Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy __Week 14

Once again I am counting my daily joys. Even in these unsettling times there are joys if we just look for them. They may be smaller than going to a play or not as exciting as a trip to see a grandchild, but there are joys all around. I am still keeping my list to re-read New Year's Eve and see that every single day has at least one thing joyful, even if it has to be searched for.

Wednesday: This is going to sound weird but a joy for me today is at the expense of My Beloved Sister. She has worked at advertising agencies since she was fresh out of college. Her (until Tuesday) employer was a small agency whose main clients are car dealerships. The car dealers were cancelling their advertising right and left, so cuts had to be made. We are hoping it will just be a furlough, but who knows how long recovery will take. Anyway, since she did not have to go to work this morning, she went to Mom's and I got to wake, shower and have a cup of coffee without leaving the house.
And as another very small joy, I went to the store and found 4 single rolls of toilet paper (there was a 4 roll limit), and I found a 10 pound bag of chicken leg quarters. I can home and began processing them. I froze 3 bags of cooked chicken and 4 quarts of super rich chicken broth.

Thursday: I only have one word to say about the big joy for today____Instacart! I ordered an Aldi purchase and it arrived at my front door within 2 hours. Wow it was fantastic. I actually had everything I needed except for fresh produce, so I got a good bit of it and also bought 4 boxes of  peanut butter chocolate covered cookies. TheHub loves them and I am peanut butter indifferent so they do not scream "Eat Me" every time I walk by.
Now all the produce was processed, I had everything Mom needed to take to her house Friday morning, and I should need absolutely nothing for the next couple of weeks. When I run out of produce again I found that a locally owned produce market is offering call-in drive up service. I will probably use them when my supplies run low.

Friday: I am ashamed to admit I had the grumps. I was finding no joy in anything really until I found Mom's substitute sitter was going to be with her Friday afternoon through late Friday night. She is an absolute joy to be around and makes Mom feel like they are having a tea party, so having her there and watching Mom's spirits lift the second she saw her was enough joy for one day.

Saturday: Of course FaceTime with Pip is always a joy! TheHub and I had a sort of down day and did not really get a lot accomplished, but that is ok. Maybe I should find joy in having coffee on the deck, and though they are late blooming, the apple trees have blossoms, and the neighbors cat has declared our back yard as his new hunting grounds. Maybe the chipmunks will not be able to eat everything I plant after all. I don't care if the cat catches them or just scares them into moving!

Sunday: I truly do not know if we could have asked for a more joy filled day! We started off the morning at 8:30 by live streaming our church's Palm Sunday service. Following that we had a webex Sunday school class.
TheHub and I messed around until about 2 when we grilled a hamburger and then had a zoom tele group chat with all of TheHub's family (37 in all). It was wonderful and except for our youngest nephew's 2 children every single family member was there. (They are little folks and it was nap time )
Later I thawed a big container of Mardi Gras punch (I really needed the freezer space) and invited 4 of our neighbors to our driveway where we sat about 10 feet apart and have drinks and conversation until dark.

Monday:  When I walked out to get the mail I noticed my neighbor was putting up her Easter egg lights above her front door. Even though her sons are older teens she said wanted something for the kids who walk by to look at. (We laughed because walking the neighborhood is the new hip way to spend the late afternoon. I have never seen so many people taking family strolls) Anyway, I was inspired by her gracious attitude.
I have a seriously ugly Easter wreath that I took from Mom's basement. My sister and I were talking about how unattractive it was one day, so after she left I grabbed it with the intention of sneaking over to her house and putting it on her front door. Corona and a shelter in place order changed all that, so I worked for a few minutes  and did a little bunny reformation and stuck that sucker on the door. Its not like anyone is going to get close enough to see how horrid it is anyway!
And the final joy for the day, TheHub and I watched the first episode of Ozark.! Can't wait for tomorrow to watch episode 2. (TheHub refuses to binge watch???)

Tuesday: Today I was able to find okra and cucumber seed at a lovely outdoor plant store. It was so nice to be able to get tomatoes, herbs and a lime tree in a lovely safe mostly unoccupied space.  With some existing seeds I have, I will be able to start a little garden this year. I think it is a great idea for everyone who is able to try and grow some foods right now.
I was also able to ride by our church this afternoon to pick up our sealed communion wafers and cups for our online Maundy Thursday service. The church is doing a remarkable and very safe job during this crazy to keep  Holy Week tradition available to everyone.
We watched episode 4  of The. Chosen (Youtube)

I hope you all can find some joy every day during this insane time, and I particularly wish every one's safety and sanity.