Having an unnerving time these past few days. Being sheltered in place (due to a request from government officials during this coronavirus pandemic) is finally getting to me and yesterday, I accidentally banged my head on my door. I have a huge black and blue shiner and a massive headache so I'm in need of Advil Liquid Gel as it is the only pain reliever that works for me. The stress is compounded by the fact that I can’t seem to reach the super. Maybe he is in lock down or maybe I have the wrong number.
The light is off on the third landing and one of the tenants on that floor is not around. I think the woman across from her is here but not full time because someone put a night light in the outlet on their floor. BUT the stairs that lead from their floor to the floor where the woman who lives below me is pitch black, for there is no skylight or any source of light on their floor.
When this all started the man that lives a cross from her continued to get tons of deliveries which is standard for him but I think he has now gone away. It is very scary going down those stairs.
Someone gave me a small flashlight which I was grateful to get because mine is broken but unfortunately it is useless in that total darkness. I have a small battery operated lantern which I’ve been using.
Thankfully I've just received a phone call from the neighbor on my floor that she will be ordering a light to place on that floor via Amazon and the landlord will reimburse her for it, BUT, Amazon will not be able to deliver it to her for several days due to their back log and restrictions.
Moreover, I will be out of toilet paper this afternoon and while it has been ordered for me it will also be several days so I will cut up one of my shirts. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
ON A LIGHTER NOTE:
Yesterday, the owner of the building directly west of me created a play area out of colorful chalk for her toddler (it can be seen in the photo atop this entry). The bright colors of the chalk and the squeals of delight from her daughter are welcoming by yours truly.
BUT after photographing the play-area, I forgot to adjust my camera for the twenty-first #ClapBecauseWeCare session that took place last evening, so I apologize for my dark photo-ops seen in the series below.
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| A #ClapBecauseWeCare Participant |
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| JULIE, THE WOMAN WHO TOOK PHOTO-OP S OF MY GARDEN SEE THEM BY CLICKING HERE AND HERE |
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| JULIE, THE WOMAN WHO TOOK PHOTO-OP S OF MY GARDEN SEE THEM BY CLICKING HERE AND HERE |
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| GIUSEPPE AND TERESA (He has taken a video of a session from his window.) |
Nonetheless, I'm most grateful to participate in this nightly ritual and I'm glad to know it provides encouragement to our first responders, front liners and essential workers and that it is also bringing hope to many who are feeling so are hurting, alone and feeling a sense of despair.
Here is what the poet, Emily Dickinson had to say (via a poem) about hope:
Hope is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all -
And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -
And sore must be the storm -
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm -
I’ve heard it in the chillest land -
And on the strangest Sea -
Yet - never - in Extremity,
It asked a crumb - of me.
If this poem sounds familiar to you, dear reader, it may because you saw it on a web-page for The Poetry Foundation, or you may recall that I referenced it in my 3/21/2019 blog post.
I thank Dickinson for her inspirational words and I especially thank "the thing with feathers," many of whom have visited my garden during my time of sheltering in place.
They include ones seen in the next series of photo-ops here in the following order:
a female Northern cardinal...
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| FEMALE CARDINALS ARE FEATURED IN "WIOB" |
... a male Northern cardinal...
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| MALE CARDINALS ARE FEATURED IN "WIOB" |
a female House finch...
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| HOUSE FINCHES HAVE A STORY IN VOL ONE |
a male House finch...
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| HOUSE FINCHES HAVE A STORY IN VOL ONE |
one of many Mourning doves...
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| MOURNING DOVES HAVE A STORY IN VOL ONE |
...one of many blue jays...
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| BLUE JAYS ARE FEATURED IN "WIOB" |
... a male House sparrow...
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| HOUSE SPARROWS ARE FEATURED IN "WIOB" |
... a female House sparrow...
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| HOUSE SPARROWS ARE FEATURED IN "WIOB" |
... one of many pigeons...
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| PIGEONS ARE FEATURED IN "WIOB" |
...one of many European starlings...
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| EUROPEAN STARLINGS HAVE A STORY IN VOL 3 |
... one of a few Northern mockingbirds...
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| NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRDS HAVE A STORY IN VOL 3 |
... and an American robin.
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| AMERICAN ROBINS HAVE A STORY IN VOL 3 |
For your information, dear reader, all of these bird types who are featured within this post (as well as many other avian varities) are included in my three volume book series Words In Our Beak.
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| MY BOOK SERIES |
As I've been saying here on Blogger, "During this time where many people are confined to their homes due to lockdown restrictions (re the coronavirus pandemic), these books (whose stories are set in my rooftop garden) are great to have around as a reminder that there is still so much beauty in our fallen world."
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