I think I have been sheltered now for 10 weeks. Being high risk with anemia, my family put the whammy on me early in this adventure.
The first week I thought, this is really great. Working from home and finishing up the sewing magazine for press would be fun. Challenging maybe, but fun. Our teams are troupers, and they have done amazing work during this time. Creative people love interaction. Yes, that’s me.
What have we learned during this time?
I can still cook. And cook. And cook. I have tried new recipes and cooked some of our favorites.
We lost a dear friend to COVID-19. That changed the world for us. Life is a treasured gift. Each day we must look around us at the gifts God has given by putting special people in our lives. Have you told your best friend how much you love them?
Family time. We will look back on this as a time when our time was spent with the ones we love the most. Never would families spend this much time together. But what a gift. We will look back on this and long for time together again, not under these circumstances, but when the world gets busy again.
Mothers have had the most beautiful time to be with their children. Mothers have ceased to be taxi drivers and have had their children all to themselves. Some realized early on that this is a treasured period of time in life. It has been challenging with the school time moved to our homes. Keeping them on track without instilling panic has been something to accomplish. Right now, we are wishing things to be like they were. When kids are grown, this will be a time remembered with great fondness.
A dear friend said something that I have thought about. “We didn’t realize what a great life we had until it was gone.” I miss hugging my grandchildren and grown children. I long for that to return quickly. When it comes to things that really matter, it is our precious people in our lives.
May God bless us all as we progress through the remainder of this time. May we be better people and learn from this. May each minute of every day be something we treasure.
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https://waterfallmagazine.com
Fantastic site. Plenty of helpful information here. I’m sending it to
several pals ans also sharing in delicious. And certainly,
thanks in your sweat!
Today I m 80 years young! Wow. I have been blessed with a beauty-full life. And to add you Ms Phyllis to my life makes all of our lives far above rubies. Thank you!!
Dearest Phyllis,
Your wonderful blog and Editor’s Letters make me very happy. I read all your magazines and love them all. You have become a cherished friend to me and you seem so familiar. Your “voice” is one of graciousness that harkens back to an age of elegance and etiquette. It is a voice that I admire and find inspirational. Thank You for bringing a lovely ray of hope to my life and those of your readers.
I am grateful for your corner of the world to where one can go and be encouraged. I do believe
we will emerge wiser and better for having had to evaluate who and what is really important in our lives. What might also happen is that we determine to discard needless distractions and to concentrate on the richness of a life given to us to be measured and enhanced by how much we have loved and cared for one another. So sorry you have had the loss of a dear one to punctuate this time in memory, but in that lies wisdom as well. Bless you, Phyllis.
My darling Phyllis,
Thank you for your endesring sentiments. So lovingly penned as all of your writings are. But, this is perfect timing. I am so blessed to have found your “Treasure” on this day,.
I consider it Divine Intervention from God and His ministering angels.
Hugs, Honey
Ps. 91:11
Dear Phyllis,
Yes, this chapter in our lives is one that all of us share together…we will get through as we
are all survivors as were our ancestors…stick with the protocol we have been given by our President Trump. Pray and pray some more…pray for those who have been taken as in your
family, my heart goes out to you for your loss and your family members who share the same
grief. We are all united in many ways and share the same passion for life, as it is so precious. I pray for all your fellow Ribbon followers and wish you all well. My days are filled with cooking and baking…can’t stay out of the kitchen. Digging out old recipes and
and trying new casseroles…Manage an Accounting Firm here 4 days a week and have been very busy, even without customer contact everything goes through our door mail slot, and lots of phone conversations with clients, everyone wants to talk we all need it.
Take care Phyllis and was wondering how you were doing I feel better now.
Take Care to you and everyone, God Bless!
California Carmel
Dear Phyllis, I am so sorry for the loss of your dear friend. As time goes by, we all inch a little closer to knowing someone who has lost or is fighting the battle against Covid-19. That is why – – everyday – – I give thanks to God for our present blessings, and for His comfort and calm during this period of uncertainty and crisis.
Oddly enough, I don’t want things to go back to the way they were . . . I want them to be better. To be simpler, gentler, slower . . . . I’m choosing to take all of the good out of this current situation, and to bring it forward with me into the future. That is one way to win the battle against this pandemic – – – allow it to change your life for the better.
I pray for your health and safety, and that of your family and friends. Let’s all celebrate the beauty and pleasures of home right now . . . . our havens, our safe places . . . . and stay connected to our loved ones, both now and beyond this time of trials. Blessings!! xoxo
I have been keeping myself busy. My sisters and me have been reading, and throwing out some things that should have been thrown out long a go. We are going to start doing some jigsaw puzzles and playing some games. Sorry about your friend. I have a good friend that at times we can talk for an hour or more on the phone. When we end our conversation we always say good bye and I love you.
Marilyn
Phyllis, I have asthma so I am at high risk. I only go to the next block to mail letters. I always cover my mouth and nose. Sorry for your loss.
Marion
Sorry about the loss of your friend. I am a homebody so I am not getting stir crazy. Stay well and safe.
Joan
Ribbon
May God comfort each of you who have lost dear friends or family.
As I was reading entries, my alarm reminded me that it was 7pm on Thursday night. During our forced relaxation, we have been placing a light in the window and then especially praying for us all as we act and react during this chaos. I understand that many are participating in this ritual.
All who are left in our family and many of our friends would be considered high risk; thus, getting together anytime soon would not be wise. Next week we will celebrate our 50th Wedding Anniversary. It certainly won’t be the celebration we’d imagined, but we are so very blessed to be together.
Prayers for safety and good health for you and yours…
The longer the social distancing lingers, the more settled I’m feeling. I was very anxious the first few weeks of this pandemic as plans kept changing: some regular activities such as getting with friends, gathering for church, going out dancing with my husband… all came to a screeching halt. But I’ve gradually been accepting ( though not liking) what’s happening as GOD gives good things as well as what seems not so good. I’m trying to focus on all the blessings that are happening in the midst of all this strange season. I’m doing a lot more creative endeavors during this stay-at-home time. I think I’m not as distracted by urgent things that usually pull at me so creativity is flowing more freely. Perhaps once we’re through this pandemic valley, we’ll see all sorts of ways we’ve grown and changed as GOD has used all of it to accomplish His purposes. I’m saying that by faith because right now , though I have accepted the situation, I still feel sad for all those who have lost their lives to it. I’m very sad for your losses, Roseann and Phyllis.
Your comments on living through this time in our lives are exactly as I feel during this time of separation from those we love. Thanks!
My deepest condolences for you and your friend’s family. I have found that loosing a friend brings a different type but just as painful heartache from loosing family i.e. spouse, child, parents, siblings. They are your peers, confidants, treasures in different ways than your family but oh so important in your life. Blessings to you and yours!
You really captured the feelings of many of us that this break from the treadmill of our daily schedule has been the silver lining to this pandemic. Take care, everyone! Blessings to all.
I am sorry for the loss of your dear friend. I suppose this will be one of those eras when they will say that most people knew at least one person who was afflicted with the virus.
I agree with your philosophy about how we should handle these times. Even before this latest hurdle, I was beginning to realize, as I could see myself getting older, that “THESE really are the good old days”, even though these specific conditions are not good. It is what we make out of them.
I know what we are promised and that is that God can take what was meant for our harm and turn it around for our good.
I am hoping that we learn a lot from this. I hope that it brings people and families together and that we can slow down enough to enjoy the little things.
When I first went to the store after about a month and half of “lock down”, it was so pleasing. How we take for granted fresh fruit and vegetables and milk, YES, FRESH milk!
I wish continued wellbeing to everyone and God’s blessing on all of us!
Dear Phyllis, I agree with your every word. My dear mom always said, “Good things come out of bad.” I have thought about her words every day and I have held onto them. Because, like you, I do believe we will emerge ‘better people.’
Thank you for a lovely post. Many blessings.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts Phyllis, I wanted to recommend a book I found when I was fortunate to become a stay at home mom, it’s called Being Home by Gunilla Norris and it’s a book of meditations on the daily things we do every day, I pulled it off the bookcase the other day and it brought back to me how important the little things of daily life at home and appreciate all we have to be thankful for! I know that Faith , Hope and Charity will get us all through the days ahead.
We also lost a dear friend. Only 53. She meant the world to us. It changes how we look at this disease and lockdown. It also made me yearn for the carefree days when I could hug my loved ones.
I’m so sorry for your loss. I pray for comfort for you and the family of the one you lost.
Dear Phyllis, I couldn’t agree with you more. Thank you for reminding us that there are many things to be thankful for during this time of sequestering. I appreciate your uplifting blogs each month.