.  My theme "America the Beautiful" although, as this progresses, I find myself staying close to home - as we all must, until things get better.  For now, memories carry us forward.  One day, life will reopen.

Join Yogi and the fellow bloggers who watch the sky, pandemic or not, at #SkywatchFriday.

New (York State) #AtoZChallenge

New York, to many people, means New York City - the land of skyscrapers, endless crowded streets, and sadly, the highest death statistics from coronavirus than (currently) any country.

At the beginning of the A to Z Challenge, I was intending to make my topic "America the Beautiful".  Today, I want to pay tribute to the beauty of New York State.

Naples, New York, and its grape pies.

The New York State Fair, and the best baked potatoes ever baked. (Sorry, Idaho.)

New York State crafters.

New York State chocolate pizza.

The oldest winery in the United States, in an original building from 1860 (Hammonsport, New York)

Local winter squash.

Maybe even the best daffodils, genus "Narcissus".

Definitely some great local food.  I grew up with New York City specialties such as eggcreams.
and charlotte russe.

I was born in New York City and I couldn't resist one picture of the City, from Christmas Day 2018.

My relationship with New York State is complicated but I don't regret being a New Yorker.  We do bloom where we are planted, do we not?

"N" day of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.

Magnificent #GardenBloggersBloomDay #AtoZChallenge

Despite our virus pandemic, it is the 15th of April and it is time for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.

Spring has come to my zone 5b garden in the Southern Tier of upstate New York the way it comes almost every spring - a day of spring, a day of winter, a few more days of winter, a little more spring...in fact, by tonight, we aer supposed to get snow.  Will someone tell winter to leave?

In the meantime, we have flowers.  The crocuses are gone.  The bloodroot is almost gone.

But now we have jonquils.  My daffodils should be out tomorrow.  Maybe.

My purple Lenten rose is still hanging on.

My one trillium still has not bloomed.  For several years it came up without a flower.  The last two years the flower did not open.  Will this be the year?

Brunnerias are thriving, both variegated (Jack Frost)....

And not variegated.

For some reason, most of my hyacinths are not doing that great.  Here's the best one.

Primrose.

Vinca.  No pansies - yet.

Indoors, things are popping, too, such as my Easter cactus.  I think it's an Easter cactus.

The African violet is hanging on.

My fancy African violet with its small blooms is thriving, happy to say, in a self watering pot. The blooms should open any day now.

My rebloomed poinsettia.

It's a wonderful thing to have flowers in abundance at last, but how I will get flowers that I can't start from seed will be a challenge, given our shutdown in upstate New York.

But, why worry when we can enjoy flowers from all over the world? Join Carol at May Dreams Gardens and her gardening friends each 15th of the month for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.

"M" day in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.  My theme "America the Beautiful".

Is anything blooming for you?

Luminance #AtoZChallenge

For "L" day of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, I decided to Let my iPhone pick the word I would blog about.

My iPhone chose - Luminance.  (Not Luminescence.) What a fitting topic for a time of stress and trouble?

Which of the over 10,000 photos on my phone made the Luminance cut?  There were pictures of birthday cakes with candles, and lots of sunrises and sunsets, and a few surprises.

From the LUMA festival in downtown Binghamton, New York, a now-annual September tradition.

A historic building in downtown Binghamton, also during LUMA.

A snowy street, again in Binghamton.

Cape Canaveral, Florida, from the highway - I have no idea why the iPhone selected this one.

A 60th birthday party in Yonkers, New York, at an Irish restaurant.  I've had few birthday parties in my life, and I decided to throw this one for my spouse and myself.  Don't ask why we chose an Irish restaurant, given that neither of us is Irish.

One more - a young tree in its fall foliage.  Why this tree? I'm not questioning the phone.

My phone has spoken.  But while I'm at it, how about another LUMA picture it didn't pick?

Happy Tuesday!

"L" day for the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.  My theme: "America the Beautiful".

Knocking (Fools) #AtoZChallenge #MusicMovesMe

It's time for another episode of #MusicMovesMe. 

Who are the members of Music Moves Me ?  We are bloggers who blog with music each Monday. If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! (Music Posts Only- Please post containing links to You Tube or Vimeo for actual music.  Other posts are subject to removal or labeling as "No Music".)  Every other week we have a theme and on alternate weeks we have "You Pick".  

Our conductors? First, there is XmasDolly.  Her chief co-conductor is Cathy of Curious as a Cathy. Her other co-conductors are Stacy of Stacy Uncorked, and me.  

For April, our guest conductor is Binky the Cat and his Granny at their blog Angelswhisper2011. Their theme: Fools Song Titles or Lyrics.

But first I have to get in some songs beginning with "K" because the Kind People of Blogging from A to Z require me to.

Kashmir - Led Zepplin

Knocking on Heaven's Door from Guns and Roses.  I like this cover a lot better than the original, truth to tell.

Now, how about some Fools?

Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear to Tread) was a song originally written in 1940 by the great Johnny Mercer.  For this I decided to use the 1963 cover by Ricky Nelson.

Fool in the Rain - Led Zepplin.  It may surprise you that my favorite Led Zepplin album is 1979's In Through the Out Door, one that is not a definite favorite for many Zepplin fans.  I love every song on this album.

Another great Fool song - Ship of Fools by World Party, from 1987.  I hadn't listened to this for a long time.  In some ways, it is so appropriate for the present time.

"Kiss" as covered by Max Raabe.  I don't know if to laugh or cry at this but it sure is different.  Would Prince have approved?  Maybe.  He was no Fool.

I wanted to end with one more song, a cover of a song and now a new video for that cover - a video of such power that it took my breath away.  I am a New Yorker born and raised but I think we can all identify with this, no matter our place of origin. But, the video has been taken down due to copyright.  I only hope Disturbed will permit it to be seen on You Tube again.

In the meantime, why not join the rest of us and rock out?

"K" Day on the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.