The Merry Month of May

Years and years ago I first saw the movie Camelot. It may have been in Sioux Falls but I vaguely remember it as being someplace else. No matter. The number from that musical that sticks in my mind is “The Merry Month of May.” 

Whether this particular month May is merry or not is a matter of opinion. With the Corona virus continuing to spread throughout the nation and in South Dakota, particularly in this corner of the state, it seems to me to be rather foolish to be opening businesses, and in so doing encouraging people to be out and about and celebrating the merry month. I notice on the few occasions when I’m out that there are very few persons wearing masks (a proven deterrent to the spread of the virus), and many not observing social distancing. 

This “opening up” is not based on the fact that we have increased testing, or have conquered the virus, or have a vaccine, but on the statistics that say we will have enough hospital beds for those who contract the virus. One wonders if there is not another virus yet to be identified that has invaded the brains and destroyed any semblance of logical thinking. In other words it doesn’t make any difference how many more people get sick as long as we can provide beds for them.

The fitness center to which I belong has announced its reopening on Monday next. I will be asking to have my membership suspended for the time being. I do not feel comfortable being around others in close quarters. Those who are exercising will most likely not be wearing masks and the force with which they exhale will undoubtedly make the air there a dangerous thing to breathe, especially for someone with a mitigated immune system.

We’ve had a mix of weather. On the whole it has been much cooler than the previous week. So much cooler that I haven’t felt the urge to be out in the yard. I do notice that those volunteer yellow flowers are flourishing. Perhaps one should think about doing something about them. One of these days, I say. One of these days.

Some of the glass art on the wall of the lab waiting room

The week has gone well.  I had lab work on Monday and the report from the doctor was that everything looked good. Sodium is staying up in the normal range for which I, and in particular my brain, am most grateful. I guess my white count and platelets are still in the tolerable but could be better range, but that is what chemo does to your blood. I’ve felt well all week with no problems. Thanks be to God.

Several trips on Sunday afternoon to drop off cuttings of plants at friend’s houses got me out and around town. I also took a field trip on Wednesday to see some of the flowering trees before the predicted frost attacked them. I don’t believe it got quite as cold as the prognosticators had said but it was chilly enough to make the fireplace a nice, cozy thing to be around.

The Diary of Anne Frank has always been a very moving story for me. The privilege of visiting the building where the group hid was one of my highlights of Amsterdam.  A theater group from Minneapolis did a Zoom presentation of the play which was viewed on Thursday afternoon. It was interesting seeing the play without sets and with the characters speaking individually given the nature of Zoom.  I found myself concentrating more on each individual than I had before. A discussion with a friend on the following day brought out other things. It is helpful to be able to share thoughts with another, or several others, after some experiences.

One would think in the current situation time would weigh heavy. That’s not the case here. After a few weeks I was finally able to watch a piano recital by a talented young man with whom I’ve become acquainted through the Washington Pavilion.  He is the coordinator of the volunteers there, and is a superb pianist. He had to perform his master’s recital on YouTube because of the prohibitions against groups meeting. It’s amazing to see how rapidly his fingers fly over the keys.

Courtesy of Zoom I was able to attend a Benedictine meeting in Arizona. We also had our weekly meeting here on Tuesday evening.  I look forward to being able to see those who join us each week. 

How some members of the household prefer to spend a rainy afternoon.

I think that longing is expressed well in this quote from the daily posting from the Society of St. John the Evangelist, an Episcopal monastic community, on the Body of Christ.  “We cannot do it alone. This isn’t private religion. We regularly need to be with other followers of Jesus with whom to pray and praise and worship, to listen and speak, and to sit at table and eat.” -Br. Curtis Almquist.

The sitting at table and eating will have to wait for some time until the current pandemic is over. Technology allows us to do the rest. While it’s not as good as being present in person, it does help.

I have another week “off” before the next round of chemo. The only trip to the hospital will be for labs on Monday.

Keep up the prayers. Have a good week.