Finding Joy During the Coronavirus Pandemic (Tuesday's Truths WK 169)

A #ClapBecauseWeCare Participant

Last night was the fifth night of the 7PM clapping/cheering nightly event (that has been dubbed #ClapBecauseWeCare) in NYC that is taking place to honor first responders and health care workers who are keeping New Yorkers as safe as possible during the coronavirus pandemic.

Many people participated but I only took one picture (featured atop this entry) as I can't clap and take pictures at the same time.

Engaging Conversations

An engaging phone conversation is something yours truly has always appreciated, as evidenced by this photo of yours truly taken in bygone (way bygone years).

In a recent FB post on my personal FB Page,  I mentioned how grateful I was that Jenny from Santa Barbara had phoned me to see how I was faring in the lockdowns brought on by the coronavirus pandemic while still dealing with the aftermath of my broken greater tuberosity.

As I stated in that entry, it was such a blessing to speak with someone who didn't set their phone down and walk away from it while still talking to me, making it so difficult for me to hear.

I am mortified at myself for wasting precious moments of life struggling to hear someone who is doing so many things while talking to me.

I guess that's the point. People who do this are talking TO me NOT talking WITH me and I've gotten so used to it I hadn't realized how it made me feel...

Until....

Until I had A REAL conversation with Jenny last week.

AND MUCH TO MY DELIGHT, IT HAPPENED AGAIN!

This past Friday, I had a real and wonderful conversation with an out of NY state a woman named MH, who I only know through Facebook and she phoned me for the same reason that Jenny had: To see how I was faring in the lockdowns brought on by the pandemic while still dealing with the aftermath of my broken greater tuberosity.

I have often phoned people who I know are alone to see how they are doing and I hope it means as much to them as it does to me.

In any event, in the aftermath of my loving with conversation MH, I felt a sense of mourning for all the time lost straining to hear those who are talking away from afar while I hang on their every word and I could not even sleep.

SO...

Rather than fight the tossing and turning, I got up, and for the first time since living in my place, I went into my garden when it was still dark and uttered my own types of prayers while birds waking from their slumber chirped away, engaging with each other in their lyric conversation.

Eventually I went back inside to work on my column submission and heard a bird singing at the top of his/her beak and was thrilled (understatement) to see an American robin had stopped by!

AMERICAN ROBINS ARE FEATURED IN VOL 3

I was not the only one to enjoy the red-breasted songster.

Important Reminder: "There is still beauty in our fallen world." (Tuesday's Truths WK 168 )

ALL OF THESE BIRD TYPES ARE FEATURED IN MY BOOK SERIES

Yesterday was one of those "rainy day and Mondays" with heavy rainfall throughout the entire day in NYC.

However, I did NOT, as the song  ("Rainy Days And Mondays") says find myself saying, "hanging around with nothing to do but frown," because I had a lot of visitors stop by my garden in spite of the relentless precipitation and travel ban (which is now imposed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. These included Mourning doves and pigeons who can be seen in the image atop this entry.

In the Company of a Cheery Bird

AMERICAN ROBINS FEATURED IN VOL. 3

It is a very tense and frightening time here in New York City and throughout the world as we confront the coronavirus pandemic. Yesterday it was announced the city will be in lockdown any only essential businesses and services can remain open. Moreover, a travel ban for everyone who is a non-essential worker is now in effect.

Therefore, I was more thankful than ever to have someone (pictured above) exempt from the travel ban and lockdown!

I truly welcomed the creature bob, bob, bobbin' along in my garden.

A New Season Begins Today

I'm a bit behind in my posting here on Blogger, mostly due to preparations I have to make (just like everyone else) in light of the coronavirus pandemic. I'm hunkering down as much as possible and saw a disturbing sight from the vantage point of my garden yesterday: Someone had a fire going in their outdoor space and was leaving it unattended!

Another Surprise Visit Tuesday's Truths WK 167

MOCKINGBIRDS ARE FEATURED IN VOLUME THREE

Yesterday as part of due diligence re the authorities request for folks to stay in as much as possible in order to minimize the amount of people outside during this frightening Coronavirus spread, I was rewarded for my efforts as my garden was visited by a few bird varieties whom I could observe from my windows.

The Value of Silent Interaction

MOURNING DOVES ARE FEATURED IN V1

The day before yesterday I published a blog an entry that Mourning doves "got this" when it came to sitting still and waiting instead of getting caught up in busyness.

Today I'm following up on that thought by pointing out Mourning doves got this too: They also know the value of silent interaction as evidenced in the series of pictures (above) taken of them when they visited my garden.

The Ides of March 2020

IMAGE CREDIT

Caesar did have warning signs re March 15's Ides Of March, but you know the story, dear reader...

And now on 2020's Ides of March, there are warning signs (precautions) I need to continue to heed re Coronavirus today and beyond, while remaining calm as well as mindful of the pleasantries I have.

Et tu, dear reader?

Mourning doves got this!

MOURNING DOVES ARE FEATURED IN V1

MOURNING DOVES GOT THIS!

I often come across words to this effect, "we need to learn -- and re-learn -- how to stop. How to just sit still once in a while."

I don't want to be presumptuous and assume "we" need this or that, but I know I need to learn how to just sit still once in a while, especially during my personally challenging times and the challenging times in our world today.

Mourning doves who visit my garden are teaching me to keep my mind still, they are truly valuable visitors.

The crocuses's flowers are in bloom again! (Friday Followup)

CROCUSES ARE FEATURED IN V1

CROCUSES ARE FEATURED IN V1

This past Tuesday here on Blogger, I  mentioned that my white crocuses which share a home with my kiwi vines* are in bloom again.

Totes Reproduced by FAA are High Quality (Thursday's Testimony)

TOTE AVAILABLE VIA FAA

TOTE AVAILABLE VIA FAA

TOTE  AVAILABLE VIA FAA

Q: What do the boy and the young woman seen in the images atop this post have in common?

Post Office Encounters Then & Now (Wednesday's Wisdom)

Every once in a while New Yorkers do hold together as evidenced in this essay by E.B. White (posted atop this entry) which was published just a little over 66 years ago on 3/6/1954.

I've read this piece over and over again and it came to my mind yesterday when I was at the post office where I'd gone to mail my submission of Imperfect Strangers,* which is something I mentioned in yesterday's Facebook entry.

My clerk, Connie, could not have been nicer or more accommodating and the same seemed true about her clerk-colleague who was sitting next to her.

Nonetheless, a woman on line began yelling at them, complaining she was in a hurry. No one verbally jumped to the defense of the postal clerks as is the case in White's essay, however, their silence seemed not to be due to a lack of empathy for the verbally attacked clerks, rather; it seemed to because of other things that are on people's minds these days; mainly the coronavirus.

The white crocuses are in bloom again! (Tuesday's Truths 166)

CROCUSES

On Sunday afternoon, March 8th, while in my garden, I noticed the crocuses that are planted in the large container housing my kiwi vines were beginning "wake up" from their winterized state of being mulched.

A 2020 "Worm Moon" will appear today! (Monday's Memo)

As you can see in the Mutts comic strip posted atop this entry, Earl has asked Mooch if he knows why this March 9th 2020 is called The Worm Moon, and a little worm, overhearing the convo, pops up from the ground to say, "YES!"

How about you dear reader, do you know why this Monday's moon is called The Worm Moon?

Fear not, if you don't, The Farmer's Almanac has the answer and so does Patch!

Saturday's Sentiments

American robins are featured in Volume 3

Early this morning I had my second 2020 face to face encounter with a lone American robin who was spending his/her time in my rooftop garden.

He/she played a bit of peekaboo with me as seen in the image atop this entry. Our encounter caused me to think of the literary critic, Chris Day.

Friday Follow-Up: Fredia, another PEANUTS's character, celebrates her debut!

IMAGE CREDIT

This past Tuesday, March 3, 2020, for my 165th segment in my Tuesday's Truths series, I offered my congratulations to Lucy van Pelt who is still going strong after making a debut 68 years ago!

Today as a Friday follow-up, I'm giving a shout on to another one of  Charles Schultz's characters, Frieda, who made her debut 59 years ago today.

A Reminder from a Dark-eyed Junco (Wednesdy's Wisdom)

JUNCOES ARE IN "WORDS IN OUR "

Yesterday a dark-eyed junco spent part of his/her rainy afternoon in my rooftop garden, the presence of such a sweet-faced creature on a wet day prompted me to recall a recent visit from another junco (or perhaps this was the same one) who gave me some wisdom about letting go of painful encounters that often occur in life.

JUNCOES ARE IN "WORDS IN OUR 

JUNCOES ARE IN "WORDS IN OUR BEAK"

Regular readers of this blog may know, Dark-eyed Juncoes are featured in my book three volume series, Words In Our Beak.

MY THREE VOLUME BOOK SERIES

As for today's "segment" of Wednesday's Wisdom, I invite you to re-read the aforementioned  blog entry, for the insights referenced (based on juncoes) there are ones we can never hear too often.

You've got this! Way to go, Lucy van Pelt! (Tuesday's Truths WK 165)

IMAGE CREDIT

For this 165th segment of my Tuesday's Truths series, I'd like to offer my congratulations to Lucy van Pelt who is still going strong after making a debut 68 years ago!

Here's what Charles Schultz had to say about her: "Lucy comes from that part of me that's capable of saying mean and sarcastic things, which is not a good trait to have, so [she] gives me a good outlet. But each character has a weakness and Lucy's weakness is Schroeder."

I appreciate all of Schultz's characters as evidenced by the number of blog posts I've published about him and his Peanuts comic strip.

Dr. Seuss was born 116 years ago today!

Dr. Seuss was born 116 years ago on this day of March the 2nd. I have paid homage to his day of birth in prior posts here on Blogger and I've also referenced several of Seuss's quotations within a number of my blog entries, all of this can be referred to by clicking here.

In any event, on this day of Seuss's birth, I find myself thinking about his first book, which was titled, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street (the book featured in the image atop this posting) and something I've addressed in prior posts here on Blogger.

According to a number of sources, including Wikipedia, "At least 20 publishers rejected the book before Geisel ran into an old college classmate, who had just become juvenile editor at Vanguard Press. Vanguard agreed to publish the book, and it met with high praise from critics upon release, though sales were not as impressive."