I always begin each new year with hope and optimism and 2020 was no different. I had completed and published my first novel, Rudolph's Rhapsody, which is available through Amazon and is the subject of the previous blog I posted here. I promoted it with all the effort I wanted and watched the money trickle into my special bank account set up for it. After an initial flurry of activity, sales slowed down as did my interest to put forth anymore effort in promotion. It is what it is and the value I received for my efforts is mostly in personal accomplishment and satisfaction. I never did it just for the money but had a story to tell. I may do more towards sales promotion by making it available in hard copy in 2021. I have already started on a new book with completion of the first chapter which is rather lengthy. It is starting out as my autobiography but may turn into a novel; too soon to tell. I'm anticipating a long dark winter for 2020/2021 so anything is possible!
Before 2020 becomes the Year to Forget, I wanted to put events in a timeline that is relevant to me. I will not go into well published aspects of the national election and worldwide pandemic nor will I spend time on all the natural disasters, economic fails, related world events, and so many other negative things that occurred this year affecting so many people. There's more than enough to be found on the internet and news broadcasts everyday. The reader can only take in so much information and likely has all the knowledge they can handle already especially in their personal perspective. I'm here to relate my Perspective of 2020 especially so I can come back in later years and see just what happened to better understand how moving forward continued amid the challenges.
January
New Year's Day began with a hike at Ha Ha Tonka State Park with the Lake of the Ozarks Chapter of Master Naturalists. This was to be my 7th year as an active member. My husband joined us but preferred to stay with the group cooking the Hoppin' John New Year good luck meal at the picnic area instead of spending the time hiking the challenging terrain. This was my first and last event participation with this group in 2020. Looking back now, I hate to think how much worse the year would have been if we didn't participate in this traditional good luck meal! It wasn't long after that I lost a good friend, Kay, who was one of the members I was closest too all these years. I'm not going into what she meant to me at this time as I had expressed myself immediately after her death in a tribute on my facebook page and was shut down by her "new" best friend who had the task of settling her affairs and was told I was putting her property at risk. Of course, I complied and now keep the tribute and memories all to myself. I stopped going to the meetings soon after. This was the third in "three strikes you're out" incidents of negativity I experienced with members of this group. The group is not to blame for the poor actions of a few members but it may take time for me to return. I am a forgiving person but one that never forgets!
Happier events included time with my two and a half year old granddaughter at Itty Bitty City in Springfield. It was on the same day my daughter had an appointment with a health center chiropractor which also was a place to get a deep tissue massage appointment made. It was to be the last massage I got before the pandemic began. My regular masseuse, Kati, quit me unexpectedly in December. I had been going to her at least once a month for many years. This was our second time at Itty Bitty City and filled my heart with joy! I also stayed overnight as my daughter and her boyfriend were in Kansas City to see in person the KC Chiefs team win what they needed to be in the upcoming Super Bowl. I became a first time football fan watching the game on TV with my granddaughter while her mother and her boyfriend were there.
Later in the month, I had an opportunity to Skype with my second cousin and his daughter in the Czech Republic. We were now into about a five year email relationship since Paul found me through this blog. His grandfather and my grandmother were brother and sister. His European family never knew my family in the United States. My novel tells the story of why and he helped me fill in so many genealogical blanks. His highly educated daughter, Lucy, has contributed much with her English speaking skills. Our relationships continue and likely will include a visit in the future. Paul's has been taking English courses all along and has shown much improvement. Lucy did come to the U.S. in 2020 before the pandemic restrictions on traveling to a trip to Boston for her first time and she and I Skyped often.
February
The best part of the month was spending more time with my daughter's family especially watching the KC Chiefs win the Super Bowl. The other event that stood out for me was Election Poll Training in my county. This was my 8th year. I was happy to see a room full of new people as I was one of the older ones and thinking this might be my last election year to work as it is a long 14-hour day and this year could be contentious. We were all assured that the sheriff's presence may be needed at the polls to make sure all runs smoothly. The first election would come next month and it would only have one issue. Then the primary in August and then the national in November.
March
This was our usual month for Continuing Education for the Missouri Master Gardeners. There are little to no opportunities in the county I live to get CE. So for many years, we attended the fun and interesting workshops put on by other Master Gardener Chapters in the state which counts for the six required CE hours annually. This is in addition to 20 hours of volunteer service to be in good standing. This is my 8th year as a Master Gardener and my husband's 6th year. We both work together at the Settlers Village Gardens in our county as our service project. We usually exceed the required hours. We always look forward to and enjoy the Spring Workshop in Branson. This was the last time we got together this year with other Master Gardeners because of the pandemic.
This was also the last election I worked as there were a few incidents that I found to be intolerable. The first one involved the Republican poll workers who lied to me at the start of the day. They sat in their cars while me and the other Democrat worker set up the polling place which takes the first hour to be open to the public by 6 AM. The lie was that she didn't think we had showed up at 5 AM and she was there parked waiting for us although all the lights were on and the door unlocked. I let it go even though it was a lot of work for just two people to do alone. The day passed okay as it was uncomplicated and minimal as far as elections go. The other two incidents happened when the polls closed at 7 PM. It takes about an hour to finalize and prepare ballots to take to the county court house. These two Republicans hardly did anything unless I pushed them with suggestions to help out here and there which I shouldn't have had to do. It was at this time that a person from the press found their way into the closed building while I was moving things out to my car through the one unlocked door at the back of the building. She identified herself with a letter that had numerous logos; likely Associated Press. I didn't read the letter she tried to shove at me because I knew she had no authority to be inside the building at this time. I had no help from my co-workers in directing her out of the building after she pushed her way inside which was illegal after the polls were closed. Again, no big deal in itself but it would have been better to have had the support of my co-workers or a sheriff's presence. The last straw began at exactly 7 PM when several cars pulled up to the building as we locked the doors. I went outside to let them know they were too late to vote now past 7 PM as more and more cars came into the small parking lot. I was told they rented the building at 7 PM for a church revival meeting. I told them they could not come in until we counted all the ballots and locked up to take the ballots to the courthouse. They wanted my key and I said to pick it up at the courthouse when I'm done with it. I went inside, locked the doors, and soon, the person from the press snuck in while I was going back and forth to my car with the voting supplies. Before 8 PM, all of the poll workers were out of the building trying to leave but the parking lot now had at least two dozen cars blocking us or at least making it difficult to leave. While I was slowly backing out, I barely touched one of the revivalist's truck but did make it move so I stopped and got out as soon as I could straighten out so he could get out of his door. He jumped out with anger and fist-pounded my car several times. We had a confrontation with words and I wanted him to follow me to the courthouse where the sheriff was as there was no way another vehicle could fit in that parking lot! Several people surrounded me and I stood my ground and said I was taking these election ballots to the courthouse and if anyone tries to stop me, I would press federal charges. The young man who's truck I barely bumped said it wasn't big enough damage and to forget it in front of witnesses. It was all over then and I was on my way. I relayed these incidents to the Republican County Clerk who seemed to dismiss me as she received the ballots. Nothing else seemed important to her at that busy time. I went home and had several shots of tequila to calm my nerves which was the first time I had a strong drink this year and the last (so far, as I'm writing this in mid-November). When it was time for the next election in August, the County Clerk called me and apologized for all that I said had happened in early March. Maybe she paid attention after I posted the events on Facebook with lots of support! She said that resolution was made with the city office about not renting the community building ever again on an election day. Nothing was said about the lack of help and lies from the Republican co-workers. She did say that the sheriff's department should make an appearance at each polling place especially at closing time. She had said that at the February training too! Then she asked if I would work again and I said no for the first time in eight years. It was so obvious that she only apologized because she needed a Democratic poll worker. So my election poll worker days ended. I was sad but relieved. This was the only negative experience in all my years as a poll worker. I remembered that room full of new poll workers at the February training class and felt that it was a good time to move on. By mid-March the pandemic was increasing. It was slow to come to Hickory County.
I stayed busy going to the YMCA until the pandemic issues closed the doors and I had my last Silver Sneakers class. I had been going 2-3 times a week for over a year and was in great shape and health. My husband even started going regularly the past few months and it was something we enjoyed doing together until it stopped being available. Previously, I had been going to another gym during the winter months for 25 years. Life went on finding things to do close to home as the world started changing because of the pandemic. Basic items were becoming hard to find such as toilet paper and cleaning supplies. We bought a new washing machine to replace the noisy one we had fixed once and it didn't last a year. Our TV quit and we couldn't buy a replacement for several months so we got by with an older one we had. Then our dishwasher quit and it took about six months to get the one we wanted. My hands were especially clean with all that dishwashing! I bought a new daybed and fixed up my daughter's old bedroom to be a nice place to take a nap during the day and to have everything just right for my granddaughter as she will be old enough to stay here overnight soon. There was a big delay in product pickups as all businesses were shut down for a long period. I can't remember the last time we ate out in a sit down restaurant but it likely was in March or April. I hope I ordered the dessert! By the end of the month I was learning about curbside pickup grocery shopping at Walmart. All the counties around us were seeing increases in COVID-19 positive tests but none in Hickory County, so far. There was a sense of caution in the air along with the potential of the coronavirus all around.
April
Did a lot of Skyping this month with family. The hummingbirds and orioles started coming around which brought me great joy! There were many walks along the Pomme de Terre River near my home and I found lots of morel mushrooms. I started bicycling on the Katy Trail this month. This is my 26th year. I started buying meals at drive-thru fast food restaurants which was something I rarely did before the pandemic. My world was all about our yard, house, and the service project at Settlers Village as we felt blessed to have our immediate world around us safe. Gardening and more gardening done as spring brings new beginnings and hope. My husband kept busy with unusually good weather over the winter and early spring months building a deck. We also did some kayaking and fishing as the weather warmed. Yet the coronavirus is on the increase everywhere but not yet any cases in Hickory County. Just watching enough news on TV and on the internet to be aware of what's going on around us but no problems identified here yet. Empathy for those suffering in their health and economic conditions increases. The idea that this will all be gone by mid-summer is prevalent. Warmer weather and being outside will surely end it!
Morel Mushrooms Along the Pomme de Terre River Trail Close to Home
May
Spring is in full swing! One day while I was out bicycling, I came home to find my husband built an obelisk for me to plant morning glories and moon flowers. Everything was blooming and I had the perfect view of my yard from the front patio where I spent so much coffee and tea time with Bobi Kitty watching the birds and other critters that came to visit everyday. The best visitor was our granddaughter who stayed a couple weekends for the first time. What a joy having her here!
We had to cancel some travel plans because of the pandemic. We usually travel to Iowa this month to see family. That was a hard thing to cancel especially since my husband's mother was 93 years old and he had been visiting her several times a year. That stopped. It was also a time I enjoyed looking up old girlfriends and visiting my older brother and his family. We even had to cancel my older brother's yearly trip to visit me in Missouri in which he drove his Harley and we would go everywhere to eat around Branson and Lake of the Ozarks. Still, we had no positive tests for COVID-19 in Hickory County but it was increasing everywhere else. I can only think it was because the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers closed all eight parks around our Lake Pomme de Terre around Memorial weekend. We typically get hundreds of thousands of visitors from Kansas City and St. Louis on a holiday weekend as Hickory County is predominantly a lake recreational area. Most every business depends on the seasonal tourists and lake goers. Most all the businesses and schools had been closed so there was limited things for entertainment. So my brother and I made tentative plans to travel to Hot Springs, Arkansas in October because surely this pandemic would be done by then! We had a great time there the past couple years when he joined us. My other older brother from Virginia was also planning to join us on that trip. But we agreed to wait and see how the pandemic plays out.
Still, my husband and I adjusted our plans for our 46th Wedding Anniversary celebration. Turns out that our favorite local winery would open and welcome us on our special day which happened to be on a weekday when they would not be very busy typically and next to no business at this time. So we had a beautiful day with great food and wine close to home. There was only one other couple in the whole place while we were there so social distancing was no problem.
No comments:
Post a Comment