Pandemic, Week 13 (Not So Socially Distant)

George Floyd's funeral was held in Houston. Mitt Romney joined a Black Lives Matter protest in DC. The military offered to remove the names of confederate officers form their military installations (such as Fort Bragg), but Trump demurred. Instead, Trump announced a rally on Juneteenth in Tulsa, home of the Race Massacre of 1921 (he's since decide to delay the rally one day so it doesn't correspond with a holiday commemorating the end of slavery). The administration is also eliminating protections against discrimination in health care of trans-gender people.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 raged on. There were 7.8 million cases in the world and 430,000 deaths; for the United States the numbers were 2.1 million and 117,000. Cases have risen 207 percent in Arizona. Hospitalization have also increased in Arizona, Arkansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.

But we were all pretty removed from that in our mountain-top home. Nora rose each day to participate in the first two hours of Virtual Play in a Week where she played Minerva in Fatally Spagettified, but otherwise the kids mostly lounged, played games and swam in the pool, though they did take some time out for Owen's virtual 8th grade graduation. The adults spent the mornings on work-calls and other responsibilities, but then adjourned to the pool with cocktails before dinner and puzzle-time (and more cocktails). There was the occasional sunset concert featuring viola and cellos, sour cherry pie, homemade mayonnaise (if you like that sort of thing). But mostly, we just relaxed an enjoyed the company of not just our household unit.

It was kind of amazing and just the sort of psychic break we all needed (though maybe not what our collective livers would have preferred). And now we get to do it all again for another week with the Telfair-Chas in Deep creek, MD.

(To see all the pictures, click here.)