Pandemic, Week 63 (Surprise!)

This week, 35 Senate Republicans blocked the bipartisan January 6th Commission to investigate the Capitol insurrection, which would have passed were it not for the filibuster. The European Union banned travel over Belarus after the country forced down a flight to detain dissident journalist, Roman Protasavech. The Manhattan district attorney convened a grand jury to determine indictments for the Trump Organization criminal probe. Alabama lifted its ban of yoga instruction, which was barred from public schools in 1993 as "a method of religious training." Students are still not allowed to meditate. Eric Carle, author of, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, died.

The world reached a total of 170.6 million COVID cases and 3.5 million deaths this week, of which the US contributed 34.0 million cases and 609,000 deaths. 134 million Americans are now fully vaccinated, or 41 percent of the total populations, with 50 percent of the population having received at least one dose. As a result, the average number of newly reported COVID cases in the US has fallen below 30,000, the lowest figures since June 2020. But while the US is increasingly opening up, anti-vaccine protestors have compared mask wearing and vaccines to the Holocaust.

Nora (finally) received their new glasses (and toppers) this week and got to unveil them to friends and family alike. Owen uploaded (after two painful hours of trying to get a take to successfully work while wearing a bowtie)) his recording of Pomp and Circumstance for Duke's Graduation. Allen and I even got a date night (with indoor dining) to kick-off Memorial Day Weekend. 

But for us this week was all about Katherine's birthday and trying to coordinate a surprise party in the midst of school, work, Grandpa Don's knee surgery (which went great and he's thoroughly enjoying his pain meds) and a pandemic, which required limiting the guest lists to the fully vaccinated and their children. We spent the week as a family artistically translating our love for Katherine and the things she loves into a birthday banner (which involved finding the perfect marker color for beer, capturing Monty's glandular issues and even the 3-D printer!), plus ordering cupcakes, and figuring out sleeping arrangements while Mom Mom, Lee and Adrienne dealt with the food and logistics. The party was a lot of fun (though maybe a little fuzzy) and a wonderful celebration of a person that doesn't get celebrated nearly enough. Happy birthday, Katherine – hopefully next year will be bigger and better.

(To see all of this week's pictures, click here.)